[Lifestyle] European Renaissance Journey: A Moving Feast

“If you are lucky enough to live in Paris when you are young, she will be with you wherever you go in your life, because Paris is a moving feast.” This sentence is on the title page of Hemingway’s “Moving Feast” The words written down have made thousands of literary and artistic youth yearn for Paris. 

Among the thousands of young people, including me, the place I most want to visit in Europe is of course Paris. This trip finally took place in early autumn, kicking off the prelude to the art tour. When the plane landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, people were still a little rattled, and the flight of more than 10 hours didn’t seem to be too long. Before landing, it rained gently in Paris, as if to welcome me. Through the glass window of the cabin, I saw the Paris I was thinking about.

After taking the bus from the airport to the hotel where I stayed to drop off my luggage, I started my first destination in Paris – the Louvre. First go to the Louvre to check in. Although I know that there are never fewer people in the Louvre, in order to go to the Louvre to see more in the limited time, I still set the first stop at the Louvre and bought Paris The two-day pass for the museum, because the ticket is purchased in advance, reduces the queuing time. After entering the museum, the art journey of the Renaissance began. The museum is very large, with Chinese maps, and the architecture is super beautiful. With the help of the audio guide, you can better understand the artworks of the Louvre. Fortunately, I saw the Louvre. Three Treasures: Venus with the Broken Arm of the God of Eros, the Statue of the Goddess of Victory, and the smile of the Mona Lisa are also fulfilling a major wish in life. Mona Lisa’s smile reveals the mystery of the exotic, which is fascinating. I haven’t finished it until the afternoon. The Louvre really needs to be seen for three days and three nights. There are too many works of art.

In order to get to the Eiffel Tower before nightfall and enjoy the night view of Paris from the tower, I said goodbye to the Louvre and walked along the Seine River, taking pictures all the way to see Paris as the night gradually fell. I didn’t have to wait long because I made an appointment to climb the tower in advance. How do you describe the feeling of climbing the Eiffel Tower? You see the most beautiful place in Paris, and this moment can be kept forever in your heart. 

After climbing the tower, I went to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées, and took a lot of beautiful pictures. However, because I was worried about the safety of Paris, I went back home early. This day was also tiring and satisfying.

The Seine in Midnight in Paris 

Because of Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris”, I went to the Seine River to release the wind again. This time I took a cruise ship and went around to feel the local atmosphere of Paris. The local people waved to us from time to time. Tourists on the cruise I don’t know who shouted Bonjour (hello), but the French on both sides of the river actually replied several Bonjour. Although I can only say Bonjour (hello) and Merci (thank you), I still like the gentle French pronunciation. I also use everyone’s Bonjour to shout a sentence, which is also a polite response. 

On the Seine River cruise, you can also see the impromptu singing of street art, as well as the newlyweds who hold weddings. The atmosphere of Paris is romantic. The cruise ship just stopped near Notre Dame de Paris, because I was a bit rushed, so I took a photo at the door as a souvenir. I also read the literary masterpiece “Notre Dame de Paris”, which can be regarded as a kind of feedback to my childhood.

Farewell to Montmartre

The last stop in Paris was on Montmartre, of course because of “Amelie”. It began to rain again in Paris in the afternoon, and the distant clouds floated over the Montmartre heights. Against the background of the church, it looked like a painting. No wonder artists gathered here to paint. There is a gathering place for painters in Xiaoqiu Square. I wanted to help draw a self-portrait as a souvenir, but because of shyness and time constraints, I didn’t dare to paint. It can be regarded as a little regret left by Paris.

Hi! zurich

Before I planned to go to Switzerland, I always thought that the capital of Switzerland was Zurich, but later I found out that the capital is actually Berne. I really don’t know this place at all. The train from Paris to Zurich takes more than 4 hours, which is not too long, and the scenery on the train is worthwhile. From the train station in Zurich, you can clearly feel the difference from Paris. Zurich has a quiet temperament. There are many lakes in Zurich. In the itinerary, I have planned to go to Lake Zurich and the Rhine Falls. I was still a little tired when I arrived that day. I was not in a hurry to move forward, so I went to the old town of Zurich and went to see the Zurich Cathedral. Zurich Cathedral is a symbol of Zurich, and it can also be climbed to the top, so I tried another trip to the top to overlook the city of Zurich. Zurich is really not big, the lake is very quiet, and people live in a leisurely manner. It is a very livable city.

After watching the scenery, I wandered to Bahnhofstrasse, and went to find the handmade chocolate shop of Confiserie Sprüngli . This shop has a history of more than 170 years. Every handmade chocolate is very attractive. I bought my favorite truffle chocolate. The entrance is very sweet and greasy, it is worth a visit, if the wallet is not big enough, I really want to buy every one of them to taste! Zurich is even more beautiful as the sky is getting darker. Without the hustle and bustle of Paris, there are only quiet lakes and Zurich people driving their own boats.

In Zurich, of course you have to see the Rhine Falls, but it may not be very convenient to go there by yourself. I have bought a half-day trip to the Rhine Falls online before, and traveling with a group is also a good experience. As the largest waterfall in Europe, the Rhine Falls is quite interesting. After arriving by bus, we will take a boat. The wind is a bit strong, but it doesn’t affect our mood. The boat looks a little bit Stimulating, I feel that the bottom of the waterfall seems to be very deep, and the water is very clear. Although it is not as big as the domestic waterfalls, it is very clean and the scenery is not bad. When I came back, there were waves and rainbows.

In the evening, I went to Bahnhofstrasse again, and took another look at Zurich along the old city, because next, I will take a long-distance train to the last destination, Austria.

different austria

Of course, a large part of the reason for going to Austria is for Mozart. There is Mozart’s former residence in Salzburg. Since I knew this place, I have been obsessed with it, and this time I can finally get my wish.

It takes more than 8 hours from Zurich to Vienna. I slept on the train and arrived in Vienna at dawn. Vienna has an atmosphere of imperial splendor. Baroque Schönbrunn Palace, concerts in Vienna, and the Mozart Museum all want to check in one by one.

As a cultural landmark in Austria, Schönbrunn Palace is not an exaggeration to spend a whole day here. This used to be the palace of Princess Sissi. When I was a child, I watched the movie “Sissi”. The king of Austria was ordered by his mother to marry Princess Sissi’s sister, but he fell in love with the free-spirited Sissi. Before Sissi became the Empress of Austria, she had been living an unrestrained life. After entering the palace, she hated the red tape in the palace and often went out to play in the mountains and rivers. Despite this, Schönbrunn Palace still left a large number of scenes of Princess Sissi’s life. I went there relatively early, but it was already crowded with followers from all over the world.

I made an appointment earlier, so I took a carriage and went around Schönbrunn Palace. The entire Schönbrunn Palace is very large, with an open garden and a triumphal arch at the highest point, from which you can overlook the entire Schönbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace belongs to the Baroque architectural style, and the palace is extremely luxurious. There is a free Chinese audio guide there. Wearing headphones, when you walk into a room, Chinese explanations will come from the headphones.

“When you feel sad and troubled, come here and open your mind to look at nature. You can feel that God is omnipresent in every tree, every flower, every piece of grass, and every creature, and you will get Comfort and strength…” This probably refers to Schönbrunn Palace.

Check in the second stop, the Vienna Golden Hall to listen to the concert, the Golden Hall is the base camp of the Philharmonic Orchestra, regularly holds large-scale concerts, and there are also small symphony performances for tourists. The performance started at 8 o’clock in the evening. Even though I arrived early, there were still many people at the scene.

The next morning I took the train to Salzburg to Mozart’s museum. The museum is a beige 6-story building, which reminds people of the color scheme in “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. This yellow color is the color that Wes Anderson would like. Here you can buy a joint ticket for the Mozart Birthplace Museum and the Second Former Residence for 15 Euros. The two places are located on both sides of the river, only ten minutes away from each other. The former residence introduces Mozart’s family, exhibits some of his accessories, and even sets models of the operas he created on stage. Through this place, you can also learn about Mozart’s childhood. There are also many Mozart souvenirs. I bought Mozart’s crystal key chain, which is shiny and beautiful.

After seeing the Mozart Museum, I returned to Vienna. Take the flight back to Beijing from Vienna that night. The tour of the mobile feast in the three European countries has come to an end, even if it is so reluctant. The rain in Paris, the rainbow in Zurich, and the musical notes in Vienna all covered this fruitful trip.