European Tour- Part I

It sparkles.
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During our semester we get a one-week vacation immediately after our mid-terms. My friend Maddy and I decided to spend our week going on a 9-day European tour. We visited Paris, Burgundy, Versailles, Geneva, the Swiss Alps, Pisa, Florence, and Venice. Needless to say it was both exciting and exhausting.

The first part of our trip was spent in France, with the first two days in Paris. The first day we went on a tour to see the Sacre-Coeur Basilica which is placed on Montemartre (Mountain of the Martyr). The Basilica was gorgeous and from the top steps you could see all of Paris.

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Our second day in Paris we went for another tour, this time visiting the Opera house (origin of the Phantom of the Opera), the Arc de Triomph du Carousel, the gardens leading up to the Louvre, and the Louvre Square itself, with the 4 glass pyramids and reflecting pools. We then walked along the River Seine and went through Notre Dame (unfortunately Quasimodo wasn't home). After that we had the rest of the day to ourselves. Maddy and I got on a boat and travelled back to the Louvre so that we could look inside. We saw the Mona Lisa (of course!) and the Venus de Milo. We also brushed shoulders with Vince Vaughn (!!!) as we were passing the statue. Then we hopped back on the bus and went to the Eiffel Tower. At first I thought it was ugly and harsh in comparison with the rest of the town. However, the more I looked at it, the more I liked it. We climbed up the steps to the first and second platforms (668 steps in all) and could see the entire city. As we climbed down we got to watch the sun set behind the tower. We then went to the Champs-Elysees, saw the main Arc de Triomph, and got the most delicious crepes I've ever tasted.

Inside Notre Dame
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After Paris we travelled to Burgundy, where we visited a Chateau in the French Countryside and learned how to make wine. In Versailles we visited the palace and walked around the gardens. We only had an hour and a half to see the gardens in Versailles, but I would have needed at least 6 or 7 to see everything. The grounds were massive and absolutely stunning.