Notre Dame
I got up at 7:30 this morning, ate breakfast in the hostel (bread and hot chocolate), and headed to the Notre Dame cathedral with some friends to attend Mass. It was really cool to be sitting in Mass at Notre Dame and watching the service in French! Afterwards, we walked around the church and looked at its artifacts and architecture.
View of Notre Dame from the back:
Front:
Inside (sorry it's dark and blurry):
At 10:00 am, Ron led us all to the market, about a 45 minute walk from the hostel! The market was huge, and eventually everyone split off from each other and explored. I felt like I was in a movie. Here I was in France, browsing a market, hearing all of the food being shouted in French by the vendors, seeing the bread and cheese displays among other foods, and there was even a group of musicians there playing Fiddler on the Roof music!
I bought a hat, a scarf, a green necklace, a black purse, and also some food for lunch! I got this unusual bread with olives in it, brie cheese, and a nectarine. A handful of us managed to find each other and we decided to eat our lunch together at a fountain. It was a beautiful day! Kelly bought some grapes, and after tasting them, she insisted that we try them! These were the most amazing grapes I have ever tasted. I don't know how to describe them....the way they tasted reminded me of the smell of perfume or aromatherapy oils -- but not in a bad way! In a delicious floral way, haha. Anyway, they were really good, and I wish I knew what kind they were!
After lunch, some people went to Versailles, others went to the Eiffel Tower, but Denyce, Beth Ann and I wanted to explore more of Paris! Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe. Then, we walked down a few major streets, lined with top-quality expensive shops -- we went inside and tried to pretend we could afford to buy the clothes and purses inside, but I'm sure we didn't fool anybody, haha :).
Guess where we went for lunch? McDonald's!!! Believe it or not, McDonald's was on this high class street. On the way back to the hostel, we also stopped at a car show, which was pretty neat.
After we got back, I had the rest of the afternoon to relax! I could have kept running around and sight-seeing in Paris, but I decided to slow down and actually enjoy these few hours of peace. I went up to my room and laid down on my bed to write in my journal. The window was open, allowing a refreshing breeze to come in, and with strands of ivy peeking through. I listened to the bustling people outside, talking french in soft voices, and I could also hear the Notre Dame bells ringing in the distance. This is my favorite memory I have of Paris. Not a famous building, not a famous painting, but the moment in which I saw, smelled, heard, and loved Paris.
The time for Dinner finally arrived, and I was refreshed and ready to eat. I went out with Beth Ann, Denyce, and Jordan to find a restaurant. We sat outside with a great view of Notre Dame nearby. I couldn't resist ordering French Onion Soup!
After eating, we shopped around in some tourist stores. Then we spotted a group of our friends and they said they were going salsa dancing! So we joined them at this Mexican bar, had margaritas, and danced until midnight! It was so much fun :).
View of Notre Dame from the back:
Front:
Inside (sorry it's dark and blurry):
At 10:00 am, Ron led us all to the market, about a 45 minute walk from the hostel! The market was huge, and eventually everyone split off from each other and explored. I felt like I was in a movie. Here I was in France, browsing a market, hearing all of the food being shouted in French by the vendors, seeing the bread and cheese displays among other foods, and there was even a group of musicians there playing Fiddler on the Roof music!
I bought a hat, a scarf, a green necklace, a black purse, and also some food for lunch! I got this unusual bread with olives in it, brie cheese, and a nectarine. A handful of us managed to find each other and we decided to eat our lunch together at a fountain. It was a beautiful day! Kelly bought some grapes, and after tasting them, she insisted that we try them! These were the most amazing grapes I have ever tasted. I don't know how to describe them....the way they tasted reminded me of the smell of perfume or aromatherapy oils -- but not in a bad way! In a delicious floral way, haha. Anyway, they were really good, and I wish I knew what kind they were!
After lunch, some people went to Versailles, others went to the Eiffel Tower, but Denyce, Beth Ann and I wanted to explore more of Paris! Our first stop was the Arc de Triomphe. Then, we walked down a few major streets, lined with top-quality expensive shops -- we went inside and tried to pretend we could afford to buy the clothes and purses inside, but I'm sure we didn't fool anybody, haha :).
Guess where we went for lunch? McDonald's!!! Believe it or not, McDonald's was on this high class street. On the way back to the hostel, we also stopped at a car show, which was pretty neat.
After we got back, I had the rest of the afternoon to relax! I could have kept running around and sight-seeing in Paris, but I decided to slow down and actually enjoy these few hours of peace. I went up to my room and laid down on my bed to write in my journal. The window was open, allowing a refreshing breeze to come in, and with strands of ivy peeking through. I listened to the bustling people outside, talking french in soft voices, and I could also hear the Notre Dame bells ringing in the distance. This is my favorite memory I have of Paris. Not a famous building, not a famous painting, but the moment in which I saw, smelled, heard, and loved Paris.
The time for Dinner finally arrived, and I was refreshed and ready to eat. I went out with Beth Ann, Denyce, and Jordan to find a restaurant. We sat outside with a great view of Notre Dame nearby. I couldn't resist ordering French Onion Soup!
After eating, we shopped around in some tourist stores. Then we spotted a group of our friends and they said they were going salsa dancing! So we joined them at this Mexican bar, had margaritas, and danced until midnight! It was so much fun :).
posted by Lisa @ 1:16 AM
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