Paris Day 2 and Train to Lyon

Yesterday I had a very long, exciting day exploring Paris with my parents. We left the hotel at noon and didn't come back until after 9 pm. We definitely hit some major highlights of the wonderful city that is Paris, but we barely scratched the surface. I can't wait to come back on weekends and during my 10 day stay in Paris after finals end. 

First we walked down to "La Tour Eiffel", just to see it up close. Since it was a Sunday, there were huge crowds surrounding it, so we didn't go up. I really do want to make it up to the top of the Eiffel Tower before I leave Paris. One of these days, I will brave the line and the many stairs. 

Next we bought our tickets for the Batobus, which is a really cool tour boat that goes along the Seine, taking you around Paris. It visits most of the major tourist spots along the river, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Louvre, and you can hop on and off whenever you want.  With a student ID, I got a day pass for €9, which was a pretty good deal. It's pretty convenient and it has the added bonus of giving you the experience of a boat ride along the Seine. Inside the boat is sweltering hot, but there are really great views from the crowded deck at the back. I would recommend it for one day, but after that you could probably just take the Metro and walk for much cheaper.

The Batobus

We headed down the Seine, which allowed us to see many of Paris's famous bridges. My favorite one was the Pont Alexandre III. You might recognize it as the bridge that was featured in Anastasia. Yep, it's the one where Rasputin (who in the film is depicted as an evil, creepy guy who makes a pact with the devil and has cute white bat as a sidekick) tries to kill Anastasia. Needless to say, I felt as if my childhood dreams had been fulfilled when I saw it (Sarcasm alert). The film certainly has parallels with my own life, or so I would like to think. Last week, when I said goodbye to my boyfriend, who will be coming to visit me in Paris in December, I felt like Anastasia's grandmother, the Dowager Empress, who, in the movie, tells Anastasia they will be "Together in Paris." And of course, I'm expecting to find out that I'm actually the long-lost daughter of royalty anytime now.

Pont Alexandre III

Our first stop was the Musée D'Orsay, which is known for its Impressionist collection. I was astonished by its beautiful main hallway. It's a converted train station and definitely the most unique art museum I have ever visited. I could have spent hours ambling through the one floor that housed most of its Impressionist works. I was overwhelmed by Monets, Renoirs, Cézannes, and much much more. It was really cool to see these works after I had taken a course on the Neuropsychology of Art last year, in which I learned about a lot of the mental health and vision problems that these artists had, which influenced their art. My favorite paintings, were of course, the Van Goghs. I was so excited to see Bedroom at Arles and Eglise d'Auvers. I did not spot a lurking alien dinosaur figure in the latter, sadly (Oh Doctor Who, why do you build up my hopes?).

The Musée D'Orsay

We viewed the highlights of the museum, which also included Rodin sculptures and Degas sculptures and paintings, many of which I recognized. However, we had so much more to see in Paris that day, so we left for the next stop on the Batobus, Notre Dame. I will definitely be coming back to Musée D'Orsay.

Notre Dame is on Ile de la Cité, which is an island in the middle of the Seine. It was definitely exciting to walk through the halls of this famous cathedral. It reminded me that I really need to read The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo, because right now I only know about the Disney version. 

Love Locks on a Bridge, with Notre Dame in the background

Notre Dame

Speaking of Victor Hugo, we found his house later, in the corner of Place des Vosges, which is the oldest planned square in Paris, located in the Marais district, which is just north of Ile de la Cité, across the river. That's my second spotting of a famous author's house. On Saturday I spotted the house where Voltaire was born. Hopefully I'll see a few more famous literary locations while I'm in Europe.

After Notre Dame, we explored Marais. We headed east to the Place de la Bastille, where the Bastille prison was once located. It was place where the French Revolution started, but now there's not much to see. Just a giant column which commemorates the July Revolution, which is not the same as the original French Revolution.

Our last stop in Marais was the famous street Rue des Rosiers, which is known for its Jewish stores, restaurants, and delis. I had Israeli food for dinner: hummus, tabouli, falafel, and eggplant, the first vegetarian meal I've been able to find in France.

My first vegetarian meal in France!

A Jewish bookstore on Rue des Rosiers

Today we took the train to Lyon, which was only a 2 hour ride. We're getting settled in to the city, which is a little quieter than Paris. So far the main difference I've seen between the two cities is that Paris's architecture is mostly from the 19th century. There definitely some 19th century apartment buildings here, but for the most part, the streets look more modern. The sidewalks have concrete, not cobblestone. There are still very ancient buildings scattered amongst the modernized urban landscape, however- mostly churches. I will get to see more of Lyon tomorrow, when I go to meet the woman whose house I will be staying in.