Parents' Visit

I got to play tour guide last week! My parents were in town from Saturday until Saturday, although I flew the coop on Friday for Madrid. It was so fun to have them in town though, and I made sure that they made the most of their time in the city of light.

The first day they were here, they took a mini tour of my life. We saw my apartment on Avenue Daumesnil, and we took the metro up to school so they could see where I sometimes have to go for class. They were a little surprised that the web camera is not an optical illusion that shrinks everything, but that my apartment actually is as small as it seemed on skype. That night, we had dinner in Châtelet, a riverside right bank district near Nôtre Dame. After that, we walked around St. Michel (straight across the river from Nôtre Dame). It was a beautiful night and a great intro to Paris. We saw lots of performers, a man dancing in the midst of crackling fireworks, and a drunk being dragged into the police station by Gendarmes. Good times!

The next morning/afternoon (they were tired!) I picked up a baguette, some Camembert, 1/4 kg of spiced olives, and some very plain but good white wine for a picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens. That was a good plan. You can't go wrong when half of Paris is doing the same thing. We sat for a little while and appreciated the flowers and fountains, systematically devouring our snacks. After the park, we checked by my Irish bar in Odéon, which was not open. Dejected, we went to see the Arc de Triomph to cheer us up. Then we went for a stroll and a snack on the Champs Elysées. That was neat, but it was time to start the journy to Pont d'Alma, where our boat tour was launching from! On our way, we stopped by Trocadero Place for the best view of the Eiffel Tower. Then we walked down the Seine to our tour boat. The tour was beautifiul; the sun had completely set by the end. Our finale was the on the hour disco-ball-esque explosion of sparkles on the Eiffel. I got better pictures this time! Then it was to bed early, because we were going to be up at 6 to catch our very very dependable shuttlebus.

I stayed with the parents that night since there was no other way I could be at their hotel at 6. Besdies, the Pavillon de la Reine is a top-notch hotel, and now I can say that I slept there. After a brief room-service breakfast, we embarked with our tour guide (whose name was not Michel) to Reims, our first stop and home to a fantastic Cathedral and many champagne labels. We took a tour of Mumm, which was very cool. So much goes into the production of Champagne that I didn't know about. There were 25 million bottles of champagne in those cellars too!! We even got to see the remueurs in action, whose job it is to give a quarter or a 1/6 turn to a batch of bottles. They seriously turn bottles for hours, and they do it really fast! The Cathedral at Reims was really cool, maybe cooler than Nôtre Dame. It had great stained glass and a high high nave. Then we went to Epernay, where we had lunch and toured Moët et Chandon, where Dom Perignon is made. Also very cool, although we heard a lot of the same stuff. But at this one, Napoleon was a frequent visitor. It was very cool to think he had walked the same cellars that I was walking.

Then we were done with the tour. And the guide was not back with the car. Very dependable and trustworthy guide rolled back in about an hour and forty-five minutes later, to a cold reception. It's okay though, because the Champagne people let us sit in the Garden where Napoleon and a bunch of kings used to hang out. And they gave us Apricot juice! I would have preferred champagne, but it was a very nice gesture. Our last brief stop was at Châtillon-sur-Marne, where one finds the best panoramic view of Epernay and the surrounds. When we got back into Paris, I had to meet to finish a group project, and then it was off to bed for me.

On Tuesday, we saw Sainte Chappelle. It is an amazing treasure tucked away inside the perimeter of the Ministry of Justice. The interior is just stunning. The lower chapel has really nice restored painted columns and wall art. The upper chapel takes the cake, though. The stained glass is just overwhelming, coating almost the entire wall. It is quite a sight, and one that must be appreciated in person. Definitely a must for anyone visiting Paris. After that, I took my Parents to the area around the Paris Opera for some serious shopping at Galeries Lafayette, the world's first department store. After a little rest, we met for dinner Tuesday at Bistrot Paul Bert. It was a little on the...French side. I'm talking terrine of rabbit, cow cheek, and even cow tongue salad. (?!). Okay, we stepped outside of our comfort zones. Check that off the list.

On Wednesday, I had class all day (1:15-8:00). I only have 3 breaks of 15 minutes in there, so after that I'm usually ready for a beer at the school bar. But instead, I took my parents to my Irish bar (which was open this time!). We had a round of beer, and watched the spectacle that is "blind test night." Here's how it works: a song is played, and the first one to write it down and give it to the bartender gets a free shot. As you can imagine, this can get a little rowdy. It was actually rather tame on this particular occasion, so that's good. During the day they visited the Louvre, and strolled down a street that makes the Champs Elysées look like Shop n' Save. I think they had fun, my mom bought a Longchamp keychain! I like it.

Thursday was my last day with my parents since I headed out for Madrid on Friday morning very early. I had class from 9:00 until 12:00, but after that I met them at their hotel. My mom had found this cool jewelry boutique. Everything was made by hand right there. She found a ring that she liked and got my sister a little something too. It was really cool stuff. Then we went to see the Musée de l'Orangerie, where the huge Monets are housed, along with an impressionist and post-impressionist collection. A pleasant walk through the Tuileries got us there. After that, we walked down the Seine for a little bit. Then it was back to the hotel, where I took an accidental nap.

To cap off our experience, my parents had chosen this restaurant near the Arc de Triomph. It was AMAZING. This place was nice. They served an amuse bouche that was bascially a shot glass of liquidy foie gras with mushroom foam (looked like dish soap bubbles, tasted like sautéed forest mushrooms). It was really good actually. My Dad had a scallop appetizer that looked really good. My Mom had sea bass, I had a whole fish that was breaded, and my dad had a lamb chop I think. Everything was great, and my Dad chose a white burgandy to go with our meal. Dessert was crazy too! Aside from being really good, everything was covered in gold powder/flakes. GOLD! It was crazy, spoons, plates, desserts themselves, sparkling gold. Crazy. A great over-the-top way to celebrate a great trip.

I had a wonderful time with my parents, and I think they really enjoyed themselves too. I had to leave Friday morning, but I'm sure they found something fun or relaxing to do. Maybe some more shopping? That's my guess. I'm just sad they couldn't stay longer!

Once again, I am having issues with the pictures, but they will be up as soon as I can get them up. I might be going to the Paris Autoshow today. Not sure yet, but we'll see. ;-)

Fountain in Jardin du Luxembourg:


Eiffel tower sparkling while lit "EU Blue" (It sparkles on every hour for 5-10 minutes):

Interior of the Cathedral at Reims (It has a higher nave than Nôtre Dame):


Exterior of the Cathedral at Reims:



Magnums of Cordon Rouge aging in the cellars of G.H. Mumm:


Monsieur Perignon in front of Moët et Chandon, admiring his creation:


Mom and Dad standing on the hill in the village of Chatillon sur Marne, with an astounding view of the Champagne region behind:


Beautifully restored interior of the Lower Chapel of Sainte Chapelle, across from Nôtre Dame, nestled within the Ministry of Justice:

The breathtaking stained glass found in the upper chapel of Sainte Chapelle. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it gives you an idea: