Our First Glimpse of Paris, and It Was Everything

As it was typical on this trip, we were again up early and off into the bright warm morning light with Paris on our mind. As Austin and Matt took a bit longer to get ready, we were cutting it close for time to get to the station and purchase tickets for our desired train to France’s capital. As we frantically ran up to the ticketing kiosk, we purchased our rather expensive tickets ($45) for a high speed train to Paris. Being forever one to try and save pennies, I decided to be clever and purchase a youth ticket. Soon we were nestled into the dark lavish train cabin, stretching out and enjoying the scenery racing past our window. It wasn’t long until fear and dread began to swell up within me as a conductor started pacing through the aisles, examining and scanning tickets. Fortunately, my boyish looks served me well and my youth ticket failed to raise any alarms.

Hopping off the train, we soon found ourselves in a large sprawling train station consisting of various floors and levels. Panic crept into us all as we struggled to find the correct ticket to purchase and then also the correct platform to head into the city. Fortunately we are nothing but determined and were quickly on a small tram, racing towards the city center. It was a very surreal feeling looking out past the dirty and smudged windows to see the true landscape of Paris pass us by. Paris might be one of, if not the most famous and celebrated cities in the world and we now found ourselves directly in its clutches. Our first stop for the day was the famed Arche de Triomphe and as we climbed the stairs up into the sunshine, the arch loomed forward, beckoning us closer.

Though the arch was decorated with a symbol for the upcoming paralympics, it was not hard to see past it and begin to see its long and storied history begin to unravel before our very eyes.

As the day was still young, we decided to move onwards to the next item on our itinerary, leaving the large arch in our rear view mirror. As we strolled down shaded Parisian streets, we passed countless traces of the recently past (and upcoming) Olympics such as stores, fences, and construction materials. Stopping under the shade of a row of trees, we sat down on a small bench overlooking some more Olympics remnants and had a small breakfast of protein bars; again trying to accept the realization of our new surroundings.

Several miles later, we soon found ourselves in the sprawling and bustling courtyard of the Louvre. As we descended the stairs to the world underneath, we were whisked through security and placed our bags in provided lockers.

Soon we were racing down a maze of decorated corridors that felt pulled out of an ancient palace. Artwork and paintings covered every inch of the walls while classical stone sculptures and artifacts jutted out in every direction.

As we sped across the ornate tiled floor, we were soon in a large room packed with people in every direction. As we clawed and elbowed our way to the front, we came face to face with the most famous piece of artwork in the world, Da Vinci’s masterpiece of the Mona Lisa.

After seeing this painting in movies, shows, and on the pages of textbooks, it was truly a magical feeling being able to lock eyes with Miss Lisa and admire her from just a few short feet away.

After being herded out from the room, we spent some more time perusing through the famed gallery, admiring works from far and wide. We were able to get up close and personal with sculptures from Michelangelo, paintings from Raphael, more Da Vinci’s, and even relics from ancient Egypt (including a large sandstone Sphinx).

We had hardly scratched the surface of the works within the Louvre, unfortunately time was not on our side and we had to bid our farewells to the incredible museum.

We set off and retrieved our bags and set off through the underground maze to the exit. Soon we found ourselves seated on some steps, trying to plan our next stops (including our important lunch stop). After collecting our breaths for a brief moment, we again set back off through the streets of Paris until we found ourselves mesmerized in the shade of a towering beacon before us.

Gazing up at the Eiffel Tower, it was hard to believe we were actually in the presence of this almighty symbol. Throughout our culture and media, the Eiffel Tower has represented France and her people and much like seeing StoneHenge a few years prior, this had the same effect. As great as the sight before us was, we were on a strict plan and soon found ourselves out of the crowded park with the tower jutting out behind our backs.

We began to make our way to our hotel but first decided to stop at a small burger shop situated in a dark desolate alleyway. After ordering quickly (and Austin being reprimanded for his failure to say greetings to the cashier), we patiently waited on the sidewalk outside the small shop. Soon we were set upon by a highly intoxicated man waving an almost empty bottle of wine. He began to demand money in slurred French and obnoxious motions. He began to encroach upon Matt before the previously rude shop owner rushed out and shooed him off. On these trips, I always put meeting locals on a high pedestal yet this one was a bit of a disappointment. With our burgers now securely in our possession, we made our way to our hotel and quickly checked in and devoured our meals in our room. Now finished, we set back out into the afternoon sun and set off towards the Cathedrale Saint Louis des Invalides, otherwise known as Napoleon’s final resting place.

A short walk later, we were now greeted with a majestic domed building with a large hole in the middle of the room. Looking down into the large opening, a massive car sized block of red granite rose out of the middle of the floor.

Inside laid the remains of one of the greatest and most impressive leaders in our recorded time. We spent some time examining several large tombs of Napoleon’s generals before heading down the steps to his tomb.

While standing before his tomb, it became very surreal that we were now in the presence of an emperor and one of the most legendary figures in history.

After examining every inch of the building, we set back off into the streets and ended back in our hotel. As we were rather exhausted from the day, we decided to sit at the small hotel lobby bar and drank several beers all the while reminiscing on the day. It's in moments like these, these moments of pause and reflection during these hectic trips, that really seal and finalize it all. Before long, it was late into the evening and we retired up the cramped winding spiral staircase to our room, officially ending our first day in the French capital.

To see the previous day’s adventure, click here.

To move onwards with us along our journey, click here.