Paris | Days 1 & 2

We're back!  Well, we have been for almost 2 weeks, but, there are a million photos to go through and edit, and I spent at least a week trying to figure out what time it was.  Words cannot begin to describe our experience in Paris, and I'm beginning to think that photographs can't really either.  If you'll sit tight through my rambling, you will be rewarded with photos.  Promise.


Day 1
After planning for this trip for a year, it was difficult to believe it was here!  At our wedding, my parents gifted us with plane tickets to Paris for our 1st anniversary, so there are basically no words that will ever thank them enough for this opportunity. In the photos below, we're opening a framed photo of the Tour Eiffel that tells us we're going to Paris in a year.  My reaction is hilarious and I am so so so glad that our lovely wedding photographers (Carman & Pugh!) captured this moment.

Jason's parents gave us a 6 day Paris Museum pass, which proved to be the greatest thing ever in the world for two people who love museums as much as we do.  And actually, there were a lot of people who helped make this trip happen, and we really can't thank you enough. We love you!

We packed up our things, relinquished our dog to his (wonderful and amazing) dog-sitter, and headed to the airport.  LAX to Toronto to Charles de Gaulle and we arrived on Saturday morning.  We were staying in a lovely apartment near the Jardin du Luxembourg, and the woman we rented the apartment from gave us excellent directions to get there from the airport.  Exhausted, we hopped on the train from the airport and headed to our apartment.  We had been up for a very long time and we had landed in Paris at the same time we had left from LA, so we were decidedly confused about what time it was and what meal we should be eating.  As our stop neared, we excitedly prepared to lug our huge (over-packed) bags out of the train.  The train stopped, but the doors didn't open automatically (and really, why would they?), so I moved quickly to the open doors in the next car.  I got out and pulled my bag through the doors just as they were closing, and there was Jason, still on the train as it sped off to the next stop.  Oops.   His expression was priceless as the train left again--- if only I had realized how funny this was at the time, I would have taken a picture.  This is the greatest possible beginning to our Paris trip.

We got to our apartment after dragging our suitcases down the busy streets in Montparnasse for what seemed like forever, perpetuating the American tourist stereotype as best we could.  I spoke broken French to the housekeeper who let us into the apartment --- she showed us around and gave us instructions about the apartment, appliances, and keys.*

After a little break to figure out where we were and wash all the airplane grunge off of us, we were off! First stop- feeding me, because if you don't, I turn into a very cranky 4 year old.  We indulged in the local delicacy of McDonalds, which was surprisingly delightful (I don't even care how American we were being, I was starving and it was the only thing open in the immediate area).  If ever you have the chance, the curry dipping sauce for Chicken McNuggets will change your life.  We walked around the vendors of beautiful, expensive cheese, gigantic figs, and alien mushrooms.  It was a bit of a sensory overload, and I was already so exhausted and (apparently) emotionally unstable, I was nearly brought to tears by how perfect everything was.  The fruit was beautiful.  All of the dogs were beautiful.  Even the cheeses were beautiful!

We then headed to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which I had visited before, but I think I had just walked through on my way to other places, so I honestly couldn't remember much about it.

But really, how could I forget?

It was lovely--- everyone was just gathered around the large pond, talking and reading, the little kids chasing boats around the pond and pushing them away from the wall with sticks.  Jason sat and sketched for a long time while I went around and took photos of everything I possibly could.

Day 2

There is truly nothing I love more than a natural history museum.  Well, I do love other things more, but in terms of places to visit while on vacation, natural history museums are top of the list.  I found out that Paris had one--- why wouldn't they?--- and thought it would be a great start to our trip.  After collapsing into bed and falling asleep almost immediately the night before, we were (kind of) rested and ready to go exploring.  

The natural history museum is located in a huge park, where there's also a zoo, botanical gardens, and a taxidermy museum.  There was a lovely, mossy alpine garden filled with flowers and herbs.

Now, upon entering a natural history museum, I at least know pretty much what to expect--- dinosaur skeletons, prehistoric mammals,  a whole room of GEMS(!!!) that Jason will think is boring--- but definitely not what we encountered at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle.  We entered the old brick building and were greeted immediately by an exhibit hall filled with complete skeleton after skeleton, all facing the same direction--- a skeleton stampede.  I have never seen anything like it before! 

The first floor housed mammals, including an enormous collection of whales--- one whale skull even still had baleen!

I can't even begin to describe the cases on the perimeter of the hall--- they were filled with skulls and jars of organs and old dissected creatures (and models of dissections).  

And in case you need something new to haunt your nightmares, I present to you: Mr. Ray Skeleton.

On the 2nd floor, there were, of course, dinosaurs and more dinosaurs, exhibited in a similar way.  But with this floor, you could walk among all of the displays and get really close to everything!

The 3rd floor housed shells and other invertebrates, with extensive coverage of trilobites, which I adore because they're so cute and I've loved them since I was a little kid because I was weird.

Well, I think I have sufficiently inundated you with photos for today.  But watch out--- there are 7 more days coming right up! 

*(I would later find out that the very simple English instructions for the washer/dryer were not simple enough for me, so I stayed up very late one night waiting for it to stop its cycle, watching that it didn't flood the apartment or catch on fire.  I gave up and ended up turning it off and having it lock my clothes inside.  I will say that my lovely and wonderful high school French teacher, the one who taught me almost all that I know about the French language and culture, did an excellent job preparing us for the "real" French world, but I cannot recall a unit titled Operating French Kitchen Appliances and Small Electronics.  I eventually sat on the floor of the kitchen and looked up the French version of "Tumble Dry" and all related washer-dryer words.  Two days later, I had semi-dry jeans.  I considered this a victory.)