Ma dernière semaine à Paris

With a few days left in Paris, I made one last attempt to do the things I love that Paris has to offer while also trying to fit in the things I had yet to see and do. Although I couldn't fit it all in, this past week was amazing.

On Wednesday nights the Louvre stays open until 10pm so after work I met Danielle and her sister for a night at the Museum. We went to see the Mona Lisa, some of the Greek Statues and ended our night in the Egyptian section. The Louvre is so big that it is basically impossible to see it all and see it well. Having been there before we just wandered the halls taking in some of the works.

Over the week I spent a lot of time at Jardin Luxembourg, my favorite park. Tuesday morning I met Danielle and we picked up the most amazing pain au raisin from "Bread and Roses" near the park. I would highly recommend these pastries and I've gone back for another since. We took them to the park and spent a good part of our morning there.

Wednesday I met Danielle and her sister at the Catacombs. The wait was around 2.5 hours since they can't allow more than 200 people inside at a time. The catacombs are quite extensive and hold the remains of over 6 million people but only a small area is open to the public. The remains are separated by bone type and stacked high. As you walk through, each section represents a cemetery that the remains were taken from.

My Aunt Kathy and three cousins were visiting Paris as part of their European tour. I  was able to meet them for dinner on Wednesday and took them to my favorite crepe place, Galette Café. On Thursday I was able to see them again and we headed back to Jardin Luxembourg for an afternoon in the park.

July 4th I headed up to Montmarte and Sacre Coeur with Danielle and her sister. We stopped in the Marais for falafel and to pick up eclairs from L'Éclair de Génie. We enjoyed the eclairs in a small garden off of the Sacre Coeur.

On Tuesday I visited Musee Rodin, dedicated to the French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The Museum holds most of his major works and is small and manageable. Many of his statues can be found throughout the gardens that surround the museum.

On my last day in Paris Danielle and I spent the day wandering around, as the rainy Paris weather put a little damper on our original plans. After dinner (planches of cheese and charcuterie) we headed to the "How to Become Parisian in One Hour" show, which was the perfect ending of my stay in Paris.

14 years ago I told my parents that I would one day live in Paris and my 10 year old self definitely had the right idea. These past 9 months were absolutely amazing and it would not have been the same without the friends I have made. Living here has taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of achieving. I came to Paris not knowing how to count to four and I'm leaving with an understanding of the French language, culture and way of life. Paris will always hold a very special place in my heart and I cannot wait to come back and visit!

Á plus tard Paris!