Well it's been a quick three days in the beautiful city of Paris. Sad to be leaving so early but time to move on. I toured Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, and more. I think my favorite cathedral was St. Chapelle. It wasn't nearly as large as the others but has intricate stained glass windows all along the walls. Visiting the Arc and walking down Champ Elysees was great. I picked up a crepe for the walk down, dropped into the Puegot show room and eventually found my way in front of the Louvre.
The Louvre is very large, a converted palace actually. The 2 hours I spent there weren't enough to scratch the surface. The Mona Lisa is smaller than I expected, especially when there are 50 people crowded around it. It's great to see the originals of all these art works. The poster prints you see just really don't give it justice at all.
I also visited Sacre Couer, the Picasso Museum, and the Orsay Museum. Sacre Couer was nice but very much touristy. The Picasso Museum had few people in it and some interesting art work. He had a strange outlook of life for sure but I really liked some of his sculpture and collage work. The Orsay has more modern works of art then the Louvre. It's full of pre-Impressionist and Impressionism paintings like Monet, Renoir, and Manet. I really enjoyed the Orsay and would have spent more time there if I wasn't starving and needing to find some food.
Two nights ago I went on a bike tour from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame. They must have been a little short of hands for the night because I had to be the "deire aire" (sp?) and make sure we didn't leave anybody behind. Biking down the streets was great except that the chain on my bike fell off 4 times. After the bike ride we got to jump on a boat for a ride around the Seine River. It was a great way to sit back and see the sights lit up for the night. Made some friends on the bike/boat ride and went out to the Latin Quarter to finish off the night.
Last night I treated myself to some great French cuisine. I had a salad with chevre cheese toasted on a baget, cheese ravioli in a cream sauce which was incredible, and rounded it off with a dessert of a moist brownie filled with chocolate sauce with whip cream and a vanilla sauce on the side. My taste buds were swimming through it all.
Well there is no USB port on this computer so you'll have to wait for an update on the pictures. I know some people, including myself, were worried I wouldn't be taking enough pictures. Well it turns out I'm quite trigger happy and have over 550 already. Tomorrow I need to find a place to burn some CDs cause my 2GB card is pretty much full.
I better wrap this up so I can find out when to catch my train from Milan to la Spezia. I already booked my night train to Milan and just need to find out how to get to La Spezia from there. Talk to you next from Italy!
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4 comments:
Hey Phil - it was good to hear from you yesterday afternoon. I looked at your photos today - keep up the good work! I would like to see more pictures of the details, like the rooms you are staying in, the food you are eating, what the night train to Italy looks like, etc. I've seen many beautiful photos of the famous buildings in Paris, but never photos of your night bike tour and your faulty bike. :)
Business as usual here. It's a partly sunny day today (Sunday) so that's always something to be thankful for. This weekend I ate out less than normal and went to the gym more often. Being on my own seems to be healthier, if lonelier (leaving out the jaunt to Cowgirls, Inc). Looking forward to hearing about Italy,
Molly
Dear Phillip,
I love being able to read about your adventures! What a fun time your are having and since we are putting in picture requests, I would like to see the friends you are making as well as you in front of some of these awe-inspiring places. Add that to your 550 :).
I am so impressed with all that your have been able to fit into your schedule. Enjoy La Spezia and the cinca terra (sp). Hope you were able to get there without too much trouble.
Much love,
MOM and DAD
Hey Phil,
It is fun following your adventures! It seems like I was just in Paris, visiting all of the sights you are seeing. Tips for the Cinque Terre: stay in Vernazza if you can (the 4th city). Ask at the local bars for available rooms (a terrifyingly big man will show you what's available and collect your money - you can't miss him around town). Get up early to walk the main path - it gets crowded! The best hiking I had was actually off the beaten path. Wander up the hillside and you can hike for miles and miles across old vineyards, homesteads, ruins, and the forests - all with stunning views of the coastline. I like the hills above the 4th and 5th cities best. Don't miss the bakery run by the twin brothers at the far end of Vernazza. Ask if they remember the American biker girl who ate 10 pastries a day! Ellie
Hi Phil,
I hope you make your way to La Spezia, I am interested if you were able to meet up with the Manucci family. They are expecting you as far as I know from their recent e-mail to me.
Enjoy, you have to eat pizza at the "Pia Pizzeria" while you are there.
Kathy
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