Paris

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We got in on our SkyEurope flight (which eclipsed EasyJet qs my favorite airline) about 30 minutes early. We took the long train trip from Paris Orly airport to downtown Paris, switched metro lines twice, and finally reached the area near the Arc de Triomphe. Side note, I want to apologize for any typos, because as in all of Europe, the keyboards are different, and the letters are all over.

Anyways, as soon as I got off the Metro, our thoughts of the French people were proved wrong within 10 seconds. We were looking at our map, and a father and a son stopped and without hesitating, helped us to find the Hilton Arc de Triomphe. Granted it was only like 100 yards away; but they were so nice and helpful, not the rude and snobby types we encountered in South France when the woman DIED on our train. We found the hotel, checked in early, and took a nap. It was only meant to be for like an hour till 11:30, but before we knew it, it was 1:30. Luckily, when Heather and I go out for a day, we do NOT mess around. We left at 1:30 and didn't come back till like 8:30. We walked the whole time. We started near our hotel on the Arc de Triomphe, walked the entire length of the Champs Elysee, saw the National and Grand Palaces, the Louvre and it's gardens, the Hotel de Ville, Saint Chapelle's church, Notre Dame, and the Bastille. We also walked all over the city when we got a little lost, so we saw all over the city.

We sat down and had a great dinner. It wasn't that expensive, and it was a three part meal. No milkshakes this time since Heather's dad made fun of me last time. I really wanted one but couldn't handle the ridicule. We also randomly ran into one of Heather's high school classmates while randomly walked down the Champs Elysee. It was one of those ackward convos where it was easy to see they hated each other in HS but were just conversing anyways. I know I felt ackward.

Finally, qs through ,uch of Europe, we noticed several keys things during our day and became engrossed in conversations zwith ourselves and other tourists. First, they have only OLD buildings, and man are they cool. Even the brand new buildings look old, and it is nothing like American. Secondly, European kids spend only 15 percent of thier time in school, and about 85 percent on field trips. You cannot go more than 10 feet without seeing an entire class of kids on a trip. No wonder they come to America for college. Third, they also LOVE having ad hoc concerts and modeling expos. People just break out in random concerts, on top of the 45454 people who solicit you for everything fro, flowers to charity to cigars. And there are definitly an abundance of wannabe models who pose in front of every famous thing on the whole continent. I mean, are they sending in these pictures to a business or just doing it for fun? All I know is that it is out of control.

Finally, whether you are age 12 or 60, every single person on this whole continent smokes. It is out of control. Nothing says EU like a hacking cough. I don't have problems with smokers, but I swear I saw a 12 year old girl smoking with her family, that is a little over the top.

We headed back to the hotel, I updated my journal, and Heather watched TV since she hasn't done a journal since Barcelona. We are off to see more tomorrow.

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Photos

The Lourve
The famous glass pyramid. Oh, and rumor has it that Mary Magadelene is buried in there.