We wanted to cram in all sorts of sights but essentially the only thing we actually managed to cover was the Louvre. We set off for the Eiffel Tower because we knew how to get there pretty easily and then we walked across the Seine thinking we would get a boat tour because everyone had encouraged us to do this back home. We bought tickets to the Batobus which stopped conveniently at all the landmarks in Paris like Musee D'Orsay, Champs d''Elysees etc but before that we spied a gorgeous old green and cream boat that would take us to Montmartre and as we made polite, basic French converstaion, we both made a mental note to definitely do this if we had time. Also, after said conversation we hi-fived like total plebians congratulating ourselves on our first proper French conversation in Paris. Go us!
So we got on the Batobus, which was a nice, simple boat with clear windows and an area where you could sit outside too. The first stop was the Louvre because we had no idea how long we would spend there and we were both so excited to go. I thought the queue would take forever so it made sense that we would go there first. As we stepped off the boat and walked into the direction everyone else was walking in (informational social influence if you're interested, I'm a Psychologist, sorry, I can't help it) we saw the most lovely stone buildings with enormous lions by the entrance, I wanted to curl up and take a picture with me in the lion's lap napping but there were quite a few people milling about. Ieva and I both fell irrevocably in love with the place, it was huge and as we walked underneath the arch admiring absolutely everything we fell a little more. We saw the pyramids, which I dislike, they might be iconic but they definitely detract from the historic feel of the place. We spent an hour crowding around the replica of the Arc de Triomphe taking pictures from every possiblee angle. Eventually we joined the queue which snaked past the fountains, and a cute French guy with oversized sunglasses and the American flag emblazoned on his shorts was blasting music and being obnoxious.
In the queue, which didn't take nearly as long as we imagined, we looked up at the statues and tried to guess who all these famous French men were, we moaned a bit about sexism (no women were immortalised, assholes) and then decided to give them all personalities and conjured up mini biographies for them. Behind us, were three Americans from the Deep South discussing politics and Raegan. One of the guys was in full out biker gear and can I just say, I admire that man's confidence. He was a dude.
When we finally got inside and got our bags checked, we went down the escalator and queued for tickets despite not needing any. The place was huge, and we didn't have any maps or anything, there were so many exhibitions advertised that I didn't know where to start, but Ieva wanted to go see the Greek sculptures so we went there first. Long story short, we saw a myriad of sculptures including the Venus de Milo and we learned all sorts of interesting facts like they still to this day don't know where her arm is, we ogled al of these sculptures and Italian paintings, Islamic pottery and scripture, there were wonderful mosaics and in some places the ceilings were a work of art themselves, Egyptian scrolls, and of course we saw the Mona Lisa, though again wasn't that impressed. I did feel quite cool to be able to say that I had seen it though.
Four hours or so later when we had had our fill, we hopped back on the bus and went to Notre Dame. Researching prior to the trip we had discovered a bookshop called Shakespeare and Co which was said to be a highly recommended hotspot in Paris. As Mass was occurring when we got to Notre Dame we went in search for the bookshop instead, starving we ate on the way. I devoured a cheesy hot dog and a nutella soaked waffle, it was pure heaven. We asked for directions and got talking to some street artists who were so talented and realistic in their sketches of people, and we also had a stilted conversation with a kind old lady painting for pleasure at the edge of the Seine, she was lovely. You could see the kindness radiating off her face, she was so sweet and helpful, modest too when we flattered her painting.
The bookshop when we found it, had a queue outside, but next door to it was a Rare Book Shop so we dallied in there for a while poring over old books and gasping when something was as old as trees. Shakespeare and Co is amazing though, it's a bottle green shop with gold lettering. Inside it is chock full of books, they are everywhere and it is breathtaking. It can feel quite claustrophobic and even more so when you up the narrow, creaky stairs to the library section but there are cosy places made up for you to sit, there is a piano and typewriters, it's like you have stepped into Dickensian times. Strange and unexpected to find in Paris, the only flaw of this otherwise perfect place is that it is so well-known. It would be more impressive if it was self-discovered and secretive but it is fabulous.
After the bookshop we wanted to go to Notre Dame but it closed early for some unknown reason so we planned to go to Saint Chapelle instead which I believe is the oldest church in Paris. We approached a kind man on the street but he distracted us with bird seed, literally, he was handing it out to random passers by and they would hold their hands up and birds would fly and peck into their hands while we all gazed at them mesmerised at the beauty this world has to offer. I was thinking of Beauty and the Beast the entire time and it made me fall in love with Paris even more. So we didn't go to the chapel, but there were lots of stalls full of cheap french books that Ieva couldn't keep away from. After she bought her body weight in Dumas novels we each got a Subway and sat on the bench in the sunshine, feeling like we had lived in Paris all our lives, it was most certainly a Kodak moment.
Eventually, we came to the realisation that we had to do something with our time here. So we settled on going to the Champs d'Elysee to scope out the lay of the land so we would be aware of what we were dealing with when it came to Wednesday. Back on the Batobus, we journeyed to our next destination this time standing outside and taking videos, admiring all the bridges and buildings. The first shope we went to was Disney and I purchased a Belle mug and a large Disney nightgown thing. And then for the first time ever I went to Sephora and I never ever wanted to leave. I had my heart set on finding the Princess Jasmine Storylook palette because it would make my life complete but apparently it is solely an American thing as none of the staff had a clue what I was on about. I did, however, find a Chanel lipstick which was like my lips but better basically and it is called Scenario (83). We went to many more shops, like H & M and Zara and we saw a group of guys dancing in the street which was entertaining to watch especially when they started body-popping.
It got quite late by then, it was around eleven and dark so we decided to head back. It was beautiful walking at night, with all the lights twinkling we had no concrete idea of where we were going and even though we both had stabbing pains in our feet it was worth it. We walked past lots of pretty, luxurious and heart-clenchingly expensive shops, gazing at the sumptuous window displays was a great distraction from the weariness of our feet. When we saw the Eiffel Tower all illuminated and glowing I think it hit us both that we were in Paris, and well life doesn't get much better than that really. It was such a defining moment for me, I don't think I have ever been that happy since I was a little kid. We took some posey pictures both just high on life because usually we are both camera-shy, but a photo was needed to commemorate that moment.
Miracle of miracles we managed to find the hostel without the help of maps or relying on the kindness of strangers fir directions. We found it all by ourselves, which makes me really proud. I didn't think we would ever be capable of that, but by this point I was surprised we were still alive we were being so careless. As we got in and unwound, we met the new girl that was staying with us. Her name was Camille and she was from Bordeaux, she had an adorable accent and was here in Paris to go see the exams she would have to take next year, she planned to go to business school and was a really nice girl, calm and quiet, she adores her twelve year old sister and works incredibly hard. I hope she gets everything she wants. We didn't go to sleep until about 3 in the morning even though we were shattered, I just love meeting new people. It brings me joy. Again, I'll add pictures later and I will finish the rest of my Paris Diary tomorrow. Thank you for reading, comment or contact me in whatever way, if you follow me on Twitter I will follow you back. Hope you are all enjoying yourselves.
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