Ahhh Paris

I know it has been sooooo long since i've written, but i thought it would be best to finish out the trip! After Brussels Em and I made our way to Paris! When we got to the train station we needed to make a reservation for the 11:09 train into Gare de Nord. The ticket man told us it was going to be 26 euro each!! We were like....oooooh no no no. After some searching around he found us a train leaving an hour later that would take us into Charles DeGalle Airport for 5 euro each. That sounded much better. We found our way from the airport into town and got to the right stop where we had directions to where we were staying--with our friends Stephanie and Adrien. Their apartment was so comfy and they were so hospitable. They welcomed us in (we were 3hours later than i had predicted) and we chatted and settled in. That night the two of them had a birthday party to attend so Emily and I took full advantage of having a nice kitchen and made a mexican fiesta! We had so much fun cooking up our white rice, kidney beans, corn, and tortilla chips, which made a pretty good mexican meal for what we could find at the grocery store. We also took long hot showers which were such a luxory after all of the hostel showers.

Our first day of sight seeing we went to the Eiffel Tower first, and got crepes while we took in the awesome sight, then we found our way to the Museum d'Orsay. It was a wonderful gallery with stuff by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Degas and others. Alot of impressionist work, which we really enjoyed. After that we walked around the Tulleries, caught a glimpse of the Louvre, and walked for a little while up the Champs-Elysees. Stephanie and Adrien took us to a creperie for dinner which was so fun! We had dinner crepes and dessert crepes...a great experience.

Our second day we found the flea market, the Moulin Rouge, the Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triumph. The architecture of the Notre Dame was so cool, especially when viewed from the side and back. So many flying buttresses and a cute little garden behind. The traffic at the Arc de Triumph was CRAZY. No lanes, just circling traffic from all different spokes. At one point the traffic was stopped so a marching band could march across the street to the center--we never really figured out why the band was there. That night we were entertained in the French fashion. Stephanie prepared a meal served in this order: appetizers and wine, more appetizers, main course, salad, cheese plate, dessert plate. We had a great red wine Cote de Rhone, salami, pickles, foie gras, duck, potatos, salad, goat cheese, mountain cheese, and a chocolate cream dessert. It was so fun to experience the culture of France.

Day 3 like everyday started slowly because our room had black out blinds that kept us sleeping through the morning. But we finally got up and took the metro out to Versailles. The palace is outrageously ornate and HUGE. But the grounds are even bigger. it seems like they go on for miles and miles. We got to see Marie Antoinette's estate as well and explored the gardens. We had a beautiful day (as we have had the whole trip it seems) and took the metro back. The ride back was the most crowded train we have ever been on. People smashed wall to wall with strollers, children, and all sorts of people. It was not a fun hour and 20 min ride home! We made dinner together again--pasta with chicken and veggies and a pink sauce while we listened to Adrien and some friends play guitar. They had us join in to sing the English songs which was fun to be a part of.

Last day in Paris, and we visited the Opera House. It was the most gorgeous place. Candles everywhere, gold accents, ballrooms, and a beautiful theater. It was so much fun to explore. I felt like the Phantom of the Opera would appear any moment! We also found a starbucks nearby that was decorated almost like the Opera house. it was so cool. We went back to the apartment to rest for a while and watched the Hunchback of Notre Dame. it's so much more fun to watch when you're actually in Paris! Stephanie made us dinner AGAIN and this time it was quiche--so good. We played European Ticket to Ride after dinner then went to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour after dark. It really was beautiful to see, and of course we got nutella crepes again while we watched it. Au Revoir Paris!