----------------------------------
Last night I called and scheduled for a taxi to pick Ally and me up in front of our flats at 10am so I woke up about 8:30 and showered and made sure I had everything I needed.
We got to the Europa bus station and went from there to the airport and then had TONS of time when we got to the airport so we just hung out for a while. The plane ride was terrible. It had 80 million little kids on it!!!! I sad next to a 2-year-old and realized I can never have children. We got to Charles de Gaulles airport at 4pm Paris time (one hour ahead of Northern Ireland time).
It was a complicated journey to the hotel from the airport taking 4 different trains and metros but we did just fine and got here to realize I'm super glad I showered this morning instead of last night! We're in the guetto and it's sooooo funy. I guess any college students travelling around different countries have to have the gross hotel experience and believe me...we are! Turned over the sheets to find a really long hair (pretending it was the maids...), the shower will not be being used and I had to witness a fat black man running down the stairs in nothing but a teeny tiny towel around his waste into the bathroom that has one toilet I believe for the entire hotel. I had said the bathroom in Amsterdam was like the chokey...couldn't have imagined this. Literally the size of the toilet room. We took a trip out to find dinner at a Japanese restaurant where we got tuna and salmon fish skewers and tuna sushi rolls. Now we're back in our room...it's only 8pm but I think we're just gonna go to sleep so we can start our day early and spend as little time in our hotel as possible.
We can make any room look cute ;) Just kidding!
Friday, December 2nd
--------------------------------
We didn't end up going to sleep right when I ended my yesterday's blog. I realized I had Four of a Kind TV show on my Ipod so we watched two episodes and then went to sleep. Horrible night...woke up and Ally and I talked from midnight til 2am because neither of us could manage to sleep with all the noise and the incredibly uncomfortable bed. We eventually fell asleep and woke up at 9am. We left at 10 and had some trouble at first figuring out how to get onto the metro. You need a ticket and there was no one at the ticket counter and the machine only took coins and all we had were bills. We walked back to our hotel and asked the guy at the front desk. He was more than kind and even left to walk us to a place around the corner to show us where to change our bills to coin. Kind of makes up for the yucky room...kinda not though. We took metro 7 strait to the Louvre, didn't go in because we didn't want to spend an entire day in a museum which is pretty much what you do so we took a couple pictures and headed on.
Then, we saw a ferris wheel and thought it would be fun if it wasn't too spendy. It ended up not being so we went up in it and could see that we were suuuuper close to Les Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe AND the Eiffel Tower so we thought...why not?!
Then, we saw a ferris wheel and thought it would be fun if it wasn't too spendy. It ended up not being so we went up in it and could see that we were suuuuper close to Les Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe AND the Eiffel Tower so we thought...why not?!
The plan last night wa that we had four places we wanted to hit: Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees/Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Louvre. Looking at the map the first two are close together and the second two were close together so today we were going to do the Louvre and the Notre Dame and tomorrow the others. But, we saw how close the Champs Elysees was so we went for it!
We got off the ferris wheel and headed for Les Champs Elysees and there was a flea market at the first end we came to so we looked around and munched on some chiros. Then, at the end took some pictures of the Arc de Triomphe.
From the Arc we could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance so we headed that way. We knew we wanted to go up in the tower at night time but we wanted some day time photos too so we got some then.
It was a bit chilly out and we had a good amount of hours to waste before night so when we were finished getting day time pictures I mentioned an aquarium sign I'd spotted on our way. Turns out Ally's never been to an aquarium so we had to go! They had a touching tank that you could pet the fist. Even got a discount for being a European student!
From the Arc we could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance so we headed that way. We knew we wanted to go up in the tower at night time but we wanted some day time photos too so we got some then.
It was a bit chilly out and we had a good amount of hours to waste before night so when we were finished getting day time pictures I mentioned an aquarium sign I'd spotted on our way. Turns out Ally's never been to an aquarium so we had to go! They had a touching tank that you could pet the fist. Even got a discount for being a European student!
We left the museum at 4 because we figured it would be getting dark cause it starts getting dark around 4 back in Belfast and is dark by 5...we were surpised to find it wasn't! It took us about half an hour to realize it was because it is an hour ahead in Paris so it was only 3 back home haha. We diceded to go look for food but we spent forever looking and finding nothing (or nothing in our price range) so we headed back to the tower to get in line. We did manage to see the pretty sunset so it was very worth it! Also...we went in a little souvenir shop to get a few things and the guy worked there was an American doing college in Paris and he was from Bellingham! Small world!
We did not stand in line as long as I thought we would have to but we'd been out and about all day with sore feet, cold and tired so we pretty much went up, took a few photos, admired the view and how lucky we were and went back down. It was incredible and I have now MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE FREAKING EIFFEL TOWER!!!
We wanted to head back but needed dinner and so we stayed in the area because living in the ghetto we'd have ghetto food/dirty restaurants for options haha. We ended up going to a cute little Italian place and having pasta rigatoni and then headed back. We are now masters at the metro in Paris! We had to take the C train to Invalides, switch to metro 8 to Concorde, switch to metro 1 to Palais Royal Musee le Louvre, and then switch to metro 7 to get off at Louis Blanc which is about 1 min from our hotel! We figured this out and I'm SO proud!
Now it's only 9pm but we're DONE. Gonna watch a few more episodes of Four of a Kind haha. Tomorrow is the Notre Dame and that's about it. But, since we did 3 of the 4 things we really wanted to do in one day we're rewarding ourselves with sleeping in. :)
Saturday, December 3rd
----------------------------------
Last nights sleep was worse than the night before. Not the noise level but just the bed is soooo uncomfortable! I go from my right side, then my stomache, then my left side, then my back over and over again! At least we only have one more night in this room....me and Ally are counting down haha. Loving paris...just not our living arrangement.
While I wasn't sleeping I made some mental notes that kept me from going insane. I thought up a list of everyone I'd managed to find souvenirs for and all the people I still needed to find something for and also was able to think of things to get most of them! Ally and I are going on our final souvenir shopping trip on Monday afternoon when we're back so I want to know what I'm getting so I can get in and get out (yes I shop like a man...I don't enjoy shopping all that much) and not have to worry about souvenirs anymore! Also, I was thinking about when my parents are here and a few changes I think I want to make to our itinerary...but I'll have to talk with them and see.
It was a good thing we slept in cause I needed it. When we did wake up we went to the Notre Dame and took a few pictures and just walked some of the streets of Paris in that area. Had a lot of really good souvenir shops and good affordable cafes and restaurants. We stopped by a little cafe called Le Quasimodo (fitting as it is right next to the Notre Dame) for a snack. Since we did most of our things yesterday and it was already 4 o'clock we decided we didn't feel like walking around a whole lot more so we came back to the room to hang out for a couple hours before dinner. One of the hard things about Paris is that everything is so incredibly expensive...even when you find a less expensive cafe it's still pretty pricy and practically anything you do costs money so to save money we went to the hotel for a bit.
We had planned on spending very little on all our meals while in Paris and saving it for a nice(er) night out for one of our dinners which we planned on for tonight. When walking the streets around the Notre Dame like I said we noticed really cute little restaurants that we could choose from so we headed back there and found a very cute little place called Le Parvis which was the perfect combination of fance and reasonable priced. I got a toastie which was pretty much a fancy french ham grilled cheese haha. But it was better than that really! The sandwich had ham in it that was very tasty and then on top of the whole sandwich was like a mustard spread and then cheese that they put the whole sandwich in a broiler to make nice and toasted with some seasonings on top. VERY TASTY. Ally got the french onion soup and we both ended our meals with crepes. What else do you have your last night in Paris? Ally's was a nutella crepe and mine was fresh lemon and sugar. Once again back in our hotel for the last night. Very excited about that! Loved Paris but spent too much money and very uncomfortable bed. We're ready to get to the Charles de Gaulles airport and head back home to Belfast tomorrow for our pre planned yucky library week. :P
Sunday, December 4th
-------------------------------
I would have slept well last night because I was so exhasted and the bed being uncomfortable didn't really faze me...however...I am now into sickness #4 of my time abroad so I was kept awake a lot by a stuffy nose. Why can't I stay healthy?!
Ally wanted a key chain and so last night when we were over by the place we went for dinner she was looking and could not find one that she liked so she'd given up. But then I found a super cute one that looks like a key but the ridges of the key are the Eiffel Tower next to the Arc de Triomphe next to the Notre Dame...the three places we went! So...she obviously loved it and got it. All last night and this morning I was thinking of it so we went back there before heading to the airport and got me one too YAY!
When we were going to the hotel from the airport it took us about 2 hours of travel time by train and metro so we left really early for the airport this morning. We didn't need as much time as we gave ourselves and ended up spending about the entire day in the airport. That was fine though, I would rather do that than be rushing! Our flight back had just as many little kids on it and we figured out why! It was easy to tell when everyone with kids getting on the plain also got on with bags from Euro Disney. People living in Europe go to Paris to take their kids to Disney Land...hadn't thought about that. This time I didn't have to sit BY a little person I had to sit IN FRONT one so my chair got kicked the entire way.
We took a taxi straight from the airport to campus and it took forever for the taxi driver to pick us up. We kept watching for our taxi company we called and when we saw one it was doing weird things at the entrance like it didn't know where it was going. When he finally got into the parking lot we walked out but he kept driving and like...went around the parking lot and left and came back in and we FINALLY got to get into the taxi haha. Made since when we got in. The man was the first driver we've had here in Belfast who was not Irish and you could tell he had no clue. We ended up getting back to our flats at about 8:30pm and the first thing I did was take a shower! First, because I was disgusting from the weekend of avoiding the shower in Paris. Second, it's freezing in Belfast!!!! Like two weeks ago we were still in the high 50s...then went down to the mid-high 40s which is about what it was when we left for the weekend. We get back to low 30s and some snow! Crazy!!!
Monday, December 5th
--------------------------------
Didn't go to sociology lecture today because in that class we are down to review for the others final which is completely different than mine so there is no point in me going. I did go to seminar though because I thought we would be getting back our test 2 results but we didn't...oh well that was our last seminar for that class. Now, I have no lectures or seminars for sociology just my exam next week on Tuesday and then I'm finished with that class! I did get an email last night from my politics professor letting me know that my essay questions replacing my final would be due for me not until December 23rd! That's great to here because that means I can focus on just sociology til next week on Tuesday when I can be done with that class and then start on politics. I'm not going to wait until December 23rd though...I will turn those in no later than the Friday of next week so when I'm travelling with my parents I'm just through with this semester completely.
After seminar Ally and I went on our last souvenir shopping trip in Victoria Square and I have now got something for everyone I needed things for which feels really good. Actually, I do have one more person but that's ok I can find something for them I'm just not sure yet at all.
Ally and I have planned that this week every night is library night so we will be in the library til close which is 10pm and we got there at 5:30pm so we were in there for 4.5 hours and then Tuesday-Thursday it will probably be even longer times. Sounds yucky but if we can force ourselves to be suuuper productive this week it will completely pay off in the end!
Today was a day for Politics instead of sociology. Sociology will be my main focus the rest of this week and especially Monday and Tuesday morning then I can forget everything haha. Tuesday-Thursday in the library preparing my essay questions...little bits of studying in Scotland over the weekend and a TON of preparation on Monday for my exam Tuesday that is form 9-12. Then, back to politics til Friday and then I'm finished! Crazy! Today had to be politics though because I have an exam tomorrow morning.
After we were done in the library we were "rewarded" by Ireland with having to walk back to our flats in the freezing pouring down rain which has kept me chilly ever since! Snacking on some grapes and gonna skype Robert in a little bit and then it's sleepy time!
It was a good thing we slept in cause I needed it. When we did wake up we went to the Notre Dame and took a few pictures and just walked some of the streets of Paris in that area. Had a lot of really good souvenir shops and good affordable cafes and restaurants. We stopped by a little cafe called Le Quasimodo (fitting as it is right next to the Notre Dame) for a snack. Since we did most of our things yesterday and it was already 4 o'clock we decided we didn't feel like walking around a whole lot more so we came back to the room to hang out for a couple hours before dinner. One of the hard things about Paris is that everything is so incredibly expensive...even when you find a less expensive cafe it's still pretty pricy and practically anything you do costs money so to save money we went to the hotel for a bit.
We had planned on spending very little on all our meals while in Paris and saving it for a nice(er) night out for one of our dinners which we planned on for tonight. When walking the streets around the Notre Dame like I said we noticed really cute little restaurants that we could choose from so we headed back there and found a very cute little place called Le Parvis which was the perfect combination of fance and reasonable priced. I got a toastie which was pretty much a fancy french ham grilled cheese haha. But it was better than that really! The sandwich had ham in it that was very tasty and then on top of the whole sandwich was like a mustard spread and then cheese that they put the whole sandwich in a broiler to make nice and toasted with some seasonings on top. VERY TASTY. Ally got the french onion soup and we both ended our meals with crepes. What else do you have your last night in Paris? Ally's was a nutella crepe and mine was fresh lemon and sugar. Once again back in our hotel for the last night. Very excited about that! Loved Paris but spent too much money and very uncomfortable bed. We're ready to get to the Charles de Gaulles airport and head back home to Belfast tomorrow for our pre planned yucky library week. :P
Sunday, December 4th
-------------------------------
I would have slept well last night because I was so exhasted and the bed being uncomfortable didn't really faze me...however...I am now into sickness #4 of my time abroad so I was kept awake a lot by a stuffy nose. Why can't I stay healthy?!
Ally wanted a key chain and so last night when we were over by the place we went for dinner she was looking and could not find one that she liked so she'd given up. But then I found a super cute one that looks like a key but the ridges of the key are the Eiffel Tower next to the Arc de Triomphe next to the Notre Dame...the three places we went! So...she obviously loved it and got it. All last night and this morning I was thinking of it so we went back there before heading to the airport and got me one too YAY!
When we were going to the hotel from the airport it took us about 2 hours of travel time by train and metro so we left really early for the airport this morning. We didn't need as much time as we gave ourselves and ended up spending about the entire day in the airport. That was fine though, I would rather do that than be rushing! Our flight back had just as many little kids on it and we figured out why! It was easy to tell when everyone with kids getting on the plain also got on with bags from Euro Disney. People living in Europe go to Paris to take their kids to Disney Land...hadn't thought about that. This time I didn't have to sit BY a little person I had to sit IN FRONT one so my chair got kicked the entire way.
Just at the airport being bored and having fun with a mirrored ceiling...
We took a taxi straight from the airport to campus and it took forever for the taxi driver to pick us up. We kept watching for our taxi company we called and when we saw one it was doing weird things at the entrance like it didn't know where it was going. When he finally got into the parking lot we walked out but he kept driving and like...went around the parking lot and left and came back in and we FINALLY got to get into the taxi haha. Made since when we got in. The man was the first driver we've had here in Belfast who was not Irish and you could tell he had no clue. We ended up getting back to our flats at about 8:30pm and the first thing I did was take a shower! First, because I was disgusting from the weekend of avoiding the shower in Paris. Second, it's freezing in Belfast!!!! Like two weeks ago we were still in the high 50s...then went down to the mid-high 40s which is about what it was when we left for the weekend. We get back to low 30s and some snow! Crazy!!!
Monday, December 5th
--------------------------------
Didn't go to sociology lecture today because in that class we are down to review for the others final which is completely different than mine so there is no point in me going. I did go to seminar though because I thought we would be getting back our test 2 results but we didn't...oh well that was our last seminar for that class. Now, I have no lectures or seminars for sociology just my exam next week on Tuesday and then I'm finished with that class! I did get an email last night from my politics professor letting me know that my essay questions replacing my final would be due for me not until December 23rd! That's great to here because that means I can focus on just sociology til next week on Tuesday when I can be done with that class and then start on politics. I'm not going to wait until December 23rd though...I will turn those in no later than the Friday of next week so when I'm travelling with my parents I'm just through with this semester completely.
After seminar Ally and I went on our last souvenir shopping trip in Victoria Square and I have now got something for everyone I needed things for which feels really good. Actually, I do have one more person but that's ok I can find something for them I'm just not sure yet at all.
Ally and I have planned that this week every night is library night so we will be in the library til close which is 10pm and we got there at 5:30pm so we were in there for 4.5 hours and then Tuesday-Thursday it will probably be even longer times. Sounds yucky but if we can force ourselves to be suuuper productive this week it will completely pay off in the end!
Today was a day for Politics instead of sociology. Sociology will be my main focus the rest of this week and especially Monday and Tuesday morning then I can forget everything haha. Tuesday-Thursday in the library preparing my essay questions...little bits of studying in Scotland over the weekend and a TON of preparation on Monday for my exam Tuesday that is form 9-12. Then, back to politics til Friday and then I'm finished! Crazy! Today had to be politics though because I have an exam tomorrow morning.
After we were done in the library we were "rewarded" by Ireland with having to walk back to our flats in the freezing pouring down rain which has kept me chilly ever since! Snacking on some grapes and gonna skype Robert in a little bit and then it's sleepy time!
No comments:
Post a Comment