Some of the first things I saw in Paris were graffiti and a drunk man yelling and peeing on a tree, which was planted right in the middle of a public sidewalk. After that fun event we went to a grocery store for breakfast and dinner foods. Lastly we went back to our Airbnb accommodation, ate dinner, and went to sleep.
The next day it was rainy, cold, and extremely windy out! We went to the Musee d’Orsay and the Louve, with lunch in between. Not only did we have to stand outside in the cold wind and rain, but we also had salesmen come up to us and ask “Umbrella?” Even when two out of three of us had umbrellas and the third had a hood up! We had deja vu the next day at a different location. More on that in a bit. First I should mention that I took a ton of photos of the art, including the Mona Lisa, and a picture of the crowd around the Mona Lisa (Despite there being a large and way better painting across from her).
Yesterday we got up and went to see the Eiffel Tower, and it wasn’t raining! We did however, have salesmen come up to us and try to sell us keychains and models of the Tower of varying sizes. Not only that, but they were selling selfie sticks too, and even when we said we had one and when using one they still pestered us! Now most of them gave up after about 3 “no”s or ” no thank you”s, but there was one who stuck around a bit longer since we were taking photos and not walking by or away from him. At one point he tried telling us the selfie sticks were German, but it sounded like he was asking us if we were German. At this point I was in the habit of saying no, and thought he was about to ask if we were German again. Instead he asked “Are you happy boy?” And I immediately and automatically responded “no.” He had a bit of fun with that saying things like “You are not happy!?” And “Why not?” Before I could answer sarcastically or clarify, he asked my traveling companions if they were happy and after confirming that they were, and attempting a sale a couple more times, he finally left.
As for the rest of the day we walked from where we were, under the Tower, and towards Luxembourg Gardens. We ate lunch there and the weather was great! It was also the first time I ate a sandwich without taking lettuce or tomatoes out of it, so you know it was good. After lunch, we wandered over to Notre Dame, but didn’t go inside. Then we walked down the Seine river, and ended at the Arch de Triumph. Originally, we wanted to go up the Arch, as someone told us it was better and cheaper than the Tower, but we were all very tired and tired of walking at that point so we took some pictures and returned to our accommodation. Later, we went back to the view point of the Tower to see it lit up at sunset, and to see all the lights sparkle for five minutes. Unfortunately, I can’t upload videos with the free version of WordPress, but a quick search on YouTube will show what I mean.
Lastly, we went and got some crepes and walked around a bit! I got a white chocolate filled one, and my friends both got nutella filled ones! After letting each other try them, I can say they were both delicious (This semester has really opened my eyes to how much a cook can do with pancakes).
As for today we went to the Musee de l’Orangerie and saw the Water Lilies paintings, which were also better than the Mona Lisa. On the way back I bought some art, and now we’re waiting until we need to leave for a trip to the airport. Next stop: Rome!
Until next time,
Reed
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Read more from Reed at https://reedingatcolchester.files.wordpress.com/
To find out more about the Exchange program with University of Essex, visit http://studyabroad.uark.edu/exchange/essex
