Paris Day 3

Day 3 was definitely one of the most worthwhile parts of the trip because we had the opportunity to experience so many things in one day. Some of the main areas that we attended was the Chateau with the mall, the counterfeit museum, and Champs-Ellyses. One of the main things that I noticed before attending these sites was that I became more familiar my environment. With that being said, it made it easier to visit multiple sites throughout the area.

The main area which sparked my interest was Champs Ellyses. This area was very lively and exquisite. There were so many people out there, and it felt as if I at least passed by about one thousand people today. The theme that I specifically noticed with this area was that the Arc de Triumphe which was located in the middle of the area at a distance from where I was standing. There were also multiple shops and restaurants on the left and right. The shops included stores like Nike, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Louis Vuitton. Just seeing some of these stores reminded me of the American stores with a French feel to it. For instance, the Abercrombie and Fitch in this area had the same smell as every Abercrombie and Fitch store that I have been to within the United States. In addition, the Nike store here contained gray/black clothing and shoe racks/tables which resembled US Nike stores. This indicates to me that these chain stores tend to keep their common theme, but they add/ modify some things to give some cultural flair to their store.  

Secondly, the group did a tour at the counterfeit museum, and we visited the mall thereafter. The museum tour was quite interesting because it brought to light the seriousness of counterfeiting. The tour was very enlightening because I was able to learn the history and some of the techniques that regulators utilize to identify whether a product is fake or real. On the contrary, we spent some leisurely time at the mall, and it was quite the experience. Once again, there were many people here, but I expected it because the mall was a very nice looking site to visit. The main thing that caught my attention here was the fact that the mall had four floors and it was directly connected to the tram line. I was thinking that we might have to walk outside of the train area, but it was right there, and it did not disappoint me. The mall was very beautiful, and it was amazing to just see the plethora of stores that were available. At the end of the day, I would definitely say that Day 3 was a success!