L'Opera: the Jewel of Paris

With my heart set on La Défense today, my stop at the opera house was quite spontaneous. I missed my bus stop (to transfer to another line [again, any chance I have to take the bus, I will. It is so much better than the metro), and got off in front of the Opera to get my bearings. But, as the Opera was one of the things I most wanted to see, I decided why not today-- why not now. Student admission was 4 euros and didn't include a tour (which I did fine without-- but I think guided tours get special access to other parts of the building). The main staircase, the salons lining the lobby, and, bien sur, the auditorium itself...C'est Manifique! I felt as if I was walking in a jewelry box. Everything was gilded, festooned in velvet, silk cording. Everything was marble and muraled. It was phenomenal. The public is only allowed into the auditorium through a few open boxes on the first floor. They are all deep red with plush seating and carpet. Its ceiling and chandelier are breathe-taking. There is so much history (mixed with legend) in that building-- and one feels it the moment you walk into it. I cannot wait to return: for the ballet, for a tour, with a friend. It is one of my new favorite--must see's-- in Paris.