 |
| Giverny |
We left off last time on Friday night, having gotten home after a wonderful night out. I decided to do Paris in two separate posts, because I think that makes it more manageable to read. Alright, so Saturday morning we woke up very early. Chuma had decided to take us to Normandy for the day! We left around 8:30am and drove about an hour to Giverny. This is the town where Monet built his house and famous water lily garden complex. The gardens were beautiful! All of the flowers were so bright and interestingly colored. You could really see all of the planning that went into creating this garden. The water lilies weren’t alive when we went, I guess they were still thawing from winter, but it was still wonderful. We got to walk through Monet’s home, where he created amazing large windows to always view his garden. His walls were covered in Japanese prints, and I overheard some British ladies pondering this. Japanese prints and artworks were a major inspiration for impressionism and for artists like Monet and Degas, so it was great to see his collection.
 |
| Monet's House |
We had to leave Monet’s garden and home quickly however, as Chuma wanted us to get to Le Havre by 1pm so that we could eat “the best crepes in the world”, according to Chuma at least. And they were. We had a galette to start, which is a crispy savory crepe made out of a heavier wheat product, and then we had sweet crepes. I got a savory galette called the Complete Mixte that had ham, cheese, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a fried egg. It was absolutely delicious. The galette batter is so well suited to the savory flavors. Then I had a sweet crepe named La Snickers, which was crepe with nutella, chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and vanilla crème sauce. It was insanely indulgent. Along with the meal we got hard cider, which is apparently what you’re supposed to have crepes with.
 |
| Yellow fields in Normandy |
 |
| Galette |
 |
| La Snickers |
After lunch we headed out to Etretat, a seaside town that was also made famous by impressionist paintings. This was a resort town for late 19
th century to early 20
th century Parisians. It’s easy to see why this place attracted so many people and artists. The ‘beach’, which I place in quotes because it’s made up on small pebbles, not sand, is surrounded by high, white cliffs. These cliffs are the same as the White cliffs of Dover, as once upon a time, Etretat was connected to the British Isles. The place is easily recognizable through these cliffs and the arches that are articulated along their base. Monet loved to paint these. On top of the cliffs are beautiful green grassy lawns, and on one, a church. It was stunning! It may be the most beautiful and unusual landscape I have ever seen. The blue of the ocean contrasts with the white cliffs and the green grassy areas so exquisitely. The town along this beach is no less aesthetically pleasing. Many of the buildings are in the old Norman style with white plaster walls and dark brown beams.
 |
| Etretat |
Sofia, myself, and her family all climbed to the top of one of the cliffs and enjoyed the view, even though it was quite chilly and windy. Once we had enough, we climbed back down and drove to the seaside town of Honfleur (the location where Cartier left to discover Canada), where once again Chuma treated us all to an amazing meal. This time, however, it was seafood. I was polite and very understated about my dislike for seafood, and got a great plate of veal and pasta. However, once everyone else got their seafood, being polite and understated became very difficult. Sofia and her aunt shared an ENORMOUS pile of crab, lobster, shrimp, snails, and oysters. It was on a stand, placing directly at my eye and nose level. After that came out, honestly I had a little bit of trouble enjoying my own meal. With each bite, the smell of their seafood would waft into my nose, making my delicious veal taste like a pile of shrimp. I never mentioned this and tried to enjoy my food quietly, but by then Sofia had already told her family that I didn’t like any seafood, and the playful taunts began. Ah well, it was a fun evening in Normandy.
 |
| View from the cliffs |
 |
| It was windy |
 |
| Honfleur |
 |
| My veal! |
The next day, Sunday, we tried to get up early, but failed miserably. This meant that we missed a Gregorian chant mass at Notre Dame, but we needed the sleep. Sofia and I decided to walk to Notre Dame from the apartment; it was a beautiful sunny day. We made a quick stop at Les Invalides, which was an hospital for war veterans, and now houses the body of Napoleon. It is a beautiful structure, and we didn’t want to pay for entrance to Napoleon’s tomb, so we just walked around the place. After that we made our way to Notre Dame, which was stunning and moving as usual. The rose windows with the candles and the music always get me. I really felt like I was in a holy, spiritually potent place. Sofia and I sat for a bit on a pew, admiring the beauty, and just taking a moment to get away from the tourist mentality.
 |
| Me and Notre Dame |
We left Notre Dame feeling refreshed and happy. Grabbing a nice lunch at a place that Chuma had recommended called Brioche Doree, I got a ham and cheese baguette sandwich with a raspberry tart and an espresso. From there, Sofia and I made our way to La Cimitere Pere Lachaise, which is the most famous and beautiful cemetery in Paris. We saw the graves of Georges Bizet (writer/composer of the opera Carmen), Jim Morrison (of The Doors), Chopin, Champollion (the man who first translated hieroglyphics via the Rosetta stone), Ingres, Gericault, Jacques Louis David, (all painters), and Oscar Wilde. Oscar Wilde’s grave was easily the best. Being the most popular to visit, the large tomb monument has developed its own traditions. It is covered with lipstick kisses from visitors, along with graffiti; some of it is moving and meaningful, and some not. People have also left flowers, pictures, necklaces, and all sorts of trinkets. While visiting his grave, I wondered what he would think of all of it.
 |
| Oscar's Grave |
We stayed in the cemetery for about 2 and a half hours, and left only because it was closing. There are so many beautiful tombs and interesting people to visit. After we left, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to sketch it. We got there, sat down on a bench, but ended up chatting the whole time, not realizing how late it was. We didn’t get around to sketching, but it was still a great time. We walked back to the apartment from there, having another lovely homemade meal, and calling it a night.
Our LAST day in Paris was Monday the 11th. Today was Louvre day! We got up early and headed out as soon as we could. Naturally the Louvre was fantastic. Could it be otherwise? We saw almost everything that we had studied the previous semester in 19th Century art. We saw the Raft of the Medusa, The Odalisque, The Coronation of Napoleon, The Oath of the Horatti, and many others. We went through the Egyptian section, and the Greco-Roman section as well, so we saw the Venus de Milo and Nike of Samothrace (a personal favorite). Naturally we elbowed, clawed, and fought our way to see the Mona Lisa, who was enigmatic and lovely as always. And making myself, and especially Sofia very happy, we saw the Death of Marat, her favorite painting. We spent about 4 hours in the whole place, and did very well I think. It’s hard to discuss further via text and blog…I’d have to speak to you in person if you want to hear a more detailed account of my love for the Louvre.
After the Louvre we rushed to the train station to try to reserve seats for our intended train that night. It was a mistake to wait until the day of. We had been planning on going to Nice or Cannes (the French Riviera) for a day and then going to Italy , but every single train had been booked. The only thing to do was to take a train the next morning to Florence, and try to do the French Riviera later in our travels. Disappointing, but c’est la vie.
So we headed home quickly to register for classes for the fall, as our appointment times were that day at 3:30. We got back to the apartment at 3:29, and registered successfully. I am taking Organic Chemistry Lecture, Organic Chemistry Lab, Arabia Imagined, African Dance, Introduction to Drawing, and Intro to Connoisseurship. I’m excited for some….and not so much for others.
Following registration, we chilled at the apartment and helped Rosi make our awesome dinner. We had arepas, a traditional Venezuelan dish. They’re basically very thick tortillas that are baked, and then cut open like a pita to make a pocket, and then you put chicken and guacamole and cheese or cold cuts and cheese in them. They were excellent! Then we had ice cream and pastries for dessert, said farewell to Marco, Gabi, and Antonio who had joined us for dinner, packed, and went to bed. Before doing so, I made sure to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at least one more time. Paris had been amazing, and I knew I would miss it. Part of me has decided that I will live in Paris at one time in my life, hopefully working for my beloved Louvre. I’ll try to blog more frequently about Italy. Au revoir et a Bientot!
 |
| Me and Sofia near the Eiffel Tower |
No comments:
Post a Comment