My dear friend Andy drove me to the Dulles airport on Thursday last week... Unfortunately, we hit some traffic (not unusual for Washington, D.C.) and the line for American Airlines was nauseatingly long. Helpful staff helped me move through the lines faster, and I arrived at my gate just in time! We ended-up waiting on the tarmak for over 1 hour and 1/2 due to foul weather in the direction of our travels.
I arrived in Paris at around 9:30 AM, and headed directly to the hostel I had booked for the weekend, located in the Bastille district of Paris. I dropped off my luggage and headed directly for the Palace of Versaiille, an attraction I had not yet seen (I had a one day tour of Paris after a mission trip in France 3 years ago)
Versaille was breathtaking! I took sooo many pictures you should enjoy viewing... I toured the inside of the palace with an audio guide which proved very helpful. Upon exiting into the garden area, I met two lovely Venezuelan sisters, Claudia and Alexandra, who welcomed me to join them. Claudia is a visual arts major, working on her masters in Paris, and her sister Sandra was there to visit. I was thankful to enjoy the garden views with two new acquaintances.
I returned to my hostel there after (around 8pm). I shared a room wor the weekend with three delightful girls from Lithuania! One of the girls had studied in Wisconsin a few years before, and knew English rather fluently. Thankfully she was there as the other two hardly knew a stitch of english.
The lodgings of the hostel were clean, and rather modest, boasting two metal framed bunk beds and a tiny airplane-style bathroom with virtually not enough room to enter and exit without bumping into the sink or toilet. Unfortunately, the rooms lacked air conditioning, so when turning-in for bed each night, we were welcomed by bed clothes moistened from the humidity of the day, making for cold and uncomfortable nights... What can you expect 19 Euros a night? I survived it, but got a cold and laryngitis out of the deal...
On Saturday, I took the metro all over town and visited the Louvre for about 2 1/2 hours, followed by The Pompidou Museum, L'Arch de triumph, and the Eiffel tower at night! I really enjoyed the freedom of getting around on my own via Paris' efficient metro service. Another amazing thing was getting into all the museums and historic sights for free, as students studying in the EU under age 25 are offered free passes!
The Louvre was OVERWHELMING! I could have spent the entire day in there but was itching to get out and away from the enormous crowds there. I enjoyed eating outside in a small Parisian park, and then finding my way to the Pompidou museum of modern art. I didn't spend too much time in there as I have a distaste for most modern art. I climbed the long, winding staircase to the top of L'Arch de Triumph. The museum area inside had an interesting presentation which showcased memorial arches from around the world. At the very top, I enjoyed the panorama of the city nearing sunset! I lingered there in order to capture pictures of the city after dark, however it was 8:30 pm and the sun still had a ways to go before setting..
I walked down Champs Elysee a bit, then headed to the Eiffel Tower. I'm glad I took my aunts advise to see it at night... I think it's more beautiful then! As I was admiring the sparkling tower against the black night sky, I heard horns honking repeatedly and men crying "Ghanaaaaaa!!!"... Ghana had just overcome the US in n the world cup... The fans were so full of joy and pride over their victory... I won't soon forget that moment history!
On Sunday, I met my dear cousin Joelle, who has been in Paris for the past year, studying for her masters. We started at the Notre Dame, followed by a walk by the Sorbonne University and the Pantheon. We ate a fondue lunch, then spent some time at the Luxembourgh Gardens before making or way to the Sacre Coeur Cathedral.
I had a delightful surprise that evening, as my cousin Lena picked me up from my hostel and took me out for a spin around Paris in a convertible! We passed by all the famous monuments that were beautifully lit-up... What a breath-taking sight, and the icing on the cake for my weekend trip in Paris!
