Paris: Excusez-moi, parlez-vous Anglais?

Check me out, finally finishing the last leg of my trip from Thanksgiving break and it's only January.  Paris and Iceland are tied for my favorite places from this trip.  Iceland was more a favorite to visit and see incredible new things, but Paris is my favorite for a place I would actually live one day.  Paris suits me.  All except for the small problem that I do not speak any French.  Not one bit.

We arrived late Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) evening via the Eurostar from London and headed straight for our apartment in the 13th arrondissement.  A friendly woman awaited our arrival to welcome us and turn over the key.  She was super nice and even left breakfast out for us to eat in the morning.  I liked this apartment a lot, I would live in a place like this.

Up early the next morning we headed straight for the Louvre.  One could spend 3 days in the Louvre and not have seen it all.  We had 3 hours.  I did make a point to see the Mona Lisa, which was not really all that cool.  It was very tiny and on a completely huge and blank wall.  They really could have done something more with this.  My favorite room was the one with the Greek Statues.

There is a restaurant called Angélina within walking distance from the Louvre where you will find the best hot chocolate of your life.  One sip will make you happy.

After our hot chocolate and lunch we wondered around, we even road a bus full of second graders all singing and chatting in French while we looked out the windows and took in the city.  Our bus landed us near the Eiffel Tower where we saw it in the daylight, but by the time we walked to the base the sun had set.  It began to snow while we were there which added the perfect touch for such a cool place.

One of those pictures might seem a little fuzzy and it's hard to tell exactly what is going on in the picture so I will tell you.  But first you must know of the several times I said I would kiss someone at the Eiffel Tower.  I wasn't particularly serious about this, but I did have my friend Matthew teach me to say 'kiss me, please' in French, just in case.  "Embrasse-moi, s'il vous plaît."  So I got kissed while standing under the Eiffel Tower.  Err, more like I got fake-kissed.  The picture makes me laugh.  You can't actually see me, just my bag and scarf behind a tall dark and handsome man.

Saturday we spent the entire day in Versailles.  The Château is impressive, the Gardens beautiful (probably even more amazing in the spring), and the little Marie Antoinette village pretty dang cool.

* L'Hopital is a French Mathematician *

After catching the train back to Paris we got to the Arc de Triomphe just in time to see it before the sun went down.  However by the time we hiked to the top it was dark.

And then a walk down the Champs-Élysées.

Sunday morning we headed north of the city to Sacré-Cœur which lies on a hill overlooking the beauty of Paris.

Next up, church where we met up with our friend Jessica doing a study abroad.

One cannot go to Paris without eating a few crepes.  Savory and sweet.

 Sainte Chapelle.

 Notre Dame.

Wondering around the Latin Quarter and finding the Shakespeare and Company bookstore.

Monday morning we headed for the airport and home.  I have a number of other pictures taken at various places around Paris where you can see what the city streets look like.

 And, of course, traveling all over in buses, trains, boats, and subway.

Paris was kind of magical for me.  I felt happy there.  A place I could definitely see myself living.  I look forward to going back one day.

I will end this post with a short video of the Eiffel Tower sparkeling.  Did you know the Tower sparkles?  Oh how this makes me happy!  Hmm... Fancy.

Loop back to the beginning of the trip... Iceland.