I know it's been a little while since I last wrote.. Life all of a sudden picked up with school work, traveling, and visitors. But, two weekends ago I traveled to Paris! Made even more amazing because it was my birthday weekend. Such a hard life, no?
My parents simply love that I'm studying abroad because I provide the perfect excuse/opportunity for them to get some great traveling in. They visited me in Budapest, and coupled that in with a tour of Prague and Vienna, and then two weeks ago, they met me in Paris! We have all been to Paris before, but it was almost nicer for me this time because I didn't feel as though I had to run around, trying to see every site in existence in a matter of days. On most of the trips I've taken this semester, I try to do it all, because why not make the most of the trip. But the three of us were able to relax in Paris and leisurely walk the streets, stumble upon cool places and famous sites, and of course, eat delicious French food and pastries. No complaints.
Our first stop was Notre Dame. Still as magnificent as ever. And the view of the Seine doesn't hurt either.
I love the architecture in Paris. Granted, all the buildings look very similar, so you either love it or hate it I suppose, but I happen to be a big fan. I think that possibly my favorite part of the buildings is the roofs. The rows of windows peeking out, the chimneys stacked, and the attic rooms I can imagine within.
We checked out the Centre Pompidou but didn't venture inside. 60,000 square feet of show room? We weren't prepared. But the verdict's out - Dan and Sharon strongly dislike the building. Thoughts?
We used Air BnB to rent an apartment for our trip. We stayed on the cutest street: Rue Cler. In the 7th arrondissement, it's a street full of specialty markets. Boulangerie, boucherie, fromagerie, marché... and of course, heaps of amazing restaurants. Little brasseries packed with Parisians. Not a bad place to wake up.
We also stumbled upon the Christmas markets on our way back from the Tuileries! A lovely discovery. Mulled, hot wine, chocolates everywhere, and so many booths of gifts and little trinkets. I wasn't aware Paris had Christmas/Winter markets - I've only really heard of the ones in Vienna, and now I know, the ones in Budapest as well. But I've come to realize that Christmas time in Europe is a big deal. Festive music begins in the beginning of November! With no holiday around Thanksgiving time, there's nothing to stop Europeans from beginning the Christmas cheer.
Our last stop was le Tour Eiffel. A classic. And, hey, this is a potential sneak peek at the Polite family Christmas card!
Up next, I'll be posting about my day trip to Vienna and about Justin's visit to Budapest!
No comments:
Post a Comment