Wow I just read the post I wrote last night. It actually makes more sense than I thought it would but it rambles a lot! I think I need to return to documenting the trip in order for the rest to start making sense. I don’t think I’ve talked about Paris at all actually. I was so tired when I got in and it was later than I wanted. Up until then I had been in places that spoke English primarily and now I was in France…scary! The French do not like to be delayed or stopped and they seem to not like to speak English. In America they would be considered quite rude but I think it is just their way. I wanted to take a Fat Tire bike tour in the morning but as I arrived in Paris I felt awful and I decided I probably had a sinus infection. I called mom and then I started taking some antibiotics that I had brought for “just in case”. Thank goodness for my doctor! So drugged up like crazy and felt literally like 800 times better the next morning. I decided not to push myself for the 11am bike tour but decided to head to Notre Dame and aim to catch the 3pm tour instead. And thus the Adventure began!

I was tired of carefully planned strategies to see every little thing and decided to wing it for the day. I did want to catch the tour at 3 so, aside from aiming to be at the Eiffel Tower to meet the group, I had no plans. I hopped on the metro and off I went! Notre Dame and the little island in the Seine seemed the perfect spot to begin my wanderings. I was met by the metro stop by a market of birds and rabbits actually, and the day was warm and sunny. The light, airy mood was a beautiful contrast to the quiet and dark of Notre Dame. Sort of like wine and chocolate. I asked around noon how long it would take to get to the Eiffel Tower and what the best way to get there. It looked to be some way so I wanted to get some local advice. So the woman tells me it’s a beautiful walk along the Seine and it would take 20-30 minutes. Wrong! A lovely walk indeed but try an hour and 15 minutes! Needless to say, I enjoyed Notre Dame but I missed my tour and I was sweating like crazy. I wish I had just stayed and seen Saint Chapelle because it was so beautiful on the outside. But instead I had exhausted myself and wasted some time. I was discouraged and I didn’t really know what to do. I decided to do the night bike tour and I spent some time in the Fat Tire office just listening to Americans and feeling a little less alone.

I went to eat dinner at a restaraunt and cafe on Rue Cler which was a wonderful little pedestrian road. I met an American couple there and had great conversation. That’s when I started to realize how lonely I was. During the mornings I feel invigorated by my freedom and independence but I long to share it with someone. So I got my hopes up for some young people I might meet on the night bike ride, plus I was secretly wishing for the super cute guide! I was a bit disappointed to find that most of the young people were in other groups and I was with a few older couples, a young girl, and a couple of college grads who seemed not to notice me. I started with a somewhat bad attitude. Even the guide (not the super cute one) didn’t really talk to me. But I was determined that I not take things too personally and try to enjoy the company I had. I really did have a great time and there were some really nice people there. Though it did start to rain and continued to on and off the whole evening. I was already sweaty so I stuck it out and just got soaking wet. It was not until the boat ride at the end of the tour that I became very lonely. Here I was in the beautiful, romantic city of lights on a night cruise of the Seine, drinking wine too, and I was alone. It was worse that the couples came back together to enjoy it, as they should, and even conversations struck up with the college grad didn’t seem to go anywhere. They seemed much more interested in getting to know the tour guide and he, them. I had a great time and enjoyed the people I did get to talk to but left feeling very…discontent and alone.

The next day was dedicated to the Louvre and I had hoped to make it to Saint Chappelle and actually see the inside since I was told that the stained glass is stunning. I had a hard time getting out the next morning since I had to find a pharmacy and get some things. And once I made it to the Louvre I was glad because it was starting to rain. Thanks to a tip I got from someone I skipped the big line and went in a sort of back way. However, the Louvre is the absolute most ridiculously confusing building I’ve ever encountered in my entire life. It was quite overwhelming! I could not even make much sense of the map! I like the Egyptian and Mesopotamian things but I realized after wandering around for a while that I would have to make some decisions about what else to see or I would be there for the rest of my life! I did see the Mona Lisa of course and some other very neat art. I was disappointed to discover that my favorite artists were primarily in the Musee D’Orsey which I had forgotten about. After several hours I tried to find my way through the maze outside. And I was off to do a walking tour of Montmartre. This began the greatest adventure of Paris. But I will have to expound on it tomorrow since this post is long enough and it is time for bed since I am off to Amsterdam tomorrow!