Stop number one-Paris!!

Getting on the flight was a struggle in itself! Kim had a duffle that was 2 inches too big for Ryan air... So 50 euro later, we ran through the line to try to get seats next to each other since they're not assigned. (of course, you have to pay extra for that too) With our picnic lunches in hand, dripping in sweat, we plopped down and plugged in to our music for the quick 2 hour flight to the most romantic city yet, Paris :)

The other two have fallen in love, (Abby and Kim), but I have yet to meet Mr. Euro-love.. I've got 6 new cities to look for him, so he's got to be there somewhere. Maybe a French boy? Probably not.. I should have gone to Holland.. Those boys have been the cutest so far. Anyways, on to afternoon #1 in Paris!

Well we got in at around 3 at Beurgois airport.. Super far away. We got on a bus to take us to the center and wandered into an irish pub for a beer, obviously.. 7 euro later for a plain old Fosters, we realized the reality of how expensive Paris is and decided we might be able to starve for a few days. Backpacks and all, we plopped ourselves down at the bar and talked to the bartender from ireland! He gave us some good pointers if I can ever make it to Ireland soon.. He was nice and forwarned us of our incredibly long hike to the hotel across town.. We took about four trains it seemed like to wind up at our hotel, outside the city center, and away from everything.. Thats what happens when you give your friend who likes to just "wing it" one job.. By this point it was about 9 pm. So we found some good sushi restaurant down the street, took it to go since France is not on the same "eating-late" schedule as Spain, and went to sleep for a long day of seeing as much as we could in Par-ee!

Abby and I got Kim up against her will on Friday morning to head of the Eiffel tower. We wanted to go up it, but there was only one elevator running and the line said it was over a 2 hour wait.. So unfortunately, we didn't get to go up. That was the case pretty much everywhere we went. Since we had such limited time there, we couldnt stand in line for hours to be able to go in anywhere.. Kind of frustrating for me because I wanted to see the Mona Lisa, and go up the Eiffel tower, and go in the Norte Dame, but when you're traveling with two other people, all with different agendas and ideas of fun, you have to give a little..

almost to the bottom of the tower!

Instead of trying to figure out the metro and directions to all we wanted to see in this massive city, we jumped on a double decker that took us all over the city. Great investment for sure since we didn't know how long walking would take and the metro doesn't let you see the neighborhoods or architecture or anything. We also had the guided tour so that was nice to hear the history of things.

me, on the top of the tour bus so i could get some good pics :) and freeeeeze.

the beautiful notre dame

another really pretty little shop in the quaint district around the notre dame

wandering around, with the quiche lunch in hand :)

After a lunch of quiche at a stand near the Notre Dame and wandering around taking it all in, we met our friend Ryan at the Louvre. He had been in Paris for a few days and had rented an apartment on airbnb, a website that is perfect for that! It was near Sacre Couer, so a metro ride, grocery store stop, and Desperado beer later, we made it up the 6 flights of stairs to their French chateau.

We made our frozen meals we had all bought from this great grocery store that only sells frozen food! What a cool invention for college kids! We hung out for awhile before going out to some bars near their house.

(more sight seeing pics..)

those perfect little pedestals to stand on for a photo op in front of the Notre Dame

an eiffel tower shot from the top of our double decker!

and beautiful sacre couer.. gorgeous cathedral, especially around holy week

the inside of another cathedral by sacre couer, no pictures were allowed in the real thing.

and we made it to the arc de triumph! MASSIVE!

Our last morning in Paris came rather quickly! Kim and I went back to the Notre Dame area for a coffee and croissant because that was near the train stop to go to the airport and Abby went back to the Eiffel Tower. We ran into the St.Michel fountain, an unexpected but beautiful find, and wandered through some cute french shops.

so many pretty cherry blossoms, or whatever those trees are..

I have to say, the new language barrier that is much more apparent and difficult than the Spanish one was at first, was the French one. I had heard from so many people that "the French are rude" and "they act Ike they don't know English to make you look dumb, when they really know it".. I was giving the French people, as a whole, the benefit of the doubt before traveling to their city of Paris.. Between walking on the streets and them blatantly running into you, to the glares and stares when you ask if they have an English menu, I'm not a huge fan.. Paris is a beautiful city with so much history and some pretty good food, but I kind of think the French culture is not my cup of tea. Part of the cultural seminar class I have been taking was examining the French culture based on an article an American wrote about moving to France and trying to figure out their way of life. I think he put it well, that the difference between American interaction with people and French interaction with people is that Americans make conversations with strangers to simply make conversation. There is no need to have a relationship with the person or even know them at all. Americans tend to converse as a norm, regardless of the formality of a situation. French people tend to only hold conversations with those they have a relationship with and do so for a purpose. They may not talk to their neighbor they have had for ten years simply because they aren't looking to be good friends with them. Whether his observation is true or not, I think it is interesting. We perceive the lack of a smile as we pass or the silence when we say Bonjour as rude, when the French may see that as completely normal.. Neither is right but maybe just a difference in cultures.

For this and a few other reasons about Paris, it was not my favorite city but definitely had my favorite architecture! Off to Prague! My number one "City to Visit While Abroad" destination!

goodbye paris, it's been real.

-k