I could not believe I was finally in Paris. I took French in middle school and high school, where I learned about the French people’s customs, lifestyle, personalities and the famous places throughout France. I had seen so many pictures of places like the Louvre, Notre, Dame, and of course the Eiffel Tower, but I never imagined how amazing they truly were. When we got to Paris that first night we had some dinner and then when on a tour of the city at night. It was INCREDIBLE!!! I definitely had a moment when I saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up. We also stopped to have champagne and escargot, which really wasn’t too bad!
That first night we only got to see all the sights briefly, but the next morning we had the entire day to go see everything. We started out nice and early. It was 70 degrees and sunny, which really helped to make the day great. Our first start was the Louvre. Incredible. We saw some of the most famous works of arts in the world, like Venus di Milo and the Mona Lisa. The Louvre was so amazing, but sooooo crowded, especially around the Mona Lisa. Surrounding her was a frame, a glass frame, a semi circular wooden barrier and another set of ropes, plus hundreds of people all trying to get a good picture. It was insane but really cool to see. We spent a little over 2 hours in the Louvre and barely made a dent, but we had to move on to our next destination, which was Notre Dame. Oh my goodness it was unbelievable. We explored the inside and then climbed all the way up to the bell tower, where we got a great view of the city. After Notre Dame we walked along the Seine, where many people set up booths and sell things like paintings and other cool stuff. After that we met back up with the rest of our group and went back to the hotel to change and get some dinner.
Later that night we went to climb the Eiffel Tower. I am proud to say I climbed every single step to the second floor, and then from there you have to take the elevator to the third floor. It was so cool!!! The views, needless to say, were pretty epic and it was an awesome experience. I have to say that our first day in Paris was one of my favorite days of my life. It was completely perfect and a great way to start the trip, and from there every day was just as great. JDay 2 in Paris started out with a visit to Versailles, which was magnificent! There was gold EVERYWHERE and the decorations were really cool. We saw the famous gardens and hall of mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed. After he palace we went into the city and went down into the catacombs. They were so cool, but creepy at the same time. After the catacombs we went to the Musee d’Orsay, where famous works by Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas and many others are held. After the museum closed we walked down the Champs Elysees, got crepes and saw some famous stores like LV. At the end of it is of course the amazing Arch de Triomphe and the largest round a bout in the world. From there we took the subway, with some mishaps, to the Moulin Rouge and went to a bar next to it called O’Sullivans. We had an incredible night out with the entire group.
Paris was my favorite city we saw and I was sad to leave it, but the next day we drove down to the Beaujolais Wine Region. On the way there we did some “get to know you” stuff. Our Contiki group was so
much fun. Everyone was very chill and laid back, and we all got along really well. In Beaujolais we stayed in a really beautiful chateau. We had a wine tasting that night and a delicious dinner. The next day we all were given picnic baskets and took a long hike up to “the top of the world.” The view was incredible and we had a nice, relaxed afternoon up there. Later that night we had a 80’s party at the chateau with another Contiki group which was a blast. I did not have high hopes for Beaujolais, but it ended up being very fun and relaxed. I got to know a lot of the other people in the group much better there, and I’m really glad we went.
No comments:
Post a Comment