La Vie En Rose (Paris)

"Parlez-vous français?'

Qui qui...

Eh...

... nope. Uh uh. Absolutely not. That accent is way too hard to learn. The best that we Americans can do is just to make fun of it. (oh-hoh-hoh-hoh)

Boy, who doesn't love the French? ... French fries, French toast, French dressing, French horn, and even French kissing. This country has got it goin on.

It was a real treat to visit the glamorous City of Lights. Paris (pronounced "pah-ree" in a nasally ostentatious voice) sure brings all the style, glitz and glamour that you see on tv and in magazines.

Paris is the world's most visited city, bringing millions of camera-strapped travelers to this city each year. And the Eiffel Tower is the most famous landmark in the world. I, too, joined the herds who flock to see this gigantic metal concoction. "You have to see it to believe it," and I must admit, standing in front of this protruding internationally-known structure made me feel speechless as I gazed in awe admiring its powerful presence in the sky.

Standing underneath the Eiffel Tower

The best part (and I'm not sure who's idea it was but it's friggn' brilliant!) was the thousands of strobe lights that were installed inside the tower. During the evenings, on the hour, every hour, for a couple minutes all the lights go off and the whole tower just glitters, like diamonds dancing in the sun. It was absolutely captivating! I tried taking photos and videos, but they don't even come close to capturing the true essence of the spectacle. You have to experience this breathtaking view in person. 

The Tower was originally supposed to be built in Barcelona but the idea was rejected because it did not "fit in" with the infrastructure of the city and was too expensive. Instead, Alexandre Gustave Eiffel and his company entered a competition to build this design as the entrance arch to the Worlds Fair in Paris. They won and the tower being built as  temporary structure that was supposed to move with the fair to different cities. The tower sparked a major controversy in the city because many Parisians did not want the cold metallic structure within the beautiful artistic city. However, it turned out that the structure attracted so many visitors and the French, too, fell in love with the tower so much that they didn't let it go and Paris remains the permanent home to this iconic modern structure. The Eiffel Tower is nicknamed "La Dame de Fer," meaning 'the Iron Lady." And I must admit, I couldn't help but blush as I walked underneath it's legs. Looking up, you could see all the layers, arches, stairs, elevators, and thousands of metal rods that are all so perfectly placed to hold up this magnificent structure.

On the steps of La Basilique du Sacré Coeur / Sacre Coeur Basilica

I continued with the tour of the city. I loved the city, but  the tour was killing me. I was the only non-lovey-dovey-honeymooner (puke) and ended up being each couples' photography slave as we visited the different landmarks around the city. 


When not being photo monkey, I did get a chance to stare up at the gargoyles of the Notre Dame, pass through the biggest art museum Louvre, see the monument of the Joan of Arc, stroll through the major retail Avenue des Champs-Elysees, and admire the tokens and trinkets at overpriced souvenir shops. I also attended a French mass at the Sacre Coeur Basilica. I find it rather amusing that this famous holy catholic church overlooks Quartier Pigalle, aka "Pig's Alley," aka "the redlight district." Down the hill from the holy Basillica are streets lined with sex shops, clubs, a gigantic Sexodrome and the world famous cabaret, the Moulin Rouge.

In front of the Moulin Rouge

Put on your art appreciation hats. At the Louvre alone, thousands and thousands of pieces of art are in display. Rumor has it that if you just spend 30 seconds at each piece, you would be there for a few months to get through everything. So, much like the rest of the crowd, I joined the masses and went straight to see the famous Mona Lisa. The painting is a whole lot smaller than I always have imagined it to be in my mind.

A typical day of Mona Lisa at the Louvre

One of my favorite parts of the city were the romantic love locks that clung to various bridges throughout the city, symbolizing each couples the eternal love for another. How romantic!


As I strolled through the streets in Paris, I devoured delicious pastries for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The pastry shops in Paris are around every corner and each offer their own unique delicacies. I also ate exorbitant amounts of cheeses and drank too much wine. Boy, if I ever lived in this city, I would either A) become a pastry chef apprentice and eventually open up my own shop B) become a snobby wannabe wine connoisseur C) lose all self-restraint and become an overweight drunken cat lady, or D) all of the above.


Finally, I also learned that you don't need a wine opener to open a bottle. You can just put the bottle in a shoe and bang it against the wall and eventually the cork comes out. I swear, it works! You can probably find some instructional videos online if one is really interested, or desperate.


P.S.


Thank you, thank you, thank you, Scott, for kindly letting me crash at your place, as well as graciously offering your time to show me around the gorgeous city!

Olena and Scott