It has been a busy weekend here in Paris! I have definitely
enjoyed the opportunity to do some exploring on my own. For the past few weeks,
we have been doing so many structured group activities, so it has been nice to
break away from that a little bit. Yesterday I took advantage of a few of the
wonderful FREE things to do in Paris…remember, I am working on a college
student’s budget! I started off at the Petit Palais, a museum featuring all
different forms of art. It includes portraits, landscape paintings, jewelry and
metal work from the Renaissance, mosaics, works from ancient Greece and Rome,
pottery, and much more! The name of the museum is quite misleading if you ask
me…there is nothing “petite” about it! The building itself is stunning too. It
was designed by Charles Girault and built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It
features decorative murals, vaulted ceilings, wrought iron work, and stained
glass.
Afterwards, I went back to Montmarte for another free
walking tour, compliments of “Discover Walks.” I absolutely loved my guide and
was shocked to learn that he used to be a dancer for the Paris Opera Ballet!
How perfect! The tour started at the Moulin Rouge (I finally saw the famous red
windmill!) and finished up at the Basilica. Along the way, he gave some great
information about the artists who used to inhabit the area, as well as
recommendations of the best stores and restaurants. He even showed us the
boulangerie that won the Baguette Contest in 2010! I never knew there was a
baguette contest, but apparently it’s a pretty big event!
Later in the evening, a few of us went down to the Eifel
tower to celebrate Shiloh’s birthday! We watched the sun set on the tower and
just lay in the grass talking enjoying the view! It was a lovely way to end the
evening…and hopefully a fun way for Shiloh to spend her nineteenth birthday!
This morning, I started out pretty early. I attended mass at
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, also known as the American Cathedral.
It is a beautiful example of English Gothic Revival Architecture, and it was
really nice to be able to attend a service in English. It was very intimate and
welcoming…definitely work waking up for!
Then I went to Choco-Story, the chocolate museum! I
absolutely loved it! I actually learned a lot of really interesting facts; for
example, chocolate was not produced in a solid form until the nineteenth
century! The museum traced chocolate’s 4000 year history and had a lot of
interesting tools and artifacts. Still, my favorite part had to be the demonstration!
Since the museum was fairly empty, I got my own private show with a
chocolatier who showed me how to make molded chocolates with a filling. It was
fun to watch and I got to taste LOTS of samples, which were all absolutely
delicious!
After the museum, I made my long-awaited trip to Luxembourg
Gardens. I took some time to just walk around and look at all of the beautiful
plants, statues, and fountains. It has been a lovely, warm, and sunny day, so
it was perfect for an afternoon walk in the park. After exploring for a bit, I
settled down in the shade to listen to the jazz band that was playing. It was
very relaxing after a busy weekend.
Now I’m back at the FIAP for the evening and getting ready
for Week 4 of class. I can’t believe how quickly time is flying by! Hopefully I
can make this final week last!
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