One Weekend in Paris

My university participated in some sporting event which, to this day, I have no idea what the event was. Luckily for me, no one asked me AND I got to go along and 'support'. So ultimately I got a free weekend in Paris. Hell yea.

On the Friday we had to get up ridiculously early and catch the coach to Paris, it took hours and hours (we went from Birmingham). I think it took 10 hours?  

Saturday was the day of the sporting event. We just wore our normal clothes and felt extremely underdressed when we saw the other supporters:

There were flags, face paints, mascots, massive steel drums in their appropriate colours, hats, pom poms, banners, men in skirts and even morph suits. 

This is what we were wearing: 

But no one seemed to mind really, and it helped us in sneaking on the pitch to get a better view (as we were less inconspicuous). 

We had a great time supporting our team and everyone got ridiculously sun burnt. 

At the end of the day there was a parade of the supporters, which we didn't partake in. 

Then it was time for us to go clubbing:

We caught the Paris Metro into town. The Metro is my favourite system out of the five that I've used (the other four being the London Tube, the New York Subway, the Berlin UBahn and the ones in Sydney). It's clean and clear. Well done France. 

The clubs were pretty much the same as all other Europe ones, I took a great photo of fire though: 

The next morning we were relatively unscathed, though we did miss the complimentary breakfast. That didn't matter though as we found something even better: 

CHEESE

When you go to Paris, I'm not suggesting you get drunk and start on bouncers, but I am suggesting that you most definitely go and buy some hot french bread (they just call it bread though), and some yummy yummy cheese and stuff your face. I'm not suggesting it actually, I am telling you you have to do it, right now. Go on. I'm watching you. 

The rest of the day was spent being touristy, firstly we went to this cathedral, which I'm sorry I don't know the name of, I just know it wasn't Notre Dame. 

 

Then we went to the Louvre, we didn't have time to go in: 

Then we walked for miles and miles to the Eiffel Tower. 

There are lots of salesmen who try and sell you things, such as small eiffel tower key rings (three for 1 Euro). I am normally very pro being polite to strangers, but these salesmen are very persistent if you're not firm. So I told ours firmly to get lost, and then my friend said 'oh I wanted to buy one'! So we found another guy a few metres later and got three. Mine is now broken because they are so cheap.


As I was saying the walk was long, but there was lots to see on the way:




Mobile disco




awesome artists



Baby rabbits. You could hold them for a Euro or something, but I think that that's cruel to the baby rabbits.

We finally got there





We arrived at the Eiffel Tower ten minutes after we were meant to be getting on the coach home one the other side of the city, so we only had time for one vile photo of me:

All in all it was the best weekend I had at uni, and not just because I was a loser and spent most of my weekends doing homework. Paris is a fun, fantastic, arty, unique city which I love. In my books it's second only to New York.

                     

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ABOUTME

We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.