Il Fantasma dell'Opera

In the interest of updating you all that I am indeed back from Paris and had a wonderful time, I wanted to do my first post about my favorite place in the world, the Palais Garnier, or Paris Opera House.

You can read about my first trip to Paris in here, but basically the first time I went we were unable to visit this wonderful place because it was closed for a special event. Not this time, I assure you.

After a long travel day Thursday, we set out Friday morning for l'Opera which, if you don't pronounce with the French 'r', is hard to find directions to. We made it there in good time, however, and saw the most beautiful place I've seen (my bias about Phantom aside). Coincidentally, I did visit the Opera House the same weekend that Phantom was celebrating it's 10,000th performance on Broadway. Great timing, no?


Here are some pictures that I took to document the experience, because words aren't enough:

random staircase leading to the Grand Staircase

Me and my friends on the Grand Staircase

Grand Staircase, no big deal

Apollo's Lyre, the statue that the Phantom
hides behind when he overhears
Raoul and Christine

Geeking out under the chandelier with my
Italian copy of Phantom of the Opera

The chandelier in the Palais Garnier 

Standing in the most gorgeous room ever

Like seriously, how beautiful is this room?

The inside of Box 5

It's pretty important in the story

Standing outside of Box 5, the Phantom's
box in The Phantom of the Opera

It was the perfect start to Paris.

More to come later! Happy Valentine's Day!