European shots

I have so many good decorating ideas, however, most of them include copious amounts of cash that I simply would rather spend on a Broadway show... or another trip to Europe. In my quest for a more "grown-up" room that still showcases my interests, I decided to leave out my signed framed Playbills. A painful decision, and I am sure other theater enthusiasts will agree. Instead, I used my creative eye to digitally alter some shots from my London and Paris trip. Here's what I came up with...

Carnaby Street. London.

At the top of Notre Dame overlooking the Seine and the Latin Quarter. Paris, France.

View from the Pont d'Iena. Paris, France.

Trafalgar Square. London.

I think they look fantastic and will serve as a reminder of how worth it that trip was. I will post an updated shot when it's all up. :)

* let's be honest. My signed HAIR window card will still go up.

Day 9: I must have all the Ben's Cookies in the world.

Day 9 finally came around with a lot of mixed feelings. I was thrilled to be going home so I could stop living out of a suitcase, stop sharing my room with complete strangers and stop eating things from restaurants. I was ready for my bed, my friends, my roommates, home cooking and like any girl... my hair straightener. AND... I was really REALLY ready to talk to my mom.

But, I was not ready to leave the charm and beauty of Europe. I loved being on vacation, treating myself to wonderful meals, shows, and culturally infused activities. It was a dream vacation and I didn't want it to end. There were so many things I still wanted to see and do. My flight was leaving Heathrow at 5PM (sadly way way way on schedule) with no threat from the ash could (I really wish that volcano had come through for me). I decided to take it easy on my last day and go out for one last round of London fun.

I decided I wanted to check out Notting Hill Gate so I hopped on the bus that took me to the West side of Central London. Maybe I just didn't know the right place to get off but I actually never found it. Instead, I rode the bus around in a loop seeing many parts of London I hadn't seen before. Some were really not cute, or charming... Or worthy of my limited and precious time. I got off at the end of the bus line which ended at a Costco-like place and jumped on a 6 bus that took me to Oxford Street. 

At Oxford Street, I paid one last visit to heaven. Some call it Ben's Cookies. I wanted to get rid of my British pounds and so I only had enough to buy two cookies (without having to revisit an ATM to get more). Then, I walked over to Oxford Circus and window shopped. I also stepped into Carnaby Street which is adorable and charming and basically resembles Diagon Alley. 

Attempting to access the Ministry of Magic.

The lovely Carnaby Street

Parade of Elephants

Elephant Parade. My favorite, I think...

For lunch, I stopped at a really cute restaurant that I wish I could remember the name of. Maybe you guys can help? It was just off Regent Street. Somewhere in between Oxford Circus and Picadilly Circus. On the West side of the street. You walk into an alley and there are a bunch of little restaurants and cafes within the alley. Ring a bell? Anyone? It was a buffet type place where you pay by the weight of your food? Well, it was delish. Whatever it was. It had a great ambiance. Very earthy decor and wide open windows.

Goodbye TUBE. I shall miss your lovely and clean trains...

What? I think these would get more response in NYC.

After lunch, I headed back to Astor Hyde to collect my luggage and got on my way back to Heathrow. The trip there was stressful as the Picadilly line stopped running and we were forced to take shuttles that took us to another station only to get on another Picadilly train... BUT not all Picadilly trains stopped at Terminal 4, which is what I needed. I actually ended up waiting for quite a while and was nervous that I would miss my flight.  Eventually, the slowest train came along and slowly got me to my terminal with just enough time to return my Oyster card and check in. 

After that, it was a breeze through security. I had a few pounds leftover from my Oyster card return and decided to buy some treats and nail polish from Boot's. Before I knew it, it was time to board my plane and get back to real life.

As we flew over Ireland (and near the ash cloud which was actually visible from the plane window), I felt so grateful that I had the opportunity to live another dream. I realized how doable this trip was once I set my mind to go and vowed to take a trip every year. So what's next? Probably London again, Italy, Santorini, Switzerland, Austria... Hmm... Too many places.

Goodbye, Ireland. Goodbye, you unreliable ash cloud, you... See it?

Day 5: Les Escalieres de Notre Dame et La Joconde

Day 5 was a SLOW start and here's why: The Mouriers are the BEST hosts EVER. After a LONG day of being dripping wet and walking in the freezing rain, nothing was better than blissful sleep in their quiet home. No weirdos to share the room with, no slamming doors, actual curtains on the windows. I think you get the point. I had set my alarm clock for 7AM and I did not get up until 9AM.

I got ready and headed out to take the train into Paris. Well, that was not as easy as it sounds... To get to the RER A, you have to walk to the bus stop, and take the 213 bus to the Noisy Champs station. Which would be fine... If I could remember how to get there. Elliot had shown me the night before how to get to the bus stop, but I got lost and could not remember how to get there. I walked around for an hour or so. I had even used my amazing French to ask a passerby if she knew where the stop for the 213 was. She did not know. But she did know where the boulangerie was, so not helpful.

Oh there it is... One hour and many wrong turns later.

Thank goodness for T-Mobile. I finally gave up and called Amanda (Elliot's sister) and she was able to tell me where to go. By the time I got to Paris, it was already 11:30AM. My plan had been to visit Chateau de Versailles but I felt like by the time I got there, I would not be able to see as much, so I decided to swap my Wednesday and Thursday itineraries... Which means: Wednesday was my Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, and Musee du Louvre day.

The Latin Quarter...

When I arrived at the Chatelet Les Halles station, I grabbed breakfast at a boulangerie (un baguette and Orangina) and switched to the RER B, which is so convenient because it leaves your RIGHT in front of Notre Dame. I sat down on a bench and people watched while eating my breakfast, then I went inside to look at the cathedral. I thought it was such a beautiful place. The architecture is obviously out of this world, but I loved knowing how old that place was... It is so evident in certain parts.

So impressive.

Candles at Notre Dame

One of the amazing stained glass details

Main altar inside the Cathedral

Not my own picture, but how stunning is that? 

After spending some time inside to take pictures and such, I headed outside to walk around to the back. There is a little gated garden behind Notre Dame with the most spectacular view of the back of the Cathedral. I sat there forever, taking it all in, still not believing that I was actually in Paris. In front of me was the gorgeous Notre Dame, behind me was the peaceful Seine... It was such a surreal moment and I was so happy that I worked so hard to give myself this trip.

Looking super ridiculous in all my winter gear again. So cold. 

The view I could not stop starring at for a whole hour 

Since I was so into the moment, I decided I would go and walk around the Latin Quarter portion of Paris. There are so many beautiful buildings in this area. I could have spent days with my head to the sky looking at them. I walked into lots of souvenir shops, never actually buying anything (souvenirs, my dears, are highly overrated and a waste of money). I eventually made it into L'Occitane en Provence and bought lip balm, which is pretty much the only thing I bought myself in Paris.

France would not be a good idea for anyone who claims they don't eat sweets. 

A) You're a liar 

B) I don't think you can resist

C)All of the above

The charming Latin Quarter

In the Latin Quarter, I found a charming creperie that faces the Seine and ordered a crepe with Nutella, bananas and Creme Chantilly. Oh the heavenly delight! I paired it with hot cocoa and decided it was the most enjoyable lunch of my life.

I'd like to visit daily. Amazing creperie.

It's a good thing crepes of this size are not as abundant here... It was delicious.

After lunch, I headed back to Notre Dame to climb the stairs to the top. I had to wait in line for a while, but I was happy to. I finally made it inside and started the climb, but nothing could have prepared me for how bad those stairs are. First of all, it's a spiral staircase, so you never see where it will end. Secondly, there are no places to rest. Lastly, I do not have the ability to pace myself, so I shot right up... Right around stair 200, I got REALLY tired (and I was counting)... but had to keep going because I had a long line of people behind me. I finally made it to the top, 402 steps later. I literally thought I might need oxygen. OK, not really, but it was BAD. We (all the other tourists) were laughing so much because we could not believe how ridiculous we all looked after climbing those stairs. I also could not believe no one warned me!

Deadly. Like, literally. These steps are so old and the staircases are mostly dimly lit. In several places, the stone has eroded away leaving random drop offs which are not entirely helpful when you can't see and your legs are no longer in working condition.

While up there, I saw the famous gargoyles. Such scary yet intriguing creatures. It's been said that they were intended to ward off evil spirits when Notre Dame was built... A more functional use? They serve as rain water drains...

My favorite Paris shot. I love the way the gargoyle looks as though he is watching over The City of Lights. The Seine looks so peaceful and the Eiffel Tower is stunning in the distance.

I like how in this shot you can see the detail on the buildings. 

I also saw the Gros Bourdon (the oldest bell at Notre Dame) which is only used for special occasions. After this, I climbed yet another set of steps to the very top level which yielded a stunning view of Paris. It's such a wonderful thing to look out and see the Seine and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Once more, I literally could not believe I was standing where I was.

The Gros Bourdon

This is where you go in to see The Gros Bourdon

At the very top of Notre Dame. Pinch me moment #3,486,403 of this trip.

Unfortunately, the visits to the top of Notre Dame are timed, as there is always a line of people waiting to go up, so I didn't get to stay up there as long as I would have liked... I went back down and sat on a bench in front of the Cathedral. This was mostly due to the fact that my legs were entirely useless. If I tried to stand up, my knees would buckle. How embarrassing! What am I? 80?

One my geriatric episode was over, I hopped on the Metro towards Musee Du Louvre. That place is fantastic. I loved knowing that it was once the residence of royalty as well as a fortress. It wasn't until the  Revolution that it became a museum. It does not disappoint in grandeur and architecture. I was so in love with it.

I knew that I would not have enough time to see everything, and while I appreciate art, I also knew I really didn't care to see ALL of it, so I focused on finding the Mona Lisa first and then taking it from there. I eventually ended up inside the Apple Store and spent some time talking to a few friends. Bless you, GMail.

After my Apple Store stop, I headed back to see more Italian Renaissance art as well as the Napoleonic apartments housed in the Richelieu wing of the musee. I stayed there until it closed, grabbed dinner at McDonald's (because it's supposed to be, like, fancy or something) and once more, headed back to the Mourier's house. 

On my way to the Mona Lisa. I wish I had enough time to see every piece I walked past.

I know I look really apathetic, but I was actually really excited to be seeing this.

Gorgeous art, gorgeous room.

Liberty Leading the People, Delacroix, 1830. My absolute favorite French Revolution piece.

View from Denon Wing at the Louvre

Winged Victory of Samothrace, discovered in 1863 but estimated to have been created around 190 BC

Ummm.... Can't remember, but lovely nonetheless... There were a lot of pieces referencing Louis XIV as well as jewels and trinkets belonging to royals throughout the centuries.

Inside the Salles Rouges at the Napoleon Apartments housed in the Richelieu Wing of the Louvre

I must go back many many times. There is not enough time to take everything in...

Day 5 was exhausting, but I was happy I was able to experience so much history, not only by visiting such places, but by seeing the works that tell the stories of times past. Most of all, I love knowing that this place houses and preserves the talent and culture of those who created these pieces.

Day 4: Une crepe au chocolat, s'il vous plait.

This was the day I've been waiting for my enitre life. I woke up as giddy as ever... not caring that I only slept for 3 hours, not caring that my hair looked ridiculous (again), not caring that I was about to drag my luggage to another country.

Oh hello, train to the land of my dreams...haha. I LOVED traveling on the Eurostar. Such a lovely way to get around!

I got up so so early because getting to St. Pancras station would take a while. My train to Paris was leaving at 8AM. I hopped on the 10 bus that takes you to King's Cross/St. Pancras and arrived just in time... not too early, but not too late.

The train ride was quick... or was it? I remember eating a croissant (how French of me) and I remember attempting to read a page from my book. Then I remember arriving at Gare Du Nord. Nothing in between... I was out before the train even started moving.

When I arrived at Gare Du Nord, I met up with Elliot and Aurelie (his fiance). Elliot's family graciously offered to let me stay at their house for the length of my stay in Paris. Aurelie had just arrived from Brussels a while before and they were there to greet me and take my bags back to the Mourier's house... This was good since it allowed me to get right to seeing Paris without having to trek all the way to their house to drop off my luggage.

Eh, Bounjour, tierre de mes reves... Ah... the excitement to be in France!

Elliot and Aurelie explained the Paris Metro system, and gave me a few suggestions on where to start. I decided to start with Musee du Louvre, but when I got there, I realized the museum was closed, as it is every other Tuesday. I decided to walk around the outside of the Louvre and find a good place to have lunch.

I don't care what people say... The NYC Subway system is nowhere as confusing as the Paris Metro. If it had not been for Elliot and Aurelie's long explanation I may have died of confusion.

I found this adorable cafe called Cafe Palais Royal. It was so picturesque and adorable. I loved sitting there and taking in French culture... Well, or the culture of the French staff since everyone eating there seemed to be a tourist. I had an amazing quiche lorraine with a green salad and of course, a cup of chocolat chaud (Did I mention it was pouring rain and absolutely freezing?). I made conversation with an elderly couple from Pasadena and some boys from Canada. The tables were so close together that I felt like we were all sitting at the same table.

The charming Cafe Palais Royal... Footsteps away from the Musee Du Louvre. Such an excellent way to start my Parisian adventure.

A gorgeous little plaza en route to the Opera House

After lunch, I made my way to the Paris Opera House.. still in the pouring rain. I had a raincoat but my shoes were entirely soaked. When I arrived at the Opera, I found out that the main hall was not open due to rehearsal. I was a little bummed out but didn't want to spend the money on a ticket if I couldn't see the mail hall. I walked around though and took some pictures of the outside.

Beautiful...Paris Opera House. Another borrowed shot because the ones I took are not stellar. 

I randomly found the bus that takes you straight to the Musee D'Orsay which was lucky because I was so so so cold and frustrated that everything I wanted to do and see was not working out. I arrived at Musee D'Orsay to find an impossibly long line, but I stood in it, in the rain, with my newly purchased umbrella (which by the way I paid a lot for).

Musee D'Orsay and the Seine

What I saw inside the museum was worth every minute of standing in that line in the freezing rain. The Musee D'Orsay houses art mostly from the Impressionist period... My favorite! I about died just seeing all the original pieces I had heard about for so long. There was a good mix in between realism and impressionism that I found really charming and pleasing to look at. I focused mostly on the impressionist pieces because I knew I would not have enough time to look at everything. Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, and that is just the list of the really well-known painters... There were many other less popular by equally stunning pieces.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Bal au Moulin de la Gallete, 1876. My favorite thing about this piece is hands down the way Renoir created light... All those little spots are so amazing. It makes me feel like I am sitting there alongside these people taking in the sun.

Claude Monet, Villas in Bordighera, 1884. I have always loved his choice of color palette. Even when he's using cool colors, his pieces are always warm and charming. I especially love the juxtaposition of the structured architecture and the free strokes used to create the vegetation, ground and sky. 

Monet. I honestly wish I could figure out specifically which of his Water Lilies this is... but I actually have no idea.

 Claude Monet, Essai de figure en plein-air : Femme à l'ombrelle tournée vers la gauche, 1886. 

Top: Edgar Degas, Deux danseuses au repos, 1898

Bottom: Edgar Degas, Danseuse au bouquet, saluant sur la scène, 1878

Edgar Degas, Danseuses Bleues, 1890. My favorite Degas piece ever.

About as classic as impressionism gets. Vincent Van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889

I was so so sneaky and took a picture.. haha. You're not supposed to but I wanted to remember this moment forever... Musee D'Orsay used to be a train station, and it has been beautifully restored to house all this amazing art.

I spent about two hours inside the museum before heading out to my next stop. I walked along the Seine until I arrived at Place de La Concorde... which was beautiful but really just a stop and look sort of thing. If you stand right at the middle, you get a beautiful view of the Jardin de Tuileries on one side and the Arc De Triomph on the other.

Oh la la! Les Crepes Sucrees! I wish NYC had a crepe truck!

I love this picture... And I love the chiaroscuro effect that the sky and darks in the picture create. Not bad, considering this was a timed photo set up on a little pillar. 

I stopped to take some pictures and eat a crepe that I purchased from a crepe truck (!) just outside the Jardin de Tuileries. By then, I felt more used to the rain and felt more like I was in Paris than I had up to that point... I walked along the Champs D'Elysees stopping at every store that called out to me. It took a long time, but I finally arrived at the Arc D'Triomph just as the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sight. The traffic was insane, so I didn't dare cross to the Arc but I admired it from afar, took many many pictures and decided to call it a day.

Oh, hey... Just practicing my tendus here in PARIS. I have noooo idea why I look like I am doing a tendu. The only disappointment was that if you look closely at the two panels on either side of the arc, they are fabric... covering up the originals, which I am guessing they're restoring currently.

A beautiful sight. I have a postcard that I've kept around for a good 15 years now and I wanted to take my own picture of the picture I've been looking at for so long.

Before getting on the train, I grabbed some dinner at this amazing restaurant which I can't actually remember the name of but it was just footsteps away from the Arc De Triomph. I had an amazing dinner and some sort of dessert the waitress described in English as "Floating Island." No clue what it was... but it was tasty.

Le dessert! 

Then, I hopped on the RER A train towards Noisy Champs where Elliot was waiting to drive me to their home in Champs-Sur-Marne. It was great to meet the Mourier family. They were all so welcoming and I had so much fun just chatting with them and getting to know them.

So, not only do I have to keep things straight between the Metro and the RER lines, but I also have to make sure I get on the right RER A train... So not the one that goes to Boissy but the one that goes to Marne-la-Vallee or Torcy. Tricky Frenchies...

RER A platform at the Etoile station

Noisy Champs station. Picture not from Day 4, but irrelevant any other day. :)

I went to bed completely exhausted but excited for what lay ahead... I fell asleep watching LOST, in French... Ah, Monsieur Locke. You were crazy.