We arrived at Le Bourget in the evening, a little bit past sunset. In Paris this time of year, the sun sets a bit after 4:30pm and doesn’t rise again until almost 8am. It was my first time staying in the city, and I was just as excited to see the sights, as I was to eat crepes, chocolate croissants and enjoy a glass of Beaujolais. I had traveled a bit of Europe, but because of many misconceptions, Paris wasn’t on the top of my list of cities to check out.We checked into our hotel, the Concorde La Fayette, and found that I had a room on the 15th floor with a great view of the city and the Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart). It was beautifully lit on a hillside in the distance. I could also see from my window, glistening Christmas lights that lined the streets below. Earlier that day we flew up from the Bordeaux area, and by 9pm, we were all starving. We decided to go to the little French restaurant down the street which looked warm and cozy on a rainy and cold evening.
We ordered filets, wine and French fries, of course. I also tried escargot for the first time. I have to admit that I actually liked it – it was flavored with a lot of garlic and pesto, and the texture didn’t bother me at all. I also had a bowl of French Onion soup, which was everything I thought it would be. YUM! We finished dinner around 1am and were completely exhausted. We headed back to the hotel and promised we wouldn't wake eachother up before Noon.
The next day, we decided to see some of the most important, not to be missed sights in Paris. First, we took a taxi to the Sacre-Coeur, which was beautiful but unfortunately no photos were allowed. Below is a photo of me on the steps looking back towards the city.
From there, we then headed over to Notre Dame where they had just finished putting up a large Christmas tree outside. It was pretty spectacular walking into the church - burning candles lined the walkways, the chants from the choir echoed throughout the stone walls. The catherdral was absolutely massive. They think the construction started around 1150, which was hard to wrap my mind around because of its size and lack of tools and machinery during that time. The details of the architecture were extremely intricate and I spent quite some time marveling at everything from the floors to the ceilings, including the 47 foot long stained glass windows on the walls of the church. One of the best surprises of Notre Dame was being able to climb the 386 spiral stairs to the top (to the wooden belltower) and discovering the spectacular views of the city and seeing the Gargoyles!! Each one had a different expression and one was even feasting on a cat!
After our visit to Notre Dame, we planned to head over to the Eiffel Tower. It begain to rain and we decided it would be a perfect time to stop in the brassiere for a cup of hot chocolate and to warm up a bit. From the windows we could see Notre Dame and the Lourve lit up at night, as well as the River Seine. It was then that I realized why Paris was nicknamed The City of Lights. The city was transformed and no matter how hard I tried, my photos could not do justice.
When we finished our beverages, we headed to the Eiffel Tower. We walked down the street next to the Seine and watched the river boats that were all lit up with Christmas lights, gliding down the canal. We could see some views of the tower during our walk there, but I had no idea just how ENORMOUS it was until I stood underneath it. I knew I wouldn't go to the top without Eric, but just standing near the tower was an experience of its own. I cannot wait to go back!
By this time it was getting late and it began to rain. We headed over to a restaurant that one of the pilots used to frequent. It was a small French Bar-Restaurant with only a few tables. Inside, we sat next to the window and the area reminded me of the upper East Side near Central Park in New York City. We had had a really busy day, so it felt great to sit down and enjoy a glass of Bordeaux and a good meal.
On Friday, I woke up and headed straight over to the boulangerie! There were so many great looking creations that I couldn't decide what I wanted to buy, so I bought a few things. I ordered a ham quiche, chocolate croissants and other pasteries that were delicious, but unfortunately I couldn't pronounce. The woman behind the counter was very helpful and allowed me to take a photo inside. The sun hadn't risen yet, and there were already tons of Parisians stopping in for baguets, pasteries and quiches.
I decided that I would spend the day shopping, particularly looking for some special wines and chocolates to bring home. I was definitely planning on taking advantage of being on a private jet, not having to worry about checking luggage or having bottles of liquid with me! I headed over to Champs Elysees, just to check out one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. There were lots of expensive shops and the streets were lined with white Christmas lights. I also walked around the Arc de Triomphe, which was quite impressive. There was a lot more I wanted to do in Paris during my few days there but it was too hard to fit it all in. I had a great experience, but just not enough time. Like Venice, there were too many good photos to choose just a few to post on this blog, so copy and paste the URL below into your browser to view them all on Snapfish.
http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=176601594/a=25333817_25333817/t_=25333817
