Eiffel in love with France- Week 8

I can't believe we have already been here for two months. It is crazy how fast time is flying by. This week we got to travel to France, something that has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. On Monday we hopped on a bus and headed to Colmar. In Colmar we got to view the Isenheim altar which was incredible.

Pictured here is part of the Isenheim Altar. 

After viewing the Isenheim Altar we travelled to Beaune where we had an amazing group dinner with the best burgundy wine. Tuesday morning we got to visit Hotel Dieu, which was a hospital started in the 15th century. This hospital was one of the most incredible facilities I have ever seen. The story behind the reason was starting this hospital was just as incredible. The hospital was started to help the poor and was run by nuns who volunteered and were not paid for their amazing contributions. After the tour it was off to Paris. Tuesday night we were able to have dinner at a ceperie, which of course was delicious. Wednesday morning we took a bike tour of the city with our awesome tour guide. This was quite an experience to say the least. Riding bikes through Paris with tourist everywhere and cars flying by was a rush, but the sites we saw made it all worth it.

Chelsea and I in front of the Eiffel tour on our bike tour.

After our bike tour we were given the opportunity to view the Notre Dame Cathedral. This was something that I have wanted to see for years and it lived up to my idea in my head and more. Here is a picture of Chelsea and I in front of the cathedral.

 After seeing a history of medicine museum we were given Wednesday afternoon to have free time so of course I spent the afternoon with my mom. I was so incredibly excited that my mom flew to Paris for the week so that we could spend time together. The weeks before Paris I found myself missing home and her advice more than ever so it was such a relief to spend some girl time together and what better place to do it than Paris. Wednesday night we met with group and were able to go up to the top of the Eiffel tower. What an incredible experience this was. Even though the weather was not the greatest the views from the top were awesome. Here is a picture of my mom and I on the second floor of the Eiffel tour and a picture of how beautiful the tour is at night.

Now this brings me to one of my favorite days I had in Paris. Thursday morning I decided to go on a walking to Montmarte, which was absolutely beautiful. You could see the entire city of Paris from the top of the hill. Montmarte was also a super artistic area, which is something I found very cool. We got to go to a square in the city where there was artist everywhere just painting pictures. Honestly my favorite memory from the trip besides seeing my mom. That afternoon we attended the Louvre, which is huge by the way. I was overwhelmed by how big the Louvre is and how much incredible artwork they have. I was so excited to see the Mona Lisa in person and be able to check that off my bucket list. After seeing only a portion of the Louvre I know for a fact I have to go back to Paris to see everything else.

 Now we are on to Friday and our last day of the Paris excursion. We travelled as a group to see Versailles. The castle was absolutely beautiful, but the garden stole my heart. The amount of time and effort put into the garden was unbelievable. I definitely want to come back to see the garden during spring time. We also got to have an awesome picnic while at Versailles where we got to try the best french cheeses and meats. Friday afternoon I got to spend with my mom before I headed off for spring break. France was by far the best week I have had since I have been abroad and felt like I was in a dream the majority of the time.