Playing Tourguide

This week I did my best at playing tourguide for my friend Cameron who came to Paris for the week of his spring break. Definitely was exhausting to juggle school, friends here, and a friend visiting from back home, but I'm really glad I got the chance to attempt, with my own limited two months of knowledge, to share the city. I definitely saw many things I hadn't before and also relearned neighborhoods, landmarks, and other random facts that I had only been exposed to once or twice.

Cameron got in Saturday night and we went for a very extended walk around Paris and saw most of the major sites by night. The next morning we embarked on a day trip to Versailles, something that I hadn't visited yet either. I really loved the palace and the gardens are incredibly massive!





They are just beginning spring planting which I'm sure will make it even more beautiful. As a "European student" I actually get in for free, so I'm definitely planning on going back when the gardens are in full bloom :)

Monday and Tuesday were jam packed. We basically spent all day out walking around seeing sites and some museums. I got to complete some items that we're on my own Paris "todo" list. I finally went into Sainte-Chappelle, the cathedral famous for its stained glass windows.



Also spent many many hours in the Army Museum where Napoleon is buried. Really a great museum, made even more awesome by the beautiful architecture of Les Invalides, the name of the building that houses the museum.





I finally made the commitment to go up the Eiffel Tower and see the view. To save money, and to be awesome, Cameron and I took the stairs up to the second level of the tower (which I have heard is the best view anyway). Instead of 11.50 we only had to pay 3.50, a much better deal!



Wednesday night, while Cameron decided to take a nap, I went with some friends for a picnic on the Seine. The night ended up being one of my favorite experiences yet abroad. Basically, our evening turned into a jam session with random guitar players, really nice homeless men, and other random people joining us. We ended up with a huge group, singing and eating delicious cheese and baguette and of course drinking some wine. There were so many tourists taking pictures of us and I kind of felt like I was living in the 1960s haha.

On Cameron's last day, I decided to skip a couple classes so I could visit the Pere-Lachaise cemetery with him--another first for me. We finished off his last night here with a proper french crepe dinner and then a performance at the gorgeous opera house!







Cameron left this morning, but left my housemates and I a big bag of pastries. I'm currently enjoying a chaussons aux pommes (apple pastry) while writing up this blog :).

As for the coming week, I am determined to get a start on a term paper so I can enjoy my coming weekend in....BERLIN!!! I am SO excited for Germany--I'm staying with my friend Mohit who's studying there for the semester. Berlin wall, cheap beer, sausages, awesome museums...yesss!! Of course there will be a blog update on that when I return :)