Parisian Paradise

by

Kelly Kent

After spending 12 days on a tour throughout Italy, my mommies (Debbie, Jenny, & Marcie) and I spent six days traveling on our own in Paris, France. We surmised that Paris could be an accessibility-challenge, but we understood that a trip to Europe was NOT complete without a visit to Paris! Determined to lose some of the weight we had just gained in Italy, we, luckily, did not find any satisfaction in French food or French desserts. However, we did find adequate amounts of chocolate for our daily doses. On more than one occasion at dinnertime, we found ourselves purchasing bread and “normal” cheese from the grocery store.

The wheelchair accessibility book for Europe recommended our hotel. I guess wheelchair accessibility in the states means something totally different than in France. The only thing, in my mind, that made the room wheelchair friendly was the fact that it was on the first-floor. At least now, I know that I can survive at anyone’s home for six days.

Over the course of 10 years, I have become accustomed to stares from curious children and ill-mannered adults. I've never met more ill-mannered adults in my entire life than I did during six days in Paris! Every morning I dreaded the indiscreet, irritating stares I would receive from people who take such pride in being so proper! While the continental breakfast was served, head after head would turn my way. I felt exactly like Lindsey Lohan’s character (Cady) in the film Mean Girls, when she receives stares from all the girls in the school gym. Cady certainly deserved some stares for her despicable writings, whereas I had done nothing to warrant the stares.

Only a fool would visit Paris, and not see the Eiffel Tower! Since all of us are brilliant, we avoided this faux pas. We were ecstatic when we realized that we did not need to wait in line with the other thousands of tourists, blowing away in the extreme winds. The wheelchair was once again paying off! Riding sideways-up the Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, was quite unusual!

The Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1889 for the Exposition Universelle, a World’s Fair. Designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel built the beautiful structure out of iron. Eiffel only had a 20-year permit on the structure, which means it was set to be destroyed in 1909 when the city regained ownership over the tower. However, the tower was found to be an indisputable tool in the communication process and therefore not dismantled.

After attempting to consume goat cheese-filled crepes at a sit-down restaurant, we quickly walked through the Rodin Museum, opened in 1919, before closing hours. Viewing only the highlights of Auguste Rodin’s career, we saw The Kiss, The Thinker, and The Gates of Hell. Rodin’s (1840–1917) own words on his sculptures gives profound insight into his artistry, "Nothing, really, is more moving than the maddened beast, dying from unfulfilled desire and asking in vain for grace to quell its passion."

Inspired by Dante’s Inferno, The Gates of Hell portrays the anguish and torture felt by the hell-bound individuals. Dante damned contemporary men and women to Hell in his controversial Inferno. The Arm and Hammer man, otherwise known as The Thinker, was originally placed over the top of The Gates Hell. The philosophical nude is said to represent either Dante or Rodin himself. Before his death, Rodin asked to have a copy of The Thinker placed on his grave. The Kiss was also originally part of The Gates of Hell. The Kiss, occasionally considered controversial, depicts a man and woman moments before an adulterous kiss. After reading about the love affair between Guenevere and Lancelot, Francesca da Rimini and her brother-in-law are on the verge of kissing in this beautiful sculpture. The kiss is interrupted by Francesca’s husband Giovanni Malatesta, who then kills Francesca and his younger brother Paolo.

The next day we hired a tour guide to take us to the Louvre. Arno, whose telephone number we found in a Rick Steves’ book, sighted references when giving an extremely detailed explanation of who Napoleon was, for those of us lacking in knowledge. I won’t mention any names, but I was not the only one who had no idea who Napoleon was! Thank goodness for Wikipedia!

We tried to get on the wheelchair accessible city bus, but my wheelchair was too large! See mom, I told you I’m getting fat!! Because of my obesity, we had to walk a couple of miles in the sprinkling rain!

Before entering the Louvre, we watched a Bollywood movie being filmed. The same Indian music played over and over as the filmmakers re-shot a dance sequence many times. Arno told us it was ridiculously expensive to film at the Louvre, even just the outside.

The Musée du Louvre, one of the most visited, largest, and oldest art museums in the world, was established in 1793. We saw the highlights of the Louvre’s collection that includes over 380,000 objects. We viewed Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa behind bulletproof security glass, Eugène Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, and Paolo Veronese’s massive beauty The Wedding at Cana. Liberty Leading the People is not my favorite, but it is interesting to note that the little boy is believed to have been the inspiration for the character Gavroche in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. Stairs lead to the Winged Victory of Samothrace, an armless, headless statue of the Greek Goddess Nike (Victory), so we looked at the piece from afar. Discovered in 1863, the dismantled Victory is believed to date back to 220-190 BC. Due to the crowds, we spied Venus de Milo from the side, and we quickly made our way to the Napoleon wing. Craving Mexican food, we would eat lunch at the food court, located below the Louvre, only to regret it a few hours later.

Although we did not have any bug-eyed sunglasses, we attempted to look as posh as possible while walking along Champs-Élysées, the famous, broad avenue leading to the Arc de Triomphe. After snapping pictures in front of the Arc de Triomphe, a monument for French soldiers, Marcie and Jenny climbed up the Arc while my mom and I waited in McDonald's. The roads that surround the Arc de Triomphe are like bicycle spokes.

After we ate duck and other pricy meals in the Orsay cafe, Debbie and I took a taxi to Notre Dame. While we waited for Jenny and Marcie, we looked at the incredible stained glass found in the Catholic cathedral. Notre Dame, meaning “our lady” in French, is well-known for its Gothic architecture that seats 9,000 people. Haunting, grotesque demons hang from the outside, looking down on the human race. Notre Dame was one of the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress. Whew! I finally had the chance to use the term flying buttress!

Sandra, undoubtedly, understood we were from America when she chose to meet us near a Starbucks. Contrary to other food tours, we were not given very many samples so skipping lunch was not the best idea. As the smell of chocolate filled our nostrils, and we were not given samples in the chocolate store, we knew we were paying way too much for the food tour. We purchased homemade cookies and almond paste from a monastery before Jenny was given a sample of olive oil without any bread. When purchasing the aforementioned items, Jenny was asked if she wanted to try some olive oil. She politely consented, and was told to stick out her tongue! Sick!

As we walked through swanky parts of Paris, where the artist formally known as Prince and Madonna were among the rich and famouswho had apartments, Sandra pointed out Berthillon, a homemade ice cream manufacturer. Their ice cream is famous for a reason! It was delicious! I had a scoop of White Chocolate and Carmel ice cream. They tasted exactly like their names! My selections were much too rich separately, but great together! I can still taste the cream on the roof of my mouth! It is no wonder that Berthillon closes during August because it is hired out by a King.

Just blocks away from the Paris fashion show attended by Katie Holmes, we (me, Jenny, and Marcie) ate an assortment of smelly cheeses with baguettes and croissants. Practically gagging over the awful odor of sheep, goat, and cow milk, my mom tried one but was unwilling to sample the other three cheeses. Unwilling to spend the rest of the day savoring the flavor of foul smelling cheese, she purchased a drink in order to wash away the horrible taste.

With advise given by Mossimo, our favorite driver in Italy, we hired a driver for the day. He drove us outside of Paris to the Château de Versailles, commonly referred to as just Versailles, and Giverny, the location of impressionist Claude Monet’s home.

Tired of bouncing up and down from the the long cobblestone driveway, I was grateful when our driver drove us as close as possible to the entrance of Versailles. Listening to audio headsets, we walked through extravagantly decorated bedchambers once occupied by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The tour also included access of the château’s massive chapel and opera theater. C’mon, who doesn't need their own chapel and theater???

After eating individual sandwich crepes and sharing a delicious dessert crepe, we headed to the small country town Giverny. Many of Monet’s paintings were inspired by the breathtaking grounds of his home. Unlike his Asian-furnished home, the gardens and pond area were wheelchair accessible. It is difficult to imagine his gardens being more beautiful but I bet in the Springtime, the extensive grounds are gorgeous!

Although we did not see any water lilies under Monet's bridge, we were privileged to see many beautiful reflections in the pond.

Later that night... we scarfed down our favorite meal in Paris: Pizza Hut!!

Celebrating our last day in Paris, we slept in until 9:00! We purchased a tub of butter, greased-up my wheelchair, and wa-laa this time my wheelchair was not too wide for the wheelchair accessible bus. Just kidding… However, it was quite magical that I could squeeze through the doors.

We rode the bus and then walked-up some steep hills, before we reached Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Sacré-Cœur, meaning "Basilica of the Sacred Heart", is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in Paris. While Jenny and Marcie climbed the stairs to the top of Sacré-Cœur, my mom and I took in the panoramic view of the city.

Even though it was probably a poor choice, I could not miss the opportunity to see the famous windmill above the Moulin Rouge. We tried to keep our “eyes on our toes” as we walked through the red light district on the way to the Moulin Rouge.

My favorite picture from Paris, shows how tired my mother was of traveling. While touring the City of Eternal Love on the batobus, a water bus, my mom fell asleep. Luckily she did not wake-up in a puddle of drool! Stops along the Seine River include the Orsay Museum and Notre Dame. However, only certain stops are wheelchair accessible. Many of the stops have stairs and are not equipped with ramps.

We left a grateful Debbie at the hotel, while we spent our last night on the batobus. Impressed with the views of the batobus, we delighted in the City of Lights’ beauty. The Eiffel Tower lights flash rapidly on and off every single night, but you feel as if the light show is specifically for you!! You missed out Debbie Lyn!

Wow!! I finally went to Italy and Paris, and I am now (a little over a year from when we actually took the trip) done writing about it! Much thanks to my three mommies-- Debbie, Jenny, and Marcie! Are you ready for London?

©K. Kent Last Updated: January 7, 2008 Email Kelly Kent