Paris, France | Part I

Paris, France | Part I

Sunday, December 2, 2018

About six weeks ago, I decided that I wanted to do something different for Thanksgiving. I love spending time with my family, but was also itching to do some exploring. I constantly watch for cheap tickets on Hopper, the best airline app on the market. One morning I got an alert for achingly affordable tickets to Paris over the holiday so I booked them on a whim.

A good friend from BYU is living there, so we planned a whole week in the City of Lights. Since he's busy in class for most of the week, I was going to solo for most of the week. After my initial apprehension, the excitement began to bubble up. As a class A introvert, the idea of wandering Paris alone was magical.

Since this was my second trip to Paris, I decided to skip some of the larger tourist attractions that take about 10 minutes to enjoy - sorry Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumph - and tailored my itinerary to my true great loves: art and history.

I touched down early in the morning, hopped the RER into the center of town, and tucked into a little cafe to wait for Abe. After dropping my bags, we picked up a crepe and walked down to the Louvre. The Tuileries were still filled with Parisians and tourists alike around the fountains, despite the late autumn brisk. Abe had to head to class, so I popped into the museum by myself.

I did a drive-by of the Mona Lisa and Nike, and beelined for the Dutch galleries. You can't keep me from a Rembrandt. I strolled aimlessly for hours, soaking in all the moody colors and crisp whites, reveling in the fact that the Dutch galleries always seem to be the least crowded. As the sun dipped below the horizon, I headed back to the apartment for dinner and a well-earned rest.

Day 2 was all about Versailles. The Paris winter firmly set in and the first snow of the season accompanied me out of the city. I was expecting to be dumped out in the middle of the countryside, but hopped off the RER in the middle of a little village. The snow and I trekked up the laughably categorized chateau.

The line snaked around the 'driveway' where we all huddled, trying to keep warm before we went inside. When I finally got in, soaked to the bone, the palace didn't disappoint. There were paintings the size of walls, 12-foot urns, and window-lined hallways. The Hall of Mirrors was magnificent. I had the urge to drag in a chaise, grab a cuppa, and read all afternoon. I meandered through the State Apartments and spilled out onto the grounds. The snow was still coming down, so I didn't spend too much time there and instead walked the Paris Temple.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the temple with the wonderful French sisters. It was such a stark contrast to the morning at Versailles. After a perfect and peaceful afternoon, I trudged back through the wet streets to the train and rolled back to Paris.