Brandie in Paris

I (Brandie) got to spend my first free weekend of the program in Paris. What a wonderful time! I traveled with 3 other students and we all took the train. It was pretty easy. We got on the train in Antwerp and it took us directly to Paris. The tickets were a little more expensive because this happened to be a European holiday weekend, which meant lots of people were traveling so the ticket prices kept climbing. It was definitely worth it though. We spent 3 days hiking around Paris trying to make the most of our time, and were able to see so many famous pieces of history! A couple of the "givens" were the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. Here (right) is a picture of me with Collette in front of the Louvre. Collette is a Parisian who is a friend of a friend of one of my travel companions. She was instrumental in sharing information, taking us to and fro, and making sure we got the most out of our short visit. She let us know about the free museum night which happens regularly. All the museums stay open until midnight with free admission until about 11 when they quit letting people inside. We decided to visit Musee Rodin (top left) for our "freebie." We got there too late to make it inside the building, but were able to wander the gardens outside and view Rodin's statues, including the famous "The Thinker." Paris has so many beautiful views, including this one here (bottom left) of the Seine River at night. No matter where you go there's something to see. It truly was an experience to remember. I still didn't get to see all I wanted to see, and hope to make another trip there one day to see the rest. What a wonderful way to spend a free weekend!