Spring Break has already come and gone, and I can't believe I am already halfway done with my semester. Today marks 2 months that I have been here in Rome, and that doesn't seem possible.
Early Monday morning we maneuvered Rome public transportation to the airport, where we were headed for Nice (said like niece). Nice is a beach town on the French Riviera which is beautiful with awesome beaches, restaurants, and shopping. It was a little too cold though when we were there to go hang out at the beach, so we explored, ate, and relaxed, which is exactly what I think of when I think of the south of France. I really want to return sometime during the summer, though, as I think it would be a completely different city and I could really enjoy the beach. All of the people were super friendly too.
However, Parisians do not have the same said about them, but from the 3 days we spent there, I didn't have one unpleasant experience with the people. They were all very kind and helpful, and in my opinion more outwardly friendly than most Italians.
When we arrived for Paris, we headed for our apartment. It was located in Montmartre, which is in the same neighborhood as the Moulin Rouge and the famous Sacre Coeur, which is a basilica located on top of a hill where you can see all of Paris. It was beautiful. We then went and saw Notre Dame, which is very different from what I expected. I expected it to be in the middle of a busy street, but instead, it was almost set off from everything else in like a little park. I didn't expect that at all. Inside was cool, but not mind-blowing. Next we headed to the Eiffel Tower, where we went all the way to the top. There were beautiful views of Paris from every angle. Absolutely breathtaking.
After leaving the Eiffel Tower, we started walking towards Avenue de Champs Elysees - which is the equivalent of Michigan Avenue in Chicago or 5th Avenue in New York. At the end is the Arc de Triumph, which is a landmark of Paris. It was very cool to see all the different stores and we stopped at a great bakery on the way and got some amazing sandwiches and desserts. One of my favorite parts of Paris was definitely the bakeries.
That night we headed back to our apartment for a night of cooking our own little makeshift meal and just relax and hang out because the next day we were headed for Versailles.
First we got on the wrong train and after riding for an hour, we realized we were not on our way to Versailles, and we were out in the middle of nowhere. We finally got on the right train and got to Versailles. Versailles was very extravagant and over the top, and the whole time I couldn't believe people lived there. It was absolutely huge and there was room after room adorned in gold and other rich colors. My favorite room was the Hall of Mirrors, which just has mirrors lining the wall opposite the windows with dozens of chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. We also toured the gardens and those were very cool, but since it was summer yet, the fountains weren't on, but there were still a lot of people there. I would like to someday return to Versailles in the summer and take in the whole effect of the gardens when everything is in bloom and the fountains are on.
On our last day in Paris we went to the Louvre to see the typical attractions - the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, etc. The room with the Mona Lisa was packed with people fighting to get to front of the crowd as she just sits up there with that smirk on her face. It is pretty funny actually. I had always heard how small it was, so when I actually saw it I thought it would be smaller than it was, which is the opposite of what people usually say.
After leaving the Louvre, we headed to the airport, and a few hours later we were back in Rome! It was a great time and I think it is safe to say Paris is my favorite city that I have visited so far and I can't wait to go back!
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| Nice from our rooms balcony |
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| The beach at Nice |
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| View from Sacre Coeur |
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| Sacre Coeur |
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| Moulin Rouge |
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| Notre Dame |
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| View of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower |
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| Myself on top of the Eiffel Tower |
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| Arc de Triumph at the end of Avenue de Champ Elysees |
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| Versailles |
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| Hall of Mirrors |
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| In the background is part of the gardens |
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| Everyone wants to see the Mona Lisa! |
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| Louvre Pyramid |
