Sunday, March 26, 2000
Bonjour, mes amis! Welcome to Paris! Our romantic week in Paris began on Sunday, March 26, 2000 when we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport. We immediately took a taxi to our hotel and we were delighted to be greeted so warmly by the staff. (Who says the French are rude?) The Libertel L’Horset St. Augustine is a charming hotel on a quiet side street. They gave us one of their larger rooms on the top floor and everything was spotless and handsomely decorated. We got settled in but quickly freshened up so that we could take in the sights right away. This was Ivan’s second time in Paris but since it was my first trip, he was eager to show me the famous Champs Elysees. We took a relaxing stroll down this grand shopping avenue and explored some of the side streets as well. I was instantly in awe of the beauty of this old city. Nothing in America could compare to this culture-rich capital. At one end of the Champs Elysees is the historic Arc de Triomphe. What a spectacular sight! We took quite a few pictures there and admired the amazing architecture before we headed down to the Seine River. We thought that after a long journey across the Atlantic, a river cruise would be a perfect way to relax and get a tour of Paris by boat. We boarded the Bateau-Mouche and sat on the top deck for an ideal vantage point for photos. However, the long day of traveling took its toll and we soon fell asleep. Ivan woke me up towards the end of the cruise to point out a green statue in the middle of the water. Still groggy and out of sorts, I saw the Statue of Liberty and thought to myself, “I love New York,” and fell back asleep. At the end of the cruise, I remembered this thought and realized how funny it was that I completely thought we were in New York! |
Monday, March 27, 2000
On our second day, we headed back to the Champs Elysees and strolled down the opposite direction towards the incredible Louvre museum. We spent the day admiring great works of art including the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Code of Hammurabi (Ivan knew what that was). We wandered around Les Halles and did some window shopping to round out the evening. |
Tuesday, March 28, 2000
On Tuesday, we visited the breathtaking palace of Versailles. We took a train to get there and followed the crowd straight into the palace gates. The garden was beautiful, even at the end of winter, and we were amazed to believe that King Louis could entertain and house over 13,000 people at a time in this monstrous home of his. Back in Paris, we spent the late afternoon admiring more flowers at the Luxembourg Gardens and then grabbed dinner in the bustling Latin Quarter. This section of Paris houses the Sorbonne University and is really much like a typical college town. Students with backpacks browsed storefront windows and chatted endlessly in sidewalk cafes. We felt much at home here, especially when we kept passing the Chinese restaurant where the little man would greet us every time. |
Wednesday, March 29, 2000
On Wednesday we visited the amazing Notre Dame Cathedral where we took shelter from the rain. Hundreds of people milled in and out of this monument of church history. We wandered around the Ile de la Cite and Ile St. Louis, two small islands in the Seine connected to the mainland by bridges. We were actually in search of a famous ice cream that I had read about (but it was too cold to actually get some ourselves). |
Thursday, March 30, 2000
Thursday was a great highlight of our trip as we visited the Musee d’Orsay. This contemporary museum is actually a converted train station and it houses some of the best Impressionist art in the world. We marveled at the huge Monets and Renoirs that we had seen in textbooks all our lives. I couldn’t believe that I was actually seeing the very paint that Monet had brushed onto the canvas! After the museum, we made our way to the most symbolic of all Parisian monuments – the Eiffel Tower. Ivan knew of a scenic picture-taking spot on top of a public building so we headed over there to take pictures before dinner. After eating a wonderful meal (our splurge of the week), we walked outside to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up. All of a sudden it started flashing lights – it was such an incredible site that we ran back to that picture-taking spot to capture this amazing moment. And I thought fireworks were cool! |
Friday, March 31, 2000
We spent Friday in the hills of Montmartre, a quaint art community where artists displayed their talent on the roadside. We visited the gorgeous Sacre Coeur – a Christian church known for its smooth, white domed rooftops. We spent the remainder of the day shopping and soaking up atmosphere. |
Saturday, April 1, 2000
It was our departure date and we sadly packed our bags and said goodbye to Paris. We were so glad we spent an entire week in this grand city instead of shuttling through Europe on a bus (there’s plenty of time for that at a later date). Exploring on our own was half the fun as we enjoyed each other’s company amidst the beauty of the land. Paris is truly the City of Love. Au Revoir! |
Copyright © 2001-2002 May N. Yong. All Rights Reserved.
