CONTINUING from my last post.... Magical Paris!

My flight to Paris the next day was at 6:30 AM so I checked into my flight and waited for take off. Due to my uncomfortable sleeping conditions, I slept through the entire flight... and the entire bus ride into Paris which was 90 minutes since I flew into the budget airport of Paris.

It was wonderful to get into Paris again. The second I saw the Eiffel Tower... even just the tip... it was like a wave of peace went through me. I just love that sight. Finally got to my hostel around 11 Am where Erin, my good friend from college was waiting for me. Erin has been studying in Berlin since March so seeing her was absolutely wonderful.

It was probably my best weekend I've ever had in Paris... if I've been in Paris with you before and you're reading this... don't feel offended. Erin and I just took everything really slow and focused on only a few main things which made it a nice change from my other Paris experiences where it was go go go go go! Friday, we went to the Louvre and Montmartre (where I ran into a kid I met in my job at the Learning Abroad Center who was studying in Paris... weird!) during the day. That evening, we got showered which felt great after our respective long travels and then went on a boat cruise on the Seine at night. It was this cruise which defined the theme of our weekend.... Magical.

The next day we got up and took the Regional train out to see Versailles. Because it's a weekend, the fountains were all on which I have never seen before! Louis XIV rerouted a river way back when to make his magnificent fountains work so this was quite a sight to see and they ONLY run on the weekends and Tuesdays in warm months. We went through the castle and wandered the park for hours reliving the life of Marie Antionette. We even laid in the grass by her favorite tree (which is now just a stump on it's side... but it used to be HUGE!)

That night we went back into Paris and went over by the Eiffel Tower and watched it sparkle at night. So beautiful. No matter what anyone says about the effect wearing away, I could watch the Eiffel Tower forever and I don't think I'll ever get sick of it.

Our final day we spent seeing the Eiffel Tower during the day, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees, the Notre Dame, and finished with a stroll through the Latin Quarter and crepes by the river. Like I said, Magical.

And now I'm in Strasbourg with a friend of mine from the U who just moved back here a week ago!

Miss and love you all!

Bisous,
Maura