Day Three in Paris

Julie - next week I am going to answer your question about why I was scared of the metro, and even more importantly, why I was scared at first of going anywhere by myself. It's a doozy of a story. If anyone else has any questions that I am not thinking to answer in this week-long self-absorbed description of me going to Paris, don't hesitate to ask and I will be happy to answer them. And now, onto the pictures.

Musée d'Orsay
Whistler's MotherPont Alexandre - I love this fancy bridgeHôtel des Invalides - where Napoleon is buried
I'm getting closer to seeing the Eiffel Tower in full! (I never actually saw the Eiffel Tower up close this time - I chose not to because I went up to the top 15 years ago when I visited Paris, and I wanted to see other things this time)
The chocolaterie of Michel Chaudun. So delicious. (One of you is going to win some!!!)The Sacré Coeur basilica, taken from the side. It looks kind of quiet, right?Yeah, just kidding. It was crazy busy.I find it sad that at the base of a church is a carousel. It felt kind of like a circus there, which was just depressingly ironic for a religious sanctuary.
(This was Saturday, Mar 14) Rob stayed home with the kids all day so Staci and I could go into Paris and do whatever we wanted. My feet are seriously throbbing from walking so much today. But I don't care! I am having so much fun and enjoying myself so much they can fall off, as long as they wait until I get back home.

Anyway, first we took the bus to Musée d'Orsay, which is a museum with paintings and sculptures by people like Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet, Cezanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, and probably 30 others. I enjoyed it, even though I don't necessarily appreciate art like this as much as I could. And by appreciate, I mean understand. In fact, I thought of Christian's sister Jasamyn practically the whole time and how much she would have loved this museum. Many of the paintings were right up her alley - the type of stuff she would draw (you could be famous Jaz!)

Then I had heard about a chocolaterie through a French woman's blog called Boutique Michel Chaudun (at 149 rue de l'Université) (click here to read a review about his store). It was a little further away than we had anticipated from the Musée d'Orsay, and we walked probably 1 1/2 miles. But once we got there, it was so worth it. The woman who helped me was so kind, and let me try two different samples. And YUM! I spent an obscene amount of money at their store. The owner, Michel Chaudun, used to be head chef for La Maison du Chocolat, which apparently is really fancy and really expensive. I was so excited to find this place!

While looking for the chocolate store, we saw many sites and took pictures - the Seine River, the Pont Alexandre (very ornate bridge), l'Hôtel des Invalides, and again the top half of the Eiffel Tower. I'm starting to think I may not get a picture of the entire Eiffel Tower while on this trip. It's been fun taking so many pictures of cool things.

Next, we took the metro to the Sacré Coeur. First of all, I have to tell you I am so excited that I am finally getting how the metro works! I know that sounds kind of ridiculous, but when I was here when I was 17, I felt completely lost and completely scared. And now, I think I kind of get it. Anyway, we got off of the metro at the bottom of the hill, and walked up this completely packed street to get to the basilica (or Catholic church, for those of you who don't know). It was very busy, I'm sure because it was a Saturday afternoon, but I thought it was really cool to walk up all of the steps I have only seen in pictures and walk through the church. There was a taped recording playing over and over of something - I wasn't paying much attention, probably prayers or something, and we walked in a formation around the inside perimeter of the church. So many people had lit candles, and it was kind of weird to see a store selling books and stuff inside a church.

Then on the way down the hill we stopped at one of the tourist traps and purchased a few trinkets to bring home. And then we took the metro back to the stop by her house and went to the grocery store for a few items, and then to the boulangerie and I bought another baguette and another mille feuille. Yes, I'm consuming calories at an alarming rate. No, I don't care. For dinner tonight we are having a quiche lorraine using a recipe from a french woman in Staci's ward (using gruyère cheese) and macaroons for dessert.

I am so excited about what we are doing tomorrow, but I am keeping it a secret until tomorrow's post! But it involves the RER, which is the underground subway system that is underneath the metro (which is also underground). So it is like two stories underground. Scary! But so exciting!!!