1. 2 nights ago we headed to the Jewish Quarter of France, where we had some of the best falafel I have ever had. It was such a cool place, seeing Jews walk about the streets, heading to and from services. I was able to converse with the falafel guys in broken hebrew and even found that the one man whom I talked to was born in a village not far from my family's in Israel! Very cool. I cant wait to return to this area and participate in the future.
2. The army museum, that depicted the first and second world wars from a french perspective was a very interesting take on historical events. As it has been said before, every story has three sides: yours, mine, and the truth. That's how I felt when I walked through the museum. While the French presented the facts, they also provided a strong slant to indicate the benefits the french presented- even while they were completely occupied by Nazi Germany.
Okay... Now today.
Today we woke up and headed to the beautiful palace of Versailles in southwestern Paris. We followed our fearless leader: Rick Steves, and learned an amazing amount about the chateau and the French monarchy in general. We seriously feel like we owe Rick Steves a lot of money since we have gains so much knowledge by following his free tours. Versailles was established by Louis XIV when he moved the Royal Palace from Paris (where the louvre currently is) to Versailles. Louis was the man, he viewed himself as the divine ruler of France, referring to himself as the "Sun-God" who brought all necessities to his people. He established versailles as a huge monument to the power of the French monarchy- the strongest country in the world at the time- and spared no expense. The palace grounds is on an 8-mile axis and is completely incomprehensible. The gardens seemingly go on forever and the palace is just incredible. Through the audio guide we learned of the significance of the different parts of the palace, learning about the the three rulers who occupied Versailles before the final one, Louis XVI, was overthrown and executed in the French revolution. The palace is, according to Rick, a temple to Man, not God... Which is what makes it so unique and interesting.
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Paris has been an amazing stop for me over the past for days. Whether it is never having been here, or the constant influence from my french-speaking girlfriend, Paris has always been that big famous city that I had yet to visit. 2 years ago, when I visited Jenna in Nice in the south of France, I came with a ignorant stereotype of French culture and left with a newfound appreciation for the country and its beautiful sights. 2 years later, as I leave Paris, a similar transformation has happened. Parisians are unique individuals, prideful folk who are almost comical with their bluntness and up-front attitudes. Similar to London, they say what they mean and they mean what they say; and I for one really appreciate that.
We spent our last night sipping on wine and eating banana crepes on the lawn in front of Sacre Coeur, the huge temple we visited on day one. We sat and watched the lights of the city come out as the sun went down. It was a fitting end to our four days in Paris.
As we leave for Brussels tomorrow, I am reminded of how different Europe is. In the US, you can hop in a plane, fly three hours, and observe small cultural changes between states. In Europe, the slope is steeper: a few hours in any direction leads to large-scale changes in language and culture. As our world becomes more and more globalized, some will argue that these changes will become smaller. People will tell you that is is a terrible thing. I truly believe that as this inevitably occurs, the differences, while more minute will be all the more important. I can't wait to see what differences lie 2 hours to the North, across the Belgium border, in the city of Brussels.
See you in a month, France.
Ps. For those who have commented, Thanks! We really love hearing from you and many of you have influenced our daily itineraries with your city-specific suggestions. Thanks a lot.
Versailles as viewed from the palace
Tree lined path in Versailles
Hall of mirrors (where treaty of versailles was signed)
YAY for banana crepes!! Keep me posted on if you want me to get in touch with anyone for your visit to Athens. Miss you guys. Keep having fun for me :)
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