Paris : so many croissants, so little time

Okay y'all (yes, I did just go all southern on you...I'm starting to miss NC accents), I have to let all of you know that I could live very happily in Paris as long as I had an endless supply of pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) and cafe au lait. With a pastry shop on every corner and coffee served in adorable little cups at every cafe, an unlimited amount of croissants and coffee is pretty much a given in Paris... well, that is if you don't spend your euro on the fine champagne, baguettes, fromage, and croquettes. Oh my goodness, you guys. I know why Paris is the City of Love... my taste buds are in love.

We arrived in Paris this morning by train. Dad used his trusty Crackberry to check the speed and it said we were going 190 mph at one point! I tried to journal on the 1.5 hour ride, but the countryside was so beautiful that it was difficult to focus.

Upon arrival, it took us a little while to get adjusted to the metro system, but we found our way to Saint-Michel and had a delicious lunch a fancy cafe off of the main street. We each got three courses...
Mom: Roquefort Quiche
Boeuf bourgignon
Mousse au Citron
Dad: Escargot
Saumon
Creme Brulee
Me: Roguefort Quiche
Some kind of savory pancake baked in a dish with layer upon layer of cheese
Creme Brulee.

Whew! It was quite a meal. That meal coupled with some cider and I felt like doing nothing more than sitting and people-watching on the cobblestone sidewalks.
But! It was time for the Notre Dame. The cathedral is quite impressive. We didn't go inside, but we got some neat pictures.

We grabbed some spots on a double-decker bus and went off to tour the city. We saw the Musee de Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Champ De Mars, Galeries LaFayette, Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe, and Tour Eiffel.

Each of the sites were astounding. Just the shear size of the city and the intricate architecture is remarkable.

On the tour, I sat next to a Dutch lady who explained to me as we passed the Louvre that a large protest had taken place in the city today. It did not occur to me that today, May 8, is the anniversary of World War II VE Day for Europe. Sixty-six years ago, Germany was forced to an unconditional surrender and all combat ceased in Europe. Many shops were closed, people were celebrating, and like my new acquaintance told me, there were also protest. Apparently fascist enthusiasts had rallied in Paris and according to my Dutch friend, any talk or exhibition of Nazi pride is strictly prohibited. AfWhen the bus made a stop at the Louvre, anti-Fascists were making their presence known.

Seeing the Arce de Triomphe made me remember the incredible photo of the American troops marching down Avenue des Champs Elyees after the liberation of Paris in 1944. Unbelievable.

When we rounded a corner and I finally saw the Eiffel Tower I was surprised at its size and the intensity of the colossal structure. It was one of those surreal moments when I was thinking, "is this really happening to me?"

We walked a mile with our bags to the apartment we rented in Marais (a district in Paris known for its friendliness towards the LGBT community. Not why we chose it but still...it's an interesting thing to point out)
I have to give a shout out to my beautiful mother who had the idea to use Air Bed and Breakfast, an awesome online service where you can rent rooms/mudhouses/igloos/treehouses from real people for extremely great prices. We love our apartment and the renter is super sweet- she stocked the fridge with Perrier and we can use her computer, DVDs (Forest Gump in French, anyone?) and I can even play her guitar!

Mom and I went out for a walk around Marais and found yet another pastry shop (and a dress shop...where I shot my wad) . We bought apple pastries, a pistachio croissant, and pain au chocolat ... oh my goodness. YUM.
I have tasted many delicious foods in my life (sweet potato pie! Homeland Creamery butter pecan! Cheerwine!) but I've never tasted such a selection of delicious foods like I have in Europe...especially Paris.

For supper I had Macadamia vanilla ice cream, a little of each pastry that we bought at the shop, and a glass of sweet wine. Yep. That's my kind of meal.

I'm about to go to bed but today has been so wonderful. I wish we could stay in Paris longer...there's so much to see and so many croissants to eat!

Tomorrow we're visiting the Louvre. I'm going to try an idea I heard about...setting my iPod to shuffle and skipping each time I move to a different exhibit. Gaga + Mona = parfait

View on my run this morning:

My first course:

Notre Dame:

Arc de Triomphe