Despite the copious amounts of paper work and endless power-points about how much money you will (but so painfully currently do not) have, daydreams of your impending Year Abroad, as a second year student, do not cease. A whole year dedicated to discovering the vast corners of a new country (or two or three, depending on how far that elusive Erasmus grant stretches!) and not only learning but living your language- how could it be anything but incroyable?
The days of Friday 29th November to Sunday 1st December alone made this second year dream (and so many Starbucks-latte-catch-up-afternoon-daydreams) come true. My best friend Ellie and I spent the weekend in Paris- truly, it was everything we had imagined and more.
What an eiffel...
Bright and early Saturday morning we walked to our nearest metro station and hopped on: destination Tour Eiffel. Of course, there was no other logical/more perfect monument to kickstart out Parisian dream- it more than lived up to expectation. The autumnal spectrum of the day seemed to be mirrored in the Tower's brassy finish- it was something extraordinary. Obviously, in true Ktenas-Fox style- equipped with cameras, phones and visionary outlooks- it took us the best part of an hour to make it from one side of the Eiffel to the next but who's complaining...
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When we finally reached the other side we were greeted by the usual Parisian crowds (tourists, eiffel-keyring-shaking mecs and ladies who (probably) swore at us but in neither French, English nor Greek) but one guy with a clipboard caught my eye... Selling his 'artistic impressionist drawings' I was sold- a win-win situation if ever I heard one; either an absolute masterpiece (unlikely but tout est possible in Paris) or a truly hilarious souvenir. The final product speaks for itself. Despite her reservations (and deceptive facial expression) Ellie couldn't have thought of a better way to spend 10 Euros (negotiated down from thirty- did I mention I was Managing Director of my school's Young Enterprise team?)
This not only started our Parisian journey but also led the way for us to be duped by many more salesmen in various forms along our path- start as you mean to go on and all that!
'Arc! Who goes there?
The only next step was to metro-it to Arc de Triomphe and waltz down the Champs Elysées...
Of course we (but mostly Ellie) had to stop at every postcard stand going- for anyone who has walked this very street, you may have noted it offers a postcard for every sentiment you truly/sometimes/potentially-could-one-day-in-the-future feel for every moment for the rest of your life...
We eventually made it to the bottom, nonetheless, and hopped back on the metro to visit one of the worlds' largest art museums (the outside of it, at least- cue panorama shots, typical tourist poses and a man with both a Polaroid camera and a rather tactical ability to mispronounce prices)...
It was Louvre at first sight!
The sun was just peeping over the Louvre as we made our way out from the station (what an incredible underground tour it was, too- everything from SWATCH to Starbucks, absolutely nothing that you would want to unsee [a rather unfortunate staple to a trip to Paris with use of the metro!]) and it was stunning.
A few snaps upon the miniature platforms and two Polaroids later, we headed Seine-bound...
Seine and sensibility...
All we have to say about this part of our adventure is 'THE LIGHT, OH THE LIGHT!' It was gold, I tell you. Absolutely, undeniably gold! Light beams were streaming in from behind the buildings over the other side of the water, the leaves were dappled with sunlight and the Seine glittered. Even people most unlikely to be inclined to poetry would be moved to it!
We followed the Seine until we crossed upon the Pont des Arts (aka. the padlock bridge), which provided a dream-like reality of it's very own; a perfect microcosm of Paris.
Little fish, big Pont...
There were paintings, chalk drawings, an accordion, a brass band and choir, couples, families, friends all cocooned by a bridge glittering with padlocks adorning all languages and all types of love.
Paris, nous t'aimons.
Flowing downstream / Caught in the current / I carry you / You'll carry me
So we crossed the bridge and walked along it's right side all the way to Notre Dame- what a magnificent monument she is. This is my favourite place in all of Paris. Maybe it's the link to my childhood love of the related Disney movie (forever and always Esmérelda, sorry Mads) [apologies to Victor Hugo, too, I know you got in there before Walt and co. but what's a girl of 5 to do?] or maybe it's the fact that my favourite film Before Sunset had this spot as it's prime location, complete with famous Shakespeare and Co. book shop.
Whatever the reason, this part of Paris feels nothing less than fairytale-like.
Vin Chaud and Nutella waffle accompanied us from Notre Dame to bookshop- unfortunately no pictures can be taken inside but I am quite grateful in a way- we didn't see it through a lens and completely lived it! Definitely part of the charm- needless to say, this shop (more like BOOK-LADEN HAVEN) leaves a lasting impression on a lover of all things whimsical.
"Metro, Boulot Sushi, Dodo"
...for what would any trip to Paris be without seeing the Eiffel glitter followed by an underground serenade and a Japanese feast?
Sacré cœur, sacré bleu...
Using my all too evident business acumen (what larks!) and a good ol' helping of first-time-hostel-booker cunning I managed to nab us a room [we'd recommend it! http://www.caulaincourt.com/] within 10 minutes walking distance from the Sacré Cœur - the last monument on our Parisian journey! We'd clocked a boulangerie on the corner of our hostel's square and bee-lined to it first thing on Sunday morning, then on our way up Montmartre a Starbucks glittered in all of it's consumerist delight (how we love it so!). Le dernier petit déjeuner- sorted. We weaved between artists and their canvases to our chosen Breakfast Bench (brilliant view of both church and city, and in perfect earshot of atmospheric melodies from a nearby harpist [oh Paris, you truly are so belle.])
The next few hours of our weekend were spent doing what we do best- picture-taking, memory-making and discussing life over lattes.
PARIS, THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING...
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| Afterall, where you invest your love, you invest your life. |
Happy 21st Birthday, my darling girl!
