Surface of the Sun...otherwise known as Paris in August

I never thought I could feel hotter than I did walking around Paris. When I was in Palm Springs in August and it was 115 degrees, all I had to do was lay around like a lizard. This is not the case here...too much to see! Walking around, we were in a constant quest for shade. We would walk 10 paces out of our way just to get to a tiny oasis for a bit of relief.

Heat makes you do crazy things. I thought it was OK to drink an entire bottle of water and a cup of coffee at the apartment, walk 1.5 miles to the Notre Dame and think they would have a bathroom for you to use. Not true. Seeing Notre Dame was really cool but with my eyes darting every corner for a bathroom made it extremely uncomfortable. Every time Nick wanted to point something out or show me a factoid, I would just get disappointed it wasn't a WC. Regardless, I held it together to take in the beautiful architecture that is an extreme testament to what could be built in that time. Seeing the spires, the gargoyles and the stained glass is awe-inspiring. We didn't wait in line to go to the top since we saw a view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower the day before (and we are saving our Euros!) We arrived as soon as it opened and walked right in. When we left a half hour later, the line was snaked around the front of the church. I'm glad we got to experience it before it was too crowded to really enjoy it.

By this point, we were both desperate and found the nearest coffee shop for an espresso so we could quickly and cheaply hit the bathroom before taking the Metro to The Catacombs. While this wasn't on my must see list, Nick thought being underground would be a good way to beat the heat. I could not argue that logic. Unfortunately, with us hitting the Notre Dame first, we arrived at the Catacombs too late and the line was really, really long. We didn't want to stand in line that long. We decided to find our way to the Musee D'Orsay. This museum was recommended to us by both Jenny and our Airbnb host, Jules. It definitely did not disappoint. It is an amazing museum. We did not do much research on what works of art we would see. We couldn't believe it when we walked right in and the first exhibit was some of Van Gogh's greatest works! We saw his self portrait and The Bedroom among many others. We were stopped dead in our tracks. We spent about 3 hours in this fantastic place seeing Monet, Degas, Gaugin, Rodin and so many other legendary artists. The D'Orsay isn't totally overwhelming like the Louvre and is in a converted train station, so even the building itself is a work of art. If you are in Paris and like art, make sure you stop at this museum.

Pic is a little blurry but Van Gogh's Starry Night

By this time, we were hungry and wanted to head to the Marais neighborhood. I had heard this was a very cool part of town. Jenny recommended the Marche des Enfants Rouges, which was an outdoor food market filled with delicious things to eat. Not wanting to spend a lot of money, we thought this sounded perfect. We got there at a weird time of day so much of the area was closed, which was a bummer. However, there was a Moroccan stand open and for some reason it sounded so good. It definitely met expectations. We sat outside and filled our bellies with couscous, grilled veggies and meat skewers. Jenny also recommended a bakery in the area known for it's apple tart (tarte aux pommes). We somehow made room for this tasty treat. Heaven! The French really have this baking thing down.

From the bakery, we hopped on the Metro and headed further out in the city towards the Sacre Coeur church and the Montmarte neighborhood. We decided to relax and enjoy happy hour at a cafe in the neighborhood to prepare us for the walk up the steep steps to the basilica. We spent an hour people watching and chatting about various topics like dating and business ideas. We settled our bill and headed to the church. From the church steps, you have a view of the entire city of Paris. It's breathtaking! It had a little bit to do with all the steps we climbed...but mostly the view. Tons of young Parisians were sharing bottles of wine and beer on the steps, enjoying the beautiful weather and the gorgeous sunset over the city. We were so glad to be a part of it. There was so much chatter and energy. It was a perfect way to end the day.

I love Paris. I don't know if we are lucky, but we haven't run into anyone rude. It is an absolutely beautiful place. The people are so sophisticated and full of grace without even trying.There's creativity oozing all over the place and I just love the culture of hanging out with friends in cafes over wine. It is inspiring and infectious. It was an amazing mix of cultures while maintaining it's own Parisian feel. I didn't expect to fall so hard, but Paris had me at bonjour.

FINAL THOUGHT: I went into Paris expecting a total different vibe. I was prepared for snotty French people, turning their noses at us and an overall feeling of un-welcomeness. It couldn't be further from the truth. We received a lot of concern from our family and friends about traveling to France with the recent attacks on Nice and Paris. We are no different in the US. We have our own San Bernadino's and Orlando's to grieve over. The world can be a tough place but it was unfair of me to expect unkindness. We need to be smart but we also should go into each place and situation with a level of optimism. It's cynical to expect the worst.