Paris
4 girls, 1 guy, an amazing city, and tons of amazing food.
So plans didn't start very well when our flight to Paris got cancelled about 7 hours before it was supposed to take off. So 300 Euros and a lot of stress later, we were on our way to Pisa to fly to Paris. We arrived in Paris around 7 PM local time and had just enough time to get dinner. 6,000 miles away and where do we go? Chipotle. What I didn't expect was that Paris Chipotle was going to be better than American Chipotle (it could have been better or that I was deprived of it for almost 2 months). As we walked back from Chipotle, we saw our first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Lit up with sparkling lights, it truly was a masterpiece. Since we were tired from a long day of travel we had decided to not stay out too late. After we navigated the subway, we made it to the Eiffel Tower stop. Walking passed street vendors, food stands, and tons of tourists, we made it to the Tower. You don't get a sense of how big it actually is until you are standing underneath it. Side note, it sparkles every hour on the hour, so make sure you see the tower at night on the hour, so worth it. We stayed there taking pictures and soaking it all in for a while until we were all too exhausted to stand up. On our walk back to our place, we passed a crepe maker on the street right at the subway stop. Yup, got one. Crispy and soft at the same time, smothered in Nutella, and wrapped around a split banana, it was one of the best crepes I had ever had. Before we had even made it back on the subway, I had finished my crepe. We thought the subway ride was going to be just like normal but instead we got a full blown concert in the subway car at around 11 PM. Seemed to be a great way to conclude a night. Back to the Air B&B we went. At this point, the Giants were still playing so I stayed up to watch the game until about 4 AM.

The next day was a big day for me. We walked around a lot and saw some amazing places. Where our place was located was a street away from the Arc de Triomphe, so on our way out for the day we got to walk right past it. After a short ride on the subway, we arrived at our next place of importance, Notre Dame de Paris. Right along the river, the giant cathedral was packed with people. Almost confused as to why there were so many people, we noticed a procession of priests and cardinals. It just so happens that on that day, they were revealing a statue in the garden of the cathedral. With perfect harmony of singing and a cavalry of high religious officials, they proceeded into the garden. The courtyard crowded with people awaiting the revealing of the statue. We took our wait down to the river with a perfect view into the courtyard. No one really knew what was going on but was still a wonderful thing to see. A little ways down from the cathedral was the famous Lock Bridge. All the girls I was with locked away their love and launched their keys in "perfect coordination" into the river (I had to avoid a clown the whole time while taking their picture, clowns are scary as hell).

Once the girls had sealed away their love, we headed into the Latin Quarter for lunch. The Latin Quarter is an area of Paris closed off to cars and flooded with pedestrians. Amidst the thousands of locals and tourists alike are hundreds of different restaurants, bars, and food windows with many different types of food. One of the main foods in the Latin Quarter is Mediterranean, which means gyros. A pita wrap with schwarma chicken, french fries, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki sauce topped with a spicy chili sauce was on the menu for lunch. Loaded to the brim, it was an appetite filler for sure. A gyro is such a simple food but these had so much flavor and depth to them. After lunch we walked around the Latin Quarter a little more and found a crepe place. I obviously indulged in a big crepe filled with Nutella and strawberries and, believe me, it was as good as it sounds. After the crepe, I had to leave the girls. My night was a little differently planned then theirs. I was on my way to watch Paris Saint-Germain take on Bordeaux at the Parc de Princes in Paris. I ran back to the place we were staying, grabbed my ticket and a scarf, and was off on the subway for around 20 minutes until I reached the stadium. I had bought my ticket online for around 78 Euros ($100) and was super excited to finally go to a game. When I reached the stadium and finally entered, I was thinking I would be in the upper deck or tucked in a corner of the stadium. Wrong. My seat was situated in the third row and I am still to this day in confusion how that happened. PSG won 3-0 on two penalty kicks and an amazing far post header. The atmosphere of the stadium was like nothing I had ever experienced. Unlike any American game, the fans sing and dance all game long, even if their team is down 3 goals (the Bordeaux fans proved that to me). After the game, I took the subway back to meet the girls around the Arc de Triomphe. After a long day of walking and filled with excitement, we decided to buy hotdogs in baguettes and eat them at the base of the Eiffel Tower. Somehow avoiding illegal street vendors and holding off on buy overprice champagne, we devoured our dogs as we watch the Eiffel Tower work its light magic. We sat around and talked for another hour or so and jumped back on the subway to return home (of course we stopped for another crepe at the same little stand). After watching most of the Giants game, I finally dozed off to sleep for around 4 hours and had to wake up again.

The girls and I walked down the street from our place to a small coffee shop. Breakfast was several sweet croissants, delicious coffee, and a nice view of Paris. Unfortunately after breakfast, my time in Paris had come to an end. However, onward I was going. Our week of break had just begun and so did my trip. The rest of the week ahead of me, I was eager to continue my journey. My flight left around 11 AM that morning headed for Barcelona, Spain.

Paris was truly a breathtaking experience. From all the amazing sights to classic and some not-so-classic meals to seeing one of the best soccer teams in the world, it was time for me to leave. Paris, you were amazing. Tomorrow, I continue my journey in Barcelona. Ciao for now.