The City of Light

Paris is everything you dream about.
It is that magical city where people fall in love and the Eiffel Tower stands proudly above it all.
It is the epitome of grandeur.
It is a city that I actually like.

Mom told me that I haven't posted a blog in a while. I may have rolled my eyes and said "yeah but I've posted pictures and the pictures have descriptions!" But I know what she means. I'm sitting here realizing that all the travelling I've done in the past week and a half has sort of left me in a bit of a shock. What will happen to me when my life returns to normalcy? Will it? Will I always be travelling whenever I have the funds from now on?
So I realized that I need to do a little reflecting on my travels.
Or maybe I'm just putting off studying and laundry.

So I flew with easyjet, and the workers seem to be quite a bit more pleased with their jobs than the Ryanair employees, because they were a lot less short and demanding. Maybe it has something to do with everyone not pushing to get onto the plane first so they can have a windowseat with legroom. I personally like sitting until I really have to leave but maybe that's something to do with being a slightly impatient American. In fact, I would rather sit and get an aisle seat but not have to stand in line for 45 minutes than, well, stand for 45 minutes and get a window seat. Every time I get on a plane it gets easier.

Arrived in CDG (Charles de gaulle?) and took a train into town. Didn't end up finding a place to eat but I wasn't that hungry. Decided to climb up to the second platform of the Eiffel tower and then take an elevator for 5 euros from there to the top. So I guess it's 21 stories to the first platform and then another 22 to the second...but it really didn't seem like that much, and maybe that was the endorphins talking, or pent-up energy from the plane. Either way I think it's worth walking up instead of taking the elevator. It's certaintly a lot cheaper.

I was on the Tower for one like show and decided to stick around for the next. Then I went back to the hostel.

The following morning was annoying because I missed breakfast because even though I set my alarm for 9 or 9:30 I had to wait for the three other girls to use the bathroom and shower, so it was past 10 by the time I finally got my turn. They were good to talk to and nice and everything though, it was just annoying that we all happened to get up at once.

I decided to walk from the 15th arrondissement where my hostel was to the touristy areas. This is not a good idea. Do not do this. If you are not in the 1-9th arr. please just take the metro. Not only is it not worth your time but you might have some creepy 40 year old come up to you and start talking to you, ask you a million questions and where you're going, attempt to go with you, and not be able to dodge until a crosswalk turns green and you can skit across it after he's already kept walking.

So: Don't walk in Paris alone if you're a girl. Take the metro. Lesson learned.

So I was just wandering around. I got a sandwich on my way along with the most delicious piece of chocolate cake I have had in years. I stumbled into the Garden of Luxembourg, which was very pretty with all of the flowers. Then after some point and found myself at the Louvre. The plan was to follow Rick Steve's Historic Paris tour but I thought it wouldn't take as long to walk to Notre Dame as it did.
First of all, they tell you the Louvre is huge. The biggest museum in the world.
But you don't realize how big it's going to be until you get there. This place used to be a palace, and it definitely is grand.
I also didn't know how much was in it, how many famous things it contains.
So of course I saw Mona Lisa and the Winged Guardian and Venus de Milo but my favorite room was the one with the Michelangelo statues.

 I feel like I should explain the lock picture. One the pedestrian bridge, couples will buy a lock and throw the key in the river (or just away) to prove they've been there and be all romantic. I saw it on a bridge in Innsbruck as well. I think it's a cute idea but I wonder what the locals think of it. Suppose it's better than carving on trees.

After the Louvre I decided to do what I could of Rick Steve's tour, so I went to Notre Dame and inside and that was the only place on the tour that was open, besides the Memorial des Martyrs de la Deportation, which is a pretty cool little memorial to the jews who were deported from Paris. It's pretty moving really because it gives you a sense of the lack of their freedom and such. I ate in the Latin Quarter and tried snail. They're actually quite tasty. I wasn't quite sure if I was eating them right, I mostly dug them out of their shell with prongs...maybe there isn't a correct way to eat snail...? Then I walked around the island Notre Dame was on. Later I took the metro to the Arc De Triomphe, which is also HUGE.

The next day I went back to see the inside of Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie. (It was free, being a student in the UK.) I walked to the Bastille and then through the 3rd arrondissement to the Lafayette galleries (I think I made it there at least, I'm not really that interested in shopping.) I saw some street art that I recognized as either Space Invader's or people copying him. He uses tiles, which are weather resistant. I think parisians might even like his work, I didn't bother to ask. I went to the Musee d'Orsay, which was very busy. I loved Manet's paintings and saw some Van Gogh's and Renault's and it was cool but I was trying to follow Rick Steve's guide, and all the paintings were in different places so I just got tired of being there and pushing my way through the other tourists (it's not the biggest building, and, fun fact, used to be a train station). Then I walked over to the Eiffel tower in the day, which wasn't too far away. Champs de Mars was a lot more crowded during the day than at night. Then I took the metro to Sacre Couer and fought through the crowds to get uphill for a picture, then took the metro to Gare du Nord to get back to the airport. The flight back was pretty uneventful, except for this lady throwing a fit because they had to put her carry on luggage in the hold. There was a lot of turbulence as well.

On Monday I was really tired but I had a wonderful time, despite the city being a little scary. I probably wouldn't travel alone there again, but if I knew the same things would happen all over again and I hadn't been to Paris I would still go. It is definitely a city worth seeing, and there's a reason it's on most tourist's lists when they do a Europe tour. Much better than any city in England, that's for sure. :) Well that's all for Paris.