There's nothing that I love more than changing things up. After a few days on the French Riviera soaking up the sun I was ready to head off for my next adventure. I hopped on the train and within 5 hours was in the city of love...Paris. For this part of my trip I opted to stay in an apartment over a hostel...a decision that I'm extremely glad I made. For less than 50 euros a night I was able to stay in the center of Paris (5 minutes from both Notre Dame and the Louve), have my own space and privacy (www.airbnb.com...I would completely recommend it). Staying in a studio apartment on a small street gave me what I felt was a true Parisian experience. With a jazz club just below the apartment and cute cafes everywhere I felt completely at home.
My first day in Paris was an adventure in itself...July 14th aka Bastille Day. After an early morning walk along the Seine I was completely enchanted....the sun was shining, the coffee was fabulous, and the pastries were even better. Unfortunately by 11 the sun was gone and the rain clouds had taken over....just in time for my fat tire bike tour (http://fattirebiketours.com/). Once the rain started it didn't stop....it was honestly like a monsoon (even all the tour guides were shocked). Of course the tours are rain or shine so off we went.
Considering the amount of rain we actually managed to get a fairly good tour of the city in and four hours later we were all completely soaked (the company really made some money on long sleeved t-shirts that day). Like most challenging situations it gives people the chance to bond and get to know each other. I ended up being "adopted" by a wonderful family from Atlanta who took me out for a lovely lunch (complete with french onion soup) to warm up.
When the rain finally cleared up and I had dried out...it was time for the festivities of Bastille day. The sky displayed one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen followed by some spectacular fireworks--all with the backdrop of the eiffel tower.
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