Ooo la la la lalalala! (Day 1)

So these weeks are only getting busier but I refuse to give up on the blog ... so here goes!

Last weekend two factors converged. It was Halloween weekend I knew I might feel some pangs being away from home for the holiday. Also, November 1 (All Saints Day) was a school holiday with no classes (yay). Because of these reasons, Lindsay, John and I planned a special weekend destination: Paris!

We planned this trip about a month and a half ago. Kaleb and TJ (Stetson kids abroad in Avignon) also had a long holiday and we (wonderfully) planned to all meet in Paris for the long weekend (for them actually the end of their 10 day holiday). So, with all of this building excitement and coordination we were, needless to say, a little nervous about all this striking/flight cancellation talk coming from across the border. Some other members of our program (also destined for Paris) actually encountered this when their Thursday night flight was knocked and they had to rebook. So, I spent the week leading up to Paris more uneasy that excited and simply hoping to make it there and back. But, in the end, we probably picked the best weekend to go. Flight cancellations stopped for the weekend (as the retirement issue had just passed and the petrol strike ended) and Paris seemed to take a needed rest from the unrest. Our flights remained undisturbed I was a happy camper!

Our flight our Friday morning was a little delayed, but once we were in the air, I breathed a sigh of relief and looked out the window as Spanish countryside became French. We landed in the airport about 2:15 and then navigated our way to our hostel (a train and a walk). I felt like more of a tourist upon arriving than I have all trip - primarily because I lacked the language. Kaleb and TJ would of course be able to help in that department but they wouldn't arrive until around 7 that night so we had made plans to meet at the hostel. This meant navigating there ourselves (our Spanish suddenly of little help). However, with the help of info Lindsay had looked up on line and the aid of my Paris (in Spanish) guidebook from the library we found the correct train. The English signs saying "To Paris" helped too :)

The train ride into the city from Charles de Gaulle took about 30 minutes so we sat back, listened to the French train voice and admired the countryside. It was stunning because fall has absolutely arrived in Paris. Red. Gold. Burnt Orange. It was a special treat because I hardly ever get to see the changing of the trees back home (or at least not in the fall when they are supposed to change). It seemed like an appropriate way to welcome in Halloween weekend.

We followed the metro until the center of town and then (looking at the map) decided to walk to the hostel. The walk turned out to be a little longer than it looked but it was pleasant outside and nice to bee in the fresh fall air. We emerged from the metro a block away from the Seine and walked to the river to meet beautiful views. I've decided that like the character a river gives to a city. The arching bridges and the reflecting water soften the city and give it a natural grace. Also, it was upon reaching the Seine that we could see two of Paris' grandest structures. Delight filled me as I saw the towers of Notre Dame peek out over the rooftops and the view of this Cathedral was spectacular looking down the river. Also, looking the other way we could see the tippy-top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a little strange. I think it was the idea that I have seen this tower's image hundreds of times in my life and now I was seeing THE tower. The real one. In real life. It was at this moment that it dawned on me. I was in Paris.

So from the river we made out way to our hostel. Like I said - the walk turned out to be a little

long (35-40 minutes) but the weather outside was nice and it was kinda neat to walk through the Latin Quarter past the shops and bakeries with their little signs. It felt very much like I had imagined France to be. We arrived our hostel around 3:40 and decided to wait the 20 minutes until our room would be open so we could get settled. While waiting we met a girl in the common room with the most exciting sounding life. She was here in France studying French to work with Doctors without Borders. She had come to France directly after spending the summer working at a clinic in India. Also, she had been born in Ethiopia, lived in Minnesota and then spent several years living in LA. She was really fun to chat with - one of the perks of a hostel: friendly interesting (often chatty) people. So after a bit we went up to the room to find a great view from our private balcony. It was a room with 2 bunks and a mattress under a bunk so we could all sleep in the same room with no strangers (a plus).

After a little rest - we set out to see a little more of the city before Kaleb and TJ arrived. We metroed back to the Seine and walked the river for a bit. The view of Notre Dame at night was gorgeous and the sunset over the river nearly melted my heart. After a bit, headed back to the hostel to meet our weary travelers at the hostel. Kaleb and TJ were arriving in Paris at the end of their long break (10 days that they had jam-packed with travels). It actually worked out perfectly that they could stick Paris onto the end of their trip and meet up with us. They arrived and everyone met each other. I have done theatre with Kaleb but had never met TJ (surprising since Stetson is such a small school). It was fun to catch up and neat to have a little part of Stetson with us in France. For dinner, we walked to the main street by the hostel and found a cute French place on the corner. I inaugurated my sampling of French cuisine with a delicious French Onion Soup (that way not surprisingly the best version of this dish I've ever had). It was a wonderfully relaxing meal and the perfect way to begin our Paris weekend.

PS> When blogs converge ... Kaleb's Blog