Paris

Day 1:  Bus to Madrid.  Afternoon flight to Paris.  Day 2:  Notre Dame.  Tour of the Latin Quarter.  Love locks.  Shakespeare and Company book store.  Lunch at a side street cafe.  Climbing the Eiffel Tower.  Authentic French meal of escargot, goat cheese, beef bourguignon, and chocolate tarts.  Moulin Rouge.  Strolling through Montmartre.  Day 3:  The Louvre.  Window-shopping on the Champs Elysees.  French bread and brie cheese for lunch.  Bike ride around Paris.  Boat cruise on the Seine at night.  Croissants and wine.  Day 4:  Munching on macaroons in the Sunday marketplaces.  Luxembourg gardens.  Nutella and banana crepe before taking the metro to Charles de Gaulle.  Flight to Madrid.  Bus to Salamanca.  Who knew you could do so much in so little time?  I have absolutely fallen in love with Paris.  The city is sprawling, overwhelming, and grand.  But it is sweet, charming, and quaint as well.  I still can't believe I was there...it feels so surreal.  If I'm being honest, Paris was never on my bucket list.  After being there, I have no idea why it wasn't.  I will never forget the things I did, the music I heard, or the flavors I tasted there.  I saw things that I never thought I would see...that some people dream of seeing all their lives.  I am a lucky girl.  If someone were to ask me what my favorite city has been, I don't think I could answer.  Paris is pretty high up there:  Behind Salamanca and probably neck and neck with Barcelona.  This past weekend was perfect.  I went to Paris with a tour company called WSA, the same company that hosted my trip to Prague in December.  Our local Parisian guide, Kevi, made sure that each and every one of us was having fun throughout the entire weekend.  Every day was jam-packed but everyone got to see what was most important to them.  Climbing the stairs to the second observation deck of the Eiffel Tower was a huge accomplishment, but I think my favorite part of the weekend was our last night.  I got to ride a cool cruiser bicycle on the streets of Paris for almost two hours.  I was smiling and laughing the whole time.  Standing up on the pedals, riding no-hands across the bridges, waving at the people we passed...so much fun.  It may sound corny, but that was one of the most amazing things I have done in my life.  I can't even begin to describe the feeling of getting to know Paris in that way.  It was invigorating.  It was an experience that makes you realize how much life has to offer.  Afterwards, with a glass of wine in hand, I sailed along the Seine under the glow of the Eiffel Tower at night.  We listened to each other's stories of the places we've studied in and visited.  We took it all in.  At that point, I set my camera aside and took in everything around me.  Pictures cannot capture the charm of those views.  Throughout the entire weekend in Paris, we took the metro and walked for miles.  And everywhere I went, there was music and the smell of freshly baked bread.  At Saint-Lazare, an accordion.  Karaoke on the train.  At Concorde, a violin.  A jazz quartet in the stairwell.  The melodies echoed through the underground passageways and penetrated my soul...it was enchanting.  It sounded just like you think Paris would sound.  Only the squeal of the metro trains interrupted that beautiful music.  I don't know if I will ever make it back to Paris, but I know it will always be a part of me...just like every other place I have been fortunate enough to visit.