As my first full week of
school came to a close, my friends and I wasted no time in our quest to
see Europe in 6 months. Like usual, we planned a trip to France on a
whim because we had a free weekend. And also like usual, it was a good
idea. Paris is just one of those non-negotiable places to see while
abroad. So voilà, that was all we needed- a reason to go, airline
tickets, and a backpack. Off we went Thursday afternoon to the city of
love. We arrived to Paris around 10pm and checked into our hostel. We
got a small feel for the city that night as we searched desperately for
food, but the following day was when we got a better picture, but still
only a portion of what Paris had to offer its visitors.
Friday, my
friends and I woke up ready to sight-see and fulfill our touristic
desires. Our first stop was the Palace of Versailles. We got lost of
course, but that's how you learn. So, when we finally arrived to our
destination we couldn't have been more content. Happy to see this
prestigious palace, yes, but most of our excitement came from knowing we
weren't lost anymore. When we walked up to the palace we were greeted
by incredible golden gates, and at this point we knew whatever lay
behind them was exactly what we were looking for. This was correct, the
golden gates were nothing but an insignificant prelude to the palace
that was hidden behind its walls. Upon entrance we were greeted by many
halls and even more rooms that held the secrets of history.
After a full day we decided to spend our night at the Eiffel Tour. This was the best idea that we could have had. We went after dark with champagne and a backpack full of snacks to see one of the worlds great landmarks. The Tour stays lit until mid-night, and 5 minutes until every hour the Tour does a sparkling light show. We enjoyed a girls night at the Eiffel and it could not have been a more perfect night.
The next day we went to Le Louvre where we got to see the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci (which was SO cool) among other (really cool) and famous pieces. We did a virtual audio tour and I would highly recommend this for anyone who isn't a curator because it makes the art on the walls much more significant and meaningful. And apparently Le Louvre is recognized by its tall glass pyramid outside of the museum & I took a picture with it (ft. below).
After our morning at the museum we rested, and then went back for another night at the Eiffel because we just could not get enough. Later that night, we got lost again, but this time it ended well because we mistakenly stumbled across the Arc de Triomphe.
On our last day we spent the morning at Notre Dame Cathedral. It also happened to be a Sunday so we got to see part of the mass. Notre Dame was beautiful, but I couldn't stop thinking of the hunchback of Notre Dame so I did a little reenacting (picture also featured below). After, we went back to the Eiffel for the 3rd time to see it in daylight. I don't think seeing it would ever get old, because it's so much better in person. No picture can do it any justice. The conclusion of our trip consisted of finding macaroons and passing away the evening at a quaint little coffee shop called Craft (featured on Buzzfeed).
Paris, I hope to see you again, but for now au revoir.
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Read more from Taylor at http://taylortakestheworld.weebly.com/
To find out more about the Exchange program with University of Nebrija, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/exchange/nebrija
