Submitted by Haley Cohen on the 2014 spring semester study abroad program in London, England.
We just got back from our first weekend trip to Paris and it was a huge success! The eight hour overnight bus journey was definitely an interesting experience and I still am a little confused about how the bus crossed the channel from London to Paris in this weird claustrophobic tube, but we made it safe and sound (and it was too cheap to pass up)! Even though I have been to Paris before very briefly, on a teen travel tour when I was younger, it was absolutely amazing this time around. On our first day, we headed to Montmartre to see beautiful panoramic views of the city. We wandered through the streets admiring the charming creperies and cafes and had dinner at the best place: Refuge des Fondus where we stuffed our faces with endless amounts of fresh bread drenched in cheese fondue. Then, of course, we had to end our meal with our first Nutella crepes!
The next day we ventured over to the Arc de Triomphe and to the Champs Elysses. We stopped at the iconic Laduree to get chocolate filled croissants and macaroons and then strolled down the Champs Elysses. We marveled at all of the luxurious shops and stores until we reached the ferris wheel at the end of the avenue, which we then went on in order to see even more amazing views of the city. After that, we walked over to the Eiffel Tower, posed for at least 20 pictures each, and then headed back to the apartment we rented for the weekend to get ready for dinner with some friends from UD who are studying abroad in Paris!
Sunday was by far my favorite day on our little weekend getaway-we went to Disneyland Paris! As corny as it may be, Disney is one of my favorite places and it was so cool to experience it in Europe with my friends. It was a little weird being in Disney in freezing cold weather, since I am used to the tropical climate of Disney in Florida, but nonetheless I had the best time. It made me a little nostalgic for home and for my family, but I made new memories with my friends and I can now say I have been to Disney on two continents!
Monday was our last day in Paris. We started our day at the famous Angelina’s and drank the most delicious hot chocolate I have ever had in my life. It was rich and creamy and hands down the best hot chocolate ever. Then we walked over to Notre Dame and the Love Lock Bridge. Before we knew it we were headed to Charles de Gaulle for the quickest flight I’ve ever been on back to London! After taking that flight I don’t think I can ever take an overnight bus to Paris again.
As much as I loved Paris, I have to admit that being there made me appreciate London so much more. First of all, the language barrier is huge and it was very difficult to navigate our way around. The Metro was easy to understand once we figured it out, but most people in Paris do not speak English and I have never taken French in my entire life, so it was very hard to understand the language. Overall, it was a successful weekend getaway and I am truly shocked at how smoothly everything went and how easily we learned our way around, but we could not be happier to land in Heathrow and to be greeted with the English language!