Paris, je t'aime

16 March 2008

This past weekend I traveled to Paris, France. It was my second time in the city and I couldn’t wait to experience it again. Since I’ve arrived in London I’ve been torn about which was my favourite European city. Well, after this trip I have reconfirmed that Paris is at the very top. It has such a different atmosphere from London. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love London very much but there is just something about Paris that makes it stand out. We took the EuroStar from London Pancras Station straight to the center of Paris, going under the English Channel. What a cool way to start the trip! From here we checked into our hostel, St. Christopher’s Inn, which was brand new and just beautiful. So far we have really lucked out with hostels…no creepy experiences for us yet! We were in a very different part of Paris than the last time Ashley, Eric, and I were here. It was further from the historical section and a little less “Parisian” as one would expect, but hey, it was still in Paris! Nicole, Ashley, and I found a little bar to have our first glass of wine for the weekend. Ashley, always eager to use the language, made friends with a couple next to us who taught her how to order her drink. It turns out the woman was an artist and was sketching the three of us, but she didn’t know that we knew what she was doing!
The next morning we set off to show Nicole everything, as it was her first time in the city! We walked the whole day, stopping at the Centre Pompidou (the modern art museum), the Notre Dame, at a carousel for Eric to ride(!), Ile Saint Louis for the best ice cream in Paris, and the list goes on! We also walked around the Latin Quarter where we stayed last year and on our street, Rue Saint Andre Des Arts. The streets are just so small and filled with character. There are crepe stands, flower stands, bakeries, cafes…it’s all just so perfect. It was such a leisurely day. On our way to the Ile Saint Louis we stopped on the pedestrian bridge to listen to a group of jazz/blues musicians. It was incredible! They were all set up on the bridge…a sax, drums, guitar, bass…with microphones and dressed to the nines in Frank Sinatra style suits. It was so relaxing to just sit and listen, surrounded by people swaying in time to the music. Only in Paris will I ever experience something like that!
That evening we went to the Louvre for free because we are all under 25 (oh the perks of being young!). We saw the Mona Lisa, Venus Di Milo, Michelangelo’s Dying Slave, and countless other amazing pieces of art. We checked out the royal jewels and crowns. I don’t think I will ever have enough time to look at all that is in there. Second time there and I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. For dinner we went to the Latin Quarter to our favourite restaurant. We simply call it Hakim’s place…I’m not even sure of the actual name. Last year we became friends with one of the waiters, Hakim. He took a liking to Ashley, calling her “Pink Hat” the whole time so when we stopped in before dinner he instantly remembered and gave us free kir to drink. So for dinner we stayed until closing, enjoying fantastic food, wine, and conversation. To end the night we walked along the Champs-Elysées, finished at the Arc de Triomphe and then hailed a taxi to take us to the hostel. What a day! The next day was just as action packed, but still quite leisurely. As a surprise we took Nicole to see the Eiffel Tower. There is a secret metro stop that takes you to the best view of the tower. It was a beautiful sunny day and just fantastic for not only Nicole, but all of us. After that we went to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. As creepy as it sounds it’s just a beautiful, peaceful area in Paris. We took a look at Jim Morrison’s grave and kissed Oscar Wilde’s grave! We spent time just sitting looking out on the city. We walked across the city, after that, to Montmartre to complete our day. Here we had crepes for lunch and sat on the steps leading to the Sacre Couer, listening to more street performers. Then we walked along the small streets before heading back to the train station to take us to London.
I’ve not given the descriptions that this city deserves, but quite honestly you have to experience it for yourself to understand the beauty of it. For now au revoir from a student studying frantically before spring break in Italy!