Paris!

So, seeing as it would take me forever to tell you everything I loved about Paris, I will just do the main sights- that you all know about.

The Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, I didn't have four hours to wait to go up to the first level, so we just looked around and took some incredible photos. It is stunning.  None of the pictures you see do it justice. One of my favorite things there is the park surrounding the Tower, you can wander through yet still see the Tower no matter where you are.

Notre Dame. This was my absolute favorite sight of Paris. It was breath-taking. There is a tradition that if you stand in a certain spot and spin around then you will return to Paris, don't worry mission accomplished- I will be back! :) I loved going in and seeing the amazing cathedral inside. I saw this first thing in the morning and then I ended up coming back to see it again later in the day. Right across from Notre Dame is the Latin Quarter- which has such a different feel from the rest of Paris, this was also one of my favorites.

The Louvre. I was unsure if I really wanted to go in. I appreciate art as much as the next non-art major, but I only had one day in Paris and I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend it in a museum, but I decided that even if it was only for a couple of hours it would be worth it. I of course saw the Mona Lisa, which in reality is tiny- not too exciting, and WAY too many people around it. I was more amazed by the other work in that section. I saw most of the levels of the Sully and one floor of the Denon. My favorite painting was a Georges de La Tour, Magdalen with the Night Light. It is beautiful. I loved going in the museum, and it is worth seeing even though you can't really see the whole thing!

Opera House in Bastille. This is famous for The Phantom of the Opera. You cannot go inside without tickets, but it was fun to walk around the outside and get a feel for the building. I would love to go to a play there!

Champs De Elysses. Dude, DO NOT (I repeat: Do Not) walk this in boots. You may be thinking, like me, that your boots are incredibly comfortable, and they complete your outfit and make you look more European. Although all of the above may be true, walk three miles in my boots and then you will agree a nice pair of Nike's would have been much more suited for the 1.5 miles up and 1.5 miles back. Yes, I was stupid, but Champs is worth it. The shops along the Champs are amazing, not that I can afford them, but it was fun to see. At the end of Champs De Elysses you have the gorgeous Arc De Triomphe. They were having a memorial the day that I went (not sure if this is a daily ritual or if there was a special occasion) but there were soldiers, French flags and gorgeous flowers/ fire around the base. It was really neat to watch, and it was fun to walk around the Arc.