Mar 17, 2010

Paris, France

"Bonjour" I say, with a mouth full of croissant...

Last year on my Spring Break, my mom took me and my sister to London, then PARIS! Can you believe it?!? I think it is every girl’s dream to visit these  popular destinations, and I felt so lucky to see these spectacular cities.

An Introduction to Paris

On our first day, we went on the Fat Tire Bike Tour of Paris. Our tour guide, Mike, was another fabulous guide, being friendly and full of information. You usually meet at the South leg of the Eiffel Tower, then, after introductions with your guide,  you walk to the bike shop from there. On our bike trip, we saw the Eiffel Tower (of course!), the Louvre Museum,  Napoleon’s tomb, Napoleon’s military school, major bridges and intersections, and the Musee de Orsay. For everyone planning a trip to France, Fat Tire Bike Tours is highly recommended. And this one gave us an overview–so we could figure out where we wanted to go next.

TIP: Fat Tire Bike Tours is a pretty relaxed company. So don’t be shocked if the meeting destination is a little vague or unclear. Don’t worry. You’ll eventually find them!

The Louvre

One of the days, we dedicated the whole day to seeing the Louvre Museum. The Louvre is one of the most famous (and largest) museum in the world, probably due to the famous and well known artifacts is holds inside. Historical items such as the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and ancient artifacts–sometimes whole sections of buildings!!–from Egypt are just a small amount to what lies inside. You will not be able to see everything, even in one whole day. So plan your visit ahead of time. Know what you really want to see before you go. Here’s a picture of us on our bike tour, checking it out…

Bike Tour to Versailles

Another one of my favorite spots in France is now Versailles, the home of Marie Antoinette and King Louie XVI. Again, we took a Fat Tire Bike Tour, but first had to hop onto a train… with our bikes! Let’s just say that it was a quite stressful, but memorable experience. After getting off the train, we made our way to a cute market that has been there for about 200 years. This was the time to buy your lunch; gourmet cheeses, french bread, and fabulous fruit landed in our bags. I could not wait for lunch!

After our little break, we went to the man-made lake, where Antoinette loved to spend her days. We biked to the very end of the lake, then stopped to eat our awesome picnic at Marie Antoinette’s favorite lunch spot. What a perfect location on a beautiful day in France! Ahh… I wish I was still there now. Sadly, the trip to Versailles had to end sometime. So after a visit to the over-the-top fancy chateau, we got back on the crazy train with all our bikes, then headed back to our hotel for a good night’s rest. Wow, what a fantastic day!

During my visit to Paris, we also visited Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergie (a palace and prison), and Notre Dame. We attempted at waiting in line to climb the stairs of the tower of Notre Dame, but it was just too long of a wait. We settled for touring inside and walking around the perimeter.

Bon Appetit!

I have to admit, one of my favorite things about Paris is the fabulous food! Pastries, croissants, pastas, you name it! You load up on the carbs, but who cares? You walk/bike it off during the day, so you deserve it. Or, at least that’s what I told myself every time I shoved one of those freshly baked pastries into my mouth! Hee hee…

Paris, one of the most well known cities in the world, was an absolutely fabulous trip for me. So to wish you all happy travels, I’ll just end with one of the only French words I know… Au revoir! (That means goodbye, for those of you who are as lost as I am with the French language! )

Here’s a link to my mom’s report on Paris if your mom wants more info. You know…as you try to convince her to take YOU.

Been to France lately? Or maybe going pretty soon? I really wanna hear about it! Please leave a comment below.