Steel and Lace - The Eiffel Tower

After a hell of a night partying nothing better than a good nights rest. 
The plan for today was none other than visiting the Eiffel Tower - I was so excited and anxious to be standing in front of one of the world's seven wonders that I could barely think much that morning. 
After a quick breakfast and bundling up as best I could we were on our way. Since we left quite late we decided that our plan for the day would be Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and head straight to Cité de la Musique to meet up with one of Richi's Italian friends for a music concert. Because we were pressed for time the option of coming back home before going to the concert was null so I decided against taking my professional camera (I had no idea how shows were in France, but imagining they were similar to the live music concerts I had been to in Brazil the last thing I wanted was for the camera to get smashed or robbed). 
Until today I regret such decision as I missed out big time on taking pictures of such an first time happening. Richi did take his camera but being totally honest there is just no comparison (not to say that I wasn't ever able to get those pictures and all I have are some bad quality ones I downloaded from his Facebook). I also tried getting some taken with my iPhone but these are also real bad resolution. 
Despite the bad decision in going "camera-less" the experience in itself felt as if I were waking up in a dream. The subway doors opened and we just followed the gushing crowd (which seemed to all be going in the same direction). Climbing up the steps into fresh air, less than 300 meters walk and we had arrived at the Trocadero.
It was there and here was I - only me and it. That huge, gorgeous tower looming over top, staring me straight in the eyes.
The feelings were indescribable and just by looking at the faces of those around me I knew the feeling was mutual.
Fairy tale dream come true - I stopped by and watched, and gazed, and deep inside I knew I was on top of the world just by standing face to face with that breath-taking tower. A tower made of steel and lace. A monument which was so much more than what the eye could see.
In front of it couples with dreamy eyes, teenagers going wild, lone travelers and so many lovers fulfilling their romantic dream. And of course cameras - loads of them - everywhere. Clicking incessantly, non stop, at everything and everywhere.
The most amazing thing about being in the Trocadero is the wave of feelings that surrounds each square meter of it. Some people shed tears of gratefulness, others are just jumping up and down for joy, some youngsters are holding hands and dancing around in merriment while just opposite a Chinese woman stands still in awe barely being able to breathe. There is even a groom and bride in full attire posing for pictures with their family and what it seems to be best men and bridesmaids - the whole area is filled in this positive and vibrant static which automatically penetrates you as well and you can't help but feel like as if you are in the middle of a dream. 
After a few minutes of silence and just grinning to one another me and Richi joined all the many other tourists in taking pictures, walking around and admiring the world's largest romantic symbol. 
One of the reasons I love the view from the Trocadero so much is because of the grandeur the whole surrounding inspires. You get not only to see the tower looming ahead but the gardens, architecture, centerpiece fountain, carousels, vendors stalls and all the hustle and bustle in between them. 
Today I have been to the Trocadero over five times but every single time I get the same impression: there is nowhere better to view the main site in Paris. 
As mentioned above we were pressed for time and so being skipped entering the humongous line to go up the Eiffel Tower - that would just have to wait for another day. 
And now for another typical tourist story. We decided to make our way towards the Arc de Triomphe, opened up our subway map, located the first "Arc" that we saw and took the first subway that would take us to it. After exchanging subways twice (all part of getting around in Paris subway stations) we finally arrive the "Grande Arc" (as was written in the map). We walk out of the subway station and are faced with a huge marble Arc looming over both of us.
- This isn't it. Richi says
- No it sure isn't, but it can't be that far as well. Let me ask someone how to get there.
To our total shock the two young girls we asked started cracking up in our faces as they told us we were at the wrong arc - instead walking less than a kilometer from the Eiffel Tower to the Champs Elysees where the Arc de Triomphe is situated we took a huge trip all the way to the other side of the city and were now at none other but the Grande Arche de La Défense. 
We both had a great big laugh as well at our tourist stupidity but I knew Richi felt bad as he had wanted so badly to see the Arc de Triomphe and the next day he was making his way back to Germany in the morning and there would be no time to go anywhere. Now for me it was a definite plus as I still had quite a few days left in Paris and was sure I would get to see it sooner or later  - and so getting to know the Arche de la Défense was something new and unexpected.
A little bit of history on how the Arc came to be: A great national design competition was launched in 1982 as the initiative of French president François Mitterrand. Danish architect Johann Otto von Spreckelsen (1929–1987) and Danish engineer Erik Reitzel (the Danes are just everywhere, hah!)  designed the winning entry to be a 20th-century version of the Arc de Triomphe: a monument to humanity and humanitarian ideals rather than military victories. The construction of the monument began in 1985 and was completed in 1989. From what I later discovered is that in the past there was a restaurant, computer museum and people could go up to the viewing deck but because of an elevator accident (in which no one was injured) they closed down all the facilities and now the public can't go up anymore. A pity as the monument is as tall as the Eiffel Tower so my guess is the view must be magnificent!
My favorite part of visiting La Défense was the Christmas market which was going on right beneath the Grande Arche. Decorated like a cozy Christmas village with wooden stalls which stand welcoming vendors glad to show you their many products. It's quite spacey so it doesn't feel so crowded and not being situated near the main sightseeing attractions decreases the number of tourists considerably which made it feel less commercial than when I went to the Christmas Market in the Champs Elysees (but which I still loved nonetheless). 
The cool air,the lights lights lit up, the hustle and bustle in the kiosks, the goods made from all over the world and the holiday decorations and greenery simply made it in a Christmas Wonderland. 
After walking around we entered a food stall for a late lunch/early dinner and I got to experience the famous vin chaud (hot wine with spices) and bread raclette which is just pure hot cheesy goodness that melts into your mouth. Ahhh, to die for!!!
Next stop was Cité de la Musique - at Hoche station and right next to Tom's place. By now Richi was becoming a pro in how to get around using the subway station while I was yet still pretty much in the dark. But every time we were in a tight spot or not quite sure what way to go Richi would prod on towards asking someone directions in French - well, at least in that I was better than him :P
As we arrived a few minutes early we entered a café to warm up as the temperature outside was at this time too cold for my poor Brazilian body who was not in the least used to the low degrees. One thing I love about many cafes in Paris are:
- water is always for free. As long as you order at least one item from the menu you can always ask for tap water (which is totally safe to drink) and won't have to pay for it.
- when you order tea it isn't only a cup of tea but yes a little kettle of warm water in which you can fill up to two or even three cups for a nice, long, warm drink.
Warm and ready we went to meet up with three lovely Italian ladies for a night of party and Rock and Roll - will describe it all in the next post. 

 

Party Like a Parisian

Paris is known to all as being the city of love, but for me it is a lot more than that - it is the city of joy, happiness and feeling grateful. During my whole time in Paris I cannot remember once that I was sad, unhappy or feeling down. Even when I was totally lost, having a hard time communicating with the French, almost loosing my baggage in the subway, dead tired of walking all day - not once did I feel the slightest tinge of sadness. It was all joy!!!
And maybe that is why it is known as the city of love - because love makes you happy. Be it love towards your family, friends, that special person who holds your heart, your children - or even love to life itself. When you love life, life makes you happy. And this was me in Paris. I just couldn't stop smiling and everything seemed golden, beautiful and great.

But anyways, continuing on with the story... After the Louvre me and Richi found our way into a nice little bistro where we had a nice lunch of bread, butter, omelet with fresh mushrooms and some nice hot tea. Before we knew it, it was almost five pm and we both felt full and tired. Outside it was pouring rain and the next few things we had put to do on our list were all outdoor sights. In the end we decided to go home and rest a bit until night came. And that is what we did...got ourselves a few good hours of sleep and woke up ready to put our next plan into action.
I got in touch with Jamie (the Chinese girl we had met the night before, whom we nicknamed "The Lipstick Girl" as she put lipstick on all three boys) and we set a time to meet up and from there she would take us out to a club so we could party!!!

Following the directions she had given us we ended up at none other than...The Moulin Rouge - the exact place we had been to the evening before. Next to it was a club where me and Jamie gladly entered for free while Richi had to pay 15,00 Euros. A VERY strange thing for me was finding out that here in Paris men are not allowed into a club without having at least one woman with them - or so, if a group of guys don't have at least one female company with them there is no way they will be able to enter the club and party. Crazy, no?!
 Entering we went straight to the bar where I was appalled at once when discovering the prices of the drinks... a simple cocktail wasn't cheaper than 11 euros a piece. A small glass of beer ranged 8 to 10 euros - the only good thing in all of this was that the water was for free!

After a drink and warming up to the place we went straight to the dance floor and that's when I experienced for the first time how crazy, mad and insane partying with Parisians can be. Well, it wasn't exactly only Parisians...as the night went on I must have met people from all over the world: Chinese, Italians, Spaniards, Africans, Americans, and the list goes on...
Another amazing thing is the music selection. They basically play EVERYTHING!!! From Indian music to Rap, Rock'n Roll, Samba, "Opa Ganam Style", Michel Teló, Latin Music, Arabic music, Pop - and of course lotsss of Techno and Dance music. While the men (many dressed in suits) and the women jumped on the chairs and danced on top of the bar me and Jamie went up on one of the two "mini stages" (located in the middle of the club) and danced our legs out. Much to my amazement (totally opposite from here in Brazil) the amount of men is a lot larger than the amount of women and being so the men are very forward and many will go up to you and ask you for a dance - even more so when they see you are a foreigner. At one point I stopped to rest a bit and saw a guy come up to a girl and ask her for a dance; she gladly accepted and there they were on the dance floor rubbing and smothering each other - I as a spectator was totally sure that something more would ensure after the song ended (at least a kiss!) and yet no, as soon as the song was over the girl politely left, walked back to her girlfriends and went back dancing on her own while the guy went up to another girl and...well despite not staying there to look I can only imagine the same thing would be happening again. My head was like...???!!!
Back on the dance floor I am when this Italian guy starts talking with me. He asks me from where I am (as it is obvious I am not French) and I tell him I am from Brasil.
- What country is Brazil in?
- No, no. Brazil IS the country.
- Huh? What's the name again.
- BRAZIL!
- I have never heard of it.
- You have never heard of Brazil?
- Where is it on the map? Show me, show me...
I just turned around and walked away. Someone that is THAT stupid should be in school and not in a club. Cracking up I tell Richi and we continue dancing the night away.
Soon after Jamie met a tall handsome Parisian guy called Clemont who joined our group in the drinking and dancing.
One thing though that I thought was veryyy annoying was that everyone would throw, break, leave on the floor their empty glass cups and so there was glass on the floor of the whole club. I had taken off my heels to dance but at one point I had to find other corners to dance as most of the main dance floor was covered in glass. It made me think why the managers of the club didn't switch to plastic cups instead?!!! But even the glass didn't stop my partying and drenched in sweat samba, hip hop, Latin dancing and even just grooving to the music continued.
At 5 am all of a sudden people start leaving the club - everyone at once. Why? Its about the time the subways start running again and here everyone either walks (yep, some even for 30-45 minutes) or catches the subway back home and we were no exception. In the subway everyone sat calm, quiet, poised and polite. Not one fight, drunk discussion, mean shoving or pushing - nothing. I had a hard time believing that those people were the exact same ones who were dancing on top of the bar, throwing their glass cups and going wild on the dance floor just a few minutes ago.

 Home. Bed. Sleep.

The Louvre!!!

Eager to get as much as possible out of our day me and Richi woke up early (considering the late time we went to bed the night before), had a quick breakfast and were out in the streets of Paris. This time we were on our own with no guides, local language speakers or help of any kind - just the two of us who were in this huge city for the first time in our lives.
Richi quickly learnt how to get around using the Parisian subway station and so off we went straight for the Louvre. The day before Vitor had sat down with me and written out a little "tour" we could do starting by the  Louvre and ending at the Eiffel Tower at night. It would be a long day but wasn't that what we were there for anyways?
Even the fog and rain that greeted us as we left the subway station weren't enough to dampen our excitement of the day we had ahead of us. We took a look at how much it was to enter the Louvre: 11 euros each; and then asked how much would be a Paris Museum Pass for one day: almost 40 euros each. And right then and there we did a big mistake: we bought the Paris Museum Pass.
Why was it a mistake? Well by the time we finally found where to buy the Paris Museum Pass (you buy it in a tobacco store next to the Louvre) and entered the Louvre it was almost 11:00 am - the Louvre is HUGE and packed out and before you know it three to four hours have gone by in a flash! After spending many hours in a museum your head is tired, your body can't stand being pushed and shoved anymore by people and your legs feel like they will fall off. Another museum is NOT HAPPENING!!!
And that is exactly what happened to us. Louvre took pretty much our entire day - and I can't complain as it really is magnificent! From the Egyptian tombs to the Greek statues followed by astonishing gold framed paintings of the Renascence Era - it is all a work of art! And of course you can't miss pushing your way through the crowd of people that surround her: yep, none other than the mysterious Mona Lisa. Though as soon as I found myself in front of her all I could think of was: "Geezzzz!!!" The painting is small, extremely well guarded and at least 100 meters in front of you surrounded by glass cases, and in my honest and sincere opinion there really wasn't anything all THAT special about it.
Now if you stop and pay attention to the paintings that surround Mona Lisa then yes, that is what I call a work of art! Looking at them I totally forgot the disappointment I had felt just a few minutes ago.

Well as they say, a picture is worth 1,000 words...so here go the pictures: