Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Paris, France (Day 3 & 4)

After saying goodbye to my mom and brother, I tagged along with the Cummings for a nice visit to the Luxembourg Garden. The Garden was filled with an array of statues, a palace, miniature horseback riding, a pond for miniature sailboats, tennis courts, a playground, and so much more. While my cousins played with the toy sailboats, Marcia and I scoped the property for notable statues, including the statue of liberty! It was an exceptional day with a touch of childhood magic.

Ella and Rachel with toy sailboats
Aunt Marcia & Statue of Liberty
For my last day in Paris, Marcia and I visited the French Holocaust Museum: Memorial de la Shoah. It was very moving and incredible to see France admit to their wrongdoings. After seeing the museum, we went to the Galleries Lafayette shopping mall, then had lunch across the street. Later that evening, I took my cousins for dessert at the Eiffel Tower while my aunt and uncle enjoyed a much needed date night. Paris was one of the most beautiful cities I have seen, and I am sure I will be returning one day. "J'aime Paris" (I love Paris).

Memorial de la Shoah

View from Galleries Lafayette  

Delicious Caprese Salad 




Paris, France (Day 2)

The following day, my uncle Jack took us to see the Arc de Triomphe, along with the shopping street. Later that evening, my friends from the University of Minnesota, Jack and Amanda Teske, came over to the apartment for wine and cheese. It was a lovely evening filled with great conversation and a few unexpected connections! Jack, Amanda, and I, finished off our evening popping a bottle of champagne on the edge of the Seine River, with the company of the sparkling Eiffel Tower. It was an unforgettable night.

Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower


Paris, France (Day 1)



Bonjour from Paris! For the first half of my Spring Break vacation I was fortunate enough to be with my family. Just a week before, my mom and brother, Ian, came to visit me in Spain. After showing them Madrid and Toledo, we flew to Paris to visit our relatives. My uncle Jack was given the opportunity to do a sabbatical, so he, my aunt and cousins, are traveling Europe over the course of 4 months! My family and I were very lucky to have them welcome us into their beautiful apartment (which I must mention has the Eiffel Tower right in their backyard)! Our first day in Paris started early at the Musée du Louvre, where it is a necessity to say "Bonjour" to Mona Lisa. After visiting the art museum, we had a magnificent lunch at the Palais de Louvre. To complete the day, we visited the Catacombs. The Catacombs are underground ossuaries in Paris, which hold the remains of about 6 million people in a small part of the ancient mines of the Paris tunnel network. It was very eerie, but gripping to see such a great deal of exposed bones. 
Musée du Louvre
Musée du Louvre
Lunch at the Palais du Louvre 

Catacombs