L'Opera House

Charles Garnier's Opera House

Me at The Opera House

This morning I woke up and had breakfast as usual, but after breakfast I went back to sleep for a while. After waking up I realized that I was supposed to move-in with my new hostess and I had missed her for the morning. I decided to go out on the city until it was time for me to move. I rode the metro to l'Opera to exchange more currency and to see the Opera House. The currency rates were great, but the downside was the flat rate of commission. After getting currency I decided to go visit the Opera House. In high school the Phantom of the Opera was one of my favorite movies and I was super excited to visit Charles Garnier's Opera House.

The Double helix Staircase

The building's architecture was amazing. There were famous composer's names engraved in gold on the front of the building.  the inside of the building was breath-taking.

The beautiful gold room

There was a gold room, ceiling paintings, and many statues. The movie doesn't do the the Opera House Justice, it is a must-see in Paris. I was able to get a few pictures on the inside of the building. I found the Phantom of the Opera's booth and I took a picture in front of it.

The Phantom of the Opera's Booth

Unfortunately, unless you are present for a show you aren't allowed inside of the actual amphitheater, but I could see the dancers practicing for their upcoming show.

After leaving the Opera House I shopped around a little bit more, before returning back to my room. While shopping I begin to get frustrated with the people. For days I have been pushed and bumped and it's something I'm not use to. Today while I was in footlocker, a sales person pushed me so hard I almost fell. Well that was the last straw, I started cursing at him, until I realized that he didn't understand a word I was saying.

Amphitheater Entrance

The culture is different here, people don't say excuse me, they just push you and step all over you; it's quite rude for a person who is accustomed to "southern hospitality." Once I did return, I was a little sad to have to leave Maya's apartment. I took two of my bags on the metro ride at first and it was a bit of a struggle. I have learned that when you travel you must pack light. It was a 40-min metro ride to my new place and once I arrived I wasn't so sure that I liked it. The apartment building looked very old and my new room was completely different from my previous room. Maya's apartment had a modern style to it  and this apartment has a more antique taste. I was a little scared at first and when I sat down on the bed, I begin to cry. I told myself I was ready to go home.

My new room

In that moment, if I could have booked a flight back home I would have. I decided to get myself together before leaving back out to get the rest of my thing's from Maya's place. When I arrived back, I was quite sad and I tried to linger around for a while before forcing myself to leave. My second trip on the metro was a little easier with just one bag. When I got back to my new room, I decided to explore the area. To my surprise I actually like it! There are a lot of shoe stores and clothing stores, so I may just wake up and go shopping on the streets of Bastille. After walking I decided to get a baguette sandwich, a pastry, and drink before returning back to my room. It's crazy that every time I order food, the cashier assumes I want Coca-cola because I am American. Most of the time I want something else, but I just take Coke to keep it simple for both parties. I had made it back to my room and I am hoping to get some sleep because it is already 11pm here. I have a lot of sights left to see for my last few days in Paris, so I need to get an early start. Until tomorrow, au revior!