Part 3: Paris

Paris was a really interesting trip. We got there in the afternoon, but we were just so drained by everything else that we did not have energy to do much. The airport we flew into was so far out of town that it was about an hour and a half journey just to get into central Paris. Our hostel/hotel (it was actually a legitimate hotel, so that was a nice change) was way out of town, so we had to travel even more just to get there. Once there, we couldn’t find it, so we just wondered around this little town for a long time, with men working at auto body shops leering at us. Finally, a local pulled up in her car and offered us a ride to our hostel, which was kind of scary in retrospect, but greatly appreciated at the time. Once we got to the hotel, we checked in and went to our room. The website had double beds and single beds for the same price, so D and I decided to go with the double just for the heck of it. When we walked in to our room there was only one double bed, so that plan kind of backfired on us. It was fine, just funny. Later, we wondered around town for about two hours trying to find a grocery store to get food. We finally found one, and stocked up on bread, butter, jelly and chips. We only ate hot food once the whole time in Paris, but it saved us a ton of money.

After that, we turned on CNN worldwide, and went to bed for 13 hours. That sounds terrible, but we really needed the rest, and Paris is really boring when you are broke. The next day (Saturday) was our epic sightseeing day. We saw everything there is to see that is free in Paris. The Louvre (apparently it is free to students on Friday nights, so we really missed out there, but our guidebook said you had to pay)was gigantic, and a really beautiful building. The pyramids were interesting, but they didn’t really go. We ate lunch in the sculpture garden, which was neat. We saw the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel tower, and just about everything else. It was a full day, but a good one because we kept busy and didn’t spend any money.

Back at our hotel, we got delicious hot sandwiches and ate them while watching CNN. I learned more about current events on this small trip than the entire time I have been over here. It is amazing what you can ignore without tv. We got up the next morning and left, and had another long day of travel back to Edinburgh. As soon as we arrived, we went straight to Kebab Mahal and then to bed.

Overall, it was a great trip, and nothing bad happened and there are no regrets. Even though Paris wasn’t exactly what I expected, I am really glad I went there, because it just seems like one of those places you should go if you have the opportunity, but I will never go back. People are mean for the most part, hate Americans, and somehow the entire city smells like urine. Rome and Barcelona were both great though, and I would love to go back to Rome, or even just Italy in general. It was brilliant.

So that was my ten day EuroTrip. It was pretty epic. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making it happen! Love you!

Inside Notre Dame CathedralMe standing in front of Notre Dame
The Eiffel Tower
The Tomb of the Unknown Solider
Arc de Triomphe
The whole Louvre.
A closer shot, with pyramid.
The rose window of Notre Dame
The Seine, and in general a nice shot.
Another stained glass window at Notre Dame
The busiest intersection in Paris
Memorial for French Holocaust victims. This place was crazy, and was built to resemble a concentration camp. It was pretty heavy.
D and I in front of Notre Dame.


And that is my trip! I have a ton more pictures to put up here from other stuff that has just been going on, so look for those later!