I’ve officially been home for over a month, and I’m still not sure how I feel about being back in the cold, frozen tundra that is Wisconsin. I miss Ireland that’s for sure…I mean what’s not to miss – pubs, music, no snow (or smaller doses), awesome shopping, good craic, Guinness, “casual classes” (as Maura would say). The list goes on and on. It’s now back to work (I now have an amazing internship with DATCP’s International Market Development division) and school and juggling the rest of my life.

 Well I’m sure many of you are wondering how the six straight days (most of them spent in the confines of a very tiny rental car while driving over 6 hours a day) spent with my mother went on the Emerald Isle (she thinks it's more gray than "emerald"...I told her to stop bad mouthing my country). Well, let me tell you….

Day 1

I had two essay exams on Thursday when mom was to arrive in Galway. The “plan” was to hope she would somehow find her way to Galway from Shannon while driving on the wrong side of the car, on the wrong side of the road and meet me at my apartment at 4:30 p.m. when I finished my last final.

Looking back I realize how crazy this idea was since she had little to no idea where she was headed and is always, of course, late. I on the other hand, I am always early – the chances of meeting were slim, but through the grace of God and my Lord and Savior, Aurthur Guinness, she arrived at Donegan Court in one piece.

After a couple tears and some hugs, we settled her into my cozy (or not so cozy) apartment and then headed out for some dinner. I took her to the adorable restaurant, Mustard. Steph and I had discovered this hole in the wall beside the Corrib River and it quickly became a favorite. After a dinner of BBQ Pork pizza for me and Potatoe Skin pizza for her, we caught up. It was so weird to have her sitting across the table from me and not 6 hours behind in time and half way across the world while trying to talk to each other over an unreliable Skype connection. It was nice to see her, but weird to have someone I know with me in Ireland. I wasn't sure how my new found super independence was going to handle this transition. After dinner I gave her a tour of Shop Street, which was super crowded with everyone attempting to get holiday shopping done.

After a while we ended up at Monroe’s Tavern (a favorite of mine, but which pubs aren’t?) to warm up and have a pint. I didn’t care if she wanted Guinness or not, but we weren’t leaving until she drank some. I assumed she would be a trooper, but just incase, I was prepared to force "the black stuff" down her throat if she chose not to cooperate. J And boy, did things get ugly….My mother, whom I adore, only finished HALF of a HALF pint. *gasp* I think the whole country felt that slap in the face. (haha, I kid mother!) I decided to take one for the team and finish it for her…what I do for my mother, I tell ya!

Day 2

We originally planned to take a long road trip on day two, but someone was a wee bit jet lagged, which I don't blame her - the 6 hour time difference isn't nice. I let her sleep in and then gave her the “grand Galway tour” which consisited of school, shopping centers, coffee shops, etc. I was in a bit of a mood since I finally realized my gallivanting around Europe and Ireland time was over and I’d soon have to pack and go home. I took her to Homeplate (another favorite place of mine and Steph’s), which has AMAZING home fries. And then we continued to help the Irish economy by shopping on Shop Street and  headed back to the “DC” where I had to do the inevitable. Pack. L

Packing was awful and I may or may not have suffered a mental break down – I’m leading more towards yes. It took me three LARGE suitcases, a carry-on suitcase and a backpack to fit what had been my whole life for the last four months for the trip back home. It was awful. I cried for the first time in Ireland since I was done being homesick...boo. Who would have thought that after the way things started, that I wouldn't want to go home? After packing, we headed to the B&B, literally down the street, and settled in.

Later we headed out to see none other than the greatest cover band ever – MILHOUSE at the Spanish Arch! I was so excited that I got to see them one last time! Of course we got our usual Wisconsin shout out and they played Galway Girl for us, which almost made me cry…way to go Murt! Haha! I ordered mom a Jameson and cranberry juice so she could taste how amazingly delicious it is and I got myself my "last Irish Heineken". As the band jammed out and we finished our drinks, I figured mom would be ready to hit the hay early since we had a trip planned the next day, but to my surprise she wasn’t ready to go. Way to let your hair down Dawn! J

After mom’s second time asking me “Are you sure you don’t want another drink?” (I know, I can’t believe I declined the first time either!) I got us another round(an extremely difficult task in the jam-packed pub), only this time traded Heineken for a Galway Hooker. Maura and Norah joined us and we spent to night dancing with a crazy lady named Grace who could shake it and dip back like nobody’s business and being looked at like we were big ol’ t-bone steaks. I think my mom was a bit shocked to find I wasn’t being over dramatic when I said that Irish guys looked at you “like meat”. It was legit. We finally made our way home and into bed around 2 a.m. Always good craic in Galway!

Day 3

Day three started like the rest…late. We decided since we needed the sleep we’d take our first trip and head to the Cliffs of Moher which aren’t too far from Galway City – about a couple hours. Driving in Ireland isn’t so bad once mom remembered that the windshield wiper wasn’t the turn signal. Let’s just say the first day our windshield was suuuuuper clean. J As we made our way zooming to the Cliffs on teeny tiny narrow roads with stone fencing on each side, I got a bit, well…a bit nervous and on edge. So when we finally stopped for lunch I was grateful to be out of the car! We ended up in the tiny town of Miltown Mulburry, where you’ll be excited to know that one of the singers for the Coors was married. Or maybe it was the next town over – wow, again I am a terrible tourist.

The whole town appeared to be dead and it was only 1 p.m. We decided to try what appeared to be a pub/B&B/restaurant combo. Bad choice. We walked into the creepy looking entry way and the place was a like a ghost town. An old Irish man comes gimping out with his cane mumbling about “someone coming in a minute” which was barely audible given his strong Irish brogue. As he hobbled through a door to the reception area it gave us a get away – mom and I ran as fast as we could out of there and down the street. That place was creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepy. We ended up down the street at a different pub where a nice Irish man came over and chatted with us over some lunch and we watched a friendly game of billards between a couple locals while they enjoyed at pint. J

After lunch we realized daylight was fading so we hurried (not good for my nerves) to the Cliffs of Moher – stopping along the way to get in a couple pictures. The Cliffs were breath-taking at sunset. We spent a while at there, which was nice since it was off tourist season and practically empty. Since it was getting dark, we thought it best to get on the road back to Galway. Driving on the wrong side or unfamiliar roads at night was not our best idea. But by some miracle – again, thank you Aurthur Guinness – we made it back to the B&B. However, I instructed mother she wasn’t allowed to talk to me for a while after that…my nerves were a bit fried and I needed some time to calm down. FYI – 60 kmph is FAST…it doesn’t seem like it would be, but it is!

Coming soon…Days 4 and 5. I didn’t want to overwhelm you too much since this entry is so long already! J

Two days. Dos dias. Two. Count ‘em. One. Two. Two whole days until my mom arrives in Ireland. Someone please tell me where time has gone!

Today, as I sat in on of my favorite coffee shops sipping on my Dark Mocha, I got to looking back on my time here in Ireland. As I sat there reflecting on the last four months here, it took all I had not to get choked up. I mean, I am leaving a place that I have called home for 119 days. That's 2,856 hours of pint drinking, music listening, memory making, studying (a few hours here) and adventures in Ireland. When I look back to my first week here in Galway I am amazed at how far I have come. I remember arriving here and being homesick for the first couple weeks, but by week three I was out on the town soaking up the Irish *ahem* culture. J

My time in Ireland has taught me a lot about who I am, as cheesy as it sounds. I've learned that I am an independent person - even more so now than when I was home before this. I've also learned that family and friends are a huge part of what makes me, me and my life. At the same time I've most importantly learned that this is my life...my time to be crazy and spontaneous. I have no commitments (other than school) and very few responsibilities at this point. I need to enjoy this time while I still have it. This study abroad experience has given me more than I ever thought it would. I've made friends, gained a few pounds (thank to the numerous pints consumed during what I call "studying the culture"), and will remember the memories I've made during my time here for the rest of my life.

My mother arrives in Galway on Thursday and I can't wait to share the Irish countryside with her. We are planning on seeing the Connemara, the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher, Salthill, Galway, and Clifden. Who knows where our adventures will take us otherwise, as my mother decided it was ludicrous to pay 10 extra euro a day for the life saving device aka a GPS system. This will definitely be an adventure. I can only imagine what will happen when we're stuck in a car together all day after not seeing each other for 4 months and the fact that we are so much alike...hopefully both of us will return in one piece. J Can't wait to share the Emerald Isle with her.

So before I get on a plane to head back to the State, I assume in true sappy Brianna fashion, I will shed some tears as I say goodbye to the country I've come to love....but at least I know this goodbye won't be forever. J

I know I should be studying for my three essay finals, BUT I thought it best to write a journal entry about my great weekend before I get too deep into my academics....well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! J

This weekend my friend Beth came to visit from Cork! It was once again really good to see her! She arrived early Friday afternoon so we spent some time wandering the shops on Shop Street and catching up on things. Later that night, brace yourself....I cooked us dinner! I know, shocking. Steph, Beth and I enjoyed some garlic chicken, a salad, and some “half oven baked/half microwaved semi-cooked sliced” potatoes. So obviously I’m still myself and not the greatest cook, but it’s the thought that counts. We spent the rest of the night being lazy and reading or watching T.V. Beth enjoyed all 20 of my channels since she only has 4. J

We woke up bright and early (about 7:30 a.m.) and headed out on our adventure to the Aran Islands. The weather seemed nice, a bit chilly but no rain at that point. After a 40 minute bus ride to the ferry, I was nervous about our sea voyage since we all know how motion sick I get. Brianna + choppy waters + high waves + 40 minutes at sea = not a good combination. Luckily, Beth helped me get to my “happy place” – I just needed to focus on the “relaxing effect” the waves give you. It worked like a charm and I didn’t get sick and I got in a nice nap.

We arrived on Inis Mor, the largest of the three islands, only to be greeted by cold, wind and rain. Oh Ireland, I love and hate you. After getting off the ferry we opted against our original plan to rent bikes and explore that way. We decided to take a bus tour. When you get off the ferry, all these guys are waiting by vans saying “Hello! Hello! Do you want to take a tour? Hello!” We decided to go with Rory, the only guy who didn’t harass us as we walked past.

We picked up one more passenger, a Wall Street lawyer from New York on vacation, and then we were off on our tour. As we went along, our tour guide pointed out things like “If you look to your left you’ll see a traditional thatch roofed cottage. The roof is caved in. And if you look to your right, you’ll see another thatch roofed cottage caved in. These were the traditional cottages natives of the island lived in.” Wow, thanks Rory. Half the time I couldn’t see what he was referring to “ on the left or on our right” Some cool facts we heard were:

- There are over 4,000 miles of stone fence on the island. Fences were built to clear the land of all the rock. If a fence tips over into your side, you need to rebuild it. If it falls into your neighbours, it’s his responsibility to fix it.

- The island, which has a population of 800 people, didn’t have electricity until 1973.

- Cottages used to have one door, two rooms and three windows. If they had more windows they could be charged taxes for the light they got from the extra windows. This was known as the “window tax”.

My favourite fun fact came when Rory goes – “If you look to your left you’ll see da old folks home. It was built about tree years ago. Before dat we sent da old folks to da mainland where dey would die of loneliness. But now dey can stay on da island and live out da rest of der days here.” I could barely contain my giggles. Another saying I was very fond of was “If you look to your right you’ll see an old cottage. It had one door, two rooms and tree windows.” This was repeated A LOT.

After seeing Mary’s Cottage and then getting out at the Seven Churches to snap a couple photos in the pouring rain, we continued on until Rory dropped us off to explore for about an hour and a half. We were literally dropped off in the middle of nowhere. The sights in the area included a stone fort, a pub, a couple shops, and fairy houses.

We decided to head back a little bit down the road and check out the fairy houses. To get to them you basically trespassed through the most ghetto back yard in Ireland. The fairy houses were waaaay in the back. After taking a few creative photographs with and of the fairy houses, we turned around to head back only to be greeted by two natives who had been watching us. Creep much? As we passed the one said something that sounded like “I have more fairies in my shed here. Come look.” Perhaps he meant more fairy houses, but either way we were totally creeped out, said no thanks and ran down the road. Creeeeeeeepy. Keep in mind it’s still raining and windy and cold. J

Our next stop was Dun Aengus, a semi circular stone fort a top a cliff. As we climbed the steep, slippery, rock slope the wind increased its speed. I’ve never been in wind that gusty. It was insane. We finally made it to the blustery top and saw the great stone fort. Our next task was to risk our lives and go to the edge of the 87 meter high cliffs in this ridiculous wind. Smart? Perhaps not. Worth it? Completely.

I can’t even describe how cool it was too look over the edge with the wind whipping at your face and feast your eyes on the treacherous waves below crashing against the cliff. It. Was. Insane. Our only scare came when we decided to go to the edge inside the fort, where the winds were even worse. Beth was army crawling to the edge when her hat started to fly off. As she quickly grabbed it, she tried to roll back to safety and was caught up in a big gust of wind. Terrified she scrambled to get back from the edge, bruised her knees, and laughed out of shock that she almost died. It wasn’t funny right away but we laughed about it about 2 minutes after it happened. After that we were basically done army crawling to the edge. We'd had enough adrenaline for one day. Freezing, we headed back down the huge hill in the pelting (painful) rain and wind and enjoyed cappuccinos and a couple treats at the pub before Rory picked us up for the rest of the tour.

The tour continued and we had one more among us, Rory’s daughter, who he must have picked us after he dropped us off. We saw some seals, well kind of saw seals. I’m not completely convinced that they weren’t rocks far off in the distance, but for the sake of adventure, I’ll just say they were seals. We saw a couple more cottages with “one door, two rooms and tree windows”, some schools (Gaelic is the only language spoken by the natives) and wrapped up the tour at the Aran Sweater Shop. With about three hours to kill before the ferry left, we shopped and then ended up at a pub to watch some locals in their native habitat and finally warm up and dry off a bit before the trek back.

After another 40 minute ferry ride followed by a 40 minute bus ride, we arrived back in Galway to be greeted by near flooding of the Lough Corrib! I blame Beth. Cork flooded and now she brought it to Galway! J It was cool so we headed down to the river to check it out. A local woman walking her dog told us this is the highest she’d ever seen it. I took her word for it. It was high. It was up to the edge I used to sit on when I first got here, so about 10 feet higher than normal.

After checking out the high waters, we headed to my apartment to changed for dinner. I took Beth to one of my favourite restaurants, Mustard. We then headed to Kings Head for a pint and some music. On Sunday, I took Beth to the bay and luckily it was sunny. However, it was wickedly cold and windy. What’s with this weather? I also showed her a little bit of my college and a cathedral, which I still don’t know the name of after 3.5 months of living here. Wow, I suck at life sometimes. J

It was such an enjoyable weekend, but now I must get back to academia. Boo. Only 11 days till mom arrives in Galway! J Check out my Facebook album ‘Livin on the Edge’ for some photos from our trip.

My first Thanksgiving away from home was amazing! Sorry to be blunt family, but I didn't really miss you all that much. J Just kidding!

I went over to my friend Kimberly's house (she lives with a host family, Jane & Simon) to help her and our other friend, McKenna, cook a "traditional" American Thanksgiving dinner for Jane and her Mother. I arrived a little after 3:30 to find George, the turkey, already in the oven and the cooking and baking underway.

All of us have enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal, buuuut we've never actually taken a real part in the making of the meal. Things got interesting rather quickly - and down right hilarious at times. We successfully made delicious mashed potatoes from scratch, as well as, green bean casserole. Our meal consisted of: George the turkey (smothered in butter, herbs, and stuffed with yummy stuffing), fruit salad (the one with cream and marshmallows), mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, puppy chow, and pumpkin pie. I even successfully made gravy! All those years of watching grandma finally paid off! J

As we baked, we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the computer between googling "how to see if a turkey is done without a thermometer" and videos on "how to carve a turkey". It was a great afternoon of cooking and spending time with McKenna and Kimberly before they set off for the next three weeks traveling around Italy and the rest of Europe. I think we finally ate around 8 p.m. Jane and her mom LOVED the traditional meal...they couldn't get over how good the fruit salad was and the fact it had "mellows" in it. :) After dinner we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and then enjoyed dessert. Jane's mom made this AMAZING chocolate, caramel biscuit cake that was covered in chocolate - soooooooooo good! I mean delicious. Jane's aunt stopped by on her way to work so we all just sat around chatting for a couple hours. It was grand. Then like at all family meals, we all helped clean up and wash and dry dishes. It was a memorable Thanksgiving to say the least.

So now that Thanksgiving is over and my classes have come to an end, it's only a few weeks before my mom arrives. I have two 1,500 word essays that are like pulling teeth to write. Really, only 1,500 words and I'm struggling? This is insane! I also have a web group project that is due this coming Thursday. Once those are done I have two weeks to prepare for my 3 finals - Marketing Research, Media and Marketing Communications and Global Employment Relations. ALL of them are essay exams and ALL of them will result in massive hand cramps after writing 3 pages per question. Keep in mind I'm answering atleast 3 questions per exam - two of which are on the same exact day. Shoot me now!

I'm really looking forward to my Marketing Research final...weird, I know. I looooved that class! I never new that Market Research was so exciting and fast paced, but also so process oriented. I also really liked my professor, Dr. Evers. J It so funny because I would come home and gush to Steph how much I loved the class and she would talk about how much she loved her Nazi Germany class - we're such geeks but in our own separate ways. She's history and I'm business. lol Tonight we're headed out to watch Milhouse play - gotta love it! Hopefully Murt will dedicate Summer of '69 to us again!J

Its that time of year again – Thanksgiving – a day that signifies stuffing your face, being thankful, and the start of the Holiday/weight gain season.

Tomorrow will be my first ever Thanksgiving without my typical family get-together. *tear* I’m guessing this will be the first of many Thanksgivings away from home since after graduation I hope to high tail it out of state. This will be good practice. J

During Thanksgiving, it’s tradition to go around the table and state what you are most thankful for, but since I won’t be having my traditional Thanksgiving surrounded by family, I’m going to use my blog to express what I am thankful for. Brace yourself, this may get cheesy, sappy, and down right tear-jerking at times, but I feel it’s important to get these feelings out there since I don’t always show them. J

• This opportunity to travel abroad to Ireland and Europe. Everyday uncovers a new appreciation for something or a realization I’ve taken things for granted. I am thankful for each experience.

• My family for supporting me with my trip – both financially and emotionally. J

• The friends I have made while abroad – Irish, American, Spanish, Italian…all of them!

• My mother. She has no idea how much she inspires. She is the person I can always count on, a listening ear whenever I need one, and my biggest critic. My mom is my role model, a person who always has my best interest at heart, and the most articulate, business savy and professional woman I know. I am thankful for her encouragement and for always telling me I can achieve whatever I set my mind to. I am thankful she has sacrificed so much for me throughout the years. As much as I try to fight it or hide it, I am thankful that I am so much like her. I wish I could tell her how much she means to me and how much I look up to her, but it would be hard to understand through the tears.

• The friends I left back home for four months. And most importantly, Ashley. She is my best friend and sista from another mista! I miss her lots. I am thankful that we have been best friends for so long – so many years that she is part of my family. I am thankful she puts up with my cheesy ways and that the back of her head is “ridiculous”. Boomshank.

• My dad. I am thankful for all the talks we have had over the years and the advice that you have given me. I am thankful for our love of music that we share and for your understanding ears. I am thankful for your support of each decision I make and how I can always count on you to listen.

• My brother. You’re probably shocked I’m thankful for you, but here it goes… I know it took us a few (or 20) years to finally appreciate each other, but now that we’re “grown-up” I’m thankful to have you as a friend, buddy, and amigo. I am thankful for those moments where we still pick on each other like kids again. “Mooooom, Jess is picking on me!” will always be a part of my vocabulary. I am thankful for the person you’ve become. I’m thankful you’re my “brah”.

• My family. My Grandma Ditz for all her years of taking care of me and for still taking care of me. I’m thankful for our “little chats” and all you have taught me. My Grandma Hillmann for her delicious food and taking care of me, especially when I went to Whitewater. I really miss seeing you so often. My Grandpa Hillmann for being a total and complete smart ass – I love our bond and witty banter (witty on my side, banter on yours). J I am thankful for Terry, who has become a part of the family, someone who never missed my games in high school and has been there for the last 17 years of my life. My Aunt Deedee, Aunt Debbie, and Aunt Georgia for giving me second homes when I want to escape from Madison and treating me to home cooked meals. A college student can really be thankful for that! I am thankful that you have all become not only aunts, but also friends I can confide in. I am thankful for my cousins – Donald, Brett, Lexie, and Maddie. I am so thankful that I get to watch each of you grow up. I am thankful I get to be such a big part of your lives and see you so often. I am so proud of you guys. I am thankful for Teresa for being her sarcastic self and for having someone to gush about Supernatural hotties with and discuss good books. J I am thankful for Matt, Jeff, Tiff and Marie – holidays are ALWAYS so entertaining with you two. I know you are thankful for me as well. “Feel the love.” I am thankful for my Aunt Mary, who shares my love for a good glass of wine. J I am thankful for my uncles who I know I can always count on for a good laugh, a Hollywood kiss, a cattle roping lesson, a sarcastic comment, computer technical support, or farmer talk. I am thankful for my Aunt Deb and her humor (you need it with Matt and Jeff as your sons! J). For Aunt Lou, who never ever forgets to send a birthday card. I am thankful for my extended family – the Errthums. I love you all and am so thankful to be a part of your family.

I am thankful for the opportunities that have presented themselves like working at Agri-View and UW-Extension. I met so many great people and made so many memories over the years at my jobs. I am thankful for Agri-View “field trips”, dilly bars, and all the crazy adventures Jeff and I got into while interning at Agri-View – 24 flavors of soft serve (watermelon oreo?), cutting up 30 pounds of cheese and slinging mud in “the Green Machine” at Farm Tech. Days are just a few of my favorites. I am thankful for the laughs I’ve shared at work and the fact that I was lucky enough to love my job. I am thankful for my education.

I am thankful to have such a blessed life filled with family, friends, and great opportunities. Most importantly, I am thankful for my lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! See you all soon!

Sorry for the delay, but here is how my trip to the wonderful city of Paris, France went. :)

Day One:

Steph and I packed our bags for the City of Lights and jumped on a 1:25 a.m. bus to Dublin from Galway to catch our 6:35 a.m. flight! We arrived at the airport excited to see the city, but nervous since we didn't know a whole lot of French. I had watched some podcasts online to learn greetings and sayings like "it was nice to meet you." I also made sure I knew how to say "I will have a coffee and a croissant" so at least I didn't starve. "J'aurai un café et un croissant." :) My mother would be so proud!

We arrived in "Paris" at 9:30 in the morning after an interesting RyanAir flight. I swear we were flying in a paper box. Sliiiiiiightly shaky but we arrived in one piece. The RyanAir flying experience is one of a kind, but the fares are so cheap you deal with it. After taking a gorgrous hour and a half bus ride to the city through the French countryside, we were dropped off at the bus park near the metro. It only took us 20 minutes to find the actual metro so our journey in Paris could begin.

After numerous failed attempts to purchase a metro ticket from a kiosk, we tried our hand at purchasing one from an actual worker. The French was shaky but we got it done. The metro was surprisingly easy to navigate and oh so handy! For once our trip was going off without a hitch! After arriving at our destination, we found our hostel, checked in and set out for lunch.

The hardest and most nerve-racking part of being in Paris was ordering food. We ate at Cafe Montmartre and it was delicious! I don't know what it is about France, but their coffee is the BEST I've EVER had! Amazing! Our hostel was about a block away from Sacre Coure in Montmartre (the artsy neighborhood) so we decided to start there. By this time it was about 1 p.m. and we had a lot of sights to see. After being hassled by gypsies selling bracelets and climbing about a million plus one stairs, we made it to the top to get our first view of Paris. It was breath taking...partly because I was out of shape from climbing the stairs and the other part because the sight was amazing! :)

After looking around the Cathedral and taking pictures, the rain came in (as it always does wherever we go) and we headed to find Jim Morrison’s grave at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery (one of the most famous cemeteries in all the world). It was established by Napoleon I in 1804 and contains famous people like French comedians, scientists, actors, poets, etc. It is also the burial site of Frédéric Chopin and Oscar Wilde.

It was pouring rain and freezing cold, perfect weather for scouring a cemetery in search of a grave. After consulting a map it took us an hour to find Jimmy boy. We snapped some pictures and decided it was time to move on since we were half frozen, soaking wet, and catching our death.

Our next stop was Notre Dame. We spent time in the Cathedral checking out the stained-glass windows and snapping pictures. We decided to pay the 8-euro to venture to the top and I’m so glad we did. Again, millions of stairs to get there, and these were in a spiral so add on a dizzy factor while ascending and descending. I absolutely loved the view from the top. You could see Sacre Coure and the Eiffel Tower! J Gorgeous! We also saw the Great Bell and of course it made me think of the Disney movie.

After our trip up and down the stairs we treated ourselves to Nutella and banana crepes. Oh. Holy. Jesus were they AMAZING (and of course justified!)!! We spent the rest of the evening wandering St. Michel’s Blvd checking out shops and admiring all the outdoor heated cafes. On our way back to the hostel we saw Notre Dame at night, picked up wine, bread, and cheese, and hit the hay since we hadn’t slept in 48 hours.

Day Two:

We started the day eating ham and cheese crepes and enjoying coffee at a café near Sacred Heart Basilica. As luck would have it, we ran into a few of Steph’s friends who were visiting from Madrid. We all went to the Eiffel tower together. For once it didn’t rain so I got plenty of amazing pictures from the top…and yes, we took the elevator. I wasn’t aware we could walk it. Our next stop was Arch de Triomph and a stroll down Champs Elysées where we saw all the finest shopping venues in Paris. My mother should again be proud that I didn’t spend a dime or euro here! J We then headed inside to the Louvre. This is the biggest place I have ever been! We literally saw one floor in about 5 hours! It is insane. We saw the Mona Lisa and numerous paintings and sculptures. At one point we were trying to get to a wing of the second floor and couldn’t seem to get there. We tried the elevator and still couldn’t get there. The first floor is the Bermuda Triangle of the Louvre!

After heading back to the hostel and stocking up on bread, wine, and more cheese, we hit the metro again for the light show at the Eiffel tower. I have mixed feelings about this light show. I didn’t like it when they made it rainbow and pastels…not exactly attractive. I think it made it look a little Vegas-y and cheap, but that’s just me. We each enjoyed a bottle of wine and hung out with our new friends from the hostel.

Day Three:

Versilles. All day long. I take back my previous statement about the Louvre being the biggest place ever. Versilles takes the cake! We toured the garden with a tour guide so it was nice to hear all the stories behind the fountains, but it was raining and cold as usual so Steph and I became our normal “sucky tourist-y” selves. After heading inside we walked around with our new Aussie friend, Andrew, and talked about how apparently Australians are just as fat as Americans. Who knew?!

We got to see the bed where people came to watch the Queen give birth (yikes!) and the Hall of Mirrors. After touring we hopped on the train to go back to our hostel and get ready for dinner. Andrew, Phung, Wendy, and Jess met us for dinner. We ended up at a French bar listening to a cover band play American hits. Ironic? I think so. Anywho, we enjoyed numerous glasses of wine (a nice change from pints of beer) and chatted. It was good craic.

I can’t wait to learn French so I can go back to (and perhaps live in) France someday. The way of life that I experienced for those three days was relaxing and reserved. Everyone wears black and drab tones and they tend to keep to themselves. It was so relaxing and I miss it so much now that I’m back in Galway. J

“America is my country and Paris is my hometown” – Gertrude Stein