perusingaboutparis

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thursday was our last day of french class, which we just spent playing pétanque, and the final for our culture class. when i was handing in my final, my prof thanked me for writing a "lovely essay"! that made me feel good, because i actually do sort of try with my work here compared to some people. we had a "party" with a lot of food to end the program with- reminded me of elementary school.

afterwards, we shopped a little and headed back to the dorms. i chilled for a while in my room, then went to hang out in a friend's room, just sitting by the window. it was nice sort of just doing nothing...

eventually, we decided to go walk around, especially since it cooled down. we walked along the seine, the bastille area, and near st. paul. we sat on the bridge, overlooking the seine, the eiffel tower, and the notre dame. it was so peaceful and the wind felt so good blowing by. we were there quite some time before we decided to head back. along the way, we stopped at a store that sold berthillon's ice cream.

it was definitely a good last night in paris with the new friends i've made. many people have already left, so the dorms are quite empty now. i'm glad i'm still staying in paris for a while because c'est vrai, paris je t'aime!

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Hmmmm... Brussels was interesting. Quaint is one way to put it, and in comparison to Paris and London, it seemed like a small town. There were definitely less things to do. We got there super early from London, and attempted to find our hotel from the station. Unfortunately, we wandered off in the wrong direction and found ourselves in the Red Light District... For one thing, they definitely start working really early. I was sort of freaked out then, but good thing we found the hotel. We left our luggage and headed out. We went to the Grand Place, and bought some chocolate and tried a waffle! So good. Then we did some more sightseeing and saw Atomium. We also tried fries, which I did like. They're not your typical shoestring or steak fries. It was harder on the outside but still sort of fluffy in the inside... If anything, the one thing I really enjoyed was biking around. The chips are also better there than Paris. They had Lays in Pesto Mozzarella and Smoke Ham, and other crazy stuff. Brussels just seemed too dead for me, especially for being the capital of Belgium and all. The people there I also felt were more I don't know... I can't even describe it. I also felt like I got a some looks for wearing shorts... oh well. It was nice to explore the area, but I'm not sure if I would choose to go there again if I had the chance.

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LONDON! So sad we only stayed less than a day there so we didn't get to do everything we wanted. Though, we did get to do afternoon tea, try fish and chips, and got a real English breakfast :) After we arrived, we went to find Regency Cafe. The owner or whoever he was was super intimidating, but the food was good, so it was worth it. The desserts at the afternoon tea were literally works of art, too pretty to almost be eaten. They also didn't have your typical tea sandwiches. I like the foie gras and duck tart the most. It was expensive, but so fun and worth it I think. We also went on a double decker hop-on hop-off tour and was able to see a good number of things that way. Fish and chips were the best I've ever had and the mushy peas were weird, but in a good way. Being there, I still felt I liked Paris more. They just give off different vibes for me, and I didn't find myself totally in love with the city. I still liked it and want to go back though. Also, too bad Kate Middleton didn't have her kid that day.

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On Monday we went to Montmartre and saw the Sacre Coeur. Super sketch area but also so pretty with a fantastic view of Paris. We also had a guide with us who specifically talked about nature and the plants in the area. It was so hot and I was dumb to have worn jeans. Anyways, at night we did the Seine cruise with dinner. It was fun, but the food was just okay. Definitely something to do once, but I don't know if I'd do it again.

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Bastille Day! Super pumped and excited about it even before I got here. In the morning, we went the Eiffel Tower, and so I finally got to go up- so glad to get that off my list. Afterwards, we went to Angelina to try their famous hot chocolate. It was definitely just like melted chocolate, so thick and rich that it got to be too much. They also gave some chantilly cream and I really liked eating it was the hot chocolate though. We also tried their club sandwich and risotto. The risotto was delicious and the squid was sooo good. Definitely one of the best things I've eaten in Paris! Then we went to the Lourve and took some very fun and touristy pictures. Too bad it was closed though by the time we got there though, so we couldn't go in. I still need to see the Mona Lisa :(( Then at nighttime, we got an okay spot to watch the fireworks show. When it ended, it was absolute chaos getting into the metro station. I have NEVER EVER been so squished in my life! I was near death, and the body contact and heat was pretty much unbearable. It took us like an hour just to get in. Totally should have just walked to another station. But at least now I know...

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This was Saturday, and I was excited because my pal, Lily, was coming, and we were heading off to Disneyland Paris right after she got here. I loved how it wasn't that crowded compared to the California parks. Their Fantasyland is also bigger and I think, prettier. But I still like the original Disneyland the most- it just has a different feel to it, and it's more detailed in my opinion. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed my time and some memorable rides include Space Mountain and Indiana Jones, which were way more extreme compared to California's. They both went upside down, and I actually felt a little dizzy coming out of Space Mountain. It also hurt my cartilage piercing pretty bad :( Some other cool stuff was Toy Story Playland and instead of calling it Tomorrowland, they call it Discoveryland. I've always had a fondness for all Tomorrowlands, and theirs was no exception. At night, we saw the show in front of the castle, which was like World of Color, but a little bit different. Afterwards, we were completely pooped and headed back. I also like how it's so easy to get there by public transportation. I actually <3 the public transportation in Paris.