Apprendre le Français ne m'a Pas Préparé Pour la France.

Translation: Taking French Didn't Prepare Me for France.

For reference, I took two years worth of French classes and I wasn't prepared to speak fluent French while we were in France. Jack also took a semester of French, and he wasn't ready for France either.

December 26th:

We had an early flight from Manchester to Paris, and I don't think a single one of us successfully made it through security. I've been through security in Manchester before and it was a breeze, but the odds were not working in our favor. We were there for what felt like forever. We finally made it through security with enough time to grab a quick airport breakfast before heading to our gate.

Once we arrived in Paris, we grabbed lunch at a cafe down the street from where we were staying and dropped our things off at the Airbnb - which had a glass room in it and was very cool. We walked through Paris and explored the city and then went to an immersive flying experience that used VR to take you through the different sites of Paris. We saw Notre Dame, the Louvre, a Christmas Market, and other beautiful Parisian architecture. We stopped for a meal at a small cafe near Notre Dame before heading to see the Eiffel Tower.

We were able to skip the line (which was an hour) and head to the first two stories of the tower. They're currently stripping all the paint off the tower to paint it gold for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Seeing Paris from the Eiffel Tower was like a dream come true. It was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed champagne and macaroons from the cafes in the tower and soaked up the view before heading back to the Airbnb.

December 27th:

We took the morning to walk through some of the Parisian markets, which sell flowers, food, produce, art, and everything in between. We stopped at McDonald's - which was better than American and UK McDonald's, but not as good as Italian McDonald's - just to try it. Some of the food they have there is comical, like the McBaguette. We stopped in a vintage shop and I was able to get a vintage silk scarf.

After exploring the marketplaces and getting lunch and pastries, we went to Montmartre for a tour. We saw beautiful little shops, Picasso and van Gogh's homes, and where artists come and set up in the square to sell their work. The walk was pretty much completely uphill on a cobblestone street, but it was a cool experience with absolutely stunning views.

To wrap up the night, we headed to back towards the Eiffel Tower for a Seine River cruise, where we were able to see famous French monuments (including the Eiffel Tower). The wait to get on the cruise was about an hour, and we enjoyed French coffee, mulled wine, crepes, and waffles. After the cruise, we stopped to get a crepe for the road before walking back towards the metro station.

On the walk back, we passed by the torch the United States had given France as a thank you for gifting the US the Statue of Liberty, which happened to be over the tunnel where Princess Diana had tragically died. We took the metro back to the Arts & Crafts district, where we were staying, and headed to bed for the evening.

December 28th:

On our last day in Paris, we dropped our luggage off and headed to the Palace of Versailles. We walked from the train station to the palace and went on a guided tour. The Palace of Versailles is absolutely stunning - golden with mirrors and intricate artwork. It's probably my favorite castle I've seen. It was definitely worth taking a guided tour, you learned much more about each room and the palace itself.

We went to a wine shop in the town of Versailles to pick up some French wine, enjoyed a tasty lunch, and went to get crepes afterwards. Soon, it was time to head back from Versailles (which was beautiful, and much less busy than Paris). We headed back to Paris for a glass of wine before picking up our bags and heading to the airport.

Security at CDG was much more efficient than security at MAN, and we were through quickly. We had an airport dinner before boarding our flight back to Manchester, where we would be spending the night.

In order: Crepe from a Crepe Shop in Versailles, Statue in the Palace of Versailles, The Streets of Paris, The Art District (Montmartre), Cam and I at the I Love You Wall, Family Picture After FlyView Paris, The Eiffel Tower at Night, Cappuccino in France, The Louvre.