Reunited with Paulie at last!

Monday morning, I set off for Paris to meet my friend, Paulie, and her boyfriend. I haven't seen her in over three years now, how crazy?! Last time we were together was the summer after our junior year in the Lavandou with her family so it was so great to finally be reunited.

Summer of 2011

Together at last! - Fall of 2014

We got so lucky with the weather in the city. It was absolutely beautiful. The air was fall fresh, but the sun was out all day - not a cloud in the sky! I arrived late Monday morning and met Paulie and François at Gare de Lyon. After a lot of metro confusion and chaos (I have been spoiled with the small and easy public trans system of Lyon for too long), we finally got to Paulie's grandmother's apartment. There, we were able to visit a little with Madame Jamois before dropping our bags off and going out to lunch.

Where did we go, one might ask? CHIPOTLE. I had to, I missed it so much. It was good, but honestly, it just wasn't the same. However, it was Paulie and François's first time so they enjoyed it!

After lunch, we walked down to the Seine, through a part of Paris I've never been before, to the Conciergerie. I was so happy to the city in all of it's autumn glory! 

The Conciergerie was hosting a special exhibit on Louis IX, or Saint-Louis. April was the 800th anniversary of the former king's birth so there are many events being held throughout the end of year to honor him. It was the first time I had been in the Conciergerie, part of the former royal palace, which was used as a prison during the French Revolution. As a matter of fact, Queen Marie Antoinette was held captive in the Conciergerie until her execution in 1793. 

By the time we left the exhibit, it was already mid-afternoon so we stopped at a café on the Seine to rest a little. I don't think there is anything better than sitting outside on a beautiful, fall day in Paris and enjoying a cup of tea. It was great to be back in the city and feel a strong sense of familiarity from the time spent here with my family in the summer. 

Later, we crossed over the river to the Left Bank for Deyrolle, a renowned, 170 year-old taxidermy shop close to the Musée d'Orsay. However, not before we found a Ladurée. It was the first time I'd ever been to the Rue Bonaparte location, which is much calmer and smaller than the others I've been to. There, we bought macarons to bring back to the family in Rennes that evening.

Anyway, Deyrolle. The ground floor looks like a simple home and garden shop, with a variety of books and gardening tools. However, it's only after you walk up stairs when you understand what all of the fuss is about. It truly feels like you've gone back in time. The high ceilings, painted an old-fashioned moss green, are lined with old, wooden cabinets and posters displaying various fossils and other curiosities. It's dusty, chaotic, and crowded with stuffed animals from all over the world, as well as beautiful, wooden cases full of insects and shells. I have never been interested in taxidermy or entomology, but this store was incredible.

Before we knew it, we were on the train back to Rennes. A bientôt, Paris!