I feel like I'm running in quicksand with the updates.
There is so much to tell you, but I just can't fit it all in.
I'll try to pick up where I left off:
We lost Megan in the Lourve for about 45 minutes. hah. It was awful then, really funny now.
Saw the Mona!
I loove the Lourve!
Wandering Paris was fun on foot, but mine we're awful. I feel like I should dedicate a short paragraph about the importance of good walking shoes and how stupid I am about not bringing them.
My choices:
sandals = no
new keds = no way- huge blisters after london
flats = alright for like 2 hours, then crippling
old navy flip flops = I wanted to wear them so bad. fashion taboo in Paris.
Nikes = I was begging for them by the end, but nobody wears them. AND they would look so dorky with my sundresses and sweaters
So I caved and bought some cheap, walking shoes.
Cute? No. Practical? Oh yeah.
The moral of the story- bring. good. shoes. on. trips. I spent so much money on Band-aids.
We found Luxembourg gardens and hung out on the chairs eating fresh oranges, Iced Tea, and McD's. (It was cheap)
By Thursday night, we we're in early preparing for our early flight the next day and chatting. Our apartment was on the basement level, and they don't have screens in Paris, only metal bars over the windows. We shut off the lights around 2 am, and no sooner had we all lay down to sleep- something hard came flying in at Megan. We flipped on the lights again and found a rock. Somebody through a rock through the window at us! A second later, they threw another one.
Freaking out, we locked the window and realized we we're so stuck. We tried to grab the phone and dial for a drive by (do they do that in Paris?)
and the line is dead.
and we don't speak French.
and we can't get out of the window.
and we're on the basement level.
and it's one room, there's no where to hide.
*Hostels from here on out. No apartments.
I definitely had some horror movie reel playing through my head for the next few hours. Little sleep, but we were up at 430 am anyway to get to our flight to Barcelona.
It was raining when we got up, so we pulled out our umbrellas and dragged our suitcases ALL THE WAY AROUND INVALIDES to the metro stop.
Soaking, We couldn't figure out the ticket machine and Cait accidentally set off the emergency siren for about 10 minutes.
Its really comforting to know that they don't show up when you press the red button....
Long story short- we were very close to missing our flight, very tired, very crabby, and we were very lucky to have a friendly airport shuttle bus driver who helped us pay for tickets.
Arrived ready to relax in Barcelona on Friday, and spent the day at the Barceloneta soaking up the sun. It was so cool to really swim in the Mediterranean Sea.
*Kudos to Megan for picking the BEST hostel ever.
Equity Point Gothic was fantastic, and the breakfast was so good.
We met up with Andrew and 6 other boys from our program who were in Barcelona too. We spent some time with them going up to the Magic Fountain (a light and music show at the huge fountain at Montjuic- my favorite part of our visit) It was free and so well done. We hiked over to the '92 Olympic Stadium and checked it out from the entrance.
We did a Gaudi walking tour, and la Sagrada Familia was overwhelmingly beautiful. I can't wait for the day its finished.
We had some Paella and Sangria for lunch one day and its all I want to eat for the rest of my life. (I don't even like seafood!) We had it at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where they didn't speak English, and I was so pleased.
It's been pretty smooth since then.
Here I am in Athens, I have my own room in a great apartment with Gretchen, Hannah, Ali and Caitlin, and we have Balconies on both sides. Its huge and beautiful and I can't wait to get to know this city and everyone on my program.
As always, more later!
Kirsten
There is so much to tell you, but I just can't fit it all in.
I'll try to pick up where I left off:
We lost Megan in the Lourve for about 45 minutes. hah. It was awful then, really funny now.
Saw the Mona!
I loove the Lourve!
Wandering Paris was fun on foot, but mine we're awful. I feel like I should dedicate a short paragraph about the importance of good walking shoes and how stupid I am about not bringing them.
My choices:
sandals = no
new keds = no way- huge blisters after london
flats = alright for like 2 hours, then crippling
old navy flip flops = I wanted to wear them so bad. fashion taboo in Paris.
Nikes = I was begging for them by the end, but nobody wears them. AND they would look so dorky with my sundresses and sweaters
So I caved and bought some cheap, walking shoes.
Cute? No. Practical? Oh yeah.
The moral of the story- bring. good. shoes. on. trips. I spent so much money on Band-aids.
We found Luxembourg gardens and hung out on the chairs eating fresh oranges, Iced Tea, and McD's. (It was cheap)
By Thursday night, we we're in early preparing for our early flight the next day and chatting. Our apartment was on the basement level, and they don't have screens in Paris, only metal bars over the windows. We shut off the lights around 2 am, and no sooner had we all lay down to sleep- something hard came flying in at Megan. We flipped on the lights again and found a rock. Somebody through a rock through the window at us! A second later, they threw another one.
Freaking out, we locked the window and realized we we're so stuck. We tried to grab the phone and dial for a drive by (do they do that in Paris?)
and the line is dead.
and we don't speak French.
and we can't get out of the window.
and we're on the basement level.
and it's one room, there's no where to hide.
*Hostels from here on out. No apartments.
I definitely had some horror movie reel playing through my head for the next few hours. Little sleep, but we were up at 430 am anyway to get to our flight to Barcelona.
It was raining when we got up, so we pulled out our umbrellas and dragged our suitcases ALL THE WAY AROUND INVALIDES to the metro stop.
Soaking, We couldn't figure out the ticket machine and Cait accidentally set off the emergency siren for about 10 minutes.
Its really comforting to know that they don't show up when you press the red button....
Long story short- we were very close to missing our flight, very tired, very crabby, and we were very lucky to have a friendly airport shuttle bus driver who helped us pay for tickets.
Arrived ready to relax in Barcelona on Friday, and spent the day at the Barceloneta soaking up the sun. It was so cool to really swim in the Mediterranean Sea.
*Kudos to Megan for picking the BEST hostel ever.
Equity Point Gothic was fantastic, and the breakfast was so good.
We met up with Andrew and 6 other boys from our program who were in Barcelona too. We spent some time with them going up to the Magic Fountain (a light and music show at the huge fountain at Montjuic- my favorite part of our visit) It was free and so well done. We hiked over to the '92 Olympic Stadium and checked it out from the entrance.
We did a Gaudi walking tour, and la Sagrada Familia was overwhelmingly beautiful. I can't wait for the day its finished.
We had some Paella and Sangria for lunch one day and its all I want to eat for the rest of my life. (I don't even like seafood!) We had it at some hole-in-the-wall restaurant, where they didn't speak English, and I was so pleased.
It's been pretty smooth since then.
Here I am in Athens, I have my own room in a great apartment with Gretchen, Hannah, Ali and Caitlin, and we have Balconies on both sides. Its huge and beautiful and I can't wait to get to know this city and everyone on my program.
As always, more later!
Kirsten
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