We Really Can Do It All

I am actually impressed with this group for getting so much done today. I did not think it was possible for a group that big to do everything we had planned. First, we went to the Louvre where I saw the normal things like Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, but there was a lot that I thought was more impressive that I have no idea what they were called. I took photos of the ceiling of every room I walked into. I was almost as impressed with the building as with the art inside it.

Later, we went to the area around Notre Dame and had planned to go inside. Apparently there was some special high mass and half of Paris was trying to get inside. But, good for us, there was a parade with a marching band and the bells were ringing for like thirty minutes straight. So instead, we walked around taking pictures of the outside and looking at the river. I was with Kylie and Brody when we walked around the side and there was just on open gate and door. I walked right in and they followed even though they were a little worried that it was against the rules. We walked right into the cathedral in the middle of mass when a huge choir was singing and it was beautiful. The giant stained glass let in colorful light, and the choir music  set the tone and made everything seem so glorious. We hung out at Notre Dame for more than an hour more after that because the rest of the group wanted to go in now that the line was moving. I am very glad that I got to spend more time there rather than at the perfume place we had planned on being.

I enjoyed seeing such an iconic piece of French culture even though it was so touristy. Paris is supposed to have wonderful food and be the leader in fashion, but I think that since both of those things are so well mixed and broad in the US that it did not even feel foreign. At the end of the day, all the fashionable Frenchmen wore clothes from H&M or GAP or just a more expensive version of that same thing. And all the students and more hipster fashion consisted of denim and converse. How could you get more American than that?

Anyway, after Notre Dame, we headed to the Eiffel Tower area. Here, I had my first crepe. They got that one right. It is my new favorite French food and I actually got to experience it as new and foreign. There was a moment where I realized that I was in Paris at the Eiffel Tower eating an awesome new food and how great of a story it will be. Then to add on to that, we bought tickets, climbed to the first stage, climbed to the second stage. Instantly was part of thousands of photos by being on the second stage at 10:00 while the tower sparkled and then made it to the very tip top by 11:00 to be there while it sparkled again. Paris seems even prettier from up high and at night. I think it may be one of the only places that doesn’t get scarier at night, at least to me.

After our Eiffel Tower adventures, we went to a random brasserie at midnight and ate some fancy French food that we got from a rude French waiter with absolutely no refills, because that’s how they do things. But it was so Parisian and awesome that nobody cared much.