Week 3 - Paris & Budapest

Hello again from Wien!

This past week I've been around the world... literally.  I started my weekend off (a little early I might add) with a trip to visit a friend doing the summer IES program in Paris. France just as beautiful and chic as I could have ever hoped. 

You cannot walk a block in Paris without running into a beautiful church; therefore, I'd like to pay tribute to them here.

Notre Dame 

Eglise Saint Severin 

But by far my favorite part of the trip was our visit to the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore (located about 150 ft. from Notre Dame). Filled to the ceiling with books, old and new, it was hard not to want to stay and read there all afternoon. In the 1920s the store was the meeting place for many famous authors like Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, and Ezra Pond. There is also an old piano located in one of the back corners of the store open for anyone to play. I was fortunate enough to hear a talented musician play when I was there. 

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore

The weekend continued on with our group trip to Budapest! This 1,000 year old city has an incredible history. Passed over between Nazi and Communist rule in the 40's and 50's, it is hard to really process the pain and hardship Budapest, and Hungary in general, has faced. Now rebuilt, it stands more proud and more incredibly beautiful than can be shown in my photos. 

View from Gellért Hill

Vajdahunyad Castle

Prost!