After learning a bit about King Louis XIV's palace at Versailles when studying abroad in Paris last semester, my friends and I decided to hop on the RER train for a day trip to check out the royal pad. The three hours we spent wandering around the breathtaking Hall of Mirrors and beautiful gardens were not nearly enough time to capture just how big the property was! Here are some photos I took during our stroll to share.
Located just outside of the Marais district, between Les Halles and Hôtel de Ville, Centre Georges Pompidou effortlessly towers above the crêperies and cafés that surround it. At 46 meters (about 150 feet) tall, Centre Pompidou rivals even the historically momentous 50-meter-tall Arch de Triomphe. Its stark contrast amidst small shops, streets, and apartment buildings of Haussmanized 19th century Paris have helped it earn its startling architectural controversy among many.
I was visiting a friend in Rome, having left Orly just minutes before the first terrorist attack in Paris. I had only stepped foot into his apartment - about an hour after landing at Rome Fiumicino - when his friend asked me where I was coming from.
"I'm studying abroad in Paris." "Paris? Have you heard about the terrorist attacks that just happened?" "What?" |