At the Top of the Eiffel Tower

Hi everyone!  Sorry this post has been so late getting to you.  This is the first time I have been able to get online in a while.  We just got to Rome on an overnight train ride from Paris.  I will try to update you on everything that has been happening….

Paris was absolutely beautiful.  When we first got there a guide took us on a quick bus tour of the city.  We got to see a lot of great sights in a short amount of time and figured out where in the city we wanted to go over the three days we would be there.  That night we all dressed up and ate a delicious dinner at an authentic French bistro.  Afterwards, we took a river cruise on the Seine and were able to see the city at night.  It was a breathtaking sight.

On Tuesday we had the entire day free to do whatever we wanted.  A lot of us went to see Notre Dame and then to the Perfume Museum.  We then headed to The Musee d’ Orsy where we saw a lot of paintings by Van Goh, Monet, and Matisse.  It was so surreal to be standing in front of these paintings we have learned about all our life but only ever seen in books. That night we all had dinner at a few different cafes and then headed out on the town to experience French nightlife.

Wednesday was my favorite day in Paris!  Most of the group took a train ride to Versailles and saw the palace of Louis XIV.  It was unbelievably beautiful and so much bigger than I expected!  I almost fainted when we walked into the Hall of Mirrors.  After Versailles we all split up and met back at the hotel to make our way to the Eiffel Tower.  Even with a few problems navigating the metro, we were able to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.  When we came back down I made my way with a few others to the Louvre where we were able to see the Mona Lisa and get lost several times just trying to find the exit.

Thursday was entirely dedicated to shopping!  We were excited to see that a street market had popped up beside our hotel overnight and enjoyed walking through.  Our guide for the trip is named Fedora and we were able to by her a Fedora hat at the market!  She loved it!  We spent the day walking around Paris and buying souvenirs.  We had one run in with a pickpocket but don’t worry, everyone still has their passport! The overnight train from Paris was 17 hours long but we had a lot of fun and brushed up on our Italian.

I will let you know what we get ourselves into here in Rome!!

Ciao!!