J'habite la seizieme...

Hello, everyone! Yesterday, my roommate Ashley and I went on a day-long excursion. For one of our classes, we are frequently assigned "walks." These walks consist of 2-4 hour self-guided trips to various locations. Our little walks book contains history, directions, and maps for each assignment.

Yesterday, Ashley and I did the "Seizieme Arrondisement" walk. We happen to live in this arrondisement of Paris. Here's what the walk book says about our area:

"Living in the Seizieme arrondisement in Paris is a big deal! And depending on whom you're talking to, 'Oh, j'habite la seizieme' (I live in the 16th arrondisement) might be considered a snobbish response." That is true.

Our walk began at Metro Passy, where we then crossed Pont de Bir-Hakeim. This bridge is the only bridge in Paris that is used for metro, pedestrians, and cars. In the picture below, I am standing in the middle pedestrian lane on Pont de Bir-Hakeim. There were cars speeding past on both sides, and the metro train was running over-head. Check out the great view of the Eiffel Tower across the Seine!


In my hands, I'm clutching the "Walking Through Paris' History" book, which I lovingly call, "The Walks Book." At this point, I was reading, "Your first destination is Allee des Cygnes." Once off the bridge, we walked down to the river and along the Allee des Cygnes (swans), which is a long, artificial island in the middle of the Seine. It was lined with trees and cooing couples. Does anyone wish to guess what I saw next? I will give you a hint. It's a smaller replica of a famous landmark in the United States. France gifted the original statue to the U.S. as a celebration of the United States' first hundred years as a nation. Any guesses? I saw...

The Statue of Liberty! In France?

Auguste Bartholdi used this 'miniature' version of Lady Liberty to create the large-scale statue we visit in New York today. Quite honestly, this statue isn't all that small..

We walked past Castel Beranger, so that we could study Hector Guimard's iconic art nouveau architecture. Next, we were supposed to find Rue Berton. It's a narrow cobblestone street that has barely changed in the last 200 years. As we were searching for Rue Berton, I turned a corner and saw... WHAM. The Eiffel Tower. Getting lost in Paris is fun-- you never know what you'll see as you weave through the streets.


I was so ecstatic to have finally found Rue Berton, that I had a Gene Kelly moment. This is at the mouth of Rue Berton. As we kept walking, the road got more and more narrow... until finally, it was about three feet wide.


Rue Berton took us to Balzac's home, where we perused his manuscripts and printing plates. We then made our way through the Jardins du Ranelagh, where royalty would often host garden parties. Now, it's a fun park for kids. There is a carousel that is cranked by hand, sandboxes and slides, and old statues that double as play equipment. Right across the street from the park is Musee Marmatton, where many of Monet's works are on display, as well as some paintings by Renoir and Lautrec. Mother, I cannot believe that we did not see this museum together. When I saw a large collection of Monet's Nymphea (water lilies) hanging on the wall, I got teary. Isn't that ridiculous? I was so excited to be seeing those beautiful paintings in person. For the curious art-lovers, the Monet exhibit also included (but was not limited to): London, the Parliament, and Reflections on the Thames; Grainstack; The Japanese Bridge; and The Bridge of Charing Cross, Smoke in the Fog. I cannot even number how many of his paintings were there. The gallery was quite large. But those were some that I recognized. If the titles aren't right, excuse me... they were listed in French! I sketched one of his water lily paintings for my art class, and it was great fun.

Next, we adventured into the Bois de Boulogne, which is the most enormous park in Paris. Well, it's a "park," but "bois" really means "the woods." There are three lakes, tons of trees, and cute waterfalls. There's a lot of bike and boat traffic. Nate and Anna-- I saw this little chalet across the lake. It's only accessible by boat, or else I would have checked it out in person. I asked my host family about it, and they said it's a fantastic restaurant. I want to do some research about the food they serve... but we might have a winner. This might be my gourmet experience.


This is one of the waterfalls in the woods. Can you believe that I live here? I have to pinch myself sometimes.


The woods are also home to a temporary carnival, where there are 100 attractions. The carnival is running until mid-October, and I am definitely planning to go. This is the coolest ride I saw...


Well, our whole adventure required around six hours of walking. It was one crazy day! We were so starving when we got home that we ran to the grocery store. This is a photo of our first groceries in Paris. For dinner, I sliced up a tomato, zucchini, and cheese... and I ate yogurt for dessert!


All in all, it was a wonderful day... Until next time!