Spain Part 2: Barcelona

On Tuesday morning, the three of us caught the train from Madrid to Barcelona (or BarTHelona, as they say in Spain - they pronounce "s" and "c" like they have a lisp, so gracias becomes "graTHias"). It was about a five hour ride, and very pleasant! The train was really nice, and we got to see part of the countryside. Spain is very green, and instead of rolling hills, like in England, most of the hills were sharp and pointed. We also saw lots of farms. When we arrived at the train station in Barcelona, we took a cab to our hotel, which was on a cute little street just off of La Rambla. La Rambla is the most famous and busiest boulevard in Barcelona. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and people selling items from phone cards to postcards to even birds! Barcelona seemed a little quainter than Madrid, but just as big! Barcelona reminded me a little bit of Florence, Italy - cute, narrow streets and fun little cafes. People in Barcelona speak Catalan Spanish, which is much harder to understand. It's like 2/3 Spanish, 1/3 French. Many of the words were spelled differently! After we checked into the hotel, we strolled down La Rambla and then went to the beach! The Mediterranean is beautiful! The weather was pretty chilly, but we still saw people surfing. We roamed around the beach for awhile, and then headed back to La Rambla and walked around some of the adjacent streets. Everything seems to be open pretty late in Spain, which is a nice change from England. We ate dinner, then headed to bed. On Tuesday morning, we woke up and walked along La Rambla to find the Canaleta Fountain, which is supposedly the purest water in Barcelona. Legend has it that if you drink out of the fountain, you will return to Barcelona one day. Mary Virginia, Tools, and I filled up our water bottles! Next, we went to La Sagrada Familia Church, or Church of the Sacred Family, which was designed by Gaudi. This church is unlike anything I've ever seen! Anton Gaudi designed the church, and was head of it's construction. They began building the church in 1882 and it's still not finished! Gaudi designed a lot of buildings and statues in Barcelona. Once you see one of his pieces, you can easily pick out the rest of them. His work is very modernist and colorful. We went to the top of La Sagrada Familia to see the aerial view of Barcelona. It's such a neat city! Next, we headed to see another Gaudi building, and walked around the posh business section of Madrid. We had a delicious, cheap, three-course meal at a cute restaurant called Mauri. We did a little shopping, and kept exploring the city. We went to the Gothic Quarter, and saw the big cathedral, which is under major recontruction. We stopped by a fruit market on La Rambla and bought some cherries and pomegranate seeds, and then went to Place Espanya, which has a big beautiful monument on an island in the street. We headed to a tapas (appetizer) restaurant called Taller de Tapas for dinner, and then headed back to the hotel. On Wednesday morning, I woke up and headed to the airport to fly back to London. Tooley and Mary Virginia caught the overnight sleeper train to Paris, and then I'm meeting up with them Sunday in Switzerland! I enjoyed the food in Spain, but it wasn't the best I've ever had. Spanish people eat a LOT of ham...you see ham and cheese sandwiches or ham restaurants everywhere! One day I had a bikini sandwich, which is fried egg, ham, and cheese - it was delicious! We ate paella one day, which is a popular Spanish dish made of cooked rice, olive oil, and sea food. Tapas are very popular in Spain, also. You order a lot of appetizers, and share them to make a meal. We ate scrambled eggs mixed with shrimp, fried artichokes, and cooked spinach with chickpeas. We ate a lot of delicious pastries, too! I enjoyed every meal that I had! One thing that also surprised me about Spain is how the people looked - I guess I had expected them all to be dark and look like Mexicans. You do see lots of dark people, but no one even resembles a Mexican! We saw lots of blonde hair, blue eyed Spanairds. I couldn't tell if some people were Spanish until I heard them talk! I had a wonderful time in Spain, and I would LOVE to go back! I highly recommend visiting there. I'll be in Switzerland from Sunday to Wednesday, and I'm so excited! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

A cool street in Barcelona

La Rambla

A game of soccer on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea

Sunset over Barcelona

Me and Tools on the Med

Crashing surf

Drinking from the Canaleta Fountain

La Sagrada Familia Church

View of Barcelona from the top of La Sagrada Familia

Another Gaudi

Gothic Quarter

Back from Spain!

I hope everyone has been having a wonderful week! I just got back in England today from an amazing trip to Spain! :) We had a great time, saw lots of neat things, and took TONS of pictures, so I'm going to devote the next few days to posting about Spain. I'll start with Madrid:
On Saturday afternoon, I took the train to London and met up with Mary Virginia and Tooley. It was so fun getting to see Mary V.! She brought me a bag of Baked Lays chips from home (you can't find them ANYWHERE in Europe!), and the three of us hung around London for the night. Early Sunday morning, we headed to Gatwick Airport to fly to Madrid! We flew Easy Jet, a discount airline in Europe that's very popular. We arrived in Madrid around noon, so we had the whole afternoon to explore. Madrid was nothing like I expected! Actually, I don't know what I expected...maybe sombreros and bull fighting? You can find all of that, of course, but Madrid is actually a very big, beautiful, clean city! It's hard to explain...the city is very modern, but thanks to the old, beautiful architecture, it has a very unique feel to it. You know that you're in a big city, but the monuments, plazas, and buildings remind you that you're actually in SPAIN! Everyone in Madrid was very nice, even though hardly anyone could speak English. We had no trouble getting around, though...Tools navigated through the city and Metro, and I got a chance to put my Spanish minor to use, which was really fun. I really liked getting to speak Spanish! Although my Spanish isn't the best (I can read it and write it MUCH better than I can speak it) we got around the city fine, it was nice not having to find someone who spoke English whenever we needed directions, price information, etc. Our hotel was very nice, and on the Gran Via, a huge street in Madrid with great shops. Our first stop was El Rastro, a big outdoor flea market that is held every weekend. They sell everything from pottery to t-shirts to purses to pots and pans. We roamed around El Rastro for awhile, and then headed to the Plaza de Toros, a big arena where bull fights are held. Apparently they don't have bull fights in January, because a big circus tent was set up both inside and outside of the Plaza de Toros. Next, we went to the Plaza Mayor, a big, square plaza in the middle of lots of shops and cafes. We saw artists selling their paintings and lots of people sitting outside drinking coffee. We walked around the Plaza and through some of the streets along side of it, and then went to the Prado Museum, where they had lots of paintings by Velaquez, Goya, and El Greco. On the way to the Prado, we passed through La Cibeles, a big island in the middle of a busy street with a huge statue of a woman riding a chariot. We were pretty tired, so afterwards we went back to the hotel and got a good night's sleep. The next morning, we ate breakfast and headed to the Palacio Real, or Royal Palace. It was gorgeous! The Palace was white on the outside and looked a little similar to Buckingham Palace from the front, only a little bigger, and the inside of it was breathtaking. The ceiling in every room had a different mural on it, and no two rooms were the same! We got to walk through the royal apartments, courtyards, and even the chapel. After the Palacio Real, we went back to the Plaza de Toros so that we could actually go inside (it was closed on Sunday). We spent the rest of the afternoon eating and shopping...fun! Spain, like every country in Europe, has wonderful pastries! That night, we went to buy snacks for our train ride to Barcelona, and guess what I bought...Oreos! They were much cheaper than the $10 boxes they sell in England. It's funny to see which American items you can get in some countries that you can't get in others. Dunkin Donuts is a very popular chain all over Spain, and they had the usual Burger King, McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Subway. I discovered a new energy drink that I like...Pink Fish! I'm a big fan of Red Bull, and Pink Fish looks and tastes like Red Bull, except that it's cherry flavored! I think it's a Dutch energy drink. Hopefully I'll find it again soon! Also, if anyone goes to Spain, remember this: do NOT order hot chocolate (chocolate caliente) unless you're at Starbucks. Spanish hot chocolate is very thick and almost bitter. We tried it at a few places, and I'm just not a fan. Overall, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with Madrid! I would love to come back and visit! Tomorrow: BARCELONA - such a fun city!

El Rastro

More of El Rastro

Plaza de Toros

Inside the Plaza de Toros

Me, Mary Virginia, and Tooley posing with a statue outside of the Plaza de Toros

Plaza Mayor

Inside the Plaza

Cute little Spanish man checking out the artwork in the Plaza Mayor

Tools, Mary V., and me in the Plaza

Neat Spanish architecture

Protest march in La Cibeles

La Cibeles




I'll post more picture from Madrid soon!

Off to Spain! Adios!

Early Thursday morning, Tools headed to London to meet Mary Virginia. I'm so glad she's here, and I can't wait to see her in London! On Thursday, I tried to be productive. I ran some errands, strolled around town, and got my haircut. I'm very picky about getting my haircut (it's hard to cut curly hair!), but I found a place that's about 3 minutes from our house. The girl who cut my hair was really nice, and she even lived in Tennessee for a few years! She told me that her mom and stepfather still live there, and when her mom comes to visit in April, she's bringing lots of goodies from the U.S. The things she said she misses most about the U.S. are: Sonic, Hershey's syrup, pancakes, and jellybeans. I had almost forgotten about Hershey's syrup, because it's been too cold to eat ice cream, but thinking about it definitely made me crave it! After my haircut, I talked to my Rotary host counselor, Mike. I have a lot of speeches and meeting planned for this semester, including two speeches in one day - one at a club that meets during the afternoon and one at a club that meets at night. On Friday, I mailed some birthday presents to friends at home, and then met Michelle, Marfo, and Emily at Starbucks. I've only been to Starbucks twice since I've been in England, because my theory is that once I'm back in the U.S., I can have Starbucks all the time. So instead, I usually go to Costa, which I think is better anyway. It was nice going to Starbucks though, because I got the white chocolate mocha, the drink I always got at the bakery at Mississippi State. It reminded me of home! :) After Starbucks, Marfo and I walked back to the house. Jeremy stopped us and told us about the Council Tax letter that Marfo received. Apparently, Marfo randomly got sent a letter from the Council Tax department saying that she should pay taxes. Jeremy was mad because he pays the tax for us (it's included in our rent), and thinks the government is after him. Ha ha! He cracks me up. :) Anyway, Marfo DOESN'T have to pay the tax, and Jeremy is investigating the matter right now. Tonight, I've been packing for Spain! Hooray! I'm very excited. I'm going to London tomorrow to spend the night with Tools and Mary Virginia, and we're going to Madrid on Sunday morning, staying there a few nights, and then taking the train to Barcelona. I'll fly back to London from Barcelona, and Mary Virginia and Tooley will take the train to Paris. I think we'll be able to get around Spain ok...I minored in Spanish, and Tooley also took a few classes at State. Although "Spanish" Spanish is pretty different from "Mexican" Spanish (we learn "Mexican" Spanish in school), we should at least be able to read the signs and menus. :) Next time I post will be on Thursday, so be looking for pictures! Fun story: on the news today, they reported that a whale somehow got into the English Channel from the North Sea, and is now swimming around the River Thames in London! It's swimming right by Big Ben and Westminster Palace. Apparently it's lost or sick. I'm going to see if it's still there tomorrow, and I'll try to take some pictures. Everyone have a great weekend and week! Pray for a safe flight and trip for the three of us! :)

After Tooley's farewell dinner, some of us went to Cox's Yard to hear a local band. From left to right: Tools, Natalie, Marfo, me

Tools, Natalie, Marfo, and Michelle

Tooley's Farewell Dinner

On Tuesday night, Tooley and I went out to eat with one of her friends from work, Fraser. Fraser goes to Stratford-upon-Avon College, and he's hilarious! The three of us went to Cafe Rouge, a fun French restaurant in town. I had croque monsieur, one of my favorite French meals that I just discovered I like while we were in Paris. Tools and I had a great time asking Fraser crazy questions about growing up in England, such as "Do you mind that you have to answer to a monarch?" (even though the Queen has very little power), "Why don't British girls wear makeup?" and "Why is the punk movement so big here?" He gave us honest, funny answers, and taught us some new British words. We also got him to speak in an American accent, but it sounded like a nasal, New York accent. He really likes American culture, and hopes to go to school in Connecticut or Arizona to study abroad. After dinner, we walked around town and hung out. Today (Wednesday), Tooley and I hung around the house while she finished packing. We met up with Catherine, Marfo, Michelle, and Natalie to eat at Cafe Uno, an Italian restaurant, for Sarah's farewell dinner. We had a great meal and fun conversation. After dinner, we went to Cox's Yard, a pub where local musicians play. Another guy Tooley worked with, Byron, is in a band, and they played tonight at Cox's Yard. We ran into Fraser, and it was fun to just hang out. We listened to some of the bands play, but none of us were really impressed. Most British people under the age of 20 dress really punk...black hair, lots of eyeshadow, funky clothes...it's also a reflection of their music. The bands we listened to were really punk, which means they basically screamed into the microphone. Now Tooley is finishing up her packing, and tomorrow morning she leaves to meet Mary Virginia in London. It's going to be sad not having Tooley here, but it hasn't really hit me yet because I'm going to see her in London, Spain, Switzerland, plus she and Mary Virginia are coming back to Stratford on February 6 to spend the night before they fly home. I'm just glad I live in a house with two other girls! Once Tooley leaves for good, I'll only have about 6 weeks left until I come home for spring break. Hooray! I'm going to post pictures soon from Tooley's farewell dinner.

A Day in Birmingham, and more Paris pictures

Today, Tooley and I headed to Birmingham to run some errands and hang out at the Bullring, probably the best mall in all of Europe! Birmingham is an hour away from Stratford by train, and it's the second largest city in the U.K. It's also where the main campus of my university is located. I had to go to Birmingham to pay my tuition (the type of debit card I have requires that I pay large sums of money in person). Tools and I hopped on the train and set off towards Birmingham. The University of Birmingham has about 16,000 students and is located in a section of Birmingham called Edgbaston. Tools and I roamed around the Student Services building, which is HUGE, and finally found the Cashier's Office. Guess what...my bank wouldn't allow me to transfer that much money from account! I even went by the bank this morning to make sure everything would be ok, and they said it would be. So now I have to transfer money from my account into the school's account online. I'm sure my crazy bank will find a way to mess that up, too! After we left the campus, we headed to...the Bullring! The Bullring is a huge mall full our favorite stores...Topshop, H&M, Oasis, River Island, Office, and delicious restaurants like Costa, Nando's, and Wagamama's - my favorite! We browsed around the mall for awhile, but didn't end up getting much. That's fine with me, though! We went into Selfridges (an anchor store like McRae's), and guess what we saw...a whole section full of food specially imported from the U.S.! Oreos, Jiff peanut butter, Teddy Grahams, Betty Crocker dessert mixes, canned pumpkin, cornbreak, Aunt Jemima syrup, even Quaker Oats Grits! It's like Selfridge's had read our minds to figure out what foods we missed from the U.S.! Get this, though...the prices of the food were outrageous. $8 for a jar of peanut butter, $10 for a pack of Oreos...unbelievable! Of course Tools and I weren't going to pay that much for food that normally costs 1/4 of that. I did, however, get some canned pumpkin that was 70% off...only 1 British pound ($1.80)! Not too shabby. We felt like we had hit the jackpot for awhile, though! I was just waiting to see a stand full of People and US Weekly magazines...but I never did! After shopping, we headed to Wagamama's and enjoyed a delicious meal. After dinner, we caught the train back to Stratford, and here we are! It was fun to get a change of scenery for the day. Good news...I turned in my last paper today! Now I have to write four more for this semester...wish me luck! I hope everyone is having a great Monday. By the way, I'm suddenly craving Oreos... :)

The girls riding the Metro in Paris

Inside the Madeline Church

A beautiful hotel near the Opera house

The Opera House, home to The Phantom of the Opera

All of us girls in front of the Opera House

The beautiful Sacre Couer church, all lit up at night

Back of the Sacre Couer. By the way, all of us girls decided that the Sacre Couer (especially the view of the city from it!) is the most romantic place in Paris :)

Jessica, Ash, and Emily walkin' the Rose Line...the Earth's original prime meridian, before it was moved to Greenwich, England

Moulin Rouge!

In front of the Louvre

Ashleigh in Stratford

Here is the final post regarding my friends' visit to Europe:

On Thursday, Ash and I had a lazy day in Stratford. I showed her some of the fun sights, and she did a little shoppping. We went to Cafe Presto and had white hot chocolate and chocolate caramel shortbread (her favorite!) and read the paper...very nice! That night we just hung out and caught up. On Friday, we walked around Stratford again, packed our bags, and caught the train to London. Actually, we missed the first train we wanted, so rode the bus to Leamington Spa and caught the train from there. Once we arrived in London we went to Leicester Square, walked around, made one last Costa Coffee run for Ash, and went to see the new "Brokeback Mountain" movie. It's supposed to win a bunch of awards, including an Oscar, so we decided to check it out. It's a pretty good movie...Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are very talented! I don't recommend it to any guys, though! After the movie we took the Gatwick Express to Gatwick Airport and spent the night, because Ash had to catch an early flight back home. It was very very very sad saying goodbye! It sure was nice having my friends come visit, though! I enjoyed every second of it. :) On Saturday, after I said goodbye to Ash, I had a couple of hours before my train left for Stratford so I went to the British Museum and saw...the Rosetta stone! It's the stone that has a story written on it in hieroglyphics, Greek, and another language, and scientists used it as the key to decipher Egyptian hierglyphics. It was really cool! Funny story about Ashleigh...she was stopped nearly everywhere we went so that security guards could check her suitcase and bag for who knows what. With blonde hair and blue eyes, she's probably the last person who would meet the profile of a terrorist. Security in European airports is very strict, which is good, but sometimes I think the security guards act a little ridiculous. I mean, first of all, I'm an American, and second of all, I'm a 22 year old girl...do you really think I'm going to be carrying a bomb? When has an American ever bombed Europe (well, since World War 2)? It's sometimes funny, but also sometimes insulting, to be stopped and asked to search your bag. But, better safe than sorry I guess! Life in Stratford is quiet as usual, which is nice. Tooley and I have hung out with our friends, run errands, and relaxed. Guess what...we received a letter from Buckingham Palace yesterday! We sent the Queen a Christmas card (just to be funny, and also to see if she'd reply), and we received a letter from her lady-in-waiting saying that the Queen sends her thanks for the card. How fun! I have a paper due Monday, so I'm going to finish working on that ALL day tomorrow. A week from Sunday, Tools and I will be in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona) with our friend Mary Virginia. Hooray! And two weeks from Sunday, we'll be in Switzerland (Zurich and Lucerne)! I'm very excited! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. :) Next post...final pictures from Paris, including our favorite - the Sacre Couer :)

Ash checking her email in Stratford

Ash and her big ole suitcase riding the train back to London

Our letter from the Queen's lady in waiting!

Last Days in London

Hello everyone! Tooley and her sister Katie arrived back in Stratford yesterday after a fun trip to Italy and Stonehenge. Last night, the three of us hung out with some girls that I go to school with, and today Tooley took Katie sightseeing around town. They just headed back to London tonight so that Katie can fly out in the morning. Then, Tooley will take the train back here!

Our last days in London: After we got off of the Eurostar Monday night, we headed to our hotel in the Bayswater area, which is very close to Notting Hill. Our hotel was great...this time, all five of us shared a room, and the manager was really nice about five of us being in a four person room. I was trying to be thrifty when I booked the hotel rooms and save money by booking four-person rooms for five people, and just splitting the cost five ways instead of four, but the Europeans are VERY strict about how many people sleep in each room. Tooley tried to do the same thing with her family and ran into similar problems. In Paris, Ash had to sneak into the hotel five minutes before the rest of us, plus wear a "disguise," but the management eventually caught on. It's so weird, because it's not a big deal AT ALL in the U.S.! On Tuesday, we woke up and went to Notting Hill, which is really cute area of London and home to the famous Portobello Road...there's even a Disney song about Portobello Road (from "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"). We saw where parts of the movie "Notting Hill" were filmed, and went in lots of cute stores. I love Portobello Road, and one of my favorite places is the Hummingbird Bakery, which specializes in "American cupcakes." Isn't that funny? I've had tea there before with Jeannie, but this time Emily Cole and I tried a cupcake, and they were great! I also saw Jiff peanut butter on the shelves, and immediately asked where they bought it, because they don't sell it anywhere in England! The Bakery has to get it shipped from the U.S., and it's pretty expensive. We ate lunch at a cute Mediterranean restaurant, and then headed to the half priced ticket booth in Leicester Square to buy theater tickets for "Les Miserables." Then, we headed to Oxford Circus, which is probably THE best shopping district in London. After shopping, we ate dinner at Pizza Express (a really popular chain in England) and went to see the West End (London equivalent to Broadway) production of "Les Mis." I think it may be my favorite musical of all time! The music was fantastic, and we laughed and cried the whole way through. I HIGHLY recommend seeing it - it's incredible! After the musical, we got coffee at Costa and called it a night. The next morning, we woke up early and went to the Tower of London. You get a tour of the castle and tower by a Beefeater, and it's really neat to see where such famous people lived, were kept in prison, and even beheaded. After the tour, we went to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is gorgeous, and also where Princess Di and Charles were married. Next, we went to Kensington Palace and "took" high tea at The Orangery. It was so fun! I've been there once before, and it's neat to have tea, scones, and cakes in the back yard of Kensington Palace! After tea, we went to Harrod's, one of the most famous department stores in the world. It's absolutely exquisite...everything in that place is top of the line. The building itself is just beautiful! While we were on the escalators, we saw none other than...Mohammad al Fayed, the OWNER, and his bodyguards! It was so cool! I recognized him from all of my magazines :), and told the girls who he was. He must have overheard me or noticed us staring, because he definitely smiled at us and waved! It made me feel very important. :) We saw the memorials that he had put up for Princess Di and Dodi. (His son, Dodi al Fayed, was Princess Di's boyfriend who died in the car accident with her). The memorials are amazing...one of them even has the engagement ring that Dodi bought for Di the day before they died. It's HUGE and very gaudy. Intersting fact: Mohammad al Fayed has kept Dodi's flat in London just as he left it before he died; a maid comes every day to clean it! There are still magazines and newspapers from 1997 in the flat. After Harrod's, we went back to the hotel to get our luggage and Ash and I had to say goodbye to Emily, Emily, and Jessica so that they could head to the airport. It was SO sad! I was so spoiled getting to have some of my best friends with me for a week! I had an AMAZING time, and I miss them! Ash and I caught the train to Stratford, and crashed for the night as soon as we got back to my house. I'll write more about Ash's adventures in Stratford tomorrow. :) I'll post the pictures from London today, and post the rest of the Paris pictures soon - they're great!

The Tower Bridge, which is right outside of the Tower of London

The main castle of the Tower of London

Jessica and Emily on the Tube, pooped from our busy day!

Our tea party at The Orangery

One of the memorials to Diana and Dodi in Harrod's

The second memorial, containing Di's engagement ring and a wine glass that they drank out of right before getting in the accident.

PARIS!

Hey everyone! I'm so excited...last night my dad booked my flight home for spring break! I'll be home for almost a month, and I'm so excited about being seeing my family, friends, and just getting a big dose of Mississippi. :) My flight gets into Jackson at 11:05 p.m. on March 28th. Today I had my first class of the semester. From now on, I have class on Tuesdays for three hours, and class on only three weekends, which will be nice. After class, I went to Costa with Marfo, Michelle, English Natalie (now the ONLY Natalie, since American Natalie went back home!), and Bryone to catch up on our holidays. Ok, here's a recap of our trip to Paris:

On December 30, the five of us girls woke up early and headed to Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace (where Prince Charles lives!), where we had fun posing for pictures with the Beefeater guards. Ashleigh even made one of them laugh by telling him a joke! It was great! We strolled through St. James Park, and then headed back to the hostel to grab our bags and go to Waterloo Station to catch the Eurostar train to Paris. Due to service problems on the train, we had a two hour delay in getting to Paris! It was ok, though, because we had a great time on the Eurostar, and were even served a three course meal! (Note: do NOT eat the pate on European trains!) When we arrived in Paris, we had a little trouble getting out of the train station due to the language barrier and lack of change for the Metro ticket machines. When we finally figured everything out, we took the Metro to our hotel, the Hotel Berne Opera, which was surprisingly nice! European hotels are much smaller than American hotels, so you never know what to expect. The next day, we headed to the Champs Elysees, the most famous avenue in Paris and home to the Arc de Triomphe. We soaked in the beautiful landscape of the French architecture, and climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for an even better view. Afterwards, we decided to hop on a double decker tour bus, which we rode to the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line, and went to the VERY top of the Eiffel Tower! The view is unbelieveable...Paris is HUGE! We found a delicious crepe stand that also had hot chcolate (chocolat chauds). Crepes are like thin pancakes, and you can get them filled with anything from ham and cheese to chocolate and banana. My absolute favorite crepe is a Nutella crepe. Nutella is a chocolate/hazlenut spread, and I LOVE it! Since it was New Year's Eve, we headed back to the hotel to change. We walked down our street to the Place de Clichy, where we found a cute Middle Eastern restaurant with great food. We had a wonderful meal, and a great time chatting during dinner! We met up with the Tooleys and headed back to the Eiffel Tower to watch the fireworks at midnight. Bonne anne! (Happy New Year in French). It was such a cool experience! As you know from the past riots in Paris, Parisians can get a little rowdy. Besides the occasional drunk guy trying to mess with us, we had a lovely time walking up and down the Champs Elysees after leaving the Eiffel Tower. We stayed out SO late...but how often do you get to spend New Year's in Paris? On New Year's Day, we woke up late, but had such a productive and fun day! We went to the Notre Dame Cathedral, and walked along the Seine River next to the cathedral. It's so beautiful! Then, we headed to the Madeline Church and the Opera house...home of "The Phantom of the Opera!" The Opera house is gorgeous. Paris is such a beautiful city! Next, we went to Montmartre and saw the Moulin Rouge, and had dinner at a little restaurant across the street. Afterwards, we walked to the Sacre Couer, which we all agreed was our favorite place in Paris! The Sacre Couer (sacred heart) is an enormous cathedral that is built on a high hill in Paris, and it was the most beautiful view of the city. We went at night, so we got an extrememly impressive view of Paris at night. We walked along the cute little streets near the church and browsed through some souvineer shops. Then, we headed back to the Champs Elysses and walked towards the Louvre. We saw the Rose Line, which was the original prime meridian for the Earth before it was moved to Greenwich, England. The next day we woke up and headed to the Louvre, which is another beautiful work of art. Unfortunately, my wallet was stolen, so I didn't get to go through the museum with the girls. Luckily, I've been to the Louvre before, so I didn't miss out on seeing anything new while I went to the bank and had money wired to me. It was definitely a blessing that I didn't have my passport or even that much money in my wallet! That afternoon, we headed back to London with another fun ride on the Eurostar! :) Observations about Paris: the food is delicious! My favorites: crepes, croque monsier (kind of ham and cheese on a toasted biscuit with egg on top), and profiteroles (like cream puffs); Paris has amazing architecture and is a very romantic city! Parisians are not big fans of Americans, or anyone who speaks English for that matter. We encountered some Parisians who were very rude to us, but we also met some really nice people, too. Marfo told me that when she went to Paris, she couldn't speak French, only Greek and English, and when she tried to speak English to someone in a store, they just gave her a rude look and wouldn't speak. Basically, almost everyone in Paris can speak or can understand English...they just prefer to speak in French, NOT English. Needless to say, we were all ready to return to London even though we had a fantastic time in beautiful Paris! :) Tomorrow: our final days in London.

Cheers! Dinner on the Eurostar.

In front of the Arc de Triomphe

A view of the Champs Elysees from the top of the Arc de Triomphe

Close up of the Eiffel Tower

Me and Ash on top of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower at night...it sparkles on the hour, and looks like someone poured glitter on it. So pretty!

Bonne anne...Happy New Year!

Notre Dame Cathedral

View from the Seine River

Cute house in Paris





More pictures will be posted tomorrow!