Korina wanted to practice a little before she did the pictures for Dennis and Amanda's wedding. So on a sunny Sunday afternoon we went out and had some fun. Below is what came of it. And yes, I know that Bryan and I are very good looking!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Paris
Well, I thought that after about a month, I should finally sit down and at least write something about Paris. But where to begin? .... Paris is amazing. It is also crazy, crowded and costly. The 9 hour flight there wasn't too bad. It was through the dark so we tried to sleep the best we could on an airplane--which wasn't very good. Still, it didn't seem so terribly long. We arrived at 9:45am Paris time and were told not to sleep to help us get on their schedule. That wasn't too difficult--we WERE in Paris. Our first stop: the Eiffel Tower. What is more iconic than that? We thought about riding to the top, but the line was ridiculous and I really didn't want to waste time standing in a line when I could see more of Paris. It was really beautiful, but like they say, smaller than I thought it would be. Isn't that always the case?
After that we meandered our way to the Musee de l'Armee and Napoleon's tomb. It was this place that used to be used as a recovery hospital for injured soldiers back at the time of King Louis XIV. It was awesome. I think Aaron would really love it--and Jordan. They had a whole selection of plate armor! It is so cool to see stuff that is soooo old. (For pictures--over 300, please see Bryan's or my Facebook pages.) Anyway, they had the army history from Charlemagne to Napoleon. Let's just say it was a lot to look at. This is also the place of the Eglise du Dome, a chapel fashioned after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is in this chapel that Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb resides. It is massive for such a small man. And like everything in Paris--beautiful, although more contemporary than I thought it would be. After all that we ate dinner at a little cafe that was ADORABLE--again like everything. The thing about France though is that you pay for everything. Water - 5 Euros for an Evian. Coke - 4 Euros for a glass bottle. Yeah, it's all expensive, but it's some of the best food you'll ever eat just walking off the street.
After that we were tuckered out and went back to our hotel. But surprisingly, although we knew we were tired, we couldn't fall asleep. We didn't go to bed until after midnight and I don't think either of us slept that well. We woke up for breakfast that we had the hotel and decided that we just weren't going to be zombies all day and not enjoy ourselves. So, we actually went back to bed and slept until 4 in the afternoon. Some may think it a waste, but I assure you, we didn't. We got up and got ready. And sadly for me I tried to use my straightener with our adapter and converter, but it got WAY too hot and literally fried/burned my hair, hence why it is cut so short right now. And it killed my wonderful, expensive CHI straightener and my hair looked terrible the entire trip, but c'est la vie. That night we went to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. (Again, for pictures, please see Facebook.) And again had dinner at a cute little cafe. We did go into some of the shops, but seriously, they were either Gap or Cartier. Neither of which interests us.
Tuesday was spent starting at Notre Dame. It really is a beautiful Cathedral. It is interesting to see a church so full of tourists, but at least they are nice and it is probably one of the few places in Paris that you can visit for free. I'll admit that I wouldn't mind having church in a building like that. After visiting Notre Dame we went and saw the L'Opera Bastille. It is the newer opera house. We didn't really mean to visit it, but Bryan mistook it for the Opera Nationale which is the really cool old one built, once again, by Louis XIV. (He spent A LOT of money building things.) A lot of the time was spent just walking around too. Looking at all the beautiful buildings and eating crepes from street vendors. This day was also our 2nd anniversary. We went back to Paris to have dinner at this expensive (even more than usual) restaurant that Bryan found. Don't ask me where it was, I have no idea. It was almost funny the way the staff looks at you when you say you don't want wine or coffee. It really is a strange idea to them that people don't drink that stuff. It was wonderful! Perfect for a 2nd anniversary. Of course what are we going to do the rest of our lives that will compare? Who knows?
Let's see....I think we are on to Wednesday morning now. Ah, Versailles. If I could live in France it would be Versailles. Alas it is also one of the most expensive places to live. Then again, a town built around the Palace of the King, what do you expect? This was our most favorite part of France. It was crazy ornate and I have no idea what they needed all of the rooms for, but still, if I could have it, I would. Plus the gardens are AMAZING!! We even got lost in them. But after the heart of Paris, the quiet, cool, and serene grounds were a blessing. Which makes me remember I should tell you that the drivers in Paris are CRAZY! It's like there are no traffic laws. People are weaving in and out and almost causing wrecks every second and they don't wait for anyone and are actually just kind of mean. Anyway, enough of that rant. Back to beautiful Versailles. They have this man-made lake and they rented out rowboats, so of course we had to get one. So Bryan was the gentleman and rowed me all over the lake of Versailles. Cute, I know, right? Apparently during the summer they do a fireworks show too. That would have been cool to see, but we were happy nonetheless. Louis XIV may have starved his people, but he sure has a beautiful house to show for it! Versailles was actually "given to the people" for "all the glories of France" as a museum by Louis-Phillipe (don't ask me who he is, for some reason I thought it was Napoleon III who did it, but not according to Wikipedia which I'm using to refresh my memory, it was this Louis-Phillipe person). We also saw the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon built for Marie Antoinette. They were also crazy amazing. I love how she had a little village built for her so that she and her entourage could pretend to be like the provincial people--well let me tell you, the provincial people were NOT living like that! Still, amazing!! We were supposed to meet up with some people that Bryan knows for dinner at what is apparently the best creperie. Well if the line was any indication I guess that's true. It was crowded. But we were 40 minutes late because we were so lost and didn't have any cell phones to call anyone. That is the thing about Paris every little street has a different name. But sometimes the only difference is if it is a boulevard, rue, or pont. We kept finding he boulevard of a certain street when we needed the rue. It was confusing. Still, we did get some crepes and they were good. Sadly we didn't see his friends.
Thursday was probably the most tiring day of them all. There was a lot of walking everyday, but Thursday was the Louvre. I think I heard once that if you run through the entire museum it will still take you at least 3 hours to see everything. I sure hope you're a marathoner. The Louvre was actually the palace of the kings in Paris until Louis XIV wanted to move it to his hunting lodge (Versailles--at least as it started out) since he didn't like the politics of Paris--probably since their was a lot of dissension against the king. He actually was the first to start to use it as a type of museum. And it just grew from there. We did see the Mona Lisa and it is really small, just like people say. Plus it is behind so much glass and ropes that it almost looks fake. Still....I can say that I saw it. My favorite part of the museum (and Bryan seems to agree) was Napoleon III's apartment. I think he may have lived in a small portion of the Louvre. It was just as good as Versailles. I probably like all of this stuff the best because, let's be honest, it's interior design and that's what I love. Except maybe for the jewels. I could totally go for Empress Eugenie's (Napoleon III's wife) tiaras. There was so much to see it really is almost ridiculous. They only thing I wish that we could have seen (not that I thought about it at the time, but it retrospect) would be the museums for the Impressionists. I think that is one of my favorite periods. But like I said, I didn't even think about it at the time. They also had an exhibit by Rafael. That was cool, although I think it was mostly his early work, so not as impressive as it would be later on. I think we must have spent almost 5 hours there. So I'm pretty sure that we found a restaurant near the Rue de la Paix (the ubber-expensive jewelry district) and ate dinner. I think this may have been my favorite restaurant, but that might just be because it had the best mashed potatoes. After dinner we limped back to the car and went back to the hotel for some nice relaxation (and a foot massage in my case).
Friday was probably my most relaxing because we decided that we weren't going to go anywhere in particular. We just went shopping in Paris and found Bryan a nice, perfectly fit suit for 100 Euros. And it's in the European style, which means no baggy pants like here in America. It was form-fitting--just the way I like it. That is the cool thing about France. We walked into the place and they had tons of suits that fit Bryan. The guy just kept picking random suits and they all fit perfectly. Here in America, they usually only have 2 or 3 that are "his size." We also got him some fitted slim dress shirts (insert sexy whistle here) and a wool pea coat. The other thing about Paris is that they have men's stores. Like legit men's stores. Not just some little section in a department store, they have whole department stores devoted to men! It was actually kind of cool. Don't worry, I didn't make out so bad either. We found a tiny antique shop and got me an art deco diamond, sapphire and gold ring. I'll always think of Paris when I look at it. We were able to meet up with one of Bryan's mission companions this day too and he showed us some places. It was interesting that they don't really have any wards in Paris--there aren't enough LDS people. But they have a place for LDS youth to come and spend time together. Apparently Paris is a tough mission and place for LDS singles in general. There just isn't enough of them so they all end up marrying non-LDS people and that's kind of the end of it. Makes me glad I had Utah. This night we ate in this cool little restaurant that you walked down stairs into and it was like dining in a tiny cathedral with stone walls and cross vault ceilings. It was really romantic.
Our last day was spent at the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It is a church sat on the only hill in Paris. It looks ancient but was actually built in 1875 and finished in 1914. We were able to go into the crypt which totally wasn't the creepy kind I was hoping for. And we walked up 300 steps to get to the dome on top to see all of Paris. It was beautiful, although really cold. It was a tiny bit rainy everyday, but this day was the worst. Still, it was totally worth the wind and rain to see everything. We actually went back to Versailles (the city, not the palace) to meet up with another missionary that Bryan knew. We went to a little mission fireside and had a French potluck. It included quiche and crepes. Funny not seeing any green jello. It was a relaxing night even if I couldn't understand anything.
The next morning we work up and headed to the airport really early to make sure and make it through all the lines. The 10 and a half hour flight back felt much longer than the flight there, probably because we didn't sleep. Still, after landing and making it through the ginormous customs lines, we made it to Larissa's house to celebrate Leilani and Mom's birthday. It was wonderful to see the family, even if it was for only a couple of hours. We were able to announce that we are having a baby and I was able to get lots of maternity clothes from Larissa. I know it had been 2 years since we'd seen them, but it didn't feel like that long once we were all together.
Well, I know it is long, but there you have it. Paris. In a very small nutshell.
After that we were tuckered out and went back to our hotel. But surprisingly, although we knew we were tired, we couldn't fall asleep. We didn't go to bed until after midnight and I don't think either of us slept that well. We woke up for breakfast that we had the hotel and decided that we just weren't going to be zombies all day and not enjoy ourselves. So, we actually went back to bed and slept until 4 in the afternoon. Some may think it a waste, but I assure you, we didn't. We got up and got ready. And sadly for me I tried to use my straightener with our adapter and converter, but it got WAY too hot and literally fried/burned my hair, hence why it is cut so short right now. And it killed my wonderful, expensive CHI straightener and my hair looked terrible the entire trip, but c'est la vie. That night we went to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. (Again, for pictures, please see Facebook.) And again had dinner at a cute little cafe. We did go into some of the shops, but seriously, they were either Gap or Cartier. Neither of which interests us.
Tuesday was spent starting at Notre Dame. It really is a beautiful Cathedral. It is interesting to see a church so full of tourists, but at least they are nice and it is probably one of the few places in Paris that you can visit for free. I'll admit that I wouldn't mind having church in a building like that. After visiting Notre Dame we went and saw the L'Opera Bastille. It is the newer opera house. We didn't really mean to visit it, but Bryan mistook it for the Opera Nationale which is the really cool old one built, once again, by Louis XIV. (He spent A LOT of money building things.) A lot of the time was spent just walking around too. Looking at all the beautiful buildings and eating crepes from street vendors. This day was also our 2nd anniversary. We went back to Paris to have dinner at this expensive (even more than usual) restaurant that Bryan found. Don't ask me where it was, I have no idea. It was almost funny the way the staff looks at you when you say you don't want wine or coffee. It really is a strange idea to them that people don't drink that stuff. It was wonderful! Perfect for a 2nd anniversary. Of course what are we going to do the rest of our lives that will compare? Who knows?
Let's see....I think we are on to Wednesday morning now. Ah, Versailles. If I could live in France it would be Versailles. Alas it is also one of the most expensive places to live. Then again, a town built around the Palace of the King, what do you expect? This was our most favorite part of France. It was crazy ornate and I have no idea what they needed all of the rooms for, but still, if I could have it, I would. Plus the gardens are AMAZING!! We even got lost in them. But after the heart of Paris, the quiet, cool, and serene grounds were a blessing. Which makes me remember I should tell you that the drivers in Paris are CRAZY! It's like there are no traffic laws. People are weaving in and out and almost causing wrecks every second and they don't wait for anyone and are actually just kind of mean. Anyway, enough of that rant. Back to beautiful Versailles. They have this man-made lake and they rented out rowboats, so of course we had to get one. So Bryan was the gentleman and rowed me all over the lake of Versailles. Cute, I know, right? Apparently during the summer they do a fireworks show too. That would have been cool to see, but we were happy nonetheless. Louis XIV may have starved his people, but he sure has a beautiful house to show for it! Versailles was actually "given to the people" for "all the glories of France" as a museum by Louis-Phillipe (don't ask me who he is, for some reason I thought it was Napoleon III who did it, but not according to Wikipedia which I'm using to refresh my memory, it was this Louis-Phillipe person). We also saw the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon built for Marie Antoinette. They were also crazy amazing. I love how she had a little village built for her so that she and her entourage could pretend to be like the provincial people--well let me tell you, the provincial people were NOT living like that! Still, amazing!! We were supposed to meet up with some people that Bryan knows for dinner at what is apparently the best creperie. Well if the line was any indication I guess that's true. It was crowded. But we were 40 minutes late because we were so lost and didn't have any cell phones to call anyone. That is the thing about Paris every little street has a different name. But sometimes the only difference is if it is a boulevard, rue, or pont. We kept finding he boulevard of a certain street when we needed the rue. It was confusing. Still, we did get some crepes and they were good. Sadly we didn't see his friends.
Thursday was probably the most tiring day of them all. There was a lot of walking everyday, but Thursday was the Louvre. I think I heard once that if you run through the entire museum it will still take you at least 3 hours to see everything. I sure hope you're a marathoner. The Louvre was actually the palace of the kings in Paris until Louis XIV wanted to move it to his hunting lodge (Versailles--at least as it started out) since he didn't like the politics of Paris--probably since their was a lot of dissension against the king. He actually was the first to start to use it as a type of museum. And it just grew from there. We did see the Mona Lisa and it is really small, just like people say. Plus it is behind so much glass and ropes that it almost looks fake. Still....I can say that I saw it. My favorite part of the museum (and Bryan seems to agree) was Napoleon III's apartment. I think he may have lived in a small portion of the Louvre. It was just as good as Versailles. I probably like all of this stuff the best because, let's be honest, it's interior design and that's what I love. Except maybe for the jewels. I could totally go for Empress Eugenie's (Napoleon III's wife) tiaras. There was so much to see it really is almost ridiculous. They only thing I wish that we could have seen (not that I thought about it at the time, but it retrospect) would be the museums for the Impressionists. I think that is one of my favorite periods. But like I said, I didn't even think about it at the time. They also had an exhibit by Rafael. That was cool, although I think it was mostly his early work, so not as impressive as it would be later on. I think we must have spent almost 5 hours there. So I'm pretty sure that we found a restaurant near the Rue de la Paix (the ubber-expensive jewelry district) and ate dinner. I think this may have been my favorite restaurant, but that might just be because it had the best mashed potatoes. After dinner we limped back to the car and went back to the hotel for some nice relaxation (and a foot massage in my case).
Friday was probably my most relaxing because we decided that we weren't going to go anywhere in particular. We just went shopping in Paris and found Bryan a nice, perfectly fit suit for 100 Euros. And it's in the European style, which means no baggy pants like here in America. It was form-fitting--just the way I like it. That is the cool thing about France. We walked into the place and they had tons of suits that fit Bryan. The guy just kept picking random suits and they all fit perfectly. Here in America, they usually only have 2 or 3 that are "his size." We also got him some fitted slim dress shirts (insert sexy whistle here) and a wool pea coat. The other thing about Paris is that they have men's stores. Like legit men's stores. Not just some little section in a department store, they have whole department stores devoted to men! It was actually kind of cool. Don't worry, I didn't make out so bad either. We found a tiny antique shop and got me an art deco diamond, sapphire and gold ring. I'll always think of Paris when I look at it. We were able to meet up with one of Bryan's mission companions this day too and he showed us some places. It was interesting that they don't really have any wards in Paris--there aren't enough LDS people. But they have a place for LDS youth to come and spend time together. Apparently Paris is a tough mission and place for LDS singles in general. There just isn't enough of them so they all end up marrying non-LDS people and that's kind of the end of it. Makes me glad I had Utah. This night we ate in this cool little restaurant that you walked down stairs into and it was like dining in a tiny cathedral with stone walls and cross vault ceilings. It was really romantic.
Our last day was spent at the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It is a church sat on the only hill in Paris. It looks ancient but was actually built in 1875 and finished in 1914. We were able to go into the crypt which totally wasn't the creepy kind I was hoping for. And we walked up 300 steps to get to the dome on top to see all of Paris. It was beautiful, although really cold. It was a tiny bit rainy everyday, but this day was the worst. Still, it was totally worth the wind and rain to see everything. We actually went back to Versailles (the city, not the palace) to meet up with another missionary that Bryan knew. We went to a little mission fireside and had a French potluck. It included quiche and crepes. Funny not seeing any green jello. It was a relaxing night even if I couldn't understand anything.
The next morning we work up and headed to the airport really early to make sure and make it through all the lines. The 10 and a half hour flight back felt much longer than the flight there, probably because we didn't sleep. Still, after landing and making it through the ginormous customs lines, we made it to Larissa's house to celebrate Leilani and Mom's birthday. It was wonderful to see the family, even if it was for only a couple of hours. We were able to announce that we are having a baby and I was able to get lots of maternity clothes from Larissa. I know it had been 2 years since we'd seen them, but it didn't feel like that long once we were all together.
Well, I know it is long, but there you have it. Paris. In a very small nutshell.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)