Because Fwance is Fwance! Part 2

Have you seen The Pink Panther movie starring Steve Martin? If you haven't, go and buy it right now. You probably won't find it as funny as I do, but I love quoting that movie. It takes place in Paris, so of course Lindsay and I quoted it all weekend. If Sophie and Dad had been there, I'm sure they would've taken part in the quoting: 

Because justice eez justice! And because Fwance is Fwance!

Idiot! Pull oop!

I would lahk to buy a demburger.

Your accent, I find it foony.

You sir, are zee idiom.

It is lovely vezzuh we are having.

Hence the title of Paris: Day 1, Part 2!

After checking out the Pantheon, Lindsay, Nicole and I went to nearby Soufflot Cafe for lunch. We got a seat by the window so we could people watch. I ordered a refreshing seafood salad. It was so colorful! Nicole and Lindsay ordered Croque-Madames, a popular french meal that consists of a fried egg on top of a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich. All of our meals looked so pretty, I had to snap pictures of them all.

Lunch time!

My salad; Parisians love their eggs!

Croque-Madame

Next we headed to Jardin de Luxembourg. On the way, we passed a protest of sorts. There were a bunch of policemen (no Inspectour Clouseau though) monitoring the large gathering. We were entertained/slightly frightened by the huge puppet people walking around. I'm not sure about the protest's purpose, but it was an exciting scene to pass.

Protest?

Aah!

Just past the demonstrators was the beautiful Luxembourg Garden. It is a charming Parisian park, with bench-lined paths, flower beds, and circular pools. The Luxembourg Palace there now houses the French Senate.

French Senate building

Our stroll was followed by a walk up Rue Bonaparte until we reached the Fontaine des Quatre Eveques. Behind this lion-adorned fountain is Saint-Sulpice. I liked its unique facade. Those of you who have read or seen The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown know that this cathedral played a big part in the story.

Fontaine des Quatre Eveques

Saint-Sulpice

Inside Saint-Sulpice

The streets of Paris are very pretty, although quite busy. Walking to our next destination required some careful crossing at Boulevard Saint Germain.

There are two famously ritzy cafes in Paris: Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots. These rival establishments boasted impressive clientele. Cafe de Flore was often frequented by Truman Capote, Jean Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir, while Picasso and Hemmingway preferred Les Deux Magots. Both places were packed with fancy French women sipping coffees and young couples splitting omelettes. We decided to grab a window seat at Cafe de Flore.

Marissa had recommended that we go to the cafe to order hot chocolate. She told us to split this expensive beverage, but we decided to go all out and get one each. Turns out we could have shared; we were given little pitchers full of the richest hot cocoa I've ever tasted. it was like eating a melted chocolate bar. I literally broke through a thin film that formed on the liquid's surface with my spoon, it was that thick. So filling, but so good.

Since Nicole was leaving Paris Saturday night, we took the metro back to our hostel so she could grab her bags and leave directly after our evening adventure: a trip to the Eiffel Tower!!

This landmark is breathtakingly enormous in person! I still can't believe I've been to the Eiffel Tower. It was so exciting to walk directly underneath it. We had our hearts set on a plan: to eat baguettes with cheese and wine beneath this historic structure. Operation Baguettes-Cheese-Wine was a major success.

Fresh baguettes

Perfection!

I'm glad we arrived early enough to see the tower during daylight, but it was even more beautiful lit up at night.

We said goodbye to Nicole and then Lindsay and I got in line to ascend the Eiffel! We thought it would be a quick trip to the top, but the line is a bit misleading. Once you take the lift to the 2nd platform, you have to wait in another line to take it all the way to the top. Waiting in line became a lot more exciting when the light show occurred at 8 PM! Every night on the hour, sparkling lights shimmy up and down the tower for ten minutes. I was able to catch the spectacle on video:

The view was amazing. I could see the entire City of Light. Tres romantique!

After sliding down the side of the tower (ha, kidding), Lindsay and I were eager to warm up. We ducked into a nearby cafe. Obviously, we had to order something ;) A crème brûlée sounded appealing, so we split this French dessert. Yum!

Although it was already getting late, I felt we couldn't leave Paris without visiting one of the world's most luxurious streets:  Champs Elysees. Our plans for Sunday were not taking place near this street, so we got on the metro and fit in a nighttime stroll down the avenue. The fact that many of the shops were closed did not diminish the number of people walking around.

Soon we reached the imposing, 164-foot tall Arc du Triomphe. The bustling traffic circle that surrounds it is known as "L'Etoile," or the Star, referencing the streets that fan away from it. Lindsay and I had the brilliant idea of dashing across the 10 lanes of traffic in order to reach the arch. That lasted about .2 seconds before we realized our stupidity, jumped back onto the sidewalk, and practically died laughing (better than dying amidst the cars). There is actually an underground tunnel that allows you to visit the arch. I know, we're smart.

So ends our first full day in Paris! Phew. I told you we did a lot! We got back to our hostel a little after midnight and immediately fell asleep. Stay tuned for our Sunday explorations!