Around Paris

Touring Versailles can really zap a person of their energy. At 4:30 Marta and I got on a train back into Paris. For dinner we fixed pasta at Marta's friend's apartment. Her friend has lived in the same apartment for almost 3 years in Paris. I loved talking with her about her life in Paris. Her apartment consisted of a tiny one room with a fold out bed, small table with 2 chairs, a tiny sink next to 2 burners for cookies, a miniature oven and refrigerator, and a tiny bathroom. The three of us took up the entire living space of this flat, but it was a neat experience.

We left her friend around 7 with a goal to see the Eiffel Tower a night. Marta and I stopped at a crepe stand and each ordered a chocolate crepe for dessert. We came around the corner from the crepe stand, and there was the magnificent Eiffel Tower lit up at night! The tower was an amazing sight.

After snapping a few photos, we took the metro to Montmarte on the north side of Paris. The little neighborhood is situated on a hill which provides an amazing view of Paris. My only wish is that I could have seen Paris during the day from the steps of Sacre Coeur (a church on the hill) as well. We did a little shopping along the streets while finding the metro to take back to our hotel. The day of visiting Versailles and around Paris was another success!

Sunday morning brought cloudy weather with light rain. We dressed warm and went on a hunt for breakfast. Since it was Sunday, the bakeries were few and far between. Luckily, we found a place to eat croissants and coffee before the Lourve museum. The museum is huge and people were not exaggerating when they mentioned it's size. The museum had been the former royal palace in France before Versailles. As tourists our main goal was to see the Mona Lisa, which I even took a picture of!

We wandered around the massive museum for about two hours before taking a break. We got drinks and sat at a table just admiring the building itself, aside from all of the art work it contained. Lastly, before leaving Paris we walked along the Seine River (which is now my favorite) to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The buildings along the way reflect the French architecture with tan buildings, black railings, and black roofs. I loved the views from the Seine River the most! Marta and I were sad to board the train home for Regensburg. I could have easily spent several more days in Paris.