Paris

Our time in Paris went by really quickly because of all the technical things we had to take care of in the first couple of days.  Kenny was able to get out to Notre Dame while I went to London but I wasn't really able to see much of the city until the following day.  When I got back from the train station I got to my room and took a shower before Kenny and I both left to take part in a free walking tour of the city.  It was a really good deal and we had a very animated leader who made the three and a half hours fly by.  We walked by/learned about all the major sights in Paris and now I feel like I could have enough knowledge to get a degree in the French Revolution.  I like tours because the guide really helps take your experience to the next level; you learn about the history of the thing you're looking at, which gives it context.

My favorite part was The Louvre.  It turned out to be such a beautiful day and the sun reflecting off the glass pyramids was really a wonderful sight.  Our guide gave us 10 minutes to walk around on our own and take silly pictures (she said that's a common occurrence around those parts).  I also enjoyed the "love-locks" bridge (pictured above).  I guess it's become somewhat of a trend for couples to put locks on the chain-link fence of the bridge, throwing the key into the river below.

After the walk she gave us the option of joining her at an authentic café and Kenny and I both took part.  It ended up being a really cute little place and a very nice last meal in Paris.  Unfortunately I had to get back to the room and sort out some things with the travel money card that disappeared along with the other contents of my wallet.  Apparently someone was able to figure out how to use it so Kenny and I lost a lot of euros.  After I talked to the bank I felt a little better because they said they would launch an investigation and most likely return my money.  The only bummer is that it will take a good chunk of time for that to get done.

Yesterday morning we had to check out of our room and we stored our luggage so that we didn't have to haul it around all day.  Kenny went off to see another sight (I forgot where) while I had to get to the lost and found to report my bag.  It was a long journey and all I really learned was that I need to email back in a week and it will cost me 11 euros to get my stuff back should it show up at the office.  I didn't leave feeling highly encouraged, but at the same time I wasn't expecting it to be there waiting for me.

Once I met up with Kenny again we decided to get some shopping in before going home.  Our guide from the tour had showed us where we could go and so we made the trip out there to find me another coat (mine has been losing buttons left and right throughout the trip).  We ended up at a mall and because we were both tired and just ready to get to the airport and get home, we were slightly overwhelmed and didn't end up finding anything.  I'm going to have to try again when I get back to a place that's familiar to me and hopefully I'll find something I like.

Finally it was time to head out to the airport.  It took us a lot longer to get there than I was anticipating, but we still made it with plenty of time to spare.  Security was a little rough and I got a pat down (as usual, ugh) but the flight to Amsterdam was a quick 50 minutes.  We had a 12 hour layover (actually still have 2.5 hours to go) so we tried to kill time by playing cards and getting some sleep.  I've gotten about 4 hours and Kenny maybe 3.  Now I'm just sitting at the gate, excited to be going home but not looking forward to the 11+ hour flight.  I'm hoping my mom will be there when we arrive and I can't wait to get home to see my family and to sleep in my own bed!  I've had many amazing days recently but I think this one will be right up there.  I'm so excited to FINALLY be back home where I belong :)

Here's the link to our pictures (not as many this time):  Paris Album