Trip to Paris and London!

hmmm, let me think...where to start???

It feels like I left Strasbourg a really long time ago to start my week of vacation in Paris and London, but really it has been less than a week and a half. All in all, the trip was wonderful. Paris was great, but London was the true gem of the whole trip.

The first day in Paris I walked around with some of my friends and just soaked up parts of the city. I’ve already been to Paris twice before, so this time I really wanted to just walk around the fun neighborhoods and see the Paris life. Notre Dame was really close to our hotel, and it took my breath away when we walked down the street, walked along the river, and saw it right before us.

MJ and I standing in the street!

That is one thing about Paris that truly makes it magical, no matter how many times you go, the sights and the history are both so grand that it feels like a dream world. The Eiffel tower, no matter how commercialized it has become, still never fails to make me stop and think about where I am and all that has happened in this great city. Here are some shots of the tower from around the city, and also up close and personal!

We went on a tour of the Opera house (where the Phantom of the Opera takes place), and I have to say that it was truly my favorite thing we did the whole time. The history and the culture that have all passed through the doors are so overwhelming that it is sometimes hard to understand. Here are some great shots that explain it all….

^^Some of us on the tour of the Opera House

My second favorite thing I did in Paris was the Rodin Museum. Not only were Rodin’s sculptures overwhelming, but the gardens surrounding the museum, where some of his works are displayed, was so breathtaking that once again my pictures do it more justice than anything I could write…

Since we were only in Paris for three days, I didn’t make it back into the Louvre but I took some great shots of the outside, and spent an afternoon walking from the Louvre to the Eiffel tower an around the area! Here are some shots from that day:

Next stop…LONDON

^^This picture of Haley and Todd sums up just how great London was!

Such a great city. I had never been before and there was so much to do and see, I know I will be back again soon. The first day there we decided to hop on the tube and talk along the river front. I was blown away by everything around me! Later that afternoon we crossed over the millennium bridge and made it to Tate modern. It was a great place, and FREE! Gotta love London.

^^The London Eye

One weird thing I noticed while in London is that EVERYONE jogs. At all hours of the day you can see British people jogging around the city, being physically fit—something you don’t really see that often in France. Weird. Below is a shot of a British man taking a jog...haha

Also, British people are SO nice. Everyone wants to help you if you get lost, and we met some really neat people during our time spent there. Haley had a friend who spent sometime working at Monmouth Coffee Shop, and while getting coffee there we met this neat guy who had met her friend when visiting Michigan? Small world, eh?

^^More London

On of the neatest things we did in London was climb to the top of Prime Rose Hill at sunset and saw the city at night. The view was amazing, and loads cheaper than the London Eye which costs about 30 dollars—needless to say I will save that for the next time I go to London!

We made to Hyde Park, Harrods (the scariest place on earth), the National Portrait Gallery, and to lots of other neat places in the city. London was pretty easy to get around in, and I spent less than 20 pounds on transportation the entire time I was there!

^^Shot of the Eye from Hyde Park

BUT if I had to pick one thing to recommend seeing it would hands down be the British Museum. I’m not much of a history buff, but the amount of history and culture that is found at the British Museum is unlike anything I had ever seen before. From mummies, to old records, to African artifacts, I think I could spend an entire month just wondering the halls and finding new things to see!

So, all in all it was a great trip, and now I have to focus on my time here in Strasbourg, and prepare for the weekend ahead in MILAN! Woo! I am only going for one night but I think it will be grand!

I will be sure to keep you posted!