Day 2-Paris, France

A croissant with Nutella was the perfect way to start my first morning in Paris. After breakfast with Ryan, April, and Christa, everyone headed for the coach to get into Paris and have a free day in Paris. On the drive Ryan told us they would be doing two drop offs, one at the Notre Dame and one and the Arc de Triomphe; this was so convenient because they were main areas of the city and we didn’t have to navigate the Metro. Ryan also gave us “Ryno in your Pocket”, which was his personalized travel sheet for us, which included info, directions to sites, and even some French phrases so we could get to know Paris better. Everyone then headed in different directions; some went shopping on Champs Elysee, to the Louvre, to Sacre de Coure, even down by the River Siene. Dan, Jen, Desiree, Simmy and I went a little off the beaten path and headed to the catacombs. Since Dan had studied abroad in France he became our personal tour guide so we walked there which gave us more of the real Paris.

Entering the catacombs I didn’t know what to expected, I had heard about them being a place of bones but just couldn’t picture it. After climbing down spiral staircases and walking along underground passageways we were surrounded by surreal history. I learned that all the bones stacked in the catacombs were from overflowing cemeteries after a plague ran rampant through Paris. This was one of the most unique experiences I’ve had while traveling; it’s definitely a worthwhile trip for your next stop in Paris. After the catacombs we headed back towards the city through these gorgeous gardens and stopped along the way for the essential Parisian treat…Crepes!! **Travel Tip: Savory crepes are just as good as Sweet crepes.** Everyone went for dessert crepes, but Simmy and I wanted to try a savory crepe also. So I got a banana/nutella crepe, which was heavenly, and then Simmy and I split a ham and cheese crepe, which was so good too there were all these seasonings in it to make it amazing.

After crepes we split up, Jen and Dan went on the Ferris wheel near the Louvre, while Desiree, Simmy and I headed for the Mona Lisa. Ryan,our amazing Contiki guide, had given us the inside scoop of an alternate entrance to the Louvre so that we didn’t have to wait at the Pyramid entrance with all the other tourists.

Since we were running short on time, we went straight for the Mona Lisa, and after getting there it wasn’t clear as to why this painting is so famous. The Louvre is way too large to see everything, so rather than get lost we just left and headed back to the coach, along the way we did some souvenir shopping at the little stands along the River Siene. Back at the hotel everyone got fancied up for our big night out in Paris at the Moulin Rouge. I once again didn’t have much knowledge of the Moulin Rouge but was excited to see this Parisian favorite.

After a few group photos outside we went inside and enjoyed dinner and wine before the show. Throughout the show we saw acrobatics, magic, topless dancers, comedians and more; it was quite the variety show. The Moulin Rouge was amazing, everyone had a great time. After the show some people went out, but I like most people just went to bed. We need some rest for our first day on the coach as we head to Switzerland tomorrow!