Good Morning Paris

I’m sitting in a huge airplane headed for Chicago.  After over forty days in Europe, it is time to go home.  I’m not entirely sure if I’m ready to go home.  Don’t get me wrong; I miss home a lot but having this experience end feels a bit strange.

We woke up early to finish packing and get a quick breakfast with our friends.  We walked down the street to the bakery we discovered on the first day.  It was so early that they had not placed a lot of their food out yet, but we were able to get something and some coffee for the dads.  On the walk to and from the hotel, we got to see Parisians start their day.  The local outdoor markets were setting up shop and people were on their way to work.  The sun was quickly rising over the tall buildings and the air was cold but clear.  In my opinion, Paris is at its best when the sun is rising and when it has set.  Something about the quiet streets, the locals and the lights at both times are incredibly welcoming and majestic at the same time.

I know our friends read the blog so I wanted to say thanks for joining us and we had a great time.  We love you guys.

I was finally able to see Iron Man 2 on the plane.  I thought it was pretty good.  The whole plane is sleepy.  I can’t decide what to do next.  I could finish reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, watch another movie, sleep, blog…  I decided to continue blogging even though I started this one for Revelle in Rome.  The program actually led me to find this new hobby, I think that’s pretty cool.  I’m not entirely sure what the blog will be about but we’ll see how it goes.  To anybody who reads this, don’t feel obligated to keep reading it/stay subscribed.  I will probably just jot down my thoughts about things randomly—it could be a scary adventure into the amusement park that is known as my brain.  If you still want to stick around, you are more than welcome.  Well this post feels done so I’ll end it before it gets painfully longer.  I think I’ll start working on my final post for the Europe trip, filled with tips, summaries and life lessons.  Look forward to it at some point in the future, it will take quite a bit of work.

“This could be the very minute/ I’m aware I'm alive/ All these places feel like home/ With a name I've never chosen/ I can make my first steps/ As a child of twenty-five" –Snow Patrol

Trois: “Another summer day has come and gone away/ In even Paris and Rome”

We woke up early to a rainy morning.  We all slightly dreaded the Versailles tour in the rain but it was already booked so we prepared ourselves for a hurricane and made our way to the Palace.  Versailles did not disappoint.  Even in the rain it was magnificent.  The gates on the outside are covered in golden paint, the tapestry inside embroidered with flowers, the walls covered in phenomenal paintings and the ceilings dressed with chandeliers fit for, well, a king—King Louis XIV to be exact.  This was his castle and he made sure everyone would know it.  There are paintings and busts of him covering the palace grounds.  Poor guy, this is his “most attractive” bust according to our audio guide.

The Hall of Mirrors may very well be my favorite room in Europe (besides any place in my Trastevere apartment, of course).  The lights from the perfect rows of chandeliers reflecting in the mirrors paired with the intricate ceiling and wall décor give way to a hushed awe that captures everyone in the room.  Not to mention this room’s historical significance to the world.  President Wilson, Prime Minister Lloyd George, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, and Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando met in this very room, 1919 to sign the Treaty of Versailles to end WWI.

With the few minutes remaining, we visited the gardens.  The gardens are massive and incredibly perfect.  I will never forget the beautiful image of the gardens, below a hazy sky, dotted with colorful umbrellas.

Once we returned to Paris, it was time to shop for more appropriate attire for the dinner cruise.  Because I had to attend the opera with Revelle in Rome, I was okay but more than happy to go along and assist.  A few hours later, we all had clothes (I’ll admit, I bought a couple things), a great lunch and a snack.  We had to hunt a little but we finally found French crepes.  I thought they would be much more common in Paris but they were definitely hard to find.  However, the Nutella and banana goodness was worth the wait.

We arrived at the dock a few minutes early, just in case.  I guess we should have figured the whole formal attire thing when we saw the red carpets and pre-dinner lounge area.  But, tonight, we were dressed for it.  And, if I do say so myself, we looked good.  We boarded the Asian themed (gorgeous woodwork and red tablecloths) Le Jean Sébastien Mouche, Restauration-Croissiére just past the two triton sculptures (yeeeaah UCSD).  Nothing says welcome to the water like two tritons, don’t you think?

We were then seated and enjoyed a great view of the Eifel Tower and the sunset.  The girls saw a spider outside that captivated all of us.  French river spiders (not the technical name, in case you were wondering) are freaking huge.

Finally we were treated to champagne, beautiful live music, and the most wonderful French food—and lots of it.  The boat left the dock and we were able to see some of the most beloved sights of Paris at night from the river.  The viewing deck was freezing but offered the best view of and photo opportunities with the Tower.  By the end of the night, we were all in the state of a massive food coma and a love of Paris.

This was one of those rare lifetime experiences.  It was one of those times I sat back, looked around and realized how lucky I am.  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful trip.

Well, the evening wasn’t quite over yet.  We left the boat five minutes before 12.  I had heard that every night in summer the Tower glitters on the hour for five minutes.  We stood on the dock and waited.  Needless to say, the show was worth the wait and absolutely gorgeous.

“Someday when I’m awfully low/ when the world is cold/ I will feel aglow just thinking of you/ And the way you look tonight” –Frank Sinatra (amazing recent cover by Maroon 5)

Deux: “Don’t dress like.. tourists”

Today we met up with our family friends in Paris.  I call them family friends but they are those people in your life who are family.  They were exhausted from the journey so while they caught up on some rest, we went exploring for our first real day in Paris.

Because my parents are amazing, they took me to the most famous shopping street in the world-- The Champs-Élysées.  Starting at the Arc de Triomphe, we walked the entire street and enjoyed all of the shopping, sights and people.  On the way to Paris’ most famous department store we ran into a chocolate shop.  The man in the store gave us some samples that were from heaven.  Honestly, this stuff is like drug chocolate.  Something about it is addicting.  We shopped in there and left with full stomachs and smiles.  The day could have stopped there, around 11 AM, and that would have been my perfect day—but the day had just begun.

We returned to the hotel to meet up with our recently rested company.  From there, we made our way to the inner circle of the Arc and then to the Eifel Tower.  I will be honest; from afar I thought it looked rather small and unimpressive.  However, once we got close I realized I was wrong.  We walked under it, around it and ended up at a Starbucks nearby to relax before our scheduled night tour/dinner cruise.

When we arrived at the office for the cruise, we received some strange looks.  The woman behind the counter communicated with the hostess and, with a sad look in her eyes, began to explain that we were not dressed well enough for the cruise.  She pointed to the ticket where, in fine print, it asks for formal attire, “for the comfort of the guests”.  She told us we could either go shopping and try to make it back before the ship sailed or, our choice, reschedule for the next day so we could come back to the hotel and communicate with the concierge who booked the tour for us.   She very kindly explained the dress code and, in broken English, finalized her explanation with, “you just cannot dress like tourists”.  Well, that was embarrassing for sure but at least she was very nice about the whole situation.  We came back to the hotel and got everything sorted out—we will be cruising tomorrow in proper attire.

So we ended the night with a simple dinner in a local restaurant.  Parents on one table, us kids on the other.  It was great to catch up with the girls—I love them to death.

Tomorrow we are off to the Palace of Versailles, more Parisian sights, (hopefully) crepes, and the night cruise.  It’s our last full day in Europe—what a strange thought.

“Life's just a game it's just one epic holiday/ However far this/ Takes us along/ Take us away/ It's just one epic holiday” –Angles and Airwaves

Un: At Least There’s the Hippopotamus

Since we had experienced the five-hour train from Milan to Nice and seen the lack of luggage space, we decided to splurge just a bit for the better seats for the nearly six-hour ride from Nice to Paris.  We were not disappointed.  The car was almost empty, had tons of storage, outlets, comfy moving chairs, and a view.  The train follows the coast for the first couple of hours and the French Riveria is absolutely stunning.  The beaches are oddly small and rocky but the water is clear, blue and picturesque.  Once the train proceeded north, we were treated to the most beautiful French countryside.  It was definitely the most relaxing transport we have experienced.

We arrived quite late and hungry (anyone see a trend?) and took the concierge’s recommendation for dinner.  Since we really couldn’t understand what the restaurant was called, we headed in the direction he told us and hoped for the best. 

On the corner, we saw a restaurant called Hippopotamus and realized with a silent “h” and mus = mouse, that it could be the place.  This French bar and grill was absolutely adorable and delicious.

We spent the rest of the evening wandering Paris at sunset.  We found a little fruit stand, countless amazing window displays, fashionable locals, cafés, hobos, tourists and the Arch of Triumph.  So by now we’re exhausted but, hey, at least we made it to Paris.  All in all, I’d say we were pretty triumphant today, too.

“I see trees of green, red roses too/ I see them bloom/ Before me and you/ And I think to myself/ What a wonderful world” –Louis Armstrong

“Graz…ehhh…merci!”

Getting out of Italy was a little more difficult than expected in more ways than one.  Physically, issues with the train tickets had us waiting in the Milan train station for four hours.  We ended up passing the time at the Sky Bar Lounge where we had an aerial view of the trains and some great paninis.  So by the time we got to Nice, it was late and we were hungry and tired.  Unfortunately for us, Europe is mostly closed on Sunday—especially after 8.  So we walked towards the water and found a place to relax and have a quick bite.  The small bar didn’t look very promising but it was the only thing open on the main street.  We were very pleasantly surprised to find an extremely friendly wait-staff and some of the best fried chicken I had ever tasted.

Due to the train issues (the waiting, the transfers, the wrong tickets…..), we sadly did not get to “see” Nice.  The parts we were able to see from the train were, however, gorgeous.  Oh well, that just means we have to come back. :)

The funny thing about leaving Italy is that it left its mark on not only me, but also with my parents.  All three of us have been struggling with the transition from Italian to French.  But, thankfully, the French people just smile, nod and seem to understand us.

And if anyone was wondering, the French people (so far) have been extremely nice and helpful—quite the opposite of the stereotype we had been expecting.

“I walked across an empty land/ I knew the pathway like the back of my hand/ I felt the earth beneath my feet/ Sat by the river and it made me complete/ I came across a fallen tree/ I felt the branches of it looking at me/ Is this the place we used to love?/ Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?.../ And if you have a minute why don't we go…/ Somewhere only we know” --Keane