14

Oh, but words are not enough! This weekend Cole and I took a small trip with the Nemeths to the Loire Valley. It was, hands down, the highlight of my trip. The countryside was exactly how I dreamed to be; beautiful, green fields stretching to bright blue skies, monstrous white clouds, medieval villages, fairytale castles…I was lost within it all. We visited six castles, each representing a different time and style in history, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, in between and beyond. Some were surrounded by lush gardens, or dense forest, or a tiny village; they were unique and they were fun.
To reach the last castle of our journey, we had quite the hike. Once there, we stared in awe at the fictional feel it exuberated. Unfortunately, it was closed on the inside due to the late hour, but we were able to walk the gardens and admire it from the exterior. Cole and I observed the stone towers and spotted an open door at the foot of the corner tower. Right away we thought, “secret entrance!” So, we ran down the slope, through green grass and wild daisies and approached the small, wooden door. Peering over the frame, we saw a dank, dark stone room, and to our disappointment, that was it. So close to an adventure, it was really unfortunate. So instead, we collapsed in the grass beside the tall tower and stared up beyond the stone walls and into the now golden sky, tinged purple at the corners. The breeze was sweet and the grass soft; after a non-stop two days, it was a beautiful way to relax.
Then, Nicolas ran down to join us, plopping down in dramatics, and curious as to our actions. We told him to hush and to pretend we were princesses and he was a prince and we’re just hangin out at our castle. His response (imagine a horrible “American” accent when being said): “Oh cooool. Hello princesses, I am a prince.” And he was serious and Cole and I laughed until our stomachs hurt.
And I also want to mention that Friday we, being just Cole and I, went to the Musée d’Orsay. It contained such a cool collection of artwork and sculptures and photography; I think Cole might even have enjoyed herself, maybe, for a little while, anyways. The best part was the room dedicated to Van Gogh; it was surreal to see the “legit” paintings.
Well, three days left…still much to do ☺

13

Alright, well yesterday was quite the day. We spent five hours in the Louvre! And yes, it was fun. We, being me, poor, unfortunate Nicole, and Nicolas, covered a great expanse of history. First, I dragged them both through Ancient Egyptian Antiquities. The display was very interesting with a detailed account of thematic history in chronological order. There was beautiful artifacts that were surprisingly vivid in color. Next, they suffered through Oriental Antiquities, which presented civilizations of the Ancient Near-East: Mesopotamia, Iran, and Levant. This particular area of the ancient world was most interesting because the cultures seemed almost miscellaneous—Greek and Egyptian influence was evident. Then, we moved to Greek and Roman Antiquities, which consisted mainly of lovely marble statues. After a much needed snack, we went in search of the Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania (Pacific Islands), and the Americas. I loved this exhibit because it was short and therefore easy to read all the information!
That night we went to a pleasant little restaurant with a friend of Nicolas. Afterwards, we walked along the Seine River and saw the Eiffel tower glowing yellow in the night. Paris is really beautiful at night.

Today we went to a museum that offered a wonderful exhibit of Monet. The artwork was so beautiful, rich, vivid—I could have sat and stared at the intensity for days. Oh and we also enjoyed delicious crepes with nutella.

12

The weather is so incredibly humid! We walked up and down the streets of Paris in search of the Conciergerie, and all the while the air condensed around us. Finally, after having asked countless individuals for directions, we found it. The Conciergerie was built in the 14th century as the royal Palais de la Cité. The style of the castle is medieval; made from stone, large pillars stood through the great hall, leading up to gothic ceilings, high and arching. In later years, during the revolution and after royalty had moved to Versailles, the castle turned into a prison.
Thousands of the prisoners suffered execution by way of the guillotine, including Marie Antoinette. I even had the chance to look into her cell.
It was a beautiful castle and different than any other I have seen thus far. It was full of diverse history spanning hundreds of years that was quite compelling.
Later, Nicolas took us out to his favorite restaurant with a few of his friends. It was absolutely the prettiest restaurant I have ever been in. It was lovely!

11

Today we merely went to a cemetery, though not just any cemetery. Paris has a wide selection of graveyards, all designed like small villages with avenues and streets and towering tombs resembling beautiful buildings, and they all house three or four well-known names. I requested to Nicolas that he take us to the cemetery where Oscar Wilde was buried. Though he looked at me strangely, laughed and had no idea who Oscar Wilde is, he agreed. So, being that it lies on the outskirts of the city, it was a long journey, but well worth it in my opinion.
Ségoléne, Nicolas’s girlfriend, accompanied us and we all searched tirelessly for the grave, which lied all the way in the back. Luckily, a map was offered, though the small winding streets remained confusing. Finally, we found it.
It is hard to miss—covered in smudged lipstick, the tomb sticks out quite well. As an ode to his words, people all around the world come to kiss his grave. I thought it was wonderful.

10

So, as everyone visiting Paris must do, we went to the Eiffel Tower. The tower was built in 1889 for the World Exhibition which honored the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution. The tower, designed by Gustave Eiffel, won the exhibition and therefore the tower remains standing to this day while the other monuments built for the exhibition were torn down. It really was exciting and a little surreal to be standing before and beneath it. We climbed the 700 steps to the second level of the tower—that was high enough—and enjoyed the amazing view. Then, after enjoying a scoop of ice cream, we opted for the quick way down and took the elevator to the ground.
Next, we took the metro to the Champs Elysées and walked the strip. We had a lovely dinner as night was falling and the city slowly grew illuminated.
The tourist thing was fun—the sights are beautiful !

9

It was overwhelming, as was to be expected. Of course, I am talking about the Louvre. In the three hours we were there, we managed to cover Italian paintings from the 13th to the 15th century, French paintings, Romanticism, and Neo-Classical artwork. This was but a small portion of the museum, a very small portion. So, unfortunately for Cole, we get to go back! Eric, Nicolas’s father, knows everything there is know about art history and so he not only explained the artist’s background, but the story the artist was depicting as well. I was amazed by his knowledge and I fully enjoyed listening to him. I learned a great deal about style, symbolism, and allusions; I had never before realized the complexity.
Then, once night came, Nicolas took over and it was time for “fun.” Annually, there is a huge music festival, city-wide. It was actually very cool—you could walk around the entire city and find concerts everywhere. Though, it was painfully crowed and the metro was suffocating. And, there was a lot of techno. We had the opportunity to meet his friends, and they were all very nice, trying to speak English and always making sure creeps stayed away from us. We went to a fruit bar and had fruit smoothies at 12:30 at night while the city was wide awake. It was fun and a nice insight into younger French culture.
And to end the night, technically the morning, we had Frosted Mini-Wheats and fell fast asleep.

8

Arising early, Cole and I set off for the airport, a long trip when dragging around monstrous suitcases. Once on the airplane, we had a pleasent flight, landing safely in, yes, Paris--you can imagine our excitement! Nicolas and his family live in a suburb of Paris, and from their living room, you can see the tip of the Eiffel Tower. We settled in and Marie Anne, Nicolas's mother, insisted we not waste the day. Because she still had the car, she suggested we go see the Palace of Versaille. Of course, I jumped at the opportuntiy and within a few minutes we were on our way to the extravagant dwelling of France's former royalty. As you may well know, the palace is vast, spanning miles and miles with lush gardens . Within the palace walls there are countless rooms of orate classical decor, gaudy and glowing with golds and rich paintings. My favorite room was the hall of mirrors, a long, golden hall illuminated by an infinite number of chandeliers and long strips of mirrors opposite the windows--the room was, in itself, a light. I also loved seeing Marie Antoinette`s chamber, which had an elegant floral theme. I could have spent days within the palace.
I thought Berlin was busy; Paris is twice, perhaps three times the pace. It is so beautiful! I melt at each narrow, cobble stone street, the wonderful arcitecture, just everything is beyond words for me. I enjoy listening to the constant stream of French in the house, though, unfortunately, I cannot understand most of it. What I can understand is tones and I understand that Nicolas argues constantly with his family; I have to try hard not to laugh :)