THE LOUVRE AND THE BEST CHOCOLATE IN PARIS

Tomorrow I have my art history class, and in preparation, we had to (got to) go to the Louvre to look at a few paintings.  Luckily, the Louvre is directly on my way to school, so I left for this afternoon's class a few hours early, and stopped in.  The museum is enormous, and every corner you turn there's another piece that you've seen a million times in a weird yellowish tint on the internet, or in an art history class, but it's real, and it's amazing.  I need to go back to wander, but even making my way quickly through packs of museum tours led by umbrella-wielding guides, I was in awe.

But first, I stopped in a little chocolate place, that's also on my way to school, and which I've been wanting to go into (but trying not to) for weeks.  I left with a bar of dark chocolate that had whole almonds in it, and a little sample of dark chocolate shaped like a daisy.  

This little dog belonged to a homeless man sitting just across the sidewalk from a few people who were handing out flyers.  The dog was not a fan of the big pink person, and was barking loudly to alert everyone in the street.  

The pink thing tried to make friends, but eventually gave up, and the dog watched it walk away.  

Made it to the Louvre!  While I see it from the outside almost every day, this was my first time inside!

No arms, no problem.

Half in, half out, as I leave through the pyramid.  

I can't get enough of the book stalls on the Seine.  One day I'll be brave enough to go look up close, and maybe buy one.  

My chocolate bar didn't make it through french class.  But it was amazing, and easily the best chocolate I've had in Paris.  And maybe ever.  

p.s. Claudine has a new favorite show: Desperate Housewives.  

REUNITED IN PARIS

This weekend, on the brink of a crazy-busy week, two friends from Minnesota stopped by Paris.  Taylor came for the weekend from Denmark, and I got to play tour-guide for most of Sunday.  Luckily for Taylor, my street was hopping(for a Sunday), due to the antique fair that had taken over the upper part of the street.  Taking advantage of the open stores (unheard of) we got chocolate croissants and a baguette for our hike up the Butte Montmartre to see the Sacre Coeur.  We finished the croissants before we hit the first of the gypsies, beginning to set up their "where's the white coin" tables, and took a break on the steps to take in the view.  And most of the baguette...  Luckily the rain, which was supposed to be coming down all day, held off.

After a quick tour of the church, during which I felt a little like a cow, ushered along, shoulder-to-shoulder, with the pack of tourists, it was back down the Butte, past the Gypsies (whose games were now in full swing), and back on the metro.  We walked around the Latin Quarter, did some window shopping, and played the tourists in front of Café de Flore (a Hemingway haunt) for a bit, then popped into another café for lunch.  I went for the french onion soup (soupe a l'oignon gratinée) and Taylor had the boeuf bourginon- a french specialty.  Both were accompanied by more baguette, of course. 

We then picked up some cokes, took a walk along the Seine, through the Tuilleries, and past the remains of Paris fashion week, on our way to catch Rachel at the Gare Saint Lazare.  She had stopped into Paris for her birthday weekend, and was on her way back to Rouen.  Coffees and an hour and a half later, I headed back home.