Paris

The Seine River



In the Place du Chatelet (once the center of a fortress)



Notre Dame!

July 24th

Today, we didn’t quite wake up in Paris. Our train was supposed to pull in at 7:30, but didn’t end up getting to our destination until 11:30. How we got so behind I’m not sure, but it was okay because we didn’t know if we would be able to check in to our hotel that early anyways. So, when we got to Paris we finally grabbed “breakfast” and walked to our hotel. We took the scenic route to our hotel of course to maximize our sight-seeing experience. After all, we only have about 2 ½ days here, and tomorrow is basically dedicated to Le Tour! If you have ever looked at a map of Paris, you know that there are many things to see. Everywhere you look is a huge building that has some history behind it. So, we had to prioritize what we wanted to see. The list is as follows: Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Arc de Triomfe, and the Palace of Versailles (and of course the Tour, but that is not even a question). So far we have seen Notre Dame which was quite the gothic spectacle, gardens, and many important looking buildings. After that we found our hotel and watched the last time trial of Le Tour. Then it was off to do laundry (something we needed desperately) and to have dinner. While our laundry was in the washer we decided to get some Chinese food. Nate was a bit skeptical of Chinese food in France, but I am getting very sick of the sandwiches and snacks that they serve here. It turns out that the restaurant was fantastic and they were even making homemade noodles. It was very nice to get some variety in our diet. I also discovered that I have a talent that could earn me millions on city streets the likes of Paris or Barcelona...While inhaling my food, I forgot to chew a couple of times. Then I got a funny feeling in my nasal passages. I blew my nose and what should come out but one of my rice noodles at least an inch long.
Then, when our clothes were in the dryer, we hit the grocery store to get some food, drinks, and snacks to hold us over for the next three days. We are making plans for visiting the Eiffel Tower tomorrow morning, but that will require waking up early so we will see. Then, the rest of the day will be spent on Champs d’Elysees watching Le Tour!! But, for now, we are hanging out in the hotel reading our new English books.

Mo