A Tale of Two Cities

I have a theory that the reason the study abroad planners schedule breaks in the middle of the trip like Stratford and our free weekend is to make us miss London and feel as if we are returning home by the end of our trips. If so, mission accomplished. I’m not saying that I didn’t like Paris, because I did. Watching the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower was an out-of-body experience unlike any other. We took a bus around town that let us get on at off at stops like Champs Elysees, Arc de Triumph (changing of guards was really cool), Notre Dame, and the Bastille. We saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, walked along the Seine, and we ate more éclairs, crepes, and croissants than anyone ever should. The food was UNBELIEVABLE. One night, we climbed the Eiffel Tower and saw the most beautiful panorama ever. Paris is called “la ville lumiere” for a reason. We could see from one end of the city to the other, and it amazed us how much ground we had covered over just a few days. There were miles and miles between our many destinations. After descending, we joined a crowd of people listening to a guitarist by the tower. It was really, truly amazing. My favorite part was Sacre Coeur, however. Yesterday before leaving we went to mass at this beautiful church in Montmartre. It was on one of the highest hills in Paris and we climbed hundreds of stairs to get there, but it was all worthwhile. The view of the city was breathtaking, and then we went inside to celebrate mass in French. I loved being able to understand the Priest and what was going on in mass and I was so excited to put my French to use.

Immediately upon arriving to Paris, however, we discovered that it is dirty—smelling like urine and sweat with trash and graffiti everywhere. London, on the other hand, is IMMACULATE. There are no trashcans anywhere, but the city is pristine. And the people are so nice. In Paris, the stereotype is true. They do not like Americans and they are violent towards us! We were pushed, waved away, and berated nearly everywhere we went. Needless to say, this did not improve our opinion of the city. The nicest people we met were from Tampa! We clearly adopted the British attitude of superiority and were so unbelievably happy to return home to London. After a joyful reunification with our friends (the Scotland and Ireland travelers were happy to be home too) we took a “gentle stroll” to Hyde Park. We picnicked by Peter Pan and had a lovely evening running around the park and bonding over our shared affinity for London.