Having never been to Europe, Paris, the city of light, is somewhere I’ve wanted to go my entire life. The famous landmarks, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre to name a few makes Paris one of the most special cities in the world, and it did not disappoint, my experience in Paris was everything I could’ve hoped for and more.
First and foremost, Paris’ and maybe Europe’s most distinguishable landmark, the Eiffel Tower, was an incredible sight to finally behold, especially at night. Glowing bright in the Paris night, and visible from almost anywhere in the city, possibly my favorite night of the trip was sitting with the group under the bright tower, and seeing the light display at the top of every hour. It was such an experience to relax on a Sunday night on the Champ de Mars with my group mates and hundreds of other people simply enjoying the city and the experience.
Another one of my favorite experiences in Paris was walking through the Louvre, arguably the most famous museum in the world. Of course I, along with seemingly everyone else in the museum went to see the Mona Lisa, but it was the rest of the museum that was truly striking. I decided to go to the museum by myself, and walking through the different exhibits and seeing the beautiful works of art as well as the beauty of the architecture of the Louvre Palace with its incredibly detailed and ornate ceilings was breathtaking. Despite the fact that the Louvre is so known for it’s paintings, I found its sculptures, especially from the Greek and Roman periods to be fascinating and under appreciated. Overall, although I do think there was entirely too much to see in the museum as a whole, the Louvre, to me, lived up to its billing as one of the greatest museums in the world.
Finally, to round out my Parisian experience, I was able to attend the Paris Saint-Germain soccer game on Saturday night. Having been a fan of european soccer since coming to college but never having seen it but on television, my experience at Parc des Princes was something I’ll never forget. Although nothing compares to Buckeye football games at the Horseshoe, it was incredible to see the passion and energy a sold out stadium brought to the last game of the season. Unknown to those of us that went, PSG had won the league title, and being the last game of the season, they had an hour-long trophy presentation complete with a huge fireworks display and one-by-one introductions of each player. It was the perfect night to complete my time in Paris.
Being the city I looked forward to visiting the most on our trip, Paris didn’t disappoint. Whether it was sitting beneath the Eiffel Tower at night, relaxing at the Trocadero with my feet in the water, climbing to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, or walking through the Louvre, my Parisian experience was an unforgettable one.