I'm finally halfway through what is turning out to be quite a busy week, but no major complaints here! I had a presentation today in my conversation class, which wasn't horrible, and the rest of my time here will be spent preparing for upcoming finals and traveling to one more place (but that's a surprise for now). I cannot believe that I have less than a month left here :( Honestly, the time just flew. I think that I am ready though to go home and see my family again. I do miss them and I'm happy to be returning right before Christmas. I also am craving Cap'n Crunch Cereal, yum (Btw, I had to Google "Cap'n" because it would've just been spelled Captain <-- I need to find my inner child, haha).
Anyhow, aside from my insatiable cravings, I want to share how my trip to Paris was! First off, Paris is a very beautiful city, with so much history all around; it literally felt like stepping into a textbook. We arrived fairly late, and by this point, the metro leaving directly from the airport had stopped running. But no worries, we caught a bus to the next available metro station and were able to safely navigate our way to our hostel. Just as a warning though, the trip from the airport is a little less than €10, so it's always handy to have some cash available. Our hostel was located about 25-30 mins by train from the Eiffel Tower and right next to the Seine River. This area didn't feel particularly safe at night, but we remained unharmed (thank goodness).
The next day, the two other girls I was with and I went on a free walking tour. It was from the same company that offered it in Amsterdam, so I was pretty anxious to take part. The great part about this particular tour was that there was a pick-up point right at our hostel! The bad part was that our tour guide showed up about 20 mins late. The tour was not so bad, aside from the occasional sprinkle of rain falling from the cloudy Paris sky, but also, at times, it just seemed as though the tour guide was in his own little world. I totally understand when a person has something on their mind, which may or may not have been the case, but I just wish he were just a little more engaging. Nonetheless, it was great to be able to see differing parts of Paris and hear a little history behind them.
The highlight of that day has definitely got to be seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time! During the tour we could only see about half of it because of the cloudy sky, but it is definitely a sight to behold. The tour guide told us a little bit about its history and also about a woman who actually married it! Strange, I know, but you never know what to expect in this crazy lil world of ours. Anyhow, we first saw it in the afternoon, but nothing compared to seeing it all lit up and sparkling (literally!) I honestly think that was one of my most memorable moments.
We also made a stop at Notre Dame Cathedral, yes, where the hunchback lived, or, if you remember it like I vaguely do, the location where the wedding scene took place in "Rugrats in Paris" (<--I think I've just found my inner child, yay!). It is very beautiful on the outside and upon entering, there was definitely a weird juxtaposition of noisy, picture-taking tourists and a religious Mass taking place simultaneously. I tried to be respectful and only took about 3 photos whilst inside and it was also interesting to see part of the ceremony, even though it was in French. In the end, needless to say, we were exhausted after this loooonnnnggg day.
We met loads of people and even this one random group of people originally from Egypt. It's funny though because I think that everyone that we did end up meeting, even at our hostel, was from everywhere but France! They were nice, but word to the wise, men in France are very blunt and they have a difficult time taking a hint. But no worries, you just have to be assertive (that's definitely how I was, haha). Just remember to always be safe, coherent, and never deviate from your group. Believe it or not, I felt safer in Amsterdam, which has a more seedy (but definitely false) image.
Our final day was spent at the Lourve Museum where Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is housed. It was great to be able to view it in person, once I got past the hoards of people surrounding it, that is. Visiting all of these museums, though, makes me wonder why one painting or artist is more famous than another. I have been able to see some of the most beautiful artwork by people who many may have never heard of. By the way, the Lourve is free for students who possess a school I.D. from a European school (a great way to save €10) and it is HUGE, so don't plan on seeing everything in one day.
We unfortunately did not try any French food or delicacies due to our budget, haha, but I hope we didn't miss much. And we also did lots of walking, but I think it was all worth it. Paris is a city that I have always wanted to visit, and even though it was not exactly how I imagined, I am grateful to have had the experience.
Au revoir!
~Justine <3
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