When things go right, it makes me feel oddly suspicious. You’d think if events go as planned, or even better, go well without a plan at all, that would be excellent, and while it definitely is, it’s something to which I am completely unaccustomed. The three blissful days spent meandering through Paris were surreal to say the least, and to this day I still feel like it really didn’t happen. Paris is not a city I ever pictured myself visiting in my lifetime. To me it was always a fairytale, equivalent to some far-off land of Disney splendor where magic and color and song are the main principles of society. It’s not that I never wanted to go there, I just never imagined it probable, or even possible. That being said, at the suggestion to go to Paris after London I merely agreed with a shrug, saying well of course I’d love to go to Paris, I mean, it’s Paris (much later I would wonder what was wrong with my earlier self for not thinking of it sooner).

The adventure began at the airport, where after some “international” cellphone confusion, we had to buy tickets to get on the last metro for the night, but before we could finish panicking about the machines not taking bills, someone started whistling with a sport whistle and yelling interchangeably between French and English to the entire wing that the last metro into the city was arriving and that moment, and that it was free, so we were more or less ushered to go through the open gates ticket-less with the hope that we wouldn’t get stopped for something so bizarre.

Of course what did we see when emerging from our unrealistic metro ride but Arc de Triomphe, glowing boldly in the center of the circle where cabs, cars and bicycles swirled in and out and around it in a seemingly synchronized fashion.

At that moment, I lost my sense of fatigue, and my permanent state of Parisian awe had settled right then and there for the rest of the weekend. When we arrived at my friend’s friend’s apartment, as he has been studying in Paris also through Loyola this semester, I couldn’t believe the view, as of course he had a balcony facing the Eiffel Tower. We walked around the neighborhood with him and one of his friends, sat at a café for a while and ended up returning thinking we should rest before the long day that would follow, only to stay up until 5am talking and laughing, practically drunk from glee and the exhaustion that we seemed to have ignored.

After a rewarding night’s sleep and a fantastic breakfast, we started off our day with a view from the top of Arc de Triomphe and continued our day with a pace similar to which we took in London, but by some magic it felt like a much more leisurely tour. We could not have asked for better weather, for as it was a surprise to see so much sun in London, it seemed to have followed us to Paris. Along our way our first day, we walked down Avenue des Champ Élysées, stopped at Opera Garnier, Galerie Lafayette, L'église de la Madeliene and Basilique du Sacré-Coeur.

Based on the number of cathedrals I’ve visited since August, I could probably write a book just explaining the histories and significance from one to the next. However, of all the cathedrals I’ve entered in Europe, I have to say that Sacre Couer is my favorite thus far. While certain aspects of cathedrals are similar, each has elements that contribute to create a distinct atmosphere, although sometimes those elements are the most difficult to distinguish. After a hike up the hill and through the crowd and street performers in front of the cathedral steps, we reached Sacre Couer, mounted overlooking the city. The first minute upon entering, my sense of present tense evaporated. The high rounded ceilings allowed for the voices of the choir of nuns to echo graciously throughout the cathedral, creating a profound tranquility that put the rest of the city and my travels completely and involuntarily out of my mind. The entire interior was soft and bright and welcoming, in comparison to the darker, more Gothic demeanor of other cathedrals we had seen. I was stunned by a very real sense of reverence, and couldn’t believe how close I was to tears; for what reason, I couldn’t say, but I definitely felt a peaceful presence that urged me to sit for a while at the very least. Only hunger and our agenda moved me forward, but it was surely a moment I am not soon to forget.

Earlier in the day we had decided to save the Eiffel Tower for last, incredible as we imagined it would be. And effectively, to walk under the tower and onto Parc du Champ de Mars at night right before it began to sparkle on the hour was breathtaking as anticipated. Followed by crepes and a subway ride back, we were ready to rest before our morning at the Louvre, where we spent a good half of our day meandering through the extensive exhibits, in no way able to soak up everything. After a visit at Notre Dame and a stroll through the Latin Quarter and the gardens at Palais et Jardin Du Luexenbourg, we made sure to see the Eiffel Tower one more time at sunset, to end our trip right.

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As surreal as it felt to be in London, Paris was magical in a whole other realm. It’s a place I never wanted to dream of, because dreaming would seemingly gray in comparison. It was the perfect splash of color for which I yearned but never sought when initially planning my semester abroad, but in a way that made it so much more of an escapade. Had I had the time to explore everything and experience everything thoroughly, I would, but it was nice to at least have a snapshot adventure in London and Paris and to visit places I never really though I would get to see in person ever in my life. Half of the places we visited I couldn’t actually believe, most if it felt like such a surreal and intangible experience that I didn’t even feel like I was really a part of it, as if I was merely viewing someone else’s memory or account of having been there. Never had I imagined myself standing in at the foot of Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower, strolling through the Louvre, outside of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre or on top of Arc de Triomphe and Tower Bridge. Europe?! I’m in Europe!