City of Love

Wow! Can't believe I'm actually getting to write this blog about this place. This trip was just the icing on the cake of what has been my time abroad. It's one of those things you only hope you will be able to say, “That one time, when I was in Paris...” Now I have this very ability to speak these words and have true honesty behind them. My friend, Samantha, and I booked this trip within our first month in Spain. Clearly we were excited about this opportunity to go to Paris. Our flights were booked to leave in the afternoon of a Friday. Technically our plane landed outside of Paris, about an hour away to be exact. When we arrived it was so foggy it was hard to see anything. We hopped on the bus to Paris and hoped things would clear up on the way.

Moving vehicles always put me to sleep so very soon I was out. When our bus arrived we had no idea where we were except that we were in Paris and had no idea of how to get to our hotel. Yes, I said hotel. When we were looking for where to stay we actually found a hotel that was close to the Eiffel Tower and was fairly cheap considering the location. So not knowing where we were and being afraid to ask because clearly neither of us spoke french and Spanish was no help here we got the courage to try and ask. There was a little coffee stand next to the bus stop so, since it truly was cold, we ordered coffees and asked where we were. The man was very kind and directed us towards the metro.

Once we were walking away and were taking sips of our coffee and talking of how nice that man was, I said, “You know what? This might be the worst cup of coffee I've ever had in my entire life.” We both started laughing so hard cause we both knew it was true! It literally tasted like warm water. But the man was so polite and we really were cold so we chugged it and continued to look for the metro. Eventually we found it and figured out how to work the machine to get us one ticket. Of course we spent a good amount of time looking at the map and looking at the metro map over and over to make sure we were going to the right stop on the right train. While we were on the metro it came above ground for the last part of our time on it and when it did we got our first view of the Eiffel Tower. Just wow.

Luckily our hotel wasn't very hard to find after we were walking and looking for it. It was so nice. We were very proud of ourselves for having gotten such a good hotel for the price. Granted I'm sure there were some things that could have been better but over all we were very happy with what we got. Samantha had a friend from high school who was studying in Madrid and he and his friend were also staying in the same hotel. When we arrived they weren't there and we had no way of contacting them while they were out. We decided not to wait for them and just to meet up with them either later that night or the next day. So we headed out to find the Lourve!

To save time we took the metro again, since clearly we were experts now. We got off at the Lourve stop but had no idea what direction to head and were afraid to ask for directions. So we started walking along side what we thought was the Lourve since we could see statues inside through the windows, but we wanted to find the main entrance with the pyramid. So we figured it would be on the end of the building and figured we'd start at one end. Once we got to the end we discovered we choose the wrong end. So we walked around up the other side. This took forever and day and it was freezing cold outside. Finally we rounded a corner and saw what we thought was the Arch de Triumph, this was just a miniature version of it. It was amazing, then we turned our heads and saw the entrance to the Louvre.

We went picture crazy, the best we could since it was already dark at this point. Since we still had time and we were so cold we decided to get some real coffee and warm up before we went inside the Lourve. If I thought it was stressful being in Spain those first few weeks, and even at this moment, with the language barrier I had no idea. I literally know nothing of french and this made it very stressful to have to try and order something in a language I don't know. We managed and got our coffee and warmed up and headed to the Lourve.

Our friends had told us that international students get for free and we clearly did not want to pay. While we were trying to figure out which line to get in to get our tickets a girl about our age came up to us and asked if we were going in. We replied yes and she gave us her two tickets and told us they don't check and we could just go in. Shocked and grateful we took then and decided it was worth a shot to try it. It worked and we were in the Lourve on our way to see the Mona Lisa in no time! Sadly this was one of the only things we really knew of to be in the Lourve. So afterwards we started aimlessly walking around and trying to admire the different artwork that was there when we stumbled upon the Venus sculpture  Eventually we were tired and had to use the restroom so we found our way out. This took a lot longer then we thought it would because we somehow manage to get trapped in a mall that is below the Lourve.

Finally we were out and decided to walk back to the hotel so we could pass the Eiffel Tower. At this point we could see it and thus it gave the illusion of being close. It wasn't. We walked the river and kept getting wonderful views of the tower and would stop to take pictures or just admire it. At one point we saw it, and this is the only was I can describe it, sparkle. It did not seem real that we were actually there at that moment. Then we were right upon the tower and it was breath taking. We walked along were the friendship bears were but decided to take pictures of them later when it was daylight. Hunger started to find us at this point so we tried to find a place to cheaply satisfy it. This turned out to be no easy task. Eventually we found a nice crepe restaurant and after some language confusion I had ordered and tried my first crepe! It was really good too, with ham, cheese and egg. We called it a night because we wanted to get up early the next day to get a start on the day.

That night we were so excited sleep did not come easily to us. Therefore, in the morning wake up did not come easily either. When we were finally up and ready Sam knocked on her friends door and that's when I first met Dave. Him and his friend, Tom, had gone out the night before and were still sleeping so we all decide to meet at the Arch de Triumphe around lunch time. Sam and I walked to the Eiffel tower but it was so foggy that sadly we could not see the top of it. But we walked the line of friendship bears and took pictures with Spain and the USA. To save time we decide to take the metro next because we wanted to go back to the Lourve to get pictures of the outside during the day time. Since we wanted to get a day pass we decided to ask the man behind the counter instead of using the machine. He was very helpful and even told us about the youth day pass for the weekends that was even cheaper.

After we got off the metro this time we knew where we were going and went and took our pictures, which of course took forever. Then we hopped back on the tram and got off at the Champs de Elyssion and walked the street to look at all the shops. Finally we made it to the Arch but had no idea how to get to it, it's in the middle of a roundabout  Once we figured out there was no cross walk we assumed there must be an underground tunnel somewhere. Which finding this was easier said than done with all the metro stops, but it turned out to be right were had walked up the street. Above ground and below the arch we tired to find Dave and his friend Tom. It seemed impossible and then he came out of no where.

Pictures were taken and then we were off to go get lunch. We found a little restaurant that didn't seem too terribly expensive and all ordered keishes. It wasn't the best things I've ever had in my life but it was food. The birds that were everywhere were very distracting however. Our next goal was to find Notre Dame. After Dave tripped and almost face planted in the street and got laughed at by french girls, we were all on the metro and off to the Notre Dame stop. Surprisingly once we were above ground again we had no ideal which direction to head. We knew we were on an island and therefore found the river and started following it and assumed we would find it soon. Notre Dame was there when we rounded the corner.

Outside pictures were taken and then we went inside the cathedral. It was gorgeous. Then we began to wonder how we got to the tower and started to ask around. We had to go back outside and wait in line. We managed to be one of the last people in line before they closed it. None of us wanted to pay the fee but it was only free for European students so when we went to get our tickets we just said that we studied in Spain and showed our school I.D.s. There were soooo many stairs and they were of course in a spiral staircase. The view however was amazing and we were able to see the bell. Next we headed out to find the Moulin Rouge district.

Our lives at this point seemed to revolve around the metro cause once again that's where we were. Instead of going directly there we went to a hill top where a church was because a lot of our friends had told us to go there for the view. Honestly the view was pretty but you couldn't see the Eiffel Tower so.... yeah. But in the process of finding it Tom realized he had been pick pocketed and had his camera stolen. We assume it occurred when we were leaving the metro and there was a huge crowd of people by the entrance/exit. Somehow we managed to find out where we were and where we were going. Then we kept trying to find the Moulin Rouge and seemed to be going in circles at this point and hunger was setting in.

Rounding the corner we found the Moulin Rouge! This seems to be a common occurrence as well, looking for something and finding it as you round the corner. I was so happy at this point. I love the movie Moulin Rouge and have always wanted to be able to see that area in real life. By now we had put off eating so long that we were extremely hungry. There were a lot of Chinese restaurants in the area and Tom decided to order some food from one of these restaurants. The rest of us thought that maybe there would be something cheaper if we held out, so Sam and I went to look while Dave sat with Tom. We came back with nothing but more hunger so we decided to eat there too. Best. Decision. Ever. It was maybe the best Chinese food I've had ever. This is when one of the most memorable dialogs of the night occurred:

Dave talking to me: “I like that ring. What is it?”

Me: “A ring.”

Honestly, the funniest thing all day.

Then we took the tram to the Eiffel Tower cause Dave hadn't seen it at night yet. It sparkled for us again and it was breath taking. That night we were going to go to a club that is under a famous bridge but after we met up with Dave's friend who was studying in Paris and were at her apartment we decided we were too tired and had to get up early the next day. This is were Sam and I left the guys to go back to sleep. Our hopes were to wake up early and go see the tower hopefully fog free. But it was raining and we just love sleep way to much for that. So our last glimpsy of the tower was from the metro like it was when we first saw it. On the bus to the airport we slept once again and then next thing you know it we were back in Sevilla. Our wonderful weekend in Paris was over and I wouldn't have changed it for anything, minus the fog and rain ;)