Whoo what a day...
Just so you know, I am completely exhausted, so if none of this makes sense that is why.
First, a picture you missed from last night:
Guess someone couldn't handle being in Paris.
On that note, I bring you my day - as exhausting as it was, it started out with me oversleeping. I got to bed around 2 a.m. and meant to wake up around seven, but my alarm didn't go off and I woke up around 9:45. I was able to get a breakfast from the hostel, which was pretty good - bread and coffee/orange juice in a serve yourself setting.
Of course, "coffee" in Europe is usually an expresso, while "American coffee" is what we typically have.
That's important because I accidently forgot this, and poured myself a whole cup from the "coffee" dispenser.
Though I did remember it tasting particularly strong, I guess I will never know if it was a full cup of expresso I drank or just a regular cup of joe.
I decided to start my day off at the Arc de Triomphe, which is where I had explored briefly last night. I wanted to go to the top of it, knowing that it might be one of the best sights in Paris. Luckily for me, it didn't disappoint:
The walk up to the top of the Arch was 284 steps, according to my guidebook, though I only counted 280.
From there, I took the scenic walk down Champs-Elysees to the Tuileres Garden and the Concorde, where there is the Obelisk of Luxor.
The obelisk is really cool because it was moved over from Egypt as a "gift" (I'm pretty sure the Egyptians were under French rule at the time) to the French emperor in the 1830s. However, its even cooler because its actually on the spot where the guillotine was, making it the spot where thousands of Frenchmen were killed during the Revolution.
From there, I took a stroll down the Seine River and ended up at the French war museum. I wasn't going to go in, but then I saw a advertisement for a special exhibit called "Napoleon and his grave". I was sold.
That bottom picture is the actual tomb, while the top one is me posing with some very stylish hats.
I took a stroll down the Seine river and had perhaps my most fortunate moment of the trip so far. As I walked along, a man asked me to take his picture, asking me in perfect English. I took the picture then asked if he could return the favor. I told him I was from the U.S. and he said he was actually from New York City. Who would have thunk?
From there, me and Jay (that was his name) took a walk down the Seine and passed by the Louvre, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Latin Quarter.
We even got to see the Eiffel Tower at night, but this time, there was actually a crazy light show!
To end the day, me and my newfound friends - Jay (middle of picture) and his French host for the week, made it to a French restaurant and enjoyed what was my first experience with crepes.
Exhausted, I stumble back to my hostel, only to find that I meet yet another American.
Leah is from - you guessed it - Atlanta, Georgia and goes to Georgia Tech. It truly is a small world.
Good night!
Nick
P.S. Here's something I've always thought of with you, mom...
What's a mummy to do?
haha sweet when your kids remember the silly things of their childhoods... i used to say "what's a mommy to do?" a lot! love that you thought of me nick, even if it was just cuz you saw a real life mummy:)
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