My Paris Experience

For 10 days, I embarked on a wonderful, joyous adventure in Paris. I traveled to different places through-out France. The places I visited are forever imprinted in my memory bank. The things I learned helped mold me into a better person and changed my perspective on how I see other countries.

​I want to start my telling you my personal experience from the beginning and share what I learned.  Before studying abroad to Paris, I had never left the country or flew on an airplane. I went through many emotions. I was excited, scared, angry, nervous, and anxious all those
emotions I felt at the same time. I didn't know what to expect.

 Many of my travel mates said it didn’t feel real to them until we landed in Paris. The moment it felt real for me was the minute I felt the plane traveling down the runway. I knew there was no turning back. I actually had a panic attack during takeoff.  I laugh about it now, but at that moment in time I knew the only way to go was up. 

​Once I landed in Paris, a surge of culture shock hit me. I was in a new country thousands of miles away from my family. I only knew the basic French lingo. Bonjour, Merci, and Pardon, but it seemed to get me through those ten days. The people were different, the food was different, and yes, the language was different. I had no idea if I would make it without having another panic attack, but I did, lived it and enjoyed it.

Places.....

Every place I visited, has history and it’s because of that history I decided to take this trip. I have always been intrigued by history especially French History so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about it. Also going to Paris was always a dream of mine.

Notre Dame Cathedral – (our lady) as it's known, is a medieval Catholic Cathedral built in 1345. Notre Dame is a French title for Mary, mother of Jesus.  It is the largest and well-known church buildings in the world. It was built by the Romans and is in the center of Paris.  In 1790, Notre Dame suffered some destruction because of the French Revolution. If you want to know how to get to Heaven the statues carved into the front of the Cathedral will show you how. Every year millions of people visit Notre Dame. Mass is still held inside.

The Louvre- Is the second largest visited museum in the world. The museum is housed within the Louvre Palace. The palace was built as a fortress in the 12^th century under Phillip II. Over the centuries the Palace was extended several times. During the reign of Louis XIV he made Versailles his primary residence. Leaving the Louvre Palace a place to showcase the royal collections. In 1793, the museum opened and had several hundred paintings on display. During the reign of Louis XVIII and Charles X the museum gained 20,000 pieces. One of the most famous pieces located in the Louvre is the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci.

Giverny- is the place were painter Claude Monet lived unto his death in1926. While living in Giverny Monet painted several landscape paintings. Located on Monet’s property is a massive flower garden and across the street a water garden is located. The lily pond is where most of Monet’s inspiration came from. A Japanese bridge is a central feature.

The Loire Valley- is located in central France. It is known for its Chateau’s. In the center of every Chateau a church is located. One impressive thing about the Loire valley is the country living away from the city of Paris. Chateau de Cheverny has been inhabited by the same family line for six centuries. Only part of the castle remains. King Henri II donated the castle to his mistress Diana de Poitiers. The property has switched hands several times and during the French Revolution the family sold the property. In 1914, the chateau opened to the public. The family still lives there and is a top tourist attraction.  We also visited two other chateau’s while in the Loire Valley. Many experienced massive flooding from the rivers overflowing due to the amount of rain France experienced during the month of May.

Versailles- This was the palace of King Louis XIV. Versailles was once a small village during the 11 century. It was part of the wealthy suburb in Paris. Versailles was once the seat of political power from 1682-1789. Louis XIV was forced to return the palace three months after the revolution. Located inside is the hall of mirrors. The Hall of Mirrors is important because on June 28, 1919 the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War I. The treaty was against Germany to end the state of war against the allies. FYI-I Dreamed about going to Versailles since I was seven years old.

 Eiffel Tower- Named after the engineer who designed her Gustave Eiffel. I call her a she because the tower is often called the Iron Lady. The Eiffel Tower was constructed in 1889, just in time to enter the World’s Fair. The tower is 324 meters tall. It is the tallest structure in Paris. The tower has three levels. The top of the Eiffel tower offers visitor champagne.

 Arc de Triomphe- honors the men who fought and died during the French Revolution. The names are inscribed in the inner and outer surfaces. Underneath the Arc there is a vault holding the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Arc is 50 meters tall and is located on the right side of the Seine.

 Conceirgerie –is a former prison in Paris. It used to be part of the palace. During the French Revolution many people were taken to the prison.  Marie Antoinette is among one of the famous prisoners there. She was known for your lavish spending and when the country went into debt she was blamed for it.

Montmartre- A little town on the outside of Paris. It is the tallest point in Paris. The Paris skyline can be seen on from the top of the hill. Famous singer Dalida lived in Montmartre. She has a statue in her honor. Many believe rubbing it is good luck.

Disney Paris- Disneyland in Paris is the third Disney park in the world. When you arrive you'll be welcomed with the sight of Princess Aurora's (Sleeping Beauty) Castle. If you shop a lot you'll have no problem finding a place to spend your Euros. If you want to meet one of your favorite Disney characters just walk around. They are usually hidden in plain site. If you love rides they have that too.  What made Disney special for me wast he fact I had never visited a Disney Park. Yes, folks I can easily go to Florida, but I never made it that far to go ever go. So, my first Disney experience took place in France.

Although, I visited these places, I still had to learn how to navigate the metro and adapt to the way Parisian people traveled from place to place. The metro was an interesting experience. Most of the time trains were packed. Mainly due to the flooding. One thing I noticed was how quiet the people on the Metro were. It was completely different from New York City subways. 

The French  food! I tell you the French love their wine, cheese and baguettes. The wine costs less than soda. The food is quite different from American food, but you can tell the French care about the taste. I never ate somewhere where the food was horrible. Everyplace I ate the food was seasoned wonderfully. I even tried Escargot. Yes, snails are chewy and earthy tasting. 

The language barrier was the hardest for me to get used to. For the most part if you attempted to speak French, they would talk to you in English. I found the French language quite confusing at times. You have no idea how often I would speak Spanish since it's my second language. The Parisians looked at me kind of funny. But I managed to survive 10 days using basic French. 

I had a wonderful time in  Paris. I am glad I made France my first international trip. I really enjoyed the food, history and culture. I loved it so much I am already planning my next visit. I lived my childhood dream, made some awesome friends, and made incredible memories.

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