Paris, 28.3-1.4.2016

So the trip goes forward, this time I will spend four nights in Paris, France!!

The route on the map. It looks short but I took local trains, which means leaving Bonn at 11.37, change in Koblenz towards Saarbrücken, having to change again to Metz, France, from there still three hours until Paris, arriving at 21.53. I tried to get a TGV train but during Eastern every fast train was full booked. So I had to just be patient. At least I did not have to pay for any seats. And when finally arriving to Paris, two friends, Valentin and Bruno, from my exchange in Hamburg were meeting me at the train station. So in the end it was worth all the travelling! In the evening we just chilled. It was nice!

Nice views from the train Koblenz-Saarbrücken. 

29.3 Tuesday

Today was the day with less rain compared to the coming days (only rain), so it was time for some sightseeing today! I had a perfect local guide with me ;) thanks for letting me stay at your parents place and thanks for showing me Paris, Valentin!
So I got to see a lot in Paris, learned a lot and tested some good French food. Also got to experience demonstrations outside town hall, train strikes (Thursday)... But even though, these things makes Paris as Paris. Regardless of the bad weather, strikes, I loved Paris a lot and got to see a lot, even went to places I did not know about before! Lovely!!

Notre Dame cathedral. We did not go inside due to the long que but passed by it during the walk in Paris.

One thing I love about Paris is its many lovely cafes and restaurants, where you can sit, have a coffee, lunch or just enjoy and sit there, watching people passing by while sitting outside and enjoying. For lunch we tried something, that usually children eat, but even though I am not a child anymore, I loved this dish, œuf à la coque. So simple but so delicious!

The river Seine is one of my favorites! Walking at the river, passing by the bridges... <3 on the photo you can see the beautiful bridge Pont Alexandre III, that connects Champs-Élysées quarter with Eiffel tower and Invalides (left). 

Apart from walking and sightseeing we took breaks, French-style. It is, though, a really expensive thing to do. A tee in a cafe costs 4-6€, so something you can't afford every day, but what you, while being in Paris, are allowed to do! (d.r): went for a late dinner on Wednesday, I had a delicious salad, but the price was also pretty high... But sometimes you have got to enjoy life!

30.3 Wednesday

Today was a rainy day, perfect for a visit to the museum du Louvre. On Tuesdays they are closed, so today lots of people where queing to get in (down). There would have been other entrances apart from the main entrance at the pyramid, but we found it first while leaving the museum. For youths under 26 years old it is free to visit Louvre! After 1 hour of quing we got in. The place is so big so there is no chance to see all, so we chose to see paintings, sculptures, Egyptian archeology, and discovered The Napoleon III apartments (u.l). It was amazing with all detailed furnitures, roofs... When we were closer to the worldwide known famous painting from Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, the tourists were all crazy! In other places you could walk freely, but there it was crowded, everyone trying to get a picture from her. Okay, I also did it, but from much further away. Still, it is a nice painting! (u.r)

In the Louvre. Some paintings were so big! How is it even possible to paint these huge paintings!?

The rain continued, visited the sister of my friend and spend time with her and her boyfriend. Was really nice! Paris is also known from its parks. The famous one, Luxembourg Gardens, was unfortunately closed in the evening, but today we visited Parc Monceau, a very beautiful one! Lots of gardens have carousels for children, which I find really interesting.

Eiffel tower in the evening, so beautiful!! 

In the evening we could for free climb up 260 stairs to Arc de Triomphe and enjoy the lovely view. The streets all going as a star from the arc. In the middle is Champs-Élysées with the Paris wheel in the other end, more to the right the Eiffel tower. Note the colors from the cars!

31.3 Thursday
Today it was raining the whole day! And because of the train strikes, it took like forever to take the overcrowded subway to the city, but we're got there in the end.

In the afternoon we climbed up the stairs to visit Sacre-Coeur, the basilica of Montmartre. I really like this Catholic Church and its location at the highest point in the city gives you a great look over Paris.

New York? No, Paris! This statue is a miniature of the bigger one that is to be find in the harbour of New York. The original statue was designed by a French guy Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and was done in 1886. Three years later, this smaller sister was dedicated and looks actually toward its bigger sister in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean. I neither knew about this third island, the Île des Cygnes, that situated in the river Seine, nor about that there is other replicas of the Statue of Liberty than the big one. In fact, two of these can be found in Paris, the other one in the Jardin du Luxembourg, where we did not have the opportunity to go in to. I really liked this island and its tranquility and the view. I think not many people know about this island, but it is really worth visiting! 

In the evening I visited my cousin in Orsay. It was really nice!

1.4 Friday
Today, when I am leaving, the weather is so great! To enjoy the sun and to get power for the train trip, we went for a run in the lovely park Parc de Sceaux. A lot of people where running there, no wonder! I really liked the park and it is just perfect for running or walking!

Enjoying the last minutes of Paris. 

 My favourites in Paris: arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower by night, sitting outside in cafes, parks, Seine and the island Île des Cygnes. A beautiful and romantic city, I wish the weather would have been better, but even with the rain I loved Paris!

The train trip from Paris to Warsaw, taking a high speed train to Lille, from there trains to Köln and sleeping my way to Warsaw in the night train. Together travelling 23 hours.

Changing train in Lille. I had a few hours time to explore the cute city. (up): outside the train station. (d.l): Saint Maurice church. (d.r): Grand Place.

During my trip. Changed train in Froyennes (d.l). When I got out I wondered a while if I got out at the right stop, cause it looked so deserted. But fortunately the IC train came and I got to continue my trip to Brüssels. The train from there to Köln was everything else than calm, got a seat next to a group of nine men, who were going to Köln to celebrate the pre wedding party. That was an interesting train trip! But finally got to Köln (up). Eleven in the evening my train left towards Warsaw (d.r). The trip went really good and at 12.15 I arrived at the Warszawa centralna station.