The City of Light

Greetings visitors!
It's time to write about my extraordinary visit to the City of Light: Paris.

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Friday morning I packed my little travel suitcase with clothes and headed off to Edinburgh Airport, ready to see a city I have heard so much about, and yet never visited. After disembarking from an easyJet Boeing-737, I found myself utterly puzzled about how I would get into the city. For those of you who don't know, almost all of France is on strike-- from the judges, to the students, to the train workers. Yes, the train workers. Luckily I found a (free!) bus heading into the city (though not to my ideal destination) so I hopped on and sat back, reading Fleshmarket Close to pass the time. After finally making it to my hotel-- Hotel Rivoli-- it all became worth it. Sarah (in her infinite wisdom) had gotten us a fantastic hotel room with 2 beds, on the top floor, in the 4e, with a balcony overlooking Hôtel De Ville (seen from the balcony, right) for all of 90€ for both of us for two nights-- that's less than a hostel! Friday night was mostly a chill night for chowing down on Thai food and splitting a pitcher of Sangria after visiting Le Bastille, flashpoint of the French Revolution.

Saturday is when the real Paris became alive right in front of me. Though it was cold (down to -4C), we toughed through it and saw most of the amazing sights and sounds the French capital had to offer! Paris excited every sense... Sight with its amazing landmarks. Sound with an accordion serenading us in the distance. Touch with its cold, stale air. Smell with fresh baguette scents wafting in the air. And finally taste with haute cuisine and selection of Bordeaux exciting every taste bud. It did not disappoint.

First thing Sarah and I did Saturday morning was wake up and have a classic French breakfast: Croissant and Tea. After breakfast we headed off for a 4 hour dwelling of Musée d'Louvre. WOW. The place was HUGE! It is estim

ated that to just glance at every piece of art in the Louvre, it would take NINE MONTHS! I was pretty impressed with what I saw: The Mona Lisa, Venus Demilo, Madonna on the Rocks, etc... This museum is a MUST VISIT for anyone going to Paris. My favorite of the paintings was Pygmalion et Galatée by Ann-Louis Girodet (pictured on the left). We also saw the inverted pyramid made famous by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Food in the museum was RIDICULOUSLY over-priced, so we instead grabbed lunch at a nearly sandwich shop where I had a killer curry chicken salad sandwich. Musée l'Orangerie was next on the itinerary and it too did not disappoint. This recently renovated mecca of Impressionism boasted 6 of Monet's waterlily panels resting in two huge circular rooms with perfect lighting. My favorite was the weeping willow panel (right).

After the Louvre and Musée l'Orangerie, it was off to see some other Paris landmarks. First, Champs-Élysées, the most famous street in France. The roadway teemed on all sides with shops, people, and brasseries. The street used to be an avenue for the see and be seen bourgeois, but after some so called hamburgerization, now boasts an assortment of tourist shops and fast-food joints. This magnificent street led us to the magnificent Arc de Triomphe, a massive roundabout featuring a 50m high arch dedicated to victory in the Napoleonic Wars. After climbing the 284 steps to the top, the view was magnificent. To the south, the Seine and Eiffel Tower. To the north, the grand cityscape and the other part of the Seine. To the west, Bois de Boulogne. And to the east, the Louvre and heart of the city, 1er. The roundabout also hosted the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

After crossing the Seine, it was finally time for Tour Eiffel! The wait was long (even in November!) but well worth it. After climbing almost 700 stairs to get to the 2nd story, a lift brought us to the top (at about sunset). The peak offered amazing views of the city and the sunset. the cityscape was completely visible and after the sun had set, and the lights began to turn on, I began to understand why this is the City of Light. It really is no wonder why this is one of the most visited landmarks in the world.



The night was rounded out with a visit to Musée d'Picasso where hundreds of Picasso's finest works were on display in a renovated Parisian mansion. The mansion worked very well as a museum because it featured vaulted ceilings and beautiful embedded crown molding. Finally, Sarah and I took the Metro home (after walking about 8 miles and climbing about 1000 stairs) to the Hotel de Ville station, got dinner, an (overpriced) drink, and hit the hay.

Sunday was our day of departure. We decided over another croissant breakfast to visit the Jewish quarters-- Pletzel (right). Because it was Sunday, and Parisians (including shopkeepers) tend to take the day off, the Jewish quarter would probably be buzzing because the Jewish sabbath is Saturday. It was. We did some shopping, saw some cute cafes, and I bought a Kosher salami! Even trickier than getting to the city was getting back to the airport. The RER was still not running and the only option was a 13€ airfrance bus that ran to the 2nd terminal (I departed out of the 3rd). I got there in planty of time and had a nice flight home. Back to Edinburgh!

I really had a great time in Paris. I would like to thank Sarah for being my guide and translator for the weekend.

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