Bonjour
Today was our last day in Paris. We got packed up and left our bags at the hotel again. It is so convenient to do that. That way we can still explore without having to lug our stuff around.
Our flight was not until 5:30pm, so we were able to explore the city a little more. We started at the Musée Rodin. It was a museum dedicated to the work of A. Rodin. He was the sculptor to did The Thinker and The Gates of Hell. His sculptures seem more expressive and his figures seem to show more humanistic positions and stances than some of the other statues we have seen from other artists.
After the Musée Rodin, we went to the opera house, Palais Garnier. Again, a very opulent building inside and out. The french certainly know how to go over the top when showing their wealth. Like I stated in an earlier post, this opera house was the inspiration for The Phantom of the Opera. The big chandelier in the center of the auditorium did fall during a performance, unfortunately killing someone. We saw a chandelier in the auditorium but not sure if it was the same one. The highlight of the opera house was the grand hall. Gold embellishments with gold chandeliers create a jaw dropping reaction. I was not a fan of all the pink marble as I think it spoiled the overall look but apparently it was the thing to have when it was built. When we walked into the main hall with the grand staircase, the song "Masquerade" started playing in my head. If you are not aware, it is the song in the Phantom of the Opera that takes place in the foyer and grand staircase. Overall, a wonderful experience.
Our final stop in Paris was the Bastille monument. It is a spire in the center of a traffic circle. It symbolizes the point when France became a free republic. The Bastille originally occurred in April but the celebration date was moved to July 14.
Before we headed to the airport, we stopped for one final café lunch. We did the "formule dejeuner" which is a two course meal consisting of an entrée and dessert. I had pork loin and Alan had salmon. Very good! I had another cremé brulee (much better than the one I had last night) and Alan had a pear crumble.
We made it to the airport without a problem. Overall, Paris was great. Although London was great as well, it seems very americanized. Paris, on the other had, was an entity of its own. The pace was slower. They really enjoy their coffee, bread, wine, and cheese. They are proud to be french and proud of what the french have contributed to the art and science worlds. I could see myself exploring more of what Paris and France has to offer in the future.
Au revoir Paris.
Ciao Firenze (Hello Florence)
We flew Vueling from Paris to Florence. What a nice airline and I was impressed. Alan had plenty of legroom and the staff was great. This is the airline that had the strictest luggage sizes for carry on, but we were fine! When we got to the airport we took the shuttle to the city center and walked to our hotel, the Hotel Porta Faenza.
The room is nice and has a balcony overlooking a courtyard. We are only staying 2 nights.
We walked down the street for dinner at a trattoria (or tavern). It is a little family run italian restaurant. I had tortellini with ricotta and spinach. They were so large the looked like ravioli. Alan had lasagna. This is the part of the trip I am most excited about. ..italian food!
We made it an early night as we have to wake up early for a tour through Tuscany!
Arrivederci (see you soon )
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