C'est La Vie!

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Paris is always a good idea."
             - Audrey Hepburn

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Differences Between London and Paris

    Obviously there is a language barrier in Paris that didn't exist in London. I have also noticed that London was much more diverse than Paris. In London there were many different nationalities and languages. People would claim to be Indian living in London instead of being British. Whereas, in Paris, if they are a different nationality they claim being Parisian. Paris is much dirtier than London. The maintenance of common streets compared to their prestigious parks and museums is a worlds difference. In London everything was very clean. Navigating in Paris is much more difficult in my opinion. Paris isn't really divided into parts or districts and the metro is very difficult to understand. London was split into districts nicely and the tube was very precise. Though I said that Londoners take a lot of time relaxing, Parisians take much more time. Everyone is always sitting at a cafe drinking for hours. It is like they have nowhere to be! But I like this slower pace and lifestyle. It's quite nice!

Today I had a very early morning. We had to wake up and leave at 5 o'clock to catch the EuroStar to Paris. I did not want to get out of bed. But then I remembered...

I'M GOING TO PARIS TODAY!

This was my motivation to get through the day and enjoy it to the fullest. Sure, I was exhausted...but how many times do you get to go to Paris in your lifetime? I was going to make the most of the situation.

When we arrived in Paris at the train stop we hopped on a bus to take a tour of the city. Everything is so exquisite! The buildings are very ornate. And there is so much history to everything. Every bridge has a story behind it. Every cathedral has a past. And if you looked close enough you could see bullet holes in the walls from the French Revolution.

We stopped to take a break for pictures at the Eiffel Tower and to get some fresh air. The Eiffel Tower is as majestic as I envisioned it to be. All of the landscaping and buildings are perfectly parallel and frame the tower perfectly. Everything in Paris was perfectly planned. The architecture screams out the power of the French, specifically Napoleon. What is crazy to me is that the Eiffel Tower was suppose to just be a temporary building. It was built for the world fair and was to be taken out shortly after that, and they never took it down. Many of the french despised it, saying that it didn't fit into the rest of the city. And now it is the most visited attraction in the entire world, it is the face of Paris.

After our photo stop we hopped back on the bus to head to dinner. We had traditional french food a pastry with vegetables, duck and then a chocolate mousse for dessert. I personally loved the food! (I'm not a picky eater at all) But many weren't feeling the duck.

After dinner I decided that because the next day is so packed I am going to have an early night and relax. So I read a book (A Fault in Our Stars...so good!!!) with the french doors in my hotel room open, watching the sun set over the city. It was very peaceful.

I think I'm going to like Paris.

xoxo,

Claire Marie