And just like that, my trip to Paris has come and gone and I am back here in my apartment in Charlotte. My trip back from Paris was certainly an eventful one. First, I got stuck in my apartment as the door knob fell off when I was trying to leave so I had to wait for the landlord to come and let me out. Then, the train I was taking to the airport stopped when we were halfway there as there was an accident or something - I can't say for certain what happened because I just don't understand enough French to even come close to piecing it together, but let me tell you - getting a cab to the airport from there was a disaster as there were well over 100 people trying to hail cabs. Oy vey. I about had a panic attack as for awhile there I was fairly sure I was going to miss my flight.
But alas, it all worked out, and I am back in Charlotte. I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to take this trip to Paris. That city will always hold such a special place in my heart. It's certainly not perfect, no place is. But it's a perfect getaway destination for me. Between its history, beauty, and charm, Paris has certainly captured my heart and it's hard for me to imagine loving another city as much as I love Paris.
I had a lot of time to think on this trip, and a recurring theme of my thoughts was the crazy amount of uncertainty in my life right now. I am going to make a bold statement and say that my life holds more uncertainty than it ever has. A year from now, I don't know where I will be living, what job I will have, or whether I will be back to running. All this uncertainty weighs on a type-A planner like me.
But I know this much is true. I know I have family and friends (including those of you reading this) to lean on along the way. I know I have my faith in God and a (sometimes wavering) belief that things will work out as they are supposed to.
And I know that I will always have Paris. It will always be a place that I can go to (albeit not as often as I would like) to be reminded of who I am, what I value, and how very blessed I am.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Day 5: last day in Paris
All good things must come to an end, I suppose, and sadly this trip is. I can't complain too much as I am lucky to be in Paris, the time just went far too fast! It does not help when you don't have an ounce of enthusiasm about the city you are returning to, but I am trying to block out those feelings right now.
My last day in Paris was a great one. I started off the day with a walking tour of Paris. I have done about 6 tours by the company 'Paris Walks' and they never disappoint. We spent over 2 hours walking through the Montmatre area, which is a northern quartier of Paris that is known for many things from art to its entertainment district (the famous Moulin Rouge is found there) as well as the famous Sacre Couer cathedral.
One neat thing we saw along the way was a mural that was recently done. The artist had people from all around the world write down the phrase 'I love you' in their own language. He collected the phrase in over 300 languages and when it came time to make the mural, he used the writing of each person who wrote the phrase down, which I think is really cool! Can you spot 'I love you' in English in this photo?
We would around this hilly quartier, learning a lot about the artists that lived in this area, such as Van Gogh and Renoir. Most of these artists were very poor and only because famous posthumously. Like much of Paris, this area had lots of narrow winding rows. You can see Sacre Couer peeking through in this photo.
The tour ended in front of Sacre Couer. I attended mass here on my first trip to Paris - it is a really beautiful cathedral and is kind of an architectural marvel as it's built on a hill that is not very sturdy!
This area of Paris is especially known for pick pockets so I did not hang around there for long after the tour concluded. I am always really careful about keeping my bag closed and close to me but it still made me feel a little uncomfortable knowing thieves are prevalent in this area!
I took the metro back to the central part of Paris so I could have lunch and walk around the Marais, which is one of my favorite areas of Paris. I wailed along the Seine for part of the way. It was another beautiful day. I have definitely lucked out in terms of weather as it's been in the 40s and hasn't rained!
I found a little brasserie that served a dish called 'aligot' which I had read about last month. It's basically mashed potatoes with a special French cheese whipped into them. Talk about the ultimate comfort food! It was served with a little fresh salad and really hit the spot. I saved room for dessert, though, as I had one last famous macaron shop to check out called 'Pierre Herme'. They had a large selection of macarons and definitely win the award for most 'unique' flavors. Some of the macarons at the top are their seasonal flavors and have foie de gras in them. I know that is a delicassie but can I just say GROSS? Yes, ALL CAPS.
I avoided those and stuck with more traditional flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, and a caramel with a brown butter filling.
The verdict? These were good but my favorite ones from this trip are the ones from Carette, followed by Laduree. Which makes Pierre Herme a close 3rd. I definitely could write an article on what makes a good macaron after this trip!!
I headed back to my neighborhood for some hot tea and reading and now I am packing and getting ready to head out for one last dinner in Paris. *sob* Like I said in my intro, I am not excited to go back. I know vacations are not reality, but Paris feels more like home than Charlotte does or ever will. That said, this trip away has been good for me and was definitely a great reward for both passing the CFA and surviving the Charlotte move!
I have a long day of travel tomorrow, get back around 8:30 pm and have to work the next day so I will be diving right back into reality. I am sure I will post some final thoughts on this blog before leaving it dormant until my next trip! Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!
My last day in Paris was a great one. I started off the day with a walking tour of Paris. I have done about 6 tours by the company 'Paris Walks' and they never disappoint. We spent over 2 hours walking through the Montmatre area, which is a northern quartier of Paris that is known for many things from art to its entertainment district (the famous Moulin Rouge is found there) as well as the famous Sacre Couer cathedral.
One neat thing we saw along the way was a mural that was recently done. The artist had people from all around the world write down the phrase 'I love you' in their own language. He collected the phrase in over 300 languages and when it came time to make the mural, he used the writing of each person who wrote the phrase down, which I think is really cool! Can you spot 'I love you' in English in this photo?
We would around this hilly quartier, learning a lot about the artists that lived in this area, such as Van Gogh and Renoir. Most of these artists were very poor and only because famous posthumously. Like much of Paris, this area had lots of narrow winding rows. You can see Sacre Couer peeking through in this photo.
The tour ended in front of Sacre Couer. I attended mass here on my first trip to Paris - it is a really beautiful cathedral and is kind of an architectural marvel as it's built on a hill that is not very sturdy!
I took the metro back to the central part of Paris so I could have lunch and walk around the Marais, which is one of my favorite areas of Paris. I wailed along the Seine for part of the way. It was another beautiful day. I have definitely lucked out in terms of weather as it's been in the 40s and hasn't rained!
I found a little brasserie that served a dish called 'aligot' which I had read about last month. It's basically mashed potatoes with a special French cheese whipped into them. Talk about the ultimate comfort food! It was served with a little fresh salad and really hit the spot. I saved room for dessert, though, as I had one last famous macaron shop to check out called 'Pierre Herme'. They had a large selection of macarons and definitely win the award for most 'unique' flavors. Some of the macarons at the top are their seasonal flavors and have foie de gras in them. I know that is a delicassie but can I just say GROSS? Yes, ALL CAPS.
The verdict? These were good but my favorite ones from this trip are the ones from Carette, followed by Laduree. Which makes Pierre Herme a close 3rd. I definitely could write an article on what makes a good macaron after this trip!!
I headed back to my neighborhood for some hot tea and reading and now I am packing and getting ready to head out for one last dinner in Paris. *sob* Like I said in my intro, I am not excited to go back. I know vacations are not reality, but Paris feels more like home than Charlotte does or ever will. That said, this trip away has been good for me and was definitely a great reward for both passing the CFA and surviving the Charlotte move!
I have a long day of travel tomorrow, get back around 8:30 pm and have to work the next day so I will be diving right back into reality. I am sure I will post some final thoughts on this blog before leaving it dormant until my next trip! Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday!
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