Pi Beta Paris

Yesterday, I took the train up to Paris to see a few of my Pi Phi sisters, who were visiting for the weekend. It was incredibly fun to be reunited with them - I'm so happy a group of us were able to meet once abroad before heading home!

We met in the early afternoon at Ladurée (of course) on Bonaparte and enjoyed some tea and macarons! It was so nice to catch up with everyone, to hear their various adventures, and to freak out that we were in Paris together.

Afterwards, we walked over to the Pont des Arts since not everyone had seen the love locks yet. We ended up buying a lock in honor of Pi Phi, signing it with our initials and throwing the keys into the river after attaching it to the bridge.

Post-bridge, we headed out in search of a bathroom and a place for lunch. We ended up at a café across the street from Sainte-Chapelle where Mom, Mimi, Papa, and I had eaten brunch once during the summer. There, pretty much everyone ordered a croque-madame!

Next up was the Notre Dame. There was a beautifully decorated tree right outside the front doors of the church for the holidays. Since it was overcast and gloomy all day, the string lights definitely gave the square a festive, cozy atmosphere. We were lucky enough to catch a service in session and got to enjoy the music while wandering up and down the perimeter of the cathedral.

Lauren made us a dinner reservation at the Minipalais, a restaurant attached to the Grand Palais. It was incredible! Food, ambiance...everything! Several of us enjoyed the pheasant stuffed with foie-gras with artichoke hearts and potatoes - delicieux.

We ended our night running to the Eiffel Tower to catch the hourly light show. It was stunning, seeing the lights sparkle was something I hadn't done yet all of the times I'd been in the city so I was so excited!

The next morning we woke up early to maximize the day! Our first order of business was to go to the Centre Pompidou to see the Jeff Koons exhibit. Unfortunately, we had to have tickets if we wanted to get in between before 11 since that was when the ticket office open. So instead we walked, yes...walked..., to the Arc de Triomphe. Even though it was a long trip over, we were able to enjoy the sun and walk through the Jardin des Tuileries and a big Christmas market on the Champs.

Unlike during the summertime when Mom and I climbed the arc, there was no line! So we got our billets gratuits pretty quickly and went up to see the view of Paris. The view was just as breathtaking as the first time I'd seen it.

Then we walked back over the the Eiffel Tower so everyone could admire it in the sunshine. We ended up having lunch, croque-madames again, nearby with a great view of the tower. Then we walked up the the Jardin du Trocadéro to take some pictures.

We headed back to the Centre Pompidou around 2 so I could see the special exhibit before my train later in the early evening. It was definitely something - I'm not a huge fan of modern art, but I do enjoy it and I was very happy we were able to see Koons. His work was extremely unique - I wish Theo could have seen it!

Koons' exhibit

Permanent exhibit

By the time we were done, it was time for me to head to the station. So we all said our goodbyes and celebrated the fact that next time we were together again, we'd all be at home! It's crazy how fast time flies.

C'était un grand séjour à Paris.