My Dream Trip: Paris

My Paris Journal 

May 17-30, 2015

Day 1:
After my restless seven hour flight I was in Paris, the place I have been dreaming to go every since I was a little girl. Even though there are some similarities, Paris is like a stepping into another world. It didn't really hit me that I was in Paris until actually seeing the Eiffel Tower in person, especially walking under it. Of all the years I have seen pictures of this masterpiece everyone awes over, I finally saw the actual thing. It was so surreal and breathtaking. To kick off our Paris trip my class and I took a boat tour which was really nice and calming. We were able to see a few different  monumental buildings, the stunning architecture, and perfectly decorated bridges. After our site seeing from the boat we went to Cafe du Commerce for a 3-course meal (I forgot to take pictures of it), the presentation of the courses was amazing and tasted just as good. The rumor that the French don't eat a lot is a lie, the portions are huge! However, they must not like drinking liquids because the glasses are so small. It was a long day, but a good one!

Day 2

Today, we started with the Musee de la Mode et du Textile where we learned the importance and history of the button. I learned in this tour how deep the content actually is when it comes to the French and fashion. They go so in depth with clothing and the meaning, but not a lot of individuals realize the context of certain articles of clothing. 

For example, this jacket tells a love story with the buttons beginning with when the lovers first met. The buttons are highly detailed and definitely show their purpose. This is one of the reasons I love the French and their fashion ways. Buttons were also used first by men and it was for status, used like jewels. Buttons also became a status within the standing in a relationship or if they were single. 

After this museum and lunch we went to the Foundation of Pierre Berge and Yves Saint Laurent and were able to see the temporary exhibition. This exhibition was known as The Scandal Collection of 1971, it was inspired by the fashion during the war which at the time was known as "Liberation" or "Forties." This exhibition included the original sketches of Yves Saint Laurent's designs as well as, the clothing. Unfortunately, pictures weren't allowed, but I can say it was incredible. After observing the collection we were able to see Laurent's work space, which was decorated how he wanted before his life was over. On his desk he placed things on his desk that he thought was a good representation of himself and his life. Overall, today showed how the french were daring while working with fashion. The buttons were used for not just function for the clothes, but decoration. Yves Saint Laurent was an inspirational designer and artist that took risks. Fashion is about taking risks in order to find strengths and becoming productive.

Below are a few more pictures of the day:

Day 3

The Louvre Museum was the start of today and it was huge, a lot of walking. This museum is one of the world's most visited museum, this proved to be true while walking around the museum with all the people that were there. I took Art History this past semester and I was able to see a few pieces we studied in person. Being able to see them in person was really neat, I didn't realize how big some of the paintings were until seeing them up close. When we went to the section where the Mona Lisa was it was so crowded, but I did get through to the front to get my selfie with it. 

Day 4

One of my favorite things I have done so far was visiting the Louis Vuitton Foundation. The architecture of this building was exquisite  

and I fell in love the moment I walked up to it, the upstairs was even better. The foundation included different galleries, and as of now they are the temporary home for The Scream painting which was awesome to see in person, but we couldn't take pictures of it. Later that day we went to the Musee d'Orsay which was interesting, but not my favorite. The museum had some paintings I had also seen in Art History. So far this trip has been a lot of fun not just because we are in Paris, but going deeper and learning new things we care about. 

Day 5

This morning I saw my dream bag in person, it was bittersweet. I was happy to see it, but sad I couldn't bring it home with me. Not only was it a Chanel boutique, but the first one that was to exist. Sadly, we weren't allowed to go up to Chanel's apartment because only certain, special people can. We ate another delicious meal that came out looking so good, I couldn't wait to dig in.  We then went to the Galaries Lafayette to watch a private fashion show. The Galaries Lafayette is a big mall full of designer clothes, handbags, shoes, etc. stuff I couldn't afford, but nice to look at. The fashion show wasn't too long it was cool to get an idea of how big fashion shows work. It showed us some ideas on how to wear this seasons trends. The rest of the day we split up into little groups to do our own thing, so some of us went around to different shops. Today,  I was able to see the expensive life in Paris, there are so many designer stores in Paris it's crazy. It's crazier to see all the people in the stores making purchases. I would love to know what these people do for a living. Paris is making me more curious every day.

Day 6

Today was our free day, so a few of us spent our free day..... SHOPPING! I got a few gifts for my family and for me of course. We went thrift shopping, which I would have to say was a great experience. I got a nice blue and red flannel ( I have been searching for one like this) and a cute floppy hat. Our day ended around dinner time and now we have to prepare for our early train ride tomorrow to Lyon. 

P.S. Paris has amazing donuts:)