Paris is for the Romantics

And I’m not one of them. I don’t know if it’s because Paris is always romanticized in movies, pictures and stories, but I thought it was just….eh, ok. It was a nice city with lots of things to see and do, but after a few days, it was all the same to me. Granted, I was just walking around looking at things and not actually doing anything, so maybe that’s why I’m so ambivalent about this city.

I did see some nice things, though. Monuments, cathedrals, and museums. Unabashed public displays of affection (even the old folks get in on the action). Parisians walking with a fresh baguette in hand. Boulangerie and patisserie on every street corner. Unleashed dogs walking obediently next to their owners. Baguette, baguette, baguette….mmmmm...the smell was heavenly.

 

Jardin Tuileries

 

Champs-Elysees

 

Arc de Triomphe

 

Eiffel Tower and a view from the Seine River.

 

The Pyramids and fountains at the Louvre. I didn't see the exhibitions inside the Louvre because it was just too big and massive and I was getting tired at the end of that day. I went to Musee d'Orsay instead, which focuses on works from Impressionism and on. I think I preferred this museum anyway because it was smaller, and I able to see most of it in the 1.5 hours I had before closing time.

 

Notre Dame on a Saturday night.

 

The last three pictures were taken in the catacombs. I didn't actually take any pictures of the skulls and bones because I was too freaked out about having those pictures on my camera. The walk was 2km, about 1.25 miles underground in Paris. It was dark in some spots and kind of chilly. I stood in line for about an hour because they only allow 200 people in at a time. I went down and followed the people ahead of me. But then people started speeding up or slowing down to read the plaques posted on the walls or to take pictuers, so I was by myself for a part of the walk. I started to get the creeps so I start running up that corridor in the last picture to catch up to the people ahead of me. Then I made sure I stayed close to someone when we walked through the part with the bones.