Travel- Paris

Paris!  When in Europe, Paris is always a good idea!  This was my second visit and Kevin's first, so it was all about hitting the hot spots and soaking up as much Parisian goodness we possibly could.  We had three full days and 4 nights in the City of Lights.  Even though we could have stayed awhile longer, this was plenty of time!  I think some of our family and friends were worried about us going after the November 13, 2015 attacks.  You know what I say?  Any of us could go at any time and I can't let a little fear keep me from discovering this beautiful world.  We felt 100% safe and enjoyed our time so much.

Where to Stay:
If you can find reasonable accommodations in the 1st, 4th, 5th or 6th arrondissements, near the Seine, that's the most ideal spot, in my opinion.  Again, my favorite way to get around is on foot and most of my Paris hotspots are located in these neighborhoods on the Seine.  This past trip, we were in an AirBnB on the little island Ile Saint-Louis.  It was so ideal!  My first trip, I stayed in the 7th at Hotel Prince around the block from the Eiffel Tower and it was okay, it was just harder to get to the metro and the hot spots and there weren't many restaurants or shops.  It was more residential.

Our room and the courtyard of our flat.

Getting Around:
The Paris metro system is great!  We used it quite a bit.  It's easy to go in and purchase tickets before hoping on the correct train to get where you're going.  We also walked a lot.  Of course there are cabs, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend them.  I've heard that single ladies should never take Paris cabs, even in pairs, because of safety, so....  I think Uber is safe.

What to See:
#1 La Tour Eiffel- When you think of Paris, what comes to mind?  For me it's the Eiffel Tower sparkling up the night.  This is definitely a must-do when in Paris!  You can purchase tickets for the elevator or stairs to the 2nd floor, or to the top.  I don't know why anyone wouldn't go all the way up, but I guess if you're terrified of heights, there's your reason.  I've never taken the stairs and I don't think that would be my route of choice.  I'm not that scared of heights, but I assume when you're climbing, it can be more frightening than if you just ride up in the lift.  Tours each day are from 9/9:30am-10:30/11pm.  You can enjoy snacks/meals on each level and in the winter (we enjoyed macarons at the top), there's a skating rink set up, so you can skate high up in the sky.  Pretty cool!  Kevin and I visited the Eiffel Tower twice.  Once to take pictures and walk around underneath and once to go up.  I love taking pictures by the carousel and pretending I can replicate the famous Eiffel Tower pictures.  Located in the 7th Arr.

#2 The Louvre- The world's largest museum.  It's located in the 1st arrondissement (a quick walk from our most recent AirBnB, or take the metro, which unloads inside the museum).  It's so ornate from the outside...did you know it's technically a palace originally built in the late 12th century and would have been Louis XIV's home, but he moved to Versailles.  Highlights are Leonardo's Mona Lisa, sculptures: Venus de Milo, Winged Victory and Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss. There's an extensive Egyptian wing and wonderful antiquities from Mesopotamia.  If you spent one minute viewing each piece of art, it would take you 64 days to see everything.  Impossible!  We arrived first thing in the morning, put our items in a locker and had a quick breakfast before we went straight to see Mona.  There was already a large group of people, but nothing like it would have been later in the day.  We spent about 3 hours and saw a large portion of the museum.  The Louvre is closed every Tuesday, but has extended hours into the evening on Wednesdays and Fridays.  From October to March admission is free the first Sunday of each month.  But, beware!  You'll wait in line for most of the day.  I did 10 years ago!

#3 Musee d'Orsay- My FAVORITE museum...maybe in the whole world.  This museum is in an old train station, which might be one of my favorite buildings.  The clock face is one of my favorite spots in Paris.  I love the impressionists: Degas, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Cezanne...and they are displayed so well here.  d'Orsay is open daily except for Mondays and is open late on Thursdays.  In my opinion, you need to see the Louvre because it's the Louvre...but you should really go to Paris for the Musee d'Orsay!  It's located in the 7th Arr. across the Seine from the Tuileries Garden.

#4 Notre Dame- "Our Lady of Paris" is a grand medieval Catholic cathedral located on Ile de la Cite in the middle of the Seine in the 4th Arr..  Famous for the story of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, you can climb to the bell tower to see the Hunchback's bells high above Notre Dame.  We didn't have a chance to climb up on this last visit, but some of my more meaningful memories of Paris include Notre Dame.  We stayed on the neighboring island by Notre Dame, so we passed it day and night as we toured the city.  We also went for Christmas Day service at Notre Dame.  The music was so beautiful and it was such a treat to be there worshiping our Lord on the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  It definitely added an element for me, making Notre Dame more than just a tourist stop.  Access is free, but there is a charge to climb the towers up by the gargoyles...and 422 steps.

#5 Arc de Triomphe- The Arc is a famous monument to honor those that fought and died in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.  It sits at one end of the Champs-Elysees in a huge round-about at the corners of the 8th, 16th and 17th Arr. looking back towards the Louvre and the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.  On my first visit to Paris, I just walked down to photograph the Arc.  I didn't know you could climb it.  This time, we went up and the views are incredible!  Similar to the views from the Eiffel Tower, except you can see the Eiffel Tower.  The Champs-Elysees is known for it's luxury shops and cafes.  Walk to the Arc or back from it on the Champs-Elysees so you can enjoy the area.

Our video of the traffic circle around the Arc de Triomphe from the top...crazy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fecxIfVumdI

#6 Sacre-Coeur- Basilica of the Sacred Heart is located in the Montmartre neighborhood in the 18th Arr.  It's the highest point in Paris and reveals great views of the city.  It's quite a hike to get to the top, but the beauty of the inside and outside of Sacre-Coeur is worth it.  Entrance is free, but plan your visit.  They lock the gates to the stairs at a certain hour and we had to go a long way around to get back down and to our metro stop.

#7 Musee de l'Orangerie- This is a much smaller museum located in the Jardin des Tuileries just west of the Louvre in the 1st Arr.  It houses impressionist paintings, in particular 8 water-lily paintings by Claude Monet (my favorite), that he specifically painted with instructions on how to display them exactly like they're displayed here in oval rooms.  They are fantastic!  We purchased a joint pass for this museum from the Musee d'Orsay.  Unfortunately, they closed early on Christmas Eve, but we were able to go early in the morning on Dec. 26 to see the museum before catching our flight out of town.  If you don't care about Monet, skip this...but who doesn't like Monet?

What to Eat:
When in Paris, you must eat outside or inside facing the sidewalk.  After the November attacks in Paris, many began using the hashtag #JeSuisEnTerrasse which means "I am on the terrace".  This is how Parisians dine.  They're always looking out, enjoying life and food and friends and they weren't going to let the attacks change that.  Kevin and I enjoyed eating that way as well!

Breakfast-
My favorite breakfast was on Christmas Day at Le Flore en I'lle.  We walked out of Mass and around behind Notre Dame on the way back to our apartment and just had to stop.  We each ordered the brunch special with coffee (hot chocolate for Kevin), orange juice, croissant, yogurt, fruit, bacon and eggs or an omelet.  We sat outside facing the sidewalk and it was just magical!

Lunch-
We found that typically for lunch we would grab a snack at a museum or outside vendor and keep on going.  Our favorites were crepes at the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe and a baguette sandwich at the Eiffel Tower.

For my birthday we had tea at La Galerie in George V.  It was more of a late afternoon meal, but it was fabulous.  If you're in Paris on a special occasion, you MUST eat at La Galerie!  We had the High Tea A La Francaise.  It came with champagne, hot tea (we had Earl Gray), an assortment of pastries and savories and sweets.  There was so much food!  Everything was beautiful.  It was perfect!  I learned about tea at George V from Brooke Saward of World of Wanderlust.  One of the best decisions I've ever made!

Dinner-
For a Parisian Dinner we ate at Cafe Panis (across from Notre Dame).  Kevin had the grilled duck breast and mashed potatoes and I had the Boeuf Bourguignon with potatoes.  We were seated inside, but looking out at the street...of course.

We had delicious burgers at Roomies, up on the boarder or the 1st and 2nd Arr.  This restaurant was recommended by one of my students and it was wonderful!  I had the bacon hamburger and Kevin had the double bacon.  We got fries and tried the spicy mayo dipping sauce, which was really good.

On Christmas Eve, we realized everyone had reservations for dinner and we did not.  We tried a handful of restaurants before we found a cute restaurant in our neighborhood, Aux Anysetiers Du Roy, that would let us eat without reservations.  Kevin had steak and I got the spaghetti bolognese.  Everything was delicious!

Other Highlights:
*Moulin Rouge (Red Mill) near the Montmartre neighborhood is a true Paris experience.  Best known for the Can-Can dance, it's still very popular and provides a night of scandalous entertainment.

*Sainte-Chapelle- I'm still waiting to walk inside this church.  It's been closed every time I've tried to visit.  The stain-glass windows are beautiful in pictures.  I need to see them with my own eyes.

*Seine- Take a ride on the Seine aboard a river cruise.  I've never done this, but it looks mighty nice!

*Tour the catacombs underground Paris.

*Visit Napoleon's Tomb and Invalids in the Army Museum.

*Visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery-famous folks buried there include Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Frederic Chopin, Marcel Proust and many more.  It's beautiful and creepy and totally Paris.

*Love Locks- attach a lock to a bridge behind Notre Dame or near the Eiffel Tower.  Many love lock bridges are popping up all over Paris.  And toss the key in the Seine to seal your forever love.

And if you do none of this, but at the end of the day, if you're in the City of Love and you happen to be sipping champagne, you're the lucky one!

Travel- Versailles

We left Bruges in the late afternoon and traveled by train to Versailles for the night.  We had debated whether to go ahead to Paris and take a day trip to Versailles during our time there, but I just wanted to be there.  To be able to wake up and walk to the Palace and enjoy our time without having to worry about transportation to and from.  Also, Paris is expensive!  If we could cut out one night there and opt for something cheaper, I was all in.

We arrived in Versailles after dark and walked the few steps to our hotel to drop our bags.  Again, I always stay within easy walking distance of the train station.  Our hotel was literally across the street.

Next was dinner.  We found a cute restaurant on our street and went in for a wonderful French meal.  I got the pizza Reine and Kevin got the Risotto aux Legumes.

Then it was time for some shut-eye so we could be up and ready for the Palace of Versailles in the morning.

Our hotel had a full breakfast station, so we took advantage of that before walking over to the Palace.

Full disclosure: I've wanted to visit Versailles since I was a little girl and learned that Louis XIV founded the Academie Royale de Musique (Paris Opera House) and had great influence in the history of ballet as one of the founders of baroque ballet (which eventually evolved into classical ballet).  He danced in around 40 ballets.  It wasn't until 20 years later that women began dancing ballet and the pointe shoe came into play.  Before our visit, I seriously thought the Hall of Mirrors was the entire Palace.  It was sure to be the highlight of my trip.  And this trip was a LONG time coming!  I attempted to visit Versailles in Feb/March of 2006, but the train workers in Paris went on strike and I didn't have a way to get there.

So, I was full of anticipation as we finished breakfast to walk over to the Palace..I mean, hunting lodge.  It is the King's meager get-away, right?

As with everything, I did a ton of research to find what day of the week, what time of day, etc. was the best to enter the palace with the least amount of wait time and the least amount of guests.  We were there during the holidays, which are always the busiest days of the entire year.  But, I found that if we arrived fairly early in the morning, the wait wouldn't be as bad and we'd have plenty of time to see the Palace and the surrounding grounds. (The official Versailles website has a tracker to help you navigate the busiest days, if you want to plan ahead.  Note that Versailles is closed every Monday.)  I also chose not to purchase tickets in advance (just in case something happened and we needed to change plans).  So, I waited in the security line while Kevin went into the ticket office (a door on the left when facing the Palace from the city of Versailles) to get Palace tickets and tickets to the Trianons & Hamlet.  He joined me back in the line and we were through security in about 15 minutes.  Easy!  After grabbing our audio tour, we were off.

We spent from about 10am-3:30pm at Versailles (including an hour lunch) and saw the Palace, the grounds/gardens, The Grand Trianon, and the Petite Trianon.  We missed the Hamlet, so we'll have to go back some day!  Maybe next time we can stay in the Waldorf Astoria on the grounds too!

Highlights if you've visiting Versailles:
#1 Hall of Mirrors: WOW!  This room is filled with 357 mirrors set into the seventeen arches on the opposite wall as the windows.  Even at the time, this room screamed of luxury since mirrors weren't common to have.  Add to that the gold and crystal chandeliers and it's no wonder this room was used for weddings and special events.  Check out the ornate gold ladies holding candlesticks.  I wish I could have been alone in this room like this Dior ad!

#2 Gardens: There's a reason the water feature is called the Grand Canal!  It's almost as big as the whole of Venice!  We were here in December, but I'm sure the gardens are a highlight in the Spring and Summer!  You can get lost out there discovering little nooks with fountains and sculptures.  Versailles has fountain shows from March to October, which sound awesome!  If anything, walk through the gardens on your way from the Palace to the Trianons.

#3 Petite Trianon (Temple of Love): I liked the Grand Trianon, but I especially enjoyed the Petite Trianon.  This was given to Marie Antoinette for her private escape.  It's rooms were beautiful as was the little garden with the Temple of Love statue.

#4 Mesdames' Apartments (in the Palace): The rooms of Adelaide and Victoire were some of my favorite.  They were two of Louis XV daughter's that never married and lived in the palace until the revolution.  After awhile everything kind of looks the same, but these rooms were some of my favorites.  Especially the library.

Check out those carpets.  WOW!

We had lunch at Angelina in the Palace.  It was WONDERFUL!  Angelina has many locations in Paris, so if you don't get the opportunity to enjoy one of those locations, visit in Versailles.  The African Hot Chocolate is to die for!

I'd love to go back to see an Opera in the Opera Royal, explore the Hamlet and maybe go for a guided tour of the whole place.  There's really too much to see in one day!  I'd also love to spend some time in the city of Versailles.  It was really beautiful!

Next stop: Paris!

Travel- Bruges (Brugge), Belgium

After 48 hours in Amsterdam, it was time to make our way to France.  We knew we were going to take the train and we'd be going through Belgium, so we just had to decide where to stop for a night.  I really wanted to be in Brussels, since it's the capital of the European Union, and see Manneken Pis (the peeing boy) and The Royal Palace.  But, in the months leading up to our trip, two sets of couples in our Bible study group traveled to Europe and visited Bruges and said we just HAD to go there.  So, that was decided.

Bruges is a quaint medieval town with beautiful architecture and history.  You can walk the whole city in about 45 minutes, so it's very manageable.  We had a little less than 24 hours in Bruges, so we had to plan our visit very carefully.  We started at the train station where we were given a free bus ride into the city (free because of the town's shopping day to prepare for Christmas).

From there, we walked to our hotel: Bourgoensch Hof (in the most prime location) and started our explorations.  I've realized in writing this post that in Bruges, everything is around 8 Euros.  So, if you need to guess the cost...it's probably safe to say about 8 Euros.

Our Hotel

Top 5 things to do in Bruges:

#1 De Halve Maan Brewery- I have many friends who have visited this brewery and raved about it, calling it one of the best things we could do in Bruges.  I have to admit that I couldn't believe it could be that great, but it was really cool and beer wasn't bad either.
During the Middle Ages Maximiliaan I (the Holy Roman Emperor) had been held captive in Bruges.  Because of this, he didn't care much for Bruges, so he took away their rights to have fairs and festivals.  Well, they held a festival in his honor (not sure how smart that was) and asked to be able to have fairs and festivals again and give Bruges the right to collect taxes.  Not sure if it worked, but they also asked to build a madhouse and Maximiliaan was said to answer, "Close all the city gates and it is a madhouse."  Giving Bruges the nickname Brugse zotten which means "Bruges fools" or "Bruges crazies".  De Halve Maan Brewery has their beer named after that too: Brugse Zot.

Enjoy sipping a brew in the courtyard before your tour through the beer making process, that takes you to the rooftop of the brewery for exceptional views of Bruges.  De Halve Maan brewery (6 generations of Henri Maes and their family) has been brewing beer since 1856 and it is the only working brewery within the city walls (even though you can find LOTS of beer in Bruges).  The Half Moon Brewery definitely deserves a stop!  8 Euros a person.

#2 Boat Ride- Bruges is also known as "Little Venice" since it's made up of a series of canals.  Why not explore this tiny city by boat?  You can pick up a tour at the corner of Nieuwstraat and Gruuthusestraat streets near the most photographed spot in all of Bruges.  It's called the Boottochten Brugge.  The 30 minute tour takes you down the canals to the Begijnhof area (where the swans congregate) near Minnewaterpark and then up past where you jumped on the boat to Poortersloge, a gorgeous structure that looks like a church.  The guide gives some good history of the city and information about the areas you're passing.  I was so nervous that the tours wouldn't be running in December, but they were.  I'd recommend doing this towards the beginning of your visit to Bruges so you can get your bearings.  Cost was 8 Euros a person.

#3 Food: Chocolate/Fries/Waffles/Mussels- When in Bruges, eat!  And eat well!  You know a city specializes in a food item when they have a tour dedicated to it.  There is both a chocolate tour/museum and a frites tour/museum in Bruges.  The Choco-Story is the chocolate tour.  I was very interested in this, but because of time, we were unable to participate.  However, we did indulge in MANY chocolates and sent a bunch home too!  An 1884 Belgian law regulated the composition of the chocolate.  With a national law, you know it's good!  Our favorite shop was the Pur Chocolat shop located between De Halve Maan and Church of Our Lady.  In less than 24 hours, we visited at least 3 times.

 Chocolate is everywhere, so take some time to enjoy.  The Choco-Story is around 8 Euros, or combined with the Frietmuseum it's 13 Euros.  It is said to show how cocoa is transformed into chocolate and is a source of data and history for chocolate makers.
The Frietmuseum is the only museum in the world dedicated to potato fries and explains the history of the potato and fries and different condiments they're typically served with.  Don't give the French credit, Belgians should be thanked for serving potatoes this way.  The Frietmuseum is housed in one of the most beautiful buildings in Bruges, so that just adds to the draw.  While we didn't get a chance to tour the Frietmuseum, we did enjoy a basket-full of frites on Rozenhoedkaai (the most photographed spot in Bruges), people watching.

 

Belgian Waffles in Bruges, are just waffles, but they're really good!  Grab one on the street, or enjoy for breakfast, like we did!  There are many different ways they're served: with whipped cream, chocolate, cinnamon and sugar, fruit topping, etc.

 And Mussels are also a Flemish specialty.  Apparently, it's best to pair them with fries and use the white wine broth in the bottom of the bowl to dip your fries in.  Neither Kevin or I are big mussel eaters, so we skipped this dish.

#4 Church Tours- There are a few churches in Bruges that have some draw, depending on what's important to you.  We chose to visit Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) on the corner of Gruuthusestraat and Mariastraat.  Behind it is where you can find the famous "love bridge" also known as the Bonifacius Bridge.  The Church of Our Lady houses Michelangelo's sculpture of the Madonna and Child.  We did have to pay to go back and see this, but I would recommend doing that!  This is Michelangelo's only work that has crossed the Italian Border.  The church was beautiful!

The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a small Roman Catholic Chapel believed to house a vial of the Holy Blood of Christ, brought to the city after the Second Crusade.  Each year, the relic is paraded through the streets with many dressed as medieval knights or crusaders.  We walked by this church...it is very ornate on the outside...but we didn't go inside.  If this is your thing, go for it!  Not sure when else you can be near the blood of Christ.

#5 Belfort/Belfry and Markt Square- You can't miss the Belfort.  It rises above everything else in the center of town and was originally used to spot fires and other dangerous activities about town.  While we didn't climb it, we did walk through it's courtyard at night to get some great shots.  If you do climb its 366 stairs, don't watch In Bruges before you climb..don't say I didn't warn you!  The 360 degree views from the top are said to be spectacular!

Markt Square, behind the Belfort is a bustling area in the middle of the old town filled with people and horse-drawn carriage rides.  It's surrounded by medieval-style buildings and the Provinciaal Hof (Provincial Palace) where the government of West Flanders used to meet.  While we were there, they had a Christmas Market set up, but during the year, they host open air markets on Wednesdays.  This is a great area to stroll, people watch, and grab something to eat from a street vendor or a restaurant.

Bruges is quaint and romantic.  It's almost like stepping into a fairy-tale!  If you're in town with a romantic partner, you must visit "Lovers Bridge" behind The Church of Our Lady.  The bridge is locked at night, but we found it very romantic as we chased the sunrise.

Minnewater Park is also very romantic.  Legend says a young girl named Minna was in love with a warrior in a neighboring community.  Minna's father didn't believe in her love and had arranged for her to marry someone else.  She ran away to find her true love and when she finally found him, she died in his arms from exhaustion.  The lake was named in her honor.  Medieval belief also said that Minnen means "water spirits" and they live under the bridges.  Visit the banks of the water and walk the bridges.  Check out the gun powder tower and stroll with your love.

Walk through the Begijnhof (Beguinage).  It's a peaceful area where nuns reside.  Keep your voices low and enjoy strolling past the whitewashed walls and the large trees in this tranquil retreat.

Our food highlights:
We had a delicious dinner at a Chinese Shanghai restaurant the first night.  The food was filling and fresh and delightful!  I always love to get Chinese food abroad...there's a spot in Rome we visited two nights in a row after we tired of pizza, pasta and wine.

 

A restaurant called Chips and Ice was on my list of places to visit.  We stopped just before grabbing our bags to head out of town.  We ordered meat and cheese croquettes that came with fries and a salad for a very reasonable price.  Croquettes are another popular dish in Belgium.  They are food rolls containing a meat, mashed potatoes and sometimes cheese.  They're breadcrumbed and fried.  And they are DELICIOUS!

Visit Bruges!  And when you do, bring home lace and chocolate.  Lace making is still a very popular craft in Bruges.  Most lace makers are women and there are some spots where you can see demonstrations and get a private lesson.  We purchased lace, but I'd love to take a lesson if we're ever back!  While 24 hours is a short amount of time, I have no regrets about our visit.  I'd love to go back some day and continue the explorations of this beautiful city!  If you're in the area, don't miss Bruges.

A map of the city made of lace.