To the Top and don't forget to walk Aggressively!

So even though I have only been here a few days it feels like weeks! I have concluded that there are several reasons for this; one - jet lag, two - no more than six hours a sleep a night since I've arrived, three - everyday is completely filled and busy! However, these days have been, for the most part, wonderful.

Since my last post there have been a few crazy things that have happened and I have done a lot more...

1) Flasher Story....

So Me, my rommie Paige, and our friend Kristen our taking the metro back to our hotel just before 1:00 am...that night we went out for drinks after dinner. On our way home there were three guys standing at the opposite end of the metro car, occasionally staring at us (which is of no surprise as our American beauty is hard to resist) and one of the Parisian garcons pulls down the pants of another, fatter boy, and starts laughing. This was mildly amusing but in order not to draw attention to ourselves we just ignored them. However as the metro car slowed for the next stop, the same boy who had had his pants pulled down (and has since returned them to upright and locked position) started walking towards us undoing his little Parisan pants button...mon dieux...and then his pants drop again. At this point I'm really confused as to why this boy would be humiliating himself in this manner by revealing his pin-stripped boxers, but little did I know that this was only the beginning. So he is coming ever closer and just as he is in full sight he drops his boxers revealing well...everything...I immediately turn my head away from this indecency in disgust but the image will be forever burned into my mind. Poor Paige caught a glimpse of his backside and apparently that was equally unpleasant. As he ran off the train, he creepily patted Paige on the head and sped through the doors. We saw him sitting bare-assed on the ground as the train pulled away...in the words of my roommate... Ahh Paris!

2) Es-cargo
Well this proclaimed "delicacy" is anything but, or at least with my experience. On the same night of the flashing, Paige, Kristen, and I decided to be adventurous and try Es-cargo, what could be more French? We ordered with confidence, Douze si'vous plait! (12 please), and awaited our appetizer anxiously. Some British ladies sitting next to us expressed their disgust when the shelled creatures arrived but I wasn't phased! I thought, how bad could it be? I mean other people eat it right? Julia Roberts beasted those "slippery suckers" in pretty woman so why couldn't I? I picked up the shell like a professional and went to dig in...literally...you have to take a mini fork, go in the shell, and stab the snail that has been cooked in this pea green liquid that was full of butter and garlic. No wonder it's a delicacy, you can't even taste the actual snail because your face is blasted with the smell of garlic. However this was not the only problem. Getting these things out of there shells is quite the challenge, at least for me, and while stabbing the thing I swear to God it moved. I freaked out as the other girls ate their first snail. "Not Bad" and "Chewy" were their responses. Aggressively working to get mine out, the other girls went on to their second. Finally, in an act of mercy, Paige stabbed my snail like pro and pulled that sucker out. Oh man did it look nasty...have you seen Man vs. Wild or Survivor Man on the discovery channel and you see them eat these nasty bugs or little critters and think to yourself...Oh my god I would never, ever, eat that? Similar experience here. However I knew I had come this far, so I went for it. It was chewy and rather disgusting. After chocking the first one down I knew I was done. I could not stop picturing in my mind what was now swimming in my stomach. I let the other girls finish the rest but at least I can say I did it!

3) Bike Tour Number 2
So the first bike tour was so fun the girls (Paige, Kelsey, Katie, Morgan, Kristen) and I decided to do it again but at night. At the end of this tour we got an hour long boat ride with wine. It was beautiful and we saw tons of sights. I def. recommend it for any traveling abroad...they are in a couple of cities..their name is Fat Tire Bike Tours in Paris, London, Barcelona, and Berlin. They were Americans and I could understand them perfectly, they also offered information, gave out free postcards, and were very nice and helpful.

4) La Tour Eiffel
The ladies and I went to the top of the Eiffel Tour and it was beautiful! This is my second time up but it was just as beautiful as the first time. The waiting line wasn't too bad, only about one hour, and it was only 13 Euro. This isn't bad at all. (Food is def. the most expensive thing here, aside from clothing). After we went to the top and took some beautiful pictures, we went back downstairs and had a picnic in la champs de marre which is the grassy area in front of the Eiffel Tour and it was beautiful! We ate our sandwiches that we bought at the local supermarche for around 3 Euros! Going to the market and buying crepes is def. the way to survive in Paris cheaply! After the Eiffel Tour we went to Napoleon's Tomb which was also beautiful.

While in Paris one thing you have to do is walk aggressively, this means that do not hesitate crossing the street or else the car will go. So whenever you cross the street here...make sure to be aggressive!! This also applies to the metros or else you will be left behind!!!

Loving Paris more and more!!!