Paris Week 1 May 21 - 28

Paris! I was expecting to not really love it because I've heard many people say it's not their favorite. I really liked Paris. It was beautiful. I did get tired of hearing reminders on the metro and in museums that there are pickpockets and that I should watch my belongings. Men pee in the streets, so certain areas smell like urine. I saw one man peeing, right toward the street. Didn't even turn to face the building. Oh well. It's true that if you try to greet people in French and say thank you, that they are nice to you. I studied a tiny bit before leaving with an app. I learned horse, girl, boy, man, woman, cat, and a few other words. It really came in handy when we passed a cafe with Chat and Zen in the title. I assume it had to do with a zen cat. I'll do better next time. 

We stayed at an IBIS property again - in the Gare du Nord area. After 2 weeks in apartment-style living, a full breakfast and queen sized bed and housekeeping was nice. We weren't in quite the quality of neighborhood as we had in London. There are always trade-offs. We got settled in our rooms and explored the neighborhood, finding a grocery store with yummy pre-made salads that cost about $5 and a baker with baguettes for about $1. Natalie and I would get those salads almost daily. Hers often had a tiny fork. Mine never did, so I finally bought a 6-pack of cheap metal forks. Natalie and I carried our forks with us for any salad emergency until they got taken away at the Eiffel Tower - too dangerous. Oops. At least I had backup forks. I left mine in the hotel from then on. Once I got a plastic fork, I did carry that. I realized that if it hadn't been confiscated at the Eiffel Tower, it would have been at Disneyland or the Louvre. 

Sunday we went to church. We got there early, but no members showed up. We wondered if it was stake conference, as church had just opened up in Europe and we ran into stake conference in London. Sure enough, someone let us know it was stake conference - in Versailles. There were a lot of tourists waiting for church in the courtyard, so an impromptu testimony meeting began. A woman and 2 young adult daughters entered the courtyard. I figured they were American because one of them had my same Old Navy dress on. I went to tell them that there was no meeting there. The older woman, probably mom, asked me what I was doing in Paris. When I told her I was on a BYU study abroad, she said "oh, is your husband a director?" Me: "No, I'm a director and that woman over there (pointing to Natalie) is a director and that woman (pointing to Dawna) is a director. The man standing next to her is a spouse." When people ask me what was my favorite part of the trip, I tell them about that exchange. The trip had already been so empowering - director with expensed paid, helping on an important program, guiding students, counseling with directors, spending my own money, etc. It was a gift that I really needed. After church we went to the Dior exhibit, which highlighted the life of Christian Dior and the history of the design house. Being a home economist at heart, I really liked a quote that I saw on a sign: "My childhood home was roughcast in a very soft pink, mixed with grey graveling, and these two shades have remained my favourite colors in couture." HOME has such a lasting impact. We saw lovely dresses, toiles (designs made of muslin first), designers working on bags, and Dior's office. We saw a dress and bag that Princess Diana wore and a dress that Adele wore. 

Monday we went on a tour of Paris' Opera House. It was beautiful. It was designed to be like a jewelry box, with the patrons being the jewels. We also walked to the top of a hill to see the Sacred Heart Basilica. The views from there are amazing. There were a ton of stairs to climb to get to the church. When we got halfway there, I looked at Natalie and asked her if we should tell Dawna (who was a bit behind us) that there were more stairs she couldn't see. We decided not to. We all made it and were very proud of ourselves. We also got some yummy crepes. I got mine with butter and sugar. We also went fabric shopping at some places Dawna had visited on her earlier trip to Paris. I almost bought some, but decided against it. I'm glad I didn't. So far, I had purchased souvenirs for pretty much everybody. Kamiko had a supreme shirt from London. Allie had a cashmere scarf from Scotland. Mel had socks from Scotland and vintage earrings from London. Mario had scissors. Mom had a V&A bag. Dad had his cap. I would give my siblings something from the Hunter tartan. I had bought a children's book about Coco Chanel in Bath for Bekki. 

Tuesday we went to the Yves St. Laurent Museum. Here's what I wrote in my journal: "One of my favorite appointments so far. Yves St. Laurent. Saw patterns and sketches. It was wonderful." We saw the behind the scenes - how the designs came about. There were dress forms of actual clients, toiles, sketches, hat forms, buttons, etc. There were bundles of actual packages. The pattern and fabric, with instructions would be sent to the seamstress. We saw his office. He loved polaroid film when it came out. He would take pictures of each model the day before a show and put the polaroids on the wall in order, then he would examine it all and make changes in order or accessories. We also found a spot to take pictures with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. We walked along the river. We went to the Musee D'Orsay. That night we all met to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. That is one long elevator ride. It is VERY VERY high. Loved it. There was a rainbow over the city. 

Wednesday we met up with Elle and Valeriya again. They do tours in many European cities. They took us to see a hat designer from Eastern Europe. Many of her hats have been turned into light fixtures for this exhibit. She said something that really resonated with me: "I believe the universe supports the brave ones." She talked about her journey, about growing up in a place that lacked creativity and color. She talked about finding a venue for her first show and about learning her trade. Such an inspiration. We also went on a tour of Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, both beautiful huge department stores. The history of shopping in Paris is really interesting. The person who built Galeries Lafayette purposely put it where important roads (road from the opera house, road from the train station, and road from the church) converged. 

DISNEY DAY! Thursday was a free day and Natalie, many students, and I took the shuttle to Disneyland Paris for the day. I had been looking forward to this for months!!!!!! 30 year anniversary of Disneyland Paris!!!!!!! We opted for the shuttle because there were no tickets available at the non-shuttle price. We got there a bit after opening and had to leave at 9:00 pm. I was ok with that because ALLIE WAS COMING AT 10:00! Yes, what a day for me! Disney and Allie. We went to the Hollywood Studios side first to ride Crush's Coaster, a ride that's only in Paris, and the Ratatouille ride. We also got Mickey ice cream and rode Tower of Terror. It's a tiny park. So cute though. By noon we were over on the Disneyland side. There was a lot of 30 year signage. I was hoping for a cute t-shirt, but there was nothing cute with the 30 years. All of the 30 year merch was pink and purple - definitely not my colors. I bought a lame reusable shopping bag. I did pick up something perfect for Kamiko - I got him a 2-pack of buttons. One had Darth Vader on it and the other said "I am your father" in French. Perfect for my Star Wars/Disney loving boy. We went on Pirates, Phantom Manor (their version of Haunted Mansion), HyperSpace Mountain (AMAZING), Raiders of the Lost Ark (literally a roller coaster), Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Story Book Land (totally different stories than in California - Peter and the Wolf, Wizard of Oz, and Beauty and the Beast). We walked through an Alice in Wonderland inspired maze. Small world and Swiss Family Robinson Tree House were closed. I'll have to go on those next year. I also want to see the parade and fireworks next year. It was perfect weather and a bit crowded due to it being a national holiday (Ascension Day), but not too bad. Not nearly as bad as crowded Disneyland in California. We got some good chicken nuggets and fries. A great day and I can't wait to do it again next year. I'll take the train next time so I can be there right when it opens. Got back to Gare du Nord just in time to meet Allie at the train station. She flew into Amsterdam and took the train to me. The students had heard for 3 weeks that my daughter was coming. I was sooooo excited. She finished teaching on a Wednesday and flew out on Thursday. She got to stay in my room and got to go on many appointments with us because a student canceled at the last minute and all her tickets were already purchased. Incredible for me and Al!

Friday we got to have a late-ish start, which was helpful after a long day and late talking with Allie. We have many days that start before 8:00 am, which means I wake up before 7:00 am. I don't like to wake up before 8:00. Any day that started at 8:30 or after was heaven. We all took the train out to Versailles and to see the Temple. We enjoyed seeing inside Versailles. Talk about opulence! Wow. Afterwards, we had time to explore the gardens. There are miles and miles of gardens. Natalie, Allie, and I sprung for a golf cart and drove around the grounds. Natalie drove and Allie navigated. I sat in the back. If you went off course, the cart would stop. You'd have to back up and get back on course. That only happened to us once, right at the beginning. We got a good laugh out of it. We also walked around town a bit, finding a sewing machine store and the children's store where Jenny has bought underwear for Ingrid Evans, her granddaughter. For the longest time, it was the only underwear she would wear. LOL. The temple grounds are small, but beautiful. They are designed with a nod to the gardens at Versailles. Some of our group opted to stay and do a session in the temple. I did not because Allie was with me and because not all the directors can go to the temple. Someone has to go back with the group. The visitor's center has a miniature of the temple and we were able to see what it looks like on the inside, especially the stained glass window that is on the roof, so it's only visible from the inside. When we got back to Paris, Allie, Natalie, Logan, Jane, and I went out shopping. Jane said the other girls often nap and she wants to see things. Logan had to buy a new suitcase. I wanted to show Allie the department stores. We got shwarma for lunch. On the way to shop, I saw a store that had Diet Dr. Pepper, so we all went in and I bought everyone a cold drink. It's so fun to have my independence and income. I am blessed to be able to share. It was a great day.

Saturday started with a crepe making class. It was the ONE thing that I arranged since I was brought on late. We really had fun at it. Allie and I were part of the morning group. It was a 2-hour class. We learned all about crepes, both savory and sweet, and learned how to mix the batter. We learned about a great salt, which I ended up buying to bring home to friends. It's very cheap at the grocery stores in Paris but costs a lot if you buy it in the states. Oh, speaking of grocery stores, I should mention that by the time I got to Paris, I had eaten through all of the snacks I had brought from home, so I started buying individually wrapped Belgian waffles that I carried around daily. They are so good. I want some now. Once we made batter and learned the procedure to make crepes, we got to actually make them. Allie and I went first. Bertrand, our instructor, said it's not a competition, to which Allie and I replied "yes, it is." We explained that we are mother-daughter. He understood. The topping options were fantastic. Salted caramel, honey,  whipped cream, lemon, cinnamon sugar, and lots of other homemade sauces. They gave us the recipe for their crepe batter. The instructors, Bertrand and Stephane (owner of the crepe restaurant) were amazing. We all loved it. Great team building. After the class, we went to the Pompidou, a museum that houses modern art. While there, I realized the I had purchased tickets for Allie and me to go to the Dior exhibit on FRIDAY. We had missed it by a day. We went over there, hoping they would let us in and they did. We had to wait while they were closed for a lunch break, but we got to go in. Allie really liked it. It was a super fun day. I loved having Allie there. She really connected with some of the students, especially Logan, who is 25. They hung out a lot. 

Some of us went on an adventure with Natalie to see the Pantheon and to get donuts. Logan, Sarah Garlick, Maile, Natalie, Me, Jonathan and Abbi, and Sarah Adamson

The whole gang with Elle and Valeriya after our tour in Paris

Metro stop selfie

Eiffel Tower wide angle selfie

Home for 2 weeks

Jonathan's face says it all about the donuts. They were really really good

The view from my room. Allie discovered that I had a view of the tippy top of the Eiffel Tower

Front row: Rachel, Mercedez, Sarah A, me, Sophia, Jane
Back row: Taylee, Natalie, Emily, Jared
Next to me: Sarah G and Maile

So excited to be getting dressed for my Disney day. This was my setup for hair and makeup every morning since there are no outlets in bathrooms. 

Clock at the Musee D'Orsay

Pompidou

Tippy top of Paris

Disney, here we come

Can't believe I'm here

Inside Versailles

Hitting the trails of the garden

church

Saw what we could of Notre Dame. Renovations after a massive fire a few years back

Arch de Triomphe

My first of many sandwiches. I've been looking forward to these almost as much as Disneyland

A very, very expensive car. The most expensive make of Lamborghini. The only reason we knew it was a big deal was that there were a bunch of men taking a picture of it. 

Dior

The first Dior look

This embroidered dress was my ABSOLUTE favorite

The room where it happened

Toiles

Princess Diana wore this dress and carried this bag

Adele wore this dress

Incredible miniatures

Kicked off the grass right after taking this

The beautiful opera house

Opera house with some of the ladies: Sarah A, Emily, Maya, me, Maile, Brianna, Sarah G, and Sarah L.

Opera houe interior

Opera house interior looks like a jewelry box

More of the opera house

Friends at the opera house

The climb to Sacred Heart

Made it to the top

I take this t-shirt to special places. It says "We do these things not to escape life but to prevent life from escaping us." 

Inside of Sacred Heart

View of Sacred Heart from this idyllic carousel

YSL

YSL

He loved to put art on mirrors

YSL sketches

Patterns and packages

Maile is a TA for advanced sewing. I knew she'd love this room the minute she walked in

Hat forms

Toiles

Dress forms

YSL office - the room where it happened

YSL desk as it would have been when he worked there. He had lots of trinkets that he kept close.

THE POLAROIDS

Miniature of Eiffel Tower in Musee D'Orsay

Listening to Kamiko's podcast in Paris

Paris is the pot of gold

On top of Printemps

Printemps

Top of Printemps

Can you imagine shopping here? Such beauty.

Pieces from our hat designer that were turned into light fixtures

Chandelier. This lighting expert fixes lighting at Versailles

A nod to Loius XIV,  The Sun King

Christ's crown of thorns

Not American-sized, but French-sized. Perfect.

Phantom Manner

Hyper Space Mountain

On the shuttle after a great day. Look at Abbi's t-shirt. I have a story about that. 

Allie came

Versailles with my girl

Versailes grounds

Paris Temple Grounds

Inside Versailles

Cold drink crew

Top of Printemps

Logan, Allie, Natalie, Jane, me

Shwarma

Musee D'Orsay

The Musee d'Orsay used to be a train station and all the clocks are the originals.

Little thrift and fabric store next to our hotel

Allie and I stumbled upon this makeshift memorial to Princess Diana and the location where she died

Making the perfect crepe batter

Yes, it is a competition

Pompidou known for its architecture and escalator on the exterior

A replica of the flame on the statue of liberty sits above the tunnel where Princess Diana died

That car is entering the tunnel

We had so much fun with Allie's Polaroid camera until it died

Our teacher, Bertrand

Girls and modern art