We arrived in Paris, sleepy yet excited, at seven in the morning. After clearing customs and immigration (and the excitement of checking out the new stamp in the passport), we got our bags and headed out to the city. Our taxis drove us to Place de la Madeleine, where we were staying. Our rooms were not ready, so we headed out to explore.
First, we took the metro to the Eiffel Tower as various students said that was the first thing they wanted to see. The weather was cool and a bit cloudy, so good for walking. Students took pictures of the tower from the Champs de Mars and then we went to the Palais de Chaillot for a panoramic view of the Iron Lady.
Lunch time was upon us, so we took the metro to Montmartre where we climbed the steep streets of the 19th arrondissement and found a little restaurant to order croque monsieurs, coffee and some spaghetti carbonara ; )
When we left the restaurant, it started to rain and jetlag was getting the best of us, so we headed back to the hotel. Unfortunately, our rooms were still not ready and it took quite some time to settle in. Students took a nap and regained some energy before heading out to Notre Dame and the Quartier Latin for dinner. After some pictures of the beloved cathedral (only from the outside as it closed after the fire), we headed to the Crêperie de Cluny for some gallettes (savory crêpes) and of course, sweet crêpes as well.
After dinner, we took taxis to the Seine where we caught a Bateaux Mouche. From the boat, students saw the many bridges connecting l’Île de la cité, l’Île Saint Louis and the rest of the city. On the banks of the rivers they also saw the beautiful monuments with the sun setting over Paris in the background. We sailed by Notre Dame, the Musée d’Orsay, the Palais du Louvre, the Conciergerie and once more the Eiffel Tower. We were even lucky enough to be on the boat when the Eiffel Tower was illuminated on the hour as it does during the night.
After a long night out, students still had energy to go for ice cream at a café close to the hotel. And then they were quickly in bed to rest up for another big day.
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