Spring Break: Paris Part 1

I would like to begin by saying that despite everything, this is the best Spring Break I've yet to have.

I suppose the best way to explain this journey is by breaking it up into days. We managed to fit a lot of experiences into a 10 day period so I apologize in advance for how wordy this is going to become.

EDIT: I am further breaking this up, was growing too lengthy.

Day 1: To Paris

Our little band of travelers included myself, my roommate here in Germany, Catie and another fellow student, Hali. I would love to say our group dynamic was perfect, but anyone who's dealt with social situations would know that things get complicated with three people are involved. This didn't exactly make for smooth traveling, but we managed. We made our way to the Düsseldorf airport at around noon to find the terminal practically empty. Closer to our boarding time, we were approached by another girl who was heading back to explore the northern part of France after her internship on a dairy farm. (she's pre-vet, so it worked for her). Bernadette turned out to be our lifesaver for our first night in Paris. She had already been several times and helped us find our Hostel, some cheap dinner and a few sights before she had to make her train connection.

The first landmark we visited? Moulin Rouge...cause we can can can. *harhar* Of course what visit to Paris would be complete without catching a glimpse of the Moulin Rouge? From the outside, it wasn't too incredibly interesting, but the names of the shops around it greatly amused me. Welcome to the less wholesome parts of Paris! In all honesty, we only went because it was close enough to our hostel to walk and the metro station near it was a good connection to get to the Eiffel tower.



Eiffel tower is amazing at night, however I am not too thrilled with the 'sparkles' that happen about every hour. It makes the tower look like it went to a really crappy rave. Without the twinkles, it is its gorgeous, prefab steel self.


The hostel in Paris turned out to be mediocre. The bathroom reeked of sewage and the 6 story spiral staircase climb was not fun after an entire day of trekking across the city. But the people in the common room were friendly and great for company in the evenings. Breakfast wasn't bad either and internet was free if you had your own machine.

Day 2: Versailles, Arc du Triomphe

We decided to get Versailles out of the way the first day while we were still fresh. Good Lord, King Louis the XIV! I knew the palace would be extravagant but what you hear about Versailles makes more sense when you see it for yourself. King Louis or The Sun King as he refered to himself, really was full of himself. Out of the entire palace, the Hall of Mirrors impressed me the most. The 'mirrors' in the hall were definitely old, lacking the lustre you'd expect from the title of the room. I'm glad they weren't too clear, considering the how many abusive tourists traverse the estate. The grounds of Versailles are well worth visiting. It probably would be a lot more vibrant later in spring but they were beautiful nonetheless. If you go, Marie Antoinette's estate is a must see. It isn't as elaborate as the King's but you could tell the woman had good taste.


The Arc du Triomphe...good lord the stairs. Don't do this after an entire day of walking, it is a world of pain, but the view makes the effort worthwhile. I don't have much to say about this monument, its size impressed me but it isn't something high on my tourist recommendation list. It may be because it is from the late 19th century and doesn't hold as much interest or meaning to me as triumphal arches of the Romans, it is more a memorial than a triumphal arch. Still neat to visit for the sheer scale of it.



Day 3: Museum Day

Possibly our most ambitious day, starting with the Rodin Museum. If you like art and sculpture, please please make this part of your Paris itinerary. Rodin is considered a 'modernist' sculptor for the manner in which he portrayed the human body. His proportions are odd in the hands and feet, but somehow this choice makes the sculptures appear more realistic. This man is responsible for the famous Thinker sculpture which is an enlarged version of a figure on his 'Gates of Hell' piece. Rodin's sheer collection of works is outrageous considering how many bronze pieces he completed. Bronze sculpture is the result of a long, tedious process, so the number of works in his repertoire blew me away.


After Rodin, we visited the Orsay Museum. I honestly enjoyed the Orsay more than the Louvre (in some ways). If you enjoy impressionism or other 19th century art movements, the Orsay is for you. Lots of Degas, Renior, Monet and a few Manet. They had some more famous Van Gogh but I think I had my Van Gogh fill in Amsterdam. What thrilled me the most was being able to finally see Manet's Olympia. Photos cannot do justice to this piece. I found myself wandering the museum with a notebook, writing down names of artists I didn't recognize and whose works I found myself impressed with. Sadly a few of the exhibits were closed, so I missed out on seeing works I knew were there, especially Whister's Mother. Next visit, I might be able to catch them.

Last museum: The Pompidou Center. The building itself is a crazy work of art that most people who lack appreciation for modern art or architecture have a difficult time enjoying. Thank you Renzo Piano, you buildings never fail to make me squeal :"OMG THAT IS SO COOL!" (This is the second Piano building i've been to, the other being the Manil campus in Houston) Again, some of the exhibits were closed, including the upper floor that had Brancusi sculpture. So we saw a slightly disturbing feminist art exhibition instead. I like femisim but some of the points these artists tried to make were, in my opinion, an overreaction. My favorite exhibit was the Erró collage collection. Made me want to go nuts with a can of rubber cement.



Museum hopping in Paris is exhausting, the fact that we did three in one day is astounding but only acted as a precursor to the Louvre. As the day wound down, we visited Notre-Dame and enjoyed a meal at a pizzeria across the street from the cathedral. Mmm nice glass of Merlot to make the day complete.


Continued here