We’ll Always Have Paris…Part 3

Day 5 itinerary

Train to Versaille

Tour Palace of Versailles

Enter the gardens

Picnic lunch in the gardens

Lesson Learned:  Move in a way that makes you feel your best, NOT for anyone else but yourself.

In France, people go about their day walking, biking and strolling. I saw a few runners here and there, very little gyms (although I am sure there are plenty) Little to no advertisements about supplements, losing weight, etc.  This made my heart so happy! I loved seeing the French go about their day and actually enjoy it.  Not forcing themselves to spend hours on end in a gym, most likely not enjoying themselves, just to look a certain way.  Of course, there nothing wrong with the gym and striving to feel your best, but for me, it has been a challenge and something I needed to step away from. For me finding movement that my body enjoys and feels best with is what my goal is.  Seems to be the same in France.  Generally people seemed much more joyous. They went about their day walking or biking to where they needed to go/be , without much focus on how time consuming or strenuous it would be. This was true for us as well. We did not have a choice. We quickly became accustomed to moving how our bodies felt, eating when our bodies were hungry and resting when our bodies told us.   France was an amazing teaching lesson reminding me to LISTEN to your body, not to what society views are “beautiful”.

What we did: 

This was a very long day.  We decided to travel to Versaille to see the Palace and the gardens.  We planned this right after a trek to Giverny. I would spread this out more if I were to do it again, as it was very exhausting.  Between travel, waiting in lines, taking everything in and of course WALKING, we were pretty tired by the end of our day and retreated back to our home pretty early.

We took the train to Versaille, which was over an hour. There were many stops and it was not as comfortable of a ride as Giverny was.   Regardless, we made it!   (This was always reassuring when we made our destination, not knowing the area, language, etc could be quite intimidating!)

We arrived in Versaille early,   We stopped at a little cafe and as mom had her coffee and croissant I explored the shops in Versaille to look for lunch. Thank goodness I did as I would be been pretty miserable and “hangry” from the wait. I am not pleasant when I am hungry, ask my students, mom, dad…..anyone will tell you!

When we arrived at the palace, we thought we could use our Museum Pass to get ahead in line, however we quickly found out we were NOT exempt from waiting in line 😦

Our wait was over 2 hours. Of course this was a hot and humid day, so not very pleasant, but we were here and would not miss out on the beauty of the palace!  We kept ourselves entertained with lots of people watching from line, and striking up interesting conversations with others in line with us!  It definitely helped the time fly by!

This was also a great opportunity to grab a few photo ops !

Once inside it remained crowded, however it was moving (Thank goodness!)  The palace is breathtaking. Beyond words, however due to the excessive heat, long lines and many people, I feel we were unable to enjoy it as much as we wanted to. We found ourselves taking quick photos as we were passing through rooms , only to look at the later. People were not unfriendly, but you were “prodded” along if you stood too long.

Finally we got to the much anticipated Hall of Mirrors this was so incredible and amazing! What a feeling to know that King Henri once walked these halls daily and received little messages and notes from people 🙂 I highly recommend reading some history prior to visiting! There are so many fascinating things that occurred here!

After we made our way through the palace, we had to pay an additional fee (which was NOT included in our museum pass) to enter the gardens.  Here we had our picnic lunch. This was such an incredible experience! The gardens are HUGE. You can rent a golf cart to explore the area. There are many fountains, music, and trails to explore. I wish we had more energy because we were only able to touch on a few of the beautiful things!

We had some difficulty finding the exit, but once we did , we finally made our way out and back into town!  We explored a bit (ok, so not intentionally, we got lost…again 🙂  ) and made our way back to the train to head back to Paris.

We got home pretty late, stopped at a market for some dinner and went home and rested for the night!

 

Tips:

1.  Arrive early to avoid the lines and the heat
2. bring/pack a lunch
3. Be sure to check which day the museum and gardens are closed ( I Believe the museum is open daily but the gardens close )
4. wear comfortable shoes
5. be prepared for lines and crowds
6. do some research prior!
7. If you want to avoid lines and waiting, set up a reservation for a specific time slot

Day 6 Itinerary

Breakfast and Tea at Laduree

Picasso Museum

Shopping and exploration at Le Marais

 

This was supposed to be our last day in Paris. We usually grabbed a quick breakfast or ate it at home, but today we wanted to experience a little bit of “royalty”.  We stopped by the beautiful Laduree, famous for its macrons and other tasty treats, for tea and croissants

It really was adorable! The tea and service was amazing!

After breakfast, we wanted to use our museum pass AND visit the Le Marais section for some shopping and food, so we decided to go to the Musee National Picasso

This was a very interested museum.  It was beautiful but odd and difficult to navigate and figure out where to go!  We did eventually figure it out and spent about an hour in the museum. Picasso’s art work you can just stare at in awe for hours on end!

We then made our way over to explore Le Marais. They had the most unique and beautiful shops and food!

I found the most amazing pair of sunglasses, but did not purchase them, and we were unable to find the shop again!

We walked, and walked and walked.  We found these beautiful sculptures

Then decided on falafel for lunch. This was by far my favorite meal while in Paris! Go figure!!  There were so many choices, however we ended up eating  along Rue des Rosiers, the Jewish Quarter of Le Marais. This was a fabulous section! So many bakeries and food options!

The IT place for Falafel is Las Du Fallafel. 

There was a huge line outside, and the fallafel looked phenomenal but we opted for a sit down falafel place instead. This was my favorite meal in Paris, in fact my favorite meal in a very long time!  We sat down at Chez H’anna and were not disappointed!  I ordered the falafel platter, served with a stack of warm pita

and my mom opted for a chicken curry stuffed pita

During our late lunch, I received a message that our flight for tomorrow was CANCELLED.

Of course my anxiety took over and I was in a panic. We decided to head home so I could grab my iPad and all of our information so we could figure out HOW we would get home.

This took several hours but we finally decided on staying one more day and taking an 11 am flight on Friday morning! Everything worked out perfectly, as our airbnb allowed for us to stay one more night! PHEW!

This put a bit of a damper on our plans, we did end up taking a bus to La Grande Epicerie, a lovely gourmet market in Paris that was on my moms “Must see” list. This place was magnificent and reminded me much of our own, Wegmans 🙂

 

We were thrilled to have another FULL day and night in this beautiful city!  We planned to get a great nights rest to have the energy to see all the things we wanted to see on our final day!

To be Continued……………….

We’ll Always Have Paris ………Part 2

Day 3

Itinerary

Louvre

Musée d’orsey

Musée l’orangerie

stroll up and down Avenue Champ D’elysees

 

Life Lesson: Never fall prey to stereotypes.

Many people believe or say in the USA that the French are snobby and do not like “us”. I found that to be the EXACT opposite. Our experience was so pleasant. Every French man/woman was so incredibly kind to us.  I think that many people see different as bad. we need to stay strong and hold our ground and not fall into societies beliefs.  Whenever we asked for directions, we received them with guidance and kindness. Whenever we struggled with the language (which was always lol) People were so kind and generous and helped. I never once felt scared of alone while in Paris. ❤

Day 3 was our Museum day.  Honestly, I would NOT recommend doing all 3 of these museums in ONE day, like we did. It was a lot to take in and very overwhelming. It is enticing because the museums are all fabulous and in walk able distance of each other.  By the 3rd one, we were struggling lifting our legs high enough to climb the stairs!  Although I loved each and every museum and moment. It would be much better to dedicate one day to each of these and really take your time to take everything in.

Also, I would suggest going in with a plan. Do some research prior and figure out WHAT you MUST see and want to see at each location. This way if that is all you see, you will feel satisfied!

We planned on visiting several museums during our visit, so we opted for the 4 day Museum pass (not to be confused with the Paris Pass which has other added perks and benefits) . Depending on your time there and which museums you want to see, you can choose the 2, 4 or 6 day option.  Once you start them, they need to used in consecutive days. This definitely saved us some money and allowed us to by pass some (not all) lines.

First up, The Louvre

Of course on my MUST SEE list was the Mona Lisa.  Yes she is very small in person, so if you have heard that you are correct. Fortunately we went early enough that we were really able to get up close and personal!  I have heard from many others they were not so lucky

The Louvre is stunning. I was speechless and in awe walking around. I wanted to see everything which was impossible and took away from being “present”.  Again, have a plan ❤

This “seated scribe” intrigued me mostly because of the mystery behind it

Next, we made our way over to the 2nd museum on our list, Musee D’Orsey

This museum was just as wonderful but much smaller. a lot more modern art but fascinating just the same.

Third and final museum, L’Orangerie.  This one was very small in comparison and housed Monet’s famous Waterlilies paintings!!!

We made this venture on a Monday, all three museums were open *BE SURE TO CHECK WHICH DAYS THE MUSEUM YOU ARE INTERESTED IN IS OPEN/CLOSED. Many are closed on either a Monday or Tuesday.

We mustered up enough energy and decided to take a stroll up and down Avenue Champ D’Elysees. Wow, I have never seen such a crowd in my life. If you are not familiar, this is the famous/infamous? street which is home to Louis Vuitton and many others.  I found it to be very touristy and busy and hectic. I found myself wanting to get away as soon as possible but it was still fun to see the hustle and bustle and of course go into Louis Vuitton 🙂

 

Tips:

1.  If you plan on using public transportation (which I highly suggest and recommend) be sure to purchase the option that works best for you. The METRO stations sell tickets in booklets and are a great deal. Be sure to request the ones marked with a + sign, they are good for transferring between buses, train, metro, RER if used within 90 minutes of your last ride. You can just hop on the bus and purchase a ticket right there for 2 euro , but it is only good for that one ride

2.  Wear comfortable shoes that are broken in and NOT new. You will be doing a lot of walking, even if you think you aren’t.  My poor mom is suffering with severe blisters all over her feet from days of walking and walking and walking……….

3. Make sure to have a great travel bag!  I checked out the travelon brand and kipling crossbody bag.. I ended up going with Kipling (you will see it pictured in many of the pictures) because it felt more “me”…..okay and it had a little monkey keychain with it!!

 

Day 4

Life lesson:  being kind can really turn your day around. I was feeling agitated and irritable. I had the opportunity to help someone, so I did. My mood immediately lifted. I was more open to others and later that day someone helped me in return ❤

So often we go throughout our days with misconceptions about others when really they are kind, generous, giving people. I am beginning to see that again….

Itinerary

Train to Giverny

Guided shuttle through Vernon to Giverny

Explore the gardens 

Tour Monets House

Picnic in the gardens

Walk through the village

Train ride back home

Shakespeare and Company (book store)

Restock at the grocery

Dinner at home

This very special day was one of my most favorites! The trip was easy, comfortable, stress-free and purely beautiful.  We began our day with a train ride on the RER to Vernon/Giverny. We had planned on renting bikes and riding from Vernon to Giverny, where Monet’s house an gardens are located. It is only about a 25 min bike ride, but we decided against it as the weather looked a bit unpredictable and we were nervous that the biking was unsafe.  We opted for a little tour instead. We hopped on an open air tram and it guided us through the lovely streets of Vernon making our way to Giverny, but NOT before passing some sights along the way

Once we arrived in Giverny, we decided to check out the Gardens and Monet’s house first. Our Museum pass did NOT include coverage for this and we had to purchase tickets. We were a bit discouraged as the line was very LONG. However after about 10 minutes of waiting we were redirected to a new line that opened and were immediately in!  I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of all when everything came into “color” for her……

The gardens and flowers were beautiful. Meticulously kept, so unique.

These deserve a special, separate mention, as they were my favorite. They looked like little dancing ballerinas or fairies! ❤

After we wandered through the gardens we went inside Monet’s house to see all the lovely decor and of course his artwork!

We explored more of the gardens and made our way to the………..Waterlilies

After hours of exploration, we decided to have our picnic lunch. Earlier that morning in Paris we stopped for freshly made baguette sandwiches and packed them in my little knapsack

Outside food is permitted at pretty much all locations in Paris, so when we knew restaurants and cafes may not be present we made sure to pack something, which ended up being so amazing. Picnic in the gardens? Yes please!

Finally we strolled through the village. It was so beautiful and felt very “country” like.

We hopped back on the train towards Paris.  We decided to make a quick stop to the Marais section because I really wanted to see the little bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, which a friend and fellow book lover recommended. (My poor mom was SUCH a great sport, I think she was running on adrenaline…and croissants )

This is one of the highlights of my trip. You must read the background and history of this place, and of course if you are in Paris, you must visit!  Also, photos are not allowed inside the store.  Oops 🙂

To Be Continued………..

We’ll Always Have Paris (part 1)

Life experiences and Life Lessons…in Paris

From as long as I can remember my moms dream has been to travel to Paris and live like a Parisian. She loves French history, culture , food and books. In her bathroom hangs a picture of the Eiffel Tower. This year we had decided to finally make that dream come true. Found a flight. Apartment and off we were with a loosely planned itinerary …..

For months mom practiced her French (thank you duoLingo) , read books romanticizing Paris and Explored her must sees, must dos and must eats

Our Parisian adventure began in August 16. It will be one we will never forget and I am so happy I was able to share this amazing experience with my favorite person ….my mother. Her smile was priceless and shone on her face each day. Any time I secretly snuck a glance at her , there she was gleaming

This trip was special time spent as well as many lessons learned about myself and others

Day 1, Lesson 1

Lesson:

There are no wrong decisions. When you feel that little bit of fear and want to turn back THAT is exact reason to keep going. We took the plunge and booked our flights and apartment and the rest was loosely planned , which beautifully fell into place

Day 1: Traveling Day itinerary

Depart from Newark Airport

Non stop flight to Orly,Paris

Train and bus to our apartment

Brunch

Get lost and walk for miles , luggage in tow , until we find our apartment

Grocery shop

Walked around aimlessly exploring the sights and sounds

Bedtime

We flew British Airways non stop out of Newark. It was a fairly easy and painless flight. It worked out perfectly. We left in the evening, slept a bit on the plane (ok not really BUT tried) and arrived in Paris around 9 am. By the time we figured out the train and bus , it was miles of walking. luggage in tote (thank goodness we packed light).

*I used the Japanese style of folding and it worked out so perfectly!  In fact, I have re-organized  all my drawers at home like this

So many amazing cafes to choose from and our growling bellies were overwhelmed. We finally choose a spot for a brunch and our Petit Dejeuner was fabulous. We quickly found out that all cafes pretty much serve the same things and all of our meals and food were above par. Again life lesson. No choice is a bad choice

Some of our breakfast photos. Can never go wrong

After getting some energy we attempted to find out apartment again. This time a much shorter aimless walk and we found it! (Thanks to mom for asking the helpful police officer for direction)

Only to set our bags down and explore the little bakery and grocery “marche” a few feet from us. We gathered some delicious cheeses, breads, berries and of course wine. We dropped our things off and decided to go walk and explore .Monoprix quickly became a daily trip for cheese, bread and whatever else we needed

 

We made our way to the Louvre and Jardin Du Luxemborg, with a few photo opps along the way.

 

 

It was breathtaking. I actually had tears in my eyes when the Massive Louvre and Eiffel Tower glared right at us. We found our way through the lovely park and had a seat by the water fountains to settle into the Parisian way. We rested a bit then explored again. We found the Pont Neuf (the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, )and walked across taking a few pictures.

 

It began getting dark (surprising late , after 9) and we wanted to get back to our apartment SO we headed back our heads turning and checking out all the lovely window displays and beautiful people along the way

At “home” we enjoyed our first of many wonderful and delicious dinners. The berries were so fresh. The cheese so sharp. The wine and bread could not be more perfect.

What a lovely, fun filled packed day even though it was a travel day we still go to do and see SO much!

Day 2, Lesson 2

Lesson: be present

o

Itinerary

Explore marche de Creation

Lunch at St Germain/ Le Marais

Walk to Sacre Couer (Montmarte)

Cafe break for glacé

Meander home slowly

So many times I dwell on the past or worry about the future. Thus trip I was very adamant to go against that. To be honest fear and dread snuck in, a lot. I panicked not having a “plan”. So I let go. Dealt with the uncomfortable and went with the flow.

Being present and in the moment let something magical occur , my friend from when I lived in South Carolina was in Paris at the same time as we were! Thanks to Facebook we found this out. She messaged me that she had a free day and wanted to meet up for coffee. Mom and I decided we wanted to check out the outdoor market(marche de Creation)and Sacre Coeur  AND”O” decided she would love to join in. We were thrilled!

O helped us navigate the bus and metro system! What a life saver. Before you knew it we were off the the market. It was incredible!

 

 

After we wanted to see the sights of Sacre Coeur. Along the way we saw a bustling area that was on my moms “must see “ list. We hopped off the bus and explored the Marais section. We found a spot for lunch and I had the most amazing crepe. My mom had Onion Soup and a crepe, and “O” tried the quiche

 

We finally made our way over to Sacre COUER. I “forgot” to mention to the ladies that it was a bit of a hike up a steep hill and steps (bc there are steps everywhere in Paris and well, most of Europe). I think they forgave me after the beautiful view from Sacre Couer

 

We headed back near the Louvre. This was a half way point for us and O. We stopped and had glacé and coffee at a cafe. Talked. People watched and just enjoyed each others company.

 

I think we all nearly fell asleep and after a few hours decided to head towards our hotels.

I loved seeing O so much. It was such a special part and addition to the trip. We are planning a Philly and Houston weekend soon

 

TO BE CONTINUED