Amour from Parieeeeee
Trip Start
Feb 07, 2008
1
3
19
Trip End
May 08, 2008
Where I stayed
Paris, France
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Our Parisan adventure began with the planning of this trip. It took until two days before our departure to finally figure out that we wanted to go to Paris. Paris was on all of our "to-do" lists, but we didn't realize this adventure would happen during our first "real" weekend at school. We booked our train tickets two days before we left, and our hotel later that night. Since we were booking our train so late, we got the privelage of being on the 6:00 am train, and we all know very well that I am not a morning person :) All in all, there were four of us that went, and after purchasing the train tickets, we went back to campus to book our hotel room. This resulted in the four of us each searching for a hotel room...and then from our pool of hotels we chose the best one. I guess this is what happens when your parents don't plan your vacations for you :) After finalizing the plans for that...we breathed easy until the day we left for our fun-filled weekend :)
As stated above...our adventure began at 6 am. It was my first time being on a train so I was a little nervous. The girls and I walked to the train station (which is probably a two mile walk from our dorms) and realized how quiet Maastricht can be in the early hours! We had become so used to trying to squeeze past people on the miniture sidewalks, that the quietness of the city was a little eerie. We arrived at the train station about 15 minutes early and pulled up a bench and waited for our train to arrive. The first leg of our journey was from Maastricht to a city in Beligum called Liege. This ride went very smoothly, and was only about a half of an hour long, so it went by extremely fast. We arrived at the train station early, so we decided to hop on the early train to Paris instead of waiting for two hours in Liege for our actual train. We were all under the assumption that this was okay, and after sleeping in our nice cabin on the train for about an hour, we were rudely awakened by the conductor who was telling us of his disapproval over our decision. I woke up to him speaking French to Jessica (one of the four girls who went on the trip) and was very confused because I knew the conductor was upset, but couldn't understand what he was saying. He told us that we had gotten on the "nice" train...and were supposed to wait for our train...which according to him wasn't sooo nice. I was pretty nervous by this point...and was for sure that he was going to have the train pulled over so he could give us the boot...but luckily he only charged us a 10 euro fine and told us to never do it again. This was our first encounter with a French man.
The rest of our train ride went very smooth...thankfully :) We arrived in Paris on time...and began our adventure! The weather in Paris on Friday was not so pleasant...it was quite foggy and the temperature was around 30 - 40 degrees. I can't complain though...because the stories I am hearing about the weather in the states makes Europe seem like paradise :) We wandered around the station for a while, grabbed a map from the tourist kiosk, and we were sent on the mission to find our hotel. Sure enough...five minutes out of the station and we were already lost :) I think this is the time in this blog to thank my parents for all they have done for me while on vacation. Not only was booking the train and the hotel a little stressful....but navigating in a large city is extremely difficult especially if you have never been there before. I have hit one of those moments in my life where I appreciate you guys for yet another thing...and just wanted to let you know that you guys rock :) After turning the map around a few times (thinking that this would help!) we finally figured out a direction in which to head...and we followed it. A couple blocks from the train station, we found a hotel that we thought might be ours so we walked in to either (a) check-in or (b) be stupid americans and ask for directions :) The concierge behind the counter started laughing at us when we told him the address for the hotel...which made us very nervous. It turned out we had walked into the sister hotel of the one we were staying in...so after giving this guy a good laugh and pointing us in the right direction we were on our way again!
We were pleasantly suprised when we arrived at our hotel. The lobby was decorated with "mod" funiture, and the breakfast area looked very modest. We were worried we had booked a bad hotel so the "nice" lobby was a huge relief to all of us :) After doing all of the checking in paper work...we headed up to our rooms (which were on the sixth floor) and figured we would take the lift to reach them. Well it turns out the lift could fit 1 of us with our backpacks...so we climbed seven flights of winding stairs every time we left our room! When we arrived in our rooms...we were slightly taken aback by the size. Europeans have a much different outlook on size then Americans do. Our room was the size of a small closet, and the rest of the room was probably the size of a large walk-in closet. We were just fine with it...considering we were students...with little money..backpacking across Paris...but there is no way my family of six could have stayed there! After freshening up...what decided to become offical "tourists" and go and see all of the sights.
Our adventure began with a trip to the tourist office to purchase a museum pass. We figured since it was a tourist office...the guide would be polite...but he was not! This office was located in a tiny kiosk in the middle of a cement pad...and had at least 10 people crammed inside of it. There was no where to stand other then in front of the electric door...which kept opening and closing as a result of the mass of amount of people. The guide did not appreciate this and decided to take his anger out on Kelsey. After saying a few choice words to her...we decided to hurry up and get our museum passes...and leave the tourism office asap. This was our second encounter with an angry French man...so needless to say...we had all realized why people think the French are cranky! After escaping the cranky tourism guide...we headed to the Metro (known as the subway in the states) to get our Metro Passes which would carry us to all of our adventure spots!
After purchasing our Metro passes (which might have been our best purchase all weekend) we decided we wanted to hit up the Arc de Triomphe first. We went to the nearest Metro map...and had the feeling of being lost overcome us again. Luckily the concerige at the hotel was feeling very friendly, and told us were to go for the most part...but we were still feeling pretty lost! We guessed which line to hop on...and luckily it turned out to be the right on. When we stepped off the metro the first thing we saw was the Arc de Triomphe, and it was amazing! We climbed up the stairs and were amazed with its beauty. It was hard for me to believe that I was actually in Paris, and seeing the Arc made it even harder. I had studied about these places all through school...and I couldn't believe we were actually in front of it! While we were taking pictures of the Arc, we were approached by the first of many "travelers". They really enjoyed Kelsey, because they were asking her for money all weekend! It think it's just because she's so darn cute :) We then decided to take on the fete of climbing the Arc de Triomphe. I knew it would be a hard task...but didn't realize how hard of a task it would be until they told us it was a mere 284 steps to the top. Luckily I had on my Keen's...so I knew I was set! The stairs leading to the top were winding...and got increasingly smaller the higher you went. We had to stop a couple times to catch our breathe...but when we reached the top the view was totally worth it! We had a 360 degree view of Paris...and it was amazing! We snapped some pictures of its beauty...froze our fingers a little bit....had the wind blow out our hair styles :)...and headed back down. The steps on the way down the Arc were much easier then the ones on the way up :)
When we exited the Arc we were directly on top of Champs-Elysees, and were starving so we decided to get something to eat on the strip. We found a cute deli, and got sandwiches and sat down to rest our legs and eat. The sandwich was amazing...but I felt a little guitly because it was named the American sandwich and I was eating it in Paris! I also requested a soda for my beverage...and this was the first pop I had since I had been here....and it was amazing! I didn't know Diet Pepsi could taste so good! After eating and resting for awhile...we took the metro to our next adventure spot...which just so happened to be the Louvre!
I was soooooo excited to see the Louvre! I am a big fan of the DaVinci Code, and had read the book and watched the movie before coming. This book takes part in and around Paris...especially in the Lourve..so I wanted to see all the spots that they had filmed on the movie! When we arrived, the size of the museum took my breathe away...it was soooo HUGE! We heard a fact that if you spent one minute at each piece of artwork, it would take you 33 days to see everything in the museum! We decided as a group to go and see a few choice things...like the Mona Lisa...and then to leave. We spent around 3 hours at the Louvre...and probably didn't even cover 1/4 of the museum! Trying to explain how amazing it was is a difficult thing to do...so I just suggest to everyone that they need to go and see it...because it is that amazing! The day was starting to get late...and we wanted to make it to Notre Dam before it closed...so we headed in that direction.
My breathe was taken away when we arrived at Notre Dam as well! I have seen the Hunchback of Notre Dam...but let me tell you...that movie doesn't do this church any justice. I was amazed by the beauty on the outside...and was even more impressed by the beauty inside. We were also suprisesd to learn that we had arrived just in time to attend mass....so I can offically say that I have attended a French mass in Notre Dam.....this is definately one to tell the grand kids someday :) After mass had finished....which was sooooooo beautiful by the way...we had decided we were hungry again, so we got supper at the Quasimodo located close to the church. It was here that I had my first experience with French Onion soup...and man was it tasty. I think it was extra good becasue France is its home...and they pretty much pride themselves on this. After supper...we were pretty tired from the early morning...so we decided to head back to the hotel and call it a night. Before going to bed...Kelsey and I decided to watch some tv...because this was our first exposure to television since we arrived...and low and behold it was all in French. We think we were watching a program that is similar to American Idol..but we weren't quite for sure about that one. This wouldn't be the most fun we had with the tv, because the next day, Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo were on...so we got to see both of those in French! We then turned out the nights to begin another day!
Our second day began with an amazing breakfast of croissants and danishes. It was at this time that I realized that croissants really do taste better in Europe. They were amazing....I literally ate only bread for breakfast...and it was completely delicious! After filling up on this deliciousness, we decided to begin another day of "touristy" fun at the Sacre Crour. The Sacre Crour is an amazing church on top of a very high hill in Paris. It is actually the highest most point in Paris...and guess what...we got to climb to the top. Yes, I said climb....so this meant even more stairs!!!! The Sacre Crour was very close to our hotel, so we walked over to the area were it was located and started our ascent to the top of the hill. When we arrived at the base of the Sacre Crour we were greeted with not only a beautiful caraosel, but also our second encounter of travelers. These travelers were different from the ones we encountered the first day in Paris. These "travelers" were selling bracelets and their trick was to tie them tight on your arms, so you wouldn't be able to take them off, and you would have to pay for it. Once again, Kelsey was a victim of these travelers, and they would not leave her alone. She was toooo nice of a girl to tell them where to go...so it took a little work to get them to leave her alone. After a little bargaining, we got them to leave her alone and we worked our way up the hill. About halfway up the hill was a sitting area, and perched on this sitting area was a man who was serenading us with his harp. It was a beautiful day, we were in a beautiful place, and we were listening to beautiful music! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day. One of the videos uploaded on this blog is of the harp man...so you'll have to check it out :) After enjoying his music for a while, we worked our way up the rest of the hill and went inside the church. The church was absolutely gorgeous, and had a very peaceful ambiance about it :) We hung out there for a while, said a few prayers, and then made our way back down the hill. We stopped by the harp man...listened to a few more of his tunes, and started on our next mission!
After leaving the Sacre Crour...we were all filled with the feeling that our day couldn't get any better. We had an amazing breakfast, had just left one of the most beautiful places in Europe, and still hadn't seen the Eiffel Tower! We hopped back on the metro, and decided our next stop was going to be the Musee de Orsay. This museum is located in the old train station of Paris. It was not only was in a beautiful building, but it was a beautiful museum. It was filled with all sorts of impressionist works, so I left the museum feeling like I knew like I was a master when it came to art :) I have never been a real "huge" museum fan, so after being in the Louvre the first day, and spending some quality time in this museum, I was pretty "museumed out". We all decided it was time for the climax of our trip...so we made our way towards the Eiffel Tower. We were all pretty hungry by this time, so we found a little cafe near the Eiffel Tower, and sat down for what we were hoping would be a delicious meal! Since we were in Paris, we figured we should have a Parisian meal, but low and behold, we saw a hamburger walk by us...and man almighty we all had to have one. I cannot remember the last time I have wanted a hamburger that bad! All four of us ordered hamburgers...and Dad...this hamburger ranked pretty high with yours. It was delicious and completely busted us of our rule against eating American food in Paris!!! mmmm mmm mmmmmmmm :) After filling our stomachs full of completely delicious food...we decided it was finally time to find the Eiffel Tower.
The restaurant we ate at was across the river from the Eiffel, and this was supposedly the "primo" spot to get pictures of the Eiffel Tower. There was a huge landing with hundreds of people just like us who were taking pictures. After getting our full of Eiffel Tower pictures, we decided it was time to get up close and personal with the beauty so we started our walk towards the Eiffel. Halfway to the tower, we encountered a crepe stand which we were told had the "best crepe's in all of Paris". We decided we couldn't come to Paris and not try these crepes...so we all orderd one. I got a crepe with chocolate and bananas on it....and to be completely honest...I don't know which was better, the Belgium waffle, or the Parisian crepe!!!! It was sooooooooo good! After filling ourselve's to the brim with not only hamburgers...but also crepe's...we decided we needed to burn off all of the calories we had just consumed by walking to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was as if this weekend was stationed around stairs and nothing but stairs! I told the girls that they might have to push me up the stairs...because I was so full that I was struggling just walking to the Eiffel Tower! By the time we got to the base of the tower, the temperature had dropped considerably, and the lines to both the elevator and the stairs were very long! We took the line to the stairs over the elevator because it was shorter...but after standing in line for a half and hour...they told us they were closing down the line! It was getting tooo dark and they didn't want people climbing up the stairs in the dark. We decided that since we made it this far we had to go to the top...so we hopped in the elevator line and just hoped it moved fast! While waiting, Sarah decided a good way to pass time would be to talk to the people in front of us. It turned out they were students our age studying in Madrid...and they were all from Chicago. It was crazy....we were all the way in France, and the people we meet in line of the Eiffel Tower were from Chicago. I am constantly amazed at how small this world truely is!
After what seemed like forever, we finally got to the ticket counter, purchased our tickets, and climbed in the elevator. I was very grateful at this point, because between the cold, and the fact that I was really tired, there was no way I could have climbed all those steps to the top! We got off at the second floor, and I didn't think I could see anything more amazing then what I had seen that weekend....but man was I wrong! The view was completely undescribable! We reached the top at the perfect time! The sun was setting...and the pictures we took look completely fake. It seems as if we are standing in front of this amazing backdrop...but that is really Paris in the background! My breathe was taken away multiple times while we were up there. Waiting in line for 1 1/2 hours...in the freezing cold weather....was sooooooooo worth it to see the view! After taking multiple pictures we decided to go inside and warm up. It was at this point that someone suggested we had a beer at the top of the Eiffel Tower. How many people can say that they had a beer at the top of the Eiffel...so we did it...and man did it taste good! We enjoyed the view for about an hour and then decided it was time to go back to our hotel. We got down just in time to catch the light show...and that as well was absolutely beautiful. The Eiffel Tower is an amazing landmark...and in my opinion a must see! I am soooooo glad we stuck it out to go up to the top...because the view that we saw was nothing like anything I could ever describe! By the time we got back to ground level and finished the light show, it was time to head to the hotel. It had been a very long day, and we could all tell that sightseeing had taken a toll on us! I never realized how tiring the life of a tourist could be....but it has been so worth it!
We arrived in Maastricht the following day...back to the books....and the lack of the Eiffel Tower :) Maastricht isn't home...but with each passing day it begins to feel more like a temporary home...and it was sooo nice to come back to a place that "felt like home". The trip was amazing...and it was a great way to spend the first weekend here! I hope to go back to Paris in the spring to see everything in bloom...but I know the experience I had with my first trip will be enough to last me a life time :)
If you have made it this far....I would like to congratulate you! I got extremely long winded with this blog...but I feel like the more details I give, the more it will feel like you're here! I miss you all soooooo much!
Stay tuned for more adventures from our side of the world :) Until next time....
Comments
Oh how cool!
Loved the pixs of Paris. I still can not believe you are there - maybe I am just in denial and thinking you are just down the road in Vermillion. But no, you are having the adventures of a lifetime and I am so proud of you! Love you, MOM
Great pics!
Looks like you girls are having a grand time, so exciting, we can feel it through the computer! Thank you for sharing it with us. Stay safe, Roberta
Awesome!
All we can say is WOW!!! What an experience for you!! The pics and videos are so amazing!! Thanks for sharing and continue to enjoy your time--don't forget Uncle Harry's comment about studying abroad. We love you, Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Harry.
YIPPEE!!!
Hey Kenz!!! I am so excited for you (and a bit envyous!!!) and cannot wait to come visit! Yeah! Paris looks amazing and am excited to experience it soon! Keep me informed on your plans for break so Jeffy and I can plan our trip to visit! Love ya!!! Lexi