So I took my first trip 'alone.' (okay, so I have travelled alone before, this current trip to London is one example, however I have never travelled somewhere 'on vacation' without going with a buddy or without planning to meet up with a friend). I took my big trip into independence to Paris. Just hop on the Eurostar, travel underwater through the Chunnel, and a quick 2 hours and 20 minutes later - J'ai arrive en Paris.
I must say, there is no better way to travel than by train. If I could, I would give up flying all together and take trains everywhere. They are more comfortable than flights, you remain on the ground (less risk-taking with your life - if humans were meant to fly, God would have given us wings; as the saying goes), and the train takes you from city center to city center, removing the hastle of transportation to and from the airport. Throw on top of that the bonus that they don't care how many liquids you take on board with you or how heavy your suitcase is (that is your problem), trains are a high-class, very easy method for travel.
As it was my second trip to Paris, I avoided the Louvre, The Champs d'Elysse and many of the other overly crowded, tourist centers and did more exploring and wandering down side streets, finding small gardens and going to smaller (more manageable) museums.
This trip, while being amazing (who doesn't LOVE spending time in beatiful Paris?), was actually a bit challenging for me. I am a social creature and I thrive on talking with people, spending time with people and just, in general, being with people. So, while the days of wandering the busy streets of Paris kept me distracted from my solo-ness, as the days turned into evening that awful feeling of "what idiot decides to go to the city of love, alone?" began to creep in. I learned a lot about myself and my moods and my thought processes on this trip. And I also learned that traveling alone does not mean that you have to be alone. In my Hotel, at meals and at museums, I met and had conversations with many fascinating people. And, without these conversations, I am not sure I would have survived three days without human interaction, in Paris or no.
(I love this guy's outfit - the hat, suspenders, necktie, the whole look - amazing!)
My Paris "list": Advice
1) eat a baguette, and eat a lot of baguettes
2) eat a baguette with Brie cheese
3)drink French wine, and take advantage of their "open bottle" policy by drinking it in a park, on a picnic.
4) If you are going to eat in a cafe, don't eat in a cafe near a famous monument - they are tacky and WAY too expensive
5)Walk as much as you can, and walk down the small/side streets, the big and busy streets are, busy, and WAY too touristy.
My favorite museums:
1) Musee D'Orsay
2) Orangerie (Claude Monet's "water lilies" are here)
3) Musee Picasso
4) Musee Rodin
My favorite Parks:
1) Jardin du Luxemburg
2) St. Eustice Cathedral
3)Jardin des Plantes
4) Trocadero
Of course, the Louvre is amazing (but HUGE), the Tulleries are beautiful (but packed), and I will never get sick of seeing the Eiffle Tower, but it was fun to explore some new areas and get to know the city better.
(like London there are tons of tiny little parks to walk through with amazing flowers and a calming atmospere. If the Parisians do one thing massively well, it is definitely their parks.)
Okay, one last thing. Look what I found....
(The pink shop is "The Cupcake Company" and the other two pictures are from "Berko")
CUPCAKES!!! I know, I know, Heather - really? But hey, why not?
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