Snow & Rain

For the past few weeks it has been really cold here in Paris. The sky is gray and dark and it has been drizzling on and off the past month. Right now it is raining, but hardly. A few days ago it was so cold here in this apartment that I had a hard time falling asleep. A few of the nights I actually slept in my day clothes because it was so cold, but even then I felt the wind coming through my single-paned window. The heaters in our apartment are continuously on but somehow they don't circulate heat properly throughout the rooms. My hands are always cold and chapped. I have to put lotion on a few times a day usually. Last week it got to like 17 degrees fahrenheit and it even snowed a bit, but quickly melted. There is salt scattered all over the streets and walkways and even in the metro to prevent people from slipping. Luckily today the weather has gotten a little bit warmer (at least more tolerable) but I heard that it might snow a few more times this week. I wish it would just snow a few feet then stick so that I could skip school.

Dinner at the Eiffel Tower

  Three days ago my family and I were invited by this really nice lady to eat dinner with her and some other people at the Eiffel Tower. The metro ride took at least a half hour and by the time we got there it was dark and rainy outside. We waited for the other people to show up that she invited then together we went up the lift to the top of the Eiffel Tower. When we got up to the top the view was incredible. You can see the whole of Paris and it is so beautiful to see all the lights of the city. It was very cold and windy and it was raining as well. Some of the people in the group pointed out the different monuments in the city and showed us different parts of Paris. Then the lady who had invited us paid for each of us to get a glass of champagne. The man pouring the champagne was eccentric and friendly and he was playing funky music. The champagne tasted great.
  When we went back inside we then went down to the second floor and walked around a bit. It was significantly lower than the top level because some of the skyscrapers in the city were higher. After looking around a bit we went into the cafe and ordered hot mulled wine. If you have never had it before, it's sweet and has a great spiced taste. When we were finished we all got back onto the elevator and went down to the first floor.
  On the first floor there is an ice skating rink and a fancy restaurant. We went into the restaurant and got a table. The food was pre-ordered because the Eiffel Tower is always crowded with people, so it came to us quickly. A nice appetizer came first with two slices of smoked salmon. The main course was the most delicious duck and potatoes I've ever had. I also had a some fancy Bordeaux wine and to top everything off beautifully, a rich chocolate dessert with coffee. It was a memorable night that I will never forget.