So-long for Now Paris

“Rain’s very important. That’s when Paris smells its sweetest.”

Audrey Hepburn

I was unaware that Paris in the rain is actually a very iconic occurrence. Many people believe that Paris is the most beautiful in the rain and while I can’t necessarily say I agree I must say it is quite enchanting; it’s so picturesque and magical. Parts of Paris almost feel like they were made to be experienced in the rain.

One thing is for sure, the rain in Paris stops no one from daily life activities. I have never seen so many umbrellas in use as I did the day it rained during our time in Paris. We spent that evening in the Latin Quarter and visiting the area around Notre Dame and there were just as many people out and about as there would have been had it been the most pleasant day ever. I suppose everyone else had heard of the beauty of Paris in the rain and they were all eager to experience it.

While there were crowds present at every location we visited, they were most apparent to me at Sacre Cœur Basilica. It is very possible that they just stood out to me there because I had already had my fill of crowds by that point in our journey. We visited the Basilica on our second to last day in Paris and while Paris is by far the best city I have been to, it is still a large city. Large cities and I can enjoy one another for a time but it doesn’t take long for us to wish to be parted from one another. City night life is especially vibrant but but its pleasures are short lived. Those of you who are well acquainted with me know that there is no place I’d rather be than in nature. Paris has many things but it does lack in the area of nature.

Our last day in Paris was not even spent in Paris. Our plan was to take the 8:45 train from Paris to Vernon where we would visit Giverny, the home of impressionist painter Claude Monet *(1840-1926). Our plan was slightly derailed (HA) when we missed our train which had been rescheduled for twenty minutes earlier than its original departure time. I was pleasantly surprised at how calm everyone remained. Being calm hasn’t necessarily been our strong suit for the first half of this vacation. Much to our relief, we were able to purchase tickets for a slightly later train to Vernon, cutting our time at Giverny down by two hours. It would have been nice to spend more time at the artist’s delightful home but every moment was breath taking.

For our last night in Paris we visited a lovely Paresian cafe once more. Emily and I shared a delicious meet and cheese board which was very French but not necessarily very tasty. We couldn’t leave any of our food on our plate because that is seen as an insult to your chef. Desperate not to offend, we pawned off all our left over foods to our reluctant family members. Our mother gladly received our salami, but she didn’t want it just now so she wrapped it in a napkin and placed it in her purse. The next day when she was complaining about her purse smelling like stinky feet she realized it was because she forgot about the salami. First the ham fat in her pocket, then the salami in her purse. Oh mother, what will it be next.

Tuesday morning we all piled into our rental van and waved good bye to lovely Paris. It was sad to see the first part of our journey finished but we are all excited about the next leg. Onward to the countryside. The Loire valley is up next. Goodbye For now Paris.

Give us feedback!

What do you want to hear more about? Are you desperate to hear more about the history and facts of the places we’re visiting or are you dying to know more about the culture and the people we’re meeting? Want to hear more about our family members and our traveling mishaps and victories, just let us know! I’m seriously considering a post focused entirely around the food we’ve been eating. That one may be inevitable whether or not someone requests to hear more about it because I’m quite impressed with French cuisine. Leave a comment below about what you wish to hear about from our adventures in France!

travel tips: If you are planning on traveling to Giverny, the train is a great way to go. there are several forms of transportation you can take to Giverny from the train station. they also have sufficient parking if you have your own car.

We traveled to Giverny on a weekday so the line to get in was not very bad, so we might suggest buying your tickets at the door and not in advance, you may be able to save a good amount of money as long as you have a little extra time to wait in line.

If you are going to the the Sacre Cœur Basilica, going up into the dome is a great option. It is 8 euros for an adult. You buy the tickets at the stairwell. If you don’t get along with climbing stairs or small inclosed spaces, I would not recommend it. As long as you are moderately fit the stairs shouldn’t be an issue. We did not go up into the Eiffel Tower but we overheard other tourists saying that the view from the Basilica was much better. it is also ten times cheaper, literally!

I will be posting photos from Giverny on social media as soon as I finish editing them. keep an eye on my instagram page @annaspencephotography!

Au revoir my friends! ~Anna

*Claud Monet birthed the impressionism movement. impressionism leaves room for the imagination with no definite lines, only blobs of color.