Overnight train and Paris Day 1!

The overnight train strated off really cool. Jen and i were in a room with a really nice woman from Paris and a Spanish Nun. the boys were right next door. The train had a dining car that we made 10pm reservations for!! It was great! They turned down the beds around 9:30, and they didn't seems too bad. The train moved SO quickly, too.

We went to the dining car and sat down and looked at the menu. None of us were too hungry and wanted something small. Little did we know this would be a problem. Pat tried to order fruit, which was a dessert, and the waiter refused and got mad at him. I had looked at the menu. There was Pork and Duck and Seafood. Now, I've done REALLY well on this trip with food, and I really did not feel like spending 20 euros on food I didn't want. When I saw the menu I planned to wait til everyone was done then eat at the bar in the next cart over (there were things like chicken burgers and pizza on the menu!). The waiter wound up throwing pat and I out. SO ridiculous. The picture is of us BEFORE the waiter came. What a jerk. The bar was no good though, because they didnt have most things on the menu and no seats were available! Pat and I split a donut and went back to our cabins.

It took me forever to fall asleep with the motion on the train. It was an interrupted night, but it was long, so that made up for it. We got into Paris at 10am.

We dropped our bags at the hostel and went on our way. First was Starbucks, which was across from the Moulin Rouge, then it was off to another one of the Free Walking Tours!

Linda was our guide and she was great!! We saw SO much on the tour, including the outside of Notre Dame and the Louvre, St. Michael's fountain (where he crushes Satan), the statue of henry IV (they recently turned him into a real Jedi Knight for the next few weeks by giving him a light saber), The Arch Bridge, The Opera house that Phantom of the opera is based off of (there reall is a lake under it that the fire department uses!), Napoleon's Tomb, the Eifel Tower (from a distance), and so much more. So cool!

We went to lunch with Linda and some others afterwards. Down the street from where we ate were some riots... we were protected by the riot police and barracades. We could see the tear gas from a distance though.

The four of us then went to the Eifel tower. Pat and I went all the way to the top!! It was well worth it.... The view was awesome and it's so great to be able to say that I did that!!!!

We booked a tour through the New Paris company that gave the free tour (this one costs money, though) for tomorrow night. Same tour guide! Yay!

I'll be posting Spain and Paris pictures soon. We're at this hostel for three nights, so I'll have free wifi again! I'm just tired and have just done 3 posts and I dont want to spend the time posting the pics right now!

I've come to terms with the fact that I will forevermore call french fries "chips". Thank you, UK.

Also, a running theme of the trip is Dave being left behind. Whether he gets stuck at a cross walk or an elevator or subway door closes without him with us, it's alway him getting stuck. It's pretty darn funny!

Anyway, Nighty night. Sleep tight! May God go with you and Smelly Man stay away!!!!!!!!!! ;-)