Mad weekend

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Update: I currently have INTERNET!!! It feels so good to be writing this from my couch. I was beginning to feel so disconnected to the world but finally I am back in the 21st century.

Anyway, last weekend my friends Patrick and Karima visited from the south of France. They go to Georgetown too, but they are spending a year at Sciences Po’s campus in Menton (right on the Côte d’Azur). They had been trying to make me feel jealous telling me how they go to the beach every day and how its 25° and sunny, so when they said they would visit I knew I had to show them how much better Paris is. I mean, the south is nice, but Paris is Paris. Also, it was a good excuse to be a tourist in Paris and do some sightseeing. After only a month in this city, I hardly notice the nice things anymore. You know, you just keep walking past all the monuments in order to catch the last metro or to meet up with your friends without even stopping to admire them.

So with a little improvisation, my friend Anna (who also goes to Georgetown) and I became tour guides for a weekend. Patrick had never been in Paris so, when asked what he wanted to see, naturally he responded: everything. In a city that is so emblematic and monumental, seeing everything means running around visiting everything that is recommended on a guide book. In order to see every-thing, however, you possibly need a lifetime in this city, or two.

In order to make things simpler, this list summarizes what we did:
- Sacre Coeur, beer and sunset at Montmartre, clubbing near Montparnasse
- Musee Beaubourg, picnic on the Seine, ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower
- Jardin de Luxembourg, Notre Dame, Trocadero, cooking in my apartment, running around at night near Sebastopol without knowing where we were.

By the end, I was tired, Patrick was satisfied, Karima was sick, and my apartment was looking like a squatter, but it was worth it. It was great to change the routine, even if it was only for a weekend. Of course, my friends missed their flight because we weren’t looking at the time (typical). But I did get a chance to see Paris with new eyes. And when I visit other towns in France, I’ll think of how lucky I am to live here.

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Photos

Sunset
With Eiffel Tower in the background

Outside the Musee Beaubourg
The weather was disgusting

Chocolate beignet
Why do we do these things?

Arc de Triomphe
group pic

Comments

[Mami]

Que chulo
Me encanta que al fin estes disfrutando de la ciudad. Que bueno que estas poniendo la mesa para comer. Me alegro que eso que es tan comun en Francia se practique en la casa de los estudiantes extranjeros como tu.

[Abuelo]

Fun weekend
Veo que lo que estas pasando bien y me alegro mucho Noto que eres un buen tour guide y espero que de aquí a 10 meses seras un experto en Paris. Las fotos siguen mejorando. Keep the good work. RFC