April in Paris

I recently made a trip to France - initially because I had been feeling a little homesick and I was eager to reconnect with friends and visit the city that captured a bit of my heart. But more so, because the plane ticket was so cheap I couldn't NOT go! And, it's Paris, in April. Need I say more?!

I spent a few days back in Rambouillet, hanging out with friends and strolling down memory lane. The apartment I rented was perfectly situated down town, right next to a pastry shop. It couldn't have been a better location for me!

The entrance to the courtyard of my apartment is tucked under the awning of the pastry shop

The courtyard behind the pastry shop - my apartment was just on the right

The Farmer's Market was always a favorite Saturday morning activity

The Chateau at the school where I lived and worked - so many memories here

A medieval laundromat!

After catching up with friends, I headed in to Paris for a week of roaming about the city on my own. This was a much needed personal retreat - a time of solitude and reflection (anonymity in a crowd can be the perfect place for this). I had researched several non-typical, non-touristy things to do, so that I would have options and some sort of destination to wander towards as I meandered through the streets. This is the way I prefer to travel and explore - having options that allow for spontaneity in the moment, depending on the weather and what I'm in the mood for. I made it to most of the places on my list, and stumbled upon some pleasant surprises along the way.

A perfect lunch spot with a view of Notre Dame

An unexpected view from the rooftop of the Galleries LaFayette 

Some lovely street music

Canal St. Martin - the "other" river in Paris, in a quaint, artsy neighborhood

There She is - always making an appearance at the most unexpected times

The square and church near my hotel

Le musee Cluny (the museum of the Middle Ages) was fantastic and full of surprises

Le Jardin des Plantes (the botanic gardens) was impressive

This was a delightfully quiet, non-touristy church with a spectacular organ

The Rodin Gardens are calm and secluded in the heart of the city

Stacks of flowers at one of the oldest markets in the city

The view from the beautiful Pere-Lachaisse cemetery

This street performance satisfied my hopes of seeing a Jazz concert in Paris

One last walk along the river

My time was filled with  plenty of sightseeing and lots of walking, interspersed with many stops at cafes, creperies, patisseries and brasseries. I mostly survived on cheese, pastries and crepes washed down with plenty of good wine.  I left with a satisfied stomach and a full heart - thankful for the time I had to see friends and reacquaint myself with the city. In so doing, it seems I reconnected with a part of myself that had gradually been muted over the past several months. A lightness and freedom has returned to lift my spirit and carry me forward into this next season of life.

So long Paris. I'll return soon.

Free Time and a Fresh Perspective

Sometimes we receive the gift of unexpected free time. I recently had such a day and took full advantage of it. The weather was beautiful, I knew I was in need of some alone time, and I was feeling the urge to explore; so I headed into Paris, because sometimes the best place to find solitude is in the midst of a crowd.

The Biblioteque National de France - the National Library of France - was my destination, based on a recommendation from a friend... a library, a park, and a collection of artisan markets and restaurants. Yes, please!

The first surprise in my day of exploration was a delightful garden store just outside the metro stop. I spent some time wandering amongst the plants, and found a little organic market inside. They also had a kitchen section full of fabulous cookbooks. I could have spent hours in there, but I also wanted to be outside. I pulled myself away from the shop and walked along the river until I came to the library, where I walked into the courtyard and was speechless.... I felt like I had entered a movie set.

There is a forest planted in the middle, and when you walk up you are in the tree tops. When I finally found my way inside I was a bit disappointed - it was hot and crowded - not nearly as peaceful as I had hoped, so I went back out to the sun deck and enjoyed the forest a bit.

Next I headed across the river and walked through Bercy Park on my way to Bercy Village where there is a collection of artisain shops and restaurants. I wandered up and down the aisles soaking in the ambiance of this quaint neighborhood. I found some organic sorbet and enjoyed it in the park - sitting on the grass like a true Parisian.

My view at the park

 

The rose garden

 

Then I found some stuff for a little picnic and headed back to the Library where I had a great view of the Seine river and some nice background music coming from one of the house boat restaurants.

Picnic by the river



Houseboat restaurant

This was a wonderful day: My thirst for exploration was satisfied and my need for solitude was met. Throughout the day I gained a new perspective not only of Paris but on life, and thus, my soul was refreshed.  

Meandering in Paris

I finally had my first solo trip to Paris and it was delightful! Nobody but myself to worry about, no agenda, no obligations, no plan - just a free day to explore. It was a beautiful sunny day; perfect for meandering around the city, window shopping, sightseeing, café-hopping and people-watching.

 

 

I took the train in to the city and then hopped on the metro with no real plan other than to explore a new part of the city, and so I ended up in the Etienne-Marcel neighborhood. The sun was out ALL DAY and the sidewalk cafés were bursting with people, as were the streets and the parks.





I wandered in and out of shops, and found a sunny café for some tea and crepes, and then eventually found myself at Notre Dame. Once inside, I took the opportunity to just sit for a while and soak up the beauty and history.


I left as the sun was setting, and then wandered into Saint Michel, where I spent some time in various book stores before stopping for dinner at a little Asian bistro. On my way to the metro I grabbed a couple of macarons for the train ride home. It was a fabulous day of leisurely exploring this beautiful city!








The other macaron was already in my mouth before I thought to take a picture!
 

Le Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower)

Blue sky!

I made my second trip to Paris on Saturday with several new friends from school, and our goal was to take the stairs up the Eiffel Tower. The crowds were thick, as this was Black Friday weekend.... while the French don't celebrate Thanksgiving, they DO celebrate Black Friday!





The view from underneath the tower, as we were waiting in line

After waiting in line for nearly an hour, we finally began our ascent.



 

The views along the way were spectacular, and they continued to change as we went higher. We stopped at the first floor to enjoy the view from all angles.

 

 

View from the stairs

 

A rest at the first floor





From the bottom, I was wondering if the climb would be like The Incline down in Colorado Springs, but it was much easier than that. There are many different numbers out there for how many stairs are in the Eiffel Tower, but it seems to be somewhere between 650-700 steps up to the second floor, which is as high as they'll let you go on foot.  If you want to go all the way to the top, you have to wait in yet another line, and buy another ticket to take the elevator.  We decided the 2nd floor was good enough for us - check out these views:

  

We made it to the second floor in time to play on the glass-floored deck (it was surprisingly nerve-wracking to step out onto the glass), and then to watch the sunset. 

 

 

The sky seemed to be especially beautiful - the sunset was a fluorescent red, but sadly my camera wasn't quite able to capture the fiery brilliance. So, I just enjoyed the moment as the sun set below the horizon.

Look at the hot air balloon!

My first glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe



Once the sun set, it got cold very quickly up there. So, we waited just long enough for the lights to come on, and then headed down. I ran down most of the way, similar to coming down a mountain, it was easier on the knees to go quickly.

The view from the second floor deck




Breathtaking beauty

 

Another fun trip to Paris, with many great memories!