Paris in Retrospect

That was an amazing 10 days. I was a little worried that after dreaming about visiting Paris again ever since seeing it as an eighth grader, I would be disappointed, but instead, I feel like I got to see Paris properly this time around. And, it was amazing.

Highlights from the last week.

Walking from the top of the Sacre Coeur to the Louvre on our first day of Paris, jet lagged after a red-eye from New York City. Definitely worth it.

Wandering through Montmartre by day and night. Long, lazy coffee breaks at Les Deux Magots, including a final, continental breakfast on our last day there. Many, many cups of cafe creme. Lunches at the Rue Cler. Baguettes under the Eiffel Tower.

Two trips to Versailles, one to see the chateau and hamlet, the other to spend a day wandering through the gardens. Visiting Fontainebleau, and wandering through the expansive hunting forests in my brown riding boots. Spending afternoons at the Tuileries Garden.

Breaking off and seeing Paris by myself for a day, with a good book and no immediate plans. Spending a good part of that day letting myself wander aimlessly through the Palais Garnier, eventually finding a deserted place to read my book and and slowly take in the opera house. (Having just seen Phantom of the Opera, it was one of my great disappointments that I went all the way to Paris and didn't get to go into the Palais Garnier, and I was set on rectifying that this time around).







































Walking across the Alexander Bridge by night. Seeing the Arc de Triumph. (It is a lot bigger than the Washington Square Arch). Notre Dame, San Michel. The Catacombs.

Spending a Saturday morning exploring the Clignacout flea market. So many gorgeous antiques. I see why flea market shopping is serious business. Finding the perfect cocktail ring at a little jewelry store tucked away in one corner of the market.

Buying my first Longchamp from the Galeries Lafayette.

All the museums. Visiting the Louvre by dusk on a Friday night, and enjoying the effect of open windows and dimly lit hallways. Having the receptionist at the Musee d'Orsay tell me that I had "impeccable style". (Best compliment ever). Then topping that by stumbling across my favorite Degas painting on the second floor. Seeing Manet's Water Lilies at the L'Orangire. (Surprisingly soothing). Walking through the Musee Rodin. (So happy to finally get to see "The Kiss" in person).

So many macarons. (Too many pictures of macarons).

Learning that all the trains were free for the next few days halfway through our vacation. Coincidentally, learning on the same day that the NYC MTA was increasing fares, and it was snowing in NYC.

Finally, at the airport headed back to NYC, trying to order in French, sheepishly asking the receptionist at Laudree to add one more macaron for the plane ride back, and admitting that I had forgotten the French word for "three". (I studied Spanish in high school). She gave me the third one for free.

Things like this don't happen. Life doesn't work out that perfectly very often, but it was really as close to the perfect ten days in Paris that I could imagine.