This past weekend I explored Paris with friends I’ve made from Capa, the international education organization sponsoring my internship here in London. Our activities included a boat trip, scenic touring by bicycle, and a walking tour of the city. We were thrilled to view Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum and the Jeff Koons exhibit at the Pompidou Centre. The structure housing the Pompidou Centre was designed by Renzo Piano, the same architect who designed the iconic, tallest building in Europe located in London, “The Shard.”<\/p>\n
During one part of the visit, I climbed to the second floor of the Eiffel tower on a cold, rainy, windy day. I savored macaroons and dined at the original Lauduree, the luxury French bakery. I snacked on Madeleines, financiers, and croissants. We journeyed to Sainte Chapelle and were awed by its stained glass windows, which went through 100 years of restoration. I rambled through Notre Dame Cathedral and later through the Arch of Triumph and the Fifth Ave of Paris. I explored Versailles and my favorite room was the Hall of Mirrors.” Gazing upon the all-authentic gold embellishment of the palace was breathtaking. The weekend was extraordinary. The wearying 15 miles a day walk was well worth it. I had the most unbelievable weekend, but was happy to return to London where I had missed the comfort of a familiar language.<\/p>\n
I also became lost several times while in Paris where I found myself wandering on unfamiliar streets. I even lost my Metro ticket one night and was stopped by security when exiting the Underground. They threatened to call the police or I could pay a 50 Euro fine. Thankfully, they accepted my credit card as I had no Euros on hand.<\/p>\n
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