Paris in the Snow

Our planned trip to Paris didn't go quite as planned. Our train was delayed and we saw first hand the power of French persuasion or perhaps just their ability to get their own way. Within a few minutes we had a new train to Paris boarded thanks to our fellow passengers. A lovely French student Charlotte took us by the hand and brought us to the train and also onto our connection train. Being the cheeky young Irish women that we are we rode first class to Paris and arrived several minutes earlier than our original train would have.
     Once in the capital we ate some of our packed lunch (no fancy Parisian dinner for us ERASMUS women). We then started our explorations... in the slushy snow. I quickly realized cheap tennis shoes are not the best choice for this foreign weather. Shona soon realized Uggs don't like the slushy snow either. The result being two pairs of wet feet trudging around Paris.
      Making our way to Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower the excitement was building. Through the fog Shona screamed with delight when see spotted it in the distance. We decided not to look again until we rounded the corner at the military school.

  Paris really is the city of love. You will notice it instantly by the many couples holding hands and the occasional romp in the snow. Once we had taken our many photographs and watched the several snowball fights under the tower we made our way across the river to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. By then it was extremely cold along the Seine so we stopped in a small cafe called Bert's and had the most delicious hot chocolate we ever tasted. After that brief stop it was a short walk to l'Arc de Triomphe and the famous Champs-Elysees.
     

 Making our way down the beautiful and very long shopping street we eventually reached the Louvre. It costs eleven euro once you get in to see the museum. Most people go to see one painting... The Mona Lisa or in french La Joconde. While queuing for our tickets a very nice Englishman heard us speaking and offered us two tickets and replied that he was finished seeing the museum. It was a lovely gesture and a great surprise. We really met nice people that day. The Mona Lisa is quite a small painting but it has such a presence in the room it occupies along with the crowds it draws. On our way back to the station we popped into some shops. If you are ever making a trip to Paris in January be sure to have a little money for the sales. Finally after walking twelve kilometers in total around Paris that day we boarded our train home to Tours tired and a little snow-damaged. I had never been too enticed by Paris and its sights beforehand but after that day I fell in love with it. A Summer trip will most definitely be on the cards. 

(All photographs are my own)