Mon amour est Paris!!!
I LOVE PARIS!!! I just wish I had had more time. I feel like I ran through everything, and I didn't get to see half of what I wanted. We arrived Friday morning/afternoon. We had to be up and on the bus by 6:30 a.m. Friday, so it wasn't a pleasant start. When we got to Paris, we had a three hour bus ride...which, considering how tired we were, wasn't too good. The tour guide said he wasn't upset that most of the people were asleep, but I'm sure he was. I stayed awake and ate up everything he said! It was amazing. Dr. McCullough told him I speak French, so he addressed me in French each time. It was intimidating, but I eventually got it!!! I spoke French most all weekend. People even came up and asked me questions! IT WAS AMAZING!!! But it's made me want to actually be fluent and know what I'm doing rather than guessing. Anyway, Friday...we took a group trip down the Seine, and I got soaked when the boat splashed us. After that, we split up for dinner, and we ended up walking in the pouring rain, trying to find a Cafe recommended in the book I had. Couldn't find it, so we just settled on a great little restaurant. After that, and with the majority of the rain stopped, we headed for the Eiffel Tower. Just as we were approaching, it started "glittering," as I call it. It was amazing, and for a few seconds, I jumped up and down like a little girl. haha! I couldn't help it! It just took my breath away!
Saturday, we ran around...We started early, thinking we were doing good until we realized our times were all wrong. Our wrist watches were the correct time, but our phones' times were wrong, so Rachel and I were upset when we realized we had messed up. We ran up the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe (in the center of 12 roads) to look around Paris. When I say ran, I mean it. It was 258 stairs (or there about...) to the top, and I didn't know if I'd make it. haha! After that, we met out professors for an amazing lunch at the Musee Jacquemart Andre (for you French speakers, forgive the lack of accents). It was such an amazing place to eat!!! We had great salads and even better desserts!!! :) After that, we headed over to the Ile de la Cite for a tour of La Sainte-Chapelle. It is an old cathedral built by Louis IX to house the relics he bought when trying to prove his legitimacy as king of France. As we were stepping up into the chapel haute (upper chapel), the tour guide said, "Be careful. She's beautiful!" I almost cried! It was probably one of the most amazing things I've EVER seen! The photos just don't do it justice! The tour guide was PHENOMENAL to top it off! She is getting her PhD in Medieval studies or something of the sort. She just blew me away. After that, we headed over to Notre-Dame, which, following Sainte-Chapelle, didn't hold a candle. It was amazing, but there were so many people, and we were too late to climb to the top to look out. We wanted to go back Sunday but ended up not being able to. We went to meet our professors again for dinner (when I say we, I mean Rachel and me) in the Jewish area. However, we forgot it was Saturday, and they were closed. So instead, we headed to Le Champs-Elysees (spelled correctly here, but not on the photos) for dinner. But before we could get there, we stopped by Louis Vuitton because there were big guys with security wire things in their ears. We were hoping to a celebrity, but after 30 minutes, we decided to keep going. After an amazing dinner at Le Paradis des Fruits, we headed back to Notre-Dame to watch a projection and music show for La Nuit Blanche. I thought it was going to be something totally different, but it was just a film about Notre-Dame. Oh well. We got to be in the Cathedral until midnight, which was very cool.
Sunday, knowing what time it was we headed out for the Eiffel Tower...except the lines were so long we couldn't spend any time waiting. Instead, we headed for la Place de la Concorde for some photos and then up the les jardins des Tuileries for Le Musee de Louvre!!! I'm not going to lie. I was so overwhelmed by the Louvre that I wish I hadn't done it. It just wore me out. Instead, I wish I had gone to Sacre Coeur. But I guess that's for another time...right? :)
Anyway, here are some photos, but I've posted almost 30 of my 150 photos on photobucket. Just take a look.
Until later,
Kimberly
The Eiffel Tower!
Glittering!
Trying to get a picture of me, the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower all in one.
Over 6,000 square feet of stained glass in the Sainte-Chapelle! It was amazing!
Notre Dame!
All the girls in front of the Eiffel Tower
I belong here!
Apparently my camera does something cool...
During the day...
And at night...
Saturday, we ran around...We started early, thinking we were doing good until we realized our times were all wrong. Our wrist watches were the correct time, but our phones' times were wrong, so Rachel and I were upset when we realized we had messed up. We ran up the stairs to the top of the Arc de Triomphe (in the center of 12 roads) to look around Paris. When I say ran, I mean it. It was 258 stairs (or there about...) to the top, and I didn't know if I'd make it. haha! After that, we met out professors for an amazing lunch at the Musee Jacquemart Andre (for you French speakers, forgive the lack of accents). It was such an amazing place to eat!!! We had great salads and even better desserts!!! :) After that, we headed over to the Ile de la Cite for a tour of La Sainte-Chapelle. It is an old cathedral built by Louis IX to house the relics he bought when trying to prove his legitimacy as king of France. As we were stepping up into the chapel haute (upper chapel), the tour guide said, "Be careful. She's beautiful!" I almost cried! It was probably one of the most amazing things I've EVER seen! The photos just don't do it justice! The tour guide was PHENOMENAL to top it off! She is getting her PhD in Medieval studies or something of the sort. She just blew me away. After that, we headed over to Notre-Dame, which, following Sainte-Chapelle, didn't hold a candle. It was amazing, but there were so many people, and we were too late to climb to the top to look out. We wanted to go back Sunday but ended up not being able to. We went to meet our professors again for dinner (when I say we, I mean Rachel and me) in the Jewish area. However, we forgot it was Saturday, and they were closed. So instead, we headed to Le Champs-Elysees (spelled correctly here, but not on the photos) for dinner. But before we could get there, we stopped by Louis Vuitton because there were big guys with security wire things in their ears. We were hoping to a celebrity, but after 30 minutes, we decided to keep going. After an amazing dinner at Le Paradis des Fruits, we headed back to Notre-Dame to watch a projection and music show for La Nuit Blanche. I thought it was going to be something totally different, but it was just a film about Notre-Dame. Oh well. We got to be in the Cathedral until midnight, which was very cool.
Sunday, knowing what time it was we headed out for the Eiffel Tower...except the lines were so long we couldn't spend any time waiting. Instead, we headed for la Place de la Concorde for some photos and then up the les jardins des Tuileries for Le Musee de Louvre!!! I'm not going to lie. I was so overwhelmed by the Louvre that I wish I hadn't done it. It just wore me out. Instead, I wish I had gone to Sacre Coeur. But I guess that's for another time...right? :)
Anyway, here are some photos, but I've posted almost 30 of my 150 photos on photobucket. Just take a look.
Until later,
Kimberly
The Eiffel Tower!
Glittering!
Trying to get a picture of me, the Seine, and the Eiffel Tower all in one.
Over 6,000 square feet of stained glass in the Sainte-Chapelle! It was amazing!
Notre Dame!
All the girls in front of the Eiffel Tower
I belong here!
Apparently my camera does something cool...
During the day...
And at night...