The 7 of us ended our winter break in Austria: Salzburg and Vienna. I was sort of the "tour guide" in Salzburg, since I had gone there with my family, so I took everyone up to the fortress, past Mozart's house, and through Mirabell Gardens. The city is cute and quaint, and it only takes a day or two to see all the touristy sites, but Salzburg is still one of my favorite places in Europe. The sun was out and we could see the Alps everywhere you looked- so gorgeous. We took the Sound of Music movie tour our second day in Salzburg, which was amazing. I wasn't sure I was willing to pay 33 euros to re-do the tour since I did it when I was younger, but it was SO worth it. Even if you haven't seen the movie, the sights on the tour are gorgeous. We saw the gazebo for the young love scene, the (two) homes where they filmed the exterior of the Von Trapp house, and then went up to Mondsee, a cute town where they filmed the wedding scene. Mondsee is in the lake district outside of Salzburg, and the view of the Alps and the crystal-clear lakes is absolutely breath-taking. Everyone was extremely glad I convinced them to take the tour.
We then took a train to Vienna, and spent two days exploring the city. I loved Schonbrunn Palace and the streets around Stephensplatz. My friend Connor and I went off on our own and just randomly walked around Vienna taking beautiful churches and museums. Embarrassingly, we were craving McDonalds and ended up eating dinner there. The McDonalds in Europe are AMAZING: this one had chandeliers, roman candles, computers, and servers coming to the tables. I guess I'll always be American in that I crave french fries more than anything...
It was a great break and I loved getting to know the others I was traveling with. Each of the cities were great: both the new ones and the ones I was visiting for a second time. I'm sure I'll be back again at some point...
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Munich & the Bavarian Alps
Our first night in Munich, we did as most tourists would: went to Hofbrauhaus, a world-famous beer hall. I had FOUR hotdogs, delicious potato salad, and of course their traditional liter of beer. I thought food in Paris was good, but food in Germany is amazing! It was great to branch out from our daily Parisian diet of croissants and baguettes. The next day we did another free walking tour of the city, saw Marienplatz, the glockenspiel, a few churches, spots where Hitler gained his fame, etc. At night we did another pub crawl, which took us to a few bars and back to Hofbrauhaus haha.
On Monday, we took a (rough) bus ride up into the alps, and toured Schloss Linderhof and Neuschwanstein! (Those of us who were on time and caught the bus, that is!) Both castles were built by King Ludwig II, who put all of Bavaria in debt in order to build his personal castles (of which only one was completed before his death). Also, Neuschwanstein is the castle in which all the Disney castles are modeled after. You have to walk up a mountain for a good 20-30 minutes before you reach Neuschwanstein, and I remember from the last time I went there with my family how cold the hike was! I thus wore three jackets, and our friend from Brazil wore two pairs of jeans because he had never seen snow before (and it was snowing like crazy). Both castles were absolutely gorgeous, and cheesy as it sounds, we all described the day as magical. For dinner, we met up with Karl, a friend from ESCP who is actually from Munich. He took us to his favorite restaurant, and while everyone order one meal (for most, wienerschnitzel), I ordered FIVE things. Honestly, German food is SOOO good.. and I'm weirdly always hungry? Karl also recommended Radler, a light beer that is actually half lemonade- very tasty!
The next day, everyone else went to tour the Dachau concentration camp, but I opted for a happier tour of Nympheburg Palace (yet another home of King Ludwig II). The palace was incredibly ornate, and I saw all the royal carriages- they were straight out of Cinderella! I also made friends with a few swans.... That afternoon I met up with the others and we climbed to the top of a church tower and had a great sunset view of Munich. We all stood at the top of the tower speechless, enjoying the sun on our faces, and taking in the view. It was the perfect way to end our German adventure. We then grabbed one last traditional meal and hopped onto a train towards Salzburg......
On Monday, we took a (rough) bus ride up into the alps, and toured Schloss Linderhof and Neuschwanstein! (Those of us who were on time and caught the bus, that is!) Both castles were built by King Ludwig II, who put all of Bavaria in debt in order to build his personal castles (of which only one was completed before his death). Also, Neuschwanstein is the castle in which all the Disney castles are modeled after. You have to walk up a mountain for a good 20-30 minutes before you reach Neuschwanstein, and I remember from the last time I went there with my family how cold the hike was! I thus wore three jackets, and our friend from Brazil wore two pairs of jeans because he had never seen snow before (and it was snowing like crazy). Both castles were absolutely gorgeous, and cheesy as it sounds, we all described the day as magical. For dinner, we met up with Karl, a friend from ESCP who is actually from Munich. He took us to his favorite restaurant, and while everyone order one meal (for most, wienerschnitzel), I ordered FIVE things. Honestly, German food is SOOO good.. and I'm weirdly always hungry? Karl also recommended Radler, a light beer that is actually half lemonade- very tasty!
The next day, everyone else went to tour the Dachau concentration camp, but I opted for a happier tour of Nympheburg Palace (yet another home of King Ludwig II). The palace was incredibly ornate, and I saw all the royal carriages- they were straight out of Cinderella! I also made friends with a few swans.... That afternoon I met up with the others and we climbed to the top of a church tower and had a great sunset view of Munich. We all stood at the top of the tower speechless, enjoying the sun on our faces, and taking in the view. It was the perfect way to end our German adventure. We then grabbed one last traditional meal and hopped onto a train towards Salzburg......
Prague: The Heart of Bohemia
Once again, I've been so busy exploring in Paris that I haven't found the time to write about my travels during last week's Winter Holiday! I spent 10 days exploring Prague, Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna- it was amazing! I did not want to leave any of the cities! There were 7 of us total on the trip: 3 from Wisco, 2 from Illinois, 1 from Texas, and 1 from Brazil. Not all of us knew each other before the trip, but we've all become close since!
Our first stop was Prague, Czech Republic; this city was at the top of my list of places I wanted to visit this semester, so I was really excited to finally go there! I'd heard great things about the city, and although many people would never have considered visiting it 20 years ago, it is rapidly becoming a tourist hotspot. We flew into Prague late Thursday night (some struggled to find the airport), we then struggled to catch our bus once in Prague (we missed it twice), and then struggled to find a taxi. But once we made it to the hotel, everything was great! Our hotel was very nice and charming, small, and very European. The next day, we took a tram to Old Town Square and did a free walking tour of the city. Our guide was very informative, and the city of Prague is walkable enough that we saw most of the main sites. I had never realized how much history the city holds: it played a major role in the World Wars, has a huge Jewish quarter, and is in the heart of Bohemia. All the buildings are so cute and painted in pastels. Prague has a very Eastern European feel, but a good mix of modern and traditional stores and sites.
We spent the rest of the day walking around and seeing the Powder Tower, Municipal House, Astronomical Clock, Wenceslas Square, and finally Charles Bridge. From this gorgeous bridge, one is able to look across the river and up towards Prague Castle. After crossing Charles Bridge, we ended up at the John Lennon Peace Wall, which is basically a wall of (amazing) graffiti to symbolize peace and the end of Communism. (Note: Lennon, not Lenin)
The night ended with a pub crawl, which was recommended to us by almost everyone who had traveled to Prague. Basically, a tour-guide took us to 4 bars, where we had free drinks (we spent an hour at each bar). The pub crawl ended at Karlovy Lazne, a 5-story dance club with a different type of music on each floor. It was a crazy night, but really fun because we met a lot of amazing people from other countries. Interestingly, there were a lot of Australians, as it is their "summer vacation".. many of them were traveling around Europe for a few months.
The next day, we hiked up to Prague Castle, which has amazing views of the entire city. Unfortunately, we got there after the castle had closed for the day... We spent the rest of the day shopping and walking around the Mala Strana quarter. One of the girls I was with, Chelsea, had heard of an amazing beer hall at a monastery (ironically), so we ended the night there. The monastery is at the top of another hill, so we were once again presented with a gorgeous view of all of Prague at our feet.
On Sunday, we woke up early to catch a train to Munich. The train ride was about 6 hours long, but we had a compartment to ourselves, which was fun. The views out the window were gorgeous, although we spent much of the time reading and napping. It was sad to leave Prague, and I wish we would have had more time, but I was really excited to get to Munich as well. I had been there before (and loved it), so it was exciting to get back to Germany! I will continue with Germany in my next entry...
Our first stop was Prague, Czech Republic; this city was at the top of my list of places I wanted to visit this semester, so I was really excited to finally go there! I'd heard great things about the city, and although many people would never have considered visiting it 20 years ago, it is rapidly becoming a tourist hotspot. We flew into Prague late Thursday night (some struggled to find the airport), we then struggled to catch our bus once in Prague (we missed it twice), and then struggled to find a taxi. But once we made it to the hotel, everything was great! Our hotel was very nice and charming, small, and very European. The next day, we took a tram to Old Town Square and did a free walking tour of the city. Our guide was very informative, and the city of Prague is walkable enough that we saw most of the main sites. I had never realized how much history the city holds: it played a major role in the World Wars, has a huge Jewish quarter, and is in the heart of Bohemia. All the buildings are so cute and painted in pastels. Prague has a very Eastern European feel, but a good mix of modern and traditional stores and sites.
We spent the rest of the day walking around and seeing the Powder Tower, Municipal House, Astronomical Clock, Wenceslas Square, and finally Charles Bridge. From this gorgeous bridge, one is able to look across the river and up towards Prague Castle. After crossing Charles Bridge, we ended up at the John Lennon Peace Wall, which is basically a wall of (amazing) graffiti to symbolize peace and the end of Communism. (Note: Lennon, not Lenin)
The night ended with a pub crawl, which was recommended to us by almost everyone who had traveled to Prague. Basically, a tour-guide took us to 4 bars, where we had free drinks (we spent an hour at each bar). The pub crawl ended at Karlovy Lazne, a 5-story dance club with a different type of music on each floor. It was a crazy night, but really fun because we met a lot of amazing people from other countries. Interestingly, there were a lot of Australians, as it is their "summer vacation".. many of them were traveling around Europe for a few months.
The next day, we hiked up to Prague Castle, which has amazing views of the entire city. Unfortunately, we got there after the castle had closed for the day... We spent the rest of the day shopping and walking around the Mala Strana quarter. One of the girls I was with, Chelsea, had heard of an amazing beer hall at a monastery (ironically), so we ended the night there. The monastery is at the top of another hill, so we were once again presented with a gorgeous view of all of Prague at our feet.
On Sunday, we woke up early to catch a train to Munich. The train ride was about 6 hours long, but we had a compartment to ourselves, which was fun. The views out the window were gorgeous, although we spent much of the time reading and napping. It was sad to leave Prague, and I wish we would have had more time, but I was really excited to get to Munich as well. I had been there before (and loved it), so it was exciting to get back to Germany! I will continue with Germany in my next entry...
Sunday, February 13, 2011
London: Mind the Gap
I've been meaning to write about my amazing trip to England, but I've been so busy trying to see everything in Paris! Last weekend, I spent 5 days in London, where I stayed with Becky, a friend/roommate from Madison. We took the Eurostar train from Paris on Thursday night, dropped our bags off at Becky's flat, and then went to a fun Irish bar in the Soho district. Being in London was like a huge breath of fresh air.. in addition to seeing a familiar face and speaking English, I noticed the city has a much different atmosphere than here in Paris. The people are a bit more considerate and friendly. For example if someone bumps into you on the metro in Paris, he or she will usually glare at you.. in London, such person would turn around and say "Pardon me, I'm sorry!"
On Friday, while Becky was in class and most of my roommates from Paris went to the town of Bath, I got a feel for the city myself by walking through Hyde Park and shopping on Oxford Street. Two of my favorite stores are River Island and Topshop, both of which I believe are only located in England and Ireland. I spent a little time in the British Library, which houses original written Beatles lyrics, original compositions from Mozart, Purcell, and Mendelssohn, the Magna Carta, and rough drafts of Oscar Wilde's work. In the afternoon, Becky and I walked to Trafalgar Square and spent time pondering the works of Monet and Van Gogh in the National Gallery. We then wandered down towards Big Ben and the London Eye, both of which were gorgeously lit up at night. The night ended in true British fashion: we ate a traditional English dinner at a pub, and then went out once again in the Soho area, which is always bustling with nightlife.
We started out Saturday with a quick trip to Buckingham Palace, and then rode the tube to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern art museum. Some of the art here was quite questionable (examples: a mirror, some random sticks, and a piece of paper glued on the wall) but there were some pieces by Picasso and Liechtenstein that I really enjoyed. We sampled food at the nearby Borough Market, and then walked along the river to the Tower Bridge- one of London's prettiest sites, in my opinion. We then met up with Megan, Greg, and Natalie and saw a matinee West End (Broadway) performance of Chicago.. it was amazing! Just yesterday, I found out that the same time we were at the show, Prince Harry was eating dinner TWO BLOCKS away from us... I was freaking out! Later, Becky and I went out to a posh bar near Liverpool Station for her friend's birthday.
On Sunday we started by taking the tube to Kensington Palace, right in the middle of Hyde Park. I then did a hop-on hop-off bus tour, which I really enjoyed because the guide told us lots of interesting facts about all the famous places around town. I got off at Tower of London, and was the only one of my roommates willing to pay 15 pounds to go inside the tower- SO worth it. The tower has so much history, and I was able to see the royal crowns and dresses, such as the what Queen Elizabeth wore for her coronation. They also showed the armor and swords of past Kings. The entire tower has so much history, and once you pass inside the gates, it's basically a city of it's own (with it's own post office). I next ventured over to Westminster Abbey, the site of the future royal wedding. I didn't want to pay a ridiculous amount of money to go inside, but if you go for a service or mass, it's free- so that's what I did.. I went to an Evensong service, which they invite people from all countries and religions to participate in mass. It was amazing, hearing the choir and organ echo off the walls of the greatest church in the English-speaking world. Sunday night, we went to a bar to watch the Packers win the Superbowl! Everything about that night was great- watching the game, eating great food, and meeting lots of people from Madison studying in London. Two of the guys I met were originally from Oconomowoc, which was interesting and fun. After lots of craziness and celebration, we returned back to Becky's flat around 3 or 4am.
Even after the late night, I was up and out the door at 9am to get in some last sight-seeing. I went back on the hop-on/off bus to Picadilly Circus and then walked to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard ceremony. After watching the guards march and the band play, I went to one of the greatest stores in the world- Harrods. I spent some time in there, and then went across the street to TopShop, a famous London store owned by Kate Moss. Then it was time to catch the Eurostar back "home" to Paris. The weekend was a much-needed break.. it was great to see Becky, and I loved being able to speak English! Not that I can complain about living in Paris...
On Sunday we started by taking the tube to Kensington Palace, right in the middle of Hyde Park. I then did a hop-on hop-off bus tour, which I really enjoyed because the guide told us lots of interesting facts about all the famous places around town. I got off at Tower of London, and was the only one of my roommates willing to pay 15 pounds to go inside the tower- SO worth it. The tower has so much history, and I was able to see the royal crowns and dresses, such as the what Queen Elizabeth wore for her coronation. They also showed the armor and swords of past Kings. The entire tower has so much history, and once you pass inside the gates, it's basically a city of it's own (with it's own post office). I next ventured over to Westminster Abbey, the site of the future royal wedding. I didn't want to pay a ridiculous amount of money to go inside, but if you go for a service or mass, it's free- so that's what I did.. I went to an Evensong service, which they invite people from all countries and religions to participate in mass. It was amazing, hearing the choir and organ echo off the walls of the greatest church in the English-speaking world. Sunday night, we went to a bar to watch the Packers win the Superbowl! Everything about that night was great- watching the game, eating great food, and meeting lots of people from Madison studying in London. Two of the guys I met were originally from Oconomowoc, which was interesting and fun. After lots of craziness and celebration, we returned back to Becky's flat around 3 or 4am.
Even after the late night, I was up and out the door at 9am to get in some last sight-seeing. I went back on the hop-on/off bus to Picadilly Circus and then walked to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard ceremony. After watching the guards march and the band play, I went to one of the greatest stores in the world- Harrods. I spent some time in there, and then went across the street to TopShop, a famous London store owned by Kate Moss. Then it was time to catch the Eurostar back "home" to Paris. The weekend was a much-needed break.. it was great to see Becky, and I loved being able to speak English! Not that I can complain about living in Paris...
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Can we just eat our way down the street?
This past Tuesday, we started classes at ESCP. If we thought the 75 minute "power-lectures" at Madison were long, it's nothing compared to the 3 hour classes here. Luckily I know a few people in each class, so I can talk to them during our (much need) breaks. We will have much less work for these classes, which is a refreshing change of pace from last semester!
On Thursday, we went to Club Mix, one of the nicest nightclub in Paris. The doormen are very selective about who is let into the club, so you have to be young and dressed up. The club is huge, and exactly what one would expect when picturing a European rave: lights flashing everywhere, bars, loud techno music, and everyone dancing. The best part is this club is free on Thursday nights for international students, so we didn't have to pay anything to have an amazing night! We will definitely be back soon..
None of my roommates nor I have classes on Fridays, so a few of us went inside Notre Dame.. the last time I went there was with my Aunt Jane, so re-visiting it brought back a lot of fun memories. We then met up with Greg and Natalie for coffee/hot chocolate and walked over to Ile Saint-Louis, one of two islands in the middle of the Seine river. This area is so cute, and for numerous reasons. First of all, very few tourists know about the island's charm, and there are no busses or metro stops. The best part of Ile Saint-Louis, however, is all the tiny specialty shops. We searched for an ice cream shop recommended by travel guru Rick Steves, and instead found tiny shops that only sell chocolate, toy puppets, scarves, stationary, and candy. It seemed like the closest one could get to shopping down Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. Natalie asked if we could just eat our way down the street; every shop sold delicious food. We then headed over to the Odeon area in the 6th arrondissement to an Italian restaurant also recommended by Rick Steve's, and then across the street to an American bar, The Frog and Princess. That really is the bar's name..
Saturday, we met some friends in the Latin Quarter and walked through the Luxembourg Gardens to Luxembourg Palace.. it was gorgeous even with the fountains iced over, but I can't even imagine how beautiful it will be in a few months when it is warmer and the flowers start blooming. We then headed towards the Eiffel Tower and ate lunch at the cutest bakery/cafe with a mural painted on the ceiling. Our next stop was the Hotel des Invalides and the Army Museum, where we saw Napoleon's tomb. I have seen his tomb before, but I had forgotten how beautiful the whole building is. Napoleon's tomb is basically a 2-story high wooden coffin, and there are apparently 5 coffins inside it.
It was warm and sunny on Sunday, so I walked along the Seine for a good two hours.. it was so relaxing! I then went to le Musee d'Orsay, a museum that was closed due to a worker's strike the last time we were in Paris. I had been wanting to visit this museum for weeks, and finally decided to go by myself as my friends were busy. Personally, I liked this museum better than the Louvre, simply because it houses the impressionist pieces (my favorite type of art). I spent 2 hours walking around viewing art by Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, and sculptures by Rodin (one of my favorite sculptors). My roommate Jen turned 21 the next day, so we all went out for dinner, dessert, and then to a karaoke bar next to Notre Dame (until 4am). All in all, a very fun day and night!
On Monday, (Jen's birthday) everyone else had class, so the two of us wandered to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. We followed Rick Steve's detailed walking tour and spent a good hour finding the graves of Jim Morrison, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Gertrude Stein. It was a very tranquil walk, and many of the cemetery's graves are more like tiny chapels dedicated to a single family. Visiting the cemetery isn't a must-see for visitors, but it's an interesting place for someone living in Paris for 5 months (aka me).
On Thursday, we went to Club Mix, one of the nicest nightclub in Paris. The doormen are very selective about who is let into the club, so you have to be young and dressed up. The club is huge, and exactly what one would expect when picturing a European rave: lights flashing everywhere, bars, loud techno music, and everyone dancing. The best part is this club is free on Thursday nights for international students, so we didn't have to pay anything to have an amazing night! We will definitely be back soon..
None of my roommates nor I have classes on Fridays, so a few of us went inside Notre Dame.. the last time I went there was with my Aunt Jane, so re-visiting it brought back a lot of fun memories. We then met up with Greg and Natalie for coffee/hot chocolate and walked over to Ile Saint-Louis, one of two islands in the middle of the Seine river. This area is so cute, and for numerous reasons. First of all, very few tourists know about the island's charm, and there are no busses or metro stops. The best part of Ile Saint-Louis, however, is all the tiny specialty shops. We searched for an ice cream shop recommended by travel guru Rick Steves, and instead found tiny shops that only sell chocolate, toy puppets, scarves, stationary, and candy. It seemed like the closest one could get to shopping down Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. Natalie asked if we could just eat our way down the street; every shop sold delicious food. We then headed over to the Odeon area in the 6th arrondissement to an Italian restaurant also recommended by Rick Steve's, and then across the street to an American bar, The Frog and Princess. That really is the bar's name..
Saturday, we met some friends in the Latin Quarter and walked through the Luxembourg Gardens to Luxembourg Palace.. it was gorgeous even with the fountains iced over, but I can't even imagine how beautiful it will be in a few months when it is warmer and the flowers start blooming. We then headed towards the Eiffel Tower and ate lunch at the cutest bakery/cafe with a mural painted on the ceiling. Our next stop was the Hotel des Invalides and the Army Museum, where we saw Napoleon's tomb. I have seen his tomb before, but I had forgotten how beautiful the whole building is. Napoleon's tomb is basically a 2-story high wooden coffin, and there are apparently 5 coffins inside it.
It was warm and sunny on Sunday, so I walked along the Seine for a good two hours.. it was so relaxing! I then went to le Musee d'Orsay, a museum that was closed due to a worker's strike the last time we were in Paris. I had been wanting to visit this museum for weeks, and finally decided to go by myself as my friends were busy. Personally, I liked this museum better than the Louvre, simply because it houses the impressionist pieces (my favorite type of art). I spent 2 hours walking around viewing art by Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, and sculptures by Rodin (one of my favorite sculptors). My roommate Jen turned 21 the next day, so we all went out for dinner, dessert, and then to a karaoke bar next to Notre Dame (until 4am). All in all, a very fun day and night!
On Monday, (Jen's birthday) everyone else had class, so the two of us wandered to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. We followed Rick Steve's detailed walking tour and spent a good hour finding the graves of Jim Morrison, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Gertrude Stein. It was a very tranquil walk, and many of the cemetery's graves are more like tiny chapels dedicated to a single family. Visiting the cemetery isn't a must-see for visitors, but it's an interesting place for someone living in Paris for 5 months (aka me).
Monday, January 24, 2011
One who wanders isn't necessarily lost
This past week, we started orientation at ESCP. I met lots of people from various countries, including a couple girls from Argentina, a guy from Germany, and another from Belgium. There are also a number of people from Illinois and Texas taking classes at ESCP this semester. In the basement of our school there is a cute (and cheap) bar, and there was a party there last Tuesday night.. it was really fun and we met a lot of nice French guys.
On Wednesday, my roommates and I went ice skating at Hotel de Ville, the city hall, which was lit up with sparkling lights and Christmas trees. The weather has been perfect the past two weeks, so I've just been wearing a fleece jacket most days. It was raining all day today, but then again I'll take Paris in any weather!
One of my favorite things to do, and in my opinions one of the best ways to explore a city, is to just walk around and take everything in: the buildings, the cafes, the people... I walked to Notre Dame, down Rue de Rivoli, and around le Marais neighborhood. (It is probably a good thing I am walking so much, as most of my meals consist of chocolate croissants, baguettes, and pasta!)
Speaking of food, I have yet to have a bad meal in Paris. Whether it's cooked by my roommates or a meal at a cafe or brasserie, everything is superb. One of my favorite menu items is the "croque madame," which is similar to a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a poached egg on top. When grocery shopping, you often have to go to a few different places: a boulangerie for bread, a delicatessen for meat, an epicerie for spices, and a patisserie for desserts. (Or you could be lazy and go to the nearby Monoprix supermarket). About every other day we walk to a nearby boulangerie and buy huge baguettes (for 90 cents).. even the bread at a mediocre or below-par boulangerie is better than you will find anywhere in the States.
My roommates and I spent a few hours at the Louvre the other day. I will probably return many more times over the semester- both when I have visitors and even just on my own. In three hours, I explored the Egyptian wing and saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory (my favorite). We walked through the Grand Gallery and saw many of the Italian and Spanish paintings. On my next visit, I want to spend time in the Richelieu wing, which houses everything from crowns, jewels, and furniture of Napoleon and many French kings/queens.
I engaged in some shopping over the past few days and bought some European clothing essentials: leather boots, a brown leather jacket, leggings, and a spring scarf. On a similar note, I just bought a Eurostar ticket to visit my friend Becky in London!
On Wednesday, my roommates and I went ice skating at Hotel de Ville, the city hall, which was lit up with sparkling lights and Christmas trees. The weather has been perfect the past two weeks, so I've just been wearing a fleece jacket most days. It was raining all day today, but then again I'll take Paris in any weather!
One of my favorite things to do, and in my opinions one of the best ways to explore a city, is to just walk around and take everything in: the buildings, the cafes, the people... I walked to Notre Dame, down Rue de Rivoli, and around le Marais neighborhood. (It is probably a good thing I am walking so much, as most of my meals consist of chocolate croissants, baguettes, and pasta!)
Speaking of food, I have yet to have a bad meal in Paris. Whether it's cooked by my roommates or a meal at a cafe or brasserie, everything is superb. One of my favorite menu items is the "croque madame," which is similar to a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a poached egg on top. When grocery shopping, you often have to go to a few different places: a boulangerie for bread, a delicatessen for meat, an epicerie for spices, and a patisserie for desserts. (Or you could be lazy and go to the nearby Monoprix supermarket). About every other day we walk to a nearby boulangerie and buy huge baguettes (for 90 cents).. even the bread at a mediocre or below-par boulangerie is better than you will find anywhere in the States.
My roommates and I spent a few hours at the Louvre the other day. I will probably return many more times over the semester- both when I have visitors and even just on my own. In three hours, I explored the Egyptian wing and saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory (my favorite). We walked through the Grand Gallery and saw many of the Italian and Spanish paintings. On my next visit, I want to spend time in the Richelieu wing, which houses everything from crowns, jewels, and furniture of Napoleon and many French kings/queens.
I engaged in some shopping over the past few days and bought some European clothing essentials: leather boots, a brown leather jacket, leggings, and a spring scarf. On a similar note, I just bought a Eurostar ticket to visit my friend Becky in London!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Le Tour Eiffel, Montmartre, and the Packer's most dedicated fans?
Now that we are (somewhat) unpacked and settled into our apartment, we've taken time to be touristy and visit some of Paris' most famous sites. On Friday, a few of us woke up early and ventured to the Eiffel Tower. We walked around and saw it from many different views, including from the Trocadero, where you almost look down onto it. We then walked over to l'Arc de Triomphe and down the famous Champs Elysees- I will need to come back here to do some shopping, as the semi-annual government-regulated French sales have just started. We walked Champs Elysees in its entirety, and ended at the Place de Concorde. Natalie really had to use the bathroom and after an hour of searching for one, she decided to just walk into the Hotel de Crillon as though she owned the place. This hotel is one of the fanciest in the world, and many celebrities including Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr frequent it. (As in, I heard they were at the hotel the same day that Natalie snuck in).. we also walked past the US Embassy which was highly guarded with security.
Last night, we decided to watch the Packer game, which was playing at 2am. My roommates and I all dressed up in skirts/dresses, and Greg was so confused why we would be so dressy simply for a football game- we didn't have an answer. Leaving the apartment at 11, we started at the Bastille area (sooo gorgeous) and then walked to an American bar in the Latin Quarter. We crossed two bridges over the Seine River, and had a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame lit up at night. At the bar, we met many English-speaking people including a large group of girls from Milwaukee. It was just like being back in a bar in Madison- everyone was cheering on the Packers, and I mean everyone.. even the bartenders! They were dressed in Packers jerseys and gave us free drinks after they won. By the time the game was over it was 5:30am, and the metro was just re-opening for the day. We walked into the empty metro station and were coincidentally followed by 4 French policemen and their drug dog, and they laughed as Ali struggled majorly to make it through the turnstiles to get to the trains haha (eventually they just let her in free). Also, why do French guys always sit on the railings of moving walkways? It's quite hilarious- nearly every other guy!
Today, we slept in after our late night/early morning adventure and then walked to Montmartre at dusk- it is definitely my favorite area of the city so far. The Sacre-Coeur Basilica sits on top of the highest hill in Paris, and you have a gorgeous view of the entire city. It was so relaxing, and people were playing music and painting pictures. This area is where many famous artists including Van Gogh, Picasso, and Renoir used to live and paint. It really seems as though you are stepping back in time, and there are so many cute cafes that are perfect for people-watching. The streets are tiny and steep, and the Christmas decorations are still up. We walked a little and randomly ended up at Moulin Rouge and the red light district. The whole area has so much history and character; I really want to go back with my Rick Steves book (haha) and go inside the basilica, find Van Gogh's studio, and simply eat a crepe at a nearby cafe. For my friends and family that will be visiting me: I will drag you up there, whether you want to or not! It was absolutely charming and breathtaking.
Last night, we decided to watch the Packer game, which was playing at 2am. My roommates and I all dressed up in skirts/dresses, and Greg was so confused why we would be so dressy simply for a football game- we didn't have an answer. Leaving the apartment at 11, we started at the Bastille area (sooo gorgeous) and then walked to an American bar in the Latin Quarter. We crossed two bridges over the Seine River, and had a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame lit up at night. At the bar, we met many English-speaking people including a large group of girls from Milwaukee. It was just like being back in a bar in Madison- everyone was cheering on the Packers, and I mean everyone.. even the bartenders! They were dressed in Packers jerseys and gave us free drinks after they won. By the time the game was over it was 5:30am, and the metro was just re-opening for the day. We walked into the empty metro station and were coincidentally followed by 4 French policemen and their drug dog, and they laughed as Ali struggled majorly to make it through the turnstiles to get to the trains haha (eventually they just let her in free). Also, why do French guys always sit on the railings of moving walkways? It's quite hilarious- nearly every other guy!
Today, we slept in after our late night/early morning adventure and then walked to Montmartre at dusk- it is definitely my favorite area of the city so far. The Sacre-Coeur Basilica sits on top of the highest hill in Paris, and you have a gorgeous view of the entire city. It was so relaxing, and people were playing music and painting pictures. This area is where many famous artists including Van Gogh, Picasso, and Renoir used to live and paint. It really seems as though you are stepping back in time, and there are so many cute cafes that are perfect for people-watching. The streets are tiny and steep, and the Christmas decorations are still up. We walked a little and randomly ended up at Moulin Rouge and the red light district. The whole area has so much history and character; I really want to go back with my Rick Steves book (haha) and go inside the basilica, find Van Gogh's studio, and simply eat a crepe at a nearby cafe. For my friends and family that will be visiting me: I will drag you up there, whether you want to or not! It was absolutely charming and breathtaking.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)