Playing "Catch Up"- 1st Paris

This past month has been so eventful that I haven't had time to blog about all the experiences I have been having. Now that I am officially finished with my junior year of college, I have some down time to play catch up before I head back to the states. I'll start with Paris..

I went to Paris with four other students from my program during April 9-11. We decided to take the Euroline, like a Greyhound, to save some extra money. We took off from Leiden at around 5:30 a.m. to make it to Amsterdam to catch our bus. We were able to take in all the sights for a good nine hours before finally arriving to Paris. We took the metro to our hostel (the Aloha Hostel), checked in, and then wasted no time to experience some real Paris food. I am all about trying new things so I ate escargot, which took some effort to swallow, french onion soup (AMAZING), and duck. We then walked down a little ways to see Notre Dame, where gypsies eagerly greeted us. They asked one of the boys if he spoke english. He shook his head. While we were leaving, she overheard us speaking english and shouted "You lie, you lie!" We picked up our pace to avoid a run in with her. We explored more of Paris that night and witnessed a breathtaking sunset.

On Saturday we went all over the city trying to explore as much of Paris as we could. It did not feel like I was truly in Paris until I saw the Eiffel Tower early that morning. We hit all the touristy destinations such as the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, The Louvre, and finally the Eiffel Tower. The most memorable experience was climbing the Eiffel Tower. We climbed the stairs until we were required to take the elevator, which I gladly accepted. The view was incredible and was well worth the wait. Later that night we bought some wine and bread and took it to the park right by the Eiffel Tower, and waited for the light show that happened at the top of every hour. It was a packed day, but so enjoyable.

We checked out of the Aloha Hostel early that morning and with Big Bertha on my back  (the name for my super large bag)  we set off for the Jardin de Luxembourg, the largest park in Paris. We spent a few hours there before grabbing another crepe, and taking the metro to the euroline.

RANDOM FACTS
1) The metro randomly decides to break down- We experienced this multiple times in Paris. We would wiggle our way into the crowded cart after getting situated, the lights would turn off and the metro would be broken down for 5-10 minutes each time. At this point you have to decide to stay on the hot cart or squeeze your way out to find another route.
2) Paris is stinky- I have never smelled so many indescribable odors in my life, and they weren't ones I hope to smell again.
3) Don't speak English loudly- You will be asked for money if you do
4) Individuals in Paris think bathrooms are anywhere- We saw a man using a small garden area as a restroom. The ironic part was that a porta potty was right next to him.
5) Crepes are amazing :)