Before I get into our weekend in Paris, I have a little life update.
A couple posts ago I talked about the fact that our landlord had decided to sell our apartment. Our expat service did find us another place to live in Goes, and found it pretty quickly. Our rep said it fell into her lap accidently, and I am very thankful. So beginning of June we will move into a furnished home just outside the Center of Goes. It is about a 5 minute bike ride from the Center, where we live now. I have loved living in the Center, but I also look forward to a little more room and a back yard, or “garden” as the Dutch call it. Here’s to something new!
We have been in Iowa for a few weeks and have had such a great time! The weather has been nice, we have seen many family and friends, and I have gotten to enjoy my home for a bit. My daughter is going to return to the Netherlands with me in a week or so to see what life is like there. I look forward to showing her around!
What Does it Feel Like to be in Paris?
I had heard mixed reviews about Paris. Some people told me one day in Paris is enough. Some said it was dirty. I had heard the French people are rude.
We spent a weekend there and I loved it. I tried to remind myself often that I was in the city of Paris so I didn’t take anything for granted. On one hand, it seemed like a normal big city. Some areas are dirty and the traffic is horrendous. There are people of every shape, color, size and attitude milling about, and lots of them. There is a river running through the city just like through many other cities.
But there is something about the buildings, the cafes, the flower stands and the history that give a peaceful yet exciting vibe. I loved to just walk and watch the life buzzing around me. We didn’t run into anyone rude or impatient. Everyone seems to do their own thing in their own neighborhood and enjoy doing it. We had a very pleasant experience there.
First Stop...The Louvre
The Louvre is a HUGE museum in the heart of Paris. We signed up for a guided tour of the Louvre well in advance so we could see the highlights. I think it would take a couple of weeks to see everything in that museum.
Technically, we live a little less than 4 hours from Paris. So we decided to drive there for the weekend. We gave ourselves lots of extra time to get downtown for our Louvre tour, but because of extreme standstill traffic in Paris, we didn’t make it in time for our tour. Thankfully the guide still texted us our tickets to get in, so we were able to see a few things ourselves. But the things we saw were kind of random.
The Louvre started out as the King’s palace in 1360s – 1680s. King Louis XIV moved his family to Versailles in the 1680s, and the Louvre eventually became a museum in the later 1700s. You can see the foundation of the original castle in the basement of the museum.
Outside of the Louvre. It has been added on to since the King lived there. The small glass pyramid in the center is above the museum shopping area underground.
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, located just in front of the museum. It was build in the early 1800s to commemorate Napoleon’s victories.
The Great Sphinx of Tanis- dates back to 26th century BC.
The original Mona Lisa. We had to wait shoulder to shoulder, shuffling forward every once in a while to get somewhat close to her. She isn’t very big- maybe 3 feet by 2 feet not including the frame. But I loved seeing her in person.
There were some hilarious ladies from Philadelphia next to us in line. One of them took our pic with Mona.
This is the goddess Athena of Villetri.
Venus De Milo. This sculpture had a huge crowd around her. This statue was found in a field in Greece in the 1800s. The original sculptor is not known for sure.
Two Michelangelo originals. The one in the back is “The Dying Slave.”
Seventh Floor Flat
After 3 or 4 hours at the Louvre, we moved on to our rental for the weekend. We had to park in a parking garage several blocks from the apartment, walk 12 minutes to a convenience store to pick up a key, and then walk 10 minutes to our apartment. The apartment was on the 7th floor with no elevator. This doesn’t sound like a big deal, and on the first trip up it wasn’t. But climbing those stairs every time we arrived back to our sleeping quarters was a trip.
But the place was very charming. It was a studio with an awesome view.
Palace of Versailles
The next morning we took an Uber to the Palace of Versailles. This is where the King of France and his entourage lived for many years. King Louis XIV moved here in 1682, but the Palace was abandoned by the royal family in 1789 around the French Revolution.
The front of the Palace in all its gold glory. The statue of Louis XIV is also in front.
The French were always trying to catch up to their Italian predecessors. This painting was given to them by the Italians. The French hated them but wanted to live up to their standards.
Can you see the lines in the ceiling? The Italians had always painted directly on the ceilings, but the French tried an easier way. They painted panels while safe on the ground and later assembled the panels on the ceiling to create an art piece. The tour guide seemed proud of this. 🙂
This was the public bedroom of King Louis. This wasn’t for peaceful sleeping, but for show. I’m not certain if he actually slept in here or not.
This statue shows Louis’ dancer legs. He was a serious dancer and a key piece in the development of ballet.
Queen Marie Antionette with 3 of her 4 children.
The Hall of Mirrors. Mirrors were rare and very expensive. To have a hallway full of them showed how special Versailles was.
French General Napoleon Bonaparte.
A view of the back of Versailles from the gardens. The gardens take up 2,000 acres. King Louis hosted many of his royal parties in the gardens.
And Of Course, the Eiffel Tower
Visiting the Eiffel Tower was a must. What surprised me the most was the color. I pictured it to be a silvery metal but it is more bronze. A Dutch man told me it is just very rusty, which is probably true.
We ate at a cafe close to the tower in the afternoon. Then we toured it up to the second floor. Only 4 people at a time can go in the elevator from the second floor to the very top, and the line was very long. We decided not to wait. So the arial views below are from the middle of the tower, or the 2nd floor.
Easter Sunday Morning
I wanted to be in church on Easter morning, so earlier in the week I looked online for Easter services near me. I found a public Easter service just a few blocks away at The American Cathedral in Paris. It is a catholic church and it started at 11am. Good find.
We got there early and it is a good thing we did! By the time the service started there was standing room only. They asked that we not take pictures during the service, so I honored their wishes. But I really wish I could show you their processional in, the orchestra, choir, priest in the stand alone pulpit, and all the people in the benches. It was a neat experience and one Easter I won’t forget. I did take pictures before the service though.
This is a courtyard between the church and the building beside it.
Food and Other Finds
I didn’t know much about French food before I went to Paris. We purposely went to two traditionally French restaurants while we were there to try out the cuisine. I have to say, the food was good, but not fabulous. French food as a meal is a little boring, and sometimes unappetizing.
Their meat is cooked without a lot of spice and the sides are somewhat plain too. They love to incorporate hard boiled eggs into their dishes, which is fine. And some of the meats are different than what Americans typically eat- rabbit, duck, calf head.
Like I said, what I tried was very tasty, just not super exciting. Maybe I just got the wrong dishes. Not sure.
What the French are super talented at is their desserts and pastries. We found a bakery close to our condo that had fabulous rolls, croissants and anything you might be craving.
This was probably the most interesting dish I saw. This is salmon, spinach and a hard boiled egg in a pastry. The side of rice also has pieces of boiled egg white mixed in.
I had scallops the second night, with cooked onions in the middle. It came with no sides, but they did bring us bread and butter, which was really yummy.
Breakfast the first morning- almond puff, chocolate filled croissant, and raspberry cinnamon roll.
Breakfast the second morning- almond puff again, hazelnut croissant and praline babka.
A very attractive flower shop. I didn’t go inside. I didn’t need to.
The fields in northern France have a lot of yellow crop. I looked it up because I was so intrigued by the yellow around me. It is Rapeseed, something grown for oil purposes.
Views of the Seine River
Arc De Triomphe. This structure honors all those who died in the French Revolutionary War and Napoleonic Wars. Visitors are allowed to walk around on top. I hear the view is wonderful.
Again, I was very happy with our first experience in Paris. Since it is so close to us, I would love to go back sometime.
I am wrapping up my spring visit to Iowa and have mixed feelings about going back to Goes. I miss some things there and am excited to show my daughter around my world there. But I LOVE spring in Iowa and have loved my time at home too. Such is life. Can’t have it all. For the most part, I am ready for more time in the Netherlands.
I have loved catching up with you all! Many thanks to those who have asked about details of life in the Netherlands. I love to share experiences from the past 10 months, and I so appreciate your interest. Have a wonderful summer everyone!
