In Flight

Day 1:

After a night of not much sleep, The European Adventure began.  Day 1 was not exactly a fun travel day; it consisted of 12 long hours in flight. The first flight was from Sioux Falls to Chicago. Due to the snow storm the night before and morning of, I expected our first flight to be delayed. Lucky for us, we were on time and off to Chicago at about 11am. We arrived in Chicago around 12:30 to wait out the 4 hour layover. This was my first time being in Chicago. Even though I didn’t leave the airport, I still count it as being there. Chicago is home to Oprah and I was just hoping to miraculously cross paths with her. J I, along with most of the group, grabbed a quick bite to eat before the second half of the journey was set to begin. We left Chicago a little after 5pm and were scheduled to arrive in Paris at about 8:30am. This was not only the longest flight I had been on, but also the first time I had flown over any great body of water. Let’s just say I was a little bit nervous. Overall, the flight went well. At the most, I got about an hour of sleep. The plane was quite large and not even close to full. They played two movies and an assortment of TV shows to help pass time. The first movie shown was Eat Pray Love and the second was Shrek. We could also plug in headphones and listen to a variety of music stations (most were in French, so this didn’t do me much good). After crossing the Atlantic, we finally arrived in Paris to begin day 2.

And so it begins.....

Day 2: First day in PARIS!

Our day technically began in flight. After landing in Paris around 8:30, the real journey could begin. The plane landed and we were greeted by rain. We walked from the plane to a bus that took us to where we needed to be in the airport. Once I stepped on the ground, it finally sunk in to where I was. The idea of being in Paris was so surreal until I was actually outside. Being in another country and on another continent was not only exciting, but it was also scary. A phone call home was not an option at this point. Not going to lie, one of the hardest things about leaving the U.S. was having to turn off my phone. It was hard, yet liberating at the same time.

We met our tour leader, Rafael, and he arranged to have the bus pick us up. We were taken to the hotel and given about a half hour to get ourselves ready for the day. All I cared about was getting my hairwashed after a long day in the air. I was paired up with Mollie and Alyssa for roommates and we quickly got ready and headed down to meet the rest of the group.

Our first adventure was taking the Metro to the Opera. The Metro was another first for me. Once we arrived at the Opera, we were able to exchange money and explore the area for a couple hours. I was rather surprised that we were being trusted so early in the trip to "do our own thing". My first stop was a bank. I gave $700 and got back around 450 euro. I was a little disappointed! Next up was going to the top of a mall behind the Opera. This was the most amazing mall I have EVER seen, and I about died when we walked in. Mollie, Alyssa and I rode up numerous escalators until we reached the roof. Rafael told us that this was the best view in Paris. Even though most people think the best view would be from the Eiffel Tower, Rafael thinks this is because you can not only see the city, but you can also see the Eiffel Tower. I never thought about it that way. Yes, it would be fun to go up the Eiffel Tower, but not being able to see it would make it a different experience.

From there, my small group went and got our first meal in Paris. We found a small restaurant and had a fun time trying to figure out how everything works in France. Communicating was a little difficult until we met a waitress that LOVES Americans. She even lived in California at one time. It was nice feeling welcomed, because it is very normal for people in France to be rude to Americans. We ordered an "appetizer sampler" and were basically running to get back to the group. Because we were on the street with the Opera, shopping would be SUPER expensive. In fact, this area is the most expensive part of Paris. Secretly, I wanted to do some shopping either in a Coach or Chanel store. :)

Rafael wanted to take us to a cheaper part of town where we could do shopping and eventually have our first group meal. Lucky for me, I was able to find a few stores to start spending some Euros! One of my favorite stores was called Six. I even went in two seperate times to make purchases. Yes, I am just that cool! By this point in time, everyone was exhausted and looking forward to sitting down for supper. My feet felt as if they were falling off and I couldn't wait for an excuse to sit for more than 10 minutes.

Of course, our first meal served is the one thing I hate......Fish. I didn't feel too left out, because the group concensus was that the tuna was awful. In fact, I think only a couple people were actually able to choke it down. I was a little disappointed, because I was looking forward to a great meal....not to mention I was starving.

We hit the Metro and headed back to the hotel. A few of us connected to the Internet before heading to bed. We made sure to have a wake up call and before I knew it, I was out.

My first day in Paris was everything I could have hoped for!

A little bit of the Eiffel Tower and Shakespeare

Day 3: Second day in Paris

Today began with a 6:45 wake up call. YUCK! The beds were not the most comfortable things, but sleep was amazing. This was the first time I went to bed and woke up in another part of the world. What a crazy feeling. My room got ready and met the rest of the group for breakfast. I normally don't eat breakfast, but after the disappointing meal the night before, I was literally starving. I stuffed myself full of any and everything I could get my hands on. I finally felt satisfied in terms of hunger!

Day two in Paris was calling my name. The morning consisted of a bus tour with another tour guide (his name I don't remember). This gave us a change to see the city in a quick trip. We drove around the Arch, past the Louvre, Notre Dame, many museums and of course the Eiffel Tower.

Our first offical stop was the Eiffel Tower where we were given a 20 minute picture break. It was the fastest 20 minutes I have ever experienced. Mollie and I were sold bracelets by two African guys who told us we would have happiness all the days of our lives. Haha. We really didn't know they were selling them to us until we were ready to walk away. Let's just say they were able to get 10 Euros from me. Yes, that is embarassing...but we all learn eventually.

We boarded the bus and continued on our way. The next stop was Notre Dame. What a place! The size and detail was one of the most breathtaking things I have ever seen. Here, we walked around and took pictures while a mass was going on. I decided that if I lived in Paris, I would attend mass here....even though I'm a Lutheran.

From there, the agenda switched to shopping. We were once again given the afternoon to explore and do our own thing. The first stop I wanted to make was Shakespeare and Company. It was/is one of my favorite stops by far. Books and more books filled every last inch of the place. I wanted so badly to purchase an old book, but I had to settle on a few journals. From there, we grabbed a quick bite to eat. I ate a sandwhich, crepe and had an orange pop. The crepe was so spectacular that I don't even know how to describe it in words.....Another first for me as well! I'm glad I was able to have my first ever crepe in such an amazing place.

Walking the streets of Paris is another thing I just can't explain. Because it is January, most stores in Paris have sales. In fact, it is one of two months out of the year that stores are allowed to put items on sale. LUCKY ME!! It was definitely hard to decide what to buy, because I wanted to buy everything.

Another great encounter came outside of Notre Dame. On our way to meet up with the group, Mollie and I were approached by a pigeon lady. Yes, a pigeon lady....she reminded me of the lady in Home Alone. The lady put food in Mollie's hand and hair and the pigeons went crazy! I even got a few photos on my phone (it was a sad day when my camera decided to run out of battery). Then the pigeon lady proceeded to do the same for me and Mollie was able to get a few shots. Pigeons....what can I say. They are gross, smelly, dirty and so much more. However, it was something I will never forget and loved being able to experience.

Once the group got together, we headed off to eat. This time around was much better. Chicken and rice was the meal of choice given to us. I loved it! After a short meal, we headed back to the Eiffel Tower. I wanted so badly to go up to the top, but the wind stopped those dreams from coming true. The plan was for a small group of us to return and hopefully it would be open. The next and last part of the night was do to a boat ride on the river. Even though it was chilly, it was just the type of thing you expect to do in Paris. We were able to see all the different buildings lit up. Seeing the Eiffel Tower at night could possibly be better than seeing it during the day (in my opinion). The lights were spectacular. Once the ride was over, we headed back to the Metro and back to the hotel. The boat ride was a perfect way to end day two in Paris.

Day two was complete and I could barely stay awake on the metro. My bed was calling for me....

From the Mona Lisa to the Moulin Rouge....

Day 4: Third day in Paris

Ok, I have never been so tired besides this trip. You would think that a bunch of girls would jump up in the morning in excitement for what is to come in the day. Wrong....we somehow manage to oversleep the wake up call and barely make it in time to meet the group downstairs. Even though we get a decent nights sleep here, I feel as if I could just stay in bed for days. Once we got our butts going, the plan for the day finally hit me. Three words: The Mona Lisa. I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of art or museums, but I was dying to see the Mona Lisa in person. Who wouldn't?! With the Louvre being the first stop for the day, Mona was getting closer and closer as time went on.

We took the metro to the area of the Louvre and were basically told we could spend as little or as much time as we wanted there. The Louvre is HUGE! It is the largest museum in the world and is shaped in a "U". The size of it was so overwhelming and fascinating. Rafael told us that if you spent 1 minute in front of each painting, you would be there for 28 days straight (24/7). Wow!

Mollie, Alyssa and I started in one wing of the museum that contained sculptures. I couldn't believe how many sculptures there were and how in detail everything was. We made a plan that if one of us gets lost, we would meet in the main area in the middle. Getting lost in such a big place can be a huge deal. This is especially ture because we can't use our cell phones to help find one another. Let's just say for about 2 minutres I thought I was lost and decided to stick closer for the rest of our visit.

Even though this area of the museum was amazing, I still only had one thing on my mind. I was only worried about seeing Mona Lisa at this point. We stopped for a pop before continuing on in the museum. You really work up a thirst in this place :) Our next and final area to explore was the area that contained the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. My excitement was starting to get on my nerves. I couldn't even focus on other pieces of work because I wanted to keep moving.

Never in my life would I have imagined seeing the Mona Lisa in person. Honestly, I never thought I would care that much either. When we finally got to her, Mona was surrounded by a group of people and covered in glass. Security was high around her. The guide on our boat tour told us that a long time ago, a man that worked where the painting was fell in love with her. He took the painting home and rolled it up. The Mona Lisa sat under his bed for 3, yes 3 years!!

After snatching a few photos, we moved on to see the Venus de Milo before leaving the Louvre. On our way out, we spent time outside in the courtyard/s. I definitely enjoyed the outside of the museum much more. Everything was so beautiful. The architecture, landscaping and fountains made it one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. We spent a lot of time walking around and taking pictures. LOVED IT!

The plan from here was to walk to the Moulin Rouge in an area known as Montmarte. We made it as far as the arch (with a shopping stop on the way) and Mollie, Alyssa and I decided that was enough walking. We hadn't eaten at all during the day and were getting a little concerned about getting something. The Metro was our choice, while the rest of the group kept walking. We knew we would arrive before them, so we stopped at a sandwhich/crepe shop and grabbed a bite to eat. I still can't get over how amazing the crepes were!

Montmarte, a very interesting place, is where the Moulin Rouge is located. The whole street is lined with adult stores, bars and adult entertainment. Because it is "outside of the city", they don't have the same rules as you would find in downtown Paris. It was all lit up because we got there after dark, and I can't say I've ever seen anything like it. I probably never will again. The group finally met up with us and we took a few photos outside of the Moulin Rouge. Everyone else was hungry, so we went and joined them at a local pub.

From there, the plan was to do a bit of shopping. We walked up these steep streets to where all of the best stores were. Once we made it to the top of the hill, disappointment sunk in. Everything was closing up and if we had made it maybe a half hour earlier, we would have been able to shop. I didn't let this get me down for too long. Another crepe was in order and we headed back to the Metro.

Once again, my bed was calling my name. I couldn't wait to get some sleep and to start our last day in Paris.

The wake up call was set, and we could only hope we would get up as scheduled.....

Paris comes to an end

Day 5: Final day in Paris

Today was another early morning. We got up, got breakfast and loaded the bus with part of the group to go to Versailles. This was an optional part of our trip, so some people decided to explore the city on their own. I wasn't 100% sure that I wanted to do the Versailles trip, because I really wanted to go back up to Montmarte to do some shopping. Since I had already paid for it, I decided to join most of the group and see the palace. I'm sure glad I did.

What a beautiful and magnificant place! The palace of Versailles is just another thing I can't expalin in words. I'm really glad I had my camera on this trip, because I was able to capture just some of the beauty. All of the gold was breathtaking. Everything about this place was "overdone". Nothing was overlooked and everything was the best of the best. We were given a tour of a few rooms that had been completed. One of which was Marie Antoinette's bedroom. SUPER COOL! We were able to see her bed and the room where she would meet friends. The only time people were really allowed in her room was when she was giving birth. They would have to have plenty of witnesses to confirm the next heir of the throne. Can you imagine?!

After our tour of the inside, we were given time to go to the gift shop and explore the outside grounds. Sadly, we went to the gift shop first and underestimated the amount of time we would want to spend outside. I thought the outside of the Louvre was beautiful....it was nothing compared to this. They said that all of the grounds was bigger than the city of Paris. When you looked out the backyard, it appeared to go on and on to where you couldn't see the end. Even though it was winter, it was still spectacular. I can't imagine it during the summer and spring. The fountains, hedges and landscaping was something I have never witnessed before. Luckily, we were able to snap a few photos before heading back to the bus.

I was sad that this part of the day was over, but became excited when Lexy, Lauren and Olivia said they wanted to go back up to the Montmarte district. I decided to join them with the plan being to see some local artists and shop a bit. We were given just a few hours before having to meet at the hotel. We caught the metro and began what may be one of the most memorable parts of the trip.

Walking back up the huge hills brought us to an area where local artists sell paintings and paint. It was so hard to pick which paintings to buy. I ended up taking out some money from the ATM. I probably spent about 240 Euros here. I was able to get some really neat pieces of art for myself and for gifts. I also did some shopping for scarves and other small gifts.

On our way back to the Metro, the one thing we were warned about this entire trip actually happened. We were walking down the hill to the main street when Olivia came up to me and Lexy (we were in front of the group) and said there were pickpocketers behind us. We didn't know it at first, but they had already gotten to Lauren (she was just a few steps behind everyone else). They had somehow managed to get her camera, wallet and money without her noticing. Luckily, when they tried to pickpocket Olivia, she felt it. Because we knew they had been behind us, everyone checked their bags. The sight of Lauren's face told me right away that something had happened. She looked shocked, pissed and scared all at the same time. We were not exactly sure what to do at this point. We could still see the 3 people that had taken her stuff. Lauren decided to do the one thing you aren't really supposed to do....she approached the group. Lexy and I tried to find help and Olivia went up after her sister. Of course, this is the one time we didn't see any police to help us. Lexy and I went up after the sisters and started yelling police. Even though we didn't find any, it probably helped to scare them a bit. Lauren was able to get all of her stuff back after holding her ground. Once we were all together, we outnumbered them and we could see that they were getting irritated. Reluctantly, they gave her all her stuff back and we went on our way. We were a bit shaken up and decided to stop in a shop to gather ourselves. At this point, I had so many shopping bags in my hand that I decided to purchase another suitcase to haul my stuff back in. I was too nervous to carry it all back on the Metro.

We finally made it to the Metro and decided not to tell the group leaders about our little journey. We did tell Rafael when we got back and he was shocked to hear that Lauren was able to get everything back. The group was scheduled to meet back and head to supper before getting on our night train.

We went to a cute restaurant and enjoyed our last meal in Paris. The thought of having to leave really hit me at this point, and I couldn't help but  feel sad. I was excited about going on the train and going to Spain, but Paris was everything I could have hoped for and I didn't want it to end.

After our meal, we were taken to the bus station and we got on our 12 hour ride to Barcelona. The train was so much fun. I shared my "room" with Laura, Sandy and Dennis. I spent most of the night in Mollie, Alyssa, Lauren and Olivia's room. We stayed up late and chatted up a storm!

I finally headed back to my room and got some sleep before our final stop in Barcelona! I was sad to have left Paris, but excited about the next part of our journey.

Barcelona awaits....