Paris- day 1 (sleeping on a bench)

My first trip while studying here was to Paris. It was nothing short of amazing, or an adventure. Our train left for Paris as 9 pm from Aix and arrived in Paris at midnight. In an effort to save money we did not get a hostel for the first night, so we were with some who got a hotel all four nights. We went to their hotel to drop our bags off, primped up and went out. We found a few bars and there was one with an American musician who moved to Paris for a girl and he just plays in the basement for money.It was so fun and we stayed until closing, but then it was 5am and our hostel didn't open until 8...so...we got on the first metro towards our place and once we found it it was 6 am..(still hadn't slept) we came across a bench that became our 'spot' until the cafe next door opened for us to get food and then check in. So, for a couple of hours some slept and another and I stayed up and dazed/talked. Note to all: we were safe! so don't worry. :) when the cafe opened I got my first cafe ole and croissant in Paris and you don't even know how good it tasted. The hostel let us check in to one room early with 3 beds, but there were 5 of us. Running on I don't know what, the boys slept and Monica and I changed and started to explore! We grabbed a map and set out in search of Sacre-Coeur and montmart and Moulin rouge. After a few circles and a TON of stairs we got up to the Sacre-Coeur and I lost it. Literally, I felt like I was in a dream...looking over all of Paris and then turning around and seeing this church that was out of control gorgeous. We wandered the area for food and decided on a dinner crepe that was the most amazing thing ever. Once we refueled with the food we went on to Moulin Rouge and that area taking pictures and laughing deliriously. The feeling of that much freedom and not having any schedule to follow and having no idea where we were going was such a good feeling. We made our way to the Arc de Triumph to meet up with all the sleepers and walked the Champs Elysees. While waiting we were hit, finally, with exhaustion and hunger the only thing to eat that didn't involve a lot of time and money was McDonalds..and, Dad, don't kill me...we ate it. UGH. I know that is like a sin but it was necessary and it tasted so good, it didn't taste like our McDonalds at home. still, it was bad, i know. After getting just enough energy to move from the seat in the restaurant to the seat in the subway we went back to the room and took and hour nap to meet up at the Eiffel Tower. We got of the the metro farther away so we could enjoy the walk along the river with all the lights.Bliss. We got there before everyone else and found an empty bench directly underneath and laid look up from the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Once everyone else met us there we walked to lawn amongst the circles of friends, some french, some American, some Spanish, and so on. The lawn this first night was a party! everyone was sophisticated chugging wine. yelling talking over the next person but everyone still keeping an eye on the huge structure that we were there to see. We took the metro home, and I crashed.