Hola!
Today, my friends and I are leaving Paris and are taking a bus to Brussels, Belgium! It's crazy how fast this trip and these cities are passing - we are halfway done!
One thing that will never cease to amaze me is the fact that you can get to an entirely new city or country in a few short hours. It took us two hours to get from Madrid to Marseille, three hours from Marseille to Paris, and now four hours from Paris to Brussels. It's cheap, too! This bus ticket price was €25 (and it's not even our cheapest transportation cost!). I love it. In fact, I think the quick speed and inexpensive cost of travel and adventure is one of the greatest things I am going to miss about my time in Europe.
Anyways, this bus has free wifi, so I thought I would use my blogger application on my iPhone to write a quick post about my amazing two days in Paris, France!
It's incredible all you can do in 48 hours. On our first day, we started by getting Nutella crepes at one of the many Parisian cafes in the city. It was made hot and fresh in front of us - yum! Next, we took a free walking tour and were guided around the top sites by an American living in Paris. As we walked, he told us all about the history of places such as Notre Dame, lover's lock bridge, the Lourve museum, the Arc de Triomphe, Champs de Elysses, and the Eiffel Tower. It was fascinating.
I am a big fan of the free walking tours that are available in major European cities because the young workers are always passionate about their city. They are knowledgable and tell you helpful tips about traveling throughout the town too. Plus, their salary is dependent on tips, so they work for their money! I love starting a trip with a walking tour because you 1) get situated in the unfamiliar land 2) see many of the major sites and 3) learn a lot, which makes you appreciate the city and its people.
After the tour, we decided to walk the Champs de Elysses to the Arc de Triomphe. It is such an iconic street filled with shops and people. The only purchase I made was a jar of peanut butter, which was a surprising find!
Next, we walked along the river to the Eiffel Tower. By this time, it was getting late so we wanted to stop at a cafe for dinner. Unfortunately, everything was ridiculously expensive! All of the entrees were priced around €20-30, which equates to $25-35. My friends and I were not going to pay the price, so we decided to buy baguettes from a local bakery instead - it only cost us €0.60, so it was much better! With our baguettes and peanut butter in hand, we made a picnic on the Eiffel Tower lawn and had dinner while watching the sunset. We spent hours in this spot, laughing and reminiscing about our wonderful semester. It was a surreal experience - I felt like I was looking at a photograph because it was so beautiful and perfect.
To end the night, we crossed the bridge to get a wonderful view of the tower lit up at night. As if it weren't pretty enough, it starts to sparkle and glitter with lights at 10 PM. It was an incredible sight to see!
Well, I've come to realize that my trip to Paris deserves more than one post, so I'm going to stop now.
Stay tuned for Paris: Day Two (we did even more on this day!).
Cheers,
Anna
Ps. Did I mention that I'm trying to last the week on €40? That's all the euros I have left, and I want to see if I can make it through without having to visit the ATM. Oh, and my debit card expires after today, too. Wish me luck!
Today, my friends and I are leaving Paris and are taking a bus to Brussels, Belgium! It's crazy how fast this trip and these cities are passing - we are halfway done!
One thing that will never cease to amaze me is the fact that you can get to an entirely new city or country in a few short hours. It took us two hours to get from Madrid to Marseille, three hours from Marseille to Paris, and now four hours from Paris to Brussels. It's cheap, too! This bus ticket price was €25 (and it's not even our cheapest transportation cost!). I love it. In fact, I think the quick speed and inexpensive cost of travel and adventure is one of the greatest things I am going to miss about my time in Europe.
Anyways, this bus has free wifi, so I thought I would use my blogger application on my iPhone to write a quick post about my amazing two days in Paris, France!
It's incredible all you can do in 48 hours. On our first day, we started by getting Nutella crepes at one of the many Parisian cafes in the city. It was made hot and fresh in front of us - yum! Next, we took a free walking tour and were guided around the top sites by an American living in Paris. As we walked, he told us all about the history of places such as Notre Dame, lover's lock bridge, the Lourve museum, the Arc de Triomphe, Champs de Elysses, and the Eiffel Tower. It was fascinating.
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| I can check "eat a crepe in Paris" off my bucket list! |
I am a big fan of the free walking tours that are available in major European cities because the young workers are always passionate about their city. They are knowledgable and tell you helpful tips about traveling throughout the town too. Plus, their salary is dependent on tips, so they work for their money! I love starting a trip with a walking tour because you 1) get situated in the unfamiliar land 2) see many of the major sites and 3) learn a lot, which makes you appreciate the city and its people.
 |
| We learned about equestrian statuary during the walking tour. Specifically, our guide spoke of the symbolism of the horse's front legs. If both are in the air, it means the person riding the horse died in battle. If only one leg is up, it means the person died of unnatural causes (e.g. murder) If both are rooted on the ground, it means the person died naturally. |
After the tour, we decided to walk the Champs de Elysses to the Arc de Triomphe. It is such an iconic street filled with shops and people. The only purchase I made was a jar of peanut butter, which was a surprising find!
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| The Champs de Elysses leads up to the Arc de Triomphe |
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| It was fun window shopping on this iconic street! |
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| Arc de Triomphe |
Next, we walked along the river to the Eiffel Tower. By this time, it was getting late so we wanted to stop at a cafe for dinner. Unfortunately, everything was ridiculously expensive! All of the entrees were priced around €20-30, which equates to $25-35. My friends and I were not going to pay the price, so we decided to buy baguettes from a local bakery instead - it only cost us €0.60, so it was much better! With our baguettes and peanut butter in hand, we made a picnic on the Eiffel Tower lawn and had dinner while watching the sunset. We spent hours in this spot, laughing and reminiscing about our wonderful semester. It was a surreal experience - I felt like I was looking at a photograph because it was so beautiful and perfect.
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| Picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower! |
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| Eiffel Tower at dusk |
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| What a sight to see! |
Well, I've come to realize that my trip to Paris deserves more than one post, so I'm going to stop now.
Stay tuned for Paris: Day Two (we did even more on this day!).
Cheers,
Anna
Ps. Did I mention that I'm trying to last the week on €40? That's all the euros I have left, and I want to see if I can make it through without having to visit the ATM. Oh, and my debit card expires after today, too. Wish me luck!
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