CollegeBakerGirl: Paris Weekend -Part 1: Storm Warning

Monday, August 8, 2011

Paris Weekend -Part 1: Storm Warning

It was a humid stormy day. But I didn't care, because within a few hours, I would be in Paris.

Class seemed to go on forever but finally it ended and the weather even got better. It was going to be a fantastic weekend indeed.

Tours train station

After a brief 1 hour train ride, we were in Place de la Concorde. Even though it's my 3rd time there, Paris makes me fall in love with it time after time. As my travel buddy and Paris-1st timer JG said "This is exactly what I thought Paris would be like!".

It so is.

This obelisk is actually from Luxor, Egypt

Notice how the clouds are starting to look scary, more on that later.

See that gold dome, Napoleon's tomb is there.

We had a few hours to wander around before we were to meet up with JG's friend JK who's currently living in Paris so we went to scope out the Arc de Triomphe. Obviously we took the scenic route. Just kidding, in Paris, all the routes are scenic; but we did go down my personal favourite, Les Champs Elysees.

I love French street signs

Obviously a stop at the Disney store was needed.

And we had to pay a visit to Louie.

And see some cutesy stuff.

Swarovski store

Almost there. . .

But first we had to pass through a garden.

Finally we made it do the arc. Isn't it grand?

I really do think so.

And then the clouds got greyer, as if we were in some Greek Epic.

Unexpectedly, les policiers and some army guys showed up and made everyone move behind guardrails.

Have you ever seen the Arc de Triomphe so empty?

We thought that there must be some military memorial ceremony that was about the begin because they were moving the velvet rails around the unknown soldier. So we stayed, despite the fact that the sky was threatening to drown us.

And then the deluge began. . . while we still waited. Finally we gave up and waited in the underpass that leads back to les Champs Elysees. The tunnel was starting to flood. Just kidding.