Bonjour!!!!

It's late, but I've meant to write about my trip to Paris from last weekend. I've had a lot of work, but I want to blog while the details are still fresh in my mind!

Paris was my first trip out of Spain while studying abroad. Shiri and I were able to figure out public transportation from the Paris airport to get to our hostel. The hostel was very nice -- centrally located, clean, free breakfast, etc. Our room had two bunk beds, and the other two beds were actually taken by two girls studying abroad in Madrid as well. We briefly saw them though, because we were on the go!

Our first night was pretty low-key, which was good because Saturday was a very long and productive day. We walked to Notre Dame and then to the Louvre. We didn't go inside the Notre Dame or the museum. However, we went in the pyramids of the Louvre. Both had beautiful external designs. They were very different, the Notre Dame with French Gothic Architecture and the Louvre with a very modern glass and metal pyramid design. Why didn't we go into the Louvre museum??? Well, Shiri and I aren't OBSESSED with museums. And we learned that it would take 100 days to see everything. That's if you spend only 30 seconds on each piece and if you were there all day every day. Yeah, we didn't get to see the Mona Lisa, but that's ok. There's a copy at the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

We then went to Sacre Coeur, a roman catholic church with an amazing view of the city. Everyone was sitting on the stairs of a huge hill that overlooked all of the buildings. Serenity. Nearby, there was an area filled with artists. I noticed that so many people were getting drawn or caricatured. Shiri and I found some crepes -- one was great (salmon, cheese, lemon creme) and one was not great at all (Ok so the place looked promising, but I ordered a basic Nutella one with whipped cream that melted all over my gloves. Not fun). You win some and lose some.

The highlight of dinner was eating escargot. Shiri and I were laughing so much trying to fish out the snail from inside of the shell. I'll stop there in case that makes anyone queasy. But we finished the night with a night boat cruise down the Seine. It was right by Pont Neuf, the bridge where all the couples "lock" their love. The bridge cannot stand the weight of the locks, so you're not supposed to do it anymore. We saw a guy get in trouble with the police for trying to sell some locks. For me, the river cruise was definitely the highlight of the trip. Right when we were passing the Eiffel Tower, it started TWINKLING!! And it stayed twinkling until after we passed it on the way back. It was perfect timing. So breathtaking and beautiful. WOW.

Sunday, it rained a bit. We still made our way to the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. They were pretty touristy, but again, just so beautiful. We also spent some time at the Jewish Museum and Pompidou, a modern art museum. I know I just said we weren't into museums, but these had free entry. Plus, it was cold and rainy. Both had a lot to offer, and I'm happy I got to see them both.

Random observations:

• Paris is colder than Madrid -- bring a coat if you go
• Obviously, romance is in the air -- lots of couples out and about
• Ignore the stereotypes -- everyone we met was so so nice (that rhymed ja ja ja ja)
• Everyone thought we were French and would try speaking to us in French -- very different than Madrid where people will want to speak to you in English even if you speak to them in Spanish
• At all of the restaurants/cafes, the people eating outside were facing outwards, so you are sitting next to your date/friend/whoever -- I read into this -- it's a special dining experience not found in America, and I haven't noticed it in Spain either. By sitting side-to-side, you can both face out, watch the world, without having to say "did you see that?" It's a bonding experience, like watching a tv show together.
• The sociology nerd in me is definitely coming out right now.