Paris: Day 3

Today we woke up, packed our bags (for Barcelona) and went on our way. We got breakfast at Boulangerie Julien on Rue Saint Martin. Then we walked to Le Centre Pompidou which is known for its futuristic look (of the Museum of Modern Art and water works). It is located in an old part of Paris which makes the design even more striking. The Museum of Modern Art is designed "inside out" meaning the pipes are visible on the outside. The water works are called the Fontaine Strawinsky - it is filled with designs that squirt water or just move around. Then we walked to Les Halles (a park close to where we stayed). There is a huge church inside the park - the name of which M does not know. Les Halles is also an area to live in - it is known for being a modern shopping area.

Next we took the subway to Madeleine. We walked around Place de la Madeleine then went around the corner to Academie Nationale de Musique - aka the Opera. The outside of it has some famous composers sculptures and years of life such as Beethoven and Mozart. We sat on the steps of the Opera which faces Place Vendome. We walked to Place Vendome which is a big open square lined in hotels, luxury boutiques such as Chanel, Piaget, Van Cleef, and Dior as well as the Ministry of Justice. At the center of the square sits on obelisk.

[ Going back to yesterday's activities, the restaurant at Montmartre turns out to be a very influential place for the restaurant jargon - because the word bistro (as it is used today) was founded at this restaurant. Bistro is a Russian word for fast. ]

We took the subway to Montparnasse. The couple from yesterday (P and C) suggested we come here because from the top of the building you have a great view of Paris and the best part about it is you can see the Eiffel Tower (most people choose to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower to view Paris as a whole but then you do not see Paris with the Eiffel Tower!) It took 38 seconds to reach the top and we are up 185 meters. The view is extraordinary!! It is a 360 degree view. It seems that parts of Paris are sectioned into triangles. You can literally see all of Paris.

After we walked around, got a savory and sweet crepe - because this area is known for their creperies. We got a cheese and ham - and a nutella and banana. Yum yum. Then we walked through Jardin de Luxembourg - which was magnificent. It is so beautiful and NOT crowded. The park was incredible and I am certainly going back!

The Paris part of the trip is now over and we are on our way to Barcelona.. Cataline (the language of the state of Catalunya) here we come!