Tea & Teaching: 04/18/12

It took us about three trains to get all the way to Paris. Our favorite being the Eurostar which took us through the channel tunnel and the beautiful French countryside. After leaving the train station we were shocked to find French life a little more chaotic; a group of young boys had snatched a womens purse and were immediately pursued by some men who chased them down and held them by their collars until the police came. We sought refuge in the only familiar sight, McDonalds. From there we booked three different hotels, which were all within the same block.

The first was our cheapest option so we definitely got what we paid for. Creaky floors, thin walls, lumpy bed, and loads of stairs. The next two were surprisingly nice and we successfully recovered from jet-lag in those comfy beds.

Being art majors, our second day in Paris obviously took us to the Louvre museum. We spent almost two hours taking pictures and drooling over the amazing paintings and sculptures. After what probably was miles of walking around the massive palace we sought out something to eat and happened upon a bagette stand. We found ourselves always walking around and eating loaves of bread, a French staple, and we loved every bite

After the Louvre we took a long walk down the Seine where we met up with Notre Dame Cathedral. Its located on an island in the middle of the Seine and an amazing example of Gothic architecture. The sun came out right as we walked up to the entrance, making the facade glow. Of course the large crowds had the same idea we did, to go inside, which meant us waiting in a long queue.

We saved the best for last to view the magnificant Tour d' Eiffel. We spent a while taking typical 'American' pictures, and trying to let the fact that we were in front of the Eiffel Tower soak in. 600 stairs and one long lift ride we found ourselves at the top of the tower. It was a gorgeous day so the view of the city was crisp and sunny. Paris in every direction as far as the eye can see. We killed some time walking the Champs d' Elysee. The Arc de Triomphe is surrounded by the largest round-about on the planet, and we stood for a while in amazment at the incredible driving skills of the Parisians. Those little cars know how to break and swerve well. Our main goal of the day was to see the Eiffel tower lit up at night, so we made our way back across the city at sunset.

The tower did not dissapoint, and its almost too hard to describe in words, so we'll post a lovely video Natalie took. :)

We had a very Parisian trip: Deux mille pictures, Vingt-cinq bagettes, Douze Cafe au laits, Dix tube rides, Cinq Nutella crepes, Quatre very tired girls, and one dead camera battery.

We're back in rainy England and still making plans for the coming weekend. The Long Eaton school has been very welcoming and we've already learned so much about the English school system.