Well, All, my Contiki trip has come to an end and I am sad. I made the best of friends in these 9 short days and it's weird to me that I will not be seeing them when I return to The States, but I'm positive we'll keep in touch.
I'm currently in Paris with my Aunt and cousin, and it's been rather wonderful. They live in a quaint town (think Chocolat) called Feucherrolles, which is right next to the town in which Johnny Depp lives. Too bad it's currently snowing and I can't go on a mission to stalk him. Shucks.
Yesterday my Aunt and I went to the Palace of Versailles, where she gave me the 411 on Napoleon and Marie Antoinette, who moved into this HUGE estate at the ripe age of 14. She even had a toy farm. Visiting Versailles makes me wish I had taken European History in high school or at least did more research; the Palace, and Paris itself, is chalk-full of history, it's often hard to wrap one's mind around all of it. Incredible. Hot chocolate, tea, and warming myself by the fireplace have been in abundance during my extension.
My last few days on the Contiki were spent in Paris, where Lara and I took off on our own little adventure. We climbed hundreds of steps at the Sacre Coure (phew, what a workout!) to see the most breathtaking view of Paris; then, took a metro ride to a flea market in the Red Light District, and finally took a stroll down the Champs Elyseesto have the MOST AMAZING HOT CHOCOLATE/DESSERTS I have ever had at Laduree, a bakery/boutique/restaurant on the Champs Elysees. Mmm.
After our stroll down the Champs Elysees and our quick peek into the massive LV (girls, I hope you know what that is), we headed to the Latin Quarter, strolled through the massive and stunning grounds of the Palais Luxembourg, then had...pizza and beer (Stellas, to be exact) at a restaurant in the Latin Quarter called, well, Stella. How fitting, and American (pizza and beer in Paris, how cultural...?)
We then made our first and only mistake on the metro that day (high five, Lara!) as we headed in the wrong direction, but then readily corrected it, and met up with our group at the Musee d'Orsay. 15 minutes late, but pretty good, no? Most of our group members were also pooped from visiting other sites, such as the Louvre, the catacombs, etc. I was fortunate to have seen these landmarks on a prior trip, which is why I didn't go to them.
At night, our group had dinner at a fun French restaurant in the Artists' Corner by the Sacre Coure )(double Stair Master workout!), where I tasted some delicious French Onion Soup and was serenaded by a cross-dressing man, who also tried to take pictures of me on his camera phone for about 5 minutes, no joke. The view was so amazing. Our group was quite a sight as well, as we were dressed up to go to the Moulin Rouge afterwards. Ooh la la, sexy sexy.
The night before, my Contiki tour manager had arranged for us to go to the top of the Eiffel tower. This was my second time at the tower but first time there at night and during winter. It was certainly freezing and windy up there, so bring a coat if you during the winter, but be prepared to have your heart warmed: as Paris is the city of love, it's no surprise that our Contiki group witnessed two proposals during our visit. Precious!
It's been a whirlwind of a trip but I've had the time of my life. I cannot find enough adjectives to describe how changing this experience has been for me. Please, don't live vicariously through me -- get out there and travel yourself. You won't regret it.
Off to watch Amelie...in Paris. :)
Au Revoir!
