Europe Trip 2008 Day #5: A Paris Extravaganza

Today was a big day for Jenn and I, we had a lot to finish up in Paris before we leave tomorrow, and not necessarily all the time we would want to do it. I was talking to with Jenn on our way home from the Dinner Cruise last night and one of the things that both Jenn and I agreed on was that we would love to come back and stay in Paris for a week or two and actually take our time touring the city. There is far to much to do in Paris to get a great appreciation of it all in 3 days, but I have to say that we have done a great job of trying nonetheless.

The day started with Jenn and I heading to the Louvre which we hoped on the Tour Bus which we purchased a two day pass for and went on our way. The bus in Paris is just as slow as it was in London and that can be frustrating at times, especially when you are used to going 75mph on the freeway. We did manage to make it to the Louvre after a good hour on the bus and when we did we were both pleasantly surprised to see the outside not as jam packed as we had seen it in the recent days, with our Paris Pass we got to enter right away and we were off to see among other things the Mona Lisa. We got to the Mona Lisa, we saw it and then moved on, not a big deal in my book, although it is neat to see paintings and sculptures that I had studied in college. We didn't spend a ton of time at the pace many viewers were going it could take months to walk the entire place. For Jenn and I we took a little over an hour and a half and were on our way to the Notre Dame.

Standing Outside the Louvre

Jenn Next to one of the many statues

Me and the Mona Lisa

The Notre Dame was a neat stop and it was also here that Jenn and I realized how exhausted we really were. We got through walking the Notre Dame and Jenn asked if we wanted to walk up the Notre Dame to the top. We were told to go around the corner and wait in line, the line wasn't moving and looked like it was going to take hours. Jenn asked me if I wanted to do it and I immediately said lets move on and get something to eat. We headed to Champs-Elysees which is right next to the Arc de Triumph. We stopped for lunch and I can honestly say we had our best French meal so far this trip. I ordered a cheese pizza and I can honestly say it was one of the best I have ever tasted. I told Jenn it was possibly the best I had ever had and I still hold to that comment, it was amazing.

Inside the Notre DamIe

One of the best Cheese Pizza's Ever

We had a lot of other things we wanted to do, climb the Arc De Triumph for example, but when we got done with lunch we both were exhausted and went back to the Hotel and slept for a good 3+ hours. Our final stop for the evening came by way of a ballet. Yes I said it a ballet. Not really something I would normally go out of my way to do, but when Jenn brought the idea up a few months ago when we booked Paris it sounded like a great idea. The ballet was at the world famous Palais Garnier situated in the heart of Paris. The ballet was titled La Dame aux Camelias and what that means in English I really don't know.

Jenn on the stairs of the Palais Garnier

Our seats to me was probably the biggest excitement of the whole experience. If you have ever watched movies of some of the ritzy opera houses and how they have those private booths or areas with a few seats in the balcony for the elite, well that is what Jenn bought us, and boy was it an experience. Jenn had the front row seat from our balcony, and we were with only a few other people, two of them being American students. The room was such a treat to view the ballet from, we were dead center to the stage, and sound carried nicely. I am not one that would go out of there way to go see a ballet, I think I have seen 2-3 in my lifetime, but to see one in Paris was a treat. The show was really remarkable, at least the ending was when I started to figure out what was going on. Jenn was captivated from the opening of the curtains until the fifth curtain call. I have never seen such an ovation before, it got louder and louder, and the cast kept on coming out to bow, it was such a trip. The top of the experience for me was the orchestra, they were excellent, the sound was truly some of the best I have heard.

Inside the Palace Garnier

A View from Our Seats at the Stage

Having Some Champagne at Intermission

Jenn and I Inside Our Viewing Area

One of the far to many curtain calls

As you can see we went out of the gates gunning to do a lot today, but I think our bodies told us to do otherwise, and I can say now writing this post that the nap this afternoon was a huge help to get through the day. Tomorrow we are off to Roland Garros (site of the French Open) and then taking a flight to Rome to meet up with Jenn's parents to head for the cruise. What an amazing start to the trip, both Paris and London have been truly memorable, and I can only anticipate what the rest of the trip holds, it should be truly remarkable.