Paris, France

I headed to class Thursday morning with my suitcase trailing behind me so I could take the train straight to the airport.  Was definitely impressed with my Air France flight to Paris.  First, it was on time, unlike my last few Norwegian trips.  Second, all passengers were served a sandwich and WINE during the two hour flight, whereas Norwegian doesn't even offer bags of pretzels of nuts.  Upon landing I realized my directions to the hostel were not the best and high school French wasn't helping.  The hostel was located on Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter which was a great area surrounded by cafes and small boutiques. I dropped my bags and headed straight to the Eiffel Tower.  After waiting an hour in line, I took the lift to the summit to watch the sun set from the top of the tower.  My timing was perfect because the lights turned on the minute I stepped off the Eiffel Tower.  Section by section, from top to bottom, the lights flicked on, followed by a short sparking light show.  There couldn't have been a better start to my trip!

I took a guided tour of the Palace of Versailles gardens (40 minutes outside of Paris) on Friday morning.  My tour guide Camille was great so I saw and leaned a ton!  

Back in Paris, I took the metro to the Basilica Sacré-Coeur which is known for having the best views in town. Had a relaxing time sitting on the steps, enjoying the view and listening to several street performers.  

Before getting back on the metro, I stopped at the Mur d'Amor which I found on a "Paris Off the Beaten Track" website.  It says 'I LOVE YOU' in every language of the world!  XOXO.  

My last stop for the night was the Louvre because it is free for visitors under 26 on Friday evenings.  Although I am not the biggest art fan, a trip to Paris would not be complete without seeing the Mona Lisa hanging safely behind a glass covering and two barriers.  

I took two tours on Saturday.  A free walking tour filled my morning and definitely tired me out after the four hour exploration of Paris.  It was definitely worth it though and you simply can't turn down a FREE tour.  Then I took a Fat Tire Night Bike Tour of Paris on Saturday night.  This was, BY FAR, the highlight of my trip and I HIGHLY recommend it to all!  They have another bike tour of Barcelona so I can't wait to sign my mom and I up this summer.  During the tour, we biked around town for three hours while seeing the famous monuments all lit up.  We then took a river boat cruise during the last hour of the tour.  A few highlights of the trip were (1) meeting Martina and Michael from Sydney, Australia who have welcomed me into their home whenever I make it "down under" (2) hanging out with Ellie, a young Canadian traveler who I shared stories and advice with (3) FREE WINE on the boat cruise and (4) Carl the tour guide who, after finding out it was my birthday weekend, sang Happy Birthday in French and sent me home with all the leftover wine from the night!  Martina and Michael had been renting an apartment in France for the month so a group of us went back to their place after the tour for more wine and homemade macaroons!  

Sunday was all about food and shopping.  I visited a bakery that I heard much about which had a line out the door and down the street three buildings!  Then it was off to an absolutely beautiful park near the Louvre (Jardin des Tuileries- my FAVORITE place in Paris) for tea, cheese fondue for lunch and a crepe for dessert.  Spent the afternoon shopping at Camps Elysees, even though I knew there was no room in my suitcase for the trip home.  Now it's back to reality and I am ready to start studying for final exams!  Well, not exactly ready, but I can't put it off any longer!