Like a romance novel, Nick and I boarded a plane to Paris Friday night for the weekend to celebrate my 21st birthday. It was casual, no big deal. It felt like fiction.We arrived later than we anticipated due to another delayed flight. Apparently Copenhagen airport does not know how to handle snow. But the time didn't matter, we were going to Paris! We rode the train into the city and outside the window we could see the snowy city at night. When I first saw the Eiffel Tower in the distance, I let a small squeal of delight.
Nick and I were determined to fit in as much sight seeing as possible in the short weekend we were in Paris. On the first morning we visited Versailles. Snow was falling fast at the palace and it made it even more beautiful. Nick commented that we were lucky because we got to see Paris in a way most people don't-- covered in white, fresh snow. The palace was of course magnificent and gigantic. The rooms were lavish. Anyone who says nothing compares to Versailles is correct-- it is the epitome of luxury and embellishment.
As the snow began to turn into slush, we made our way to the Louvre. Again, I was ecstatic just to be in front of such a famous building. It felt surreal. Inside the giant glass pyramid was a mass of people. Nick and I zig zagged our way through. Our first destination was of course the famous and undeniable Mona Lisa. It was much smaller than I had imagined. While looking at it, Nick
and I both questioned why it is famous. Neither of us are art historians obviously or even art buffs, so we couldn't come up with a logical reason. After the Mona Lisa we strolled through the Louvre. The art museum has got to be one of the largest galleries. There is a huge range of different pieces and every wall is covered with art work. It would take days to see every piece that the Louvre houses. Nick and I focused on hitting the highlights: the sphynx, the statue of Aphrodite, and a few other key portraits.Because we only had one real night in Paris, we jammed it with as much sight seeing as possible. Next on our Paris Bucket List was the Arch de Triumph. Check. Then on our way to the Eiffel Tower we stopped at the Christmas markets. There we feasted on Churros covered in sugar.
Paris is especially beautiful when it is adorned with Christmas decorations and crisp snow. But the heart of the beauty is undeniably the Eiffel Tower. There aren't many words I can use to describe it but it was breathtaking. Nick and I then dined at a small cafe type restaurant for dinner. The staff was very Parisian and
didn't hide rolling their eyes at all. But that is the stereotypical French that I had heard so much about.On Sunday morning, my birthday morning, we checked out of the hotel and did some final sight seeing. We stopped at the Eiffel Tower to see it up close in the daylight and then continued on to Notre Dame. Mass was being held but there were still a lot of tourists taking obnoxious and cheesy photos of themselves with the statues and what not. Nick and I laughed and were somewhat disturbed by the annoying pictures being taken. But we didn't let it bother us too much, we mostly mimicked it.
We headed back to Copenhagen where we would spend Nick's last two nights. On Monday we toured the rest of Copenhagen and spent time with my host family before Nick had to depart. Together we saw the Little Mermaid statue that I've been anticipating seeing for mon
ths. She was away in China for the World Expo exhibit but returned in the beginning of December. That night we dined with my host family and enjoyed Domino's pizza. My host family bought me a small fødselsdag cake and sang Happy Birthday. It was sweet of them but I was feeling very sad not to be celebrating in my real home. In all honesty, it my birthday didn't really feel like a birthday because I wasn't surrounded by my family. Yet I am very satisfied with how it turned out-- I was able to be with Nick and my host family really tried help me celebrate.On Tuesday morning I begrudgingly went to the airport with Nick. The time he was here went by too quickly. And when I returned back to my Danish home, I felt a little empty without him. It was such an amazing trip with him and felt like a mini vacation inside my giant study abroad vacation. Both of us are truly fortunate to be able to travel together.
