OK, I've got three choices for you...

This weekend was the roommates' first real trip. We packed our bags, printed our tickets and were ready to go Friday morning.

After arriving at the train station, we took a detour to platform 9 and 3/4 for all the Harry Potter fans.




Picture-taking proved entertaining, but we were ready to get on the train! As soon as we crossed into the Eurostar area, everyone was speaking French and the station was very very nice. The train ride was a breeze, and it's actually only under the channel for about 20 minutes. When we came out of the tunnel, we didn't even realize we were in France! Since the sun sets so late here, we were able to see some beautiful French countryside on the way to Paris. When we got off the train, we were immediately overwhelmed. The station was very hot and crowded and our goal was to simply get metro tickets and get to the hotel. This proved very difficult though, because all of the ticket offices and shops were closed at 8:30 on a Friday so our chances of finding someone who spoke English went down very quickly. We attempted to buy metro tickets through a kiosk but they only take Euro coins or a European credit card. At this point we seriously contemplated taking a cab for about 40 minutes, but finally we found an extremely nice man to help us at a change bureau who exchanged our Euro cash for coins. The metro experience is quite different than the London underground. The stations are confusing, very hot and covered with trash, graffiti, and homeless people. We got on our train but since we didn't understand the announcement in French, it went the opposite direction! We realized this and got off and took a cab from a few stations away to our hotel.

As soon as we walked in, looking exhausted, sweaty and American, the hotel manager immediately said "Corrigan!" to which we all began laughing of course. Great English, and so helpful we were relieved. The rooms were perfect-quaint but comfortable with great AC and beds and it was just 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower. No complaints. Molly and I had set an itinerary so we could do everything possible so we ventured right into it. We got the cheapest wine we could at a shop across the street, and when he heard we were from Texas he declared "Cowboys!" In some shops in Paris, wine is literally cheaper than bottled water.

We headed down to the Eiffel Tower which was beautiful. It was very surreal to be somewhere that Americans are so familiar with and have seen so many photos of. We got some popcorn and relaxed with our wine on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower and stared at its' sparkly glory. Every hour, there is a light show too so that was gorgeous. We met some interesting people on the lawn, including a group of boys backpacking from Mexico who were in love with Two and a half Men and couldn't understand why it wasn't our favorite show! After a long evening of travelling, we walked back to hotel.





Saturday morning we woke up to pouring rain. I was so glad I brought my rain boots and jacket! We grabbed a long breakfast to try and wait out the rain. Our first taste of French food was delicious. Croissants, fresh bread, and some of the best coffee I'd ever had! We braved the rain and headed back to the tower to grab a river cruise on the Seine. Of course, we were four of the total of 10 people on this cruise due to the rain but I'm so glad we did it. The cruise travels along the river and a tour guide recording tells you everything about what you see.



Thanks to the cruise, we knew about everything we saw that weekend and had better bearings of the city. As the cruise pulled back in, the sun started to come out! We grabbed a quick lunch and headed off to the Louvre!


We were a bit nervous to see the size of the line but it was bearable. It took about half an hour to go through the different lines and get our tickets. I can definitely say that the Louvre is one of the most overwhelming places I've ever been to. There is no way to prepare enough even with a map of every famous piece of art. And there is no way to prepare your feet for the amount of walking it takes to see everything. On our river cruise we learned that if you went to the Louvre and spent one minute in front of each piece of art, it would take you four months to see everything!

We saw all the "biggies" including Mona Lisa, Venus De Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, Psyche and Cupid, Raft of Medusa and more. My memories of the Art History and Greek and Roman Mythology classes I took were definitely coming back! I definitely would want to come back whenever I am in Paris next.





We walked to Notre Dame which is on a small island from there and couldn't believe that the line was longer for that than the Louvre! The inside of the church was amazing and the epitome of Gothic architecture. We were all a little put off because the church itself is free, but if you wanted to pray there, they wanted you to pay 2-5 Euros to get a candle. They also had a long line for the confessional. We opted not to head into the famous towers because we knew the view from the Eiffel Tower would be better, and the line was again extremely long!




One of Molly and Rachel's friends had given us directions to a restaurant for dinner in the Latin Quarter so we decided to go ahead and try and find it. The area is very cool with lots of shops and restaurants, it's easy to see why it is the most popular area for students. Although we followed the directions to the best of our ability, we're not even sure if we ate at the correct restaurant. Nonetheless, our dinner was delicious! I tried Escargot for my first dish, Duck for my second, and for dessert I had cheese, because I hadn't had any yet in Paris!It was all really good however I don't think I would eat the snails again...something just weirds me out about thinking about snails in the woods etc.



After getting ready back at the hotel, the four of us met up with Molly's Boss from her internship and her friend at Bound Bar on the Champs-Elysses. The bar itself was beautiful and trendy. Although the drinks were very expensive, they were the best cocktails I think I have ever had! We stayed there at our table for a few hours, then ventured out for somewhere to dance. Eventually we ended up at L'Aventure which seemed like a fun place. Somehow, this club's drinks were more expensive than Bound, but the place was packed so we figured we were lucky to get in. The crowd was very young and we were definitely the only Americans there. I think the best part was that at some point a sax player came out and started playing with the DJ. He was so amazing and it was hilarious at the same time. Worn out by this time, we attempted to get McDonalds to celebrate the 4th of July, but we were unsuccessful.

Bound:


L'Aventure:


With only a few hours sleep, we woke up to begin our last day in Paris. We again went to the tower, only now to climb it. I had an amazing chocolate croissant for breakfast as we waited in line forever. It was much scarier than I imagined going up the lift to the top, but the view was worth the money, the height, and the fear. We took our pictures then just enjoyed looking at Paris from above. I walked to the other side to see more views, and suddenly I was watching someone propose! I backed away and watched, it was so sweet to see her be so surprised and happy. I offered to take some pictures of the couple afterwards.







We continued our day by heading towards the Musee d'Orsay, the home to the world's most famous impressionist art. We grabbed lunch at an amazing restaurant where the weather was so beautiful we had to sit outside! While eating we saw a huge 4th of July motorcycle parade go by and we cheered for America. I had a sandwich with the most amazing bread and had some of Molly's quiche, which is big for me if you know my former disgust with eggs. Luckily for us, on the first Sunday of each month the museums are free! The museum used to be a train station so it is very open and you can even tell where the train platforms used to be. There were so many beautiful things to see between the Monets, Manets, Van Goghs, and Degas' it was a lot to take in. The Orsay was not as overwhelming as the Louvre thankfully and it was so much fun to see everything that I'd studied in class.

From there, we went back towards to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs to shop and see them in the daylight. By now, it was so hot outside I had a sunburn! We walked along the Champs and were shocked how crowded the street was. We stopped at Laduree, famous for their brightly colored macaroons. We each got some and they were amazing! After shopping for a while, we headed back to the hotel and grab our bags and leave!





On the train back, we forgot that we had booked Leisure class tickets so we were happily surprised when we were given free drinks and a dinner menu when boarding. They had been the only seats left so it was a fun treat after a busy weekend.

The weekend was amazing but I don't think I would ever live or stay in Paris besides a vacation. The tourist attractions are famous for a reason, but not knowing French proved very difficult and we experienced a lot of Anti-Americanism, maybe because we were just four girls but we felt it in lots of places. I enjoyed the weekend so much and now I am exhausted! This week will be our 4th week of internships and tomorrow we're going to see Les Mis!