Week 3 - Paris

We made it to Paris!!!!! This trip was incredible. There were a few moments of fright regarding how we would get back - but it all worked out. I am currently safe and sound in my flat in London, listening to the rain and thunder outside, and happy to relive some of these treasured moments from the last few days in France.

Very excited to take the tunnel

I found this super helpful schedule for the RER train strike

So there was a strike, our flight got cancelled, we had to cut Lyon out of our travel plans, BUT we did manage to take Eurostar to Paris. Eurostar is INCREDIBLY cool. You have so much space and you can walk through the trains to this little cafe/shop to get food or hot chocolate. There's wifi. It's more expensive than a plane ticket, but you can totally see why when you get on the train. The best part is the view from the window. We got to see so much English countryside, then it was black while we went under the channel, and THEN we got to see the French countryside. My mom and I loved it. We were like little kids with popcorn looking at the views.

Mom is a champ at navigating the French transit system. I speak almost no French except from some random phrases I remember from a French opera I was in and the basic - "je ne parle pas francais" and "parlez vous anglais." (full disclaimer: I had to google how to spell those before I put it in but I DO know how to say it because my mom taught me). The point is - Mom speaks English and Spanish and the basics of French and she was able to get us around and make basic conversation. I'm so glad I have her! We made it safely via their transportation system   (I don't know if they have a fancy name for it like the tube or subway - they probably do and it's probably French so I'll just call it the French tube) We made it safely via the French tube to our hotel and had dinner at this delicious creperie. The people are so nice; they gave us menus in English. The crepe was dang good, but I must confess my favorite was the ice cream after. Chocolate and Salted Butter Caramel. Wow. This kind of ice cream will definitely be in Heaven.

Crepes = Happiness

Apparently I told my mom years ago (because I was disappointed I hadn't been to NYC) that I was going to see the French Statue of Liberty before I saw the American one. I was right. 

We did a little sight-seeing that night. 

The next morning we climbed the Eiffel Tower! We climbed the 669 steps to the second level and then took the elevator to the top. I may have known this number before and I may have not shared the number with my mom when I suggested we do the stair-to-elevator route, but I think we both agreed it's the best way to do it. You can pause and enjoy the view on your way up the stairs and then you feel like you've really earned it when you get to the top. It was fun to pull out our map at the summit and match what we could see from the tower with the locations on the map.

Pre-climb

1st Level 

And summit 

Lunch was at this adorable little cafe. The customers at this cafe were purely French women. It was delightful to join in their company. When we left, one of the women that worked there went out of her way to say au revoir and wish us the best.

Ham and potatoes and lettuce at its finest

Gardens near Les Invalides

Les Invalides

The next stop was the Musée d'Orsay. In line this elderly  man came up to me and asked if I was the girl he met at Versailles yesterday. I said I wasn't there yesterday and he said I "looked just like her." As soon as he walked away, this UK man standing behind us said, "I haven't used that chat-up line since 1976."

I did a copy of this painting in fourth grade. They actually have my copy hanging up in Musée
 d'Orsay instead of the original. 

We mainly looked at the impressionist and neo-classical pieces in this museum - it houses one of the most "important collections of impressionist paintings in the world" (according to its website). The Monets were intriguing to just stare at. I studied these paintings a lot in elementary school, so it was surreal to see them in real life. I found Henri Fantin-Latour paintings especially intriguing; he painted group portraits of Parisian artists and writers. In the ones at the museum, no one is looking at each other and a few people are looking right at you (the viewer). It's a powerful experience.

Word of advice: if you are going to climb the 669 steps TAKE A NAP after. We were dead after the museum. We had to switch hotels because of our last minute travel adjustments, and we thought the next hotel was 2 minutes away from our first one but it was actually 20 minutes away. Needless to say, we slept very VERY well that night.

The whole reason I wanted to go to Paris in the first place was to see the Paris France temple. Ever since its dedication, I've found looking at these pictures of the temple as a way to bring peace and perspective back into my life. I kept hoping that I would go there in person and experience its heavenliness in real life. The temple is exquisite. I can't put to words how strong the feelings of peace and grace were at this sacred sight.

Truly a Heavenly palace because they have WATER FOUNTAINS. These are incredibly rare in London and just not a thing at all in France. Except for in the temple. 

So my friend that I was in a French opera with is serving in France and was AT THE TEMPLE when we went!!! It was incredibly to get to talk to Sister Marteeny and here about her first month out in the field. She is a delight and I am so incredibly grateful we were able to see her. 

This is a video of us curtseying in preparation for Manon. 

I miss those dresses.

So the missionaries gave us directions to the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. Either we misheard their directions, or they thought we were going somewhere else. . . something. We ended up at a soccer field for a local school, which was pretty adorable. But not the gardens at Versailles. It ended up being a much longer walk to actually get to the Palace, but we got to walk through some beautiful streets that were very quiet, likely due to the light rain.

These gardens. It's 1,946 acres. THAT IS A LOT OF LAND. In references to Versailles, Mark Twain said, ""You gaze and stare and try to understand that it is real, that it is on the earth, that it is not the Garden of Eden—but your brain grows giddy, stupefied by the world of beauty around you, and you half believe you are the dupe of an exquisite dream." 

I'm writing this post a few days later now and wow. These pictures just take me right back. The gardens are magical.

So after the gardens we took a train back, but their system was a little messed up because of the strikes and we got off at a weird place. We could walk to another station, but I suggested we just walk. I like walking, especially in beautiful cities. Unfortunately, it was starting to rain. Rain doesn't usually bother me, and I haven't been caught in a rainstorm in a very long time, because I live in Provo and London has been sunny and bright since I got here (except for that one day). As luck would have it, we got caught in a rainstorm.

Fun fact: We both brought our umbrellas with us to Paris (because that would be smart) and we both did not bring the umbrella with us to Versailles.

We were drenched. The damage was pretty bad. You can tell a little bit in the picture - my blue sweater bled all over my white skirt. Luckily, I was traveling with my mother who brings stain-removing laundry soap with her to Paris. (She's a wise woman). We were able to get all of the blue out, but our clothes were SOAKED and did not dry in time for our flight the next morning. We did our best with irons and safety pins, but ultimately had to just throw them in plastic bags. ALSO I was carrying our temple clothes in a Zara's (paper) bag. Ha. The color from the bag bled all over our white clothes inside. It was a fun night of washing.

On the bright side, our hotel used this genious room service system that is really just food delivery from around the city. Burgers sounded divine - we of course got French burgers. I was giddy when the knock at the door brought this feast into my life. I love food. But especially when I've been walking pretty much all day and then walking in the rain and then washing all of my clothes. Thank goodness for delivery.

This is a video with some highlights from our transportation and the fountains at Versailles:

Finally got a macaroon at the airport. I can't tell you how many prayers and positive thinking I sent up in hopes that this flight would actually happen and get us back to London. The strikes were still going, but our flight did take off in Paris and land in London. We both couldn't believe we had made it back.

Paris,  you were a marvelous adventure.

xo

Rebecca