Ten on Tuesday #4

 

I missed doing a Ten on Tuesday post last week. It was kind of a crazy week, with job interviews, grad school, and other things. Honestly, I'm proud of myself for getting any blog posts done these days!

This week, I'm going to share the ten best things in Paris, according to me. Because I love everything about Paris, these are in no particular order. All photos are my own, except 5 at the Arc de Triomphe - I was still in transit at that time and didn't get to go there on this trip. These pictures are from my nephew.

1. The Louvre. 

The Louvre is amazing. I could spend days there wandering the different wings. Of course, there are the major works that everyone knows. They are stunning and worth visiting. I love being in the presence of greatness. Some think the Mona Lisa is overrated, and they are okay to think that. However, I find her fascinating and mysterious. I love standing there wondering what she was thinking. I love being near the statues - the Venus di Milo, Michelangelo's Slaves, Winged Victory...I could spend all day just studying the exquisite details. I would never, ever go to Paris and skip the Louvre. It's a must for me.

2. Versailles.

Hear me out. So Versailles *is* a bit overrated, in my opinion. However, the wealth of history here makes it worth a visit. Looking at all the extravagant finishes, I honestly couldn't fault the revolutionaries in 1789. They may have gone about it the wrong way (off with their heads), but I can see why it happened. It sometimes takes an up close and personal experience with something to actually see. There are things I didn't get to visit this time - I went from the plane (after 48 hours of traveling because of canceled flights) to the Louvre to Versailles. I was dead on my feet by the time we saw a little bit of the gardens. I'd love to go back and see Marie Antionette's village and explore more of the gardens. There are parts of the palace I know I didn't get to see. So it'll be on my list for next time.

3. Montmartre.

Montmartre is my favorite part of Paris. I could spend days wandering its charming streets and watching the artists in Place du Tertre at work. This time around, I bought two small acrylic paintings from one of the artists, and they're among my most favorite paintings. Montmartre is home to fun shops, hidden gems of museums (the Dali museum is in the area), the Maison Rose (which I didn't get to see, so I obviously need to get back soon), and the famous Moulin Rouge. I've only seen that from a distance, and because it had topless pictures in the windows, I didn't snap any of my own. My favorite creperie is in a corner of Place du Tertre. Citron sucre is my favorite. Yum! I'm salivating just thinking about those crepes. Looking out over Paris from Sacre Coeur gives stunning panoramic views. You can see just about everything, including my favorite Parisian graffiti: can you spot it in the picture below?

4. Sainte Chapelle.

Sainte Chapelle is the most ethereal place I've ever been. The chapel is renowned for its stained glass, and for good reason. It is beyond stunning. It's exquisite. It tells Bible stories, and it's fascinating to look at and see how artisans depicted the stories in glass. Sainte Chapelle is the site of one of my favorite memories in Paris. I got to hear part of Handel's Messiah there. It's not a huge cathedral like Notre Dame, but the acoustics are still amazing. Any time I hear of anyone going to Paris, I tell them that they simply MUST visit Sainte Chapelle. Yet another place I could spend hours in.

5. Notre Dame.

My heart broke back in 2019 when my beloved Notre Dame caught fire. I watched in horror as the spire collapsed and the roof was ruined. I've never felt so despondent. When I saw photos of the interior, I started to feel some hope. The most important things had been saved, including the rose windows. Notre Dame was one of my most favorite places to spend time as a missionary, and I'd so looked forward to going back inside and exploring when I went back. Sadly, it's still closed for renovation, but it will reopen in December! My parents were just there in March, and the spire has been rebuilt and placed atop the cathedral. My heart sang and I felt emotional. I am so glad that it was decided to restore Notre Dame to her original glory, and not try to make any weird statements with the reconstruction. Notre Dame is a special place, and deserves to be seen in all her majesty. Right now, they have a series of bleachers set up in front and you can watch the construction. Much of the bottom of the cathedral is obscured, but you can still see a great deal. I enjoyed sitting there watching the cranes at work. It really brought so much hope.

6. 

Musée d'Orsay.

This museum holds a very special place in my heart. I was on my way to this museum back in 1999 when I had a roller blading accident and tore up my knee. I had to come home from my mission for surgery and everything. It was awful. I hated having to come home early, but I hated that I didn't get to see the museum even more! Okay, maybe not *more*, but a lot. This museum houses my favorite painting in the entire world: Coquelicots by Claude Monet. I have a print of it hanging in my bedroom. This painting makes my heart sing, and seeing it in person for the first time last year was a core memory for me. I stood in front of it in awe, tears running down my face as I finally came face to face with this masterpiece. Someone tried to push me out of the way (rude!), but I was using my cane that day and I made good use of it. I'll let you draw your own conclusions. *wink wink*

7. Eiffel Tower.

Of course the Eiffel Tower was going to make my list. I love the Iron Lady! I love that every time I see a picture, I'm transported there and can almost smell Paris (a good smell, not nasty). I can feel the breeze on my face. This time, my niece was scared to go up. She doesn't like heights (neither do I), so we made a plan. We were going to do our hair and makeup all cute, and wear our cutest outfits and go up together. We did! She was so brave and I was so proud of her. It was a hard thing, but she did it. I love looking at Paris from the Eiffel Tower. We didn't get to go all the way up, because there was a mechanical failure that prevented it. Ugh! I didn't get to go up at all as a missionary. One of these times, I will make it clear to the top!!

8. Arc de Triomphe.

I love the majesty of this arch standing tall on the Champs Elysees. I love that it withstood Hitler and his Nazis. I love that it represents triumph - for me, triumph over hard things. As a missionary, I got to spend some time here. It was awe-inspiring! And, as young people often are, I was crazy and ran across the Etoile - the massive roundabout that circles the Arc, and where no insurance company will cover an accident. Yikes. Am I honestly kind of glad that I did it so that I can say I did? Yeah. I am. Would I do it again? Not a chance. 

9. Paris Architecture.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the buildings in Paris. They're so unique and beautiful. They have so much personality and intrigue. I always look at the buildings and wonder what history they've seen. I love looking at Paris doorways too. They're lovely!  I love wandering the streets and seeing what I can find. Next time I'm there (there WILL be a next time), I am going to take more pictures of what I see around me.

10. The food!!

Of course food was going to make this list. There really isn't anything like French food. It's rich, but not heavy. It's just exactly right. I came home with a goal to eat more like the French. It's something I'm still working on, but I have a stack of French cookbooks to go through. I didn't take pictures of everything I ate in Paris, but here are a few.

There are obviously so many more things I could include. This time, I focused on things that happened on last summer's trip. I could go on for days about all the other things I love about Paris. But I'll save that for another time.

Have you been to Paris? Do we share any favorite things? Let me know in the comments!

Am I back?

 It's been over a year since I last updated here. I came pretty close to just deleting everything and giving up entirely. I'm glad I didn't, because I feel like I'm ready to start back up. Like me, it'll be eclectic and quirky. Book reviews, recipes that I like, musings, school...basically whatever I feel like.

To start, I've started my eleventh year of teaching. It's my ninth year in 4th grade. My group this year is made up of really nice kids. Chatty, but nice. They're adjusting to being back in school, and I'm adjusting to being with people all day long. We've come up with some systems to curtail the chatting when it's inappropriate, and I think we'll be successful. So far, I've noticed that they WANT to learn. That's half the battle right there. We're going to have a great year!

Working my way backwards, at the end of July, I went to Disneyland with my brother Lynn and his family, and my youngest sister Shelley. We were supposed to go as an entire family last Christmas, but our flight got canceled because of thick fog. We rescheduled for July, but things didn't work out then either. We ended up having to split. We still had a fantastic time though, and I was so happy to get to spend time with my siblings, niece, and nephews. It was so much fun! The rest of the family is going at the beginning of November, and GUESS WHO IS GOING WITH THEM. Yep, me. I'm going again! I can't wait! I love Disneyland.

Going further back, on the last day of school in May, I took off right from school and headed to the airport. I was supposed to be flying to Denver, then Frankfurt, and then PARIS!! After 24 years, I was finally headed back to my beloved France. Things didn't work out with that flight, and it got canceled because of bad weather in Denver. UGH!!! When I finally got to Denver several hours late, I'd missed my connection to Frankfurt, meaning I wasn't going to get to Paris as scheduled. I spent the night in Denver, then flew to Washington DC, then on to Paris. I got there a day late, but I got there! I immediately acclimated back into French life. It was just as I remembered it, just as beloved. I was so happy to be there!

I got to do some of the things that I'd done as a missionary, plus some things I didn't get to do. I loved revisiting the Louvre, Notre Dame (under construction because of the fire, but they have bleachers set up outside where you can sit and watch), Sainte Chappelle, the Conciergerie, Sacre Coeur, Place du Tertre, and walking along the banks of the Seine to visit the bouquinistes. I had my favorite crepe (sucre citron) at my favorite creperie (I don't know what it's called, but I can tell you where it is), a delicious quiche near the Eiffel Tower, and pastries. Oh, the pastries! No one does pastry like the French.

I got to do some new things! As a missionary, I didn't get to go up the Eiffel Tower. We just walked around the area. This time, I went up! The very top was closed due to mechanical issues, but we went up to the middle stage. It was incredible! The views are spectacular. I was surprised that it was so windy, because it hadn't been on the ground. It makes sense though, because it's still very high up, even though it's not clear to the top. Air currents would be different up there. I loved walking around and looking at Paris from so many different angles. I loved seeing landmarks that I know so well.

I was brave and visited the catacombs! The catacombs are tunnels deep under Paris that go for miles. They're lined with the bones of thousands. Maybe hundreds of thousands. Centuries ago, the graveyards were overflowing and there was nowhere to bury the newly deceased. The answer was to exhume all the bodies and rebury them in the catacombs. The tunnels already existed, so it was just a matter of transporting the bones and organize them. There are bones that are hundreds of years old. It's creepy and eerie, but also fascinating. They line the walls and are even fashioned into designs. There are message placards all along the way, telling where and when the bones came from. I learned that back in the 1800s, they used to hold concerts down there! They'd bring an entire orchestra down and play creepy music. That's hardcore!

I finally got to go to the Musee D'Orsay. It's the museum I was on my way to when I blew my knee on my mission. That derailed everything. I was so happy to be there! I started at the top with the Impressionists. So. Many. Masterpieces. It was glorious! I saw paintings that I've admired my entire life, paintings I'd never seen before, and the best part, my favorite painting in the entire world: Coquelicots by Claude Monet. I stood in front of it for probably 15 minutes just weeping with joy. Honestly, it was transcendent for me. I also got to see Olympia by Edouard Manet. There was a huge long line to get into the exhibit, but I got to bypass the line because of my cane (If I'm going to be walking or standing for long periods of time, I have to use a cane due to fibromyalgia). I wasn't going to turn that opportunity down!

There's more to the trip than Paris, and I'll get to that in another post. This was truly the best summer of my life. I can't believe it all actually happened. It seems like more of a dream than anything. Now I'd like to go back and just soak it all in.

As I go along, I'll try to be more consistent with posting.