I’m alive! This past weekend I was immensely lucky to meet up with one of my good friends from home, Kyle. Last summer, we went to Rome for a week–he had a conference for work and I just ate gelato for fun. This year his conference was in Paris, which was only an hour and a half flight away! Early Friday morning, my host dad, Alex, took me to Barcelona. The person I sat next to on my flight happened to live right near where I would be staying and wrote down a list of places to go and food to try, so I thought the trip was off to a good start!

Here’s the weekend breakdown and picture/selfie overload:

Friday: When I arrived, I quickly got ready so Kyle and I could hit the city. **A quick side story: After all the stares I received in Mataró for my outfit choices, I went out and bought a pair of super comfortable Spanish wedges the night before my trip since I knew I would be doing some heavy walking. I may or may not have chosen the same exact ones as my host mom, Ingrid (I did) and felt more blended in with the local attire.** My new-shoe-excitement was quickly shot down when I realized that everyone in Paris wore flats or white adidas shoes. You just can’t win! 

Anyhow, we walked immediately to the Louvre, which was only a few minutes from the hotel and took the typical touristy pictures outside. We made our way over to Notre Dame with some yummy gelato and weaved in and out of a bread convention that was going on.The weather was gorgeous, so we spent most of the day roaming around the parks and heading towards the Ru de Roule (ferris wheel). 

We made some pit stops at the Love Lock bridge, which has sadly been dismantled because of the destructive toll the locks started taking on the structure, and also spent some time going in and out of shops on the Champs-Élysées where I broke down and grabbed a pair of black flats.

After a solid 11 miles of walking, we decided it was time for dinner and wine! 


We also headed out to some clubs later on, and apparently they don’t normally close until 7 a.m. Mind blowing.

Saturday: The morning/afternoon was a struggle. We managed to make it all over central Paris again, but with a slight hangover in tow (sorry Mom & Dad). That didn’t stop us from clocking in those miles and taking advantage of such a beautiful city. We were also on a mission to see the Eiffel Tower. On the way, we picked up some necessities including: fruit, grocery store champagne, and macaroons! I loved the Eiffel Tower. From the moment I saw it in the distance from the taxi window on Friday, I was smitten. We sat around in the grass for a bit, eating, drinking, and soaking in this massive structure. The clouds started to darken and the vendors walking around with key chains of metal Eiffel Tower replicas were switching to selling umbrellas. We attempted to climb the structure, but gave up from the long line combination and the rain. Instead, we headed back to the hotel to regroup. We made our way to the Seine River for a boat tour of the city. It was nice to see so much without all the walking. We definitely racked up over 30 miles on foot this weekend. 


After eating a breakfast that closely resembled cat food, we opted for a more reliable and delicious Italian dinner. By the time we finished the Eiffel Tower was glittering a few blocks away, so we returned and stood in awe of its colossal beauty. 


Sunday: Since we wanted an early start the next day, we thought it would be a better idea to take it easy Saturday night. Of course that didn’t happen. I got up early and walked around the city for a few hours by myself. It was Mother’s Day in Paris, so the streets were full of children and fathers scooping up last minute flowers or fresh pastries for their loved ones. Most of the normal stores were closed, but all the little shops remained open and the smell of sweet fruit and warm bread lingered in the air. 


I made my way up to Sacré-Cœur and strolled through the small shops and galleries. There were so many talented artists painting and sketching portraits of children or the Paris skyline. I munched on a crepe and tried to take it all in. It was a bit chilly and foggy, but being on top of the hill allowed for a larger view of Paris. 





When Kyle finally woke up, we went to the Louvre and walked around for a couple hours. I am still in awe of how expansive the museum was. You could spend all day in just one section! My favorite part of what I did see was definitely the Egyptian artifacts–especially the mummies! 

Sunday night was by far one of the coolest experiences of my life. We went to the Moulin Rouge for dinner and a show. It’s difficult to describe such an incredible cabaret. There were men and women flying in the air, performing flips and twists, a rollerskating couple spinning at incredible speeds, and a tank full of massive snakes swimming around a dancer. The costumes were also wonderful and intricately detailed with color and sparkles. Overall, I highly recommend the show to anyone. It was amazing.

We tried heading over to climb the Eiffel Tower at night, but it was closed early. The rain was starting to come down, so we hopped on the Ru de Roule and had an amazing view of the wet city. I also realized during this view that I am slightly terrified of ferris wheels.



Monday: Kyle’s birthday! Woooo! He spent it at the rainy French Open and the match he was supposed to see was cancelled. I spent it traveling all day home since wouldn’t you know, my flight was delayed again. 



It was a strange feeling. I had started to get so used to life in Mataró and working on improving my Spanish that coming to France felt like a bigger culture shock than it might have been if I came directly from the U.S. (I hope that makes sense?). The city itself reminded me a lot of NYC with the constant hustle and bustle, fashionistas, and vastness. Of course there were lovelier older parts of the city as well, reminding me of the differences. The trip was great. I am glad I saw Paris and was able to do so with a friend. Friends makes traveling so much better. 

I am back now in Spain and in the comfort of the house I have become so familiar with in such a short time. Though it was only a few days I have to get back into the Spanish mindset and practicing speaking. I’ll admit though, I’m also a little homesick so feel free to send love my way.