PARIS!

I think it's rare that a 22 year old can go on a 2 week European vacation with her dad and have an absolutely fantastic time, but that's exactly what I just did! As all of you (the 5 people who probably read this blog) know, I just moved to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Before settling down in my new city though, my Dad and I decided to leave 2 weeks early and travel through France and northern Spain before arriving at my final destination. These past two weeks have been an absolute blast and I am so thankful that I have parents who are cool enough to travel with me! (My Mom and I went to China in January of this year). Our trip was filled with lots of laughs, great food and wine, plenty of cultural misunderstandings, and a hell of a lot of good memories. It seems like a ridiculous task to try and recount all that we did, but I will do my best.

Standing atop the Arc de Triomphe

We started our journey in one of the world's most iconic and well known cities: Paris. There are an innumerable amount of things to see and do in the city, but since it was my first time, I stuck to the typical tourist route. That being said, I also take after my mother and made sure that we made the absolute most out of our days and saw everything that we wanted to see. I warned my dad, I was going to crack the whip in Paris, but after that we could take it easy. We were there for 4 days, and for 4 whole days we ran all over the city. We had purchased a Paris Pass in advance and it gave us access to all of the top attractions in Paris. I highly recommend getting one if it's within your budget. Aside from granting you entry into the best museums, galleries and attractions, you get to bypass all the lines! This place was worse than Disneyland, the lines were insane everywhere. I could list all of the things we saw and did, but I'll show you pictures instead :)

THE Eiffel Tower! I never really realized
how huge it was until I was an ant standing
underneath it.

Notre Dame Cathedral. The
architecture of this building
is out of control.

Inside Notre Dame. Look that that
Rose Window!

Sainte Chapelle boasts some of the
world's best stained glass. It was
breathtaking

Musee d'Orsay. The museum is housed in
a converted train station. It's
Impressionism collection is phenomenal.

Musee Rodin. The gounds of this mansion were more
interesting to me than the works inside. The sculptures in
the gardens though are very impressive.

Arc de Triomphe. The only way to
get to the top is by a narrow
spiraling staircase. We climbed
a lot of steps.

Sunset view of Paris from the 59th floor of the
Monparnasse Tower.

We ate ridiculous amounts of cheese.
But we walked it all off. Right?

The Lourve! I have never seen such an extensive art
collection. The size of the museum was
overwhelming.

Pont Alexandre III. Of all of Paris' many
bridges, this one is the most ornate, complete
with gold statues and nymphs.

River cruise along the Seine

THE CATACOMBS! Easily the most interesting
and unique of the attractions that we saw. These
are real human bones.

Luxembourg Gardens. This is such a great park right
in the heart of the city!

The Bastille, or rather, the plaza where the
famous prison once stood.

Versaille's Hall of Mirrors

Palace of Versailles. The true embodiment of the
extravagance of French Royalty.

Paris was an all around good experience. The entire city is so dang picturesque! From the cobblestone streets to the countless cafes to the fashionable people that walk the streets, it's no surprise why so many people have fallen in love with the city. I loved it too, but it was also extremely busy and chaotic. By the time our 4 days were up, I was ready to escape the hustle and bustle and dive into the French countryside.