PARIS!!
I went to Paris for the first time (besides the time spent in the airport during one of my many flight changes to get to Aubagne!) This was also the first Rotary inbound trip. We met up in the train station in Marseille around noon on Friday. 
Of the 10 inbound exchange students to my district only 8 could make it. Unfortunately the Australian girl had difficulties finding a ride to the train station and the Japanese boy confused the date of departure. 
It was also my first time on a real train so I was experiencing all sorts of new things that weekend. We all got along really well. We shared American sweets and joked that we were on a train heading to Hogwarts. 
We stayed at a youth hostile just a few blocks from the Louvre, which we visited briefly (very briefly) that first night. It was crazy to be able to see all the monuments I used to see in post cards, pictures, and text books in real life!
The lighting was perfect for taking pictures, and I took a lot! I ended up saving 370 pictures from my short weekend in Paris. 
After we got settled in we went "promenading" and I got my first view of the Eiffel Tower! We were quite a ways away but it was beautiful, nonetheless. 
That night we also visited the Sacre Coeur Basillica. It was a beautiful Basillica with an amazing view of Paris. By that time we were all starving so we ate at a pizza place and were joking around and laughing the entire time. It was a nice change to be able to understand each others jokes right away. 
At the youth hostile all 7 girls stayed in the same room so you can imagine how late we stayed up that night! On day 2 we started out directly for the Eiffel Tower and spent about 3 hours there!
As cliché as it sounds the Eiffel Tower was my favorite part of the weekend because it was even more magnificent than I had imagined. 
We climbed up the 1,665 stairs to the first and second balcony and finally rode the elevator to the very top. We definitely got a lot of exercise in that weekend, enough to make up for all the American sweets and crepes we ate! 
The view from the top was magnificent. You have a 360 degree view of Paris. There were even arrows pointing to the direction of major cities around the world and the distance in kilometers.
After the Eiffel Tower we took a boat ride on the bateau-mouche, which is a sight seeing boat that takes you up and down the Seine River. We started off right near the Eiffel Tower and passed by a bunch of landmarks such as...
...Notre Dame...
...the Alexander III Bridge...
...the Assemblée Nationale...
...and the Musée D'Orsay.
Of course, the only time it rained that weekend was while we were on the boat ride. So of course we got out our umbrellas and braved the cold rain to take better pictures!
Later that Evening we had an hour and a half to spread out around a mall and go shopping! We were also able to find a starbucks and we eagerly waited in line for our delicious drinks. Yummm, tastes just like in the US!
We ended the evening with a walk down the Champs-Élysées (unfortunately we were not able to do the shopping there!) and of course L'Arc de Triomphe.
On day 3, the final day, we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was so beautiful both inside and out. I am so glad we were allowed to take pictures inside so I can show you all.
Yes, I really did wear flip flops in Paris in November, and no, I'm not crazy! I had blisters on my feet from the previous day so I willingly wore flips even though it was a little cold!
I had an amazing Rotary weekend in Paris with the other exchange students. Although we were constantly on the move and doing and seeing as much as possible, it was comforting to be able to spend time, share stories, laugh, and give lots of American hugs with the other inbounds. Thanks Rotary for making the weekend possible!
Of the 10 inbound exchange students to my district only 8 could make it. Unfortunately the Australian girl had difficulties finding a ride to the train station and the Japanese boy confused the date of departure. 
It was also my first time on a real train so I was experiencing all sorts of new things that weekend. We all got along really well. We shared American sweets and joked that we were on a train heading to Hogwarts. 
We stayed at a youth hostile just a few blocks from the Louvre, which we visited briefly (very briefly) that first night. It was crazy to be able to see all the monuments I used to see in post cards, pictures, and text books in real life!
The lighting was perfect for taking pictures, and I took a lot! I ended up saving 370 pictures from my short weekend in Paris. 
After we got settled in we went "promenading" and I got my first view of the Eiffel Tower! We were quite a ways away but it was beautiful, nonetheless. 
That night we also visited the Sacre Coeur Basillica. It was a beautiful Basillica with an amazing view of Paris. By that time we were all starving so we ate at a pizza place and were joking around and laughing the entire time. It was a nice change to be able to understand each others jokes right away. 
At the youth hostile all 7 girls stayed in the same room so you can imagine how late we stayed up that night! On day 2 we started out directly for the Eiffel Tower and spent about 3 hours there!
As cliché as it sounds the Eiffel Tower was my favorite part of the weekend because it was even more magnificent than I had imagined. 
We climbed up the 1,665 stairs to the first and second balcony and finally rode the elevator to the very top. We definitely got a lot of exercise in that weekend, enough to make up for all the American sweets and crepes we ate! 
The view from the top was magnificent. You have a 360 degree view of Paris. There were even arrows pointing to the direction of major cities around the world and the distance in kilometers.
After the Eiffel Tower we took a boat ride on the bateau-mouche, which is a sight seeing boat that takes you up and down the Seine River. We started off right near the Eiffel Tower and passed by a bunch of landmarks such as...
...Notre Dame...
...the Alexander III Bridge...
...the Assemblée Nationale...
...and the Musée D'Orsay.
Of course, the only time it rained that weekend was while we were on the boat ride. So of course we got out our umbrellas and braved the cold rain to take better pictures!
Later that Evening we had an hour and a half to spread out around a mall and go shopping! We were also able to find a starbucks and we eagerly waited in line for our delicious drinks. Yummm, tastes just like in the US!
We ended the evening with a walk down the Champs-Élysées (unfortunately we were not able to do the shopping there!) and of course L'Arc de Triomphe.
On day 3, the final day, we visited the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was so beautiful both inside and out. I am so glad we were allowed to take pictures inside so I can show you all.
Yes, I really did wear flip flops in Paris in November, and no, I'm not crazy! I had blisters on my feet from the previous day so I willingly wore flips even though it was a little cold!
I had an amazing Rotary weekend in Paris with the other exchange students. Although we were constantly on the move and doing and seeing as much as possible, it was comforting to be able to spend time, share stories, laugh, and give lots of American hugs with the other inbounds. Thanks Rotary for making the weekend possible!
.JPG)