Paris!

Hello everyone!

Whew, another whirlwind of a week, and the countdown to heading home is almost on. I cannot believe I am now under 2 weeks to go on this trip. It has been so magnificent! Now to recap the last couple days....

Paris was AMAZING. Such a cool city; so much history, so much culture, it was great to be there. However, it is impossible to see all of the city in just a weekend. Nevertheless, we did our best.

Friday night when we arrived, a few friends and I went to a small pizza joint right around the corner from the hotel. Our waiter spoke as much English as I speak French, so ordering and paying was interesting to say the least. I did find out that hand signals are universal :)

That night, I headed to the Eiffel Tower with a few friends, and my gosh is it spectacular. Seeing it lit up at night was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. At midnight, there is about 5 minutes worth of sparking lights that flash all over the tower, and I sat on the lawn and watched it as I enjoyed a Nutella and banana crepe. I had to do it seeing as I was in Paris!

Eiffel Tower as it gets lit up at midnight

Saturday was a tourist day, as we got up and took the metro into the city center, walking past the Louvre, seeing the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, and heading back to the Eiffel Tower in the day. Even being there a second time, I was still shocked at how huge the tower was! I wanted to walk to the top, but it was about an hour wait and I decided against it. I grabbed some food that evening, and our entire group went back to the Eiffel Tower to see it once again. I could have honestly seen it 50 more times and it would still have been just as beautiful.

Sunday arrived and we headed back to the Champs Elysses, and saw all of the Tour de France final stage happenings in the morning. The riders did not come through until later in the afternoon, so unfortunately I did not get to see the riders pass. However, being in that environment on Sunday morning was unbelievable, as you could just feel the excitement in the air. With our limited time, we headed into the Louvre and I got to see the Mona Lisa! The entire museum in MASSIVE. I honestly think you could take 5 days to go through the whole thing if you wanted to. Even for the 45 minutes that I was in there, I really enjoyed all the artwork.

One of the most ironic things happened to me while I was in Paris. An old friend of mine posted a Facebook status saying she was headed to Paris, but her phone was off so I was not able to get a hold of her. On Sunday at the Champs Elysees, I needed to cross the street, so I used the underground tunnel to get across. As I came up out of the tunnel, that friend, funny enough an ex-girlfriend of mine, was sitting on the wall. I ran up to her and threw a big hug on her, and we sat and chatted in the middle of Paris for a half-hour. The whole time we were talking I couldn't really believe that I ran into her, but nevertheless, it was really good to see an old friend.

Sunday afternoon we left Paris and headed back to London, where we will be until I depart for the states on August 8th. We are living in an amazing dorm-like student living building in east London, and I have a spectacular view from the 18th floor. However, that didn't come without a little hassle. When we checked in on Sunday, my room was not ready due to maintenance, and so I was in a temporary room with a roommate that I think was from Italy. The rooms are suite style so I had my own bedroom, and I was not too worried. I checked out of my temporary room Monday morning, only to be told that night that I had to go back to the temp room for the night. Finally, on Tuesday they were able secure a permanent room for me, and now I am all settled in.

Last night, I had the privilege of going to the final rehearsal for the Opening Ceremonies that are going to take place on Friday evening. Beyond that, I was actually floor level in the infield, and I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed. I had goosebumps for half the show, and it was only the rehersal. I urge you, if you get a chance to see the ceremonies on Friday, watch them! They did not show certain parts of the show, because they want to keep those parts absolutely secretive. So no, I do not know who will be the final torch bearer, but if I had to guess, I think it will be David Beckham. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera, and my phone died, so I did not get any pictures, but I will remember that night for as long as I live. A very cool experience.

The outlook for the next week is a little more calm, with just class scheduled. This Sunday, I am seeing 2 group play men's soccer matches, and I am working on securing more and more tickets. I cannot wait for the Olympics to begin - just being in the city where they are happening will be breathtaking I am sure!

Until next time,

Ben