We tried getting into the Galleria Borghese (it has my fave Bernini and Rodin sculptures), but...it was booked til Saturday, SO we made a detour into Piazza Del Popolo! I'd never heard of it either, but it had a bunch of fun shops and quaint cafes! This is were the birth of Jenna and I's "Roma Pants" took place and we'd be lost without them... who am I without my Roma pants and hat? Looking back at the pics, I promise I did wash my hair! I just loved that hat too much to not wear it EVERDAY in Rome! I mean, look at that priceless fashion combination!
Not sure if Provo, Utah will embrace this as much as the Italians, but THEY WILL LEARN! Our next adventure took place at the iconic Colosseum, which ended up being our favorite site in Rome... probably for the fun photo opts :) Its amazing to think how old it is and STILL standing! I kept think of all the gladiators, so naturally I had to prove my strength as well ;) HULK OUT!
Now, I know I'm not alone in this...but what is the first thing you think when you hear: Roman warrior... Hercules right? Well ME TOO! If Disney were to make another musical, it NEEDS to be Hercules! Just picture it...the Muses would rock it, and I know just the girls who could fit the bill :)
After the Colosseum, we called it an early night since we needed to be up a 3am for a flight to Paris ( not before we had dinner at pizzeria with a flirty Italian waiter, who thought he could get 3 new girlfriends after dessert- Charlotte's taken mister!) and said Ciao to Rome! It was amazing and we will miss its rustic beauty, ancient ruins, and tasty treats! Trevi Fountain said we'd return, so see you soon, Roma!
Now we fly over to the City of Lights for a whirlwind of profoundly poetic moments, where having a lover would've make the whole experience EVEN BETTER! (To my future husband... we will be going to Paris, ok? Love you! XOXOXO) Not saying that it wasn't awesome for lack of a man, because it was a DREAM! Like, really... we were half awake on the train ride to our hostel after landing and in meltdown mode! "I JUST WANT A BAGUETTE!!! Why is there karaoke on the train?!" Food does wonders people, because after lunch we were ready to take on the city! I about peed myself when we got to our 1st Parisian stop...Opera Gariner! (aka Paris Opera House where PHANTOM OF THE OPERA LIVES! Yes...I said that in present tense, what of it?!) I've read the book, seen the musical, watched the movies and know my Phantom facts! How can I pass up an opportunity to Masquerade down the infamous staircase?!
I even got to peek into Box 5 where the Opera Ghost views each performance :D GEEKING OUT HARDCORE! No shame :) I couldn't find a trap door into the labyrinth, but I will next time I come back! We then trekked over the the most iconic site in Paris...La Tower Eiffel! After a customary crepe to official initiate us into France, we made the long hike of 669 step to the top! And guess what happen... it started POURING RAIN!!! Did you know that the high you get in the sky, the more intense the rain is? Talk about sensory overload! How flippin' romantic! It was too awesome to fathom the first 2 flights, but once we stopped feeling our feet, reality sank in (along with the water sinking into our shoes! WOOT!)
After getting down, we took a recommendation from a friendly French writer we met on the bus and went to dinner at The Champ de Mars restaurant (mostly because after seeing French onion soup & Creme Brulee on the menu, I was sold!) ... were I got a FRENCH KISS! *Gasp!* Let me 'splain... after being seated, our waiter came to take our order (he was the perfect looking Frenchman... naturally!) and teased how he should kiss me before soup! I giggle and agreed, but little did I know he was an inch from my face when next I turned and SMACK! He held up his bargain! Jenna caught the after math! If that isn't the best way to end a 1st day in Paris I DONT KNOW WHAT IS! ;)
Our 2nd day in Paris (May 31st/ Friday/ Day 25) had a slow start after walking home in the rain and passing out from pure exhaustion the night before! We watched French soap operas while getting ready- it was hilarious adding our own commentary! "NOOO! I love you for finding my long lost sister and banishing my horrid brother for stealing my husband's inheritance, not because you have the face of a Grecian god!" Good times :) With less rain, we made a bigger trail around the city, starting at the Arc de Triumph! It was another set of hefty stairs, but my Herculean legs don't mind!
Next on our list was the infamous Louvre, where I got to play tour guide in explaining all the mythology behind famous works like the Venus de Milo and Pysche & Cupid before Mona Lisa made her appearance... We've mastered her secret smile, right??
She's not as big in person as I thought, but still... what IS she smirking about? One of life's questions we'll never know *sigh*! Onward we went though! We got stopped on the way to Notre Dame when we saw original paintings of Paris by student artists for super cheap! How could you pass up that deal?! I wish I could paint so bad, but my hand are useless! Lies- they do what they need to, but spaz out if you put a pen, paint brush, or piano keys in them! One day I will muster up the patience to master them, but for now, I'll help an aspiring artist :) So Notre Dame ended up surprising me more than I thought it would... it was MAGNIFICENT. We walked in while the organist was practicing and quietly sat for awhile taking in the beauty of the cathedral. Wow... when I opened my eyes after saying a little thank you prayer, I was overwhelmed by how awe inspiring it all was!
There was no Hunchback of Notre Dame to lead us to the Bell Towers (even after singing "God Help the Outcast" to myself) , so we made our way to the Latin Quarter where we bumped into another group of girls from our study abroad! Small world! Of all the thousands of people in Paris, we find a our fellow classmates! Bless them for telling us about ice cream caramel crepes...they are life changing!
With it being our last full night in Paris, we couldn't pass up the chance to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, so taking the advice of our French writer friend when asked what was the #1 thing to do in Paris, we walked along the River Seine at sunset :) Holy Poetic!!! If you take one walk in your life, do it from the Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower during a spring sunset!
Especially if there are a lot of river cruises passing by, because then you can wave enthusiastically and shout random French phrases at them like "Je T'aime!"... they eat it up! By the time we found the perfect spot to camp out for the lights, we were VERY slap happy (for those of you who know what I'm like when I'm tired and get like this... multiple it by 10!) and anxious for the show to start! IT was my favorite part of the whole Travel week :) Like the little girls that we are, we screamed with delight when the Eiffel lit up! Nice hat, Jenna ;)
Our final day in Paris (June 1st/ Day 26) brought us to the most extravagant palace in all of Europe... VERSAILLES! Oooo Ahhh! Walking up to it was blinding... literally. I've never seen so much gold in my entire life! It was all over the roof, gates, beds, walls, chandeliers, mirrors, and ground! I'll be the first to admit that I like sparkles, but even I was overwhelmed! What I would give to live a day in that palace...maybe Marie Antoinette would be there! LET THEM EAT CAKE!
After hearing how amazing Montmartre was from the other girls, we took a train to the stop at Moulin Rouge as our final excursion in Paris before flying to London that night. I had "Elephant Love Medley" stuck in my head and did a little can-can dance when we stepped out of the metro station and saw the big red windmill!
Next to the Sunset walk along the Seine, walking around Montmartre was my 2nd favorite part of our travel week, because it was so uniquely French everywhere I turned! Boutiques were classy and bohemian, the cafes looked like cottages, the street artists had dreadlocks and charming smiles, and an accordion could be heard on every other corner :) I mean, how French does that look!
Turning the final corner, we saw the beautiful Sacre Coeur Bascilica overlooking the entire city...it was breath taking! And with the sun finally shining, it was the prettiest way to end our time in Paris :) But not until we had one final crepe to send us on our way to the airport! It totally was worth it... in the words of Anastasia "Paris holds the key to my heart!"
After an hour delay on our flight home (due to a bird getting sucked in the engine... thank you pilot for noticing!) we made it safely back to our cozy Hyde Park flat in London just around midnight! Any later and we would've turned into pumpkins, but luckily this dream won't fade from my memory anytime soon :) I can easily say that Travel Week was the most overwhelming and exciting week of my life, and I wouldn't trade it for any Roma Pants or Frenchman's kisses ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment