So much to tell!

Well, it's official, I SUCK at blogging. 

I guess this will be a fast paced blog, about what I have done in the 10 days I have been here. 10 days, is that all? It feels like I have done so much and had so much fun in only 10 days. 

Well, here it goes, there may be gaps in my memory.

The first day I was here I got in at around 10 am, after having my flight be delayed 5 times in Miami. Ugh. Anyways, Mikaela and I took the RER and Metro to the neighborhood I am currently in, and stood around the big code protected door at the bottom of the building. Someone eventually walked out and we snuck in as the door was closing. We found my landlords name on a buzzer and talked to him in broken French/English to tell him who I was. Finally got up to my apartment (in the tiniest elevator EVER) and got settled in. Pretty quickly we headed back out and went exploring. I don't remember exactly where we went, but I do remember my feet were swollen from being on a plane, and they hated me for it later. Later that night we went to meet Mikaela's friend Kendra, we had some wine (a recurring event in the days to come) and bread, and then went out for mojito's. Yum. 

The view from my apartment!

Exploring!

The second day was Kendra's last day in Paris (she was here for a semester of school), so we went all out. We went for dinner at a restaurant that is right around the corner from the Eiffel Tower called La Terrasse, where I met Michel, Kendra and Mikaela's French friend. We had a great 3 course meal with wine, of course. We laughed and filled our bellies for a few hours. After dinner we raced back to the grounds of the Eiffel Tower, just in time to watch it sparkle. What a sight, breathtaking. We then headed to Kendra's place, with more wine in a backpack. We drank our wine and waited for Michel to get to Kendra's after going back home to make himself pretty hahaha. We finished the second bottle of Rosé and caught a taxi (it was 2 am by this time) to Batofar (a night club on the Seine River!). We drank some shots and danced to house music until 5 am. We made our way back to Kendra's place so Mikaela and I could pick up our stuff, and waited for the metro to start up again at 5:45 am. I made it home around 6:45 ish and crawled into bed around 7 after washing off my makeup. I slept until 2 pm. 

 

We were drunk and terrified buy this grate. So far down!

The third day consisted of dancing/drinking my face off until the morning, and then sleeping until the afternoon. Mikaela and I met around 3:30 and got a baguette and were boring for the rest of the day. Luckily, and surprisingly, we both narrowly missed experiencing hangovers, YAY! 

The next few days are sort of all merged, but I can explain what happened. We went to Notre Dame, and the Archaeological Museum underneath, YAY! The museum is basically built around the original base of Notre Dame and the ruins have been left the way they were found, and then there are artifacts displayed around the small underground museum.

We then went back up and walked through Notre Dame, where my camera promptly died as we walked in. We paid the 4€ to get into the treasury, worth it I thought. There were lots of diamonds and beautiful things to gawk at. The stained glass windows in Notre Dame are spectacular. I really wish I had a picture to share. I think Mikaela was able to get a few. 

I was able to take a picture of the prayer candles inside, right before my camera died. 

I don't remember what night it was exactly, but Mikaela took me to the Canadian Bar she found. I know, I know, a Canadian bar in Paris, but we had fun. Drank one too many Bulmers Ciders. We went again the next day, this time we took Michel. We introduced him to the Poutine, and eating motza sticks and onion rings with his fingers. His face was priceless. We also made him try his first Jäger Bomb, which he now loves. And insists we have more fun in Canada. 

The last week has merged and I don't remember what day we did what. I know we were pretty boring for a few days, but it was cold and rainy, not exactly sightseeing days. We went shopping, found phones for our trip, and went grocery shopping. 

We went to the Louvre, so many pictures (most still on my camera)! And a chocolate museum! Not in the same day though. 

Those are a very very very select few of the mass amount of pictures I took at the Louvre. Those are from my phone, my camera died again from taking so many pictures, and from not turning it off, and I have not uploaded them yet. 

The chocolate museum, called Choco-Story. The history of chocolate, a tasting/demo, and hot chocolate.

Mustache protector!

I thought it was sort of supposed to be a children's museum? I guess not?

I am super tired, it's 12:20 am. I still have a few days to write about, but that's it for now. 

Pictures!

I was curious what my apartment is going to look like, so I decided to do some google street view/picture searches. I was not disappointed! I found some amazing pictures! The building my apartment is in is on the right, and my apartment is at the top of the building.

Photo Credit: Gilles Clement

In the above picture, you can see the Eiffel Tower! In the building on the right you can slightly see my apartment window (I am told that that is my apartment), it is a tiny bit around the corner (to the left of the window in clear view at the top of the building). Fingers crossed I really do have a view of the Eiffel Tower! 

Photo Credit: loamvalley

How gorgeous is this picture? In this one you can see my apartment window. I keep saying that that one is mine, only because in the picture I was given there is an arrow pointing to that window. 

Photo Credit: kkaz

I am super close to the Metro. Like super close, it is literally down the street. Convenient! 

I cannot wait to add some of my own pictures! These definitely have made me more excited. And something I think Mikaela will love, I am right across the street from a cute cafe!

18 DAYS!

Holy crap Batman! 18 days. DAYS!

I am so baffled that it is coming up so fast. I remember Mikaela and I talking about this such a long time ago, when she first made the plans to go. And in December/January when I decided to join her, I felt it was forever away. Also, I feel that these past almost 3 months have gone by way too fast and I do not want my 3 months in Europe to be the same.

I am so stupidly excited to see one of the best friends I have ever had (almost 15 years!) after 3 months, and being able to share this amazing experience with her.

Reading all of her blogs makes me giddy, except for when I read she has cried about getting lost, getting caught in the rain, etc. I was hoping she would be the pulled together one hahahaha. I have a feeling we are going to be two blubbering girls who get lost a lot. Sweet.

One thing Mikaela and I are very excited about is having hilarious conversations with people who speak a different language, I foretell a lot of it. I think she is most excited about the Irish accents HAHA. I think I might be able to do somewhat well in that area.

Well, needless to say, I am super excited. YAY!

Done and Done

Finally have my plane ticket and eurail pass!!

That is all.

I have an apartment...in Paris!

I was incredibly nervous about this. I needed to find an apartment in Paris. I know Mikaela had quite the time trying to find one...for MONTHS. And only found one a matter of a couple weeks before she got to Paris. I don't know how she kept it together.

I did lots and lots of research. Trying to find apartments on my own at first, which I assumed would lead to some sort of scam in the end. Scratch that. Next I tried finding a reputable agency, which is way harder then you would expect. I did find a website, Paris Notes, that helped with sorting through all of the clutter out there, it gives you links to some of the best agencies. But unfortunately, the majority of the websites host apartments that were WAY out of my budget, were talking 2000 euro a WEEK. Ya, no.

I look around for 3 weeks, and found lots of nice, clean, reasonably priced apartments, but none that were available from May 10th to 21st. Bummer. One agency I sent an email to about an apartment, got back to me the same day, GREAT, I thought. I quickly sent an email back asking the price of the agency fee's, well it's been a month, and I have not heard back. I did send another email, quite the same as the last, just to make sure mine didn't get lost. And still, nothing. I am actually very happy this agency did not email me back, because I later did some research for reviews on the company. Awful customer service was the main complaint. I can see that.

After finding nothing in my budget and my time period, I decided to use the same agency Mikaela used to find her place, Entrée Paris. I know Mikaela had been using another agency for a while with no luck, and within a week, I believe, she had an apartment using Entrée Paris! The reason I did not use this agency right off the bat was because you have to pay upfront for their services, before you even know what they offer. The do have a Facebook page though, which they update with pictures of new apartments.

After I paid for the service and sent an email to the agency with all my details and wish list for the apartment. It basically included that I wanted to be close to Mikaela, in a clean apartment, and gave them my budget. Well, 5 days after paying for the service, I got an apartment! YAY. Rejoice!

The apartment is in a nice building, across the river from the Eiffel Tower! AH. Not as close to Mikaela as I had hoped, but there was nothing closer in my budget, she is about a 30 minute walk away. BUT, I am basically right beside a Metro station, and I believe Mikaela has one not too far away from her. I am a 10 minute walk away from the Eiffel Tower, and I think I may have a slight view of it. Omg. I will die.

Now that that step is done, I can actually get even more excited about this! I can only imagine how Mikaela felt after having spent so long looking.

If you are ever spending 3 or more weeks in Paris, and need an apartment, I would suggest Entrée Paris (the service fee is on the pricey side, so it may not be worth it if you are spending less time there). They are very friendly, very helpful, and get back to you really quickly. I am beyond pleased with the service. Money well spent.

34 days left to go!

Now I should probably buy my plane ticket and eurail pass...right?

67 Days and Counting

I think for still having 67 days left until I fly to Paris, I am way too prepared. I have almost everything I need. Save a few small things. All I can think about is this trip, although I'm sure studying for my SAT and ACT are more important at the moment. I don't think it helps that Mikaela is in Paris at this very moment, I read her blogs and I get even more excited to know I am going to be there with her shortly!

The plan is, I fly to Paris on May 10th, and because she has her apartment there until May 31st, we will be staying in Paris until then. So I get to spend my 21st birthday in Paris. YES. We will have to figure something fun to do. Spend the day at the Louvre? Possibly. Versailles? Maybe. AH the options. On the 31st I am sure we will be hoping on a train using our Eurail passes and head to our first destination. Where will it be? Who knows. I'm thinking we should stop in Carcassonne, France, that has to be one of the most fascinating places I've been. I didn't want to leave.

As of this moment, I am not sure if we have a plan. Possibly a general idea of the places we most want to go, but all I know is I am not ruling anything out. I think our only plan as of yet is we are planning on taking 3 tours in Rome. Back in 2008 I went on a family vacation to Italy and Malta, and we did 3 tours in Rome, which I would love to experience with Mikaela.

The first is a walking tour of Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel. I would love to see her face the first time she walks into the Sistine Chapel. For as long as I've known her, she has longed to see it. And the girl is an INCREDIBLE artist herself. So she can really appreciate the work. And if her face at that moment is the same as the one when she first saw the Mona Lisa, it would be perfect. Haha.

The second is a day tour of the Colosseum and surrounding area, which is also pretty amazing. You really cannot imagine how big the Colosseum is until you are standing inside.

The third is a tour of the Crypts and Catacombs of Rome, incredibly eerie and creepy, but so worth it.

In all of the tours you get to skip lines, and if that isn't worth the price in itself, you get a tour guild telling you the history. And now that I've taken Greek and Roman courses, I can more appreciate and understand the history that went on there. I'm so excited.

Being an aspiring archaeologist I am immensely interested in Ancient Greece and Rome. And having taken courses on them, I want to go to Greece and Italy more so then anywhere else. But it would be a mistake to spend the majority of the time in one place. But I have to go to Greece. I have to. I also have to go to Pompeii. Nothing excites me more then the thought of discovering/seeing something ancient. Oh my god.

Introduction

My name is Emily. I'm an aspiring archaeologist and I love to travel.


On May 10th 2012 I am headed for Europe for a 3 month adventure with one of my best friends of almost 14 years, Mikaela. This is inspired by her blog detailing her adventures while she lives in Paris for 3 months. You can find it here www.mikaelainparis.blogspot.com. It truly is a joy to read, I don't know if I can live up to that. But I'll do my best.


This blog is mainly for myself, to help me remember all of the details of this trip of a lifetime. Details I am sure I won't remember as vividly as I would like to.