This posting everyday thing will probably become a norm seeing as how there are so many things that change or happen in a day the closer departure gets. Spent my Sunday being lazy with mom and actually went to see the movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” earlier this afternoon and I must say it definitely added to my endless desire to travel! I am a frequent movie goer and by frequent I mean the most movies I have seen in a week is a whopping 5, kind of ridiculous I know but hey I love movies and if you have never gone by yourself you should try it one day, all about the “me” time 🙂 Came home and started reading this excellent book by Rick Steves. This man has a LOT of good info on traveling in not only Paris, but all over Europe! A big thank you to Dennis, who works with my mom, for the travel necessities. I spent some time reading up on the Paris book about sightseeing, getting around, to dos, culture and many more!
When I was searching Rick Steves’ website I came across another, Weekend Student Adventures which his son is actually in charge of. This website has 9 different cities in Europe designated for students studying abroad to travel to the hottest cities in just a weekend! Each trip includes your own tour guide, room and board in a hostel, top museum entrances, skip-the-line sightseeing entries, transportation in the city of choice, local guides and tours of bars, museums, restaurants and soo much more! I happened to stumble upon St. Paddy’s Dublin and what more than spending this St. Paddy’s Day in the home land of IRELAND!? I think so! This is what the trip will entail Itinerary wise:
St. Paddy’s Dublin Celebration Weekend – March 15th—18th
Friday, March 14th (optional early arrival)
Opt into this night when booking and get in any time on Friday. Our team will take those who arrive early out on the town, and likely hitting up including the pub where PS I Love You was filmed!
Day 1 – Saturday, March 15th
The party weekend starts Saturday! WSA will kick off the celebration with a walking tour of the city. Tonight we’ll enjoy a 3-course dinner and drink specials at our favorite Irish restaurant in town. We’ll catch the famous ‘craic’ and live traditional music in the Temple Bar district.
Day 2 – Sunday, March 16th
On Sunday, we’re heading out to the Irish coast for a picnic lunch. We’ll zip back to the center and skip the line into the Guinness Storehouse and Brewery. Afterwards, hang in our hostel’s private speakeasy ‘shibeen’ before kicking off WSA’s exclusive St. Patty’s Eve Party where we have a room reserved for shennanigans all night!
Day 3 – Monday, March 17th
Don’t forget to save your energy for Monday when the city officially celebrates the holiday. For those interested, we’ll head to St. Patrick’s Feast Day High Mass in Irish with the President of the Republic. Stake out great spots for the world famous St. Paddy’s Day parade!
Day 4 – Tuesday, March 18th
The official tour and celebration wraps up on Tuesday morning. We’ll cap things off with a walk to a morning market and for shopping on Grafton Street.
I AM OFF TO VISIT MY ANCESTORS IN IRELAND FOR ST. PADDY’S DAY PEOPLE!
*Officially 3 weeks today and counting! It was decided some time ago that my mom would take me to Paris when I leave and help get me settled, which I might add makes it that much easier to be one less “see you later” when leaving Wichita. So we booked our hotel today for the first week we are there and it is NICE. Hotel Les Jardins d’Eiffel located in the 7th Arrondissement in Paris which is also the Eiffel Tower District and a beautiful one at that! This is also a big Arrondissement known for tourism while featuring the Eiffel Tower, lots of shopping, quite a few universities and beaucoup de (a lot of) French cuisine, mmmmm. Fun fact of the day, if you do not already know, Paris is divided into 20 Arrondissements, districts, and each one has its own significance to the city. My school (ESCE) is located in the 15th Arrondissement right next to the 7th and actually only a couple blocks away from the Eiffel Tower.
While I am staying in Paris I will be living in a dorm at Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris (Cité U) located in the 14th Arrondissement. With 40 different dormitories all resembling their host countries, around 12,000 students, artists and teachers take up residency from over 140 nationalities each year! I have been accepted to Maison du Cambodge (Cambodian House) so excited! However, my dormitory is about 13m2 (140ish ft2) equipped with my own private bathroom (which is seldom in Europe, especially for dorms), a bed, desk and chair, lamp, minibar and it is even cleaned once a week! A shared kitchen on each floor is available to everyone as well. Very excited to see and share pictures with you along the way.
Until next time (probably tomorrow)
Kels
Live Love Wander 