Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité

It's going to be hard to write just one blog post about all that has occurred in the past few weeks. Our half-term break started on the 14th, and just ended yesterday, so else to do than to go to Paris? I was planning to stay with an acquaintance of mine, and work in a bookstore called Shakespeare and Company, but a last-minute change in plans led me to take refuge in a youth hostel for the trip. Not that I was alone, of course-- Kary came down to visit and we enjoyed each other's company in the famous City of Lights.

So, within that small amount of time, I've seen the Mona Lisa, climbed the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, experienced Mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral, and observed works from Degas, Picasso, Rodin, Van Gogh, Monet, and many famous artists.

 I've stood by the graves of Edith Piaf, Adolf Sax, Gioachino Rossini, Frederic Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Marie Curie, Napoleon, and Victor Hugo.

I've experienced the Sacre-Coeur Cathedral, the Catacombes of Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergie, Les Invalides, La Bastille, the Champs-Elysees, La Place de la Concorde, the Cemetery of Pere-Lachaise, the Memorial of the Shoah and the Mur des Noms, the Moulin Rouge (no, I didn't go in), the Gardens of Luxembourg, Versailles, and the Palais Garnier.

I've walked through the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, the Musee de L'Homme, the Galerie d'Evolution, the Musee Rodin, the Centre Pompidou, and the Musee Picasso.

I've tried escargot, peach wine, kiri (like American cheese, but more French) and other European cheeses, countless types of jam, famous Berthillon ice cream, duck, and raisin mustard, saving room for lots and lots of traditional baguettes.

A chocolate replica of the Arc de Triomphe in a Museum in Montmartre.

It's also worth mentioning that I had a layover in Ireland on my flight back to the UK, so now I've officially been in five countries in all.

A military parade I happened to pass by next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the Champs-Elysees. 

I got around the city mostly on Velib, a bike rental company that has various stations around the city. I must say that my calf muscles are quite developed now after so much biking, and it was a great way to see the best of the city. As you might imagine, my French also improved dramatically after not having a lesson since the end of Senior Year. I'm so glad that Kary was there with me for some of the time, because Paris is a city with joys best shared with friends.

As always, below is a list of observations I made about my journey. It's not extensive, of course, but it's the best I can do because right now I'm procrastinating for writing an essay on the effectiveness of Congressional committees.

-Paris is the best place for window-shopping. Hands down.
-Pictures sometimes just don't do justice to a certain view. While I am glad I have so many visual souvenirs of what I experienced in Paris, the phrase "you had to be there" is pertinent to almost all of them.

Treats from Laduree, a famous shop in Paris. Those are all, like, 10 euros each.

-I can now read maps better than I ever did before. Oh, and I now also know the steps to take when said directions go wrong.
-Flexibility is absolutely necessary for anything while traveling-- activities, food, routes, even lodging. So is an open mind, especially when sleeping in a room with girls from six different countries at once.

-Biking through busy roundabouts at rush hour is one of the most stessful things on the planet.
-You don't have to 'get' art, or understand the meaning of the work, in order to appreciate it. I especially learned this at the Centre Pompidou, a contemporary art museum with a bunch of crazy works.

A work of art in the Centre Pompidou, which I don't get, but do appreciate.

-I did, however, have a few epiphany-like moments where I did 'get' works of art.
-Crepes are better in France, especially eaten on the banks of the Seine. Sorry, that's just how science works.
-Speaking of crepes, I wasn't fully used to the French diet, which is much less protein-heavy than that of the UK or the US. Not that this is a bad thing, of course.

-The stereotype of the French being snobbish or unfriendly is not entirely untrue (at least from my experience). I was beeped at/yelled at on the street at least 20 times during the trip for small blunders, even for going too slow. Plus, people looked at me funny when I ordered coffee in the afternoon, which is apparently a French faux pas.

A trans pride parade marching through the streets on a weekend.

-I've found that going off the beaten path and exploring lesser known districts is a great way to enjoy a city. This is how I came across the Cafe des Chats, and enjoyed an espresso while in the company of many furry friends.
-Then again, the path was usually beaten for a reason. I'm sure Kary would agree with me that climbing the Eiffel Tower was well worth the price.

Kary, being a cutie as always, except this time on the Eiffel Tower.

I must stress the point I made early about the importance having flexibility while traveling, especially by mentioning that it is the perfect remedy for anyone struggling with an eating disorder. Most of you know of my past battle with Anorexia, but going to France helped me immensely. I had no time to worry about what I was eating; plus, those macarons are just too good to stress out about. In all seriousness, I feel better about myself after the trip than ever.

This could partially be because of the immense perspective Paris brings; ancient sites and monuments often led me to reflect on the relative obscurity of life's little problems. After all, how can you focus on a bad hair day when you are walking through a city dating back to the Roman Empire, or walking through a tunnel made up of the bones of 6 million past lives?

The Catacombes of Paris. Creepy, yet peaceful.

Paris itself is a work of art, a canvas for humanity. Kary and I both marveled at the breathtaking architecture, the ubiquitous statues, and even the thought-provoking graffiti  throughout the town.

A work, again at the Pompidou, that's... interesting.

It is definitely a place to which I would like to return someday, or, if I'm not getting ahead of myself here, even live. I wish I could express all that I experienced here, and the treasures that surrounded me, but I will have to leave it at this for now. It is, however, nice to be back in the UK again with all my friends.