Paris
From March 9-11, I decided to go on a weekend excursion to Paris, the city of love. Therefore, as a solo traveler, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect; most study abroad students tend to either visit Paris in groups or with their significant other. Hence, since this was my first trip outside of Italy, I wanted to make the best of it!
Momondo
I booked my flight on Momondo, a website that specializes in providing low-cost flights through third-party websites. I found the site through a friend and ever since then I’ve been using it to book all of my flights throughout Europe! Not only can I find these flights but I’m also able to compare them with other airlines that are listed on the page. With Paris, I was able to find a flight under 100 euros, which is quite cheap compared to other weekend trips I could’ve taken outside of Italy. Therefore, if you’re interested in checking out Momondo I would highly recommend it! In fact, they even rate all of the different flights based on the price and the duration, making your decision easier.
RER
Since my flight landed at Orly Airport, I had to take a suburban train into the Paris known as the RER line B. The public transportation system in France differs from NYC or Boston since you’re expected to hold on to your ticket in order to exit the station. However, unaware of this, I ended up getting into a little predicament in which I was not able to exit the train station at Port Royal. Heavily embarrassed, I tried to speak to a woman at the intercom, praying that she spoke English. Through the speaker a beep came on and the only thing I could think to say was “parlez-vous anglais?”, as a response she dryly replied “no”. Frustrated, the woman eventually opened the door for me in order to let me out of the station. Hoping to buy a ticket for the metro, I walked up to the booth. Immediately, the woman at the booth rapidly spoke to me in French as I stared at her with a blank look at my face. Knowing that I couldn’t understand her, she gave me a snobbish attitude which shocked me completely. Feeling annoyed, I eventually called one of my friends who was studying abroad in Paris, to help me resolve the issue, with luck I was able to exit the station in peace. In fact, he even explained to me that Parisians tend to have a dislike towards Americans that don’t speak any French, as a response they tend to give off a snobbish Parisian attitude, appalled by the fact I started to realize that when you come to Paris, you have to speak some French.
Meeting My Pen Pal Marion
Furthermore, during my weekend excursion in Paris, I visited my high school penpal Marion for a brief period during the day. She is from Rambouillet, a small commune located in the outskirts of France. After exchanging so many letters and emails online, meeting her in person made me a little nervous. However, meeting her wasn’t as terrifying as I thought. Being French, she was able to give me a 5-star guided tour of Paris with the help of her friend Vadim, a Parisian. Together, we climbed up the Montmartre, a hill in Paris’ 18th district, in order to reach the breathtaking Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic Church known as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris. Not only did spending the day with locals relax me but they also helped me translate French words as well as order food in particular restaurants. Therefore, if she ever decides to come to America someday, I hope her first stop will be in New York City so that I can return the favor!
Versailles
In addition, I’ve been quite infatuated with the Palace of Versailles ever since I learned about it in my AP European History course. As a symbol of power and beauty, this palace became the official residence of the Kings of France, in fact, the Hall of Mirrors also served the purpose of being the place where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which ended World War I. I enjoyed strolling through the palace, as I imagined previous leaders of royalty taking the same steps. Once I entered the garden, the shrubs, patterns and color scheme of the plants captivated me. However as I managed to pose to take my pictures by the beautiful scenery, a group of tourists happened to catch my eye. They seemed quite excited to see me but I wasn’t sure as to why. At the moment, all I knew was that they all wanted to take pictures with me for some reason like I was some kind of celebrity. It felt amazing yet also strange but I just went for it! Since I’m abroad I thought it was about time to do things outside my comfort zone.
Eiffel Tower
The Tour Eiffel became the last stop on my trip to Paris. Under the age of 26, I received a discounted price of 12 euros to go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I figured why not… who knows when I’ll be able to visit Paris again! As I took an elevator up to the top, I noticed that each elevator displayed a sign stating “Attention! Beware of Pickpockets”. Looking back I realized, being squished in a square elevator for 10 minutes makes it so much more easier for someone to pickpocket you. If you’re not careful you could be a victim to petty crime. Therefore, as a smart move, I made sure to keep my bag in front of me at all times. From the top, the view mesmerized me on so many different levels. I just couldn’t believe how much I could see from just this one tower. As I descended, I landed on the first floor to savor a quick bite to eat. With a croissant in my hand and a napkin in the other, I noticed that a little French girl kept staring at me. She seemed no older than 7 and she was with her parents. At first I couldn’t exactly tell why she was smiling at me, her mother did too as well as her father. In fact, occasionally, whenever I looked back I always imagined to catch her smiling back at me in the sweetest way. Therefore, on my way out, I tried not to overthink it too much. Apparently, I guess some Parisians are just fascinated at the sight of me!
Snow globe
As my weekend excursion came to an end, I thought purchasing a snow globe would be a great way to cherish the moment. Unfortunately, without knowing, apparently having a snow globe as big as the one I bought in your suitcase is completely forbidden. Unsure of what to do, I had to say “au revoir” to the water in the snow globe by dumping the liquid down the sink in an airport bathroom. Therefore, as a quick tip of advice….if you buy a snow globe DON’T put it in your carry-on!
Thank you so much for reading my post and I’ll see you at my next one!
Jade
