Paris, France

For the second to the last weekend in Europe, I went to Paris for three days!

I had been to Paris before (more than two years ago), but it was just for three days in hot, steaming weather with swarming tourists everywhere- also in my memories Parisiens weren't not very nice to strangers, so it's kinda true I haven't been really fond of Paris (the best part of trip in France mostly took place in the Southern region, especially Aix-en-Provence). 

Anyways, preparing the trip to Paris was a lot easier than that for Milano, because I could stay in my friend's place in Porte d'Orleans and only had to worry about buying the train tickets. Also it turned out TGV is much more comfortable than the ordinary international trains so the traveling part was overall very relaxing and comfortable. :D (By the way, TGV = train a grande vit.. what an honest coinage..)

I was seeing my friend, J.S., in Paris in almost seven years so I was very excited to meet her, and was curious about how she was doing. She was living on her own in a considerably large apartment but she seemed to keep it all very well! If I had lived in a house of that size by myself, it would never be kept clean as she manages to do so haha. She was also a true bilingual of Korean and French so she could help me out with many things, such as buying 3-day transportation pass, ordering food at restaurants, and finding ways to places in the city.

I took the TGV in 8 in the morning on Friday, which was the last day of November. The weather was really bizarre- in Lausanne there wasn't any hint of snow, but as the train approached the Eastern region of France the whole world was covered white. And the snow completely disappeared altogether after Dijon. It took about three and a half hours to Paris nonstop, so my friend and I first went to a creperie in Odeon after reuniting at Gare de Lyon.

in Vallorbe.

Creperie! with cidre de pomme :)

Delicious crepes! Mine had potatoes, sausages and onions inside while my friend's had more cheese inside.

After late lunch we went to Notre Dame cathedral, which was close by. The cathedral was celebrating its 850th anniversary in 2013 so there were some constructions for the celebration going on outside the building. I was still carrying my luggage, and the staff in the cathedral told us luggages are not allowed inside. So I looked around the cathedral on my own while my friend watched over my bags outside. (T______T) 

We also dropped by Fontaine St. Michel and went home via bus. It was around 3pm-4pm by the time we got home and I was already beginning to feel tired from the long train ride, so I just stayed in for the first night and planned the trip for the next day (which I had been postponing until the last minute... lol)

I love taking pics of candles in cathedrals... :) :)

Fontaine St. Michel.

*

According to my last minute scheduling, the plan  for Saturday was (1) Montparnasse/Lafayette (2) Invalides (3) Champs-Elysées Christmas market (4) Place de la Concorde (5) Jardin des Tuileries (6) Musée de l"Orangerie (7) Place Vendôme (8) Palais Garnier (9) Montmartre (10) Monge Pharmacie. Then around 6pm I would meet my friend back in Odeon by the time she finishes her classes, have dinner, and come back home! :)

Long story short, I had to abandon Montmartre by the time I got to Palais Garnier because the sun was setting soon and the weather was starting to get freezing. Also I failed to visit inside Garnier just because I arrived only five minutes late for the closure! :P 

Orangerie museum was undoubtedly great, but Invalides had definitely defied my expectations- I had heard there's nothing to see of it except the tomb of Napoleon, but I loved the place itself as it is- strolling in the grass field in front of Invalides on a sunny winter day, with Tour de Eiffel on my left and Grand Palais in front me, was really refreshing.

Lafayette at Montparnasse. Wasn't going to buy anything but it was a good eye-candy. :)

Invalides!

<3

Grand Palais...

..and Petit Palais right across.

Champs-Elysées Christmas market! <3

Food court.

Place de la Concorde.

Ferrywheel in the plaza. 10 euros for a ride (-_____-)

Best shot!!

Orangerie. I loved the two round rooms with Monet's water lily paintings as well, but was literally struck by Chaim Soutine exhibition. I never knew that drawings can be that shocking and resonating!

100-yr-old patisserie Angelina on Rue de Rivoli, next to Louvre Museum.
Lined up for half an hour just to pick these up..

Le Mont-Blanc. The Best.

Place Vendôme.

Palais Garnier (Paris Opéra.)

Cafe de la Paix, next to Garnier, where Emile Zola and Guy de Maupassant used to hang around!
Wanted to get a coffee or something here but a cup of coffee was 8 euros.. wth

At Monge Pharmacie, where all the Korean tourists go for cosmetics shopping.
It was worth the trip because everything was so cheap! Even the French staffs could all speak Korean..
I got the most typical items- Caudalie lip balms, Nuxe oil, Darphin creams, and Klorane shampoo. :D

At a French resturant, in St.-Germain-des-Prés.
Appetizers!

Main dishes. The leg of lamb was amazingggg.

Arc de Triomphe.

Pina Colada at l'Atelier Renault.

The light decorations for this winter season!

Probably my favorite among all the Christmas market food: tartiflette!
Cheese sauce+potatoes+onions+sausages. My favorite ingredients all in one pot..

*

The next day (Sunday) was a museum day- because on the first Sunday of each month, all the museums in Paris are free! (except few short-term exhibitions) The plan was (1) Musée d'Orsay (2) Musée du Louvre (3) Centre Pompidou. But by the time I finished looking around Orsay museum, I realized it was such an impossible plan. Also all the people/tourists were headed for the museums so I had to wait in long lines for every exhibition.

So I made a compromise and went to only (1) and (3), skipping Louvre. It was a pity, but as I watched people rush towards Louvre from Jardin des Tuileries, I kinda got the feeling that when I go in Louvre I will never be able to escape it. LOL

Orsay.

So many people in line- I had to wait about thirty minutes just to get in.

:)

A bridge in front of Orsay. The couples hang their lock on the fence and throw the key away in the river!

Relaxing my tired legs...
At Jardin des Tuileries.

Christmas market... again!

Christmas goodiessss

Centre Pompidou!

The man on the left was blowing humongous bubbles and kids ran around to catch them.

Geez, look at that line...

Sunset <3

Waiting for Dali exhibition. sho excitedddd

"Je suis, chaque matin, le premier espagnol qui touche le soleil." - Salvador Dali.

Frankly saying, the works of Dali were shocking, not in the sense I felt for Soutine's works, but more of negative sense.
His works were even overtly obscene and the films showing his performance arts were often repulsive. I had only vaguely thought Dali was a genius surrealist artist and knew many people like him, but I thought I must have disliked Dali if I knew him personally in real life...

Tour de Eiffel.

The modern works exhibition. The stuff in small sacks was spices.

Amorino, a famous gelato/chocolate store in front of Pompidou.
It was way too cold for gelato so I had a cup of dark chocolat chaud :) :)

The way back from Paris to Lausanne the next morning.
It was snowing too much near the French-Swiss border so the train had to stop for an hour in the middle of nowhere...
I set off from Paris at 8am and was supposed to arrive before twelve, but it was almost 1:30pm when I got safely at home.

*

Paris, in short, was amazing. Personally, Paris in winter was wayyy better Paris in summer! 

People used to tell me it's a pity I am in Europe when it is too cold and when all the flowers are gone, but I love Europe with snow and fewer tourists as well. I wholeheartedly agree with what Hemingway once said, that Paris is a moveable feast. Paris itself really is one huge party for all the dwellers and visitors and there is so much to discover in the city. 

I wish I could later come back to Paris, only Paris, for a considerably long period of time to discover all its charms. Will I have any chance later in my life to come back here? :)