Top of Paris (day twenty eight)

Sacre Coeur

view from the top of Sacre Coeur

Eiffel Tower

view from Eiffel Tour

Eiffel Tour

Today was supposed to be the day we ventured to Versailles, but because it was supposed to rain all day we changed plans and decided to have our tour of Paris.  We started our day designing patterns at the hotel.  Designing awesome patterns is harder than it seems.  Three hours to design three patterns was nowhere near enough time.  But you do what you can.  Around two o'clock we ventured out of the hotel.  It was way warmer than expected.  After hiking a few flights of stairs we reached the highest point in Paris, Sacre Coeur. The view from here is amazing.   Our professors released us, so a few of us decided to climb to the top.  It is quite a few, roughly 300 stairs, to the top of Sacre Coeur.  Once at the top you can look out and see what seems like all of Paris.  It was fun to identify places like the Eiffel Tour.  I also noticed the different lines that the streets create.  After the climb and decent I went to an awesome jewelry store.  To finish off a wonderful day I went to the Eiffel Tower.  We realized after standing in line for about ten minutes we realized we were in the elevator only line.  If we had stayed there we would have had to pay more than we wanted and not have had the opportunity to walk all seven hundred stairs.  So we had to switch lines.  Hiking up all of those stairs was lots of fun!  We had already done three hundred so what was another seven hundred.  As we hiked it was fun to see the number painted on the stairs marking how far you were.  Once on the second level you are supposed to get another ticket so you can go to the top.  We made some friends with a family in line next to us.  But when we got close to the front of the line I realized that it was the wrong line.  So I notified Benae and well we got to the front and had to go get the tickets for riding all the way up.  Eventually we made it to the top.  The view was amazing!  Earlier in the day I was able to see the city of Paris in the light, but now I was able to see the city’s architectural details by night.  The Eiffel Tour itself is a breath taking structure. I love the lines of steel.  At night when it is all lit up you get a different feel for the structure.  The steel looks more like gold from the yellow lighting.  Seeing the Eiffel Tour night or day never gets old.

Paris Opera House (day twenty seven)

Paris Opera House

Paris Opera House

inside

inside

staircase

chandelier 

inside

detailing

inside

Inside (where you actually watch the opera)

detailing 

lighting

Paris Opera House!  This building is amazing.  The architectural details surround you.  The grand stair cases take you to even more enchanting hallways.  Today we arrived just as they were closing the doors to the balcony.  I was lucky enough to get to take one picture.  That is when I got to take the picture of chandelier.  This building is beautiful.  The tour was worth the money.

Pieces of Paris (day twenty six)

Institute du Monde Arabe

cute little birdie 

Institute du Monde Arabe

Institute du Monde Arabe

water feature

statue at high end shopping center

Arc de Triomphe 

Arc de Triomphe

gas station

Today was an odd sort of day.  I took a lot of random pictures along my journey.  I started the day at the largest flee market in the world.  It was fine for a little while, but then got really sketchy.  So we left.  But before then I did find a deal or two.  Next it was off to see the Zaha Hadid exhibit.  Zaha is an architect from Iraq.  I love her modern style. But to our dismay the place was closed.... sadness.  So to the Arch and Des Champs Avenue I went.  Avenue des Champs features well known high end designers.  I saw some amazing shops on the way to the Arch De Triomphe.  On the way home we found the gas station.  The design is basically the same as in America except for the fact that it is the bottom story of a building instead of on the street with nothing above it.  I also walked through some neighborhoods.  It was nice to see streets not lined with street vendors.  We even found a park.  That was the highlight of my day.

Churches Galore (day twenty five)

LDS Church

2nd LDS Church

2nd LDS Church

Norte Dame

Notre Dame-inside

Rushed seating - Notre Dame

Norte Dame - inside 

Notre Dame - model

Notre Dame- candles

Sunday was quite an adventurous day.  I tried to go to church, but was unsuccessful at actually making it for a service.  Some other girls joined me.  We started out looking for a church that seemed to be nonexistent.  The number for the church was 64, but all we could see was 62 and 66.  I expected the church to magically appear like in Harry Potter.   We stopped two guys as they were passing and they didn't speak hardly any English, but we found out that one of the guy's cousins goes to church there.  He pointed out that the metal garage door is where the church was.  I knocked on the door, but there was no response.  So off to another church we went.  The second church was located next to the Pompidou.  I was so excited to find it.  There is a court yard that you pass through to get to the actual church.  We had just missed church and found out that the previous church we had tried to attend  changed times, that's why we missed it.  Finally we headed for Notre Dame.  What a contrast in architecture!  Notre Dame is fashioned in the gothic style.  There is beautiful stained glass windows and detailing.  I spent three hours here waiting for the next service.  It ended up being an organ recital.  It was cool, but not more impressive than what I have heard before.  Because the organ music was so soothing I fell asleep... oops!   That's when I decided that I had had enough.  Outside of Notre Dame while trying to locate the metro I saw a police car followed by a police bus with tons of people in it banging the windows.  It freaked me out.  A nice lady and her granddaughter stopped to talk to us.  The woman said there must have been a demonstration.  Crazy!  No wonder there were police men everywhere! I was excited to make it back to the hotel safely.

Let the Magic Begin (day twenty-four)

Earings from the Musee de Quai

Fountainbleau- front

hardware-door (for Nepolean)

hardware-door

hardware on window

view from inside looking out-Fountainbleau

hardware-door

hardware-door

chairs in Fountainbleau

Sorbet at Fountainbleau-mine is the middle one

Vaux le Vicomte-back

Vaux le Vicomte-from a distance

Vaux le Vicomte-back

Vaux le Vicomte

fireworks

fireworks over water

 Today we had free time in the morning and were scheduled to venture out later with everyone.  A few of us went to the Musee de Quai.  It is the building that has a green wall that I mentioned in a previous blog.  I like the outside of the building and hoped to find some treasures inside.  When you get inside you go up a ramp to reach the exhibits.  This seems pretty boring and normal, but they had what they call a river.  It was a projection on words on the floor that were moving and looked like a river flowing down the ramp.  It was pretty cool.  The first exhibit was an oceana geography area.  There were lots of cool masks, totem poles, and jewelry.  It was a complete contrast to Paris.  The next section I visited was the Asia section.  It was like entering a different part of the world.  Other sections of the museum consisted of Africa and the Americas.  I loved being able to compare and contrast the different style of the countries.  One of my favorite features was that as you traveled through the museum the color of the floor changed according to what country you were in.  Overall I am very glad that I went to this museum.  On our way back to the Hotel we got crepes.  Yum!  I got a cheese and ham crepe.  It was absolutely delicious.  I hope to try a chocolate one later.  

As the study abroad group we met at 14:00 to board a bus. The bus took us to Fountainbleau.  People that lived here consist of Frances II-the salamander king, Louis XIV-the sun king, and Neapolian-the bee king.  Fountainbleau is considered the kings get away.  Here they would hunt and relax.  Honestly I thought it would be bigger, because the pictures make it look huge.  It was fun to explore the house though.  I noticed that the hardware for the door knobs kept changing, so that is why on this blog I am featuring different hardware.  I didn't even include all of the different kinds of handles, but I hope you like the ones I did include.  I found it crazy that there were so many different kinds.  After touring the house I got black currant sorbet.  It was delicious.  I love that in France I can find currant everything so easily.  

Our next venture took us to the market.  Here we purchased food for our picnic.  It was one of the quickest grocery store stops.  We purchased two begets, ham, humus, pears, and bueno bars.  The bus took us to our final destination of the day Vaux le Vicomte.  Across the street from Vaux there is a wooded area. Hidden back inside a little ways is a pavilion with picnic tables.  This was where we feasted.  Our dinner ended up being so delicious and just the right amount.  Other groups had lots of extra food.  Susie and Darrin bought éclairs and candles that said happy birthday.  After assembly and trouble lighting the candles with the wind we all joined in singing happy birthday to Griffin.  It was so fun.  

The moment finally arrived.  Vaux le Vicomte is a beautiful building originally owned by Nicholas Fouquet.  Nicholas. Le Vau, Le Brun, and le Norte together designed the wonderful master piece chateau and gardens. After completion Nicholas had a house warming party.  The king was in attendance.  King Louis the XIV realized that Nicholas's chateau and gardens was more impressive than anything he had. The saying about Nicholas goes something like, King by night jailed by morning.  After the amazing party that ended with fireworks the kings jealousy was too much.  He had Nicholas thrown in jail.  Poor guy didn't even have time to enjoy his chateau.  Nicholas was in jail for 19 years.  I started with walking in the gardens.  They were beautiful.  The atmosphere is very romantic, almost tangible.  They have a candle light tour of the house, which we did. Wow, it has a moat and everything.  It is so pretty on the estate.  I would be quite content there.  Our night ended with fireworks.  We watched them shoot over the water.  It was amazing.  No fighting anyone for a seat.  No horrid parking.  It was great.  We were close to the fireworks and had no one around to bother our group.  We left after the fireworks and didn't return to the hotel until 1 a. m. Late yes, but very worth it.