On Thursday, July 22, I got up at 3:30 am (yes, that is three and a half measly hours after midnight) to pick up three friends and drive to the train station. We caught the train to Kings Cross from Ely. Well, we actually didn't make it all the way to Kings Cross--there was some problem or other and we had to switch to the tube, but we finally made it to Kings Cross and then literally ran over to St. Pancras to catch our Eurostar train across the Channel to Paris. Here are my beautiful friends, Tessie Snow, Katrina Listello, and Linda Carpenter in front of the Eiffel Tower. We stayed at Hotel Ares nearby (super nice). We had a fabulous and very exhausting weekend! Kent always wonders how we can still have things to talk about after how much time we spend together, but we still managed to stay up until 5 am talking each night! We dedicated ourselves to great food (chasing Katrina's pastry-chef idol all over town--totally worth it--his recommendations are spot on) and shopping! We did one cultural thing each day to preserve balance :). Day one we went to Notre Dame and took a city walk with a super-cute Parisian guide.
Day two we went up the Eiffel Tower and were rewarded with a beautiful rainbow. After the Eiffel Tower we ate at nearby Cafe Constant. They don't take reservations, but it is worth whatever wait you have. If I am ever on death row and have a last meal request, I know what it will be...
On our last day before catching the evening train, we went to the Louvre and took an English-speaking tour with a French guide. Since it is virtually impossible to see everything there anyway, we contended ourselves with the highlights. It was a great girls trip. Next stop: Florence!
