Louis Vuitton Foundation

I woke up feeling rested again and decided today was my day to finally go to the Louis Vuitton Foundation.  I had my croissant and coffee and made my way down to the metro.  I got lost for a bit trying to find the street where I should turn to once I exited my stop.  Eventually I found my rue and proceeded to check on google maps to continue.  There was a part where I would have to walk for 14 minutes.  I was nervous this was going to take me in circles again, but I did find the familiar structure along the horizon.  Whoopie!  I’m getting so close to it!

I had to wait in line for a bit and go through security again.  This day in particular was very gusty.  I had layered up but was getting miserable with the wind.  Once inside I made my way through the museum.  I absolutely loved everything on display!  It was a nice change to see modern works of art than from earlier centuries.  It also gave me a new perspective on where art is heading in the near future.

The infinity room from Yayoi Kusama was mind blowing!!  At first, I didn’t know I was going to “feel” something in a room full of mirrors, but walking into it was an experience I will never forget.  There is no words to describe how it feels to be infinite, but she mastered the sensation!  I also discovered other contemporary artists such as Gerhard Richter, Mark Bradford, and Nick Mauss.

Since I was making good on time, I felt I could squeeze in the Army Museum that my friend had recommended.  He said it was his favorite museum, and that got me curious.  Considering he is a local Parisian, I knew I had to check it out. 

What a surprise this was!  This museum was about the French Army and of course, Napoleon.  I was a bit intimidated when I walked into the room where his tomb was.  I have never seen anything that massive, but then again, that was Napoleon.  Afterwards, I grew hungry and realized I would miss French baguette sandwiches once I leave Paris.  I found a sandwich vendor and munched away.

My friend wanted to see me once more since I was flying out in the morning.  I went by his place and we rode the train back towards my hotel.  He was attending a party and I had made plans with my other friend who lives in Paris.  I was getting nervous about how to get to the airport for a 8am flight and was discussing the details with the hotel receptionist.  He was very helpful.  In the end we decided that I should schedule an uber since the trains in Paris don’t run very often early Saturday mornings.  I went to my room to pack my belongings.

My friend was working late but we made plans to meet by the Saint Germain neighborhood around 9pm.  This was the perfect opportunity for me to go to my favorite café and have my favorite champagne.  I was seated right away and ordered my Pommery Rose Apanage!  It was delish!  As the night went on my friend texted me she was pretty tired from work but she was going to rest for a bit before heading out to meet me.  I felt bad and told her she didn’t have to.  She had texted me last night to see what I was doing but I told her I was having dinner with my friend.  I was afraid something like this was going to happen.  I told her let’s meet next time I’m in Paris since I had a morning flight.  She said fine.

Versailles: Day 5

I’m back after a crazy work week.  Last week was super busy for us.  I stayed in this weekend to catch up on some much needed rest.  Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  Time to recap my time away.  I’ve missed Paris terribly and hope to be back soon.

After a long and crazy night in Paris, I knew I overslept to catch my train to Versailles.  I woke up, showered and made my way to the concierge.  I asked if it was too late to go, but he insisted they stay open late on the weekends.  I ate some croissants and had an espresso next door at the café and off I went!

I had to catch 3 different trains to catch the train to Versailles because the one line that I needed to connect to was out of service.  Go figure.  Luckily the ride wasn’t that bad and I caught my train.  I noticed a lot of Americans right away so I knew I was heading to the right direction.  It started to rain when I got on.  Unfortunately, I’m use to fast trains moving here in Chicago, and that is not the case on this train.  Regardless, I enjoyed the view on the way there.  

The train ride to Versailles is about an hour.  I did not know where to walk to once I got off.  The crowds were going in all types of directions.  Once I ventured off I found the Palace of Versailles on my own.  It was huge from afar.  Little did I know how big this place was!

By the time I walked up to it, I didn’t have to wait long to walk through the gates.  Once inside, that was a different story.  I probably waited about 45 minutes for tickets.  The lines were long and more and more people joined in.  It was such a relief to finally get a ticket.  

I made my way inside the palace (along with a couple of hundred other people).  It was filled with so many people; it reminded me of being back at the Vatican in Rome.  No matter where you looked, there were people everywhere.  Most of them were classrooms of students listening in on audio.  I tried to walk my way through as quickly as I could but it was impossible sometimes.

The best part of my visit was when that the rain cleared up.  It became sunny and by this time, I was making my way to the Jardin de Versailles.  I took off my jacket because it grew warm out.  Not only could the palace host 4,000 guests, but the garden was just as impressive.  I was a little skeptical when the pamphlet mentioned that it would take 2-3 hours to get through the garden, but they were right!  I spent most of my time there and enjoyed every minute of it.

I took a moment to grab another espresso because I needed a pick me up.  There are restaurants alongside the garden but you are not allowed to bring food out.  By the time I left Versailles I was beat.  I touched base with my friend across the street from the train station at Starbucks and headed back into the city.

After another hour long ride back to my hotel, I grew hungry.  I asked the concierge what would he recommend for dinner and he mentioned Entrecourt; a French steak bistro.  I must have been delirious, but it took me an hour to find this restaurant which was down the street from my hotel.  UGH!  I knew I couldn’t get out of getting lost ONCE in Paris!  Oh well, what can you do?  By the time I found it, the line was down the street to get inside.  That’s when I knew this place was good.  Unfortunately my hunger could not wait and I decided to go to Café de Flore nearby.  I had French onion soup and to my surprise, saw on the menu that that they had my favorite champagne.  It was a beautiful crisp Saturday night and I sat and people watched while I sipped on my exclusive treat!  I couldn’t have ended it any other way.  When I got back to the hotel, the concierge and I started to have an interesting conversation.  He was different from the concierge I had when I first checked in, but was very curious to ask me where I'm from.  We started talking about cultures and politics but he was a true sweetheart!

I had to get up around 7am to catch my train back to London at 9am.  I opted to go back in and crash instead of another evening out.  I didn’t know how the train schedule would run on a Sunday.  It was bittersweet leaving Paris.  I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much like I did.  I wish I could have stayed longer.