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Saturday and Sunday

| streeter.30

 

Saturday was our free day. I spent the morning getting lost in the streets of Paris. I was out too early because there were some shops that were not even open yet. I went on a truffle and salt hunt and I ended up at a gourmet grocery store called La Grande épicerie de Paris. Walking in, I felt like I had went into food  Heaven. Spices from all over, cheeses, meats, wines, and even clothes. If I go back to Paris I am definitely going back there. It was one of the highlights of my trip.

At night I met up with Anu and Gianna and we went to a French hidden bar. It was really cool, there was music from the 40s and 50s. The drinks were also really good. We took one of the late trains there, it was so late that I thought we weren’t going to be able to take a train back. The leg room in the train made me feel bad for other tall people like myself. We bought some souvenirs and gelato and enjoyed our last night in France.

 

In the airport, i had a window seat and managed to photograph Scotland as we were flying overhead. Upon arriving home, I showed my dad the gift I gave him ( he plays cards for a living). And I took a photo to capture his joy.

 

Day 7 | Brenden Alkire

| Brenden Alkire

Day 7 started off on the wrong foot for me, as I got a really bad night of sleep. I woke up multiple times in the middle of the night super hot and had trouble sleeping in general. This made the morning especially rough, as I had a headache from a mix of exhaustion and dehydration. Even with that, however, I was ready to explore.

As a class, we headed to the Jardin des plantes to check out some of the surrounding museums. The first one that we were strongly encouraged to visit was the paleontology museum, which was probably my favorite museum in all of Paris. Like I said before, I have always had a strong interest in prehistoric life and paleontology, so everything in here was right up my alley. I even was able to use some of my knowledge from a dynamics of dinosaurs class I took last semester (highly recommended) to give some people a very unofficial and probably uninformative guided tour of parts of the museum. I really enjoyed looking at some of the specimens, and it was interesting to view some of the differences between this museum and the natural history museum in London, which was presented very differently yet contained many of the same kinds of specimens.

Following this, a small group of us went to the Paris Zoo. It was such a different feel from any other zoo I have ever been in. It seemed very condensed, yet contained at least the same amount of, if not more, animals than all of the others that come to mind (Columbus Zoo and London Zoo). They also made sure to give each exhibit more of a natural feel than you typically will find in a zoo, which I appreciated. The Paris Zoo was very close to the London Zoo on my list, if not higher (I don’t remember what I ranked the London Zoo as in my previous post, oops).

Following a small stint at the zoo, an even smaller group of us went back near the hotel and stopped by the Pantheon of Paris, which I learned was somewhat based off of the much more famous Pantheon in Rome. It was outside here that we got our first experience with the street bands that you see pretty periodically in parts of Paris, and I could only say positive things about them and their musical talents. The Pantheon was a great experience to have once for sure, but I don’t know if I will ever go back. The most interesting part was the basement where various historical figures are buried, as it seemed like it had not been touched for the most part, ignoring the obvious safety measures they put in place and the information plaques telling us what things actually are.

The next stop on the agenda was to travel back to Sainte-Chapelle and see what was actually inside now that they’re open. It was one of the most beautiful structures I have ever been in, and the upstairs was absolutely breathtaking. The stain-glass windows were amazing, and this whole structure made me wonder how they build these massive structures back then so easily, and how they did it seemingly without many architectural problems either.

After Sainte-Chapelle, we headed to the largest art museum in the world, The Louvre. I could definitely tell how huge it was from a mile away, as the outside looks like a sort of palace in itself. I was excited to get to the entrance pyramid in the middle, as it is obviously a well known world destination. I have had interest in The Louvre since The Da Vinvi Code, the book by Dan Brown, so I was excited to finally get to experience it for myself.

The Louvre seemed larger than it even appeared, which is everything you can ask for in an art museum. It would be easy to go there for a day and get completely lost. It is definitely somewhere I could picture myself going every time I visit Paris in my lifetime, as I feel like you would have a new experience with every visit. We got to see the Mona Lisa painting, which I still don’t really get the hype for, but it’s cool to say I have seen it. It was unfortunate that my legs hurt pretty bad, as I feel like that took away from having total enjoyment during this visit, but it is something I would very much suggest to anyone visiting Paris.

The last stop for the night was the Arc de Triomphe, which was my favorite place in all of Paris. Even though it was exhausting, the climb to the top was a rewarding experience. It was fascinating how it seemed as if the entire city emitted from this one central point, as there were straight roads going in every direction you looked out over. We also got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, which is something not everyone gets to do in their life.

Overall, though exhausting, day 7 was my favorite day we had in Paris. I am glad the feeling of misery I woke up with eventually faded and was replaced with both excitement and exhilaration by the end of the day.

𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓼: 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 13𝓽𝓱-16𝓽𝓱 2019

| sheehan.136

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 13𝓽𝓱 2019

Today we took the train to Paris from London. Although we almost missed check out and had to run to our train, I was surprised by how much easier it was to travel abroad. After finally making it to our hotel, we went to Notre Dame and decided to get lost in the streets of Paris after stopping to try Parisian street food. We decided to take a coin and choose our direction based on which way it landed. Although we did not know where we were going, simply walking around Paris was incredible. Later we went to a group dinner at “Le Petit Prince de Paris”. The food was not exactly what I had expected but allowed me to try Parisian food I would not normally. Later, my friends and I decided to walk the streets of Paris while eating Croissants. We found the night life to be a little different in Paris as compared to London and ended up just walking around due to everything being closed.

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 14𝓽𝓱 2019

We were able to travel to various museums today and see the Jardin des Plantes. I really enjoyed taking the path less traveled and visiting the green houses and the secret garden. We later traveled to the Arc De Triumph and went to the top. Afterward we took a longer route and saw various architectural buildings on the way to the Louvre. Once we finally reached the Louvre, my expectations were fully met. We first stopped to try a crepe at a small restaurant outside of the Louvre. I instead ended up trying a galette and loved it. When in the Louvre, I once again split off from the group and decided to see the exhibits less explored. We were able to see the sarcophagus of various kings of Egypt, Napoleons chambers and personal furniture, the mona lisa (of course), and roman ruins on display. We ended up staying till the museum closed. I had an incredible time and was pleasantly surprised by my experience. Later I ended up staying in the area and tried macaroons and various French pastries. We then walked all the way from the Louvre to the Arc de Triumph (again). On the walk there, we were able to see the famous shopping areas of Paris and later went to the top of the arc to see the Eiffel tower light up. We then went to an amazing restaurant famous and tried their famous dish while splitting a bottle of wine.

                   

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 15𝓽𝓱 2019

Today was one of the most exhausting days I had while abroad. We started off the day by going to the Eiffel Tower and Musée de l’Homme. It was amazing getting to see the whole city and even parts that I had not been able to visit. While a little long, I found each place extremely fascinating and found my paradigm shift at the Musée des Arts et Metiers. I thought I would enjoy visiting Pasteurs home more, however, by that point in the day I was extremely exhausted and felt as though I could not enjoy it as much. One of my favorite parts of the day was taking pictures with the Eiffel tower after hearing so much about it. Later in the day, we ended up exploring the night life near the Bastille. While everyone we met was very nice, I realized what everyone told me about the people of Paris was pretty accurate. Most people we met did not speak English and my attempts at French were futile. I had wish I had taken French instead of Spanish so I would have been able to understand more of what they were saying.

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 16𝓽𝓱 2019

The last day was a little crazy as there were multiple protests taking place and some turned violent. Because the city was actually on fire at one point, I decided to stay close to the hotel and visit some of the local museums and get some souvenirs. I started off by trying another crepe at a restaurant and finally going shopping in the city known for fashion. I was surprised by how many malls existed within Paris. I was able to go to some of my favorite stores and later head to an Art district where I was able to buy a canvas meeting and try (my second) crepe of the day. Later we went back to the hotel and went to a very cute French restaurant. While there, I was finally able to try Escargot. I was surprised by how much I liked it and was glad I had that experience. The last night was one of my favorites because of how much exploring we did. After the restaurant, we once again got lost in Paris and walked for around 3 hours around the city. After visiting almost every major part and seeing the remnants of the protests, we finally sat at a restaurant in front of Notre Dame and had a glass of Chardonnay to celebrate the ending of our trip. It was truly a once in a lifetime trip that I will always have fond memories of.

 

 

 

 

Friday (15

| streeter.30

Today was the day we visited the icon of Paris; the Eiffel Tower. It was grand and the view from the second floor was marvelous and breathtaking.  Afterwards we went the museum de l’homme. I really enjoyed this museum. Even though I could barely understand a lot of the French text, it was amazing to see mankind’s evolution and the animals, culture, and landscape that influenced us.

i really enjoy how eventhough we are all human, we have different thoughts, cultural norms, and lifestyles.  I could have spent longer in that museum but we had other places to be. The Pasteur museum to be precise.

 

This museum was really cool. Even though I could barely understand the guide, it was interesting to learn more about Pasteur, his patriotism, and his lesser known talent as a painter. After this museum, we went the museum of arts and measures. I was exhausted at this point, but I still found the history of the meter interesting. If I had to explain to an alien what exactly a meter is, I don’t think If I’d be able to.

 

 

 

 

Thursday (14)

| streeter.30

 

This was one of the more interesting days of the trip. We first went to the Jardin des plantés and then to the archeological museum. At this museum, I got a bad migraine with photophobia, muscle weakness, nausea, and extreme dizziness. I walked to the first 2 floors of the museum then I sat helplessly on a bench as I tried to gather enough strength to make the trip home. I must have looked pretty miserable because a security guard came up to me concerned and with the help of a translator helped me get some water. Afterwards I went to the hotel for rest and my medicine to kick in. I was a bit upset that I didn’t get to see the other museums with my other classmates. I did however, get to taste delightful French food that night with bone marrow, escargot, and duck breast that was more like steak than any duck I had anywhere else.

𝓛𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓸𝓷: 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 9𝓽𝓱- 12𝓽𝓱 2019

| sheehan.136

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 9𝓽𝓱 2019

Finally getting off the plane and realizing we were in London was incredible. I had always had a vision of what it would be like and the country side lived up to my expectations when we first visited Darwin’s house. I really enjoyed being able to see the town that Darwin had spent most of his life with his family. Additionally, the traditional English meal was incredible. The highlight of my day was getting to walk through the garden of down house down the same paths Darwin once walked. Learning more about his life helped me understand concepts we learned in class through experiencing it firsthand. Later that day I was also able to meet up with family I had not seen since I was 10. We were able to go to dinner near the London eye.

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 10𝓽𝓱 2019

 

I really enjoyed being able to go to the British Museum and seeing various cultures. I particularly enjoyed the roman and Egyptian exhibits. I thought they were absolutely gorgeous. I then headed to Camden Market to get coffee with some classmates. We decided to take a different route there and had to navigate the underground on our own. During this time, I really enjoyed learning being independent and feeling as though I could get anywhere in a new country. After some shopping at Camden, my classmates and I then went to Kensington palace and toured the former home of Queen Victoria and current home of Harry and Meghan Markle. After more shopping near the area, we headed back to later go to one of Gordan Ramsey’s famous restaurants, Bread Street Kitchen. Lastly, one of the highlights of my trip was organizing a group of us to go to a pub downtown that had its own ball pit. This was something I had never seen before in the states and allowed me to have an amazing experience with all of my peers who were able to make it.

 

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 11𝓽𝓱 2019

I started off the day with a trip to Stonehenge. In order to make it there we had to take a train to Salisbury. This train ride felt like something out of a movie with a classic box car which I had never experienced before. When we finally arrived, we took a taxi to Stonehenge and eventually got to see one of the wonders of the world. While I felt like I had thought it was different than what I expected, it was an incredible experience that brought me back to another time. After Stonehenge, we got lunch in Salisbury at a typical pub. After walking around the beautiful small town, we headed back to London and did more shopping at Primark. Later in the day, we all went to various pubs and met other Americans on study abroad.

𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱 12𝓽𝓱 2019

Although the tour felt very long, Westminster Abbey was extremely beautiful and breathtaking. I was extremely surprised at how many different nooks where in the cathedral. I was also surprised by the long and complicated history. Later we traveled to the London Eye where we were able to see almost all of London. Afterward, we had lunch at a pub where I tried fish and chips in England for the first time. The Scientific Royal Society was very interesting to see and allowed me to picture the place we had learned so much about in class. We then went to Buckingham palace. I found this part of the day the most exciting due to the fact that I had wanted to go to the palace since coming to London. Later in the day, we had a group dinner at an Indian restaurant and spent the rest of the night with friends we had made at the hotel from Rhode Island. I found London to be an extremely memorable experience which I will never forget. Between the people, the places, and the history, I found London to be my favorite and hope to return soon.

 

Wednesday (13)

| streeter.30

This was the day we traveled to Paris via the Eurostar. In the train station I was amazed how there was alcohol left unattended like Red Bull is here in some malls.  I don’t think that could have ever happened in the USA. We visited Notre Dame where I saw everything and took my time( I didn’t realize people were waiting for me). Afterwards, I went to the hotel to warm up because I forgot my coat. I slept for most of the evening, woke up and ordered crepes in broken French and enjoyed my first night in Paris.

 

 

Day 8 – Paris

| mahayri.2

Our last day in Paris was our full day on our own. A  small group of us started the day off by waking up early and heading out to Versailles. The train ride was fun and a great place to take a power nap. A man playing the accordion came in at a random stop and played for a while but according to my group, I stayed asleep. When we finally arrived, we were greeted by a long line. It was worth the wait when we got in, though; the Palace was extravagant and defiantly fit for a king! King Louis XIV had a taste for the finer things in life. We then made our way by train to Montmartre, the home of Sacré-Cœur. We first had lunch at this fast-food like restaurant, where they serve pizza crepes. It was my first time eating a crepe in France and it was really good! We then went up to Sacré-Cœur. On our way to the top, we noticed and enjoyed the weather, the music, the shops, and the people. It was a very nice place to just hang out and relax. A few hours later, we made our way back to the hotel area to have one last French dinner. Erin, Kareem, and I thought the night was still young so we decided to explore the city one last time. We wanted to ride on lime scooters to be able to see more of the city but every lime scooter we found was dead! We ended up walking for a few hours but it was an amazing time! We ended up n Jardin Nelson-Mandela, where we saw locals and a brunt police car ( most likely brunt by protesters). We also walked by the river, which was really nice. I got to talk to a few locals and learn some quick facts about the city. The three of us ended back at Notre Dame, where we found a cafe. We sat outside and enjoined the view one last time of the scene and the people.

It was very hard coming back and leaving France and the U.K. but the memories I made with everyone on this trip will last a lifetime!

Tuesday day 4

| streeter.30

We started the day at Westminster Abbey. I was a bit sad that there were no pictures allowed but seeing as it was a church, I understood. I had heard about the Westminster choir and it was really cool to see where they sing and the school they belong to.

it was really cool seeing the different types of coffins and the history and planning that went into them. It was also interesting to learn that they have an unknown soldier as well, and all the “extraness” that the royalty put into their ceremonies.

after the abbey we went to the London eye and then the royal society. It was really cool to see Newton’s death mask and the very old first copies of books that were to change the world.

Afterwards, we went to buckingham palace (the queen’s least favorite). After group dinner, Anu and I visited a hidden bar behind a bookshelf. It transported me back to a time of prohibition and enforced the notion that I’d like secret rooms and floors in my future household.

 

 

Darria Day 3

| streeter.30

That morning I woke up early to do a bit of exploring on my own. I had breakfast at the hotel where I just sat and witnessed London wake up. They still have milkmen who deliver milk in glass bottles! It was a shock as I hadn’t seen that before.aftee walking around our hotel area, I went to St. Paul’s Cathedral, the London and Tower bridge and Burroughs market. At the market, it was a sight to see, huge grapes, many varieties of salt, fresh truffles, and fresh sausage surrounded in a powdery white mold.  I had gnocchi that was delish, and tried honey that ranged from very light to…cough syrup. (I had to drink vinegar to get that taste out of my mouth).

 

i visited a shop and had a nice long chat about herbalism in modern London. I met up with Caroline and we went to Kings College, and to the sky Garden. The garden was very nice, but there was long lines, a packed elevator ride and light security. In the end, it was all worth it because the view of London was amazing and I had a chance to sit down and rest for a bit. After Caroline and I parted ways, I went back to the Indian restaurant and tried another dish. I was two pounds short, but since they were closing and I was there the night before it was alright. (I had a brief vision of me washing dishes all night though).