Paris

Day One: The overnight train to Paris was our third and final overnight couchette. I slept much better in this one so I woke up feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for everyone in our group. The bottom bunks had significantly less space than the top bunks so those people in the lower beds were a bit uncomfortable. Despite that, everyone was pretty excited about our arrival in Paris. We went first to the hotel to drop our bags and check out the local neighborhood. We were then able to check in and take a short rest (or do laundry, in my case). Later in the afternoon, we went to see the Eiffel Tower. We wanted to go to the top of the tower, but the line was quite long so we decided to schedule that for the next day.  

From there, we walked over to Notre Dame Cathedral. Another gorgeous cathedral! 

The evening was another night of free time. The students continued to explore, while Neal, Matt, and I grabbed dinner and made our way back to the hotel. 

Day Two: Saturday was a busy, busy day. We started the day with a trip to the Arc de Triomphe. Seeing it from the ground was pretty cool, but going to the top was even better. We were a bit nervous when we began the trek up because it was via a VERY spiraled staircase (we were all having flashbacks from St. Peter's Basillica in Rome), but the stairs were in smaller sections so it was quite manageable. 

We had a 12:30 appointment at the Eiffel Tower so we headed that direction after the Arc de Triomphe. We all agreed that going to the very top of the tower sounded like a great idea so up we went. I've dreamed of seeing the Eiffel Tower since I was 12 years old so taking a lift inside the tower all the way to the top was a bit surreal for me. 

From there, we stopped for lunch and then made our way to the Louvre. We didn't have much time at the Louvre so we had to be very intentional about what we saw. The Code of Hammurabi and the Mona Lisa were probably at the top of our "must see" list. 

After the museum, we went to Montmartre. We arrived just after dark so we had a great view of the night lights of the city (including the Eiffel Tower). In addition, there was a musician singing and playing guitar on the steps in front of us. It felt very unscripted, and it quickly became (and remained) my favorite Paris experience. 

We then headed towards Moulin Rouge, walking through the Parisian equivalent of Amsterdam's Red Light District. We ended our group time at a fantastic crepe stand. 

Day Three: We spent the morning at the Palace of Versailles. Very opulent. In fact, it was a bit over the top. 

In the afternoon, we had more free time. I was a bit under the weather so I  went for a nap, while Neal did some laundry. It sounded as if many of the students spent their afternoon in the same manner.

Day Four: I was a bit sad to be leaving Paris, but I was also pretty excited about our next destination. We left the hotel around 10:30am to catch the train to London! And I must admit....it was pretty nice to have such a late start to the day. :)