Sun, Surf, and Jelly Fish: I relax on the Baltic Sea.

Five day ago, I landed in Berlin, Germany. However, I didn't see more than the airport. Friends picked us up at the airport and whisked us away--via Autobahn--to their favorite escape from the city, a small town on the Baltic Sea.

It's completely beautiful, but I said that about Paris too and they're totally different. When we visited the Palace of Versailles, we saw the farm Marie Antoinette built because she dreamed of being a peasant (obviously, all of the actual farm work was done by her army of servants). This is the idyllic countryside on the sea Marie must have been imagining.  On either side of the narrow road are fields of corn or wheat--very much like home but somehow prettier--and the road is lined with rows of trees. Timbo casually informed me that Napoleon planted them to shade his armies. The homes are small with sloping roofs, some are made of dried reeds from the Baltic. Everything is lush and green and the sand is soft and white and it smells like a combination of a freshly mown grass and salty sea air.

In the mornings, a couple people would go to the local bakery and buy rolls. We ate around a big table in the backyard set every morning with sunny yellow plates and a spread of cheese, meats, and jam. In the evenings, we would eat another big meal which often included a delicious German potato salad (much lighter than what I eat in the US). Everything in-between consisted of exploring various beaches and eating cake for lunch.

Saturday afternoon we decided to fly a kite! It was quite windy and we nearly knocked out a couple of other beach goers. This was also the beach were I saw the most jelly fish! My friends told me they are mostly harmless. Having never seen a live jelly fish outside of an aquarium, my siblings and I were fascinated. 

The Sun King: I compete with thousands of other tourists of visit the Palace of Versailles.

If I ever obtain a time machine, I'd be sure to drop by Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV. According to my dad's favorite tour guide, Rick Steves, Louis XIV dubbed himself "The Sun King" because he believed "he gave warmth and light to all he touched." Louis moved the royal residence from the Louvre in Paris to a former hunting lodge in Versailles, expanding it to create the Palace of Versailles and it's sprawling gardens. From there he proceeded to hold a never ending party with as many as five thousand nobles enjoying the palace at a time. Everything about the palace was over the top, from the glittering Hall of Mirrors to the 1,500 fountains in the garden. Louis XIV and the next two Louis created their very own world to rule over. And it was great (for them), while it lasted. 

Parisian Trends

FASHION:

1. Fitted (nothing is too tight or too baggy)

2. Neutral Colors (lots of black)

3. Jean Jackets

4. Leather Jackets 

5. Large Leather Bags

6. Cute Shoes (nothing screams tourist like ugly shoes—and laying on the ground to get the perfect camera angle)

7. Immaculate Haircuts

8. Scarves

9. Basically anything that is timeless and classy

OTHER:

1. Cobblestones

2. Circular Toilets

3. Scooters

4. Nutella

5. Confident Pigeons

6. Bread

7. Duvets (a truly ingenious invention)

I’m definitely in my zone.

Eiffel Tower (Day)

Palais de Chaillot

Arc de Triomphe (“You take a lot of selfies, well Napoleon built himself an arc.”—Kyra)

“YAAAAAAASS!”

Notre Dame (Here a man dressed as a gargoyle attempted to hold my mom’s hand. She screamed.)

Love locks on Pont de l’Archeveche

Lunch at a Cafe

Sainte-Chapelle

Snack at a different Cafe

Eiffel Tower (Night)

Have you ever been to Paris at night? Neither have I.

Mona Lisa gazed into the crowd. People pressed in on all sides, cameras held high. I couldn’t have turned around if I’d wanted to. Kyra and I pushed forward through the sea of paparazzi to get a closer look at the Louvre’s most famous painting (perhaps the world’s most famous painting). A curly head of hair obstructed our view. The couple directly in front of us shifted awkwardly, snapping a selfie. When they moved away, we were finally at the rope. Mona Lisa smiled. The mob crushed forward. 

My first day in Paris was 48 hours long and started at my Nana’s cabin. My family woke up early, packed the car, and drove for five hours. Back in the Twin Cities, my dad ushered us through the airport and we caught the five o’clock flight to Paris de Gaulle International Airport. Two movies and three hours of half sleep later I arrived in Paris. 

Although we’d barely slept, the day was only beginning in Paris. After settling into our hotel (my dad irritated the manager into giving us our rooms two hours early), we walked to the Louvre (dodging traffic the whole way, pedestrian right-of-way is not a thing here). Despite my bloodshot eyes and the light rain, it was beautiful. Penne a la Carbonara and tomato mozzarella salad for lunch. Greek Sculpture. Two-dimensional Medieval paintings. Jesus. Chubby babies. The Renaissance. More Jesus. Mona Lisa. Romanticism. Men in Tights. The French Revolution. Julia looked like she could drop at any moment. We’d barely scratched the surface. 

Back at the hotel we fell into bed at three o’clock in the afternoon. When I woke up, I thought is was Monday morning until my parents knocked on the door and said they were going to pick up something for dinner before the stores closed. After a shower and lots of bread, cheese, and chocolate I’m ready to sleep again. Technically, I’ve been to Paris at night now. But I won’t see the lights until tomorrow.

PARIS PLAYLIST

As we drove to the airport, a combination of boredom and extreme excitement resulted in this compilation of songs. All adventures are better with soundtrack. 

1. Paris—Lizzo

2. Paris (Ooh La La)—Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

3. Partition—Beyonce

4. Boom Clap—Charli XCX

5. Ni**as in Paris—Kanye West & JAY Z

6. Fancy—Iggy Azalea

7. Primadonna—Marina & the Diamonds

8. Backseat Freestyle—Kendrick Lamar

9. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody—Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock

10. Alors on Danse—Stromae

11. 1901—Phoenix

12. The Way You Look Tonight—Frank Sinatra

Sparklers and Such.

Happy 4th of July!