Week Three

© James Kenvin

James Kenvin checks in weekly from his study abroad semester in London; catch up with him every Wednesday on Trazee Travel.

With a couple free weekends before my internship begins, it was a good opportunity to start exploring the sights of Europe. Paris is the one travel destination I’ve dreamed of visiting since I started studying French in high school. My friend Taylor and I quickly booked our Paris travel arrangements and a hostel.

When we arrived in Paris, the beauty of the romantic city took me aback. After grabbing a quick cup of coffee at a small café, we decided to walk towards the Arc de Triomphe. I’ve come to realize walking to your destination, instead of taking public transportation, is the best way to tour a city. We got to see every street and building along the way — mesmerized by the architectural art pieces right there in front of us.

This feeling of shock and awe was intensified when we got to the Arc de Triomphe, and then even more so when we arrived at the Eiffel Tower. Seeing these places I have spent so many years learning about was extremely surreal. We decided to sit down on the lawn next to the Eiffel Tower and have lunch while we planned out the next half of our trip.

The next morning, we went to see the catacombs — another spot I’ve always wanted to experience in person. After waiting in line for two hours, we were finally admitted into the attraction. We walked down this small spiral staircase for what seemed longer than the wait in line, but it was all worth it when we finally got down there. Even though I had known the catacombs were the largest necropolis in the world, I was still shocked to see how many tunnels we were lead through that were filled almost to the top with human remains. It was an amazing sight to see firsthand, and a definite “must” when visiting Paris.

Since we were leaving that night, we only had a short amount of time to see Notre Dame and the Louvre, so after those two quick stops we rushed back to the station to catch our bus home. I definitely do not recommend taking a bus from Paris to London — especially after taking the Eurostar there. But it is cheaper, and when you’re a 20-year-old college student, you don’t have much of a choice.

As Taylor and I endured the 10-hour bus ride back to London, we talked about all of the amazing sights we had just seen. Paris is truly one of the most beautiful and inspirational cities in the world. It is definitely a spot I plan on returning in the near future.