DIY Excursion (November)

DIY Excursion (November)

-Disneyland Paris-

Some family friends of mine are currently living in Germany serving in the military and they came into Paris for Thanksgiving weekend. They wanted to take Gabby and I to Disney Paris for a day and it was a lot of fun! Although Disney in Orlando and California does not compare, Disney Paris still had a lot to offer. The day we went it was rainy and

cold, honestly colder than I expected. It was hard to wait for rides outside because it was so cold. However, the rides were worth it and the day was full of great memories and laughter. The best ride that I went on was a new attraction, a Star Wars virtual reality ride. The ride simulated riding in a starship and being in battle, it was the most fun I had and the graphics were impressive. One of my least favorite rides was Star Wars Space Mountain. I am not a huge fan of roller coasters and I did not like this one. I did, however, enjoy all the other ones I went on before Space Mountain. All the rides were in French and all the characters spoke in French as well. The food trucks sold crépes, coffee, and hot chocolate. Although a lot of American influence was very apparent in the park, Disney Paris stayed true to French traditions. After all the rides closed there was an ending show projected on the main castle. This was a fantastic show with music, lights, animation, Mickey Mouse and fireworks! I loved the ending show, it was a perfect way to end the day.

-Germany-

The next day my friends came to pick up Gabby and I to travel to Germany, with them. It was about a 5-hour drive and we stayed at their house of 4 days. It was such a great break from everything and it was well-needed rest. We just hung out with my family friends, helped them cook, went to authentic Germany restaurants, tried amazing German food and went on beautiful hikes. I loved it! I really needed this time away and I needed to be around a family and be in a home. I didn't realize how much I missed a familiar place with familiar faces. It was very nice.

Germany, however, is very different than Paris. The people are different, the food, the atmosphere, and the obviously the language. The food, in my opinion, is better and more filling, however, German dessert is very unsatisfying because it is not sweet at all. I was not a huge fan of the desserts. The food presentation is not as important to the Germans as it is to the French, the French make sure that their food looks nice on the plate, Germans do not care about that.

The atmosphere is different too, a lot of people do not smile and hardly anyone speaks English. Parisians don't smile a lot, but they do smile, and a lot of people in France speak English. Literally no one spoke English in local stores, it was very strange. Also, Germans have a very different look than the Parisians. Parisians are very thin and stylish, the Germans are very thick, or broad and wear clothes that are practical and warm.

The last thing was the language, German is such a different sound than French. The infections are so different from the French and German sounds very harsh, while French is very fluent and elegant. I loved seeing another part of Europe and seeing how different everything is in the world. I would love to go back to Germany again someday, but Paris will always have my heart.