Adventures in Paris

Hey everyone,
Hope all is well! Cannot believe I will be back in the States in less than a month. I can honestly say that these past few months have flown by, and I will forever remember the amount of great memories and amazing destinations I have been able to visit. My trip to Paris, France, was amazing, and Paris was definitely one of my favorite cities I have visited throughout Europe. The trip started interestingly, as I arrived in the Paris airport in search for my friend David, who studies in Copenhagen, Denmark. We decided to meet at the train line, inside the airport, once we arrived (on separate planes.) As I strolled through the airport terminal in route to the RER B train line, to get to the city center, I heard David screaming my name and demanding me to hurry. Without hesitation, we sprinted through hundreds of people in the airport, in hopes to get on the last train of the evening. Thankfully we made it, but only within seconds, as the doors were closing as we boarded the train. It was great to reunite with David, and this was the start of our adventures in Paris.
Once we reached our "hotel", by the name of Hotel Du Commerce, we reunited with our other traveling partner Nate. We dropped our stuff in the "hotel" room, and headed out for our first meal and beers in the city of Paris. I will explain the reason for the word "hotel" to be in quotations towards the end of the blog, as it was an unreal and horrifying experience, yet funny. Back to Thursday night, we all walked throughout the Latin quarter, in which our hotel was located, and found a restaurant by the name "Le Pont" which turned out to be one of our most favorite meals. We found a restaurant, in which overlooked the historical Notre Dame Cathedral, and was completely packed at 12:30 AM. We dined and drank beers, while conversing amongst each other and talking about our past few months. After a couple of hours, we decided to hit the hay, as we had a big couple of days ahead of us.
On Friday, we awoke around 9AM and decided to purchase a ticket for a double Decker tour bus, in hopes of saving time and being able to reach the touristic destinations quickly. Although the bus was helpful and we were able to use it for 2 days, it was not "great." The bus was in horrible shape, and took hours to get to stops, and was not "efficient." However, Europe in general is not as efficient as the United States, and we were able to freeze our butts off on the top level. Our first stop and destination on Friday was to the world famous museum, called The Louvre. I am not much of an art critic, but the design of the entire museum, which is enormous, and the quality of art work inside was amazing. I was able to see the Original Mona Lisa, as well as several other well known works. The entrance to the museum was one of the highlights, as it is a steel and glass pyramid, be sure to ask to see the pictures.
After spending several hours at the Louvre, we decided to jump back on our tour bus and head to the Opera Garnier, which is in the 9Th district. This Opera house was fantastic, and we were able to spend a few hours walking around the upscale district in which surrounds this historical monument. We then made a big mistake, and decided to eat a restaurant by the name of the "American Dream," in hopes of getting a little taste of American food. This was an extremely poor decision, as the food was almost inedible, the french fries tasted as though they were from 3 weeks prior, and the milkshakes were.... JUST MILK! However, it was a "funny" and costly experience, but nonetheless an experience to remember.
Later in the afternoon, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe, which is an unbelievable monument, in which we were able to climb over 200 stairs and reach the top. This was unreal, as we were able to see the entire city, as the sunset. The views of the Eiffel Tower and the entire city were beautiful, although the wind and below O degree Celsius weather was not comfortable. I forgot too add that the entire weekend was filled with below 0 degree weather, which is approximately 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Not too easy, but pretty fun to be able to dress warmly, and wear layers, something I rarely have to do. After this full day, we decided to head back to Hotel Du Commerce, and take a quick nap.
Where to start with Hotel Du Commerce... Well lets just say that it was possibly the worst establishment I have ever stayed in, and we later found out that it is a hotel with ZERO stars. Although located in a prime location, it is not easy to stay in a hotel in which has stains on the sheets, trash in the room, bugs in the corners of the rooms, and last but not least... a shower with a mind of its own. At any point, the water would be burning, or freezing... which i guess kept all of us on our toes. Whatever you do, don't ever stay at the Hotel Du Commerce.
Back to happy memories, Friday night we watched the Eiffel Tower spectacular, in which sparkles every hour on the hour. This is fabulous to see, and even more spectacular as the entire tower is lit up blue, with the stars representing the European Union. Because France is the President of the European Union at the present time, the Eiffel Tower is especially lit up, and I cannot stress how amazing it looks in person. After an amazing French/Italian dinner, we attempted to go to one of the Posh nightclubs by the name of "Showtime," but we were rejected because we were American Males. Not a great feeling to be judged and discriminated, but we were able to have a great night and get into another club.
Saturday was another filled day with one of the most exciting activities I have done while being abroad. After waiting in line for almost an hour and a half, we headed to the TOP of the Eiffel Tower, which is approximately 1,063 feet high. This was an unbelievably amazing view, although it was below freezing. It was awesome to be on the top of such a historical and famous structure. After our adventure to the top of the Tower, we explored the local farmers market, and spent the rest of the afternoon visiting several of the other monuments and historical destinations within Paris. Saturday night, we ate at a French restaurant, and attempted to get into another nightclub, by the name of Duplex. For some reason, the giant black french men who are the bouncers of the nightclubs do not like American men at all, and we went O/2 on our posh nightclub experiences. However, we were again able to have a great evening, and drink at a local bar.
Sunday, our last day in Paris, was freezing. It was again, 0 Degrees Celsius and snowed in the city for the first time this season. It was awesome to be out in the middle of Paris, and it snowing in the street. We purchased souvenirs, and walked around the extremely trendy main road of Paris. However, after several hours, it was too cold and time to head back to get on the RER line B train back to the airport, which was yet again a "interesting" experience.
All three of us were so tired, that we passed out as soon as we got on the train, and woke up to the train closing its doors on David and Nate's stop in the airport. Luckily, they were able to get there bags and exit the horrible smelling train in time, and I exited on the next stop. Overall, it was an amazing weekend and I enjoyed Paris very much. I definitely want to return sometime in the near future, and NOT stay at the Hotel Du Commerce.
As for this week in Barcelona, I have to start working on 2 presentations I have coming up. This coming weekend I will be in Barcelona, and will be visiting Tarrogona on Friday as an excursion with the program. Hope everyone has a wonderful week, and a very happy thanksgiving! Not sure what my plan is for Thanksgiving, but I do know I will definitely be missing home that day, and would love to hear from you guys. Love everyone.
-Brandon