So I can't start today's post without relating what had happened the night before:
We are in a big city. Big cities have crime. I think people forget that. A group that went out last night witnessed a chasing which had resulted into a stabbing, and saw a man staggering in public holding his bowels in hands, bleeding all over. So happy I missed that incident. Also, if you ever go to Paris and ride the Metro, make sure you hold onto your ticket, because they sometimes randomly check for valid tickets, and someone else had to pay an extra 25 euro fine after their ticket (somehow) proved invalid.
Back to happier things, I was able to connect to internet here (which is where most of my Germany posts have come from), and reconnect with family so I didn't rack up cell phone texting charges. So wonderful, feeling connected again.
I had a good breakfast at the hotel, which is from 6-10 am, and during that time 4 large jars of Nutella are consumed by all the guests. It's insane. I admit I contributed, but who can say no to free Nutella????
After breakfast, Kevin walked/showed me where our sister bank to Bank of America, PNB Paribas, had an ATM located, for which I was very thankful because no one is going to think about robbing me with this guy around.
Our first road trip is to see Ile de la Cite, which Noha explained means the city on the island, or island city, and is on the Seine river. We drove around an Arc de Triomphe (there's more than one), and passed the Louvre, the largest museum in the world, covering 66,000 square meters. I can't wait to go there when I get a chance!
I obviously need to come back to this restaurant
First glimpses of the Paris Opera House
The Louvre
At the Ile de la Cite, we had an open tour of the Ste. Chapelle, which I fell in love with all the stained glass windows, royal decorations, and stone sculptures. I took a series of pictures that told the creation story, and loved my life doing it.
Jimmy-boo
Me and Mallory (and Tyler, the creeper!)
Ste. Chapelle
About to enter the King's private chapel
I'm dying.
The vaulted ceilings! Gah!
Here's the beginning of the stone story of the creation I love so much.
It is so beautiful I cannot handle it.
Next on the docket was to walk to the Notre Dame Cathedral (and I died for a moment or two). Noha gave me a personal tour guide version of the history of the cathedral, since everyone else was more interested in just going inside and taking pictures. I learned so much! Like for instance, the row of men you see? Those are kings, but not French Kings, but Kings of the Bible. During the French Revolution, the people didn't know they were supposed to be kings of the Bible, and had all their heads cut off! The originals were kept by a French schoolteacher in his well, who then died, and the heads were not rediscovered until 1977, by which point new heads had already been replaced on the cathedral. So, the originals are now in the Museum Cluny a few blocks away.
The Kings of Judah (with 2nd set of heads)
Jesus on Judgement Day
A glimpse of the flying buttresses (dies)
Cannot deal
All too soon, it's time to grab a quick bite (crepes, of course!), do a bit of shopping, then run to the bus because we have a concert to get ready for! We are singing at Eglise de la Madeleine, which looks nothing like how I would expect a church to look from the outside.
Eglise de la Madeleine
Love the roman columns!
The gorgeous altar
Being silly while waiting in line for the toilette!
We actually had a lot of compliments from the French audience, despite our obvious butchering of their language, but it was overwhelming to get to sing in such a beautiful venue. I could never replicate that feeling. We didn't change after the concert because Noha then took us to the front of the Paris Opera House for a picture in our formal wear, which will likely be part of the insert for next year's CD.
Dinner was not too far from the hotel; at Pari's cafe. Since I didn't want to sit outside where it was especially smokey, I sat with Dennis, the coordinator from Concept Tours, and we had a good time talking about the tour so far and other tours he has went on with other groups. Since my camera was charging, I didn't get any pictures of this meal, but it was a salad, chicken and pasta with a mushroom cream sauce, and a home-made chocolate mousse dessert with tiny pie shell.
After dinner, I went to go shop with friends, but we soon discovered that like Germany, stores close by 8 in Paris, although cafes and restaurants are open til the wee hours of the morning. Disappointed, but we had a good time figuring out the metro systems!
A compilation of beautiful faces!
An art museum (I think!), full of risque sculptures!
Bikes you can 'rent' to ride all over the city! Crazy!
Escargot! (Insert cliche nasally French laugh)
Well that's all for this day. I went back to the hotel and tried to catch up and blog more about my happenings in Germany. I've gotten so busy after returning to the States that I am again so thankful that I kept a journal, otherwise all my memories could have been lost forever!
Until next time, folks!
