Bonjour, Paris- Part un

Getting There:
It was with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to Blackrock, and even though it wasn't my final goodbye to Ireland itself, it was time to say goodbye to the people I met there.  I don't think that I will ever get used to saying goodbye, but I'd like to think that's a good thing. 

I arrived in Paris around midnight.  Although I was exhausted from the flight and time change,  I saw this face waiting for me and was instantly re-energized.

Okay, so this picture was taken the next day, but you get the idea.

Reunited: This man knows how to travel
If you've ever been to Paris, then you know that it has a lot going on. The city itself is divided into 20 "arrondissments" that spiral out from the center in the shape of a snail.   However, throughout the centuries many distinct neighborhoods have formed that don’t abide by these boundaries. They each have their own flavor and identity, while maintaining that typical Parisian feel.
Colin and I stayed in one such neighborhood called the Bastille. This area is named after a fortress called  Bastille Saint-Antoine. 

If there's one thing that I learned about Colin, it is that he is exceptionally good at almost everything (seriously).  Traveling smart ranks as one of his most valuable talents, and I got to witness first hand just how resourceful he can be. Exhibit A- OUR PLACE WAS AMAZING.  We stayed at a furnished flat called Maison Zen.  If you ever go to Paris, STAY HERE.  We stayed in the red room pictured in the website (studio 3).

After arriving to our room, we feasted on Bordeux, baguette and some cheese ( all French)- It was beyond perfect.

 Our Room:

view from our window

little kitchen; little feast

covering all our bases

tuckered out

Exploring Paris: Day 1- Notre Dame, Louvre, and Eiffel Tower


After a breakfast of croissants and café au lait we began exploring Paris.  As always, Uncle Rick was a big help and suggested a route which began with Notre Dame.


French for " Our lady of Paris,"  Notre Dame de Paris is a Gothic Roman Catholic cathedral which was one of the first churches in the world to use the famous " flying buttresses"  for structural support. It is also famous for some pretty sick gargoyles.  ( Anyone else watch this show?)

posterior  view

Notre Dame

Front facade of Notre Dame

It was a rainy, dreary day so we didn't mind checking out the interior of the church.  Once inside, the natural light was sparse, so the pictures didn't turn out very well.  The interior is most famous for the stained glass "rose window." 

After Notre Dame, we then crossed the Seine and were amazed at what we saw covering the bridge:


Regarding the padlocks:


" On the Pont de l'Archevêché, a bridge which crosses from Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Left Bank of the Seine, thousands of ribbons and padlocks attached to its railings create a brightly-coloured mosaic that can be seen glimmering in the sunlight from the banks of the Seine.

Over the past year, lovers from around the globe have come to add their own testimony of love, engraving their initials on the padlocks – be it a pretty pink bike lock or a heavy duty brick of steel – fastening it to the railings, and tossing the keys into the Seine in a declaration of undying love.

Love-locks started appearing in European cities in the early 2000s, and the original favoured Paris spot was the Pont des Arts, a footbridge crossing the Seine from the Louvre. But a year ago, those love-locks disappeared overnight, without explanation."

Full article can be accessed here.

While I can imagine why said city officials weren't thrilled about the padlocks adding huge amounts of extra weight to bridges, we thought they were a pretty cool idea.  Unfortunately, neither of us had a padlock...

We then did a little more walking, passing some government buildings as well as one which is referred to as the "French Pantheon,"  or "Pantheon of Paris."  Do you remember learning about my adventures in Rome and the original Pantheon which was built thousands of years ago as a worship place for all gods? Well, how cool is it seeing such a literal example of Roman influence in Paris ? Check it out:

French Pantheon

Roman Pantheon

Seriously, I was dying of excitement... the things we learn when we travel!

Next stop- the Louvre.  The Louvre is the world's most visited art museum and houses over 35,000 objects  in an area of 652,300 square feet.

Although we didn't enter the museum this trip, I had seen most of the impressive collection six years earlier during a two week journey through Spain and France during high school. 

Colin and I checked out the exterior of the colossal museum which first began as a fortress built in the late 12th century under Philip II. We've determined that we're not really " museum people,"  but enjoyed it nonetheless.

exterior of the Louvre

We returned to our flat for dinner before taking on the Eiffel Tower.  Built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world.  As per Uncle Rick's advice, Colin and I hiked up to the 2nd of 3 levels. Now, I use the word " hike" purposely, as I was wearing heels. Not my smartest move...

wahhh

Eiffel fun facts: (because history is tedious)

1. Maintenance of the tower includes applying 50 to 60 tonnes of paint every seven years to protect it from rust.
2. The height of the Eiffel Tower varies by 15 cm due to temperature.

3. In order to enhance the impression of height, three separate colours of paint are used on the tower, with the darkest on the bottom and the lightest at the top

4. More than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction in 1889.
5. The tower  is the most visited monument in the world.

Eiffel Tower at night

Since 2000, after the Millennium celebration,  the Eiffel tower has hosted a nightly light show which features  some 20,000 flash bulbs.  The picture doesn't do it justice- Romantique! 




Part deux to come!

Goodbye, Ireland

I am still in denial that it is all over. Life-changing doesn't even begin to describe the journey which I started five months ago.  As I write this post from my new "exotic" location of Florham Park, New Jersey, it occurs to me that it is impossible to describe my experiences abroad in a manner which does them justice. I can't blame it on fuzzy pictures or forgotten city names- I simply lack the eloquence to adequately encapsulate the journey.

Saying goodbye is never easy, but knowing that we will see each other again was the only reason I wasn't a total sob kabob mess. Here are a few pictures from one of our last nights in Dublin together: 

For me, traveling consists of two components- first, the history and culture of a place and second, how each new place makes one feel.  Personally, I find the latter to be more worthwhile, yet this is the component which is more quickly forgotten.  In hindsight, I think this fact is what inspired me to start this blog in the first place.  Having only 50% of an experience is simply unacceptable.

Tomorrow I begin my 12 week internship with Kraft, yet all I can think about are the beautiful things I saw, and the wonderful people that I met and can now call friends.  

Cinco de mayo

Did you know that cinco de mayo ( spanish for the "5th of May," for my Irish friends) is celebrated nationwide in America but only regionally in Mexico in a state called "Puebla?" Incidentally, it is unknown to most in Ireland.

The day commemorates the Mexican victory over the French army that occurred on May 5, 1862. This was significant for two reasons: first, it was the first defeat of the French army in over 50 years. Secondly, the Mexican forces were outnumbered two to one. Well played, Puebla.

Unfortunately, there were no mustaches, sombreros, nor mariachi bands, (does an accordion count?)  but we did manage to obtain the most important ingredients in a proper cinco de mayo celebration- salt, tequila, and lime.

Enjoy the spoils of cinco de mayo! Olé!

fabulous

The grand finale actually occurred on the way into the city. If there's one thing you should know about the Irish, it's that they will always find an excuse to sing.

S.P.Q.R.- Senātus Populusque Rōmānus

Rome: The Eternal City 
Rome was called the " Eternal City" by the Romans themselves because they believed no matter what happened to the rest of the world, no matter how many empires would rise and fall, Rome would go on forever.  Although a few things have changed in the last few thousand years, the city remains.   


Day 1: Arrival, Colosseum, Ancient Ruins
We arrived at the Da Vinci airport and quickly boarded a bus to the Termini Station, the main train station in the capital city.  The Sandy Hostel was only 7 blocks away, and after some trouble communicating, a man gave us his map and sent us on our way down Via Cavour.

The Sandy Hostel was located in a nondescript building which is not labeled from the outside.  The lift required a key, so we trudged up 6 flights of stairs carrying our heavy backpacks.  None of us had gotten much sleep the night before, so we were all glad to finally reach the top.  The rooms were low-key but clean each having their own bathroom. 

The Sandy Hostel

view from our room

After check-in, we began walking towards the Colosseum. We waited about 20 minutes to enter the stadium and the ticket included entrance to the nearby ancient ruins of Palatine Hill. Built in 72 AD by emperor Vespasian and finished 8 years later under Titus, the Colosseum could seat about 50,000 ( Annie and I couldn't help but compare this number to that of Beaver Stadium...).

The ancient Romans would have never actually called the stadium the "Colosseum."  Instead, they referred to the arena as the "Flavian Amphitheatre." The name Colosseum originated from a huge, or "colossal" statue of Nero that was erected just outside the gates to the arena.  The area around the statue soon was called the "Colosseum," and the rest is history.

The Colosseum

 At the center of the Colosseum is what appears to be series of random walls and passages. These areas were once completely covered by wood and then sand and were never intended to be exposed as they are now.  During its use, these passages were used for storing animals and slaves below the arena's surface.  At the far end of the picture above, the floor has been partially restored to show how it would have looked during ancient times.  

We then moved to the Arch of Constantine, located just outside the Colosseum.  The arch was dedicated in honor of Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312.  Constantine is best known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

Arch of Constantine

Palatine Hill came next on the tour.  The people of Rome have been living on the hill since 1000 BC.  The area is currently under excavation, but we were able to see most of the sites including the residences of Tiberius, Domitian, and Augustus.

We then headed back to the hostel and got geláto. Geláto has a lower fat content, but a higher sugar content than traditional "american" style ice cream. Food science fact: just like any emulsion, the lipid and water phases are stabilized through an emulsifier.  For geláto, egg yolks are used. Delicious:

Café and Chocolate

Day 2: Quirinale,Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona
On our second day, we again ventured through the city to explore parts of ancient Rome. Incidentally, we started with the Quirinale as seen below:

The Quirinale is the official residence of the president of the Italian Republic. As you can see, it was a gorgeous day so we took our time exploring.

From the Quirinale, we headed west to the Trevi Fountain.  Trevi is the largest baroque fountain in Rome, measuring 85 feet high and 66 feet wide. The fountain is located at the juntion of three roads, hence the name ( "Tre", meaning three and "vie,"meaning road). The facade of the fountain depicts a scene from 19 BC when a virgin supposedly helped Roman engineers locate a pure well after the aquaducts had been compromised.

Traditionally, if one throws a coin into the fountain, she is ensured a return to Rome.  About 3,000 euros are collected each day from the fountain.  We all chose to partake in the tradition:

The Trevi Fountain

SO MANY PEOPLE!!!

PSU <3

Tossing my coin for my ensured return to Rome!

The group

From the Trevi Fountain, we made our way southwest to the Pantheon.  Built in 72 Ad, the name can be translated from Latin as worship "to every god." As the Roman empire expanded, they integrated all of the dieties of the conquered people, and soon the Romans worshipped thousands of gods.  Until the 7th century, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic church, the Pantheon was used for the worship of hundreds of gods, evidenced by the many statues excavated from the area.  The Pantheon is also used as a tomb for various artists and religious figures. For example, Raphael is buried in the building. 

The Pantheon

Unfortunately, we could only see the outside of the Pantheon. We happened to be in Rome during the "Day of Peace" and the monument was closed.

Next stop was the Piazza Navona. In Italian, "Piazza" means city square, and this one in particular is built on the site of the Stadium Domitian.  The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or "Fountain of the Four Rivers" serves as the focal point of the square, and represents the four major rivers of the four continents through which papal authority had spread: the Nile representing Africa, the Danube representing Europe, the Ganges representing Asia, and the Plate representing the Americas. 

Piazza Navona

Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona

Taking a break

We stopped at a small café and ordered some drinks while enjoying the sunshine until we ventured across the square to have geláto once again.  I had my first crepe of the trip! ( Thanks to Lauren, I now know how to make crepes and will be making them this summer as well as back at PSU!)

crepe with strawberries and nutella

Annie with her geláto

loving it

On our way home, we ventured past the Vatican and the Castel Sant' Angelo, or "Castle of the Holy Angel." We crossed the Tiber and also got a pretty cool view of the Vatican. 

Castel Sant'Angelo from the Ponte Sant' Angelo

View of the Vatican

Ponte Sant' Angelo

Day 3: Vatican
Our final day was spent not in Rome, nor in Italy for that matter, but in a different country altogether- Vatican City. .

The land-locked sovereign city-state measures 110 acres and is guarded by the Swiss, who still wear traditional uniforms (see below) . The Vatican City consists of St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museum. We paid for a guided tour, which was worth the extra cost, as he gave us invaluable background information on everything inside the museum.

Vatican City

 Laocoön was a Trojan priest who tried to warn the Trojans about accepting the Trojan Horse from the Greeks. Athena sent two giant sea serpents to strangle and kill him and his two sons.This is the original

Bronze statue of Hercules

Notice the fig leaf- This along with many others  were added to the statues  after the Council of Trent.  Also called the "Tridentine Council," it severely altered what the Catholic church deemed "appropriate." This also affected the Sistine Chapel,which depicted nudes.

Ornate ceiling in the Vatican Museum

Michelangelo's "The Last Judgement." The fresco took the artist 4 years to complete

Perhaps one of the most memorable features of the Vatican Museum was the Sistine Chapel.  This semester at UCD, I took an art history class, so seeing the The Last Judgement in person was very special.  Painted by Michelangelo some 20 years after completing the ceiling of the chapel, the work adorns the altar wall and spans 45 by 40 feet. 

The fresco depicts the second coming of Christ, and shows the souls of humans either ascending to heaven or descending into hell while being surrounded by saints including Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Peter, Lawrence, Bartholomew, Paul, Peter Simon, Sebastian, and John the Baptist.

The chapel underwent an extensive cleaning and restoration which spanned 14 years (1980-1994) paid for by Sony ( yes, the same one that makes electronics).  An example of the before and after can be seen here.

Do you notice how most of the figures are "tastefully" covered by random pieces of cloth as to avoid complete exposure? This was not how Michelangelo intended the figures to look, and was actually added later.  The genitalia in the fresco, referred to as 'objections,' were covered after Michelangelo's  death in 1564 by the mannerist artist Daniele da Volterra, when the Council of Trent condemned nudity in religious art. 


We continued to St. Peter's Basilica. the basilica boasts the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, and even though I'm not very religious, it was breathtaking. The American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson described St Peter's as "an ornament of the earth ....the sublime of the beautiful."

Interior of St. Peter's Basilica

Altar in St. Peter's

Swiss guards

Group shot in Piazza Pio XII

So, that's Rome! I wish I could have stayed longer, but since I did manage to toss a coin into the Trevi, I know I will return someday.

Until then, if you do travel to Rome, here are some of the things that I learned in the three days that I was there:

Travel Advice: When (not if) you go to Italy...
1. Pricing Restaurants- Our tour guide, Simon, from the Vatican gave us one easy rule: if the pizza margherita is between 4 and 7 euro, then the restaurant is priced normally and is not a tourist trap. If it's even 7.50, then it is overpriced.

2. Don't pay more than 40 euro to get to the airport. It is Italian law that dictates what the standard fare is to the air port, so make sure you don't get ripped off. This almost happened to us and we had to fight with the taxi driver for him to charge us a fair price.

3. Know (a little) Italian- I probably know 5 words of Italian, but a  little goes a long way.  Even learning- "Do you speak English?" Would have been helpful. People treat you differently when you at least try.

4. Have a PLAN.  We were really lucky that we saw almost everything that we wanted to see. However,  planning ahead including figuring out which monuments you really want to see, checking opening times, as well as schedules will really help you get the most of your trip.

5. Get geláto EVERY DAY. There are literally dozens of flavors, so do your best to try out a few while you are in Italy!

6. Eat dinner in the Trastevere neighborhood at least one night. This area meaning 'across the River Tiber' - is an old, traditional, Bohemian part of the city. The restaurants are reasonably priced, and offer the most authentic food ( definitely NOT a tourist trap) We had wine and a few small plates each ( think tapas ) for only 7 euro. Go to Trastevere!