I spent a wonderful weekend in Paris, which is only two hours away from Lyon by TGV. I hope to return many more times during my stay in France!
One of my Parisian friends, Maxime, gave me a grand tour of his city. Maxime and I met two years ago at a summer camp in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, a tiny French village on the outskirts of Disneyland.
We visited Paris’ art museums, where I could have spent my entire visit. The Musée d’Orsay was a gem; I loved the Monet and van Gogh collections. My favorite work, by far, was Degas’ Small Dancer Aged 14 sculpture.
I also found the Musée Rodin delightful. In addition to the sculpture gardens, I enjoyed the room dedicated to Camille Claudel, Rodin’s student-turned-mistress who won acclaim on her own terms for her art. Claudel’s tumultuous relationship with Rodin led to bouts of mental illness and her eventual demise.
Paris is the most beautiful city I have ever visited. I enjoyed just walking around, especially across the bridges lined with locks left by lovers. The Luxembourg Gardens, Paris’ Central Park, are also beautiful and must-see on a sunny day.
I especially loved the shopping! When you are in Paris, be sure to check out the many Sympa stores in Montmarte, which sell designer clothing for much less. The customers are aggressive, pushing and shoving their way to get at the boxes of beautiful clothing. The intensive shopping experience is well worth it; I walked away with four huge bags and only a slight dent in my wallet!
Exhausted by my intensive itinerary, my nights were not as exciting. On Friday night, I relaxed outside of a smoky, red café on the Champs-Élysées with Maxime and his friends. On Saturday, I headed to a bar near my hostel with Maxime, and a group of German friends we made that weekend!
I will be staying in Lyon next weekend. Tune in to read about my life with my host family and my adventures with my French friends!