The 15th of April

Alas! We finally made a successful attempt at waking up early and leaving our hotel in time to "beat the crowds" at the Louvre. After a bit of practice from the previous days, we managed to make every metro stop efficiently and in time. I enjoy riding the metro a lot- it's a bizarre feeling flying under ground at such fast speeds, and watching the people around you. In the metro it is an excellent case study of what type of people live or visit Paris: businessmen in silk ties and shinny shoes, immigrants surviving with their children close to their side, young stylish teenagers with their iPods plugged sinking into their own thoughts, the old couples, young couples, people with their dogs, people with their shopping bags...

We walk off into the streets of Paris- breathing in the idea of our last day on vacation. When we arrived at the pyramids of the Louvre there was a line that circled around the base of the gigantic glass pyramid- so much for beating the crowds, eh? It was only 9am and we were already just another tourist entering the museum. It took some time to buy our tickets, we researched the map and planned out the most efficient way to see the vast museum. Once we had our tickets in hand it was as if someone shot shot the starting gun- and off we go! Samuel and I ended up spending 6 and 1/2 exhausting hours visiting the Louvre... after about 4 hours of that (after lunch) it no longer was 'touring'- it was a game. A game of dodgeball is which one has to be on their toes at all times, running across the court, dodging tour groups, avoiding being hit by 'the ball' and all of the chaos. In fact at one point Sam, mom and I were in the room that was displaying the Kings Crown Jewels with the other game players and an alarm went off somewhere. To our great suprise that alarm was for the very room we were in- the gates automatically shut us in and locked as all in like sardines. People gathered around the gates in awe. "Wow. Did we really just get locked inside of the Louvre? Awesome! Just like the movies." It was more entertaining than it was worrying.

We viewed the endless halls of sculptures, paintings, ancient artifacts, and historical sites. After awhile it became too frantic... we started off in such awe, but now it was just too congested and it was draining too much energy for what it was worth. It was a pandemonium inside a beehive- I had gotten stung twice by confused bees and was sick of trying to survive in here. We all met at 3h30 at the Roseline, which wasn't even visible underneath the hoards of tourists with their short shorts, fanny packs, and flip flops.

We returned to the hotel in absolute exhaustion. Sam and I slept for awhile, and we never heard Mom and Karla return- in a bit of a panic I thought they might have been kidnapped! I rushed around looking for them and they ended being in the lobby reading e-mails. All obviously still in shock from the mayhem of the day- we needed to refill our tanks... there was a really terrific restaurant by the corner of our hotel in which we took refuge at. It was our last night in Paris and we all had over exhausted ourselves in the past two weeks. We were content with just taking it easy for our last night. Our feet simply couldn't carry us further- so our last night on vacation we drank champagne and fresh strawberries on our hotel beds and reminisced on our experiences...


"You know you've had a fruitful and busy vacation when at the end you have to exhale upon exertion"

"When your overflowing with memories, sites, music, and laughter- you've had a successful trip."

"Seems like the Tour de France's perpetual motion in the triathlon has let us go home feeling like winners."

"You know you've had a good trip when all your exhaustion melts away and all that's left is the memories of the food, laughter, and the company of all the people you've traveled with."

The 14th of April

We intended to wake up at the crack of dawn this morning... but our bodies disagreed with that discernible decision. We woke up when we could and thoroughly enjoyed the free breakfast in the basement of the hotel with the other sleepy heads. We knew that the only way to properly see the Louvre is early in the morning so we could beat the crowds so we promised ourselves (once again) to wake up early tomorrow. Around 10am we left for our first destination- the Sacre Cœur.

Located in one of the most art-driven districts in Paris- the Montmartre district- was once a place for students to practice their Latin for those who intended to be intellectual show-offs. But now it is home to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Paris, large cemeteries that are resting places for some of the most famous artists to derive from this area, and of course hoards of tourists. The Sacre Cœur has, as well as a brilliant history and architecture, one of the best views of Paris. Standing high on the hilly district of Montmartre, one can see for miles and nothing but the city of Paris looking back at you. After this, we found a charming little Pizzeria at the bottom of the hill. We dined on chicken pizza, a traditional French pizza called "Four Seasons", and of course French Onion Soup. We were filling our gas tanks so we could churn our motors just a bit more.

The cemetery we visited next was well known, and very beautiful. It was the size of small neighborhood, and was aisle after aisle of ancient tombs built like small houses. Graveyards in Europe are much different to what we have in the States. These are restful places for people to visit- not the scary no-go territories that we've created out of ours. It was basically a historical garden. As we were wandering back to the metro we discovered a small band playing this upbeat, jazzy rhythm and had to watch them for awhile- they were pretty sensational, and for me reminded me of what childhood dreams were like of Paris. Nearby there was an old, abandoned-looking church that we explored around for awhile, while listening to the spirited music of the Parisian band. After this we hopped on the metro again to go see the catacombs... as we arrived the line was larger than life and was about to close in an hour- tough chance. So, we improvised and looked at our large map of all the places possible for us to visit in Paris and we decided to go see the Île de le Cité (Island of the City)... where the Notre Dame resides. The famous Cathedral came to life as we discovered its every inch. Even though we were swimming through tourists, beggars, and entertainers whilst doing so- I found it to be oddly enjoyable regardless. This was one of the biggest and most aesthetically sensational Cathedrals yet. With huge pillars aligning with the lit medieval chandeliers giving the tall ceilings a soft glow. Considering our excellent luck for events, of course we happened to be touring the Notre Dame during a mass. A man speaking in very soft French was giving a sermon and would every so often chant a melody- creating a whispering echo. The stain glass windows were a deep blue mixed with greens and purples- all of them telling stories that I didn't understand... making them even more mysterious for me.

After this Karla and mom's feet were getting worn out, so we jumped onto the Batabus (the boat bus/taxi) and rode around, taking in the famous sites from the water. After about an hour we got off at The Louvre's exit to find some dinner- but ended up finding much more than just that. L'école des Beaux-Arts- the 'Juilliard' of extremely talented artists in France has been home to students such as Degas, Delacroix, and Monet. Sam was excited to have run into one of the most prestigious art schools around- so of course, considering the gate was open, we were going to invite ourselves in. There was a group of students having a picnic in the courtyard and we walked past them to explore their school- the inner courtyard was lined with beautiful old statues and a fountain. It seemed a little deserted but none-the-less interesting. It was an exciting discovery.

Continuing on, we magically gravitated towards the most wonderful restaurant again and when it became dark out... we followed the lights. Of course these very well known lights were illuminating from the Great Pyramids of the Louvre. As we cast away the chaos of the day- hopping on and off the metro, paddling through the crowds, and walking our feet up and down endless hills and alleys- we sat their amazed at these mystical-looking pyramids in the heart of the city. The perfectly symmetrical pyramids won me heart over- I've seen them before in broad daylight- but something about the soft blues shinning out from them at night, with the bold black as a background, created a work of art for our eyes to devour. We spent a long time there and enjoyed being some of the only people there. There was a man in the entrance alley that was playing soft jazz that seemed to echo across the entire area... it added to the astounding ambiance of the grounds. Afterward we traveled back like zombies to our soft, pillowy, Parisian beds and recharged out batteries for the next day.

The 13th of April

Today was the big drive to Paris from the Alps! It was a long, long drive- but we were all very excited to get to our destination. Eventually, we arrived at our hotel in 17th district of Paris- Pavillion Villiers Hôtel. A charming little place with a pleasant price. It took most of the day to get to Paris- so by the time we arrived it was time to start finding dinner. Of course the first place all of us wanted to visit was the Eiffel Tower- the symbol of France, the edifice known only to Paris, the origin of romanticism. We readied ourselves for a night out, hopped on the most amusing and efficient forms of transportation in Paris- the Metro and found ourselves emerging into the light again.

Our hearts all racing to see our first real view of the Eiffel Tower- our feet pulling along our bodies just as if we were being pulled along by a leash of an excited puppy. And finally, we reared around the corner- and there it was. Standing more than 1000 feet tall, it welcomed us to Paris in the most magnanimous manner. The half mile long, 800 feet across park leading to the Eiffel Tower made this majestic tower seem eternal. Our stomachs rumbled with such cataclysmic upheaval that we though it might be best to find dinner first, and explore second. Luckily, we found the perfect restaurant to fill our bellies and feast our eyes. This restaurant sat at the base of the Eiffel Tower and had a wonderful view.

During dinner we saw the first light show of the night- a spectacular event that happens the first 10 minutes of every hour after duck until 2am. The entire mass of the tower lights up and 'twinkles'- I suppose that's the best word to describe it. After dinner, we explored the around the base of the beast taking hundreds of pictures I'm sure. It was a beautiful evening.

The 12th of April

Easter Sunday.

What a relaxing day this was. We all woke up to our leisure, and gathered into Sam and I's bedroom which had the most breathtaking view of the French Alps. We could simply open our patio door, walk out and look out upon a sea of green Spring trees in the park outside of our hotel and the undeniably beautiful mountains beyond that. These compelling landmarks captured everyone's attention and all it left for us to do was gaze at them in reflection. We set up a picnic of fruit, tea, cereal, & coffee and fulfilled a relaxing Sunday morning/ afternoon in the hotel enjoying the view, gave thought to our next destination in Paris, and simply enjoyed each others company. I have spent Easters in many different places throughout my life- but never one with such an awe-inspiring view.

We napped and gathered again for lunch- Karla had found a Kebab Shop just behind our hotel which we had a hardy meal at. Afterward we returned to our home away from home, opened a bottle of wine, slipped in the Da Vinci Code to get us excited for Paris the next day, and after awhile made dinner (Shrimp salad, pâté, fruit... not bad for a dinner without a kitchen).

Overall this was our hibernation day before the thrilling adventure about to occur in the worlds most romantic city- Paris.

The 11th of April

We had a really long drive today...

We drove from Nice to Grenoble- a city that is nested into the Alps near the borders of Switzerland and Italy. We used this place to hibernate through the Easter holiday... tomorrow nothing would be open at all- so we took advantage of today and went to by groceries and settle ourselves into the hotel. We bought ingredients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next day and then decided to go out for the night.

Our night out of town was so unique and wonderful! Nearby there was a chairlift type invention- a wacky spacecraft-looking sphere- that carried us up to the top of one of the nearby mountains. It was a stunning, and for some nerve racking, experience to be carried hundreds of feet in the air over a river an up the mountain in little glass eggs. At the high altitude we were told there was a restaurant with the best view in the city! How exciting! We finally get there to find and astonishing view with a minuscule menu. Although there weren't many choices we were enthusiastic to find fondue on the menu! We ordered a gigantic (accidentally not the smaller choice) pot of cheese fondue and lots of red wine. We had a huge basket of bread, a fiery pot of fondue, a carafe of wine, and the best view of the French Alps one could find. We were starving and were basically swimming in our meal. The high altitude worked its magic and we found the couple of glasses of wine we consumed made us all equally loopy. After we had spent a good couple of hours in this mountainous tradition, mom was craving some steak!

We took the little space pods back down the mountain, but this time with a LOT more giggling and hysterics. We found a restaurant close by, that ended up being a very fancy, probably 4 star restaurant with an emotionless, typically French, non-humored waiter that ended up serving a steak to one person, a salad to another, a bowl of raspberries to me, and a creme brulée for Sam with yet another carafe of wine for the lot. We ended up eating and sharing everything at once- denying the law of civilized eating habits in France. This was high on our charts for the most hilarious situations in our vacation yet.

The 10th of April

Today was a fantastic escape from the stressful traveling- We woke up when our bodies were fully rested, took long showers, taking in the sun, basically having a leisurely Good Friday. Karla and mom took off shopping while Sam and I simply took our time getting ready for once. We were all craving a traditional "American Breakfast" which is practically impossible to find, except if you order an omelette for lunch. We wandered over to the downtown area to a restaurant called "Quebec" and had omlettes, coffee, and soup for a mid-day breakfast. While we were eating, we were being entertained by an old man with a boom box which was synthesizing a beat while he every so often strummed a tune.
Afterward Sam and I wandered around town to check out the neighborhood. Nice is an old city, but with a very modern vibe. It's buildings and streets are very bold, bright colors, its fashion is impeccably contemporary, and the seafood is one of its most important commodities. Our little hostel was squeezed in between "Armani" and "Louis Vitton". Nice reminded me of a fashionable Orange County in California but with more character.

That night, we had been recommended by the locals to go eat all-you-can-eat-mussels by the water. Of course, that's exactly what we did. The restaurant we discovered had several different sauces you could have on your endless mussels and french fries... mustard, salsa, garlic, white wine, seafood sauces, etc. A couple of buckets of this delicacy, plates of french fries, a carafe of wine and voila- we were in "Southern France Heaven". As we watched the sun begin to set in the distance- we hurriedly decided that we wanted to spend this sunset directly on the beach; how often are we on the Mediterranean?

We rushed over the rocky beach and played in the sea with our pant legs rolled up (in Karla's case her playful spirit carried her in the water with stockings on and all) and took what seemed hundred of pictures of us laughing, running away from the freezing cold waves, collecting stones, and forming some of the best memories any of us have ever had simply watching the sunset. After the sun was well tucked away beyond the horizon we were craving some more gelato and crepes! We walked around the Old Port until we found a tiny square that didn't seem to busy at the time and sat down with our plates of chocolate crepes and looked up at the beautiful cathedral that was lighting up with the darkness. Within 10 minutes it was very dark out, but this square happened to be a special place that we just so happened to have stopped at. As the sky got darker, this square became brighter... crowds of locals had gathered in front of the cathedral and people all of a sudden were lighting candles in fashion of the domino effect, and in perfect unison these crowds began to sing and chant. People were standing shoulder to shoulder in the square all looking towards the middle of this massive circle. What was this? How could we have been so lucky to stumble upon this square out of all the places in this huge city?

We watched this gracious ceremony of singing and candles glowing; Sam and went right to the middle and just watched. After about an hour the gathering migrated down one alley like slow moving molasses squeezing through a small tube. It was just us and the local tradition. It was beautiful to watch and I felt very lucky to see this event that no other tourist knew about.