Paris 2014: So nice to be back!

As Melvin had a milestone birthday approaching, he had a goal that I learned about on our second dat: to visit Venice before 30! So in February 2014, we planned the late summer trip. I had been counting down for months, and it was finally time to depart in late August!

Paris - August 28-31, 2014

We had a wonderful three days in Paris, and a great start to the France and Italy trip! We arrived on Thursday, and the flight was exhausting, but after a quick nap, Melvin and I were ready to see Paris.

We navigated the subway system very well, and found the St. Michel stop to see Notre Dame. Each time I visit, it is always a must see. This time, Melvin and I even went on top of the bell tower later in the weekend. I loved it! The views were spectacular from the center of the city. It was mind blowing to be on top of this massive church, next to the gargoyles and huge bells, that was built in 1100! Melvin did not have quite the same experience. It was very crowded, and the walkway was too tight for him to enjoy much of that!

On Thursday, we also made our way over to the love lock bridge, where we added our blue lock we designed. From there, we saw the Arc du Triumph, one of my favorite views in Paris! For dinner on Thursday, we found a neat area with a lot of young people near St. Michel. We had a delicious dinner of salmon and shrimp in the outdoor seating, enjoying the city and people watching!

Friday was a full day. We visited the catacombs first, after having a big breakfast of bread, eggs, and bacon across the street. The line was nearly two hours to see the underground hallways filled with the bones of six million Parisians, but it was worth the line. We then walked to Luxembourg gardens and saw the French Senate building. The grounds were beautiful, and French families enjoyed the nice sunny day. I was surprised how cool it was in Paris in August, I barley took off my jacket all weekend, but Italy will be much warmer later this week. After finding a Nutella crepe at the park, we took metro to Montmartre and walked the countless steps up the hill to Sacre Cour. The church's beauty is unbelievable. We wrapped our time in Montmartre by exploring the streets, munching on some cheese, finding Moulin Rouge and then eating at a restaurant nearby. For the second night, we had an unbelievable dinner outside. We concluded Friday by watching Eiffel Tower twinkle at the 10 and 11 o'clock hour with some wine. It was such a nice evening under the European icon! When we retuned back to Gare du l'est, we joined the locals at a little pub and tried some new beers. Friday was a great day.

Saturday began by returning back to Notre Dame for the bell tower climb. We then had scheduled our visit to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I had never been to the top before, and it was less frightening than I imagined. Luckily, it was pretty much enclosed, but I got queasy every time someone put their camera outside of fencing! The last items on our agenda were to see the Louvre grounds and visit the Apple Store below the Louvre. While there, Melvin saw KRS-One, but I didn't know who that was. :) For our last night in Paris, we tried to find the same area where we had dinner on Thursday, but we roamed around the St. Michel stop and eventually stumbled upon an area near the University of Paris, where we enjoyed wine, beef stew, and more outdoor eating.

Our time in Paris was better than I could have wished. Melvin also enjoyed the city very much. Now, we are taking a train to Toulouse, where we will stay with Bernard and Christiane. I am very excited to go back Toulouse and spend two days with them!

Paris in a day!

Paris was a great decision! I was apprehensive that the layover was going to drag the trip on too long and be a hassle, but Colton and I saw all the major landmarks and found a good hostel to get a solid night's sleep before our final journey home.


After we landed, we navigated the train pretty well and got off the subway with a fantastic view of Notre Dame! What a rejuvenating experience to energize us for the rest of the day! We then saw the Arc and had lunch off Champ Elysées at a small, quaint restaurant.

Midafternoon, we found a hostel in Montmarte and went inside Sacre Cour, which is no longer my favorite Church after seeing St. Peters and Sangrada Familia! I love the church visits though!

To complete the day, we went to the Eiffel Tower after dark and walked the steps to the 2nd floor! It was an awesome experience! Especially since I didn't go up last time! We then watched it twinkle at 9 and finally had our last European meal at an Italian restaurant near Moulin Rouge! I really enjoyed my extra day in Paris!

This trip has exceeded all my expectations! It's going to be a huge culture shock to go back to my normal life, but I'll adjust soon enough! The trip gave me so many valuable experiences and a new appreciation for other cultures, and I'll never forget that. The month in Europe was one of the most life changing, awesome things I'll ever do and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to study abroad! Now I can only start my scrap book and count down until the next epic trip I plan!