My Trip to Paris with the Darrows
First off, I just want to thank Mark and Jill so much for inviting me to Paris to spend a wonderful and experimental trip with them! I had a blast and won’t soon forget all the wonderful food, wine, beer and adventures we dove into. I also really enjoyed telling people after break that I went to Paris and seeing their faces light up with questions and “wow I’m so jealous!” This trip definitely was a great experience for me because I really got a chance to open up and try things I had never thought I would get the chance to do before.
Before going on the trip, Matt and I created a bucket list. Here it is:
-try escargot (did it!)
-go to the Louvre (did it!)
-Climb the Arc De Triumph (did it)
-See Notre Dame (saw it)
-Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower (FINALLY did it!)
-Eat pizza with egg on top (sadly no : ( )
-Eat duck and Oysters (yes, I didn’t enjoy Oysters)
-Champs Eles’ee (did it)
-try Croque Madame (had it and it was delicious!)
-Visit ‘the market’ (didn’t do it)
The first day I arrived in Paris seemed like a blur. We landed in Charles de Gaulle, Mark picked us up and we went to the apartment. Soon after we got lunch and partook in a mini bar crawl. I tried hanging tough with Mark and Matt, but by the second pub I almost fell off the stool and chipped my tooth on my beer glass.
On the second day we went to the top of the Arc de Triumph to take in the view of the city. The climb to the top made me a little dizzy because the staircase was spiraled and extremely narrow. I had to force myself to look straight ahead the entire walk because of the dizziness I felt. The trip down was even harder and people kept walking around me because I was going so slowly. The view from the top was extremely beautiful and I think that’s when it really hit me that I was spending a WHOLE week in Paris!
One of the things I noticed when we were in Paris was the amount of pigeons that surrounded the streets and trees. Matt, Jill and I were walking through a park in the city and Matt felt a light thud on his head. He kept imagining that bird poop had landed on his head earlier that day, so I didn’t think anything of it when he asked me to look. There on his head was a huge plop of guacamole colored pigeon poop. It started running down his hair and I had to run away because I thought I would throw up. He kept asking for tissues or anything to clean up the mess and finally sighted a bathroom where he was able to splash some water in his hair. The rest of that week we all walked a little more cautiously under the trees. Matt would yell at pigeon passer bys to stay away. So FUNNY!
I would have to say my favorite part of visiting Paris was all the great food and drinks I got to try. Matt and I kept coming up with excuses to drink as much delicious champagne as we could. Before and after every meal we all shared wine, beer and coffee or espresso. It took me a while to get used to the strength of some of the espresso and I started off drinking Café Ole, but by the end of the trip I began to enjoy espresso as well. I would have to say the best food I tried on the trip was rabbit. It didn’t seem right to eat such a little helpless and adorable bunny, but once I took a bite I was in love! I have never tasted a meat so rich and tender. That same night we also had a mouth watering dish of cheesy potatoes and delicious white wine which may have contributed to the ambiance, but I still would have to say I enjoyed rabbit the most. Some of the other foods I had were smoked salmon (delicious), escargot, pizza with mushrooms, ham and tomatoes, duck, quiche, Croque Madame, and Oysters. I really enjoyed the escargot, but I just couldn’t get my mind off of what I was actually putting into my mouth. I quickly shoved each snail in my mouth, chewed fast and swallowed. I was proud of myself for eating these little creatures but I am not sure if I would ever try them again. Matt and I also both agreed that eggs should now be put on everything from sandwiches, salads to pizzas. The eggs in Paris just tasted so much better than eggs here in the U.S.
Sometime during the trip I got a strong craving for dark purple grapes. We searched the markets and grocery stores, but couldn’t find them. Finally on the second day of our search we found them in a nearby grocery store. There was mold all over them! Grapes were not meant to be : ( so instead I ended up buying fresh raspberries and it all turned out alright because once we got back to the apartment we plopped raspberries in our champagne and enjoyed an early afternoon cocktail.
My most monumental accomplishment on the trip was climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We walked by the structure everyday but I didn’t actually believe I could make it to the top. I have always been scared of heights and had a panic attack on the mini Eiffel Tower at one of Ohio’s theme parks. I ended up lying on the floor of the elevator when we got to the top and refused to get up until the elevator took me to the bottom. Considering I was uncomfortable on the way up and down the Arc de Triumph, I didn’t think there was any way I would be able to make it to the top of the actual Eiffel Tower. Day after day passed by and I told everyone “I won’t do it today, but I will tomorrow” thinking that I could talk my way out of it once we reached the end of the trip. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to see the city from the top, but I didn’t want to ride an elevator all the way up. Finally the day came; I can’t remember if it was Tuesday or Wednesday. Matt and I decided that we would go after dinner. We waited in line for an hour and a half and I was alright the entire way through until we got to the ticket booth. I told Matt I only wanted to go to the first level but he talked me into buying tickets to the top. Finally once we got through security I started my freak out. I turned away from the elevator and told Matt that I wasn’t going through with it. I started walking away but he pulled me into the elevator, talking to me the entire way to the second level. When I got off the elevator I grabbed onto the nearest sturdy object and locked my arms around it. Matt kept reaching his hand out to me but I wouldn’t move. I yelled at anyone who got close enough to me to not touch me. I finally ran over to the side and took a quick glance before wrapping my arms back around my safety pole. That’s when I told Matt I was finished and wanted to go back down. “You don’t understand Matt, You’re being unreasonable!” Needless to say this happened in front of crowds of people. It was very embarrassing. Finally we got into the elevator, I put my face in Matt’s chest, and we made it to the top. By that time my anxiety went down because I realized the top of the tower was closed in. A panic attack aside, the trip to the Eiffel Tower was worth it.
Thanks Again for the Wonderful Adventure!
Allison
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