Carnaval de Paris!

Every few Sundays we have decided to have brunch at Breakfast in America, which I love because any excuse to slather some French's mustard on anything makes my day!  I know French's is harsh, tangy, and heavy on turmeric, and I should be soaking up all the delicious Dijon mustard here....but I just can't help it, I love French's American, as yellow-as-it-can-get mustard.  After brunch we stepped out in Le Marais for a quick stroll.  Le Marais is always bustling on a Sunday and today was no exception.  On a sunny day in Paris alllllll of the locals come out of the woodworks.  Luckily we had all brought our sunnies with us which made for some cute pictures!

Delicious treats in the window while walking through Le Marais. 

Ending up at Hôtel de Ville where they have taken up the ice rink and turned on the fountains!

Ashleigh, Paige and I

We went from the center of Paris up to Abbesses towards Montmartre and were greeted by this lovely band playing L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole.  Couldn't help but tap your feet and twirl around a little.  

What better way to spend a sunny day than on the steps of the Sacre-Coeur?!

On our way to Montmartre we passed a bookstore and I went in to have a look.  Guess what I found?!

Wait for it....... 

MADELEINE-in French!!! Oh my goodness....I read Madeleine all the time when I was little and I use to want a scar just like hers!! I can recite the entire book from memory and am pretty sure the whole Madeleine collection is somewhere with my things in Lawrenceburg.  But what a charm to find it in French!  As we were sitting on the steps I pulled it out of my bag to read it and it just brought a huge smile to my face!  The pictures in the book are actually at Notre Dame, Hôtel de Ville, and the Sacre-Coeur...but of course I didn't know what those things were when I was 5.  Its so amazing to look back on something from my childhood and how it relates to my life presently.  No I don't leave the house every day with 12 little girls in 2 straight lines, but I do leave in rain or shine.  

A busker trying to impress the tourists with his skills...did he succeed?  I think so.  

The artists in Place du Tertre. 

I've discovered a new place for crêpes that I like.  This guy makes them fresh every time, he doesn't stack them up for the crowd like many of the others around.  Granted you have to wait in a long line but it is 100% worth it.  He puts lots of filling inside so that when you get to your last bite its full of nutella (or whatever you have chosen).  

Yes, my cheesy crêpe photo.  But...don't you want one too?!

Please excuse my blinding pale skin.  I haven't seen the sun in so long....

Wandering down from Montmartre we stumbled upon the Carnaval parade!  That's why I love living here...you can just stumble upon these things and never even know it was going on!  Carnaval is essentially the European Mardi Gras.  There were brass bands, drums, lots of crazy costumes, lots of beer, lots of dancing....just like New Orleans!  There are also pancake races, light shows, costume contests, etc.  I was missing out on Mardi Gras this year so I'm glad I had somewhat of a fix!  

I want one.  

Beautiful sunset over the Seine.

Was so excited I got to Skype with my mom and dad AND my Aunt Janie when I got home.  First time in a couple of weeks!  Today Ashleigh and I made it back out to Vincennes to visit Kerry and Yann...pictures tomorrow!  

Hope everyone has a happy Fat Tuesday tomorrow!!!! 

THE WEEKEND!!!!

Woo hooo!!!! I LOVE the weekends.  I LIVE for the weekends.  ESPECIALLY when those weekends are SUNNY in Paris!!!!!!!! Yes, I love Paris everyday...even the negatives.  But when it is sunny, I'm with my friends, and its potential coat-taking-off weather...its a million times better!! We just danced and twirled around in circles all weekend which was so nice!  

Saturday morning the girls went to Saint-Chappelle, and I met them at Notre Dame afterwards.  Since it was a be-a-u-ti-ful day we decided to take our chance with the 200 some odd stairs up to the top of Notre Dame.  On the way up we passed a gift shop and I bought possibly one of the most touristy things I have gotten since I've been here.  What is it?  Paris pasta.  It's pasta in the shape of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe.  Okay....how cute is that?! 

We marched on up the stairs behind an 80 year old grandma just taking her grandchildren out for a day in Paris.  When I'm 80 I only hope that is the kind of excursion I can take my grandchildren out on.  The views from the top were breathtaking.  It's great from the Eiffel Tower because you can see everything else...but to look out from Notre Dame and see the Eiffel Tower-its indescribable!  It was rather smoggy, but you could still see for miles.  

We then discovered you could take a few more stairs and see the bell tower...pourquoi pas?  We've already made it up this far, what's a few more?  The bell was massive weighing in at 13 tons.  After seeing all the gargoyles possible, touching the bell at Notre Dame, and climbing our thighs away for the day, we decided to descend.  Who would have thought that coming down was just as difficult as going up!!?  

The door leading up to the bell tower.

Blue skies, nothing but blue skies from now on! 

We headed over to the Musée Rodin, as that has been on our list for a couple of months.  Since this week is fashion week, the museum was closed for the Dior fashion show on Friday.  You can see the remnants that blocked our view of the garden here....although I'm sure it was a beautiful show, I only wish I had the tickets to get in....andddd the outfit to wear to such an occasion!  

Hotel Bîron, which is where the actual museum is housed was built in the 18th century.  It was remodeled in 1993 but still has the most of Rodin's tapestry and furniture.  His most famous work, The Thinker.  

The gardens at the museum were so gorgeous, and I'm sure are even more gorgeous when the million rose bushes lining each walkway are blooming!  (Not to mention a lot more bees.)  We sat on a bench trying to figure out our next plan of action and ending up basking in the sun for much longer than necessary!  We crossed over through Les Invalides to a small restaurant for late lunch/dinner and after back across the Seine to the Champs Elysees.  I had to babysit at 7:15 so we were really just killing time until then.  We ended up taking a really amazing photo....

It might be my favorite one I've taken since I've been here!! I love how you can just barely see the Eiffel Tower in the back.  Will we ever get tired of seeing things like the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame?  No, honestly....I don't think so.  I still think its absolutely magnificent that I live here.  I. live. in. Paris.  Incroyable!  

Afternoon Tea At The Mosque.

Wednesday was a hectic day with Marie-Césare, but told Kerry I would meet her on the Champs Elysees for a little late night shopping...when I got home I was so tired I went straight to bed!  

It was a beautiful day in Paris yesterday, so after school Ashleigh and I met up for some sweet mint tea at the mosque.  Unfortunately, my Iphone battery had died and so I had to take pictures on my French phone, which I now can't figure out how to get them to my computer.  Bluetooth isn't working and I can't exactly text them to my US phone for fear of 2 euro charges.  Which only means that I will have to go back!  Since the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold we sat on the outside "patio" if you will.  The service wasn't exactly impeccable, as we weren't even directed where to go or given a menu.  The patio was decorated with blue and white tiles, with splashes of greens and yellows.  There were 2 huge shade trees planted right in the middle of the patio, where dozens of little brown birds sat and waited for morsels of food to land on the ground.  The chairs were blue and white wicker..typical Parisian bistro chairs and tables.  

We ordered two glasses of sweet mint tea and Ashleigh went to the pastry case to see what had been made today.  She came back with a Turkish delight and a baklava.  The Turkish Delight was quite large and covered in powdered sugar.  I have never had Turkish Delight so I was in for a real treat...and I must say I think I started off right.  You could taste the rose water as soon as you put it in your mouth.  It absolutely melted there was so much sugar, and the texture was exactly as it should be.  Wasn't SO impressed with the Baklava.  Maybe it was a specific type and was just expecting something else?  There weren't any nuts which I love in my Baklava and it was practically soaked in sugar and rather mushy.  The sweet mint tea was my favorite...and judging by the amount of glasses our waiter brought out just in the time we were sitting there I know they must make it by the gallons.  It was served in a painted glass rather than a tea cup, and almost too hot to pick up.  After it was cool enough to take a sip, we gave it a shot.  Spot on!  It was sweet and spearmint like.  Just brewed strong enough to where you could taste the tea, mint, and sugar all at the same time.  Yummy!  (This is the point where I really wish my pictures would load!)

We sat there for an hour or so just people watching.  Watching droves of people come in for lunch, tea, and just for pastries.  When the shadows had taken over our table, it became very chilly and was a sign we should head on.  We walked down through the Jardin des Plantes in the warm sun and across the Seine to Gare de Lyon.  Hopped on the metro up to Montmartre to the Montmartre Cemetery.  Didn't have too much time because we were going to pick up the kiddos but this has been on our list of things to do.  It was very similar to Pére Lachaise....except very difficult to get to.  There was only one entrance, and we walked around the entire perimeter of the cemetery before finding it.  Alexandre Dumas and Edgar Degas are buried here....along with several other people many Paris metro stops are named after.  And yes, that's mostly how I know their names...metro stops.  

Marie-Césare and I have been going in the afternoons to play with her friend, Manon.  Every day after school they always run up to us asking if they can play.  Here lately, I have been a sucker and we went Tuesday and yesterday.  Manon's mother is very nice, and patient with my French.  We don't talk a lot, but she is the first adult besides my French teacher that I actually try it out on.  Well, Franck, but we only talk about Marie-Césare and Gaspard and how the kids were that day.  I told her to correct me...and sometimes I'll ask her how to say things.  I'm getting to know the kids and parents in the "neighborhood," the boulanger, the florist, the man at the supermarket downstairs, as well as the banker.  It's quite nice!  

Slept in today which was so nice and will hopefully have a good afternoon with Marie-Césare!  Going to the Musée Rodin with Kerry and Ashleigh tomorrow...amongst a few other things.  I'm suppose to be babysitting tomorrow night, but haven't heard exact details, Chloé's leaving for Dubai soon so she's busy at work trying to get everything caught up before she leaves.  Bonne week-end á vous!!! 

Day Two.

Day Two.  Fast and furious!! We had so much to do, so we popped out of bed at 7:15 and were out the door by 8.  The Grand Place is a very quiet place at 8 am on a Sunday.  For those of you who don't know, the Grand Place is the great center of Brussels, the buildings dating back to the late 17th century.  It has 7 streets running into it and has always served as a common marketplace as well as city hall.  It is absolutely beautiful and grand and during the day is a bustling center of action.  

This was taken the night before....and is not very good, unfortunately the rain really let me down on these photos! 

We chose a small restaurant right on the Grand Place for breakfast.  We were starving and didn't want to spend an hour searching for an open place on a Sunday morning.  Turns out, this decision was pretty solid too.  Our waiter was overly friendly (which is always a new concept coming from Paris where they slam your food down at your table).  The pastries were bang on and the orange juice-fresh!  I don't even need to go into the waffles and how good they were....you can just see from the picture. 

Next on our list was the Manneken Pis.  This is a bronze statue of a little boy peeing into the fountain's basin that was created in 1618.  All the tourist shops, chocolate shops, and restaurants have pictures, keychains, chocolate bars, candy, t-shirts, and magnets with the Manneken Pis.  As hyped up as this landmark is, Kerry and I were expecting a rather large statue.  But no, he is pretty small as you can see from the second photo.  The city has over 400 outfits for the little guy and are changed quite frequently.  There are many stories behind the manneken pis, one assuming the manneken pis as the savior of the city, drowning out the flames of a deadly fire. Another variation is that he, with precise aim, extinguished the fuse that would have caused a devastating explosion.  Another story says that he is a street urchin who was unwise enough to relieve himself on the doorway of an evil sorcerer who then condemned him to that position and to pee for eternity.  There are many legends, so, you are left to choose which one you like...

The EU flags hanging in the streets.

The Atomium!! The atomium is quite a ways out of the city.  We took the confusing metro there, and it was about a 10 minute walk.  It's a very strange looking structure...seems like it would start blinking green lights and fly away like a UFO.  I'm always amazed at how structurally sound things like this are...it seems so fragile.  We arrived at a quarter past 10, just in time to miss the lines and crowds.  We took the elevator to the center "atom" and checked out the views of Brussels.  Too bad the windows had smudges and our reflections.  We were disappointed by the main attraction, and only hoped that the exhibits would be better! 

We ascended into the upper atoms by escalator, which held exhibitions of all sorts.  Our favorite?  The space exhibition.  There were stars and planets everywhere...and this very interesting box with reflecting mirrors.  

Were you suppose to stick your head in the hole? Well, no.  Did we?  Well, yes.  It was much cooler that way to take a picture.  Who just wants to look in and see some stars?  The funny thing is that we didn't realize we weren't suppose to stick our heads in until some other people came along.  We could not stop laughing at each other...but didn't care because it made for some pretty awesome photos.  

Next up was the Basilica Koekelberg.  It was a bit out of the way as well, but was worth the trip!  It's one of the top 5 largest basilica's in Europe and wasn't finished until 1971.  King Leopold II began the building in 1905 but because of the World War's construction was interrupted.   

Being European, Kerry wanted to stop by the EU headquarters which is located in Brussels.  It was on my list of things to see as well and I'm so glad we found it!  It is a beautiful building that is constructed of mostly glass.  With of course, all the EU flags out front just as Kerry had expected!  At this point, I was beginning to get tired.  We had walked everywhere, and Kerry walks at a swift pace so I was just trying to keep up!!  Lack of sleep, walking, a lot of eating, rain, and lots of photos makes for a tiring weekend.  But alas, we trudged on!  

Loved the reflection of the France flag! 

Heading back towards the city center was Cathédral Saint-Michel.  I am not use to seeing so many beautiful churches, so its almost overwhelming how incredibly huge and detailed they all are!  My favorite thing about this church?  The organ.  It was massive!! And there was a little guy somewhere up there playing all those pipes! Whew! What a job!! 

Around 2, feeling like we got a lot accomplished, we agreed it was time for lunch.  I had Flemish asparagus just to try for my appetizer.  Flemish asparagus is white asparagus basically floating in butter.  It also has boiled eggs, nutmeg, lemon juice, and parsley.  In some cases, the asparagus is served with the melted butter on the side.  But in this restaurant, it all came floating together.  I am not sure how you can turn something as healthy as asparagus into a heart attack on a plate...but the Flemish definitely conquered that with no problems.  I'll have to say - it was quite delicious!

Up next on the menu....I couldn't leave Brussels without having moules-frites.  I ordered my moules in white wine sauce and they came steaming in a closed pot so that when the waiter took the lid off we both got this steam facial of white wine and fresh vegetables.  It smelled divine.  The big pile of frites only topped the experience off.  

Our very last must-do thing was the Chocolate Museum.  It was right on the Grand Place so it was a very short walk.  There was a short demonstration which was boring and I didn't learn anything, but we got to try all kinds of cacao, cocoa butter, and 2 types of white chocolate.  

After the Chocolate Museum we stopped to take a breath and see where we were on our list.  We had accomplished most everything we wanted to, except for a few random things which were too out of the way to do at this point.  Realizing there were only a couple of hours until we had to catch the bus, we popped in a few stores and bought our last morsels of chocolate for the road.  Saw these blazing pink gems.  Kinda reminded me of Nashville a little bit, unfortunately, they were hideous.  At this point, I felt we were walking zombies and we just wanted to get on the bus and get back to Paris!

Our tickets said to get on the bus at Gare du Midi, but once we got to Gare du Midi, there was no bus station.  We found the information booth quickly and fortunately they told us it was outside the station and just up the road.  Thank goodness we asked because we would have never found it!  The bus was full on the way home and as usual....the ride home was much longer than the ride there!  I thought we would NEVER get back to Paris.  But boy was I glad to see Charles de Gaulle!  

Kerry's chocolate we shared on the bus.  Filled with Blue Lagoon, Mojito, Pina Colada, and Daiquiri.  

Overall, it was a smashing weekend.  It went by so fast that I'm glad I took so many pictures so I can look back and see exactly what happened.  Kerry is a great travel partner, and always up for anything, so I'm hoping we get to venture out again very soon!  Brussels is a beautiful city and full of great food and very lovely people.  I recommend it to everyone!  Sorry my posts were so long for the weekend....I had so much information to share I just couldn't fit it all in.  This week is back to the grind-which is good!  I always love being on a schedule.  It's nice to be back in school as well....my proper French was getting a bit rusty!