Paris was completely unexpected and everything I’d imagined it to be all rolled into one. On our very first day, the group met up at Notre Dame to get acquainted with getting around the city. Afterwards, we had plans of finding our way to the Eiffel Tower before heading back to the hotel. We stopped to consult our maps to find our way to the closest metro station, and when we looked up, we saw an interesting looking alleyway. An impulse decision to go down this (admittedly potentially sketchy) alley led us to some of the most delicious street vendor food I’ve found on the entire trip so far. I would have been completely okay with just eating the crepes from one vendor in particular – especially after he made me the Nutella, banana, strawberry crepe. There seemed to be street performers everywhere I looked. There were people singing opera, flamenco bands, violins, accordions, and other types of performances.
When dinner came around, the weather was fortunately nice enough to sit at a cafe and enjoy some a nice dinner enjoying the company and watching the people moving throughout the city. We never felt rushed to leave or that we overstayed our welcome. Dinner was a social affair, not just something that’s necessary. I even tried the oysters. French food hadn’t done me wrong yet, but attempting to eat oysters that smell reminiscent of Buckeye Lake (for those of you familiar with central Ohio) was not something I enjoyed. I managed to stomach three down before bumming the leftover pasta that Taylor wasn’t going to eat. Despite the poor food choice on my part, dinner was always an great experience. We were in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world! People, cars, bikes, and buses zoomed past to get to their destinations, but at the same time, we’re enjoying a relaxed dinner with friends.
Looks are deceiving, these were not good.
My favorite crepe maker making the best dessert crepe of all time!
Without a doubt, my favorite experience in Paris was laying under the Eiffel Tower just taking everything in. Groups of friends, families, and couples gathered around the base of the Eiffel Tower to relax, drink wine, and enjoy the nice weather. Some groups sang and played instruments. Others laughed loudly with their friends. Some cuddled silently. We were free to live life and enjoy our time how we wished with no judgment or concern from anyone around us. Looking up at the Eiffel Tower was incredibly surreal. It seemed impossible that I was actually in Paris. There was so much to take in around me – all the beautiful sights everyone tells you about. I did not expect to be so enthralled by the small things – the company of my friends and the atmosphere around me.
Tess, Taylor, and I on our second night enjoying the Eiffel Tower
Tess, Wyatt, me, and Jose at the Eiffel Tower