Day Four: Saturday, May 12th
We started our day with a train ride to Paris! The train took a couple of hours and we were all excited to get there! Once we arrived, we took the Metro to the Lourve. We walked around the outside and saw the pyramids. The Lourve is huge! When we got in our first stop was the Mona Lisa. After that, we explored a bit more and saw artwork from Italy, France, Spain, Egypt and more. It was beautiful and filled with so much famous artwork, we literally could've spent an entire day there. Afterward, we went to Sacre Coure, which was gorgeous inside and out. It overlooks a great view of the city! We went a few blocks over and saw a hidden view of the Eiffel Tower. We walked around the Sacre Coure area, where there were a bunch of little shops and restaurants. We stopped inside a cute restaurant with live music and had a great first dinner in Paris!
Day Five: Sunday, May 13th
Sunday was our first full day in Paris. We went to the Palais Galliera fashion museum, where there was a Martin Margiela exhibit. We learned so much about his work and influence on the fashion industry. Our next stop, the Eiffel Tower! Thankfully, there wasn't a long wait to go up into the tower. The tower was cold and windy but the view was unreal. We were able to go to the top, and overall it was an incredible experience. After going into the Eiffel Tower, we got lunch and crepes at some of the food trucks down the street. It was surreal eating a crepe and looking up at the Eiffel Tower. We of course, got plenty of pictures as well. Then, we walked down to the street full of high end stores like Valentino, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and, my favorite, Chanel. Then we walked to a busier street full of stores and went inside Laduree, the famous macaroon shop. For dinner, we went back to the Sacre Coure area of Paris and ate at a delicious French restaurant. The sunset that night was gorgeous and was a perfect end to the day.
Day Six: Monday, May 14th
The first thing we did on this rainy Monday was head to the Paris American Academy. We met a super nice lady who showed us around. We got to see the student's work and learned more about the Academy. She even told us some great places to see during our last day in Paris! After the American Academy, our next stop was Notre Dame. I loved Notre Dame! The outside of the cathedral was stunning. The inside was beautiful with the colored stained glass and lots of detail. Being in a cathedral that is so old felt like living a piece of history. After Notre Dame, we had lunch at a restaurant right down the street. At the restaurant, we met Iowa State alumni Andrea Krause. She currently lives in Paris and shared with us her story, from moving to NYC, to working for Kate Spade, to her big move to Paris. She was wonderful to talk to and gave us students great insight. We went to the Azzedine Alaia exhibit with Andrea, which was absolutely beautiful. We had a couple of free couple hours, so I went shopping with a group around the city. We went into a few stores, our favorite being one called "Merci." After buying a few souveniers, we met back up with the group and took the Metro back to the St. Christopher's. We grabbed dinner near the hotel and relaxed after a busy day. Paris will be missed!
Buildings of Paris
No building in Paris was complete without a juliet balcony.
The Lourve Pyramids
I loved the way the modern glass pyramids stood out against the more historical background.
Notre Dame
The two towers of the Notre Dame cathedral are beautiful and historic.
The Eiffel Tower
A picture of me in front of the iconic Eiffel Tower!
Azzedine Alaia
The Azzedine Alaia exhibit was full of beautiful pieces and was one of my favorite stops in Paris.
Detail-Oriented
Inside the Lourve, there is detail everywhere, including the ceiling.