I know it's been a while since my last post, so I would just like to take a moment to assure you all that I am not dead, nor have I been kidnapped, put into the witness protection program, or otherwise detained. You can stop worrying!
This past week was one of my favorites so far, and it's because JENNA AND MIKALYN CAME TO VISIT ME!!!
This past week was one of my favorites so far, and it's because JENNA AND MIKALYN CAME TO VISIT ME!!!
It was so much fun getting to show them all around the city that has been my home for over half a year. I loved getting to be a tourist with them, as well as introduce them to all of my friends here.
My favorite day was Tuesday, when we took the early train to Paris. And I mean early. We got up at 4am, took Uber to the international train station at St. Pancras, and were on our way by 5:40. Two and a half hours later, we were in Paris! Jenna did an awesome job of organizing the entire getaway, including a walking tour to all of the major tourist attractions. Once we got off the train at the Gare du Nord, we walked to the Sacre Couer, the highest point in the city. The train station isn't in one of the nicest parts of Paris, but it was still beautiful. After getting turned around a few times, we finally saw the top of the cathedral poking up over the buildings. We climbed about a million stairs and eventually reached the top to be greeted with a sprawling view of the entire city.
My favorite day was Tuesday, when we took the early train to Paris. And I mean early. We got up at 4am, took Uber to the international train station at St. Pancras, and were on our way by 5:40. Two and a half hours later, we were in Paris! Jenna did an awesome job of organizing the entire getaway, including a walking tour to all of the major tourist attractions. Once we got off the train at the Gare du Nord, we walked to the Sacre Couer, the highest point in the city. The train station isn't in one of the nicest parts of Paris, but it was still beautiful. After getting turned around a few times, we finally saw the top of the cathedral poking up over the buildings. We climbed about a million stairs and eventually reached the top to be greeted with a sprawling view of the entire city.
From there, the rest of our journey was, thankfully, downhill. We wandered through back streets and alleyways until we reached our hostel, the Plug Inn. Our room wasn't ready yet, but there were free lockers available, so we crammed our stuff into two of them to lighten our backpacks, then headed back out. By this point we were absolutely starving. Having decided that we definitely needed some crepes, we began looking for a place to stop. After walking past the famous Moulin Rouge (which was completely unimpressive and a total letdown), we drifted into a place called Cafe du Mogador, which is French for "We like to pretend that we don't speak English". Mikalyn and I got the Nutella and banana crepes, which sounded like a great idea in the moment, but were so thick and chocolatey that we both ended up majorly regretting the decision. Now full of chocolate and tiny pancakes, we continued on our Parisian adventure. What I loved about our walking tour was that we got to see so many places that a tour bus could never take you. We really got to feel the vibe of the city as we wound our way down the curving streets, the cobblestones sprawling out before us in waves. It was a welcome difference from the crowded streets of London.
The next stop on our itinerary was the Louvre. On our way there, we dipped into a McDonald's to grab something to drink. Like any other McDonald's, this one sold burgers and fries and despair, but unlike any McDonald's I've ever been into, it also had a bakery and a full coffee bar. Never in my life have I seen a fast food restaurant that had macaroons and an espresso machine. It was strange, but pretty cool. American McDonald's, can we get in on this?
After walking for what seemed like forever, we finally found the Louvre. It's closed on Tuesdays, so we didn't have an opportunity to go inside and catch a glimpse of the famous Mona Lisa, but the outside architecture was enough for us. This was also where we got our first clear view of the Eiffel Tower. Now, I won't say I cried when I saw it or even got misty eyed, but I will admit that seeing the top of the tower peeking up over the trees did cause me to have a little bit of an emotional reaction. There's just something so surreal about seeing famous world landmarks for the first time. All my life, I've seen pictures and drawings of the Eiffel Tower. I've seen it in movies and TV shows and cartoons. To finally see it in real life was bizarre. I felt the same way in Iceland when, after weeks of planning, I was actually standing in front of Hallgrimskírkja, and again on my plane into London for the first time, when I looked out my window and saw Big Ben, the London Eye and the Tower Bridge below me. It's just so strange to see these places brought to life when before they had been nothing more than images on a screen.
The rest of our day was much the same. We did an ungodly amount of walking as we ventured from sightseeing destination to sightseeing destination. From the Louvre, we happened across the Lover's Bridge, a chain link bridge coated in thousands upon thousands of padlocks inscribed with the names of couples. Jenna bought a lock for herself and Andrew. Next we went to the Notre Dame, then walked for ages and ages to get to the Pantheon, which was definitely not worth it. However, it was right across from the Luxembourg Gardens, which were pretty nice even in February. We then got some baguettes with cheese and tomatoes (and bolognase for me!) then ventured into the Metro, Paris's subway. I had thought, with my experience on the London Tube, the Metro would be easy to figure out. I was wrong. The Metro is much more complicated than the Tube. Not all of the lines connect to one another, and the stations are in strange and sometimes difficult-to-access places. I eventually walked up to a random girl and, using the 5 words of French I know, was able to communicate that we wanted to get on line 10. She helped us get to the right station, and we got to the Eiffel Tower after sunset, meaning we got to see it in all of its brightly lit glory! The last stop on our tour was the Arc de Triumph, which sits at the top of the Champs Elysees, the most upscale and expensive street in Paris. We spent a while looking for a place to eat dinner that wouldn't require us to pay with our souls and 5 years of servitude before giving up and turning onto a side street to find somewhere less pricey. Maybe it was just because we were beyond starving after walking 8 miles in the cold and wind, but it was some of the best food I've ever had.
The rest of our day was much the same. We did an ungodly amount of walking as we ventured from sightseeing destination to sightseeing destination. From the Louvre, we happened across the Lover's Bridge, a chain link bridge coated in thousands upon thousands of padlocks inscribed with the names of couples. Jenna bought a lock for herself and Andrew. Next we went to the Notre Dame, then walked for ages and ages to get to the Pantheon, which was definitely not worth it. However, it was right across from the Luxembourg Gardens, which were pretty nice even in February. We then got some baguettes with cheese and tomatoes (and bolognase for me!) then ventured into the Metro, Paris's subway. I had thought, with my experience on the London Tube, the Metro would be easy to figure out. I was wrong. The Metro is much more complicated than the Tube. Not all of the lines connect to one another, and the stations are in strange and sometimes difficult-to-access places. I eventually walked up to a random girl and, using the 5 words of French I know, was able to communicate that we wanted to get on line 10. She helped us get to the right station, and we got to the Eiffel Tower after sunset, meaning we got to see it in all of its brightly lit glory! The last stop on our tour was the Arc de Triumph, which sits at the top of the Champs Elysees, the most upscale and expensive street in Paris. We spent a while looking for a place to eat dinner that wouldn't require us to pay with our souls and 5 years of servitude before giving up and turning onto a side street to find somewhere less pricey. Maybe it was just because we were beyond starving after walking 8 miles in the cold and wind, but it was some of the best food I've ever had.
Exhausted, we headed back to our hostel (but not without getting lost first. I told you, the Metro is terrible) and collapsed into our beds. I was glad we had decided to stay a night rather than catching a train back to London. We wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in daylight, so the next morning we hopped on the Metro yet again for a short pit stop before going back to Gare du Nord. Overall, it was a great trip. I got to use my entire French vocabulary (bonjour, oui, merci, excusez-moi, se il vous plait, baguette, croissant). Paris is such a cool city. I wish we could have stayed longer! Hopefully when my parents come in April, I'll get to go one more time.
The rest of the week with Jenna and Mikalyn was great. I was sad to see them go on Saturday, but mom, dad and Jake will be here in less than two months, so I have that to look forward to! And then once they leave, I'll only have seven weeks left in London! Where has the time gone?!