Over Spring Break I decided to visit some of my friends who were also studying abroad. This meant going to Athens and then Paris. While both are places I had hoped to visit during my time abroad, if I had not been intending on visiting anyone, I’m not sure if I would have done these cities during Spring Break due to the impracticality of visiting places on opposite sides of the continent, which ups the airfare cost too.
First I went to Athens. Athens was great fun, and I saw the Parthenon and seriously questioned why I can’t always be eating delicious gyros for only 2 euros. I also learned that Greeks believe that doing shots of terrible tasting liqourice alcohol is appropriate for all occasions. Go to dinner? Have a shot! You have a cough/you’re sick? Here, take this shot, it will make you feel better! One of the cooler things about Athens though? They’re metro is like a miniature museum, for they put up all sorts of artifacts that they found around the area of the metro tunnels.
After Athens I returned to Rome to take advantage of being able to laundry without competition (we have 6 people in the apartment and 1 small washing machine, it pays to take the initiative). Then, I was off to Paris. So you must be thinking: Paris! A city of wonderful marvels like the Eiffel Tower, the Louve, Notre Dame, and more! A day trip out to Versailles was actually quite easier than we thought, and I would highly recommend doing so if you’re ever in Paris and have some spare time. The gardens would probably have been more beautiful if the flowers were in bloom, but it was still quite impressive.
So yes, I did see many of these things in Paris (though we did skip some over the reluctance to stand in lines), but the most fun I had in Paris was just hanging out with some good friends (and eating some WONDERFUL crepes!). Really, that’s the key to having fun anywhere, not just when traveling in Europe!
Oh, and there was the cat cafe. Can’t mention Paris without mentioning that. You see, dear reader, ever since I have learned of the existence of cat cafes, it has always been my dream to visit one. Alas, ’twas not meant to be, for I neither lived near one, nor ever traveled to a city that had one. Until Paris! By some twist of fate, my hostel happened to be down the road from one of the Paris’ two cat cafes. And this was the one that did not require a reservation. I went there just about every day, and I do not regret that decision in the slightest. 10/10 would do it again.