Bonjour from Paris!

I arrived in Paris early Friday morning, eventually found my hotel and then had a much needed nap. I managed to get ou and explore my neighbourhood a bit and go out for dinner before crashing for the night.

On Saturday I got up early and spent the entire day at the Louvre. This is the third time I've been to Paris but the first time at the Louvre for me. It was absolutely incredible. Some of the highlights for me included the "Victory of Samathrace," the "Venus de Milo," and all the large format paintings. The building itself is incredible, with most of the rooms maintaining their palatial style. By the end of the day I was incredibly tired and sore, and very glad I brough back-up shoes!

Sunday was a lazy day as the Louvre and jet lag had taken a lot out of me. I stayed in bed until about noon and then headed to Bercy Village. This is an old village which used to be wine warehouses from long ago. It now houses stores, cafes and restaurants. Next to the village is Parc Bercy, which is an absolutely beautiful park just teeming with people. I alternated between reading and sleeping (mostly the latter) between rows of hollyhocks beneath an overhead grape vine. I then went to see "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", which was in English with French subtitles... convenient for me! I had a lovely dinner and then crashed in my bed by 9:30.

All the museums and sights are closed on Mondays so today is another low-stress, hang-out day for me. I'm going to grab some lunch and then perhaps head up to Montmartre. I met a Canadian girl who is also staying in my hotel so we're going to have dinner together tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to head to Giverny and then on Wednesday I'll visit the Musee d'Orsay. My friends arrive on Thursday for the beginning of the Great French Wine Tour, yay!

I'll post photos when I get a chance.