"Cliquot" and "Nantes" -- Beirut

Paris

When we arrived in Paris, we'd all been traveling many hours. I was feeling really, really gross, and really, really tired, and was still apprehensive about being away and missing improv. The first thing we do is get free time in my FAVOURITE part of Paris, Montmartre. I didn't even know we were going to get to visit Montmartre, so I got super excited. The minute we stepped into the metro station, I smelled the metro, and I was so, so happy. I remembered that smell as if I had been there yesterday. I think I will have to go live in a city with a metro system, because I love the metro.

So we got off the metro at the Montmartre stop and climbed up the road where I bought a scarf last time and we climbed up to the parc space where Sacre-Coeur is, a huge cathedral. There were these french people carrying some wine, and one bottle broke and spilled all over the road. This made the English student in me really happy and took many pictures to caption "Dickens in real life!"*

We climbed up to the top and looked out at the view and listened to some great musicians and then wandered around and ate crepes. I made sure to sit back, take few pictures, and revel in being there. I love being in Paris.

I made sure to buy a scarf in Montmartre, as always, and I wore it the whole time we were in Paris. The next morning, my roommates and I got up early and went to the boulangerie nearby and bought baguette. We were the only ones who did this, and it became our morning ritual. It was nice to be out in Paris just us, away from crowds. The rest of the day was packed with a rushed bus tour, (which was like the trailer that makes you want to see the rest of the movie) and a visit to Versailles, which I hadn't seen, and which was AWESOME. I strolled up and down with Nick, pretending to be the dauphin and dauphine. We put our noses in the air.

That night we visited the Eiffel Tower, and I will advise anyone I know who goes to Paris that they must go up the Tower at night. It's the best way. All the monuments stand out because they're lit up and you can pick them all out. But it's colder at night. What a killer wind.

We got back super late from the Tower and boat ride up the Seine, so the next day we were all exhausted. We also found out we had 2 hours to go and visit the Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre or Notre Dame. I picked the Louvre and I wandered around in the sculpture area in Danon wing, and then headed to Richelieu/Sully to cruise past Winged Victory and Venus de Milo on my way to large-scale french paintings (which were all awesome). The rooms they were in were almost better than the paintings -- they were so cool. If you're ever in the Louvre, check out the rooms, not just the art.

After that, we headed to the Gare de Lyon to take the TGV (Tres Grande Vitesse) train to Provence.

*Tale of Two Cities, people.