Paris



So I adventured into the city of love this past weekend. No not Las Vegas, but Paris! It was my first trip alone on this trip, and even better I was sick for half of the adventure. I had a monster headache and a stomach that you could not tame; it almost prevented me from getting on the flight. But, almost is only important in horseshoes and hand grenades.

I was lucky enough to spend my Wednesday night slash Thursday morning in the luxurious Barajas Madrid Airport. I was surprised how many other people had the same problem with the metro not running from two to six in the morning. The place had a good crowd!

My first night I spent at the Caulaincourt Hostel and some other Americans/Aussies invited me to journey Paris with them. We walked to the Eiffel Tower from a far off metro stop and I could not believe the beauty of Paris. The Seine River has amazing buildings along it, the streets having great avenues and it is so easy to just walk all day in the city. Two girls got me to see a Cabaret the first night, and even with a headache I enjoyed it!

I was able to meet up with up two friends from Silver Bay who actually live right outside of Paris. I could not believe how kind they were to me! Sophie and Audrey walked me all throughout the city during my three days visiting. They even offered me housing with free phone calls to the US for my final two nights. I felt like I was staying at the Hotel de Ville in Paris. Because of these two girls, I felt like I was living in France and I loved it all.

We were able to see the Arc De Triomphe, the Pantheon, Montmartre (artist district), outside of the Louvre Museum, the bridges of Paris, L’Obelisque(supposedly start of the most beautiful avenue in the world), the Bastille, many gardens/parks and I went on my own side trip to the cemetery of Pere Lachaise. This is a burial ground with many famous figures and my personal favorites were Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. There are more places I saw but I just don’t know their name, I just remember their beauty. My passion for walking around cities was perfect for Paris!

My last day, we met up with another Silver Bay friend, Alice, who took us through the Jewish neighborhood of Paris. It was great just to see all the architecture, the falafel restaurants and the different crowds in these neighborhoods. It was very popular and we were able to spend our Saturday night enjoying French crepes at Alice’s beautiful apartment. It was a great way to end my three day adventure in Paris: wine, crepes and good friends.

I learned a lot from traveling alone to France, and I want to share a few of them. Do not let illnesses keep you from traveling because they will go away eventually. You will always find a friend while traveling alone in a hostel. There are too many gypsies and beggars from Eastern Europe in France. Fourth off, I learned how interesting a Cabaret can be.

Enjoy these pictures and thank you to my Silver Bay friends for making this trip amazing!