Bonjour from Paris! I am sorry for the delay in posting this, but I have been so busy the past few days running all around the city that I’ve been far too exhausted to do anything but my required journal entries. Luckily I’ve been snapping lots of photos to share here.
Coming to Paris again is truly wonderful- the last time I was here was six years ago and I was herded around with my French class. I saw the iconic and tourist sections of Paris but did not get to truly experience the city like I have the past three days. My feet ache but my heart is content to be really immersing myself into European culture and life. Even my French speaking skills have proven to be more effective than I originally thought! That’s a relief.
I have no idea how to share all the things I have done so far, so I’ll try my best to write a few things here about my stay.
The first full day in Paris we spent at the classic French Gothic cathedrals, Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle. Even though I saw a lot of churches during my time in England, there is no comparison to these French beauties.
Here is Notre Dame:
Even though Notre Dame is more famous and well-known, my favorite of the two was definitely Sainte Chapelle. Just look at the inside- the architecture was designed to look like a reliquary box, golden and jeweled and glorious enough to house the relic of the Crown of Thorns. Doesn’t it just glitter?
Speaking of glittering architecture, my friend and I decided, during our dinner of crepes by the side of the Seine River, that a walk to the Eiffel Tower our first evening was in order. So we then trekked a good five miles down to the Tower and bought our tickets go up and view the city at night. It was absolutely beautiful.
The second day we barely emerged from the monstrosity that is the Louvre Museum. A lot of our time was spent looking at specific medieval and Renaissance pieces we’ve studied in our classes both at Sewanee and Oxford, but the later part of the afternoon we were let loose to explore on our own. A few classic pieces that everyone should see are kept in this lovely museum, including the Lady Liberty, the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and of course the mysterious Mona Lisa.
We’ve gone on a few other journeys these past few days, including a day trip to Chartres to visit their cathedral, and also to the Cluny Museum of medieval art and the Musee d’Orsay. The amount of delicious French food I’ve eaten is certainly a thing to brag about as well, for I’ve already had many croissants and pain au chocolats, macarons, duck, true French fries, and of course, lots of wine!
Soon we will be leaving Paris and heading off to Beaune, a smaller city in the Burgundy region of France. I’m having a wonderful time here, and cannot believe how quickly it has gone by! Lots more pictures and writings about my time in France will be posted soon, so keep checking the site every week.
Au revoir!