My roommate Nora and I spent a leisurely week in Paris for our fall break from Tuesday-Saturday. And when I say leisurely, I mean as leisurely as a visit to a bustling European metropolis can be. We went to the Musee d’Orsay on Wednesday which was absolutely amazing. It was surreal to see the legendary images from fancy art books and television specials hanging delicately on the walls of the museum right before my eyes. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the museum had an exhibit on Ensor, a famous painter from Belgium with a quirky appreciation for skeletons. As you progressed through the exhibit, the colors got darker and the images more violent in a reflection of Ensor’s personal deterioration resulting from the death of his parents. My favorite part of the museum was the impressionist exhibit featuring gorgeous works by Renoir, Degas, and Monet. The Renoir pieces were absolutely breathtaking with the soft, blurred colors that highlighted dreamlike scenes from the 19th century.That night, we grabbed a casual dinner at a little restaurant near our hotel. Of course, we were hungry pretty early (around 6 in the evening) and the waitress was surprised when we actually wanted to order dinner so early. It is very rare to see someone eating dinner before 8 o’clock at night in Paris.
On Thursday, we made the journey up to the top of the Eiffel tower. It was absolutely incredible to get a 360-degree view and take in all of the beautiful sights! I saw the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre Dame all in one glance.
Next, we went to the outskirts of the city to check out the Roland Garros Tennis Stadium. The museum was closed for the day, but the stadium is in a gorgeous area right beside a beautiful green park, and we enjoyed perusing the gift shop.
That evening, our friend who is studying with us in Brussels unfortunately fell down the steps of the Paris metro and broke his foot. Our friends who were staying with him at a nearby hostel had to meet us and assist him with getting back to their room. As if navigating the maze of the Paris metro wasn’t difficult enough, when they got him to the hospital, only one or two people spoke English. He got crutches and a cast, so we will have to see how he fares for the rest of the trip!
The highlight of the trip came on Friday night when we got to see Anna and Amanda, two of my best friends from Furman. Anna is studying in Madrid, Spain, and Amanda is studying in Versailles, France. Both are doing language-focused study abroad programs and absolutely loving their experiences. I enjoyed hearing about their experiences, and swapping stories about European adventures. Nora and I noticed that they do not feel nearly as out of place as we do simply because they can speak the native languages. Clearly, this makes a significant difference in comfort level and acceptance.
While Paris is breathtakingly beautiful with its regal architecture, legendary artwork, and gorgeous river views, there are parts of the city that are astoundingly unattractive. Even during the week, the streets are pretty crowded with people who have no qualms about pushing you and walking directly into you. We definitely had to keep our guard up as we moved about the city. The part that bothered me the most was probably the homeless people on the streets. It wasn’t that I’m not used to poverty – there is plenty of it in the United States and Baltimore. It was awful that nearly every homeless person sleeping on the street had a dog with him. It was almost a guarantee. With each person that I came across in the metro or outside of a museum, I instantly looked for the poor animal that with him or her. As I walked to the grocery store one rainy afternoon, I looked down to find two of the cutest puppies that I have ever seen in my life, shivering in the cold…beside someone begging for money. It’s not that I don’t feel bad for the people, but I wonder how on earth these poor animals get dragged into these horrible lives. Why must they suffer, as well? Why do they have to be a part of the gimmick to make money on the street?
But I don’t want to dwell on the negative. We really did have a wonderful time relaxing and meeting up with friends in the beautiful city!
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