The Night We Became Lady Marmalades

We woke up early and started off the morning with a fantastic breakfast buffet at our hotel. Already I can tell that the food is different, but I really enjoyed trying the new things. After breakfast we hopped on the coach and Ryan played us the song “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane as we made our way to the city. He said that this was our trip’s “day song” so that whenever we hear that song we will remember our trip and think of all the memories we’ve shared together! He said that he is going to play it every morning as we board the coach.

Once we got to the center of Paris, we had some time to roam the city on our own. We got to see many famous monuments such as the Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral among many others, but my roomie Brittany our new friend Hannah and I decided we wanted to stroll down the streets and enjoy something else that Paris is famous for—the fashion! We shopped in boutiques for most of the afternoon and picked some hot new outfits, a couple postcards, some fine wine and souvenirs for friends and family back in the states.

It was a great day of fun and shopping for us girls, but the best part was that we had the opportunity to choose what we wanted to do! We were on a "tour" I guess, but it wasn't like we were being chaperoned. Ryan our tour guide passed out what he called "Ryanos in your
pocket" that had tips and suggestions about what to do or where to go in the city and how to get there, so everyone had the opportunity to explore Paris to thier heart's desire! We headed back to the hotel early evening to get ready for our exciting night. The Contiki crew was off to check out the Moulin Rouge show!

We got all dolled up and ate a fantastic dinner and fabulous wine at the theater before the show, and then watched in awe at one of the most famous cabaret shows in the world. There were incredible acrobats, intricate and flashy costumes, topless dancers with sparkly outfits, and even an underwater snake dancer! The acts were interspersed with comedians and the show lasted about three hours. It was probably the best show I have ever seen in my life, I was thoroughly entertained! After the show we headed back to the hotel and Brittany and I bonded and got to know each other a little while and then went to bed, ready for our next adventure!

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."-Ernest Hemingway