Travel Notes: Traveling around Europe with my parents - Paris, France

On the first day of 2021, I decided to start writing the travelogue that I have been pushing again and again. Because of the epidemic, it was almost a year since I left home for the first time. This year, I didn’t have the chance to be with my parents, and I only had endless thoughts. I returned to China in January 2020. I originally wanted to spend the Spring Festival happily, but ended up being quarantined indefinitely. In February, I had to return to France in order to complete my studies amid the chaos of the epidemic. Next, we experienced intermittent isolation and lockdown in Europe until now. Every time I see photos from my travels and memories reappear, it makes me feel that I am not far away from you. Fortunately, we still have many wonderful travel memories that we can hug tightly across time and space. The next few travel notes will take us back to the vibrant summer of 2018. I believe that in the near future, we will be ready to welcome better times in the future. I love you .

This trip, from the visa to every detail of the trip, was planned and taken care of by me. This provided us with enough confidence to later set up a family group of seven to travel to Japan. For those who don’t know, you can check out my previous A travelogue "Free Travel in Japan". Before traveling, I actually wrote a thousand-word travel guide, which was meticulous in every detail, from boarding the plane to meeting me. Now it looks like I didn't write it myself. At that time, I seemed to be heartbroken, haha, for fear of losing them.

On May 19, 2018, my parents took Air France flight AF0125 from Beijing Capital Airport and arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at around 2 pm local time in France. I departed from Grenoble and arrived at the airport two hours early to wait to greet them. At this time, it has been about two years since I came to France, but I have never really visited Paris. There was no idle time while waiting, and I figured out where to take a taxi to pick them up, and how to avoid getting a black taxi. Studying abroad made me extra cautious and became an invulnerable thorn. From Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city, it's a fixed price, and the difference between the left bank and the right bank is a few euros.

Looking forward to the stars, looking forward to the moon, looking forward to their arrival. I thought the two of them would be a little confused when they came out, but they turned out to be very calm and happily told me that there were instructions in Chinese everywhere, telling me not to worry. After that, we successfully caught a taxi to the B&B in downtown Paris. After a long flight and jet lag, they were exhausted and in urgent need of sleep, leaving me alone to chat awkwardly with the driver.

We finally arrived. The hosts are a middle-aged French couple. They are very friendly. Although they have never met, the room has everything. The most important thing is that there are all kinds of jams in the refrigerator, which we will praise at the breakfast table in the future. of gourmet food. Because of this, when I checked out a few days later, I left a small note praising their jam, only to find out that the jam came from their grandmother.

As far as I can remember, the day passed peacefully. They slept all afternoon. I, this industrious little bee, go out alone to buy groceries and go home to cook. I should have pasta for dinner. There’s no reason why, because it’s simple and doesn’t require any cooking skills. I am not praising myself, my cooking skills back then were naturally much inferior to what I am doing now. Now I have superb cooking skills, and I will definitely let you taste it for yourself if I have the opportunity.

May 20

After a day's rest, my parents' jet lag disappeared in a flash, and today we officially started visiting Paris. The first attraction is the Tuileries Garden. The Tuileries Garden has a long history and is located between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde. The garden displays the works of many well-known sculptors. The Orangery Museum houses the painter Monet's water lily series. Tourists who like to appreciate famous paintings will not miss it. .

Walking in the garden, the dust is flying. When you are tired from walking, there are seats by the pool for visitors to rest and, of course, take photos.

Naturally, I had to try French food first for lunch, so I found a nearby restaurant with a decent rating. I forgot what I was eating. I had a picture to prove it, but it was useless to have a picture. I still couldn’t tell what I was eating. These French dishes all belong to the once-eat-and-forget-it series.

After eating, we strolled to the Louvre Museum. There were so many people there, including many tour groups from all over the world. We just looked around and took photos, preparing to visit again in a few days.

Passing by Les Invalides in Paris, this royal Les Invalides built under the order of Louis XIV, the "Sun King" of France, is really majestic. It was originally used to house retired soldiers and hold some military ceremonies in the courtyard. Today, some war cannons are displayed here, as well as their development history.

The grassland not far from Les Invalides is beautiful. There are not many people, and people's leisurely and contented life can be seen everywhere.

Here we also have one of our favorite family photos. Thinking about it, during the trip, my mother always emphasized that we should take the initiative to help people who want to take photos together, so that others will help us take photos. So, along the way we did have family photos from different tourist perspectives. Thank you so much!

Now we walked near the Eiffel Tower and took a closer look at the Eiffel Tower. In fact, it is nothing special. It is now mainly used for transmitting radio and television signals and viewing. There are also many vendors around selling some trinkets related to the Tower. You know, the same style is available on Taobao for 9 yuan and 9 free shipping.

However, when viewed from a distance, it is so special. It's so damn romantic.

Please take the initiative to block my dusty shoes. Do you still remember what I said about dusty shoes? Another family photo full of love, showing my heart.

I remember that near here, I also witnessed a scene where the police arrested the leader of a vendor. It should be because most of them did not have legal residence but were engaged in vendor activities, so they tried to arrest their leader. It can be seen that this is definitely not the first collision between them, because everything is so skillful. The police took the leader away quietly and covered his handcuffed hands with clothes to preserve his dignity. What was left behind were the desperate eyes of the vendors wandering around. At that time, my heart really skipped a beat. While we were enjoying the joy, there were so many people in this world who were doing their best to stay alive.

At the end of the day's tour, we walked through the Champs Elysées and came to the Arc de Triomphe to take a souvenir.

On the way, I came across the sculpture of "Freedom Flame". It was originally given to France by the United States to thank them for their contribution to the repair work of the Statue of Liberty in the United States in 1986. Later, in 1997, Princess Diana of England died in a car accident under the nearby Pont de l'Alma tunnel, which was located under this statue. Since then, people often come here to send flowers and express their condolences. Subsequently, Elton John's song "Candle in the Wind" dedicated to Diana reminded people directly of this free flame, thus attracting more and more tourists.

May 21

Today’s tour route starts from the banks of the Seine River. Thanks to the amazing weather in Paris, the sun is shining brightly and the Seine River is sparkling against the blue sky.

When we arrived in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral, the ticket booths had limited capacity and there was a long queue. I asked a security guard how to line up because it was a bit chaotic, but he let me go directly in to buy a ticket, okay, thank you :)

After getting the tickets, we entered Notre Dame Cathedral smoothly. Mass was going on inside, so everyone entered the church cautiously.

The magnificent Gothic vaults in the church and the rose-shaped stained glass on both sides instantly attracted our attention. The colorful glass projects colorful light into the interior of the church, which is very distinctive.

I remember that there were various images of the Virgin created by different cultures in the church, and I saw Chinese at a glance.

The church construction model on display can help us understand its structure more comprehensively.

Next, we started climbing the bell tower. My mind instantly thought of the ugly but kind-hearted bell ringer Quasimodo in Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".

In the middle of the bell tower is a corridor where monsters are haunted. Here, we can see all kinds of "orcs". These images also became an extremely important source of inspiration in Hugo's later creations.

View of Paris from the top of the clock tower.

Things are unpredictable. Who would have thought that less than a year later, at about 18:50 on April 15, 2019, a ruthless fire would burn here. The picture shows the wooden spire that did not survive.

At noon, I had ramen at a ramen restaurant. I have completely forgotten the name of this ramen restaurant. I remember that there were a lot of people and I had a lot of fun eating. But no matter where I go, I only feel that I have had a proper meal when I eat Chinese food. The Chinese stomach is awesome. Then, we went to Montmartre, which is located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, on the right bank of the Seine. It is a holy place where artists gather. Our first stop was the Sacre-Coeur. The white exterior makes people feel inexplicably quiet and solemn. This is a Catholic temple. After the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, devout Catholics proposed to build this temple to atone for and reflect on the failure of the war and to seek the Lord's blessing. The observation deck in front of the church is also the best place to overlook Paris. Point one.

In a small park not far from the Sacred Heart Church, we came to the famous "Wall of Love". The initiator of the Love Wall is Frédéric Baron, a musician who is good at writing love songs and lives in Montmartre. He began to collect handwriting of "I love you" in different languages ​​​​in 1992, and was subsequently created by calligrapher Claire Kito. These handwritings were painted on the tiles, and the Love Wall was finally unveiled in the fall of 2000. The Love Wall covers an area of ​​approximately 40 square meters and is composed of 612 dark blue rectangular stone bricks, including 311 fonts and 250 languages. The red fragments represent a torn heart, while the love wall holds them together, symbolizing the power of love and peace.

Naturally, there are many people taking photos here, especially young couples who are deeply in love, and everyone is looking forward to finding their mother tongue or other familiar languages ​​​​on the wall. My mother and I also tried to show our caution.

Is this comparing hearts or pears :) I don’t care, it’s just a comparison. Hahaha……

Walking through the busy streets, I saw that the bars on the streets were already full of enthusiasm, which is very French. Having a drink in their spare time is a daily routine for many French people. It doesn’t matter where they sit, even if they sit on the side of the road. What they want is the atmosphere. Thinking about the fact that restaurants and bars were closed during the epidemic, it was indeed a big blow to them.

Not far away is the famous cabaret "Moulin Rouge". The Moulin Rouge was built in 1889 and is the main birthplace of the French cancan dance. It does not look very dazzling during the day, but maybe at night, it feels different with the lighting effect.

The pictures on the official promotional page of Moulin Rouge are much better looking. These two pictures feel like the difference between a seller’s show and a buyer’s show:)

Paris at night, with the lights, adds a bit of romance.

In the evening we arranged a boat trip on the Seine River, which lasted about an hour, and there was always a Chinese audio introduction. The cruise took us close to the main attractions on the Seine River in Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Grand Palais, etc.

Is this still the tower we knew during the day? Why does it become so beautiful at night?

May 22

Today's activities are relatively leisurely. We are going to find a park where we can bask in the sun, have a nice environment and have a picnic. Then, the Luxembourg Gardens, which enjoy the back gardens of Parisians, are a perfect choice. Lakes, gardens, statues, green lawns, etc. can all be found here.

People are enjoying themselves on the green lawn, basking in the sun, reading books, chatting, and eating.

We also found our favorite picnic spot with burritos we made ourselves.

Taking a casual selfie with my mother while lying on the lawn .

After a nap, we started walking around the park. By this time, the weather had started to turn cloudy and it was going to rain soon. I casually patted a few statues.

The girls who create seriously amidst the restlessness of the crowd are so beautiful. Did you see my mommy who wandered into the camera? :)

A light rain began to fall. We quickly took a group photo in front of the Luxembourg Palace, and then quickly retreated.

The rain was getting heavier, so we decided to go shopping. First we went to Lafayette, and then to Xiang Street. Finally, I ran into the Disney store to hide from the rain and took this cat cup with me. Actually, I don’t have any other collecting hobbies, but when I see a cup I like, I want to take it home. I have bought about ten cups of various sizes, but I don’t want to use them. I just want to take a look.

May 23

Today I was planning to go to the Palace of Versailles, but when I arrived at the subway station, the radio said that the Palace of Versailles was on strike today and would not be open. Strikes are a common occurrence in France. Whenever the French don't go on strike, they feel a little uncomfortable. I remember that this period happened to be the most serious period of strikes across France, which could easily affect daily travel. When I bought travel insurance, many insurances stated that trip cancellations caused by strikes in France were not covered. There is only one conscience insurance called Ping An of China, which does not have this additional clause. Later in my travel notes, I will mention the thrilling story of buying travel insurance for the first time in my life and then getting scammed. Of course, I don’t recommend that you buy any insurance blindly. You should carefully read the relevant terms and conditions before making a decision based on your actual needs.

Versailles was canceled and the weather was not so good, so we decided to visit the Louvre.

It is still very important to do your homework in advance, otherwise you will just go through the motions when you come, like me. There are very few masterpieces left in my memory. Let's take a look at the "Mona Lisa" first. This painting is protected by a glass cover. There are too many people in the hall, so it's not easy to squeeze in to the front, so just take a photo from a distance. It was really difficult for her to face so many cameras.

This is the main living room of Napoleon III's suite. The gorgeous paintings and carvings represent the pursuit of luxury in the architectural style of that time.

Such,

and something like this.

Overall, we are satisfied with our trip to Paris, so we have come to an end. The next day, we will set off to the city where I live and study: Grenoble. I look forward to seeing you in our next travel blog.