Versailles

We spent a day at Versailles, and while there, I attempted to pick up information about the town for one of my students. The most important feature of the town, however, is the chateau and its immense grounds. Only one of the fountains was running (too cold still), but flowers were already beginning to bud, some even to bloom. We waited nearly an hour in line to get tickets, with both of us commenting that the line must be interminable during the spring and summer! February is definitely the time of year to travel. The opulence of the chateau is staggering, but when we visited the Louvre later, we commented that its grandeur was just as amazing.

Louvre

You can't go to Paris and not visit the Louvre.
After viewing
the Mona Lisa and the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo, we went through a mere fraction of the Egyptian exhibit (which I had never seen). Once again, we got lost. The immensity of this building is overwhelming. They say that if you were to look at each piece of art or artifact for one minute only, it would take you 36 years to complete your tour!!!! We were only there for about three hours on Wednesday evening when the museum is open until 9:45 pm.

Food

France is known for its gourmet food, and we experienced this is in a myriad of ways. On the first day, I sampled a crepe from a street vendor. As expected, it was delicious. Twice, we ate at a Moroccan restaurant down the street from the hotel: I was able to sample tajines and couscous once again. At Chez Jenny, we had a meal typical of Alsace: French onion soup and Flammenkuche. One night we ate at Hippopotamus, a chain not unlike our Applebees. Their specialty is beef, and I had a steak cooked to perfection. But one of our favorite treats was to order "un sandwich grec" which was what I had come to know in Germany as a doner. It consists of a pocket bread (like a pita, only the bread is much thicker) filled with shaved meat and vegetables and a white garlic sauce. Wonderful and cheap! This sandwich with a tray full of fries and a soft drink was only 5-6 euros.

The Metro

One of the places I insisted Michael see was the Abbesses Metro Station. Located in Montmartre, the walls lining the stairs have traditionally been covered with original paintings that dazzle the eye and make the hike either up or down the stairs worth the trip. During my last trip, I was discouraged to note that the paintings had been damaged by graffiti. But this time, I was even more distressed to discover that the paintings have been replaced by photographic murals of Montmartre. Not that they aren't lovely, but it is such a loss! Still, this station boasts one of the two Metro stations that retain the glass cover at the entrance. So it was still special.

This system of transport is so accessible, relatively inexpensive and very efficient. We used it to get everywhere, and we never had to wait more than five minutes for a train.

Paris

Welcome to Paris! I just returned from a week with my (and this is exciting) fiance! Yes, we are engaged!

The Eiffel Tower has been associated with Paris since its construction for the World's Fair in 1889 (the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution), but for me, it will now be the place where Michael proposed to me on February 28th... in French. Comme c'est romantique!