The City of Light

At this point, we’ve been awake for more than 20 hours and running on 4 hours of sleep, but we managed not to nap and had a full day in Paris. We landed at Charles de Gaulle, a very odd looking airport. It’s a round building that isn’t terribly attractive. However, the flight over was lovely as we got to watch the sun rise as we passed over the English countryside. Getting to Paris tested our navigational skills in another language, but we did it no problem!

Paris is beautiful. Our hostel is on a cobblestone street that runs parallel to Rue de Cllichy, the street with the Moulin Rouge. Above us, overlooking the rest of Paris is the Sacre Coeur, a cathedral with soaring ceilings and exquisite detail.  It was at an overlook that we caught our first sight of the Eiffel Tower! To the right of the Sacre Coeur we stumbled upon a Christmas market, selling crepes, hot chocolate, and other assorted goods. Meandering down the hill, we passed through neighborhood after neighborhood with trees overhanging the cobblestone streets and little shops. Near our hostel, we stopped at a grocery store and got a baguette, some Brie, and a bit of soup mix for our first lunch in Paris. Quite fitting, no? After that we were able to check into our hostel.

Our room is a mixed 8 with people from Canada, Czech, Austria, and Australia. We had a fun time this evening sitting in the common room drinking a bottle of red wine and swapping stories about ourselves, what we are doing traveling, and what our countries are like. Prior to that, Taylor and I explored the Moulin Rouge and the rest of that district with Travis the Canadian. We stopped at a wine bar on a little corner down a side street and each had a glass of wine, which I was able to order in French! We talked American and Canadian politics, accents (never fails to come up), and geography. Then we headed up the hill to the Sacre Coeur once more to see the city at night, winding our way through the Christmas market and the warm shops and cafes. The City of Light, indeed. This only became more apparent as we looked out over the city from the steps of the cathedral and saw the Eiffel Tower glowing in the night. Tomorrow, I shall work on my French accent as we explore the city center. Perhaps I shall buy a beret and carry a baguette in my bag to look the part of elegant Parisian.

One of the side streets. 

The Moulin Rouge at night.

Eiffel Tower!

Sacre Co