Paris 1
We took the Eurostar to Paris in the morning. That is one quick train. Man, I really wish I packed lighter. I’m going to have tree trunk legs when I get back. I estimate my backpack at 40-50 lbs.
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing – Photo Books
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing – Photo Books
Paris wasn’t what I expected at first. The train station was riddled with graffiti. But then we took the Metro to the main part of town and saw everything. There are cafes everywhere. Some of the historic buildings were simply amazing. The Opera House was really pretty, the obelisk was quite a sight. It was already pretty dark by the time we got to walking around a lot, so we couldn’t take in too much of the city. Plus, I don’t remember how to spell anything.
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing – Photo Books
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing – Photo Books
Photo Sharing – Video Sharing – Photo Printing – Photo Books
We ate dinner at this random cafe. The pate and the duck were pretty good. For dessert I ordered this white cheese thing. It had the consistency of yogurt and the taste of sour cream. I didn’t like it, but hey, I’ll try anything once.Paris 2
We woke up bright and early today and stopped my a local bakery. Yes, the croissants here are just fantastic. Flaky, crispy, yet smooth and soft. Words really can’t describe it.
We then set about going to different places on the Metro. The most notable places we went to today were Place de la Concorde, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe. These are some of the most ornate buildings I have ever seen. The statues and carvings on the outside are so detailed. We walked Notre Dame (quite a hike) and go some nice pictures of the surrounding area and saw the bell that Quasimodo would have rung.
The Arc de Triomphe was pretty awesome. The pictures you see in books really don’t do it any justice. That this is just massive. We walked to the time and I snapped a bunch of shots from every angle. I’m going to try to stitch them together for a panoramic portrait.
On the way back to the metro, we stopped by the new Louis Vuitton store. That place was full of rich Asians. I was tempted to buy a few things, but I think the whole LV thing is kind of played out. I’m going to wait till Italy to go crazy with the shopping. As per Caleb’s suggestion, I think I will have to buy a rolling luggage. This way I can buy a nice Italian suit!
Right now Ems and Wils are passed out, so I took this time to update everyone. We still have to eat dinner. I gotta say… I’m getting old. My feet are hurting and my back is sore. AIYA!
Paris 3
The Louvre!
Holy moly, this place is massive! It’s got art and sculptures from end to end. We were there walking nonstop for about 4 hours and we didn’t even come close to seeing everything. We did get to see some famous paintings and sculptures like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.
Lunch was pretty decent. I was finally able to see what real French onion soup (not pictured) is like. It’s actually not bad. I never liked it before because it was always too salty, but the one I had here was just right.
For dinner we decided to go to Montmartre, which was made famous by the movie, ‘Amelie’. For dinner I had some lamb with French beans. Dessert was a banana nutella crepe. That’s one thing I like about European food. The smaller portions don’t make you as full so you can enjoy dessert later.
Tomorrow is the Eiffel Tower, then an overnight train to Madrid.
Paris 4
This was our final day in Paris, so we absolutely had to go check out the Eiffel Tower. We got there pretty early, so the lines weren’t too bad. The Eiffel Tower is really impressive up close. The thing is really massive. We decided to get the cheap tickets and just hike up the stairs to the first level. The sucky thing is that the day we went the sky was all foggy. All my pictures turn out horrible! I still have panoramic shots from the Arc de Triumphe to make a nice portrait, though.
We actually went all the way to the top, but the sky was still not clear. I didn’t even bother taking a lot of those pictures.
Afterwards we decided to grab some lunch at this place called Les Deux Magots. I got this Foie Gras and Duck salad there. Pretty good. Afterwards we got some crepes at this corner stand. All in all, french food was good wherever we ended up eating.
We had an overnight train to Madrid. That was quite the experience. Trains are soooo not smooth.
1. Weirdest thing you have had for breakfast?
* Porridge with Thousand Year Old Egg.
2. Most desperate meal you've ever had?
* Mac and Cheese, except there was no milk in the fridge. Made it with soy milk instead. Not quite the same.
3. When you eat too much, you...
* Resist the temptation to fall asleep. 
