Paris, FRANCE (not Texas)

So....it was time. 70 days in Europe. First stop...PARIS!!!!

On the flight (which I was NOT late for) I could tell I was headed to France - there was a woman walking around in between meals with a basket of baguettes to pass out. Each meal came with bread and GOOD cheese. Yup, I was heading to Paris. And eventhough I flew on 911, all went well and after 11 hours, I landed safely. 

As I waited at the starbucks to meet up with my host, I had my first impressions of Paris.
- Parisians are beautiful.
- Paris is GORGEOUS.
- Paris is also cold.

Once I met up with my LOVELY Parisian host, Samy, I got settled while he cooked me a homeade meal: wine and cheese to start, then quiche and a mozzarella salad. And for dessert a chocolate fudgy cake. Yup, I was in heaven.

Thursday was my first day to explore. I went to La Madeline Cathedral, El Concorde, the Gardens, Musee del Louvre (I didn't go in, but I saw it from the outside), Musee D'Orssey,  and the Arc de Triomphe. I spent all day at the sites, loving the scenes in Paris, and using my few French phrases that I knew. Even being alone in the city was completely magical.

That night Elen got into town, and Friday I FINALLY made one of my childhood dreams come true...I WENT TO DISNEYLAND! Me and her headed out Friday morning, taking the subway to the park. We spent the day with our minnie mouse ears acting like a kid. Riding rides, meeting the characters, and having a wonderful time at the park.

When we got home from Disney, we were at a birthday party for SAMY!!! His apartment was filled with friends (all willing to speak English to me), champagne, wine, and snacks. Being at a French houseparty was great, TONS of wine...but the REAL drink of choice with Parisians is champagne. Those bottles are the first to go, and even when they are gone, Parisians still hunt the house for more.

Saturday we didn't even wake up until 430pm, so we had dinner and then got ready for the next party. Some people from Fridays party was there, so it was nice to see some familiar faces. I met a few Americans, and we ate and drank and danced into the wee hours of the morning. I even met the man who brought Chipotle to Paris. He said if I came into the shop the next day, he would even make me a special burrito!! Once we left the party, Elen and I stayed up until the sun came up catching up and talking.

Sunday Samy took me on a last day tour of his city. We rode his scooter all over town, from the church on the top of the hill (Sacre Coure) to watch street performers with the GORGEOUS backdrop of the city. We stopped for lunch and I tried Escargo for my first time...and LOVED it. I also had duck and potatoes for lunch, and even tried ordering a carafe of water in French. I ended up asking for a carafe of milk, but luckily SAMY clarified it witht the waiter so we didn't end up with the milk. I got to the Eiffel Tower when it was still light out, but by the time I got to the top it was dark, so I got to see all the lights of Paris.

Then it was time to head back to Elen, and for us to get on the road to Belgium.

But all in all, I would have to say that Paris is one of the prettiest places I've seen. Every street was full of Parisian style, and I constantly found myself in awe. I definitely found myself wanting to stay longer, but it was time to go. I LOVED my time in the city, and most of it was due to having an awesome host, SAMY.

Aur Voir,
Apes :)