Day 6: Paris, France

Day 6:                        Paris, France                                    6/23/14

Breakfast was at 8:00 so we got to “sleep in”. We packed up our stuff and parked it in the bus and headed back to Paris. We got off near the Louvre and went in. Students 17 and under got in free, while adults paid €12. (Euros)

The first thing the group went to see was the Mona Lisa. As usual, it was very crowded and warm, even with the air conditioning on. I was surprised at how much had changed to the Louvre since the 3 years I’ve been there. They have developed the downstairs pre entrances complete with McDonald’s (Mc Do), Starbucks, and other stores. It was like being in a mini mall. I think they will do the same thing to the Eiffel Tower.

I managed to explore a little bit and found my way to the top floor of the Richelieu wing. I didn’t do too badly with the map, just going the wrong way a couple of times. I wore my Michigan State shirt and was surprised at how many people told me to “Go Green”.

The Code of Hammurabi

I met with Roger, Phyllis, Gavin, Becky. And Heidi and we ate at a nearby restaurant. We ate croque madams and crepes, realizing it would be our last meal in France.

We had 45 minutes to kill before we had to be back, so Gavin and I went down to mail a post card. We stayed in line for about 35 minutes, but were able to get the stamp and mail it.

We got back to the bus in time and we went to the supermarket close to the train station. Everyone bought supplies for a supper meal and for breakfast the next morning.

We got to the train station and got in line 2 hours before the train left (around 8:00 pm). Everyone pulled out their crossword puzzles and other puzzle books and waited patiently before boarding. The groups started integrating with each other and the talking helped pass the time.

We got on with little difficulty. Again the group was split into two different cars on different sides of the train.

Everyone settled in and tried to get comfortable in their 6 person couchette. We would arrive at Milan tomorrow morning around 6:00 am, God willing.

Inside the couchette