3.8.09

Carnival of Light - Part III

I didn't want the last day in Paris to come. The city had captivated me, and the thought of leaving it just twisted my insides; nevertheless, there it was. We got up early to go see a choir rehearsal at the Sacre-Coeur, but apparently, my sources were misinformed. After a long and windy walk through Montmarte at 9:30 AM on Sunday, including a hike up a bazillion-trillion stairs, we made it to the empty (except for tourists!) basilica. Apparently, they have services except during the tourist-heavy months of July and August. It was an exceptional bummer, but the chapel was still quite lovely and worth the walk.

We made up for it by picking up breakfast at a patisserie we passed on the way there, located close to the Abbesses metro station. Kathleen and I bought - are you ready for this? - chocolate chip baguettes. That's right, people. Bread. With chocolate. It was heavenly bliss. In combination with a cafe creme, our breakfast could not be beat.

Full of delicious carbohydrates, we headed over to the Musee d'Orsay, where the first Sunday of every month is - yes, again - FREE. We saved so much money on this trip to Paris! The Degas exhibit was my absolute favorite of ANY museum I've visited ANYWHERE since I got to Europe in June. Seeing his ballet paintings and sculptures first-hand just blew me out of the water, especially since my Mammy has some of those prints in her home. I also got to see two of van Gogh's self portraits, which -WHOA! - was so crazy. It felt like I wasn't even there.

Because the museum was free, it was full of tourists, so we didn't stay long. We tried to make a trip to the Catacombs, but the line wrapped around the block, guiding us to an alternative plan. Lunch. Kathleen and I went to the French equivalent of a meat-and-three for 7.50 euros, and I couldn't even finish my meal. SO GOOD! (I can't remember the name, but it's owned by some French-Asians really close to Denfert-Rocheareau. In the meat market.) After finishing, the line was just as long, so (after yet another failed attempt at shopping the LaFayette Galleries) we headed back to Montmartre. It ended up being the best day of all 3, because we were able to wander the more locally-inhabited vintage stores and petite bakeries without feeling claustrophobic. I even bought a Parisien dress, which I wore to our formal dinner tonight...it was a hit! We also returned to the same bakery from that morning (yes, the chocolate baguette place) and got take-away pastries. I'm ashamed to say none of them actually made it back to Oxford. Zero self-control.

Our evening was spent playing cards and eating Nutella crepes in the hotel, and it was a perfectly relaxing end to a perfectly relaxing weekend. Paris is a magical place, full of KIND (not rude!!! What a horrible stereotype!) citizens, beautiful sights, and - most importantly - infinite bread and wine. :) La vie est belle a Paris.

1 comment:

  1. Great Blog.. You have put paris on our list..You do realize that the French Tourist Bureau should be paying you..right?

    UW

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