oh the food... couldn't stop eating the whole time!

The beautiful Eiffel Tower.
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...email brings the world together doesn't it? It's that and facebook nowadays. Yes, facebook has exploded here in Europe and its reached Hong Kong as well. Back to my story. It was great to have a guide in Paris, even if it was only for one day- he had to be in Belgium for work the rest of the week.We drove around Paris where I saw a lot.

My newly made friend Franck, met him in another part of France, will save that story for another blog update, I spent a lot of time with him and his friends the week that I was in Paris. They were all very welcoming and its always nice to get a "local experience" since I did a bulk of the sightseeing last time I was here.

So, I met this guy on a train 2 years ago while I was heading to Amsterdam and..

Laura and me!
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"after work" - they introduced me to the concept of "after work". They thanked me because they said the concept came from the US. Basically it's the concept of happy hour with a twist. Come on Thursdays at 7pm, pay 15e ($25) and there's a small buffet and free champagne until 9pm. People party until about 12-1am, head home, and wake up for work the next morning. For me, drinking that early was a bit much but it was tons of fun nonetheless!

Tips:

-Cheap airlines are great but NOT worth the time/headache when flying out of Paris. The airport that services the cheap airlines fly out of Beauvais- an hr or so away from Paris so you have to take a bus to get to the airport, an extra 13e. Also note that cheap airlines have REALLY strict weight limitations. I ended up having to mail a lot of stuff to Madrid beforehand to make the requirement.

The "after work" party.
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-If you visit the Eiffel Tower, try to get there 30min. before the sunsets so that you can catch Paris in the daylight and at night as well.

-The ferry by the Eiffel Tower, its a great way to see Paris, especially at night. I did this with my friends last time I was here and enjoyed it very much. Bring extra clothing because it can get cold!