Paris has been my favorite destination on this study tour so far! I loved the sights, sounds, food and, overall, the general atmosphere of the city. My philosophy for taking on Paris was to simply do; do as many activities, see as many sites, take in as much culture and experiences as possible. By following this philosophy, I feel I got a small taste of what Paris is all about. First of all, I discovered my newfound love for escargot! Though to many the thought of eating snails covered in butter and garlic is appalling, I found it delicious and could not help from ordering them at least once a day at a local café. The dining experiences in Paris exemplified the Parisian way of life; enjoy every minuet, savor and relish in it, and take as long as you like. The French have a way of taking a fashionably long time to do things, which I enjoyed. It was nice to not feel like a burden but rather be encouraged to sit and enjoy the atmosphere and people around you. My favorite part of our time in Paris was just walking around and seeing what I could see. Paris is such a beautiful city with lovely, classic style buildings, apartments with cast iron balconies, and intricate architecture. Everywhere I went, I felt immersed in French culture and aged style.
One of my favorites parts of Paris was the seeing the Eiffel Tower all lit up, with the lights twinkling. It was such a beautiful sight to see. The Eiffel Tower is such an iconic Parisian landmark. It was mind blowing to be sitting on the lawn and gaze up at this massive, beautiful structure that I’ve only see in movies. It was such a surreal experience and I am thankful that this trip has allowed me to do and see things I could have only dreamt about previously. After visiting Giverny, the location of Claude Monet’s gardens, I was inspired to see Monet’s work in person. On Sunday, I stumbled into Musee Orangerie, a small yet very interesting art museum. This museum held several Monet paintings, including ones that spanned the entire length of the museum walls. Monet acquired inspiration for these paintings from the gardens I had just visited. At one point, I compared the pictures I took at Giverny to the paintings on the wall. It was incredible to compare Monet’s depictions of the gardens, the ponds, the trees, the sky, to the actual site itself. All in all, I loved Paris and would go back in a heartbeat. Though I’m sad to leave, I know Berlin is going to bring such great knowledge and experiences. Until next time!
