Paris Day 1: The one where I ate a crepe in front of the Eiffel Tower

Bonjour Paris! A four hour train ride from Zürich later and we arrived to our quaint little hotel.  I love this hotel because they have free croissants and drinks in the lobby and everything is free in the mini fridge! The train ride was actually really nice mostly because I was able get in a long nap.  After getting off the train I immediately noticed that Paris is a much busier city than Zurich.  It reminded me a little bit of downtown Chicago because of all the people around the metro and in the streets.  Although I was more worried about pick-pocketers here.

Before we headed to the Eiffel Tower, we had some free time to walk around.  We found a great place to have dinner that actually had one menu in English, which was extremely helpful and the food was amazing.

Then we headed to the Arc de Triumphe.  I was really surprised that the circle road around it actually has a low accident rate because it seems so hectic.  The Arc though was beautiful.  I learned that Napoleon had it built for the army so that when they returned they could walk through an arc of triumph.  What really stood out to me though was the intricate designs throughout the Arc.  It was amazing how much detail could be carved into the stone, especially in the early 1800s.  The tomb of the unknown soldier was also very powerful.  Another thing I noticed was how the city was kind of separated by modern and classic French architecture.  The modern area is more industrial, while where we are is more touristy with shopping and cafes.

We then took the metro to the Eiffel Tower.   I have only ever seen it in pictures and I was honestly so unprepared to see it in person.  Everyone just gasped as soon as it came into sight because there weren't any words to describe it in that moment.  We all of course took typical tourist pictures and had a wonderful time even though it was cloudy and rainy.  I also got a crepe with Nutella, which was so delicious.  I am so excited though to go back at night and see all of the twinkling lights.

Until tomorrow, aurevoir!







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