Louvre and Final Goodbyes

Hello Everyone!!

I can't believe our final day has arrived, this whole trip has felt incredibly fast and slow. If you asked me which city I was most nervous for. it was Paris. I was worried about the people and their prejudices, along with it being a major city. You see, Paris was never my dream, it was my mom's. But my brother and I got an opportunity to travel with my Uncle here 18 years ago and my mom sent us abroad. We weren't treated very kindly, and it was a difficult trip. I'm very happy to report that Paris this time around has been completely different. The people here have been wonderful, everyone we met has absolutely loved that we're from LA (not quite sure what that obsession is about). and the hotel staff has gone above and beyond to make it feel like home. I'm so glad I came back and gave Paris a second chance. 

Our mornings started off like always with a delicious croissant and cappuccino. Unfortunately we had to get up extra early this morning in order to make it to the Louvre, so I didn't catch that precaffeinated mom had chopped off part of my head in the photo lol! It's still too cute not to share. 

Today we saved the best for last, the Louvre! I remember on that same trip with my Uncle, we spent two hours waiting in line to see the Mona Lisa and then he wanted to leave immediately. Even as a teenager I could be stubborn, so I managed to negotiate another half hour and practically ran from floor to floor to see as much of the art as I could. I called my parents that night crying and my mom promised that one day we'd come back to the Louvre together and spend as much time as I wanted. Well folks, today was that day!! And we spent SIX hours in the Louvre. 

The artwork was phenomenal, and my clubbing days came into handy when I pushed my way to the front of the mosh pit so that mom could see the Mona Lisa up close. Guess some college life skills come in handy after all! Having mom with me was like having a private tour guide, she knew which artworks were famous, the techniques behind the paintings, and the dramas between the artists. I think the Winged Victory of Samothrace was my favorite work of art. It's from an Greek Island and was carved back in 190BC! 

We also had the sweetest Frenchwoman take this picture of us and send it to me. My ankle was really hurting today, so we found a little alcove to rewrap it. This woman passed us by and said she couldn't help but take a picture for us because she felt the moment was so tender and reminded her of her mother. I absolutely love how she framed the shot, at first glance we look like we're part of the museum art. 

Before the Louvre was a museum, it was palace. and they maintained some of the original rooms which are over 150 years old. Mom and I got to see Napoleon III's staterooms. That man definitely knew how to live in style! He would put Hollywood to shame with the amount of glitz and glam. I could not get over the chandeliers, they were stunning!

If you can believe it, even after all that time in the museum, mom and I still had portions of the Louvre we hadn't seen, despite walking for literal miles. Thankfully we had a feeling this would happen and prioritized all mom's favorite artworks, including the Lacemaker by Vermeer, so we were satisfied when it was time to leave. 

My dad's cousin from the other day really wanted to show us his tech repair shop, so was decided to make a quick stop at his place before our meeting with Aude's aunt that evening. He was so happy that we visited, and even fixed my cracked screen and gave me a brand new phone case! It was really kind.

We then went to the famous White Horse hotel rooftop bar to meet Aude's aunt, Catherine. She doesn't actually live in Paris but happened to be driving through that day on her way to the alps. I have heard about Catherine for years through Aude; and Aude always said we would get along. She was right. Catherine has had the coolest hobbies, like windsurfing and scuba diving,  all while being an extremely successful career woman. She even invited me to stay at her place in the alps if I wanted! I feel lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing women in my life. Also on a totally different note, had I worn a white top we would have almost been the French flag! lol

Mom and I said our goodbyes and slowly walked back across the river to our hotel. I honestly thought I wouldn't be hungry for dinner but when 9:30 pm came around I was starving. Thankfully the crepe place next door was open so we had another Emmental tomato confit crepe and a brown butter apple crepe. The flavors were absolutely scrumptious, and such a sweet note to end our trip on. 

It was the perfect lasty day in Paris. Now we've got to pack before our flight tomorrow. I guess this is so long until the next adventure! 

Sending you all my love, 

Carolyn

Champs-Elysees and Dior Gallery

Hello Everyone! 

Today was the ultimate girls day because we only had two things on our list of to-dos, shopping and visiting the Dior Gallery. We started breakfast at this really cute spot called Nesle that had a bunch of purple flowers overhanging the patio and of course had our usual cappuccinos and croissants. 

Mom and I then walked the Champs-Elysees, which is basically like the Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills. You can take me to the fanciest places but I'll always be a practical city girl at heart. I was not about to carry all the souvenirs and chocolates we got in bags all day so I packed a foldable $5 backpack and window shopped designer stores without a second thought. Apparently my choices got me a lot of looks from the staff, but I was totally oblivious to the fashion faux pas stir I caused. You should see how some of the millionaire tiktokers dress today! If only Paris knew. Dior was not impressed at all by my outfit but I was too excited about the gallery to care.  

This was an exceptionally well done gallery, and as soon as you walked in you could see all the accessories and miniatures of the dresses they've designed on this wall. There were almost 2,000 pieces, all color coded, that covered three stories of wall from floor to ceiling. It was stunning. 

Christian Dior actually had a really fascinating story. He was actually an art gallery manager and sold fashion sketches on the side for 10 cents a piece. From there he jumped into the fashion world but actually paused his career to fulfill his military service duty. He loved flowers, especially lilies, and took a lot of inspiration from his childhood gardens, so that's why his dresses are so feminine and florally.  But my all time favorite fact, was that the perfume Miss Dior (which I've been wearing since I was 18) was created as a tribute to his sister Catherine Dior, who joined the French Resistance in WWII and was actually captured and sent to a concentration camp. She survived, was released after the war ended, and she raised the very roses and jasmine that were used in the first Miss Dior. It just figures that I'd pick a revolutionary woman's perfume lol.

Looks like I got the Dior memo because I totally matched his offices! The gallery was well done in that they even preserved some of the original workstations and staged them as they would have been used back in the 1940s. I can't imagine how many hours it must have taken to embroider and sew his clothes,  especially since he had 30 pieces in a collection! 

We decided to walk back to our hotel and I really enjoyed finding these little "shortcut" hidden roads that ran parallel to the main streets. One of my favorite things to do in a city is to wander and happen upon unexpected places. Which is exactly how mom and I found this delicious French restaurant for dinner.  

Mom and I ordered a The Gourmand which basically was basically a plate of mini versions of the desserts on the menu with either a tea or coffee. I wish all places did this because I love trying everything!

I can't believe we have one more day left here in Paris.

Sending love to you all, 

Carolyn

Musee L’Orangerie, Musee D’Orsay, and Notre Dame

Hello Everyone! 

Today mom and I decided to give ourselves a little break and take an Uber to Musee L'Orangerie but the universe had other plans and our Uber mistakenly drove us to the Louvre instead. We realized after we had gotten out of the car and the Uber had driven away, so it was too late to do anything about it. Paris is kinda funny in that it can take you longer to drive places than to walk. Thankfully we left extra early so we had enough time to walk the half mile through the gardens and still make it to our timed entrance. 

Our first museum of the day was Musee L'Orangerie. Monet was specifically commissioned to paint these huge water lilies that took up each of the four walls of the room. If you can believe it, this was not even half of one painting. The idea was to create a space to contemplate and meditate in, so you had to view it in silence, and they had attendants actually enforcing said rule. 

An entire floor of the museum was under construction so we finished walking the rooms much earlier than anticipated and enjoyed a coffee and ice cream in the park before heading off to Musee D'Orsay. Fun fact, the museum actually was the Orsay train station from 1900-1970s. After the station was abandoned, the government turned it into a museum in 1986. 

The train station also housed a hotel and grand reception room. The latter of which was converted into a children's play area! For obvious privacy reasons I didn't take a picture of all the kids play stations and toys, but it was literally swarmed by children below the frame of my photo. This is probably the fanciest playroom ever!

Mom and I enjoyed ourselves for a few hours before heading off to our next destination, Notre Dame. As you can see below, part of it is still very much under construction. I had the good fortune to see it myself ten or so years ago but mom and never been and really wanted to cross this off her list. The line was absolutely insane and wrapped around the entire courtyard. So I gave mom a few euros and told her to ask the ticket counter if she could just light a few candles in the church. Guess what? My plan worked! Mom got to go inside and see the remaining interior. She even said herself that she would have been really disappointed if we had waited hours for this because they had removed most of the artwork and decorations during and after the fire. She also said she lit three candles, much to my relief! I'm not about to get any bad luck from lying about lighting church candles! I simply omitted that she'd peek around the rest of the building after she prayed. 

We decided to walk back to our hotel since it was less than a mile away and would take less time than driving in a taxi. This was a great call because we stumbled upon the cutest crepe place for a pre-dinner snack. I don't know how these Frenchwomen do it! We had a dinner scheduled at 9 pm and I was starving by 6 pm. As you can see I was very excited for the crepes and mom and I split a savory and sweet. The tomato and onion confit was homemade and absolutely delicious! I think I might even try making this crepe combo at home. And by me, I really mean my Frenchie best friends who already make me crepes for dinner.

We rested a bit before heading to dinner with my dad's cousin and his family. It was crazy to find out that I actually have relatives here in Paris. The dinner was perfectly lovely and I had. the best time playing with their daughter. I think kids easily get along with me because most of the time I'm just a big kid myself lol. I hope I'm still the same way even when I get super old. 

Can't wait to update you tomorrow! 

Lots of Love, 
Carolyn

Versailles

 Hi Everybody! 

The morning started off with an absolute win with cappuccinos and croissants for breakfast. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to start making my own breakfasts in the morning next week. I've been absolutely spoiled this month. 

Unfortunately we unknowingly picked the hottest day of week to go to Versailles, so by 10 am we were absolutely melting in 97 degree Fahrenheit weather. Of course because it's Europe, there was no AC, minimal shade, and no ice. I could've killed for an iced coffee this afternoon!

We started at the gardens and mom was so happy because she found a Pinson truck! Who knew she had her own landscaping monopoly here in France lol.

The gardens were beautiful and exhaustingly vast with nearly 2,000 acres. We walked as far was we could but still missed huge chunks, like the Trianon, which is basically another entire garden and estate that was built for the king's mistresses. 

As you can see below the gardens are impeccably manicured. When King Louis XIV was running the show nearly 10,000 people were living and working at Versailles. Today there are around 900 employees. 

Most of the fountains were  turned off because the water was ruining the sculptures in and around the fountains. We did manage to catch two fountain shows, but were not impressed. Maybe it was something to marvel at during its time, but after you've seen actual geysers and the Bellagio, well, I guess my standards were a bit high. I still can't get over how crazy it is that I'm actually here. I spent months reading about and memorizing facts about Versailles for AP European History, and now it's right in front of me! I honestly felt like I stepped into my old textbook. 

I particularly liked this dragon fountain. 

By 2 pm it was finally our turn to enter the palace! Versailles was originally a hunting lodge which King Louis XIV inherited and then over the course of 40 years built it to its famed size and splendor. Each king after added to the palace, until the French Revolution where they were kicked out of their homes for good reason I might add. 

This was the chapel, which was the very first room we entered in the Palace. The sun was showing off with the sunbeams, so the photographs don't quite capture the splendor, but you can clearly see its grand size in the photo of me against the door! I feel like these French kings were definitely overcompensating. 

One of my favorite rooms was the hall of mirrors. This originally was supposed to be the balcony between the king and queen's rooms but because of the bad weather it got reconstructed to this gorgeous hallway.

If you thought the other palaces were opulent, just wait until you see the king and queen's bedrooms! Apparently King Louis XIV was a bit of an exhibitionist because he literally opened his bedroom to the court every day for his Dressing and Bathing Rituals (as he so called them). I would absolutely go mad never having any privacy. but the king didn't seem to mind as he put his room in the center of the palace and then created an entire court and government to surround him.

I actually think the most clever move he made was to create a group of high society women in court whose roles were to basically spread good publicity about him throughout Europe. His sister-in-law would write hundreds of letters every day to all of her friends speaking nothing but praises of the king. Quite a genius PR stunt if you ask me. 

At some point mom and I got opulence overload and decided that we had seen enough. Honestly, you could probably be at Versailles from opening to closing and still have more to discover. We took our tired selves to a vegetarian asian tapas fusion place and the meal was quite unique and very flavorful. My favorite part was having a "bucket of choux" which was mistranslated as a "bucket of cabbage." I knew that couldn't be it since it was on the dessert menu and ordered it anyways which turned out to be a great decision since it was a bunch of delicious choux pastries. 

Tomorrow begins our wild attempt to fit in two museums and a bunch of landmarks in a single day. Can't wait to tell you all about it!

Lots of Love, 
Carolyn