Well, this is it: my big Grand Finale trip to PARIS!
I think I picked a good place for my last trip because Paris is AMAZING! Way to go out with a bang! I can see now why so many people fall in love with the city and keep coming back. Not only is every single street corner more beautiful than the next, but the city is very modern and international, with great neighborhoods, millions of outdoor cafes full of Parisians people-watching and sipping cafe-au-lait, ample free WiFi, artists everywhere painting beautiful pictures of the scenery, and bikes on every corner you can rent by the hour simply by swiping your American Express. Despite the hoards of tourists, it's very livable, and very spirited.
Sam, Jess, and I stayed in a little (very French-looking) hostel by Monmartre, the part of Paris up on the hill. So, the first day we check out this cute (again, very French) area, including Sacre Coeur, the big white church on the top of the hill. The view from the top was great, you could see the whole city. Then we wandered by the real Moulin Rouge, where they still have can-can shows every night (very expensive to get a ticket, sadly). But it's also now in the middle of the modern Red Light district, so that's a little strange. But we still had a great afternoon/evening including french dinner including duck, rabbit, fois gras, and creme brulee - aka lots of things you can't get in Italy (There's basically no French food in Italy, because there's a huge rivalry between the French and Italians over who has the best cuisine in Europe).
The next day we walked along the Seine River until we got to the Eiffel Tower. While some tourist attractions in Europe tend to disappoint in person, the Eiffel Tower is even more impressive in real life. We made it all the way to the top, which has an amazing view and a lovely breeze. Ont he way up they tell you all about the history of the tower, which was interesting (did you know there's been everything there from regular radio/tv broadcasts, to races up the stairs on stilts, to and ice-skating rink underneath?). After that we laid in the park beside the tower to admire it's majesty (and rest from the long walk), and then got a lovely lunch of croque-monseiurs (grilled ham and cheese - very french) and Orangina (orange soda). Then we headed over to the Luxembourg gardens (gorgeous) and then to the Louvre in the evening. This is the biggest museum I've ever seen (except maybe the Vatican museums), there's no way you could see everything in a day. Highlights include Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and of course, the Mona Lisa, which is about 18"x24", on a huge wall all by itself, and behind about 6 inches of glass. But impressive, none the less.
That night we went to a very chic club, Showcase, which was under a bridge on the Seine - it was very Euro and very cool - we had a great time!
The next day we saw the Pompidou center (Museum of Modern Art), Notre Dame Cathedral, tasted the best hot chocolate ever at Angelina's (it's pretty much melted chocolate with some milk mixed in...mmmmm), and then walked along the famous Champs Elysees while it was all lit up at night (City of Lights, indeed), all the way down to the Arc de Triomphe. Then we got a little bottle of champagne and sat in the park by the Eiffel Tower. It's packed with people at night, and every hour on the hour, all the lights sparkle! And everyone cheers and sings songs in French - it was so fun!
So, overall, Paris was an amazing experience, and I definitely would like to return one day. Maybe when the exchange rate isn't so bad, because as great as it is, it comes at a price! Worth every euro-penny, though.
And that's it, people, my last trip in Europe! I'll see you all stateside, VERY soon - Next week!
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