Paris

Hola Todos!! Prepare yourself for a slightly boring blog sans pictures (except for the ones I steal from friends). My camera was stolen in Paris, so all of the AMAZING pictures I planned to show you are probably being uploaded onto someone else's blog as we speak (okay, maybe I'm giving myself a little too much credit...my pictures weren't that great). So, hopefully you'll be able to get through this without visuals...

Our trip began Monday, March 29, at 6 a.m. We caught the bus to the airport and checked into what many would consider the WORST AIRLINE ON THE PLANET (Ryanair). I feel a little bad for bashing Ryanair on my blog because the flights are cheap, and it flew me safely to Paris, but you definitely get what you pay for.

The first lesson I learned is...when Ryanair says your carry-on has to be 10kg or less, they mean it!! But never fear, I was somehow able to force my suitcase into one of the "bag check devices" which measure your bag to make sure it will fit into the overhead bins on the plane; however, it took me (and two of my friends) 15 minutes to get it OUT of the device! Needless-to-say, the woman who forced me to put it in there regretted her decision.

After the bag checking drama (Whitney and Chelsea ended up having to check their bags), we finally boarded the plane just in time for a nice long siesta...well, at least my plan was to take a nice long siesta! My plans were ruined when the “auction” began. Within five minutes of the flight, the flights attendants began walking the aisles selling everything from perfume, to toys, to smokeless cigarettes. Our tiny Ryanair plane soon became a circus. You can imagine my excitement once we finally made it to Paris.

Our hostel, St. Christopher's Inn, was MUCH MUCH better than our hostel in Barcelona. It was a lot cleaner and there were curtains on each bed (to keep the peeping toms from peeping). We even had the opportunity to talk to some of our roommates, one of which who was a 50-year-old man "celebrating" his birthday with a trip to Paris and NYC. He was hilarious. He snored loudly and spoke very little English, but somehow we bonded over borrowed blow dryers and sight-seeing recommendations.

Our first night in Paris, we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower, and we made it just in time to watch the first light show. It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!! I've heard people say that the romantic feel of Paris is a little overrated, but there is nothing more magical than the Eiffel Tower at night. However, part of its charm might have been due to the fact that I was able to view the show while devouring a chocolate and banana crêpe.

A picture of Whitney and I in front of the Eiffel Tower (courtesy of Whitney's facebook)



The next day was a very busy day. We visited Notre Dame, Musée d'Orsay, and the Arc de Triomphe (Arch de Triumph). The line to visit the tower of Notre Dame was too long, so we were only able to enter the main part of the cathedral. The architecture and tranquil atmosphere of Notre Dame were awe inspiring. The inside was packed with tourists, making it a little difficult to see everything, but we were able to watch a Holy Week ceremony which was basically a “performance” of a funeral for Christ.

The Musée d'Orsay was probably my favorite thing we visited in Paris (besides the Eiffel Tower, of course). It contains paintings from some of the most famous Impressionist painters including: Degas, Monet, Manet, and Van Gogh. A couple of my favorites were "Danseuses Bleues" by Degas and "Le Bal du Moulin de la Galette, Montmartre" by Renoir.

Here are examples of my two favorite paintings (pictures courtesy of Google) : )





The next morning, we caught an early train to Versailles. The inside of Versailles was beautiful and just as extravagant as I expected. I especially liked Marie Antoinette's bedroom. Unfortunately, the monsoon hit just as we were leaving Versailles, so we weren't able to visit the gardens. Due to the blowing wind and rain we quickly left Versailles and made a mad dash for the nearest cafe (this is when my camera was stolen). After I realized I didn't have my camera, it kind of put a damper on the day, but I didn't have long to be sad because we were off to The Louvre.

After reading The Da Vinci code and hearing so many things about The Louvre, I was extremely excited to visit this incredible museum. It was absolutely fascinating. I can’t begin to describe its enormity and content, but this fact might help you put it into perspective: Supposedly if you spend four seconds gazing at each object in the Louvre, it would take you 3 months to see the entire museum. Because of this, I left feeling as though I hadn’t seen enough, but I my favorites were definitely The Mona Lisa (of course) and the Venus Sculpture.

Unfortunately, the weather and the stolen camera incident made my Paris trip a little less magical than I expected, but hopefully someday I can return and spend more time soaking up the less touristy side of the city.

I will have an update on the London portion of my trip soon!! Until then…Hasta luego!!