EIFFEL IN LOVE WITH TRAVEL

This weekend, we took a little trip to France. The weather had warmed up a little bit and it was the perfect time to take a train ride to a new place. We took the earliest train to Paris and then the latest train back into Rotterdam. From there we took another train and a bus back home to the Hague. We ended up getting first-class train tickets home for a better price than the regular tickets which meant comfy chairs and an interesting dinner on the train. Paris is such a beautiful city; I had been there once before, but it was about 50 degrees warmer when I went. It was cool to see the city in a whole new light, even if that light meant a little gray and overcast sky. We saw the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and went down into the Catacombs. It was surreal to see all of the bones lining the walls of the tunnels beneath Paris. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it was just a lot. The Catacombs are definitely one place I would never want to get lost.

The architecture in Paris was really different than the architecture we have become used to in the Netherlands. Mackenzie and I talked about the more muted colors you see on the buildings in paris with hard-to-see details unless you really look for them. In the Netherlands, the buildings have strong contrast--dark brown brick, orange roofs, and white accents across building fronts. Another big difference between France and the Netherlands were the people; we have gotten used to the kind, friendly nature of the Dutch people. We have been told time and time again about how safe the Hague is. Going to Paris opened our eyes quite a bit. People on the streets were pushy and frequently asked for money, getting angry and would invade personal space if you said no. Some people would even grab your arm if they wanted your attention. Safe to say, I stayed close to Mackenzie and kept my bag close to my side the whole time.

Going to Paris this time around was interesting for me as well because of the recent flooding. It’s crazy to see how different it looks now than it did in May. I can’t imagine what the city looked like during the worst point of the flooding. The water levels have gone down, but you can still see the parts of the city that were hit the worst--”do not cross” tape is still hung across parts of Paris. It really makes you think about the flooding that happened in Houston and the threats of flooding that some parts of the Netherlands are experiencing.

Sunday we took the time to sleep in a bit and spent the day at home and in the Hague. We went with our friend, Casper, and tried out a nice restaurant just a short walk from our go-to bus stop. I don’t eat Vietnamese food often, but I’m very glad we tried out a place called Little V. I was in desperate need for vegetables and tofu and was not disappointed. We walked around downtown after dinner but really just enjoyed a day at home after traveling so much the day before.