We arrived Friday night and Nicki took us to a fondue restaurant for dinner. The place was a hole in the wall that was packed with both tourists and locals alike. For 18 euros each we got a pot of fondue, meat, a cocktail, antipasti and fruit salad. Not to mention, the wine, which was served in baby bottles since the restaurant gets charged for serving it in wine glasses. Afterwards, we went to the bar where Nicki bartends at and then to a club. Good times were had by all.
Saturday, Nicki took us all around the city to her favorite non-touristy spots. We were really lucky to have her take us everywhere and it helps that's she's fluent in the language! We walked down the Champs Elysees and then headed over to Notre Dame. After, we got the best falafel and went to a cute cafe for the best chai I have ever tasted. Then we went to a bakery where Nicki treated us to a chocolate tart and lavender macaroons. Did I mention we ate a lot on this trip? That night Nicki had to work so Luci, Monica and I headed to dinner at a quaint French restaurant in a really authentic part of the city. We had a three course meal and sat and ate for almost three hours and a guy with a guitar sang to us.
On our last day, we tried to pack it all in. We went to the Louvre, where Monica got us lost several times, and then Musee D'Orsay. Then we went to Princess Diana's memorial, ate the best sandwiches at one of Nicki's favorite spots and finally saw the Eiffel Tower! It was much bigger than we expected and we took lots and lots of pictures. We continued by heading into the Red Light District to see the Moulin Rouge and grabbed some crepes before heading over to the Sacre Couer, the highest point in Paris. We stayed there for a while taking in the view before heading back to Nicki's host family for dinner. Looking back, that night was so much fun because it was such a unique experience eating dinner in a French family's home. Nicki acted as our main translator, but Luci and I were surprised by how much high school french we remembered so it was cool talking to them in a language other than our native tongue. Monica, on the other hand, who studied Latin in high school, had no clue what was being said the whole night, which made the night even funnier.
All in all, Paris is a beautiful city of lights. It looks exactly like it does in the movies and it lived up to each and every one of my expectations. The french language is like hearing music on the streets and the little sidewalk cafes make you want to pack up your whole life, buy a vespa, slap on a beret and move there as soon as possible. Maybe one day...
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