Aka. "Destination Anywhere", "The Boy and Girl from County Bavaria"... After a very intense year in Würzburg (Germany), I'm back in Salamanca. I probably won't have that many experiences to write, but there's always an excuse to post a new entry!

On July 18th, I understood the meaning of Stendhal Syndrome. My grandmother had insisted that we should visit the Paris Opéra, and we finally decided to take her advice. Although I was a bit skeptical at the beginning, right when we got off the underground at the "Opéra" station, I knew I was wrong.

Already the outside made me gasp. Out of all the beautiful buildings I had seen in Paris, this was probably the one that caught my eye most. Love at first sight. And this is still nothing compared to the wonders I saw on the inside. Even though I had constantly complained that it made no sense to visit the Opéra if we were not going to see a show, in the end I was thankful we didn't, for I would have probably died of a soulgasm.

It's just too awesome for words... All I can say is that I'd volunteer to the be their new phantom. After this beauty overdose, the visual pleasure fest continued at the Saint Chapelle, a small, two-storey chapel. I was shocked to see that it had little to envy some of the greatest cathedrals. In fact, it impressed me much more than Notre Dame itself. Besides, we have to acknowledge the piece of work they did telling the whole Bible on each stained-glass window.

Later we headed for the Latin Quarter of Paris, known for the Sorbonne University and - as Wikipedia points out, and I confirm it - its lively atmosphere. This is probably the area with the largest number of souvenir shops and bistros, and therefore tourists. Even though it goes against my principles, my family insisted on eating in El Bistro Latino, a Spanish restaurant. I have to admit that the place is truly a little piece of Spain in the middle of Paris, the perfect choice for those Spanish people who miss their home. Except for the cooks, who looked rather Arabic or Indian, everything is Spanish, from the food to the music they play (the stereotypical, annoying songs you can hear seven times a day on the Spanish radio, much to my dismay). Besides, all the waiters speak the language (it's their mother tongue, duh!) and the prices are more than affordable. In case anyone is interested, it is locate on the Rue de l'Arpe, quite at the beginning. You'll recognize it by the Spanish flags hanging from the outside.

Our next stop, unfortunately, disappointed us (well, to be honest, I think pretty much anything would have been disappointing after seeing the Opéra and the Saint Chapelle). It was the Sorbonne University, which would have probably left us absolutely indifferent if it wasn't for the two jazz guitarists who gave the square a great atmosphere.

Therefore, we didn't spend too long there and decided to take the underground once more to see the Bastille... which turned out to be an even bigger disappointment. All that remains from it is this sort of monument:

And without even noticing, the last day of our holiday in Paris arrived. The give it a nice start, we did some... well... alternative tourism, to put it in a nice way. I know a certain someone who will be proud of me. Maybe it's my obsession with gothic/symphonic metal which is affecting me more than it should, but I really wanted to visit the Père Lachaise Cemetery, not only because of all the famous people buried there (Edith Piaf, Molière, Jim Morrison, Balzac...), but also because it is famous for its beauty. And I have to say that we got to see some creative tombs and graves.

My dad and sister were complaining all the time that we had been there for too long and that the map was not exactly helpful, so the only famous grave we saw was Jim Morrison's.

Then we moved on to something a bit more cheerful - the Galeries Lafayette, a huge department store which is also one of the main attractions in Paris. The building is exquisite (reminded me a little of that Zara store in Salamanca that used to be a church), just as exquisite as the prices, which probably only the residents of Versailles can afford. At least it was nice to look at. Besides, the views from the top are lovely, which more than makes up for us not going up the Eiffel Tower or the Arc du Triomphe.

Nice, isn't it? In the scorching heat, we found that the best place to be was the Champs Élysées, where it was a bit cooler. There we had a rest before going to the nearby Place de la Concorde and take some pictures of it.

After that, it was back to the hotel to relax for a while before picking up our luggage and taking a taxi to the airport. Au revoir, Paris!

To sum up, I really enjoyed this trip. I had never been too interested in France, and the fact that everyone seemed to be so in love with Paris was probably the main reason why I was not exactly excited to go there in the first place. However, although some of the most popular monuments are slightly overrated, such as the Arc du Triomphe or the Eiffel tower, I have to admit that it's indeed a very special city full of charms. I would gladly go back to get to see more, since I'm sure it still has a lot to offer. Besides, the fact that it was my first (and so far only) trip with my family will make it unforgettable.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MUM AND DAD!!!