Paris is my hometown: Day 2

Michelle and I slept a full 12 hours!! I felt wonderful when I woke up and was fully over the jet lag. This made very glad I stopped in Paris before heading to Lyon. If I hadn’t, I would have been exhausted by the time I arrived in my new home, right when I would be meeting all my colleagues for the next year. Plus, my stay in Paris allowed me to get reacquainted with the French language and French life in a familiar place, before heading to a place more foreign. It was a welcome pause in my long transit from Pittsburgh to Lyon that made me excited and ready for Lyon.

Completely refreshed, I set off on my own to visit the Rodin Museum (Michelle had already been there twice). I had never been there, but it is now one of my favorite museums in Paris. Rodin’s sculptures are housed in a mansion surrounded by gorgeous gardens. Smaller sculptures are inside. But the true masterpieces, including his most famous, The Thinker, are scattered throughout the exquisite gardens filled with shady tree groves and sunny flower patches. It is incredibly beautiful and the perfect way to experience Rodin’s great works of art.

"The Thinker" in the Rodin Museum gardens

After the museum, I enjoyed walking the residential neighborhood around the Rodin Museum. It had the atmosphere of being completely untouched by tourists, hard to come by in Paris. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing as the Parisians do. I grabbed a goat cheese, tomato, and bacon salad and took it to the Jardin du Luxembourg, without a doubt, the best place in Paris to people watch. It was a beautiful day and I loved visiting one of my favorite places in Paris for the afternoon.

Jardin du Luxembourg at lunchtime


La Fontaine de Medicis in the Jardin du Luxembourg

I met up again with Michelle that evening and went to Montmartre and the Sacre Coeur Basilica, the highest point in Paris, to watch the sunset. Another entry on my top ten list of things to do in Paris (it’s been used as a travel guide by many, let me know if you want to see it!). And it did not disappoint. It’s the best view of the city and a district full of life and excitement, with street performers, artists, tourists, and young people all enjoying the view from underneath the beautiful white church. We ended our short tour of Paris with a quick trip to the Eiffel Tower at night. We saw its lights sparkle and met some fun fellow tourists.

Paris at sunset from Sacre Coeur

All in all, I had a fantastic time in Paris. It was a perfect beginning to my year here, but I was ready to go to Lyon and start something entirely new.