I was so brokenhearted to leave Paris this morning. I am completely in love with the city, the people, the scenery, the history, and the culture. There is so much life in Paris; Rouen is a sad, rainy, and vegetarian-unfriendly comparison. En tout cas, I am back in my chambre in my apartment in Rouen and it is -- wait for it -- raining. I had a wonderful week in Paris, and I really hope to go back there as soon as possible. Next weekend maybe :)
So let's see . . . a few nights a go, I went to the Trombone Shorty concert (where I also happened to see Lenny Kravitz). I love my life. I am already looking up ticket information for when they come to Baltimore/D.C. They will be playing at Ramshead Live and the 9:30 club!! Anyone who wants to go with me, let me know. You will NOT regret it.
So, that night was absolutely amazing. The metro spit us out at kind of a sketchy area of town, and I was definitely glad to be in a big group, but when we finally made it into the show, all of my worries melted away. The venue was warm, welcoming, and vibrant with the energy of the performance. Trombone Shorty is one of the most talented musicians I have ever seen, and I truly can't wait to go back to another one of his amazing shows!
Wow. I literally can't remember what I did the next day. This entire trip was so wonderful, but so hectic. I got an average of 5 hours of sleep each night, and spent all day out and about doing different things in Paris. I'm pretty sure that the next day was my promenade to Sacre Coeur though. Let's just go with that . . .
So the next day, I woke up early, wasted a few hours in the most boring museum in the world, the Musée de Carnavalet, and then went on my promenade around the Sacre Coeur with Emily Valentine. It. Was. Amazing. It was the most beautiful day ever, and even though I didn't get to shower that day (or the night before after the concert. Shhh.), it was a wonderful time. Montmartre is absolutely gorgeous, and though it has been pretty taken-over by touristy shops, there are still some real gems in the area. Emily and I probably bought a million new scarves (I mean really, the most beautiful scarves I have ever seen), bought some really artsy new wallets, got some ice cream and coffee, and checked out some paintings by local artists. The art district of Montmartre is so quaint - I loved it. We sneakily got tricked into "buying" these bracelets that some Guinean guys made us on our way up to the Sacre Coeur, but at least we know what to avoid next time. Plus, they're pretty cool bracelets. The Sacre Coeur itself is absolutely stunning. I've seen more churches in France than I have ever seen in my life before, and the Sacre Coeur is definitely the most beautiful of them all. Inside and out, it is completely breathtaking.
Another amazing part about our promenade in Montmartre were the street performers. Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera, but I think Emily probably took 100 pictures of our favorite one: the soccer guy. I wish I had a video of him to show you - I'm sure there are some up on Youtube (and I think he even has his own website now), but he was amazing. He stood up on a flat column along the steps of the Sacre Coeur and did the most amazing tricks I have ever seen with a soccer ball. Basically, he has just mastered juggling (soccer juggling, not clown juggling) to the point where it is now an art form. He balanced it on the top of his head while he sat all the way down, he spun around while still controlling it with his body, and he climbed up a lamppost with the soccer ball on his foot. It was sick.
There was also a singer/guitar player who played for a pretty big crowd on the steps leading up to the church, though he wasn't really that great. The crowd was hilarious though (especially the one guy with the dreds and Rasta hat on trying to get everyone to dance and sing along).
So after all of that, we finally made our way back to the FIAP (oh, FIAP) where we ate dinner, and I FINALLY got to take a shower. I didn't have too much time to relax though, because right after the shower, I got dressed and hopped on the Metro to meet some people at the Eiffel Tower so that we could see it all lit up at night. It was gorgeous. We took pictures, watched people in love kissing and cuddling all around the monument, and froze our asses off, all while evading street vendors trying to sell us glow-in-the-dark Eiffel Towers. I loved it.
The craziest part about that night, was that we were walking along the grass in front of the Tower when we heard music, and decided to go over to where it was coming from. There, we met some really awesome people - also students, also American, also studying in France. Well, some were Russians, and honestly I can't remember how they fit into the picture, but they were awesome too. So we hung out there, listened to some guys play guitar, and chatted it up with the other students. We also got our pictures taken with French soldiers who were patrolling the Eiffel Tower area with their machine guns. Sick.
So, after that, we went back to the FIAP, the guys at the front desk made fun of me because I couldn't find my room key (it was in my purse the whole time), and then I went to bed. Good night.
The NEXT day (yesterday), our group went on a boat tour on the Seine of Paris. It was beautiful, but absolutely freezing. Tomorrow, I need to go coat shopping. I have seen some beautiful ones, and have tried on a few that I loved, but they've been too expensive to say yes to. I may have to cave, because I will freeze otherwise. I may also just have to buy some matching gloves and hats . . . We will see.
Anyway, the boat tour was really cool, because I got to see almost all of the most famous monuments of Paris from the water, but it was also the coldest thing ever and I was definitely content when it was over.
After that, we searched for somewhere to eat, got sandwiches in a brasserie, and then went to another museum, this time about foreign cultures. The coolest exhibit was the Africa one, but the Americas was pretty interesting too. Basically, I stayed there for about an hour, and then Maddie, Allie, and I left to go to on their Rive Gauche promenade in the art district. It was the coolest place ever! I was totally enamored with it. Every street we walked on was more beautiful and impressionante than the next. I (finally) took tons of pictures, so they will be up soon :)
While we were there, we were walking down a street when we saw a TON of graffiti all over the wall up ahead of us. It was super cool, so we started taking pictures, when I noticed that there was a spray-painted image of Serge Gainsbourg up on the wall. Cool! I thought. Caldwell will love this! So I took a picture of it. Then I started reading the things on the wall. "Bonnie and Clyde," "Je suis un homme à tête de chou," "Je t'aime . . . moi non plus." They were all Serge lyrics! We stumbled upon the Serge Gainsbourg graffiti wall! It was so cool, and such an exciting discovery. Caldwell would be so proud.
After that, we walked around some more, got espressos at a really cute cafe on the corner, and walked around some more. We also discovered a really great frozen yogurt shop, and an amazing health food/juice/fruit store from which I bought carrot juice and a protein bar (coconut flavored). Yummy!
We then made our way back to the FIAP, rushed to get dressed a little nicer, and the ran out of there without eating dinner in order to make it in time for a piano recital at the Theatre de Champs-Elysees. Though the theater was beautiful, and it was great to have the experience of hearing a classical musician play in Paris, I left at intermission, and I will tell you why. The pianist, though I am sure very talented, looked like Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice, and his music sounded like had been composing a piece when, all of the sudden, he had a seizure and continued playing anyway. I watched a seizing Mr. Collins flop his head about as he smacked his piano keys for about 5 minutes, when I realized that I needed to leave at intermission. So I did.
Teo, Emily, and I walked along the Champs-Elysees, and I finally saw the Arc de Triomphe! So we're walking down the Champs-Elysees, when I hear a really familiar voice. I look over, and there is Lainey, a friend from high school who is studying abroad in Paris this semester. It was insane! What's crazier? The girl she was with was one of the girls I met at the Eiffel Tower the night before. I love this life! Hopefully, I'll be coming back to Paris soon and I will actually be able to hang out with them some more. It was so cool to run into a familiar face in Paris! What a tiny, tiny world, even in one of its most hectic cities.
Emily, Teo, and I also may have gone into the Hagen-Daaz (which is a freaking ice cream restaurant on the Champs-Elisees!) and the Quick (I had to get a milkshake banane like the Carpe Diem song!) before getting on the Metro to meet Teo's girlfriend at a really cool bar by the FIAP. We were there until a little after 1am, and it was a blast. I only wish I had known about that place sooner. Getting home in the freezing early morning was not fun, but we made it, exhausted, in our beds probably around 2.
And so this morning, I woke up at 8, ate breakfast at FIAP (for the first time since we've stayed there) and then packed and got on the bus to some back to Rouen. We stopped at Vaux la Vicomte first though, the most beautiful chateau I have ever seen (built by some of the same designers of Versailles), and had a guided tour and ate lunch there. Again, I have a lot of pictures. It was so beautiful, even though the weather is starting to turn freezing.
And so now I am back in Rouen. It's nice to be back in my own bed, my own room, and with internet that I don't have to pay for or stress about. But also, I really, really miss Paris. I loved every second of my time there, and I am already planning my next trip back. Maybe this weekend?! We'll see. All I know is that I have fallen in love with the city of love.
So now, it's almost dinner time. I'm really missing home now that I'm back in Rouen, but my host mom/landlord tells me I have a package that I have to pick up from the post office. I can't wait!!!! Thanks Mama Bear - I know it's from you :)
Almost dinner time I hope. It's getting dark here.
Bisous!
Love, Josie
Who is teo?
ReplyDelete