Traveling between countries is a lot easier here in Europe and, at times, a lot cheaper. Studying abroad was not only a chance for me to get to learn in another country but it was also an opportunity for me be able to travel throughout Europe. This weekend we took an 8 hour bus ride to Paris!
Juste fou de toi Paris!
So we decided to go to Paris for the weekend! How posh! I know. We took an overnight bus there on Friday and took the bus back on Sunday night, arriving Monday morning, because of class. To be completely honest, I was not really excited for Paris. I never learned French, I heard the people there hate Americans, and I never cared for the food or edifices of France. Long story short, it wasn’t on my bucket list. But after coming back, I can honestly say I do not regret it at all! Paris is an absolute dream and I’m so happy I went!
We visited the Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower (of course), the Louvre, the Arc de Trimphe, Notre Dame, and Sacre Coere. They had some of the most beautiful views I’d ever seen! This trip was very short but we packed in as much as we could, including Escargots (snail). It was my first time trying it, so I was a little scared. I’m usually a trooper with food, I’ll try anything once. We told our waiter that we wanted to try Escargots so he taught us how to scoop out the snail, drain the sauce, and finish off with bread. With hesitation in our eyes, we popped the snails in our mouths and stared at each other with amazement. It was incredible! You have to forget that you’re eating a snail and just go for it! Be adventurous.
This was definitely the perfect weekend trip for us. After finishing up our 5-page papers we could not wait to start exploring a new city. The Eiffel Tower is actually really really tall! I know that’s a really stupid thing to say but you really don’t understand how big it is until you see it in person. Everything is pretty accessible by walking but they monuments and touristy sights are kinda far from each other. It’s also better to take ubers because they end up being cheaper than cabs. Something i would suggest doing is taking a boat ride to see all of Paris from a different point of view. It wasn’t as crowded as I thought it would be and that is because apparently everyone in Europe goes on vacation in August. So if you hate crowds, come during August.
I would definitely recommend taking weekend trips while studying abroad because of how easy it is to travel within the European continent. London is beautiful but sometimes it’s nice to run away for a few days and experience another culture. As long as you finish your assignments on time, traveling shouldn’t be a problem. Paris was incredible and I’m so happy I went! But it’s nice to be back in rainy London.
Until next time, Cheers!