Oh la la...Paris!

Paris was definitely an adventure. My whole life I've wanted to go to Paris, and finally, last Thursday we had arrived.

Thursday:
We arrived in Paris on Thursday around noon. It took us about 6 hours from the time we left Nottingham. One train to London, and then the Euro Star to Paris. My first view of France was lovely. Rolling hills with little chateau's and sheep...very french! Paris reminded me a lot of New York City, only because the architecture of the buildings were very similar to those around Central Park. Once we had dropped our luggage off at the hotel, we headed for the Eiffel Tower. Finally!!! My first glimpse of the tower was spectacular. I couldn't wait to finally touch it and make sure that it was real. Once we were up close, I noticed how industrial looking it was and was not as romanced by it as I thought I would be. Luckily, the more I was able to see it, the more beautiful it became. That evening we went on a river cruise up and down the Seine River. It was a lovely evening in Paris, accordion music and all.

The Weather:
It was bloody hot. Being from Phoenix, I've gotten used to the blazing heat, but this was something totally different. It was about 92*, sunny and humid beyond belief. Since no one has air conditioning and you walk everywhere, you can only imagine how sweaty and disgusting you get. It was almost too miserable to be outside. Luckily, our hotel (our lovely amazing hotel) had air conditioning. Yay!!

The French:
I was really nervous to be around the French people because I had always been told how rude they were to Americans. I found this to be quite untrue. Everywhere I went I met nice, friendly people. I learned how to say "please" and "thank you" and I loved saying "bonjour" to everyone. I think the language is beautiful, but very intimidating if you aren't familiar with it (which I was not). Luckily, it was very easy to find our way around the metro and the city. I think it is an easier city to navigate than London.