I was feeling a little bit French today. Take me back to Paris.

Until We Meet Again

   Today we had to say goodbye to Paris. We checked out of our hostel and made one last stop at the Eiffel Tower. We had to. It was tradition. Then, we said goodbye to Paris. And off we went to our "home" in London. I was sad to leave, but to be honest, it is nice to be back in London. It is a lot cleaner and user-friendly. But Paris. I love. We must see each other again one day.
   So. We have finals tomorrow. And after our trip to Paris we did not want to study so we had a fashion hair show. We are all so hyper from this weekend and then stressed with classes. So crazy things can happen. Off to focus. (We all know this isn't actually going to happen.)

Goodbye Paris. 

Different hairstyles of flat 7a. My hair also turned me into a unicorn. It happens.

Exploring Paris

   What a wonderful day. Have I told you I love Paris? Because I do. The past two days here have been go to the max. That meant we decided to have today be a more relaxed day. Just what the doctor ordered! One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to take in the city from a non-tourist view. We first went to Sacre-coeur. Okay, I guess that is touristy. But it was stunning. It is a beautiful cathedral up on the only hill in Paris. You look at the cathedral and you say, “Wow! How beautiful.” Then you turn around and you see the view of the city and you say the same thing! It was blue sky and sunshine and I loved every minute of it. After visiting the Sacre-coeur (the actual inside of the cathedral is beautiful but it is the outside that is the best) we walked around the surrounding neighborhood. It was such a perfect French thing to do. We just strolled along the picturesque streets, we watched street performers and artists. We smelled bakeries, and felt the warm sun. 

   You must know what was next, our standing lunch date with the Eiffel Tower. We went to our favorite bakery and fruit stand, got lunch and sat in the grass. Did I mention the sun? It was so wonderful. I have missed it so much. We had no time limit or specific place to be so we just sat there, so content. We just loved to talk and tell stories, or make up stories about the cute guys we see (aka Demetri). We made our way back to St. Louis Isle (where Notre Dame is) and got world famous ice cream, sat along the river and enjoyed Paris, for what it is. The Arc De Triomphe was on our to-do list (which was not a list at all. Well, besides being outside and doing nothing) so we went there, took a picture and found a place to eat along the streets of Paris.
    We then found ourselves at the Tuileries. We sat by a fountain and talked while the sun set. Our final stop was back to the Eiffel Tower. Can you tell? We love that place. We waited for the sky to get dark and the light show to turn on. It is such a wonderful site to see. It shimmers and sparkles and is everything that is wonderful in the world. A little bit of a dramatic statement? Yes. But it really is amazing. I never want to forget that sight.
    Looking back at my last full day in Paris I realize how much fun we had. The weather was great, we counted how many cute boys we saw, we talked, we watched street performers, we relaxed, we found a free concert, we enjoyed outside. It was perfect. Jessica, Anne, Saundra, Alexis, Meg and I just have such a good time together. We laughed, danced, did some parkour among other crazy shenanigans. No agenda, no timeline. Just us in Paris. Seeing where we ended up next and enjoying every minute of it. 

 Socre-Coeur

 I absolutely loved the painters.

 Exploring the city.

 Another lunch at the Eiffel Tower.

 Free concert outside Hotel De Ville.

 Arc De Triomphe

 These are everywhere at the tube. We had to take a picture with our finger 'staches.

Last night in Paris. 

A City of Lights

   This time, when I found myself 60 feet underground, in dark cramped spaces, surrounded by bones it was my choice. We visited the Catacombs today. What a unique experience. The catacombs are pretty much a city, underground made of six million peoples bones. No joke. I did not even know this existed before coming here. We had to wait in line for over two hours but it was totally worth it. Back in French history (don't remember exact date they started) they decided to empty out the cemeteries at chapels for health reasons. They moved on the dead bodies underground. Where they stayed. The catacombs have a weird crazy history, including the Nazis using them as bunkers during the second world war. It goes on for a mile, underground, of neat, organized walls of skeletons. Looking back, I can't believe I did that. Medical things, dark things, underground things, are the opposite of me. But, I am so glad I experienced it. I walked through it with a running mental thought of, "Wow! This is so cool!" "Oh my goodness, these use to be real people. This is too weird." "This is really amazing!" "Okay, I have seen enough I want to leave." "Look at all this! How crazy." and on. It was kind of exhilarating.
    Our next stop was our date with the Eiffel Tower for lunch. Yum. Almond cream croissant was had among other delicious food. We enjoyed sitting on the lawn after a long morning at the catacombs. We then headed to the Orsay museum. We say great works from Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Pissaro, Manet and more. I love impressionism. The museum itself was quite a site to see too. We then made our way over to the Louvre. We decided not to go inside but we took pictures and had fun walking around that and the Touilleurs. One of my favorite things to do is just to walk around the city. Especially in parks. The sun was shining. And we are in Paris. How wonderful is that.
   The next long line happened now. We went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Oh my goodness, one of my most treasured experiences in my whole life. Yes, the line was long and crowded but we had fun talking and telling stories. We went up at the perfect time. When we were on the second deck before going all the way to the top the sun was setting, the lights in the city were starting to turn on, the sky was pink and blue. Perfection. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Amazing. And more. While we were up there the lights on the Eiffel Tower lit up. We were able to see it sparkle while being on it. I don't think I will ever be able to adequately describe the beauty of it all. Then, by the time we made it to the very top, the night was a dark blue, the Tower was lit and the city lights were twinkling. Most amazing view. I wish I could have soaked it all in forever. I want to remember that moment. Looking over Paris. A city of lights and magic. It was surreal. Nothing better to explain it. So surreal. I loved experiencing it with all these girls I have gotten to know so well on this trip. What a great moment. When we got down to the bottom we had to do a group hug. To remember the moment. This is a time in my life I will never have again. The night was so perfect. Paris is definitely everything I thought it would be. And more. 

 Catacombs.

 Day 2 lunch at the Eiffel Tower. Trying to recreate it.

 At the Orsay.

 The Seine. 

 Photoshoot at the Louvre. 

 Paris is beautiful.

 Waiting in line at the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower at night. Beautiful 360 degree views.