Europe: Paris

The Paris section of our trip has concluded and I have time to write about it! We are currently on the Auto Train traveling through the Furka Pass in the Swiss Alps. It's pretty dark right now in this tunnel....

January 17, 2015
       I met my parents at the train stop at Paris Noord around 1PM. We then walked a short 15min to our flat. This day was sooo much warmer than my entire stay in Amsterdam. I couldn't stop raving about the nice sunshine and warmth. We walked into the elevator and it was the tiniest little shaft box I have ever seen. We all squeezed into it (I’m pretty sure it was only meant for 2 people) and Mom suggested we take a selfie. Brilliant. I followed Dad through our apartment door and I was blown away by the size and WARMTH. I guess you really appreciate things when you have been in a worse situation! I was so happy. We then decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower since it was so nice outside. We figured this would take 45min but it ended up taking close to two hours with all the photo ops and navigating the complex streets of Paris.

 

We could always see the Tower but we never seemed to be getting any closer! We definitely walked over 8 miles this day. As we walked it was obvious that Paris had tons of history behind it and all the buildings had gorgeous architecture. They all looked like museums. And of course, cafes on every possible corner! We eventually reached the Eiffel Tower and it was beautiful!

A truly amazing structure. We walked beneath the base and looking up from below was something special. After getting our fill, we found a lovely cafe for dinner where you could literally see the top of the Eiffel Tower. Unbelievable. Dad ordered the most amazing quiche I have ever tasted, I ordered a steak and crème brulee (duh), and Mom was a typical American and ordered a cheeseburger haha. We all had a delicious glass of wine as well. This crème brulee though, oh my gosh! Let me tell you about it. The top was perfectly caramelized so that when you tapped it with your spoon it cracked ever so slightly. And when it was consumed....mmmmmmm. The sugar stuck in the crevasses of my teeth and the custard was so creamy. Ok I need to get off this subject, I'm starting to drool. Mom and I went to use the ladies room. We got to the doors and the handles weren’t moving….locked? We went up to a worker and asked if we could have a key and all he said was, “Push. Strong.” Meanwhile, the men’s room next door had an open faced toilet and a dude was peeing as we walked by. Awkward… Mom and I returned to the bathroom doors and “pushed strong” and both of us almost fell into the toilet…that gave us a good laugh. We left the café around 5:30PM as the sky grew darker. The Eiffel Tower started lighting up and I knew it would sparkle at any moment. At 6PM exactly, the structure sparkled with marvelous beauty and

everyone ooo’ed and ahh’ed. It dazzled me to the point where I was speechless, breathless, and mindless. Incredible. Words really cannot capture this moment. We took many pictures (by we I mean me taking Nikon photos and Dad taking selfies haha) and basked in the wonder of the structure. After this we walked along Champs-Elysees to get back to our place and we passed the Arc de Triumph along the way. We arrived back around midnight and passed out. First day in Paris was very successful! The Trumpoldts are in Paris baby!

January 18, 2015
       We slept in until 10AM which felt amazing and then we cooked our own breakfast. We then walked to Notre Dame since it was another nice day. I had been to Notre Dame before in 2007 for a high school trip but this time around I could fully appreciate the magnitude of the structure.

It was a whole new experience. We were lucky enough to walk in right as a service was concluding. People were singing hymns and prayers which echoed throughout the entire building. The ceiling was extremely high and the architecture was impeccable.

 

It was amazing because everywhere you looked the walls and windows were so intricate. The lighting inside was also impressive - low light with many candles throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of our trip. More so than I thought I would. Afterwards, we placed a lock on the bridge of Love Locks. This is where people will attach a padlock to the fence and then throw the key into the water to signify an everlasting bond. I'm against polluting the river so we just kept the key ;) The public memorial for Je Suis Charlie was next on the list and this was a very moving experience. It was just 2 weeks ago that 6 reporters were shot and killed at Charlie Hebdo – a newspaper company. We found the memorial just a block away from the crime scene. This was very emotional. Thousands upon thousands of flowers, candles, scrapbooks, photos, you name it, were piled on this street. It was very powerful. Items were left on the street from

all countries giving their condolences. Police officers blocked off and guarded the actual building which was about 20m from the memorial. You could feel the emotions running through the air. Such a tragedy. In the midst of all this despair it was nice to see that people from all over the world were supporting the residents of Paris. Flowers, candles, and signs labeled from countries all over the world were present in the pile. It’s a true shame that this kind of evil exists in the world. But it is also nice to see that it can bring people together in a common emotion and form connections worldwide. Next on the agenda was salsa dancing!! We went at 5:30PM and the place was so fancy! It had a wide staircase that led up to a balcony floor that overlooked the dance floor. Most of the seats were made of red velvet and chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

I danced with numerous guys who were all EXTREMELY talented. Even better than Amsterdam which I didn't think was possible. My parents said when they watched they thought everyone on the floor was a professional dancer. I danced with a very nice French guy named Tuan and we became great friends. He offered to show me the city by motorbike to which I declined because I was with my parents. We exchanged contact information and I told my parents about him. They urged me to hang out with him as long as they could meet him first. So, I contacted him later that night during dinner/dessert/wine. Tuan met up with us around 10PM and then he drove me around on his motorbike! It was a breathtaking way to tour the city.

All the lights whizzing by were unbelievably beautiful. I felt like I was dropped into a movie. He

asked if I wanted to see Eiffel Tower to which I responded, "OMG PLEASE I LOVE THE EIFFEL TOWER AT NIGHT. IT'S SO PRETTY" He laughed and said "I'll take that as a yes. To the Eiffel Tower we go!" We got there right when it started sparkling. Perfect timing. I'm addicted to this view. After we soaked it in for a bit, he drove me back home and I filled my parents in on the trip. What an amazing day! Thank goodness for salsa and for meeting locals!











January 19, 2015
       Our last day in Paris! We had an early start so we could spend some solid time in the Louvre. I'm not so much into museums and art but I must say this place is pretty awesome.

 You could literally spend days within it. 3 floors that are filled with famous paintings/sculptures/jewels/pottery. The best part was taking a selfie with the Mona Lisa. Once it hit lunch time, we wandered to a cafe that had paninis listed on the menu - this was a must do for us. And boy they didn't let us down! That panini was the best I have ever had. To this day (2 days later) I still bring it up in conversation. We then took the metro to Sacre Coeur Basillica. This provided an incredible view of Paris. You could see all the major landmarks except for the Eiffel Tower. The building itself was very cool as well. It looked like the Taj Mahal from the outside and a watered down version of Notre Dame inside.  We then took the metro to the Eiffel Tower so we could go up and see the city! I was a little scared but I tried not to think about it. I made it to the 1st floor in 2007 so it’s time to raise the bar and reach the 2nd! We reached the ET at 4:30PM and waited in many lines and elevator queues. We finally got on the elevator at 5:30PM and I was still blocking my mind from what was about to happen. My plan was to make it to the 1st floor and then buy a glass of wine to urge me to the 2nd. Well…this plan didn’t execute. We stopped on the first floor and the doors didn’t open!! Ah! Freak out! It then continued up and I was terrified. The doors opened and I immediately ran to the nearest stable pole, making sure not to look out at the view. Mom was very amused by my reaction and video recorded me. After a while, I left my pole friend and we all took pictures on the edge.

 

It was an astounding view. The city lights were magical. Conquering my fear slowly but surely! Still can’t believe we went straight to floor 2. We then went into the café they had inside the center of the ET. We all ordered wine (drinking wine inside the Eiffel Tower – no big deal). We eventually headed back out into the cold to get another dose of the view. At this moment, the ET started sparkling! 6PM! It was breathtaking. We walked around for a good while, took lots of selfies, and rode the elevator back down. We again timed it perfectly because the ET started to sparkle! 7PM! Ahhh! I’m gonna miss seeing this every night…We headed toward Moulin Rouge next and then ate Raclette for dinner per Tuan's suggestion. This is like fondue but you melt cheese on your own little griddle and mix it with meat and potato. The French waitress had to teach us how to do it at first. We were getting the hang of it but then I dropped meat into the hot coils and a little stream of smoke formed...whoops. The waitress watched us with amusement the entire time as did a guy at a table near us. Everyone watch the troubled Americans! It was a super delicious experience thanks to Tuan. We took the metro back home and I met up with Tuan again for an hour or so at a nearby cafe. I ordered crème brûlée for the third night straight! Never gets old. Finally called it a night around midnight. Ready to wake up early and depart for Geneva, Switzerland!!