Skip to main content

First Days in Paris


Bonsoir! I am sorry I did not post last night, but was utterly exhausted. My plane ride over was not bad, but I couldn't sleep. Until, at 4:30 am I asked the flight attendant for a bottle of red wine, drank it while I watched a documentary and the next thing I knew they were serving me breakfast. (I think I just made my mom really proud). 

After I checked in to my hotel, I went to the Atelier des Lumières where they had art with motion and sound...it was the most awesome experience as it felt like you were inside the paintings. They had a set with Japanese art, then one with Van Gogh (I was only a little jazzed about that!) Each painting moved and morphed from brushstrokes to objects. For Van Gogh in particular, it was like being inside his mind as he was painting. I actually stayed to watch it twice, it was that amazing.





















After that I made my way to one of my favorite restaurants for duck confit. It was the perfect first meal in Paris. They sat a young (I'm guessing 25-ish) man next to me and we chatted through dinner - very nice way to spend the evening!

With a full belly and wine in my system, I nearly fell asleep on the metro. I was asleep by 9 pm - but not before I stopped at the market by my hotel and ordered two Fuji apples en français (all of it...did not use one word of English!)

This morning I went to the Grande Mosquée de Paris. I have wanted to see for years, but have never had the chance. It happens to be about 10 minutes from my hotel, so I made my way there. It was stunning. The gardens were still beautiful even though it is fall (no fountains running though...I will definitely want to come in summer to see that). There was also a memorial to the Muslim soldiers who fought in WWI (my photo did not turn out - sorry) and WWII. Monday was Armistice Day so there were fresh flowers there. Muslim soldiers contributed so much and received very little recognition - very comparable to our black-American soldiers in both world wars. Right before I left, I got to witness the call to prayer...it gave me chills.


















After that I walked through the rue Mouffetard. My goal was to see the markets, but most had packed up by the time I got there. I grabbed a gyro and sat in the Place de la Contrascarpe (literally right around the corner from 

Ernest Hemingway's old apartment). I dropped a couple of crumbs and was instantly the Snow White of pigeons...







I also took a macaron baking class today at Le Foodist on rue Cardinal Lemoine. Our teacher, Sarah, was knowledgable and entertaining! It was so much fun and I learned a lot. Of course the best part was tasting them...






Tomorrow I get to have breakfast with my dear amie Myriam and my friend Julie arrives in time for me to take her on a walking tour of the Jewish Quarter. Until then...à bientôt!
Labels:
Location: Paris, France

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Les Femmes Tondues

"Germany Wins on All Fronts" - the Eiffel Tower (Getty Images) It is no great secret that some French collaborated during the Nazi Occupation of France. Some did it for less than admirable reasons, such as political gain, anti-Semitism, or true fascist ideology. Other people were frightened and saw no end to the Occupation, while some were motivated simply by the desire to survive.  Many women who collaborated fall into the latter category. French women and German soldiers enjoying lunch at a café (Unidentified Photo Source) Food, clothes, and fuel (among other items) were scarce during the Occupation. Nearly everything needed to sustain life was rationed, and much of France's food and other  necessary  commodities were shipped to Germany. One way to ensure warmth and a full belly was by making nice with a German soldier.  A French woman chats with a German soldier in front of the Eiffel Tower during the Occupation In a desperate attempt to surv...
22 comments
Read more

Sylvia Beach - An American In Paris

This past fall I read Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation by Charles Glass. Meticulously researched, the book described the collaboration, resistance, and survival stories of several Americans during the Occupation. Of all the fascinating Americans Glass discussed, I felt an instant connection to one, and have been mildly obsessed with her ever since… Sylvia Beach Photo Source: donswaim.com/ripley-lawrence.htm The Woman Nancy Woodridge Beach was born on March 14, 1887 in Baltimore, Maryland.  She spent much of her childhood and young adult life living throughout Europe. Her first encounter with Paris came at a young age when her father, a pastor, was appointed assistant minister of the American Church in Paris, as well as director of the American student center. As a young adult she spent time in Spain and even served a stint in Serbia in the Red Cross. Although her birth name was Nancy, she would become known to the world as Sylvia Beach. ...
3 comments
Read more

La Rafle du Vel d’Hiv (The Vel d’Hiv Round Up)

Photo Source: 1 st Art Gallery Every Holocaust survivor – every ghost of those who did not survive - has a story to tell. Each story is unique, yet equally tragic. Some we have heard more than once, while others lay silent, buried in the dusty pages of a nation’s shame… Occupation and Anti-Semitism 14 June 1942 marked the two-year anniversary of the Nazi occupation of Paris. By this point, many French had joined the Résistance , while others felt it in their best interest to collaborate with the Nazi regime. Many Jews had fled France, and those who remained behind lived in chronic fear. The Jewish Decrees (France's version of the Nuremberg Laws) saw the Jews of Paris stripped of their livelihoods, property, and rights. As in other occupied areas of Europe, the French Jews were required to wear the yellow stars of David. Inscribed with a single word in the center, Juif (Jew), the badges had to be sewn neatly on the left side of the chest. Failure to do so coul...
17 comments
Read more