An American in Paris

Yeah, I haven't checked the blog to see if anyone else has already used this title. Maybe everyone else was too embarrassed because it's so darn cheesy. Anyway, we spent this past weekend in Paris. The train ride over and trying to find our hotel on Friday night was not so fun, but after that the weekend really took off. My group went Saturday to Versailles, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs de Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Eiffel Tower. Then Sunday we spent at the Louvre, the Sacre Coeure in Montmartre, the Tour de France seeing Lance Armstrong win yet again, and then I went to the Musee d' Orsay with Michelle. I was glad she asked me if I wanted to go with her because I had been told by a friend back in the U.S. who studied in France that she enjoyed Orsay more than the Louvre. I discovered that I really like Monet paintings (as did Michelle) and Renoirs. Then she and I met the others for dinner in a French restaurant (I had chicken in basque sauce - spicy and really good - and chocolate glaze and custard for dessert.) Then we all went back to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sun set and the tower light up. It was relaxing and quite nice.

On Monday morning, I decided to stay by myself in Paris for the morning, taking a later train (and one which took about twice as long to reach Duesseldorf!) I stashed my bags in a locker in the train station and took the Metro over to the river. I wandered for a little while, eventually stopping in a little bakery I found to buy a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino, and then I sat outside in the cool breeze by a fountain, looking at Notre Dame across the river and eating my breakfast. I was even mistaken for a Paris native and asked for directions in French by a tourist! Then I took my time going back to the train station, even stopping in a little French boutique, and I ended up buying a cute dress. I made it back to the train station in plenty of time and then ended up next to a 12-year-old French girl on the train with whom I played cards and made conversation with (using my French dictionary quite often!) I'm glad no one else was there to see and hear me attempting to imitate this twelve-year-old as she taught me French words - some of the sounds are quite awkward for my American tongue! So, despite returning later and probably more exhausted than the others, I am glad that I stayed for a little while to just enjoy the city of Paris.

By the way - what is "An American in Paris"? It's a movie, right? I am such a dork. :P