Pariis on selline linn, kuhu minekust olen ma juba mitu-mitu aastat unistanud, ei teagi, mis mind sinna niiväga tõmbas, kas see kuulus Eiffeli torn või romantiline õhkkond, aga igatahes olin ma väga põnevil, kui see reis järjest lähemale tuli.
Neljapäeva varahommikul saime kõik Leuvenis kokku ja umbes nelja tunnine bussisõit võis alata. Algul oli plaanis see aeg uni täis magada, aga YFU inimestega on see võimatu, niiet juba bussisõit oli omaette kogemus.
Pariisi jõudes viisime kõigepealt asjad hosteli ära, milleks oli täiesti tavaline noortehostel, polnud midagi väga erilist, aga samas millegi üle kurta ka ei saanud.
Esimene asi, mis oli väga põnev minu jaoks, oli see, et kõik pikemad vahemaad me läbisime metrooga ja minu kui eestlase jaoks on iga metroosõit üks omaette kogemus.
Muidugi tuli terve reisi aeg hoolikalt oma kotil ja taskutel silma peal hoida, nii vabatahtlikud, kui ka metroos see hääleke pidevalt kordasid, et be careful with the pickpockets, Pariis on taskuvaratse jaoks paradiis ja väga lihtne on oma rahakotist või muust sellisest ilma jääda, minul ja kõigil teistel õnnestus terve reisi jooksul kõik asjad siiski alles hoida.
Esimese asjana jalutasime mööda jõge nende Louvre püramiidide juurde, aga tegelikult seal jõe ääres jalutades avanes mulle elus esimest korda vaade Eiffeli tornile, siis tuli küll tunne, et vot nüüd olengi Pariisis, kõik need korrad kui olen seda torni piltidelt või kaartidelt või telekast näinud, ja nüüd lõpuks olen selle metallikolaka ka oma silmaga ära näinud. Mis päevasel ajal tõesti midagi erilist ei ole, aga õhtuti on see super ilus!
Pärast paljusid pilte Louvre peal viidi meid maailma ühele kuulsamaile tänavale De Champs Elysees, kust võib enamasti leida kalleid poode ja söögikohti ja sealt avaneb ka vaade võidukaarele. Meil oli seal vaba aega söömiseks ja meie, vaesed vahetusõpilased nagu me oleme, otsustasime, et esimese fancy söögikorra Pariisis teeme me McDonaldsis.
Pärast saime jälle teistega kokku ja plaanis oli minna Arc de Triomphe ehk siis võidukaare tippu, aga tuli välja, et sissepääs oli 18+. Mis iseenesest oleks mulle ja paarile teisele sobinud, aga me saime sellest teada, alles siis kui me juba 20min järjekorras olime seisnud, ja meil polnud väga aega uuesti järjekorda minna, niiet kahjuks jäi see koht külastamata.
Õhtu lõpetasime imelise vaatega tuledes Eiffeli tornile ühelt vaateplatvormilt. Siis nägin Eiffeli torni, sellisena, nagu ma teda ette olin kujutanaud, ja tõepoolest oli vaade imeilus.
Reedel käisin ära Eiffeli torni tipus. Kaks esimest korrust me jalutasime ja viimasele ostsime liftipileti, sest jalad olid kapot. Ilm polnud just kõige parem, aga vaade oli sellegipoolest mõnus. Kõige tipus, õues käisin ma ka korra Joaquiniga, aga seal väga kaua vastu ei pidanud, sest tuul oli päris karm, aga ma olin väga üllatund, et torn üldse ei kõikunud.
Peale seda sõitsime kaubanduskeskusesse, kus sai hiinakas süüa (vaesed vahetusõpilased strikes again) ja niisama veidi ringi kolada. Seal olid väga fancy'd wc'd ja käisin esimest korda ka Toys 'R Us'is.
Peale seda liikusime edasi Notre Dame'i kus meile anti jälle vaba aega et ringi vaadata ja kohvi juua. Siis mulle jõudis kohale, et need 3 aastat kunstiajalugu on ikka asjaette läinud, sest ma tundsin nii suurt äratundmisrõõmu, kui tuli meelde kuidas ma neid roosaknaid ja baroki stiile ja erinevaid kiriku näiteid olin tuupinud ja Notre Dame oli üks nendest ja nüüd sai selle oma silmaga ka ära näha.
Õhtul oli meil veel Pompidou keskväljakul vaba aega söömiseks. Pompidou on kuulus modernkunsti muuseum ja see hoone näeb väljast poolt väga huvitav välja. Lõpetuseks tegime veel väikse hilisõhtuse jalutuskäigu mööda Pariisi tänavaid.
Laupäev algas muuseumi külastamisega. Kolme valikuvõimaluse vahel tuli mündiviske tulemusel võitjaks Louvre (valik oli liiga raske, et ise otsustada). Põhjus miks me kogu aeg nii vara lahkuma pidime, oligi selles, et me mingites pikkades järjekordades seisma ei peaks, sest näiteks tund aega peale Louvre jõudmist vaatasin aknast välja, ja järjekord oli juba paarisaja meetri pikkune. Kohale jõudes moodustasime väiksemad grupid ja saime paar tunnikest muuseumi peal ringi jalutada, jällegi oli selline äratundmisrõõm, kui pooled maalid ja kujud mulle kunstiajaloost tuttavad olid. Ja muidugi nägime ära ka kuulsa Mona Lisa ja palju muud. Mona Lisa juures on lausa koomiline vaatepilt, sest sa näed kuidas inimesed, isegi vanemad inimesed, selle ees seistes temaga selfiet püüavad teha.
Vahepeal käisime jälle odavalt söömas ja siis liikusime mingi künka (Eesti mõistes mäe) jalamile ja hakkasime sealt läbi vihma ja tuule ülesüpoole kõmpima. Sellegipoolest oli vaade sealt otsast väga ilus, eriti veel õhtuhämaruses, kui kaugelt paistis tuledes Eiffeli torn. Seal saime ka vaba aega ja selle ajaga käisime Joqiga mäetipus olevas kirikus nimega Sacré-Coeur (otsetõlkes: Scared Heart) ja käisime ka mööde suveniiripoode, sest seal on enamasti suveniirid kõige odavamad (kallid tuttavad, ma ei ostnud ühtegi suveniiri, sest ma olen vaene vahtusõpilane ja ma ei näe neis väga mingit mõtet, pildid on palju paremaks mälestuseks, kui mingi Eiffeli torniga võtmehoidja, minuarust).
Õhtu lõpetasime oma hostelis all jälle väiksel peol, et tähistada viimast õhtut Pariisis.
Pühapäeval väga mingeid suuremaid vaateväärsusi plaanis ei olnud, hommikul sõitsime metrooga jälle linna keskele ja leidsime kiriku mille ees saaks filmida paar videot. Ühe tegime YFU Prantsusmaa 50nda juubeli puhul ja teise tegime YFU Flandersile. Seal filmiti mind ka mingi Korea video/saate jaoks, ma pole päris kindel, aga igatahes ma vastasin seal paarile küsimusele ja nüüd osad inimesed Koreast teavad, et Eesti asub euroopas, Soome all. Sealt liikusime edasi parki nimega Jardin des Tuileries, kus saime ka natuke ringi vaadata ja nendel kuulsatel pargitoolidel istuda.
Pariisi reisi lõpetasime Quartier Latin'il, mis on võib olla üks mu uus lemmik kohtadest. See on lihtsalt selline tüüpiline Pariisi tänav, mis jookseb kergelt allamäge, mõlemal pool tänavat on erinevad pagaripoed ja söögikohad ja kohvikud ja turud ja tee ääres mängivad muusikud klassikalist muusikat ja selleks ajaks kui me sinna jõudsime, tuli täpselt päike ka välja, niiet see pani ühe ilusa ja särava punkti meie Pariisi reisile.
Järgmisena läksimegi juba tagasi bussi ja meid ootas ees 4 tundi kojusõitu, mitte keegi ei tahtnud ära minna, see oli kindlalt üks parimaid reise mu elus, isegi see, et meil ilmaga ei vedanud, ei häirinud üldse, sest Pariis ise on lihtsalt nii wonderful.
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Last week we had a vacation from school and in the end of that week YFU Flanders took us to Paris.
Paris is the kind of city where I'd always wanted to go to. It's been my dream for years, I'm not quite sure what is there so attractive about Paris to me, whether it's the famous Eiffel Tower or just the romantic atmosphere, but either way, I was very excited when the trip got closer and closer.
On the early morning of a Thursday all the exchange students and volunteers gathered in the Leuven station and a 4-hour bus journey could begin. I was planning on sleeping most of the way, but sleeping with YFU people is nearly impossible.
After arriving in Paris we took our bags to the youth hostel, which wasn't really anything specail but I couldn't complain about anything either.
First thing that got me very excited was the fact that all of the longer ways we went with the metro, which to me, as a typical Estonian, is very exciting.
Of course during the whole trip you really had to keep your eye on your bag and pockets, all the volunteers and also the little voice on the metro kept repeating to be careful with the pickpockets. Paris is a real paradise for pickpockets with so many tourists, who have a lot of money, visiting it all the time.
First thing that we did was that we walked by a riverside to the Louvre pyramides, but actually when I was walking by the river, I also got my first glance at the Eiffel tower, then I really got the feeling, that yes, I actually am in Paris. All these times when I've seen this tower on pictures or cards of on TV and what not and now I finally have seen this metal bunch with my own eye.
After taking lots of pictures on top of the Louvre, we were taken to one of the most famous streets of the world, De Champs Elysees, where you can find a countless amount of expensive stores and restaurants and it also opens a nice view over the Triumphal Arc. Us, as the poor exchange students that we are, decided that our first, very fancy mealtime in Paris will be at McDonalds.
Later we met up with everybody again and we were gonna climb onto Arc de Triomphe, but unfortunately it didn't really work out, because not all of of were 18+.
We ended the evening with an amazing view over the Eiffel tower in lights. That's when I saw the tower exactlt the way I've imagined it, and indeed, the view was amazing!
On Friday I found myself on top of the Eiffel tower. The first 2 floors we took the stairs and to the last one we decided to take the lift cause our legs were kapot. The weather wasn't the best, but nevertheless the view was breathtaking. Eventually I went to the very-very top too with Joaquin, since it was outside, then it was very windy and I didn't stay there for too long.
After the tower we went to a big mall where we could eat chinese (poor exchange students strike again) and we just looked around. We found there very fancy toilets and I also looked around Toys 'R Us for the first time ever.
From there we moved on to see Notre Dame, where we again got some free time to look around and drink expencive coffie. That's when I realised that these 3 years of art history really do pay off, I felt so much joy from recognizing the rosewindows and barok styles and I remembered examples from different cathedrald and I remembered that Notre Dame was one of them and now I've seen it with my own eye.
In the evening we had more free time on the central of Pompidou, which is a famour modern art museum. The building looks very interesting from outside. To end the evening, we had a little latenight stroll around the streets of Paris.
Saturday began with visiting a museum, we chose for the Louvre museum, when we got there, we made smaller groups and we were given a few hours to look around there. Again I felt the joy of recognizing some more and some less famous paintings from my beloved art history classes, and of course we saw the infamous Mona Lisa. The funniest thing that I find about it, is seeing everybody, even the older people, trying to take selfies with Mona Losa in front of the painting, it's just a really funny sight to see.
After the museum we had a cheap lunch again and then moved on to a hill (a mountain for Estonians) and we walked up there through wind and rain. Nevertheless, the view was gorgeous, especially in the evening when you can see the city lights and the Eiffel tower lights shining through the darkness. We also got some free time there so me and Joq first took a tour around a cathedral/church that is on top there, called Sacré-Coeur (literally translated: Scared Heart) and then we also went from one souvenire shop to another one because that's the place where they are the cheapest.
We fnished the evening at our hostel with a little evening party/get together or something, to celebrate the last evening in Paris.
For Sunday we hadn't planned any bigger sightseeings, in the morning we took a matro to the centre again and found a church, in front of there we filmed a video for YFU France's 50th anniversary and also a little video for YFU Flanders. Then we moved on to a park called Jardin des Tuileries, where we could walk around and sit on the famous park chairs.
To end our litlle trip, the volunteers took us to Quartier Latin, which is probably one of my new favourite places. This is just the most typical Paris street that runs down a hill and on the both sides there's bakeries, café's, restaurants and markets and street mucisians play classical French songs and it's just a very French vibe. By the time we got there, the sun was also shining bright, so it was the perfect end to our trip.
And then it was already time to go on a bus and go home, really nobody wanted to leave, I'm pretty sure it was one of the best trips of my life, even though the weather wasn't perfect, it wasn't bothering me at all, Paris itself is just so wonderful.
And I have also made a little video from the Paris trip, it's here :)
Warning: there's a lot of photos.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
After arriving in Paris we took our bags to the youth hostel, which wasn't really anything specail but I couldn't complain about anything either.
First thing that got me very excited was the fact that all of the longer ways we went with the metro, which to me, as a typical Estonian, is very exciting.
Of course during the whole trip you really had to keep your eye on your bag and pockets, all the volunteers and also the little voice on the metro kept repeating to be careful with the pickpockets. Paris is a real paradise for pickpockets with so many tourists, who have a lot of money, visiting it all the time.
First thing that we did was that we walked by a riverside to the Louvre pyramides, but actually when I was walking by the river, I also got my first glance at the Eiffel tower, then I really got the feeling, that yes, I actually am in Paris. All these times when I've seen this tower on pictures or cards of on TV and what not and now I finally have seen this metal bunch with my own eye.
After taking lots of pictures on top of the Louvre, we were taken to one of the most famous streets of the world, De Champs Elysees, where you can find a countless amount of expensive stores and restaurants and it also opens a nice view over the Triumphal Arc. Us, as the poor exchange students that we are, decided that our first, very fancy mealtime in Paris will be at McDonalds.
Later we met up with everybody again and we were gonna climb onto Arc de Triomphe, but unfortunately it didn't really work out, because not all of of were 18+.
We ended the evening with an amazing view over the Eiffel tower in lights. That's when I saw the tower exactlt the way I've imagined it, and indeed, the view was amazing!
On Friday I found myself on top of the Eiffel tower. The first 2 floors we took the stairs and to the last one we decided to take the lift cause our legs were kapot. The weather wasn't the best, but nevertheless the view was breathtaking. Eventually I went to the very-very top too with Joaquin, since it was outside, then it was very windy and I didn't stay there for too long.
After the tower we went to a big mall where we could eat chinese (poor exchange students strike again) and we just looked around. We found there very fancy toilets and I also looked around Toys 'R Us for the first time ever.
From there we moved on to see Notre Dame, where we again got some free time to look around and drink expencive coffie. That's when I realised that these 3 years of art history really do pay off, I felt so much joy from recognizing the rosewindows and barok styles and I remembered examples from different cathedrald and I remembered that Notre Dame was one of them and now I've seen it with my own eye.
In the evening we had more free time on the central of Pompidou, which is a famour modern art museum. The building looks very interesting from outside. To end the evening, we had a little latenight stroll around the streets of Paris.
Saturday began with visiting a museum, we chose for the Louvre museum, when we got there, we made smaller groups and we were given a few hours to look around there. Again I felt the joy of recognizing some more and some less famous paintings from my beloved art history classes, and of course we saw the infamous Mona Lisa. The funniest thing that I find about it, is seeing everybody, even the older people, trying to take selfies with Mona Losa in front of the painting, it's just a really funny sight to see.
After the museum we had a cheap lunch again and then moved on to a hill (a mountain for Estonians) and we walked up there through wind and rain. Nevertheless, the view was gorgeous, especially in the evening when you can see the city lights and the Eiffel tower lights shining through the darkness. We also got some free time there so me and Joq first took a tour around a cathedral/church that is on top there, called Sacré-Coeur (literally translated: Scared Heart) and then we also went from one souvenire shop to another one because that's the place where they are the cheapest.
We fnished the evening at our hostel with a little evening party/get together or something, to celebrate the last evening in Paris.
For Sunday we hadn't planned any bigger sightseeings, in the morning we took a matro to the centre again and found a church, in front of there we filmed a video for YFU France's 50th anniversary and also a little video for YFU Flanders. Then we moved on to a park called Jardin des Tuileries, where we could walk around and sit on the famous park chairs.
To end our litlle trip, the volunteers took us to Quartier Latin, which is probably one of my new favourite places. This is just the most typical Paris street that runs down a hill and on the both sides there's bakeries, café's, restaurants and markets and street mucisians play classical French songs and it's just a very French vibe. By the time we got there, the sun was also shining bright, so it was the perfect end to our trip.
And then it was already time to go on a bus and go home, really nobody wanted to leave, I'm pretty sure it was one of the best trips of my life, even though the weather wasn't perfect, it wasn't bothering me at all, Paris itself is just so wonderful.
And I have also made a little video from the Paris trip, it's here :)
Warning: there's a lot of photos.
Day 1
 |
| My first ever view over the Eiffel tower |
 |
| De Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe |
 |
| Touristing on point |
 |
| The view got us like |
 |
| METROOOOOO |
 |
| METROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |
Day 2
 |
| ESTONIE |
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| All that wind!!!! |
 |
| Touristing on point: Part Two |
 |
| Pompidou |
Day 3
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| The best part about Mona Lisa :D |
 |
| When reality hits you |
 |
| Sacré-Coeur |
Day 4
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| Jardin des Tuileries |
 |
| Quesrtier Latin |
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| when you teach your friends how to swear in Estonian/Finnish |
 |
| The grumpy guy in the middle left YFU Vlaanderen and is soon going to Korea (he is actually the opposite of grumpy) |
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