We arrived at our hostel that night - the BVJ - with the help of Drew's cousin (Jenny). She lives in Paris with her boyfriend (Hugo) and we would have been very lost without them. The hostel was amazing! Very hotel-like without the price. It was nice to have a room to ourselves and not have to worry about our stuff getting stolen.
Breakfast Saturday morning consisted of cereal and coffee in a bowl (?). Interesting.
Next we explored the metro system and made our way to the Eiffel Tower. It was my second time seeing it, and it was just as big and glorious as I remembered. We took a few pictures then continued on our way to the Arc de Triumph and the Champs-Élysées. They were my favorite part of Paris last time I came and this time too.
This is about when the downpour of rain started. It didn't stop us though! We sheltered in a store for a few minutes then continued on to meet up with Jenny and Hugo again for lunch. They explained that there are three very different areas in France, each with different cultures and attitudes - the south, the north, and the Parisians. The restaurant was had owners from southern France. The food was very good! I had a tartine.
Next we walked (in the rain) to the Notre Dame and waited in line to go inside. It was so amazing - probably one of the most breath taking things I've ever seen. Inside, the organs were playing and there was a choir singing rather eerie music, but it definitely made the whole place come to life.
Next, with the help of Hugo, we purchased our train tickets home. Yes, this means that until Saturday afternoon I was in Paris without a way back to Bonn. The exciting life of a backpacker!
After this we walked around the Latin Quarter, then made our way up Montmartre. It is basically the name of the area that includes a church - Basilica of the Sacré Cœur - on top of a hill over looking the city. It is also known for being an art district, where my family visited two years ago and purchased a painting. Once we made it up the hill (huffing and puffing), we took pictures of the view and the church, then wandered around the artists square admiring their works.
After this, we walked around until we found the Moulin Rouge - just to take pictures. Last time I was here with my family, we went to the show and my dad was invited on stage!
Our last stop was a giant mall! I also remembered going there with my family. We didn't stay long because everything in Europe closes early.
Kicked out back into the rain, we searched desperately for crepes for dinner. I had one with nutella and bananas! Best. Thing. EVER.
After an exhausting day, we decided to head back to the hostel early and get some sleep.
The next morning, we woke up early to get in line to go up the Eiffel Tower. It was awesome! We wanted to go all the way to the top but ran out of time due to our train at noon.
We made it to the train station on time and hopped on our first of three trains that day (much better than the trip there - plus we had seats on all of them!). Once back in Bonn, I had a delicious dinner with my host parents - some kind of stir fry dish that didn't have a name. That night I met up with some friends at an Irish pub to watch the world cup finals. Needless to say, we lost to Japan. It was a fun game to watch and I had a good time with my friends anyway.
It was fun to be back in a place that I had been before and so clearly remembered - it was a chance to make comparisons and appreciate things in a new way, with new eyes. It was also fun to attempt to put to use my three years of foreign language in middle school and high school, although that didn't turn out so well for any of us. Overall, it was a very fun weekend and I am definitely getting really comfortable to traveling on my own!
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