• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

A Long Weekend In Paris

I spent the Fall 2008 semester abroad in the UK with twenty-five other students and two professors. We did our coursework on the road, traveling to various cities while studying the literature and drama of each region.

We got a free four-day weekend to travel on our own in early November. Quite number of us chose Paris for our weekend get-away. Paris had been at the top of my travel wish-list for years, so I felt overwhelmingly happy at the prospect of fulfilling that dream.

Transport and Lodging

To get there, we took the Chunnel, which is much more relaxed about security than airports. My ears popped quite painfully (I tend to be particularly sensitive to pressure changes), but it was otherwise a very uneventful ride. We stayed at the Hotel de la Cité Rougement. The location is not the nicest, and the continental breakfast is a little slim, but it was comfortable enough and a reasonable price. The hotel staff was also very courteous and helpful.

The Metro looks a little run down compared to London’s Tube, but it runs more efficiently. I don’t think we ever had to wait more than four minutes for a train. We got the unlimited 5-day metro pass, so we had easy access to everything in Paris. Another big difference between Paris and London is that people actually talk on the Metro, whereas Tube passengers tend to avoid eye contact, completely straight-faced even when pressed shoulder-to-shoulder. People seem much more conversational and casual on the Metro.

Food

I am not quite sure how it happened, but I did not eat all that much while I was in Paris. You would think I would have stuffed myself in the middle of a semester in a country known for bland food, but somehow I got caught up in the sights instead of the cuisine. I did eat a number of crepes and gaufres (waffles) from street vendors. I also ate escargot, which was quite an experience. It came in the shell, which surprised me, and it took a while to get used to the clamp and fork utensils. The escargot had the texture of oysters and was quite good, though the sauce was rather salty for my taste. My favorite meal might have been breakfast on the final day before we left for London: I stopped at a boulangerie by our hotel and had a cup of hot chocolate and pain au chocolat. Heaven.

We planned our days pretty carefully and managed to fit in most of the major sights in our four days.

Day 1

We started at Notre Dame, which is far more beautiful than I could have imagined. We walked around the outside, attended most of a service, gazed at the stained glass, and then climbed the towers. I got some great photos even on that cloudy day.

After that, one of my friends and I broke off from the rest of the group to make a trip to Versailles. We took the RER, the rapid train network, which took about forty minutes, but we were treated with accordion music by a musician going from car to car. We had very little trouble navigating to and from Versailles, despite its distance from Paris and our minimal French.

Versailles itself was spectacular. It was so different from the British palaces and castles I had seen on the trip so far. It was full of glass and mirrors, and furnished in gold and light colors – quite a contrast to the dark woods and heavy fabrics of England’s palaces. If anything, though, the expansive, graceful gardens were more beautiful than the chateau.

Day 2

The next day was the first Sunday of the month and, therefore, free museum day. The lines were intimidating, but since no one had to rifle through their wallets for cash and security was speedy, it did not take too long.

Since several of us were particularly interested in the Impressionists, we budgeted more time for the Musée D’Orsay than for the Louvre. It was a good choice for me - I found the Louvre’s immensity overwhelming. We targeted certain must-see pieces, like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and left the rest for the hope of a future visit.

After dinner that night, we went to see the Eiffel Tower, which was lit in blue because of the election of a French EU president. Most of my friends went to the top, but I am not a fan of heights and decided to save my Euros. Instead, I bought a nutella and Chantilly cream crepe, ate it at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and decided that was a Parisian enough experience for me.

Day 3

The next day, we went to my number one reason for wanting to visit Paris: L’Opera Garnier. This magnificent 19th century opera house is said to have been the home of the Phantom of the Opera, and I have been in love with both the musical and the book for about ten years. The opera house has a stunning, grand staircase, a majestic theater done in red velvet, a ceiling painted by Chagall and some of the most beautiful chandeliers I have ever seen.

We tried to make this day a little more relaxed after rushing from one place to another for the past few days. We split up for a while after the opera house, and I went shopping on the Champs-Elysées. (Okay, mostly window-shopping, but I did find a lovely scarf I could actually afford.)

We met up again in Montmartre, a very beautiful and artistic part of town. We visited Sacre Coeur, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Unlike many cathedrals and churches in Europe, Sacre Coeur requests silence and forbids photos, which gives it a very reverent atmosphere.

Afterwards, we browsed the shops around Montmartre and had French onion soup and wine in a small café for dinner. We sat on the steps of Sacre Coeur listening to a street musician as the sun set over the city. It was a wonderful day at a much calmer pace.