It's been a wonderful couple of weeks in London! Last weekend I went to Paris with some of the girls here and it was...different. It was definitely a change from the life I’ve been used to in London. It was the first time I had been somewhere that I had completely no experience with the language and didn’t know what anyone was saying. There were a few girls with us who had been to Paris before and spoke some French so it was nice to have them help the rest of us out, but it was still a challenge. We stayed in the financial district of the city and thanks to one of the girls; her dad got us two nights free at a Hilton using his rewards program. Although I spent both nights sleeping on the floor with only a towel to use as a blanket, it was nice to be in a hotel rather than a hostel and unsure about who is sleeping across from you. The people weren’t incredibly friendly, but after hearing other people’s experiences in France, I was kind of expecting that. The city itself was beautiful. The architecture and the buildings were so old with intricate details used to decorate them. The food was great and I can say I’ve finally had a crepe and it was delicious! There were so many little cafes lining the streets with food vendors outside selling pastries and croissants. I thought it was interesting that many of these cafes have tables set up outside on the sidewalk, but instead of facing the chairs towards each other, they face them out towards the street so you can sit and people watch while enjoying a glass of wine and a loaf of bread. Speaking of, the bread was amazing! I think with the exception of one actual meal, my diet for the trip was bread and cheese. A French specialty. Unfortunately the weather was worse than London and we only say rain and wind with just a little bit of sunshine on the last day.
All in all though, it was a great trip. It went really fast, but we managed to fit in everything that we wanted to see with time to spare! The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Moulin Rouge, the metro, the Champs-Élysées. We saw it all! It made me realize I wish I had done more traveling earlier in my trip and that there are so many more places I want to see! But with only one more full weekend left at 9 Frying Pan Alley, I couldn’t be happier staying right in London for this last weekend. When I think about how I’ve been here for two months, I can’t believe it. It has gone by so fast and I’m not ready to go home. I feel like I’ve barely had enough time to explore all of London that I’ve wanted to see; not to mention the rest of Western Europe! In less than a week my mom will be here in London and we’ll be getting ready to head to Ireland for a few days! I’m so excited go back to the Irish countryside and cringe as my mom tries to drive on the wrong side of the road (with a stick shift, no less!). It’s going to be great!
However, it will be nice to back in Hawkeye Country. I’m looking forward to getting home and grilling, drinking some Coors Light, eating Wheat Thins, watching Dexter and preparing for football season! For all of you still in Iowa this fall, you know I’m already planning some amazing tailgates in my head, so be prepared.
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