This is the second article in the series, “Tea with Mielke,” written by CUW student Hannah Mielke. The series chronicles Mielke’s study abroad adventures in England.
What a weekend!!
For my first trip out of the UK, I decided to go to Paris for the weekend! A couple of friends and I took an overnight bus to get there which may not have been the best method for trying to get sleep but it since we’re travelling on the cheap side of things, it was a great way to get to Paris for a reasonable price!
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We got there on Saturday, dropped our things off at our hostel and started heading towards our first destination! Before we got to Paris, we bought the Paris Museum pass which means you pay for the pass which allows you to get into most of the museums. Once you activate it, you have 48 hours to go to any of the museums that you want. Once you got to four museums, you have basically paid for the pass. It’s one of the best deals that Paris offers, and it allows you to see so many of the museums that Paris offers!
Our first stop was to Sainte Chapelle which is known for it’s gorgeous and overwhelming amount of stained glass. It was beautifully done and was unlike any other chapel I’ve ever seen. Our second stop was to the Notre Dame. Unfortunately, due to the fire that occurred there a few years ago, we weren’t allowed to get inside because they were still restoring it. But we stood outside of it still got the chance to say we went to Notre Dame Cathedral!
Then we headed to the Louvre, which is one the biggest museums in Paris, filled with various forms of art. The most known artwork in the Louvre is the Mona Lisa. It was very surreal to stand in front of something so famous and well-known by all. After a few hours in the Louvre, we went to the Arc de Triomphe, taking the stairs to the stop to see a great view of the whole city. After dinner, we went to the Eiffel Tower to see it for the first time. We got freshly made crepes when we got there and waited for the hour to hit because the Eiffel Tower sparkles for the first five minutes of every hour. It was so magical to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle and to have the opportunity to stand in front of it!
The second day we went to Musee d’Orsay which is where a lot of Monet and Van Gogh paintings are displayed. There is a whole floor dedicated to both of their famous paintings. After we walked around there for a couple of hours we stopped at a café and got lots of pastries and croissants which were beyond delicious. You could spend all weekend café hopping if you wanted to, that’s how many different cafes and bistros Paris has to offer. After we stocked up on pastries, we went to the Eiffel Tower again, but this time we walked up the 700 stairs to get to the second level of the monument! What a workout! It was a spectacular view, which chairs to sit and soak it all in. The last famous place we went to was the Wall of Love on the far north side of the city. This wall is known for “I love you” being said in hundreds of languages.
It was a great weekend in Paris, seeing so many spectacular and famous things with an added bonus of great food. If you ever get the chance to go to Paris, do it! It’s a charming city with so many things to see and do!
Where to?
CUW students, you have dozens of study abroad opportunities at your fingertips. Where will you go?
—This article is written by Hannah Mielke who is in her senior year as a Director of Church Ministries major at Concordia University Wisconsin. She’s currently on a 16-week study abroad experience to England. “Tea with Mielke” chronicles her adventure and shares some of the life lessons she’s learning along the way.