Week Seven: Trip To Paris!

The Louvre

Arc de Triomphe

Our week in Paris was too short! Paris was more amazing than I thought it would be and I thought it was a pretty cool place to begin with! There was so much to do, so much to see, and so little time! I won't be able to say everything I want to in this little blog, so I will attempt to explain the highlights of the week!
Our first morning in Paris we went to Mass at Notre Dame! What a thing to do on your first full day in Paris! We spent a half hour before mass walking around the Cathedral and looking at the incredible beauty within! When mass started we found out it was an international mass, the gospel was said in three different languages including English! It has been awhile since I heard even part of mass said in English! The organ playing was simply outstanding as well! When mass was finished, we went to this Moroccan restaurant where we had one of the best meals I have ever had! We were severed several platters that had a mix of meats, vegetables, and couscous. To end lunch, we had these fascinating desserts with an excellent mint tea! I was struggling with a minor cold at the time and this tea was just what I needed!

The Eternal Flame under the Arc

Another day we went to the Louvre! I heard that the Louvre was quite large, but this was bigger than I imagined! We wandered one of the halls that eventually led us to the Mona Lisa! It was awesome seeing her, but hard to get a picture because we had to stand at quite a distance from her. After the Louvre we went to the Arc de Triomphe where we had the honor to participate in the rekindling of the eternal flame! We marched under the arc and place a wreath before the flame. It was truly spectacular and a true honor to participate in this national ceremony! I will never forget it!

The Eiffel Tower at 23h00

One night after we were finished with our academic activities, we had some free time to explore Paris! A few us decided to go see the Eiffel Tower at night and take the elevator up to the top! This was one of my favorite activities! The sight from the top was absolutely breath taking as we saw all of Paris lit up! The wait was about 45 minutes to get up to the top, but was completely worth it! After we took the elevator back down, we walked a distance to see the the Eiffel Tower sparkle on the hour! This was really cool, especially since I didn't know it did that! I had a great time in Paris! I hope to return to Paris again to see more of the Louvre and visit the Palace of Versailles just outside of the city! What an unforgettable time!