I just got back from Paris and I can’t get over just how magical it was. I was there form 24 nov – 27 nov… yeah, that’s correct, I got to spend Thanksgiving in Paris! Qué suerte! It was my first Thanksgiving away from home and although I missed being at home with my wonderful family, API did a good job of jiving us a nice Thanksgiving in a home away from home.
As opposed to waking up in my house, watching football with my family and having a big Turkey Day feast at our house, I spent my morning/afternoon preparing for Paris, France. We left Thanksgiving Day from the Granada airport flying directly to ORLY, arriving around 5:30 pm. Luego, conducimos durante una hora al centro de Paris. We arrived around 7:30 at the hotel because the airport is about an hour away but there was a lot of traffic so it took a little longer. As we rolled into Paris, I got my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower that I will never forget. Against the night sky, the tour was lit up in the distance with the sister Statue of Liberty in front of it. As we got closer, the twinkly lights came on and it was magical—like nothing I had ever seen before. I felt like a kid in a candy store – pure happiness and giddiness; I was in awe. As we drove around Paris to get to our hotel, I got even more excited to be blessed enough to be in Paris, let along to be there for Thanksgiving.
As soon as we got to the hotel, we dropped our stuff and immediately headed off to our Thanksgiving dinner. The restaurant we went to did an amazing job on our dinner. I wasn’t expecting it to be too much like Thanksgiving at home because, after all, we were in a Parisian restaurant and I was guaranteed to not be consuming my families’ Thanksgiving dinner. What we were served though, more than exceeded my expectations. We started with squash soup followed by a plate piled high with turkey with cranberries, mashed potatoes, corn, and cooked carrots. Topping off a great meal was a warm mini pecan pie with a scoop of some of the most flavorful vanilla bean ice cream I’ve ever had. I had a great Día de acción de gracias with a new family of mine.
After dinner, everyone went off exploring Paris. Blake, Rachel, Kristen, Jiela, Justin, Tyler, & I went walking all around, getting a little lost, but finding our way eventually. We found the “Love Bridge” of Paris: a pedestrian bridge that is llena de cerraduras (locks)! These locks are put on by couples in hopes of locking their love and making it everlasting. It was cool to stroll up and down this bridge looking at all the different types of locks –big, small, old, new, colored, black, gold, and silver. Very significant of all the types of love there are out there—okay, a little mushy but I’m a bit of a romantic so I loved it.
On Friday, our 1st full day of Paris, we all started with a trip to the Louvre! I’m now officially traveling throughout all my old computer backgrounds. The famous and controversial Louvre glass triangle was previously one of them and now, I have pictures of myself standing in front of it! We had a tour to see little bits of the Louvre including the Big 3: the Mona Lisa, The Winged Angel, and the Venus de Milo. It was almost overwhelming the amount of art that we saw (and we didn’t even see a fraction of it! Looking at every obra at the Louvre for 30 seconds would take 3 ½ months!)
After the Louvre, Kristen, Rachel, Jade, Blake and I went out to lunch at a little café cerca del Louvre. I ordered a salmon and avocado tartar. It was DELICIOUS. Very fresh and flavorful. Luego, andábamos mucho por la ciudad. We went to the Eiffel Tower to go check it out. After taking our fair share of pictures, we decided it was the perfect time to go to the top. There was no way we could have ever planned what happened next. While we waited in line, it was around 5 o’clock and still light out (as much as it could be with the amount of clouds there were). By the time we took the lift (yes, the lift. Those stairs were not going to be climbed by me in that weather) the skies had cleared just enough for us to have an incredible view of all of Paris. Además, as we got up there, the sun was just beginning to set. The setting sun shone through the thinning nubes (clouds) in colors of light pink, gold, and deeper tones of pink and purple. It was windy and cold but completely worth it. We could see all of Paris in a few gazes over –pure belleza. To add to the already amazing time we were having up there, the Tower lit up while we were in it and then it started twinkling as well. We were also lucky enough to see the transformation of Paris from day to night – we literally saw Paris light up right before our eyes. Talk about perfect timing. We left the tippy top for the 1st level where there was a café. We warmed up with cappuccino and hot chocolate before heading all the way back down to ground level. We made our way back via Metro (which is awesome and so efficient. We had practically aced it by our 2nd day there).
That night, Blake, Rachel, and I went walking around Paris to see the Christmas lights at the Galleries du Lafayette. All the windows to the shops were so cool and extravagant. There were ones depicting NYC (complete with a mini King Kong atop a building) to ones filled with—what I considered—spazzing marionettes. I think the desired effect was dancing/singing/having a blast but it came off a tad bit creepy. We were heading to a restaurant that looked absolutely precious, decorated with Christmas trees and lights, when we ran into Rachel P. and Allyson. They decided to join us for dinner! Rachel P. and I split French Onion Soup and puff pastries with goat cheese and tomato. All very good. The goat cheese was very yummy. After dinner, Rachel P. and Allyson headed back to the hotel and Rachel, Blake, and I went to try and find this cool bar Kristen had heard of. We found it and it was cool inside but not quite what we were expecting. We think there are 2 of these bars or the day pictures and what it is at night are just a little different. We walked in and it was packed so we decided to decir hasta luego a esta bar. We walked to a few others on same street but everything was muy caro (although, most of Paris is pretty dang expensive) and the crowd was a little older. We were all beat anyways so we headed back to the hotel.
On Saturday, I had to get up early for the API bus tour of Paris. At first, I was apprehensive about spending 3 horas on a bus but decided to give it a go. I’m glad that I did because I got to see a lot of sites that otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to see. After the bus tour dropped us off at Notre Dame, I went to go find some lunch. Chelsea, Tyler, Curtis, Kristen, Justin, Jade, Blake, Rachel, Jiela and I went walking and saw the café where Hemingway wrote some of his works. We walked inside but it was packed and not accommodating to 10 people. Blake, Rachel, Ji, Jade, Kris and I ended up at a restaurant that was to die for. I got a curried chicken salad that was so fresh tasting. Mmmm. I could have easily eaten 3 more.
I left the restaurant early to go meet up with the one and only Marina Crouse at the Louvre!! I was so giddy leading up to 2:30, I could barely contain myself. Before meeting there though, I kind of got stuck underneath the Louvre. Yes. Literally, I could not get out. I kept wandering around, passing beneath one of the small glass triangles where Marina probably was waiting right next to. Finally, 10 minutes later and many laps around the underground Louvre shopping center and the Louvre parking garage, I managed to find the exit. At last, I was reunited with Ms. Crouse and it was so great. It was very surreal hugging and chatting with her in front of the Louvre. Pure craziness that the last time I saw her was at my house in Media and the next time we saw each other was in Paris, France!
After our wonderful reunion, we went to Starbucks for coffee and to chat (current trending theme in my travels is obligatory trips to Starbucks. Seeing as we don’t have them in Granada, it’s a luxury to get a Starbucks fix. It is also currently Christmas cup season so that just adds to the excitement). It was so amazing to see her again and talk with her. We walked around Paris for a bit and then headed over to Notre Dame to meet up with her brother and her friend, Yila, from Nantes where they both study abroad. They were hungry for dinner and I had to head back to the hotel so we decided to meet up later at the Christmas Markets for a little bit at Champs Elysees.
At the hotel, we got ready and headed off via metro to the end of Champs Elysees where the Ferris wheel is. We walked down the street lined with markets/huts selling crepes, mulled wine, handmade trinkets, fresh oysters, and scarves/hats/etc. Kristen bought some of the hot mulled wine and it was, in my opinion, disgusting. Some people had better experiences but the place we got it from was not good. I was able to meet up with Marina for a little bit at the markets. The timing didn’t quite work out so that we had just walked through the markets and they had just gotten there. We agreed to meet up the next morning to get breakfast and then spend the morning juntos.
We departed the Christmas markets and walked over to the Eiffel Tower. It was still just as stunning and breathtaking as the first time I had seen it. The twinkly lights are like an instant mood pick-me-up. It’s impossible to look at them and not become happy. Some people I was with hadn’t gone to the top yet so while they went up, Kristen, Blake, Rachel, and I went back to the hotel since we had already been up.
On Sunday, I rose & shone early to go meet with Marina and Yila for breakfast. We got a wonderful Parisian breakfast consisting of a fresh croissant, freshly squeezed OJ, café au lait, and an omelet du fromage (cheese). The croissant and OJ were by far my favorite part of that breakfast. After we ate, we went back to Marina’s hotel to grab their luggage and check out. We then decided to go to the Panteón, where many famous/influential people are buried. We climbed down a series of stairs to reach the labyrinth llena de cadávers. There were so many well known people! Many of the tombs were also elaborately crafted while others were quite simple, adorned with some wilting flowers from visitors past.
We left the Panteón and headed for the Luxembourg Gardens. They are gardens and a large park that houses a large lake as well as many chairs to sit and watch the mini boats, powered by someone along the edge, sail by. We hopped back on the metro and Marina and Yila headed off to lunch near Musée d´Orsay while I rode back to Saint-Lazare to go to the hotel because we were leaving for the airport at 1:45.
I left Paris in a flurry of emotions. I’m always excited to come home to Granada but I was sad to leave Paris. Even though I’ve heard some horror stories of Paris, I had an amazing experience there. The city and all the people I got the chance to meet treated me very well and were muy amables. Además, I don’t speak French but, with what I experienced, if you try, that goes a long way. I can’t wait to be able to tell my kids about my amazing time abroad but also about my first Thanksgiving away from home in Paris when I was 20 years old. In the words of Jimmy Buffett, I’m counting my Lucky Stars.
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