As promised, I want to tell you all about the day trip I went on this weekend..to Paris! This highly anticipated trip was so much fun, and was very educational as well. Before heading to Paris, I asked one of our CAPA professors what sites we should check out - especially any that would go hand-in-hand with the work we have been doing in class. Dr. Frith gave a few recommendations of places to visit during my trip to Paris, and I made sure to check them all out. Some highlights of the trip were visits to the Eiffel Tower, du Musee du Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Academie Nationale De Musique.

Shopping was also a huge must, especially since Paris holds such significant global recognition as one of the fashion capitals of the world. I wanted to visit the Galeries Lafayette, as well as take a stroll down the Faubourg Saint-Honore district.

Getting There

Since we were only able to do the trip to Paris in one day, the fastest way to get there was on the EuroStar. Taking the train would be roughly two hours each way, so it was the best option. In order to get to Kings Cross/St. Pancras in time for our train, we had to wake up at approximately 2a.m. Saturday morning, to be out the door by 3a.m. Additionally, we had to catch the Night Bus from West Kensington to the train station, so this required some careful planning so that we wouldn't have any issues catching our train.

Going through security and customs on the train was pretty cool. I'm used to only going through customs through airports, so I was prepared for long lines, frustrated passengers and rude customs officials. I was so wrong. Security took seconds to get through, and the customs officials were so polite! They quickly stamped our passports to let us exit the U.K., and we boarded our 5:30a.m. train to Paris.

The EuroStar was a very pleasant experience! If you've ever taken the Amtrak in the U.S., it is a similar experience. The seating was comfortable, and there was a car designated for food. Most importantly, the ride was nice and smooth, and we arrived in Paris in no time.

Once we got off the EuroStar, we were a bit overwhelmed. First and foremost, neither of us spoke an ounce of French, so this language barrier was a bit intimidating. Going to a country where the primary language is not English is definitely a culture shock; it also puts a lot into perspective. As Americans, we are graced with the fact that English is such a universal language, and that many people know how to speak English. However, once leaving our comfort zones of the U.S. and the U.K., it shows how people around the world do not necessarily feel the need to speak English, and perhaps we need to make a better effort to learn other languages so that there aren't such language barriers. Not being able to understand any French proved to be difficult, because this affected our understanding of navigating the city, how to get places, what to order in restaurants, how to use the Euro currency, etc.

The Eiffel Tower

When you go to Paris, it's only natural that you want to visit the Eiffel Tower. After all, what good would a trip to Paris be if you don't come home with the standard, touristy, Eiffel Tower picture?

Sharon's first attempt - of many - at an Eiffel Tower picture.

Well, maybe if Drew wasn't in the way, you would actually be able to see the Tower. (But he's always creeping in pictures; I had to take at least ten photos without having him somewhere in the background).

As we walked around the base of the Eiffel Tower, we tried to find a good spot to stop and take our touristy photos. Since I'm barely 5 feet tall, this was more of a challenge for me, because I obviously wanted a photo with the entire tower in the background. This meant we had to stand pretty far back, in order to get as much of the Tower in the photo as possible.

Unfortunately, that's as good as the pictures got. (But hey, it's better than none at all!!)

Sharon and the Eiffel Tower on a gray Paris day.

The Eiffel Tower is such a beautiful structure. The best part was that you could actually walk underneath the tower, and look all the way up to the top. We wanted to go up the tower, but the lines were ridiculously long and we were on a time crunch (seeing as we were only there for a day). We didn't want to miss the other attractions around the city, so our distant pictures would suffice for this trip.

Cruisin' On the River Siene

If you get the chance to travel to Paris, I strongly recommend that you book through a travel agency. We were able to book tickets at a very reasonable price, and there were several features that were included. One of them was a one-hour cruise on the River Siene. This cruise on the river was a great way to look at many of the different sites in Paris, as well as get a feel of different areas and neighborhoods in the city. We enjoyed being able to sit down and view different attractions in a relaxing way. First off, we noticed how clean the River Siene was, compared to London's River Thames. In addition, the River Siene was in such a remarkable location (or rather, the different sites were built around the River for its location), and we were able to see almost everything from our cruise seats! We passed by Notre Dame, the Musee du Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, as well as beautiful churches, government buildings, and residential areas.

Towards the end of the river cruise, it started to rain. This was a little off-putting, especially because we wanted to experience Paris in good weather. However, we made the best of the situation, and carried on with our adventure.

To the Louvre!!

For the sake of time, we rushed from the River Siene cruise to the Musee de Louvre. We decided it would be our best option to get in the vicinity of the Louvre and find food somewhere around there. We ended up stopping at a restaurant a few blocks away, and ordered some grub. Since I have severe food allergies, I didn't want to venture too far out of my comfort zone. Therefore, I ordered a familiar dish, lasagna. After lunch, we carried on and went to the Louvre.

Sharon hanging out near the iconic Louvre museum.

The lines were ridiculously long! We really wanted to go in, but we were unable to. So, we decided to have a bit of fun outside the museum, take pictures, and be obnoxious American tourists. It was rather fun.

After running around the Louvre a few times, we decided to hit up a few gift shops. We stopped at quite a few places, trying to find the best bargains. I finally found a reasonably priced gift shop, and we went inside to stock up on gifts. I bought some cool souvenirs for my family and friends, and we headed off to Arc de Triomphe.

Arc de Triomphe

The beautiful, Roman-inspired Arc de Triomphe was something I've always wanted to visit! This monument, which holds such significant historical value to Paris, was even more beautiful in person than pictures that I have seen. My breath was taken away, as I observed the Arc in the middle of the circle.

Sharon, her pink umbrella, and the Arc de Triomphe.

I was particularly fascinated by the architecture of the Arc, and especially by how smooth and detailed it was. I could have spent the entire day under the Arc de Triomphe and when I go back to Paris I intend on spending more time there.

A few meters away from the Arc is a huge automotive district. The showrooms for Lamborghini, Maserati, and other cars were just minutes away from the Arc, and we also noticed that there were a lot of motorcycles and vespas for sale on the street. I couldn't resist posing with a few of them.

Sharon and a fleet of motorcycles - Arc de Triomphe in the background.

Academie Nationale De Musique

This was a quick stop, but I am a classical pianist and I have heard so many wonderful things about the Academie Nationale De Musique. So, for the sake of being in Paris and passing by the music academy, I thought it was picture-worthy.

...And of course, a crepe!

Right before we left, I thought it was only fair that we stop in a bakery and try an authentic French crepe. So, we did. And it was delicious! I also decided to stop in to a bakery and pick up some chocolate eclairs, croissants, and lemon tarts for my roommates. I ended up getting my absolute favorite sweet: macaroons!!

Home, Sweet London.

Although we had an incredible day in Paris, we were definitely ready to head back home; back to London. It's funny how attached I have become to London. Being in Paris was great, but after a long day running around the city and touring the sites, I wanted nothing more than to be in a city where I understood the language, where the people were friendly, and where I could navigate around without any issues. After spending the day in Paris, I appreciate doing a semester abroad in an English-speaking city.

Getting back to London was very easy. Again, going through French customs on the train was a painless experience, and we were headed back to England in no time. Once we got back, we jumped on our familiar Tube and headed back to our flats.

I definitely want to go back to Paris in the future, and hopefully by that time I will have picked up a bit of the language! It also wouldn't hurt if the weather was a little better...but who's complaining? :)

Au revoir,

Sharon