Paris in 36 hours followed by 13 hours of homework...

I finally got to Paris! We have had this trip planned since the first few weeks in January and I thought there was no way this trip would come as quickly as it did. As my last trip during my program, I've finally come to terms with leaving soon (except if darn Eyjafjallajokull doesn't calm down!). Anyway, 4 of us girls rode the Chunnel to Paris for one night. We left early Friday morning so I can't tell you how the Chunnel felt as I was asleep for the duration of the train ride...ha! We stayed in a wonderful, new hostel right in the city. After dropping off our backpacks we caught a train to Versailles. The palace was enormous and unbelievable. The weather was stunning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky so we were just loving every minute. The palace rooms were like any other palace - huge and full of paintings...actually not that interesting. I love the architecture and size though. The chateau is most famously known for the Hall of Mirrors. Being a luxury and a huge expense, mirrors were a rare commodity, so to show wealth and power, a whole hall was installed. It wasn't that spectacular but for the time it was very impressive. After touring the palace we headed to the expansive gardens. We took a 20 minute walk to the estates of Marie Antoinette who was married to Henry XVI - she had a whole estate separate so she could retreat on her own (and most likely with a lover). The absolute best part of the grounds was the hidden servant farms and homes. I felt like I stepped into Belle's village in The Beauty and the Beast. It was a small settlement amongst a pond and a small stream completely separate and isolated. I couldn't believe I was there! After Versailles we took the train back to Paris and stopped at Notre Dame. That evening we bought a cheap bottle of champagne and nutella crepes and just sat in front of the Eiffel Tower. By far my favorite part of the trip - the tower was amazing!!!!!

Saturday morning we got up early and toured The Louvre. We were able to get in free after proving we were living in Europe...score! We visited good ol' Mona Lisa first. Wow, not as impressive as she is hyped up to be but still neat to see. I loved the museum though - my favorite by far! It was so open, light and refreshing feeling...definitely worth a visit. We then headed to the Arc de Triumph and Sacre Coeur. We filled our tummies with lots of bread and sweets on the way :) We booked Eiffel Tower tickets at 5:00pm and met up with two other girls who were in Paris for the day. Although chaotic and teeming with tourists, the tower was great. I didn't so much enjoy the lift ride to the summit - I felt completely unsupported and wondered how something so old was still going strong...or at least I hoped it was.

I struggled with the language barrier the most in France. I knew about 3 phrases and that didn't prove to be enough. I was able to get what I needed, but the French are necessarily the most willing to help and they did not like our ignorance. That was the first time during my travels I felt uneasy and upset. I was able to work through it and picked up on a few gestures and phrases. Also, the men in Paris were outrageously forward. I don't know any times we were asked for a cig/lighter and then confronted with a ton of forward questions and suggestions. From time to time they were just funny but it did get annoying. As we were enjoying our champagne we joked about how we should've invested in a lighter and one pack of cigarettes just in case we were approached by a hottie! Hahaha - what a pick up! The city was a lot dirtier and full of trash which definitely made me appreciated the spotless transportation London has to offer.

I had a wonderful 36 hours in Paris and loved every minute of my time there. Sunday was a day FULL of homework. I didn't leave the flat once and put on no makeup. I was in for the day. I told myself last week that Sunday would be the day. It is the first day in 4 months I didn't leave the flat. It's nearly 2:00am and I'm just headed to bed.