Bonjour!

Paris is different from any place I have traveled to before. The other day, Kiran and I were discussing Paris and the entire atmosphere of the city -- everything just seems more sophisticated and elegant there. Whether it be the architecture or the clothing or the even the dogs (right, Kiran?), everything about Paris shouts of couture and fashion. White and gray colored buildings line the narrow, busy roads. On the corners of these buildings are ever-so-slight-eye-catching details of gold statues and curving sculptures atop what seem like thousands of uncountable windows.

As expected, everything in Paris was in French. This proved to be a slight challenge for me and Mom since our French knowledge combined sums to the grand total of "Bonjour," "Merci" (or as Mama so sweetly puts it, "Mercy"), and the newly acquired phrase of "Parlez-vous anglais?" (Translation: Do you speak English?) Oh, and we learned the French word for exit too (sortie) after being lost in an incredibly confusing and large subway -- we just wanted to get out, and we tried to follow the crowd, but the crowd was transferring to different lines...not leaving. Finally a kind person who spoke English stopped and helped us. :)



Our Parisian vacation included three full days in Paris which allowed us to take things a little more slowly as well as see many of the much-anticipated sights. Weather on the first day in Paris was quite chilly but with a beautiful blue sky. This day we took a bus tour around the city to see everything and kind of get our bearings for where things are and what we really want to spend time seeing.




The Pullman Hotel in Paris was where we stayed - and God truly blessed us with an incredible place! Our room was on the 16th floor which gave a breath-taking view of the city. Paris is gorgeous during the day - bustling and booming - but I think I like the view even more at night. It's like a starry night sky brought down to earth -- twinkles and shimmers glittering as far as you can see.




And not only was our view amazing, but we literally slept in THE MOST comfortable beds. Think lush down comforters, fluffy white pillows, a mattress that is not too hard or too soft...it is all just right. It's like wrapping yourself in one big marshmallow sleeping heaven. Mom and I were slightly tempted to spend an entire day in the beds because they were just that comfortable. But we were in Paris, so despite the unbelievable beds, we forced ourselves out into the cold to do some exploring. :)

Day two of our trip had weather that was....well, not the best. Cold and rainy. And I (yet again) forgot my umbrella at home in Antilla (you would think I would have learned by now!?). Thankfully my jacket had a hood and Mom had a rainjacket with a hood. During the day, Mom mentioned that her upper back felt wet -- later we found out that her rain coat had been leaking all day which explained why her back was wet! The cold and rain was do-able, but it did get to be a bit much when we hopped on our half open/half closed-in bus tour and the only remaining seats were upstairs on the "open" part of the bus. So there we were, sitting on the open level of the bus, rain pouring down, hoods up, Mom's coat leaking, laughing at the absurdity of the situation. We knew we were making good memories, and what really mattered was the fact that we were together. :)



On that cold and rainy day, we saw more of Paris (think: Notre Dame, Arc de Triumph, Eiffel Tower, Seine River), and we spent a little extra time at the Louvre Museum and the park located outside of the Louvre (Jardin des Tuileries). Both were elaborately large and grand sights to see. Later that day, we had lunch and did a little Paris shopping (you have to go shopping in Paris!). Mom treated herself to a cool silver necklace and she graciously bought me a brightly-colored purse!





Our third and final day in Paris was probably the best one. We had booked a tour for us in which we would have (another) bus tour of Paris (we hoped to learn some more new things on this one!), a trip to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, and a Seine River cruise. The Eiffel Tower and the river cruise were two things we were looking extremely forward to, and booking those things through a tour group was an excellent choice. We were able to bypass huge lines which not only saved time but also a lot of stress. Our tours didn't begin until about 3 in the afternoon, so we slept in a little (in the amazing heavenly hotel beds) before heading into the city. We ate our traditional cinnamon pastries and coffee with cream, and then took the newly mastered subway in. Once in the city, we walked along a popular street filled with those kind-of-tacky but kind-of-irresistible souvenir shops that you find in every country -- so of couse we stopped in. :) A Parisian hat for me, a bright and beautiful scarf for Mom, and some souvenirs for home were all purchased.

After shopping, we headed to the restaurant Angelina's. Our concierge at our hotel had recommended this place to us "You must go there. They have the best hot chocolate!" We figured we could get the hot chocolate and some lunch before beginning our many tours for the afternoon. Angelina's is beautiful - again, it is totally Parisian and absurdly fancy and posh. Mom and I enjoyed good conversation in huge comfy chairs as we munched on club sandwiches, french fries (I was excited to eat French fries in France -- even though I know they probably aren't from there, Mama!), and then the much-anticiapted hot chocolate. Having a deep love for hot chocolate, I was excited for this experience. And oh my goodness. My American friends here in Spain pick of me (in good fun, mind you) for making noises when I eat certain foods. I tend to let out an "oooh" or an "mmm" or an "OOhh..my goodness! MMM...that's good!" What can I say? I love food, and I'm an expressive individual. So if I think something tastes good, you're gonna know it. And let me tell you, my dear reader....was I making noises with this hot chocolate! It was incredible! Literally -- it tasted like someone took one of my Mama's delicious three-layer chocolate cakes with chocolate frosting -- melted it down, heated it up, poured it into a delightful little mug, and said "Bon appetit!" It was just that good. :)




Finishing up at Angelina's, we headed over to meet our bus tour. First we did the bus tour -- it was comfortable, dry, warm, and informative! Following the bus tour, we headed for the Eiffel Tower. This was probably me and Mom's favorite part of Paris -- again, it kind of left me with the same feeling that the Colosseum did -- amazement, awe, and gratitude. Am I really here? Is this really my life? I kept asking myself.

We hopped on the elevator up to the second floor (which is really much higher than a normal second floor in a building), and took in the enermoity of Paris. It is just such a huge city! You look down and see buildings and buildings and buildings, and then you look up and see specks of blue sky, white clouds, and this immense iron giant beside you. Incredible.





After being floored by the Eiffel Tower, we headed for our Seine River cruise. The cruise was a nice way to see Paris from a different perspective. As with the bus tour, the cruise was warm (we sat in the glass-closed in part of the boat) and informative. :)

The next morning we woke up early for our trip to London. But this time we weren't going by plane, but instead in the much-anticipated chunnel! :)