The Bon Marche and other shopping

We were in two malls in Paris. The one above was the Bon Marche Department store. As you can see, it was over the top gorgeous. I felt like a fish out of water though. Each of those balconies was a designer shop and in one we even saw the customer sipping champagne. There was not anything that I could afford here but it was fun to look. I saw the coolest chandeliers there. Each department had a chandelier based on what the department was. In the kitchen department they had chandeliers made out of whisks, spatulas and wooden spoons. Here is a black chandelier in the china department. They were just everywhere and so beautiful.The hat department had very fun hats with plumes and feathers and hefty price tags on them. You really didn't want to touch just in case. I don't think they even wanted me to be taking pictures. I thought this was a very cute mannequin. I wonder what her collar/shrug is called? I bet that wouldn't be so hard to make.

In our neighborhood there was a cute boutique with hats in the window that would be perfect for spring. I don't think there is anywhere I would go that I could wear something like that but it sure would be fun.

We also went to a discount mall by the Paris Opera house. Even though things were still a little spendy they were more like our upper end department store in the US. They even had an art department but pretty much everything was something I could get cheaper here at home.

Tati was another multi-tiered shop we went to that we had heard you could get some good deals in. It is the French version of Ross. I bought some leggings and a top but I wouldn't go there again. Not really what you want to be spending your time doing in Paris. There are just too many other fun things to invest your time in.


The last little shop we went to was a unique vintage store. It was so small and so crowded, not only with good deals but tons of people. They had an upstairs, if you could call it that. The stairs where kind of like crawling up in a tree house. My niece went up there and couldn't get back down because her backpack was too big. It was quite the experience but definately a place to go when in Paris. I would have bought a plaid coat that I fell in love with but it was so heavy and I knew weight would be an issue coming home. I should have tried it on and taken a picture but imagine doing that in a crowded elevator. That is what it felt like in this store. I am laughing thinking about it. Maybe there is a time that is better to go than when we went?

The Eiffel Tower

I think if I had to pick one favorite memory, it would have to be the Eiffle Tower. The first time I saw it, it took my breath away and I wanted to cry. I was walking around the corner at the Les Invalides and my niece said, "look up". There it was. I couldn't see the whole thing but it was still a beauty to behold.

The next time I saw it was when we went to the Arc de Triomphe and took pictures of it from the top of the Arc. My niece and I are on the top of the Arc de Triomphe and you can see the Eiffel Tower in the background. It was quite a ways away still. Before heading over to the Eiffel Tower we had coffee at a near by cafe. We also had hamburgers and French fries too. If you know me, hamburgers and fries are my favorite food so I had to try them in Paris and they did not disappoint.
Then we finally made it to the actual site. Lots of pictures were taken that day. We got there in the later afternoon and took daylight photos. After that we went to stand in the two hour line to purchase tickets to go to the top. We met a nice lady in line that was from Georgia and we talked to her while waiting for our turn to take the elevator to the top. We later ran into her in a couple other tourist spots and said hi. She was traveling alone and it was difficult to take her own picture in front of things so we helped her out.

Here is a picture looking up the middle of the Eiffle Tower from the ground. It was so massive from this point of view. There were men climbing ropes up the middle of it while we were there and a man entertaining the crowd by imitating the tourists walking through the square. It was very funny and helped the time go by quicker. My niece was filling out postcards while waiting because we heard that they have a postoffice on the Eiffel Tower and it has it's very own postmark but when we got up there, it was closed for construction. Maybe next time :)While we were at the top, the sun set over Paris. We couldn't have timed it better. My camera failed to capture the blazing red ball of fire that we were seeing as the sun slid below the horizon but take my word for it, it was gorgeous. This was not planned and was a special treat, for sure.

We then went down and took pictures as the lights lit up. The exciting part happens on the hour when for 10 minutes the lights sparkle very brightly. You don't want it to end. I thought I had video taped the sparkeling lights but I think I was too in awe and forgot. Plus, we had people running over to us to take their pictures in front of the dazzling beauty. What a perfectly wonderful day this was.

Guitarist on Metro

We were serenaded on the metro by various artists and this guy was really good. I made sure to tip him before we got off. It was really fun to listen to the music while you rode the metro.

My Paris Neighborhood

This may be a long post but I wanted to show you some of the things I saw everyday as I walked to the metro stop. I loved our neighborhood of Montmartre.

Every morning we would walk by the fruit and vegetable stands and get a piece of fruit for our lunch. This one was the best.

It had the best looking strawberries and I wanted to buy some in the worst way but it wouldn't travel well in my messenger bag. I usually just got an apple.

Of course we had to stop by the bakery and pick up something for breakfast and lunch. I usually got a very rich, buttery pastry with fruit filling for breakfast and a olive/sun dried tomatoes/feta cheese pastry for lunch. The paper they wrapped it in was very greasy by mid-day there was so much butter in the crust. It was really yummy. I know this will be hard to believe but I actually lost weight eating this stuff because of all the walking we did.
We did walk by the butcher but I never wanted to go in. Something about he feet still being on the chickens just grossed me out. Some of them still had heads too.

This was the church in our neighborhood and we did hear the chimes on Sunday.

The Sacre Coeur was also just up the hill from us. It sits on the highest point in Paris and you can see all over the city from this site. When we went there was a harpist playing out on the steps and human statues entertaining the crowd. The stairs to get up to the Sacre Coeur was very steep. The ones in the pictures are just the ones when you get there. We climbed about five of those on the way.

This is what the streets looked like. Cobble stones and narrow streets and sidewalks. This one is going downhill and leads to Moulin Rouge and the Paris Opera House. We did walk the 20 minutes down to the Opera house one morning, eating our pastry on the way. Only tourists eat as they walk. I never saw a French person eating anything except in a cafe or restaurant. Food on the go is an American thing. I couldn't even get a coffee to go. Coffee is to be drunk sitting in a cafe and you are expected to take your time drinking it. Because of that, I didn't get as much coffee as I would have liked. We were just too busy to take the time.

I saw some very cute little cars in our neighborhood. This one was being driven by an old man who had just done his grocery shopping and was ready to leave so I snapped a quick photo.

We had a carousel just outside our metro stop. It was very similar to this one. They must like carousels because we saw three of them while we were there.

This was our Metro stop and this particular morning there was a man playing an accordion. Quite often we were serenaded on the Metro with various instruments and then they would walk around with a cup for donations. It was so fun.

We have finally made it to the cafe with internet but they only let you use it for a little bit so this is going to be a fast one. I hope you enjoy the photos and just know that I will have lots more when I get home. There is so much to say about this wonderful city. I am completely and utterly in love. We have had some really funny moments too. Lots of stories to tell after I get home. Here I am at the Paris Opera House. I loved the beautiful lamposts. The gold top on the building was spectacular too.

We could see the Eiffel Tower from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. It took my breath away. Tomorrow we will visit the actual Tower. I am in love with Paris. I think I could live here.

They have all these colord doors in our neighborhood. I am taking pictures of all of them. So fun.

These are the stairs in our hotel. Everyday we climb three flights of these stairs to get to our room. No elevators here.

Here are the stairs we climbed to get to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Crazy amount of steps. I thought I was going to have a heart attack by the time we got to the top. Good thing I didn't know ahead of time that we were going to the top by stairs. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.

You can't imagine the detail that is on the Arc. It is amazing. Everything is so huge and breathtaking in this city. I took a video of the cars going around the Arc. It is quite an art to changing lanes because there are no lines.

Sunday

We still have not made it to an internet cafe.  We are so busy everyday that by the time we get back to our hotel we just fall into bed and say we'll go tomorrow.  Today we went to a flea market, Les Ivalides, Opera National de Paris. Lafayette shopping Mall and the Arc de Triomphe. We saw the Eiffle Tower when we climbed the hundreds of stairs to the top of the Arc. If I had put a pedometer on for this trip I would not be suprised if we walked fifty  miles today  because that it what it feels like. .y legs are tired but the boots are wonderful and my feet don.t hurt at all.  Hang in there and hopefully I will get some photos up before the end of this trip.

The start

I made it to Atlanta, Georgia and now I am waiting and eating before I take my flight to Paris. So far so good.  The wierdest thing happened though, I was about an hour into my flight and I look up and my cousin is standing in the isle. She is on her way to sing in Carnegie Hall and I had no idea about it. I also met an old friend on my flight. What's the chance of that happening? OK, gotta eat.
PS I made it to Paris and it is amaziing. I have some pictures to show but I need to find an internet cafe to post them. Maybe tomorrow.
PSS I am in love with the espresso here!