SIF: Days 11, 12 & 13

Sunday May 22

Even though the next several hours were going to be spent sitting on a train, I was so excited when I woke up this morning!

WE ARE HEADED TO PARIS!

The city of lights, love, Notre Dame, the Eiffel Towers, and so many magnificent works of art! I was antsy in my seat, ready for all of the exciting adventures this city would bring.

We did the usual: drop your bags off at the hotel and regroup. Then began (quite possibly one of my favorite parts of traveling abroad) the use of public transportation!

Sure, public transportation can be confusing, a pain, gross, terrifying, frustrating, you name it. But it is one of the ways you can experience a city as a local.

Our first stop: Notre Dame.

For our semester course, we each wrote a research paper, and I chose to research Notre Dame. I was so ready and excited for this moment. I had read about the gargoyles, flying buttresses, stained glass windows, gables and portals; but here it was..

In real life. Right in front of me.

Word do not do this magnificent place any justice. So I will simply provide you with pictures, which sadly do not capture all of its beauty either..

Simply breath taking.

Gathering as a whole group once again, we departed for our group dinner. This one was an interesting one. We were all lead down to the basement of the restaurant. It was almost cellar like, and kinda creepy.

Being so close to each other, we all shared in laughter, jokes, and great friendship. Literally, we were all eating within like 10 feet of each other.

It was great. Dinner was followed by a boat ride on the River Seine. And finally, we were able to see Gustav’s masterpiece in all of its glory.

A beautiful first day in Paris! I am so excited for the next couple of days!

Good night from the City of Lights!

 

Monday May 23

 

A rainy morning in Paris, our day began with a guided bus tour, highlighting major sights in the city.

After a morning out and about, we made our way to the Louvre. And let me tell you, I could spend HOURS, DAYS, MONTHS, probably YEARS in the Louvre. Seriously!

It was spectacular. Especially soft-smiling with Mona. She’s great!

Hours later, which was not enough to even catch a glimpse of all the works in the Louvre, we settled for a good burger, and my favorite Czech beer. Delicious.

 

Tuesday May 24

 

Our last day.. But our free day in Paris! What a jam packed day!

First stop, the Eiffel Tower. We just had to see this beauty up close.

Next, we ventured to the Arch de Triumph and to the opera. Gorgeous. So gorgeous.

And finally, another afternoon of art at the Musee D’orsay. Simply wonderful. It is so inspiring to see the works artist have created throughout history. It is even more exciting to see works by my favorite artists!

Our trip came to a close with a final group dinner in Montparnasse, where the views were incredible.

Too soon I will say goodbye to these traveling fools. It has been incredible.

Our final adventure on this journey, found us on top of a building, waiting to see the Eiffel Tower at night. It was sad to think of this at the end, but could it get any better than this?

Tomorrow, we board the plane back to the states. Good night from Paris!