I can't believe that today was our last day in Paris! I've had a ridiculously good time. We got up bright and early this morning to take Noelia to her bus stop--she had to catch a bus to her airport, and be there by 7:30 am. So we woke up at 5:45, and went to find it. In a futile attempt to buy oreos from a vending machine, I caused myself and Melisa to miss the metro...but Noelia and Lauren got on. The metros come every few minutes, so it wasn't a big deal. But getting separated was not ideal--Lauren and Noelia had the directions, etc. Melisa and I just guessed, and we actually got there before the other girls, because they had been given the wrong directions :S
But Noelia made her bus, so all is good. Lauren, Melisa, and I went back to our hostel for our free breakfast. We checked our email, etc., and spent the day wandering around Paris. Literally. We had no plans. It was very leisurely--Melisa injured her knee/leg last night in a photo op gone wrong, so we tried to take it easy.
We contemplated seeing a movie, but couldn't make a decision. We hung out at a few parks, and random benches around the city. We found cheap paninis for lunch, and ate on a bench somewhere. We wandered through shopping areas, looking at nice stores and cheap souvenir vendors. It was a good way to spend the day :)
After running out of cheap, nearby things to do, we spent a few hours at Starbucks. It was a nice place to chill and talk. At about 6:30, we headed back to Rue Mouffetard. There are a ton of restaurants along that street, plus it's by our hostel. We checked out in the morning, but left our stuff there all day. We had crepes for dinner--so healthy, I know. But mine had chocolate and bananes, which was a wonderful combination. We are at a nearby square, on some stairs, for lack of a better place to sit.
Then we collected our stuff from the hostel, and hopped on the metro. Our plane leaves at 7 am tomorrow, so check-in is at 5 am. There are no metros that go that early, so we'd have no way (that we know of) to get to the airport that early in the morning. So we took the metro, and then a bus to Orly Airport, where we'll be spending the night. It looks to be a fun time. There are just a few people, and we found some comfy chairs.
I'm not sure how I feel about security in this country. All around Paris is what appears to be military--dressed in camo, carrying huge guns. They have been walking around the airport every so often. I think I feel safe? But still a little scared, if that makes sense. I'm going to try to get some sleep tonight. I doubt it'll go too well, but who knows? I did buy a new book to read--"The Winner Stands Alone" by Paolo Coehlo. I'm so excited to read it.
Tomorrow will be another long day. We'll arrive in Rome, and check in...hopefully store our stuff. There isn't much on the agenda for tomorrow, just familiarizing ourselves with Rome (and finding our hostel). It shouldn't be too bad, and I'm looking forward to it. Our time in Paris really flew by!
I'm surprised by how comfortable I got in Paris. I don't really like cities, but I liked it. And I got to know the city pretty well in just a few days. Parts of it were hard to navigate, but once we figured it out, it was so easy. I'm not a huge fan of the metro...it feels more dirty and unstable than the tube did. But they were both pretty easy to figure out. I hope Rome is the same, not that we use public transportation much. We're in these cities to explore, which is much easier while walking!
What's left of spring break is Rome, Milan, Madrid, and Bristol. It's been almost a week already. It's crazy how fast time flies! I feel like once I get back to Bangor, all I'll want to do is go home. Soon enough, I guess I will. I'm really ready--I miss my family and friends. I miss my life. But hey...tomorrow I'll be in Rome!
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