Three Days and Four Nights in the City of Lights

I have returned from my first pilgrimage to that Francophile mecca that is Paris. Yes, indeed, I fought through the rain and wind, dodged creepy men, and narrowly evaded the many souvenir sellers.

But between those events, I had a wonderful time.

-I arrived late Thursday night, and after being rudely directed to the taxi drivers by the "welcome" desk at Gare de Lyon I navigated the metro system to my hostel. Well, it was close to 11 pm when I exited the metro closest to the hostel, and it was a bit sketchy. Thankfully after a few minutes of standing around a street corner, midway between robbed and raped I heard and saw a group of young americans.... who just so happened to be headed to the same hostel! What luck!

-St. Christopher's Hostel in the 19th is probably the best hostel...ever. They were clean, helpful, (will be sending me my lost camera)! and complete with bar and lounge for that last drink after a stressful day in the city. The bunk beds were outfitted with small night lights and curtains.

- I spent most of Friday by my lonesome, since the four other girls I was meeting up with were arriving around 6 that night. So, in the wind and cold, I wandered the Seine, and saw, -shakespeare and co bookshop, musee de moyenne age, the sorbonne, jardin du luxembourg, and Musee D'orsay. Then, I wandered over to the Louvre, where I was scheduled to meet up with the Aussies that I met thursday night and later, my gal pals. The Louvre, well, the Louvre is impressive. I saw beaucoup de choses. Lots of things...I will post pictures...and no, I didn't gawk and snap photos of the Mona Lisa. She's on coasters and umbrellas for Christ's sake. Sad to say, but her thrill is gone. And although I saw many masterpieces, the louvre is just too huge. I got bored, and some rooms were so crowded with stuff, that all the paintings started to blend together. I much preferred Musee D'Orsay.

- Saturday, the gals and I wandered around the Seine, saw Notre Dame! (beautiful by the way) and walked through the bright streets of the Latin Quarter. Then, we walked right up to the Eiffel Tour, saw a march at Arc de Triomphe and braved the masses on Champs Elysees. Then, us five lovely ladies traveled back to the Latin Quarter for a wonderful dinner at an Italian Restaurant near the Pantheon. The food was nothing special, but being young, attractive, and FIVE of us, the predominately male staff loved us. When we had gorged ourselves on pasta, desserts, and the free liquer, we hit the metro again and saw the lit up Eiffel Tour from across the river. We even saw it sparkle, ..in between running from aggressive vendors, and creepy draggeurs.

- On sunday, I spent a wonderful day with an Australian friend in Montmartre. Together, in the snow! and cold, we saw Sacre Coeur, Pigalle, lunch, and the Opera Garnier. It was too beautiful. I recommend visiting it to everyone! Then, we hit up the window displays at Galleries Lafayette before returning to a nap back at the hostel. Then, after losing one trooper to the TGV, four lovely brunettes spent their last night in Paris eating one of the best meals I've ever had.

- In the morning, Paris bid me adieu, and I boarded a train back to Montpellier, school, and life as I know it....but, We'll always have paris.