Oooh Paris in May

Oh Paris who would not fall in love with you? That's the typical phrase we all hear from time to time when someone speaks about Paris. Than there are others who would say "It was nicer and safer before. The feeling you get when you are in the city is different now when you compare it with the past (mainly due to the migrants who made it so)". If you want to know what to expect, please continue reading... :)

We (me and Matushko) decided to spend 5 days in the city of love during the month of love.  So we took a flight from Bratislava airport (yes, there is only one airport in the Slovak capital city) to Paris,  Beauvais (about 1,5 hour from the city center).  From Beauvais we took a bus to the station Porte Maillot which is also a metro station. In Paris we stayed in a small apartment at 14 cité Trévise, Paris. It's location was pretty convenient and the nearest area seemed to be safe.

DAY 1

As we arrived late in the afternoon we just took a walk around to feel and to adapt ourselves  to the energy of the city.  We walked to the Centre Georges Pompidou, a very modern building  which as somebody said was designed in tech-architecture style. The place hosts exhibitions, museum of modern art, public library, cinema, live shows and concerts are played here and you can even attend a guided tour if you wish so.  One may not forget to mention the well known Stravinsky fountain just next to the center. We had a dinner at a restaurant called Hall 1900 Bistrot Corse which we found on our way back. The convincing  moment for having our first french style dinner was a lot of Parisians in there. 

DAY 2

The second day was fully devoted to the magnificent Louvre museum where we spent 10 hours.  I guess it's not necessary to remind anyone it being the world´s largest museum. Original fortification was built (in 12th century) based on a decision of Philippe Auguste who wanted to protect Paris. You can still see a large pillared hall in the basement. Later (in 16th century) it has been rebuilt after the king François I decided to make his main residence in Paris. The main works were however done only later during the reign of his successor Henry II.  Later on it has been extended and rebuilt to its current modern outlook. After the greatest artistic experience we had a lovely dinner at Les Crocs des Halles . I must say that the food was just perfect. Would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.

DAY 3

Everybody (at least in Europe) must know the Versailles royal chateau. It was a haunting lodge of Louis XIII. and one can recognize it by some of the paintings. When Louis XIV. (le Roi-soleil) moved the royal court from Paris to Versailles in 17th century it became the center of political power. It remains a symbol of absolute monarchy. At the beginning of the French revolution the royal family was forced to return back to Paris and most of the expensive furniture was sold out. It is also famous for the signature of the Treaty of Versailles which formally ended the First World War. 

We took a guided tour through the private apartments of the kings and it was a wise decision. We learned a lot about the history of the chateau and also about the private life of the kings (temperament and interests). Only those chosen by the king were able to enter the private apartments. One whole floor was reserved for the mistresses of the kings. The most famous is Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV who was a well known womanizer. Louis XIV did almost everything in front of the court, e.g. waking up and falling asleep was a royal procedure, which might seem a little but strange in our today's culture. We had a chance to see the special clock built for Louis XIV that are still working and a massive table with secret drawers which had been designed for more than 6 years.

The premises that you can enter with a standard ticket are no less interesting, especially the magnificent Hall of Mirrors which served as a corridor between the queens and the kings premises. There is a special chapel and even a private opera/theater that sometimes still works. Enormous gardens are a great place to get a peace of mind. If you arrive at the right time you can enjoy the musical fountains shows. Visitors can also admire the Grand Trianon, the Small Trianon and Marie-Antoinette's estate.

To conclude - Versailles is definitely a must see at least once in the lifetime!!!

DAY 4

Our steps led us first to Notre Damme,  one of the largest and well known cathedrals in the world. We were lucky enough to visit a real life mass there. Small statues of gargolytes and chimeras on the outside of the cathedral that serve as water spouts are familiar to almost everybody thanks to the Victor Hugo and his novel Notre Damme de Paris which has been filmed many time. Quasimodo and Esmeralda are the after all famous characters. Inside of this catholic church is very impressive with a huge organ and 10 bells - each with its own name. One can visit an old crypt. Simply magnificent. From there walked the Blvd Saint Germain and had a lunch at Rue de Buci - Café de Paris (the food was ok, but nothing special). We took a metro to Arc de Triomph a honour for those who died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars. It has the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. Do not confuse the Arc de Triomphe with the Arc du Carrousel which is a smaller one placed next to the Louvre. Of course we took a picture at Rue de Pressburg - a reminder of the place where the pacific treaty after the Battle of Austerlitz (also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors) was signed. The battle is considered to be the greatest victory of Napoleon. We continued walking on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées until the Place the la Concorde with Egyptian obelisk. Of course we had to stop to take a closer look at Grand Palais, Petiti Palais and Pont Alexandre III as well as statues of Winston Churchill and Général de Gaulle.

DAY 5

On our last day we walked at Boulevard de Clichy known as a street with the biggest number of specific purpose shops :) and stopped to take a picture in front of the Moulin Rouge red windmill known as a birth place of can-can dance. We enjoyed the lovely streets of Montmartre with its beautiful small shops and ended directly at the top of the Montmartre hill in the Sacre Coeur basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Of course we could not resist acecnding to the tower from where we had a view of the whole city. As we say in Slovakia - the best at the end which is why the last monument we have seen in Paris was the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) at Champs de Mars. You can either walk or take a lift. If you want to go to the top you will need to take a lift. At the top of the tower there is an illustration comparing other highest towers all over the world. There is also a place where you can see a "real life" Gustave Eiffel, Thomas Edison and Eiffel's daughter during Edison´s visit at the private apartment of Gustave Eiffel at the top of the tower. I am better not going to describe the view... :)