Hey guys!
Sorry for the delay; it's been a crazy few weeks! So, let me start with Paris and Halloween weekend (this won't be as long as the Rome post, PROMISE!)
So, I never ever ever expected to enjoy Paris. For some reason, it was never a city I had any interest in visiting. However, it ended up being my favorite international destination so far! The city itself is beautiful (and clean!). The Eiffel Tower is a lot of fun because it is wayy bigger in person than any picture ever shows. During the day, you walk around and have street vendors bombard you with mini-Eiffel tower sales; tourists line the lawn in front of the tower getting shots, and we even saw a flashmob start to dance on one of the side lawns! Personally, though, the tower looks way cooler at night. It puts on a light show where various lights around the edge sparkle for a few minutes illuminating the sky, and the tower glows a brilliant golden color that can be spotted from really large distances. Going to the top was breathtaking as we looked over the entire city (Paris is HUGE, btw). A few of my friends were really nervous to go that high, but it's an absolute must! You get crammed into an elevator with around 30 other people and get to see all the internal structuring of the tower as you ascend.
We also got to visit the Lourve (Mona Lisa is a little anti-climactic in my opinion; go visit the painting across from it for an amazing piece of art) which you need a LOT of time for. Walking in the courtyard outside is a lot of fun to take pictures of the glass pyramids and architecture around the museum. Also, getting in was FREE for us! There are a lot of exhibits to see so make sure you leave plenty of time to explore. Notre Dame Cathedral is awesome because it has an organ player perform every few hours with a really haunting, yet lively song that resonates through the cathedral. It's really beautiful. And Sacra Coeur is also definitely worth checking out; one of my friends dressed up in devil horns (because it was Halloween) and kept forgetting to take off her horns in churches...awkward!
But, for the best part of Paris...you MUST eat SNAILS AND CREPES! I know...snails? Sounds crazy! Trust me; it's worth it. (You may wanna' pass on frog legs...they're not that great). And you will most likely eat your body weight in pastries while in France. I had sugar and chocolate crepes, eclairs, fresh bread, and so much more! To sum it all up: PARIS ROCKS!
Oh, one fun fact: Parisians don't really seem to celebrate Halloween; we learned that the interesting way.
Now...back to Ireland!
It's been pretty low-key the last few weeks because of papers and exams coming up (we finish class in 2 WEEKS!!!). BUT, I finally managed to accomplish one of my goals while in Galway! There's this giant diving board in an area called Salt Hill which is about a 25 minute walk from my apartment. Essentially, the diving board is two levels and leads into Galway's bay. My friends and I have been saying we were going to jump off of it since August, but, alas, we kept forgetting. So, this past weekend, I decided enough was enough. Right after picking a friend who was visiting from London from the bus stop, we booked our way over to the board. Now, picture this: me, jumping 15 feet into freezing water in the beginning of November...pretty awesome, right?? Suffice it so say, it was one of my favorite memories from this trip, even if I was forced to look at really old men in articles of swimwear too tight for their own good or mine (that image will never be burned from my memory). I may have lost feeling in my fingers and feet for an hour, but the numbness/pain was worth. For anyone curious to see how it went, there's a video of it on Facebook.
With about a month left in Galway, I'm re-appreciating everything I have experienced while I've been here, both highs and lows. Now, I refuse to allow myself to not enjoy the time left here. Even with exams and papers and assignments, I cannot allow myself to sit at home and idle my time away. My plan for the next month goes as follows:
ENJOY!
With all of that said, I am sending my deepest love and blessings and good wishes from here to all of my friends and family back in the states. I love you guys so much and cannot wait to see you all, but I pray that this next month doesn't fly too quickly!
Slán go fóill! (Bye for now!)
With Irish Blessings,
Jim Jam
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