Paris!

We found our train and boarded, eager to go back to sleep.  Taking the EuroStar Train was great, only took us 2 and a half hours to get to Paris.  We arrived around 8, and made our way to the kiosk to purchase our train tickets.  Oh joy, neither one of us had change and our cards would not work.  We stood there dumbfounded until the woman behind us offered some help; she bought both our tickets and we paid her (she even gave us the right change back!) and thanked her many times.  Again, THANK YOU woman at the station for helping us!  In the station in Paris, there are people that walk around with red vests on that offer help, so we decided to ask one of them what our best option was in taking the train to the hostel.  She highlighted it on her map and then gave us the map, so nice!!

Got to the hostel, only to find out that we couldn’t check in until 17:00 (5:00 PM) so we quickly loaded Abby’s backpack with things we didn’t need, placed it in the luggage room, put our contacts in, and booked it out the door.  We needed to meet our bike tour at the Eiffel Tower!  After running most of the way there, we made it.  The day tour was great- not a tough workout at all since Paris is all flat.  A little cold during lunch, but when we were moving around it didn’t even faze us!  We decided it would be a good idea to get a nap in before we headed back for the night tour, but we got lost on the way back to the hostel.  After a couple hours we finally found it, with just enough time to throw our stuff in our room and head out again.  The night tour was UNBELIEVEABLE!  As said by our tour guide, “I hope you are wearing three pairs of socks because this is going to knock the first two off”.  The Courtyard in the Circle Louvre was breathtaking- and note that I am not one to be at a loss of words when seeing something beautiful, but this place took the words right out of my mouth.  The other favorite part of the night was enjoying some wine on a boat with the entire tour, watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle.  I could’ve looked at it all day long. 

On our way back we were starved, so we stopped at McDonalds- to everyone I criticize at Central that goes to McDonalds all the time- it is still gross, but indeed if you are hungry enough you will eat there.  Back at the hostel (we asked for directions the second time and our guide outlined it on a map for us hahaaa) we were asleep before our heads even hit the pillows.

Our second and final day in Paris we debated getting up for breakfast, but decided a free meal was probably in our best interest.  We got downstairs and discovered that the breakfast was a hard piece of hoagie bread with some jam, but they did give us orange juice so it was worth it.  Back in the room we decided to take a nap then a quick shower before we had to check out.  Had a very interesting roommate who decided that it was necessary to turn on all the lights and open all the blinds in order to find his things and check out.  We left the hostel, loaded with all of our things, and made our way to Luxemburg Park.  Trying to save ourselves some money, we bought some cheap sandwiches from a café, then decided to get our vitamin D for the day.  Taking a nap in the reclining chairs of the park was the best idea we have had to date.  So peaceful!  We made our way to Notre Dam (after I pointed us in the wrong direction for a solid 10 minutes) and even got to go inside!! It was stunning: high ceilings, big stain-glass windows, statues, artwork, all of it was amazing.  Hard to believe that the Parisians would ever want to tear it down (we learned on our tour that Parisians hate new things so each time something is built, they want to tear it down.  Including the following: the Eiffel Tower, Tunnel of Triumph, Notre Dam, Veteran’s Hospital, most recently the pyramid in front of the Louvre, and many others).  Abby and I concluded that they are idiots.  After our tour through Notre Dam we enjoyed some crepes on the sidewalk.  In Paris, there is a fence along a bridge near Notre Dam that people lock a lock on.  It signifies their locked love for all eternity.  Obviously Abby and I decided that we MUST lock our love to the fence.  We wrote a note, locked the note to my luggage lock, and then proceeded to lock the lock on the fence.  After a few pictures, we threw the keys in the riverJ (Mom, I may need a new luggage lock as mine is now locked in Paris forever). 

Originally our plan was to walk to Paris Nord station, but our heavy bags began to take their toll, so we decided to take the train.  And wouldn’t you know it was on the day of the Metro Strike!! Hahah! I have never seen so many people waiting to get on a train, as well as squeezing in a train already full of people.  We locked hands and made our way to the front.  When the doors opened I busted my way through all of the people, dragging Abby with me.  A man was yelling at me in Spanish to let go of her, but I wouldn’t and said “she is with me and she is getting on this train!”  We managed to both squeeze in and then the laughter started.  I don’t know what was so funny, but I could not even look at Abby without laughing so hard that tears would roll down my face.  It made for a better ride in the train though because people began laughing at us as we laughed at each other.  We even made a couple friends! One man, who could only speak French, was laughing and then began talking to us.  The only thing we managed to understand was when he pointed to our backpacks that we were wearing on the front of us and said, “Bebe?” It was sooo funny.  We got to the station and were really craving some ice cream.  Since we were not about to pay 8 Euros for some, we decided to check outside.  Behold those magical golden arches…again. Hahahah!

We boarded the train and I wrote in my journal for 2 1/2 hours trying to catch up on my days ha!  Tim and Kat picked us up from the station and we headed back to their house for some much needed shut-eye.