The past couple of days have been incredible! We have taken a new approach on travel. We have things planned out for the two weeks we are here but we are also keeping our days very open for exploring. This has opened us to so many wonderful things that the city has to offer that you probably wouldn't get to see as a tourist. On Sunday we magically stumbled upon the bridge filled with the love locks and added a lock of our own to the very center of the bridge. The key is swimming somewhere at the bottom of the Seine! We also have found our way into a cathedral that was commissioned by Louis XIV over 400 years ago!!! Being inside seriously makes you believe in God. The ceilings were so high and the who cathedral was very peaceful and beautiful.
Aside from knocking the love lock bridge off my Bucket list, I have also gotten to at at two of Hemingway's favorite cafés! As a writer that was a highlight of my life!!!!! I sat in the same places that Hemingway wrote some of his most famous pieces of work! Plus, a month ago, my favorite author also visited the same cafés! They are called Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore. To make the experience even better, the food was EXCELLENT!
Frankly, the food everywhere here is excellent! The pastries melt in your mouth, the macaroons are something you could only dream of and the wine, don't even get me started on the wine! The other day I had a pheasant. This this was filled with juice from being cooked and came with a side of its own juice to be dipped in. The incredible thing about the food is how no one is fat. There just are not any fat Parisians. I have a feeling it has to do with several factors. First of all it is a walking city. The city is too close together and too populated for a whole lot of cars plus there are loads of parks everywhere! You simply walk everywhere and take the metro. Another factor is portion size. Portions are about half the size of American portions and everything comes with a simple salad. Even the appetizers are a small size. Finally, they also smoke a lot! That is known to make people lost their appetite and be thinner. They seriously smoke sooo much!
One of the more incredible parts of this trip has been the Bastille Day celebrations. The 14th was Bastille Day and this year also marked the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. The morning started off with a parade that included the entire French military. There was a massive air show, soldiers on horse and foot and even in tanks. They walked all of the military dogs and drove the drones down the Champs-Élysées. At the very end of the night was a live Opera concert with some of France's finest but also the most spectacular fireworks show in the world! I have never seen anything more beautiful than the show that we got Monday night! It lasted nearly 40 minutes too!
It has been an incredible week so far and there is still so much to do! Today we saw the most famous impressionist paintings at the Musée d'Orsay and tomorrow is the Louvre! But for now I bid you adieu as it is late and I am being called! Bonne nuit mes amis!
Hemingway at Les Deux Magots!
We saw the DeLorean at Cafe de Flore!
Our lock is in there! it says Fennell on the front!
The sunsets are gorgeous! This is at around 9:30 pm by the way!
Air show!
12
July 2014
The
French Pigeon
Everyday
the French pigeon would walk to the taxi stands and eat the baguette
pieces that people shared with hi. He would follow people who were
extra generous and he would pester those who would not budge and feed
him. The French pigeon did this everyday at the early hour of ten am
until the day everything changed. One day another pigeon showed up.
The French pigeon was annoyed but he dealt with it. The day after was
another and another until one day the taxi stand was full of pigeons.
The French pigeon was sad and sulked off down the street. After a few
minutes of walking and sulking he saw a piece of baguette fall to
him, then another! Up above him was a daycare and the children were
sharing their lunch with him! The French pigeon was happy again and
ate well in peace with the children.
13
July 2014
The
Love Locks
Twinkling
off in the distance is an old bridge with a chain link fence. This is
where the lovers go to forever leave their hearts in the city of
Paris. They etch their names and the date using knives and keys or
scribble it all with a permanent marker. They say things like R+J,
AD, 3/10/14 Paris <3 KMO. Some
locks are rusty and some are brand new, all have the same message of
everlasting love. A brand new lock was placed there today, a lock
that stood for the greatest bond two souls could have. This lock
represents honesty, kindness, faithfulness, joy and a love that can
only be found in soul mates. They wrote their names, Scott
& Javaneh, and then
the date 13/07/2014 and
on the other side they wrote Fennell
with two little hearts.
They placed the lock at the very center of the bridge and kissed the
key. They threw the key and watched the Seine river swallow it up. He
kissed her on the forehead and she she kissed his cheeks. The two
stood their for a moment and took in the sights around them.
Extravagant buildings encrusted in gold and decorated for gods tower
over the city like they have for hundreds of years. Street peddlers
sell locks and toys to the traveling tourists. The plop of a key is
heard every now and then and a police siren goes off in the distance.
This is a moment they will cherish forever and never forget. The
owners of all the locks are long gone by now. Some have left this
world and some are no longer sweethearts but that is no matter, the
glittering of the metal locks is still there. A symbol for all who
travel to the bridge that love is mightier than all else and love is
truly the answer.
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