We have arrived in Paris – the city of love J. It is misty and rainy here, which should not surprise you seeing as apparently rain follows me everywhere I go. Here is how I am going to rationalize this so that I feel better about my misfortune – maybe I am such a sunny person that mother nature does not feel it necessary to add sunlight on top of my already sunny demeanor – if this is the case – listen up mother nature…. My sunnyness is fading quickly – flooded by the endless amount of rain that you have poured on my beautiful blow-dried hair. However, not even the mist and rain can take away from the fact that I am in PARIS! And it is a really beautiful city.
This morning we woke up, got on the tube and boarded the Eurostar at Kings Cross Station. The Eurostar is a really nice train, however we were sitting at a four-seater across from two of the most miserable girls from Ball State, and they actually live in our flat and are apart as the same tour as us – the International Friends Paris Tour. These girls are totally miserabble and they have this constant constipated look on their faces – we were on our way to Paris and you would have thought we were on our way to pick up poop from the side of the street. So to avoid making one-sided conversation, I quickly popped my I-pod in and fell asleep for the entire journey. Three hours and one Chunnel later, I was in Paris!
First things first, we got off the train and waited for our tour guide, Andrew, to meet up with us. We then walked about ten minutes to our hotel (yes – finally a real and NICE hotel!) called the Ibis Hotel. It has a nice lobby and restaurant area (while small, it is still nice) with a complimentary breakfast in the morning. We dropped our bags off in one of the rooms and then headed on the metro to start our tour. Obviously, everything is in French, so I had no idea how to navigate the metro, but that is the beauty of having a tour guide with us, we do not have to open a map or even think about where we are going – it is WONDERFUL! After switching to another train and riding for about ten minutes, we arrived in central Paris and Andrew gave us the history of the French Revolution and the strong role that Napoleon played as he pointed out monuments along the streets we were walking. After a bit, we stopped at a building, which is when Andrew started telling us the history of the Eiffel Tower. I was thinking – why is he telling us this now, it is nowhere in sight, but then right as we turned the corner, there it was in all of its glory, and it was stunning. We took some pictures, turned away the aggressive scammers trying to sell us Eiffel Tower key chains, and absorbed the moment.
After being finally realizing we were really in Paris, we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, the monument in Paris commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 after the victory of Austerlitz. We learned about the monument and the anonymous solider who is buried beneath and after, we were let lose for lunch down the street of the Champs Elysees– the popular shopping street of Paris. It is a beautiful street with very expensive stores – I would say it is like the Rodeo Drive of Paris. We had a delicious baguette and then Andrea and I walked all up and down the street dipping into stores that caught our eye. At 2:30pm we met back with the group and walked to the tunnel where Princess Diana was killed and looked at the tribute to her that lay above. It is amazing to see that there are flowers there even today. I cannot even imagine the press and hysteria that would have been going on in that area over ten years ago on that devastating day. To live in one of those apartments right along the same street and witness the tragedy all unfold must have been so surreal.
After taking a moment to pay homage, we headed to the River Seine for the riverboat tour. This boat tour, even though it was raining, was a really great way to see some of the hot spots of the city – including the outside of the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, which we will get to go inside tomorrow. We had an audio tour guide, as well as a woman who pointed out some key features – but the incredible thing is that she pointed them out first in French, then English, then Spanish, then German – it was so incredible. Being here and simply traveling in general has made me wish that I could speak a foreign language fluently – I love French! It is so elegant and the words just dance! Oh well… maybe when I retire I will take up French J
After the rive boat tour, we headed back to the Eiffel Tower to climb to the top. But, not before we savored our first French crepe- banana and nutella with cream – it was probably the most amazing dessert I have ever had in my entire life. Seriously – not kidding you, absolutely incredible. We then bought our tickets, made some friends who were also on the tour, and journeyed with them to the second level. We did not go to the tip top because it was so foggy that it would have been a waste of money – the girls that went said they couldn’t see a thing, and I would much rather buy another crepe then travel up there only to feel like I was in a steam room – except a freezing cold steam room J. The sight even just from the second level was absolutely phenomenal. I loved overlooking the city lights at night and seeing the layout of the city from above it all. It was one of those moments that you just have to take a deep breath and a mental (and a million actual) picture of it to treasure forever – or until the next time I am in Paris. It was romantic and wonderful and it couldn’t be topped – until, we traveled back down to meet our tour guide and the entire tower began to sparkle as if Mickey Mouse had brought it to life – so completely magical! I loved it! This light show happens every hour on the hour – originally started for the millennium, but kept because of its popularity amongst the tourists and of course, because of its sheer beauty as it lights up the night sky like a lit disco ball in the middle of a dark room.
After our Eiffel Tower experience we took the metro back to the hotel, settled into our very comfortable room with a flat screen TV (although every program is in French, so it is not as exciting as one would think) and then headed to a café just a ten-minute walk away for dinner. Katie, Andrea and I split a bottle of wine and had a very delicious (but expensive) meal. We laughed and talked about random things – but always came back to how cool it was that we were in Paris! After dinner we walked quickly back to our hotel, Katie headed off to her room and Andrea and I settled into our comfortable beds to reflect on the day.
Tomorrow we have a whole day bus tour bringing us to the Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as Montmarte, and the Palace of Versailles! Then on Sunday we get to see the Louvre! It should be a blast, and apparently the weather is supposed to be better J HOPE SO! Until tomorrow J
Love and hugs,
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