Some of the art was taken out of context and remounted on a wall, while other art was located in churches, and homes and there fore, could be appreciated being in the place they were created for. While in Paris I was able to go to the Louvre twice, (still not enough times) the Eiffel Tower twice as well, several cathedrals, I think most of the larger museums in Paris; along with various weekend day outings including Versailles, Chantilly, Giverny Monet's property and Auvers Sur Oise, where Van Gogh last lived.
It is hard to pin point which weekend excursion I enjoyed the most, but I would have to say that Auvers Sur Oise and Giverny are my favorite. Perhaps I liked Auvers because of the festival that was being held in town or the company that I was with that day, but I look back and that is my favorite day. A close second would be Giverny.
Versailles was HUGE! And very overwhelming, but if you took a walk 30 mins away from the grand building and all of the tourists, that is where Marie Antoinette had her little cove, her little slice of heaven; the Hameau. A place where Marie and her children could escape the riggers of palace life myself and my friends seeks refuge here too. Donning posh accents and deciding which house we would live in, we had a grand time in this little escape.
The first 15 days in Paris when by very slowly, but once L, the program director announced one day that "this is half way folks", the days began to fly by.
Honestly, I did not think that I would enjoy Paris as much as I did. There are aspects of it that I could do without, but all in all its a great city that gives you what you put into it. The food was delicious, I already miss the fresh bread and the sweets were wonderful.
Has the group began to pack up and get ready for Venice, our second and last leg of the program, excitement grew within the group.
I liked Venice, I liked the old buildings, something that we did not get in Paris due to Hausmanization. The people were friendly, lively, and seemed to really like what they were doing and were eager to help a tourist with the language; something that was rare in Paris. What I could have done without was all the tourists. Everyday large cruise ships come into port and deposited vast numbers of their passengers onto the small island city. The sheer number of them cover the city and make it invisible to everyone. My friend E and I were out walking one day for lunch and we actually walked into an area where there was not a soul to be seen. I mean NO ONE, it was kind of eerie, but fantastic as the same time, we could hear our foot falls echo off the old walls and really got to see how Venicians lived.
Spending 5 days in Sweden with S was a great remedy to the over crowded streets in Venice. There was not a sound in Sweden. Peace and Quiet, now if I could just bottle it and give it to every mom in the US I would be rich! Sweden was perfect. Perfect weather, great food, wonderful company, and a society that is so friendly and talkative, I had so many people vying for my attention I did not know who to engage with first. I will most certainly be returning.
Being stranded at the airport in a foreign country forces one to look inward and see themselves for who they are. I am reinforced daily that I have the ability to adapt and change in my environment, make the most out of a situation and grow.
Here are some of my favorite pictures. Forgive me if they are repeats.
No comments:
Post a Comment