Fall Break '10: Paris: Effiel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Pére Lachaise Cemetery

Hello everyone. So continuing my post from before: after leaving the Louvre we walked around the area, getting lunch and exploring the Louvre gardens. The Obelisk and Arc de Triomphe was a good distance away, but we actually walked towards the Effiel Tower instead.

The Obelisk

Kasey took this. The Effiel Tower is in the background!

This was built as a hospital for wounded soldiers during the reign of King Louis

The Effiel Tower is so beautiful, yet seeing it was so surreal. It's such an Paris icon, and there I was right in front of it. When we got close by it was just starting to light up. And every hour, it sparkles! It was so amazing.

Sparkle!

Before going to the Effiel Tower we went for dinner at a pretty pricey restaurant. I tried steak tartare for the first time. It's literally raw meat stuffed with all sorts of onions and seasonings. It kind of freaked me out eating raw meat, but apparently only the outside of meat is unhealthy to eat. It ever occured to me, because you could totally eat a hamburger that's bloody on the insides. Also, I wanted to try something new. After dinner we walked back to the Effiel Tower. You can pay to go up to the top and see all of Paris at night. It was amazing.

On the elevator to the top

After the Effiel Tower we called it a day. The next day, Monday, was our last full day in Paris. I spent the day with my friends Anthony and Paulo. That morning Paulo and Anthony needed to buy train tickets to Amsterdam, and I also needed to find where the train station was, so we asked for directions and walked to one of the stations. There were two: Gare du Nord and Gare du l'Est.

By the way, did I mention Paris has awesome graffiti?

Space Invader! This should look familiar if you've seen the documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop

After discovering train tickets to Amsterdam would be twice as much the next day because the Monday trains were canceled, Paulo and Anthony had to resort to taking the bus. So they bought their bus tickets, and we took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe! The arch is huge. Think of the Washington Square Arch, but bigger. Actually, the Washington Square Arch is based on the Arc de Triomphe. The resemblance is obvious.

Anthony, Me, and Paulo

We didn't stay there long. I would've loved to walk down the avenue Champ-Élsyéés, but the three of us really wanted to visit the cemetery Pére Lachaise, which was going to close at 5 pm. So we took the metro there. Pére Lachaise is a famous cemetery because there lots of famous people buried there, notably Oscar Wilde, the painter Eugene Delacroix, the composer Chopin, singer Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison. The cemetery is huge and probably one of the most beautiful cemeteries I've been to, as morbid as that sounds. We visited Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison

Oscar Wilde's tomb, covered in messages and quotes by fans.

It's traditional for girls to kiss his grave with lipstick on.

Edith Piaf's grave

The last grave we visited was Jim Morrison's grave. I'm a little of a Doors fan, and so this was the highlight of my day. His grave is barricaded off because so many people have defaced is and stolen headstones.

This nearby tree was covered in quotes and lyrics

Morrison's grave

Me, Anthony, and Paulo

Those were the last of the pictures I took. That night Paulo and I went back to Notre Dame so Paulo could see it. We had dinner with Anthony and Paulo's friend Jill at a restaurant. I splurged on a 16 euro three course meal and tried duck in orange sauce for the first time. So yummy! I also had crême brulé for dessert and it was yummy. The last highlight of the night was meeting with my French friend Francine. We went to an Irish pub (still very French though haha) and got drinks with her.

I was very sad to leave Paris. On the morning of the 19th Stephanie, Anna, and I took a train to Luxembourg. But if I ever were to become an ex-patriot, I'd totally move to Paris.

To see all my photos from Paris check out my Facebook =)