Paris!

journal entry on plane ride back from Paris- "I laughed a lot, slept well, got excitement tingles (I didn't know historical sights had that effect), prayed a lot, saw a beautiful place with beautiful people, learned some historical facts, was strongly struck with the desire to learn a new language, observed a respected culture, met people that inspired me to bite off more than i can chew and travel alone, ate good food, drank wine, got some fashion tips, was challenged to live on the cheap, and saw PARIS! whew were do i even begin! rode the tram back from the airport and immediately recognized the differences between Prague and Paris, in Paris people seemed very helpful, children laughed and people smiled, our hostel overlooked a canal and a large open area where I saw people playing a game people running and walking their dogs (the picture could have been straight out of the 1950's Paris) on the tram ride home in Prague in a tram full of about 50 people there was complete silence. Awkward! There is also differences in the architecture and general beauty, hard to explain but even Pragues older structures have a feeling of more medieval and dark a little bit. I loved loved loved Paris and hated the feeling of leaving today: it makes the place a 'has been' not a "here I am experiencing amazing-ness" but I'm not complaingin and I am thankful for the great time I did have.I went with Katie, Julie and Jordan and we stuffed in as much as we could in three days. Friday: Arrived in France, took an hour bus ride into the city sat next to older women who whipped out the mini wine bottles on the bus (YEAH we're in Paris!), arrived to beaming sunshine and happiness (cheesy but true). Successfully navigated our way through the underground to find our hostel. St. Christopher's hostel blew my mind and probably ruined me as far as hostels go, I will be expecting them to be like that but pretty sure none of them will be. It was more like a hotel with free continental breakfast and nice clean bathrooms and rooms. Our bunk room was for 10 girls and overlooked a canal.....really you ask..... yes! an amazing view. We dropped our stuff and went to the Eiffel tower! It was pretty incredible walking up to it, this amazing monument that I never really imagined seeing. We took enough pictures to fill a small photo book and met some other Americans there- one from Breckenridge (small world)- then we once again deftly navigated the underground to the Louvre which was free for students on Friday night. Our tour guide the next day said that if you spent 30 seconds in front of each piece of art/sculpture in the Louvre you would be there for 3 months (no sleeping or eating included) We wandered a bit but saw some of the main pieces like the Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa, it was a pretty overwhelming place and as much as I like art and appreciate history I'm glad we didn't spend too long there. Plus it was sunny outside so we went back to the tower to see it at night. Stopped by a market on the way back to the hostel to grab fruit and cheese to eat (yay for cheap travelling dinners) I of course stopped in the bakery and got a philo dough nutty dessertness (my mom taught me well-eat dessert first). In the store we met a girl Sarah from Los Angeles. She studied in ISrael and has been travelling on her own for a few months and has a few more to go. We ended up hanging out with her a few times and I was happy to interrogate her about travelling alone. Pretty much she said "you just have to grab your balls and do it", I'm not sure how that translates to me but I took it in stride and listened to her other advice. Reflection....First view of the Eiffel Tower Julie(I'm not naming names) cried when she saw it. We learned on our tour that the French hated it when it was built and called it the 'big asparagus' The view from our hostel room. Another pretty view. The day we arrived it was sunny and beautiful but the last day was hurricane force winds. Guess the historical landmark...... Another reflection ooooh the Louvre. The glass triangle that was in National Treasure was a big hit. The louvre is huge and used to be home to some royal family-maybe Bonaparte. They had a competition to combine the many entrances into one and an architect from China said you wouldn't even be able to see his design. So they built the glass triangles that turned out to not be invisible- they had to reinforce them with metal because they posed a danger of falling and killing people. Me at the Louvre- missed you there mom! Cool old art that looks kinda modern More cool art. I took a picture of the Mona Lisa. But it's not as cool as you would imagine. Eiffel at night. We made it to Paris! Sill feelin pretty giddy here. Yum, the bakery that was near our hostel. Fruit stand that fed us the whole weekend. SATURDAY: Woke up early and got to the free breakfast (baguettes and nutella spread YUM!!) made sure to stock up for lunch. Another sunny day in Paris. Took a walking tour with a very funny Australian guide learned: -thousands of people get injured every year in Paris due to dog poop -if a statue of a person on a horse has all feet on the ground it means they died of natural causes, one foot up they were killed, both up they died in battle. -Lots of other intersting hostorical facts The tour covered a lot of main tourist attractions. Walked down the Champs de' Elysses to the Arc de Triumph, stopped into Luis Vitton so we could ogle at the ppl paying thousands of dollars for purses (not my kinda thing but Jordan (a girl) still wants to buy one??) Stopped in McDonalds to pee (there are so many of them here!) We still wanted to see a famous cemetery where Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Chopin, and apparently Jimi Hendrix are buried. Got to the place and just as we got there they were closing the cemetery :( we stopped to grab some dinner. I had Creme Brulee! Then I think we were in the suburbs a bit and found a cheap grocery store, which was amazing cause nothing is cheap in Paris, we bought about five bottles of wine and I bought some stinky cheese that turned out to also taste like stinky tennis shoes (but it was French so I had to try it). We then hustled back to the hostel and got ready and half hour nap rested for the pub crawl the hostel puts on. It was a bust as it was raining and the drinks were still expensive. But we were in the red light district and saw the outside of the Moulin Rouge. We missed out on the last club because the metro was closing and we wanted to get home. Although it was a bust we met some ppl from other countries before they were drunk and thats always interesting. Have no fear though there was a party with DJ at the hostel so we enjoyed that with our new friend Sarah. Delicious breakfast provided by our hostel. The Pocket Pal and I on the Underground. I made .25 Euro playing the saints go marching in and then free styling over 3 stops. Harmonica free styling--------watch out for it it's gonna be big. The Notre Dame Cathedral in all it's glory. A man painting the beautiful Siene. Faces on a bridge. The story is that one king had a party and invited a painter to capture the parties happennings. Then the king took the drunken drawings of his friends and had them created in sculpture format and put on the bridge. I also found out that the reason side walks were invented was so that people would not have to walk through all the feces that covered the streets back in the day. Someone drawing on the bridge. This bridge had a special name...but people put locks on it to symbolize their love. some locks had names and initials and were painted pretty cool. Heart They have bicycles in France? :) "All the single ladies" This is the inspiration for the music video. The tour guide told us that. The Arc de Triomph SUNDAY: Woke up Sunday morning and went to mass. AT NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL! Probably the highlight of the trip for me. It was an international mass and was said in many languages but was an amazing experience. Awesome to realize how universal the Catholic mass is. Kind of wanderd our way into seeing a few more sights in the hurricane force winds : Luxembourg Gardens, the Pantheon. Made it to the Eiffel tower right before sunset and climbed it in time to see the sunset. It was beautiful. As we were walking away it was dark enough and every hour the tower sparlkes which is incredibel to say the least. I will post the video. Also as we were walking away the police must have been out or something becasue all of the people selling little souvineers all around the tower grabbed their goods and took off at dead srpints, weird. Went to the artsy Montmarte neighborhood for our last supper of FONDUE! We got there about 11 o clock and waited to be seated in the tiny establishment that we heard from friends was good. They served wine in baby bottles for some reason but sure made the fondue taste good. We took our roomie from Australia and sat and talked with people at the restaurant till about 1:30. Look mom and dad, I'm at church!! Amongst my church pictures I have strategically intermingled one taken in a bar, but it talks about being Irish and the Shannon so I figure that could be religious. The famous windows in Notre Dame, they have a name I can't remember it. This is so that Katie and Julies parents know they went to mass too! Cool courtyard with gargoyles Resting on the climb up the Eiffel Tower. One more of the tower at night. Funny sign on the hostel toilets. Here in Prague all the signs for bathrooms say WC (Wash Closet) Sign at the airport of more places i need to visit. I hope there are enough weekends! Monday: Had to wake up early today to take the tram then the bus then the airplane home. great trip with great people. I hope to come back here someday but I did jump in the lucky circle where all the main roads in Paris meet, legend has it if you jump in and make a wish you will return!
More tid-bits
-flew there on WIZZ air (haha)
-saw lot's of cute hats-Love PArisian style
- more diverse than Paris as far as races
- many musicians playing on the underground
- still can't get over my view of the CANAL from the hostel!!
- transportaion system was awesome and easily understandable
-People would get on the tram and play violins or accordians.

The Eiffel Tower Sparkling at night