Paris

Although I didn't have a voice the entire weekend as I continue to battle whatever weird European disease I've been plagued with, my 3 days in Paris were amazing! What an incredible city. We stayed in a hostel near the Moulin Rouge, which happens to be one of my favorite movies so it was awesome to see it in real life. We went to the very top of the Eiffel Tower, which was unbelievably tall. I was scared to be up so high, and I'm not usually afraid of heights, but it had a spectacular view of the city. Words can't even describe how it felt to be looking at the Eiffel Tower when we first saw it- that is a moment I have dreamed about my entire life so I had to give myself a few moments to take it in. We saw the Arche de Triomphe, which was also very cool to see. My roommate has a friend who lives in Paris, so she brought us to her favorite restaurant for lunch and we had real French fondu, which was DELICIOUS. She then walked us around a few non-touristy cute neighborhoods, where we ate crepes (also delicioius). We went to the real Notre Dame Cathedral, which was very beautiful. For dinner we bought bread and cheese and just enjoyed it- something I have always wanted to do in Paris. The next day we saw the Opera house, which was the location of the Phantom of the Opera. We then went to Lafayette, which is a famous upscale shopping building. In the afternoon we took a trip out to Versailles, an incredible palace.

Saturday evening we went to the 22 birthday party of my roommate's French friend, who lived in a suburb of Paris. It was quiet the cultural experience. For a 22 year old's birthday party in the United States, there would be a lot of alcohol and dancing and it would be loud with a lot of people. A Parisian birthday party was the complete opposite: we stood around with about 20 college students, eating quiche and not drinking alcohol. We spoke to each other calmly and quietly, and there was light music in the background. When the cake was cut, we all had a glass of really expensive French champagne to toast to another great year for the birthday girl, who then was handed a present from everyone who attended. Everyone was dressed elegantly, and all of the girls brought along very attentive boyfriends who stayed by their sides the entire evening. We brought a bottle of wine to be good guests, but when we handed it to the birthday girl she looked at it strangely and then hid it outside on the porch. It was such an elegant and calm party that you would never know it was a college student's birthday.

Lena, my friend from Germany who was an exchange student in Dublin in my Junior year of high school, met me in Paris and traveled around with us. I hadn't seen her since she visited me for my high school graduation, and it was so good to spend time with her. It was weird that since I'd last seen her, so much has happened in my life and I've changed so much, but we still clicked like the best friends we were when she lived in Dublin. It always baffles me how much people can change separately from each other and still remain good friends. The picture above is of the two of us in front of the Eifel Tower.

On our way back to Spain, we took the normal metro/train/plane/bus transportation system that has defined our traveling around Europe so far. We got back to our apartment and discussed how we only have 4 weeks left here before heading back to the States. It has to be the most bittersweet ending I've ever had to a period of my life, but I still have a month to enjoy before I tell you all about that.