Mes Aventures en France: J'adore Paris

I love Paris.... Staying with locals has been really nice because I get to see the real Paris, and still see all the tourist sites. The city is romantic; not the people. Maybe it's partly the excitement of simply being in Paris, one of the most well-known cities in the world, but I fell in love.... I fell in love with the architecture of the city. Nearly every building, street, and bridge is a work of art. Everything is designed for functionality, but aesthetics seem to be just as important. I'll be adding little notes for anyone who might actually want practical info on visiting these places in the brackets.

It was nearly sunset when we (my friend's mom and I) got to the Eiffel Tower and the light was perfect. It was one of those rare clear days in January and from the second level (379ft) of the Tower you could see the entire city. It was windy and very cold!! On the first level is a restaurant and an ice-skating rink, which I assume is only open in the winter, but I could be wrong. (Now wouldn't that be romantic- dinner and ice-skating on la Tour Eiffel?!) By the time we got back down, the sun had gone down and the Eiffel Tower was lit. It was splendid. [la Tour Eiffel is cool during the day, but it's magnificent at night when it's lit. Of course, it's a must-see. 8-13 euros]. We crossed the bridge in front of the Tower to get a better view, and all of a sudden, white lights on the Tower started "sparkling." It was amazing!! I then got a crepe au chocolat from a street vendor and that was also amazing! :)

Another day, I went to the Louvre [10 euros. They also have a place by the bathrooms where you can leave your coats and umbrellas for free] and saw most of the Egyptian artifact exhibition. The last few rooms that housed the Egyptian antiques were stunning: murals on the ceilings and ornate architecture. As we were leaving, we passed by la Salle des Caryatides and couldn't resist going inside. The Egyptian artifacts were really cool, but I think la Salle des Caryatides is a must-see. Unfortunately, that night they were having technical problems, and the pyramid outside of the Louvre wasn't lit, but it was still cool. We went to a cafe to grab some hot-chocolate. As I was sitting there thinking about how great the buildings were (they're beautiful, last forever, etc.) a little mouse scurried out from a corner, and it was actually kind of cute.... It tried hiding, but I got a picture of its tail sticking out from behind the leg of a chair.

A couple days later we went to Notre-Dame, Saint-Chapelle, Opéra National de Paris, Avenue Champs-Elysées, and saw the Arc de Triomphe. Notre-Dame was awesome. They still had a Christmas tree in front. The interior was incredible... [It's free to go inside the cathedral, and like 3 euros or so to see the treasury, 4 to see the crypt, 8 to go into the Towers] I only saw the cathedral (also a must-see). Saint-Chapelle is famous for its stained-glass windows [8 euros]. It used to be the personal chapel of Louis IX. Needless to say it is very ornate. The stained glass windows tell the story of the Old Testament and the journey of holy relics purchased by Louis IX. [If you didn't get enough of stained-glass windows from Notre-Dame, you'll get enough here, but it's not a must-see]. Sadly, when we got to the Opéra, tours had already ended for the day, but it was still cool! [I think the tours are free]. I'll just have to go back within the next five or ten years with my hubby and attend a performance! It had starting raining when we got the Arc de Triomphe, but it was still neat to see. And I was lucky enough to get a photo of it without any cars!

McDonald's here has a totally different menu, and it's more expensive! I'm not a fan of McDonald's, but here they have a yummy chocolate brownie kind of thing in a cup- warmed up it's really good! Church is in reverse order here: Relief Society, Sunday School, and then Sacrament Meeting. I don't like it so much... By the time Sacrament Meeting comes around I'm tired of sitting, and just plain tired. I already have over 600 photos! Soon, I'll be on my way to Albi! I start classes on Monday and I still have no idea what I'm taking!! Ciao ciao!