Monday, October 20, 2008

Paris, France: Part II







Today was a long day but fun filled indeed!

We woke up early this morning and visited the Louvre, a definite MUST SEE if you are ever in Paris. Since we bought a 2-day Museum Pass we were able to skip the long lines and get in right away (thank you Rick Steve). We went straight to Leonardo da Vincis the Mona Lisa, arguably one of the most famous paintings ever. It was there in the Denon section of the Louvre that Jessica proceeded to sneeze 26 times. There must have been something in the air because I dont think I have ever heard anyone sneeze that much. Or maybe it was because she was being pushed around by all those impatient Asian people, who knows. She probably ended up sneezing around 30 times today overall, if not more. What a freaking record!

After the Louvre we walked to the Notre Dame Cathedral which is one of my most favorite churches. I immediately fell in love with the Gothic architecture and the detail of the saints and gargoyles. There were so many people there it was almost overwhelming. We didnt end up going in but I think I would have enjoyed it immensely.

From Notre Dame we walked A VERY LONG WAY past the Tulleries Gardens to the Champs-Elysees and then the Arch de Triompe. Though the walk made us extremely exhausted, it was well worth it. The Arch was massive and in the middle of the cities most interesting traffic. Think the middle of the Orange Circle, but BIGGER.

Next, we walked to the Eiffel Tower. No one should ever go to Paris and not see its most famous sight. We ended up eating dinner close to the Eiffel Tower where I met up with my friend Kiersten Stevens from high school. She is studying in Paris and came to meet us for dinner, a scenic night cruise on the Seine River, and then crepes under the Eiffel Tower. The night cruise was delightful and it was so good to hang out with an old friend and reminisce about home/catch up on life. From there, we parted ways, but it was definitely one of my most favorite days in Paris ever.

Next on the itinerary: AMSTERDAM!

1 comment:

Lindsay said...

So cool! I'm definitely jealous right now! I hope you are having so much fun :) We miss you!