Bonjour collegiettes!
I hope everyone is enjoying the semester and made it through the first round of exams without too much fuss! I too had an exam last week on the history of the European Union; it was a relatively painless process, and now I can say that I know more about the EU than most EU citizens! Watch out!
But the highlight of my weekend was my trip to Paris!
I was excited about this trip for many reasons: I had never been to Paris before, I could not wait to begin my journey on the high-speed Thalys train, and most importantly, I could not wait to see all of the beautiful Parisians and their incredible fashion sense.
So I began my trip on Friday afternoon on the Thalys train, and it was awesome! Previously, I took trains to Amsterdam and other cities in Belgium, and it was grimy and old– not really that comfortable for a long journey. But I got on board the Thalys train and it was so chic with dark red and plum velvet seats and incredibly comfortable. I took a nice little nap on the way there in preparation for the busy days that I had ahead of me!
We arrived and checked into our hostel, and then hit the streets of Paris making our first stop at the lovely Eiffel Tower. At this point, it was about 7 p.m. and when we walked up the stairs from the metro, the Eiffel Tower was hovering above us! Illuminated against the black sky, the tower was even more beautiful than I imagined. And since we were right there, we had to go up to the top and see the city! Unfortunately, we could not go to the very top of the tower, but we went to the second platform and had a spectacular view!
After a couple of hours drooling over the Eiffel Tower, we went to a little café near by and had dinner but saving room, of course, for some delicious crepes! We found a stand near the Eiffel Tower and my friend Bari and I indulged in a strawberry and Nutella crepe! So delicious!
The next morning, we woke up at 6 a.m. and made our way to Sarce Coeur, atop the highest hill in Paris, to watch the sunrise! A short rest and numerous photos later, we went on a tour through Sacre Coeur, and from that moment on, our day was jam-packed with sightseeing (and a TON of walking).Â
Then, we went to Notre Dame and walked through the inside, and then we climbed to the top of the cathedral! 400 stairs later, we were at the top, and as soon as we walked through the stairway onto the platform, the sight of the Eiffel Tower and the beautiful city below left me in awe. My legs felt like jelly, but it was worth the incredible view.Â
Of course, while we were up there, we HAD to take pictures of us making ugly gargoyle faces! The pictures are incredibly embarrassing, and I’m even more humiliated now that they are posted on Facebook for everyone to see. Despite my embarrassment, I keep telling myself that it will make for a funny conversation one day. Here’s to hoping that someone finds my ugly gargoyle face charming!
After Notre Dame, we stopped at Shakespeare & Company bookstore, and then to the Louvre. As we crossed the bridge heading toward the Louvre, we notice all of the locks that are hanging off the railings. It’s a tradition in Paris for couples to write or engrave their names or initials on the lock, attach it to the bridge railing and throw the key into the river. Then, some of our group went to the Musee d’Orsay while the rest of us took a walk on Avenue des Champs-Elysees to do some window-shopping and go to the Louis Vuitton store! We finished our touring at the Arc de Triomphe and then went back to the hostel for a catnap and to get ready for dinner! That night, we had dinner at Le Grand Colbert! For movie-buffs, this is the restaurant in Something’s Gotta Give.
The next morning, I went to the Musee de l’Orangerie to see the panorama scenes from Claude Monet’s Les Nympheas. I have a poster of a scene from Monet’s Water Lilies in my room at home, and so I was really looking forward to the panorama paintings. I loved this museum! It was great because it was not swarming with tourists and I was really able to enjoy my time there, and I ended up buying a panorama poster to bring home with me!
The last stop on our tour of Paris was The Catacombs! It’s a little morbid, I know, but it was an incredible experience. Centuries ago, Paris’ cemeteries were so overcrowded that they began a mass burial site for those who could not afford a church burial. But as the decaying residue began to infect the water supply, the bodies were moved from the mass gravesite to the underground catacombs, which were once used as a rock quarry. The Catacombs span 2 km and six million people are buried in the tunnels.
As we entered, we walked about 1 km through narrow tunnels and reached the threshold with the French inscription “Halt! This is the Empire of Death.” From there, we entered the underground cemetery where the walls were lined with bones. Although this is not a typical tourist site, I left The Catacombs in awe and I could not wait to learn more about its history! If you are in Paris and looking for an unconventional site (and you are not afraid of bones), go see The Catacombs!
Well, after an exciting (and exhausting) weekend, we were happy to get on the train back to Brussels. I had the most amazing time in Paris and I am so excited to return with my mom in March!
I have a lot of trips coming up for the next several weeks, collegiettes! This weekend I will be traveling to Cologne, Germany! Stay tuned!
Until next time,
Lauren
P.S. – I’m still looking for places to go for spring break! Any suggestions?