We Will Always Have Paris

Geneva


We left Avignon early on Easter Monday, for Geneva. Arriving in Geneva, we first visited the UN. It was a little bit shocking to think that I would be going to the UN. I have never been to the White House, and to be walking on a the property of a place more powerful than the White House was interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't realize we were going to the UN, and I wore my sandals... with socks... because it was a bus day. They were comfy though.

Because it was Easter Monday, nothing in Geneva was open. This turned out to be for the better because Geneva is expensive. We searched the city for a cheap bar that would be open. After about a half hour of trying to ask locals, we discover Pablo, a inbound from Mexico in our Group, can speak french. We ended getting led to McDonalds by a couple locals.

Paris

The welcome party in Paris was anything but welcoming, but somehow I knew I was going to like this city. We arrived in Paris to find traffic unbelievable worse than Chicago. Our Hostel was in one of the outer districts of Paris. Rotex kept calling it a ghetto. As we pulled off the highway, the rotex already picked the four biggest people to guard the doors of the bus as we got out. Turns out that our neighborhood wasn't anymore dangerous than Irving Park. We walked in the rain a couple blocks to the hostel. Which was just as inviting as the neighborhood around it.

On the first day, we went to the city center for a boat tour. I would definitely recommend the boat tour, but the tour guides accent was so thick, I was not able to understand what she was saying. After the boat tour we went to the Norte Dame. The line for the cathedral was too long, so that I sat outside a coffee shop and stared at the cathedral while I drank my expresso.







We walked downtown for a bit, and then saw the world's ugliest modern art museum, Centre Pompidou. From there, we got free time for lunch. The Canadians and I went to a chinese buffet. You had to cook your food in microwaves, that was different.

The Louvre was are next stop. Most museums in Paris are free, if you under 18 and living in the EU. I am glad the Lou was free because it really wasn't that interesting. There were so many people crowded around the Mona Lisa, that I was only able to see the top of the frame.

We ate our "final" dinner together, which was italian food, on the second to last night. We ended up taking too long, and had to run 2 kilometers to the Arc de Triumph. After a plate of pasta, I would not recommend that, but the people staring at you as you run down the sidewalk is interesting. From the Arc de Triumph I took my favorite picture of Paris.

On the second, The Palace of Versailles was our first stop. It was weird going to the Palace of Versailles because it was one of those things you read about in the history books but not something you actually think you will actually see in your lifetime. The city of versailles was actually a lot nicer than the palace.

Coming back into Paris I noticed that we were only passing sex shops. Sure enough our next stop was the red light district to see the Moulin Rouge. We ended up receiving free time in the red light district and decided to climb a mountain and turn around. After free time, we ended up climbing the mountain again with Rotex. We ended up climbing down the other side, to an ethnic community that was really cool.

Are final dinner was actually burgers across the street from the Moulin Rouge. After dinner we went to the Eiffel tower. The Eiffel Tower was our last stop. There was an hour and a half long wait for the Elevator, so that a group of us walked up to the tower instead. On the way up there was a poster of the worlds tallest buildings compared to the Eiffel tower. The Chicago Spire was included with the "to be built" buildings. Someone needs to do a little updating. The Tower at night is a lot better than during the day.

We were at the tower until exactly midnight. Then we boarded the bus and headed back to Germany. Arriving in Germany was one of the greatest feelings. It felt like coming home.