Dans Paris (Inside Paris): Day 1…

Last Thursday, at around noon, I stepped off the Eurostar Chunnel train, having finally arrived at that one place I never thought I’d visiti: Paris, France…

And so my extended 4-day weekend began…We dropped off our stuff at our hostel, which was the St. Christopher’s Inn (which is a chain of hostels found in a lot of major cities throughout Europe) located by the canal on the Rue Crimeé…I’ve only stayed at a hostel once before in my life, but I have to say, it was pretty legit–it had free breakfast, a bar (as well as a nightclub), locker services, and tours of the city, Versailles, and Giverny…I really liked the interior of the reception/bar, with the walls plastered with posters of iconic musicians, actors, and movies…

Then we went walking to what is unarguably one of the most famous cathedrals in the world–Notre Dame…Completed in 1345, it is one of the seminal works of Gothic architecture to be found anywhere–or so they say…I personally prefer the Catedral de León in León, Spain (I think it’s grander, https://thepumpkinshead.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/el-norte-dia-1-leon-and-oviedo/), but, the huge rosette windows were definitely a sight…

After that, we sort of ambled about the streets…As much as I hate to admit this, Paris (well, at least some parts of it) is rather pretty–especially the view of the Seine…

…These locks can be found on several bridges in Paris–often placed there by young lovers looking to immortalize their affection…

Eventually, we wandered into Tuileries–one of Paris’ most famed gardens (it’s the one beside the Louvre)…Completed in 1564, was once the garden of the Tuileries Palace, the now non-existent home of Catherina de Medicis, the wife of Henri IV and a member of the powerful Medicis family of Florence…It became open to the public in 1667, and has since become a place of relaxation for the Parisians…

After that, we had a very long walk to the Arc de Triomphe, which to me wasn’t that impressive–however, it has to do with Napoleon, and I find him interesting, so…Plus, it was worth it to walk down Champs-Élysées, a street full of boutiques from every high-end designer you can think of…Man, when I become a WAG (fancy living, baby)…

And dinner that night was fabulous…I had duck for the first time, and let me tell you, that crap was delicious–but expensive (like, 21.10 euro [I thought it said 10 {Shylocks}])…Desert was worth it, though–a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate lava-type cake with ice cream…