The day I ran into Baylor friends in Paris!

Last week I found out that a group from Baylor was coming to visit Paris for the weekend. I had been emailing my friend Kristen so we could make plans to meet up once she got here. But Kristen's phone wasn't working and she didn't have an internet connection, so once she got to Paris on Thursday night I wasn't able to get in touch with her. I was disappointed not to be able to see her on Friday, but it was a beautiful day so I set out for a walk. I was enjoying the sunny, 55 degree weather when I reached the Champs-Elysees, and as I was walking along I all of a sudden saw Kristen, Hannah, Marley and a few other of the girls from Baylor! In the middle of Paris, we just happened to be in the same place at the same time, it was the best surprise! We spent the rest of the day seeing as much as we could. We stopped at a cafe first for crepes and coffees and had the best time chatting about our experiences so far. They are studying through a Baylor program in Maastricht and told me all about their time in Europe so far.  After we finished at the cafe, we walked across the Seine to the Notre-Dame and then to Place St Michel.

Hannah and I outside the cafe 

Kristen and I crossing the Seine

We met up with the rest of the group from Maastricht for dinner. After dinner, a few of us walked to the Louvre to see the lights at nighttime. It was such a pretty night so we sat and enjoyed our time talking and of course taking a few pictures. From there, we walked down the side of the Tuileries Garden to Place de la Concorde, where we had a great view of the Eiffel Tower. 

Kristen, Michael and I at the Louvre

On Saturday, the group went out to Versailles so I met up with Marley, Kristen, Rebecca, Hannah and Carissa later that night for dinner. I had read about a little restaurant near the Eiffel Tower that was supposed to be a fun and authentic Parisian restaurant. We had about an hour wait before we could be seated, so we walked to the Parc de Champs-Mars just down the street and enjoyed the view of the Eiffel Tower from a park bench. We were back at the restaurant an hour later, and were taken up a small spiral staircase to the little dining room upstairs filled with Paris locals. It was a a true French restaurant with so much personality and delicious food! It was the perfect place for us to enjoy a wonderful dinner together after a long day. 

Marley, Kristen and I outside the restaurant after dinner

We went back to the Eiffel tower after dinner, and three of the girls went to the top while the other three of us walked around to enjoy the view from the ground. We ran into three other Baylor students again! They had come to see the Eiffel Tower and almost walked right past us. 

Marley and I under the Eiffel Tower

Rebecca, my new friend!

After spending a while enjoying the Eiffel Tower, we went to check out the Latin Quartier. Definitely a busy spot on a Saturday night! We walked down a few streets and took in as much as we could. It was a fun place to see and a good way to end the night. We walked back to the metro just in time so they could catch the last line back home. It was such a fun weekend for me to see friends from back home!

My New Favorite Church

On Sunday I set off to the St- Germain area. I first went to Eglise St-Germain-des-Pres, the oldest church in Paris. It was said to have been built to keep a piece of wood that was supposedly a relic from Jesus's cross brought back from Spain in 542 AD. It was clearly a very old church, right in the middle of a very upscale neighborhood. The church sits in a square surrounded by designer boutiques and trendy cafes on all sides. I was thankful for a sunny day, which made it easy for me to wander down almost every street and not care to get lost.

St-Germain church from the side

I next went to find the Eglise St-Suplice, which is now my new favorite church in Paris. It is an enormous 17th century Baroque church with a big fountain in the square out front. 

The fountain in front of the St-Sulpice

St-Sulpice towers

There are two Delacroix frescoes in a chapel to the right of the entrance inside the church. I loved the inside of this church.

Inside the St-Sulpice

I finally left the church and headed back towards the Seine, I decided not to take the metro and walk instead. Once I reached Place St-Michel, I took a short detour through the Latin Quarter. I went down a small, cobblestone street full of creperies, cafes, and little Greek restaurants. This was a very lively place on a late Sunday afternoon. I finally crossed back over the Seine, passing the Notre-Dame and heading back to Hotel de Ville. Just a little ways down from Hotel de Ville is a tall monument in a little park that helps me find my way back home. I can't remember the name of the park or exactly what the monument is though...

Not sure what this is... but it helps me get home!

Hotel de Ville

I walked back from Hotel de Ville to the Pompidou. On one side of the Pompidou is Place Igor-Stravinsky with the Stravinsky fountain and the Eglise St-merry right behind. 

Stravinsky Fountain

I stopped by my favorite patisserie and sat in the square in front of the Pompidou for some great people-watching. This is a popular spot, especially on the weekends. A few musicians were out playing so I had a bit of a free concert. My apartment is on a side street right down from the Pompidou, so this has become a very familiar area to me.

Centre Pompidou

 

A Very Cold Day in Paris

On Saturday I went for another walk through the city with some friends. We met up in the Bastille area then headed over to Hotel de Ville. This is close to my apartment and is where I catch the metro every day. The Hotel de Ville is a great building overlooking the Seine that houses City Hall and also temporary photography exhibits. In the winter, there is an ice skating rink out front and the building lights up at night.

Kirsty and me in front of the ice rink at Hotel de Ville

We started to see a few snowflakes, so we crossed the river to go warm up inside Notre Dame. I don't think we were the only ones who had this idea! It has become one of my favorite places to visit regularly, especially to stop inside and warm up. 

Miranda and Me inside Notre-Dame

Once we walked around and warmed up for a bit, we crossed to the other side of the Seine to go to the famous English bookstore, Shakespeare & Company. This is a place I have always wanted to visit, so I was real excited to find out it's close enough for me to walk to. I have a feeling I will be going back soon... Founded by George Whitman, the small store is crowded with new and used books to both buy and rent. There are several little couches and chairs hidden throughout the place for people to stay and read all day. I can't imagine coming here in search of a certain book though, it could take days to sort through the maze of books here! 

Small staircase in Shakespeare & Co.

All of us in front of Shakespeare & Co.