Sightseeing - Sunday

Sunday started early with a tour of Paris that was arranged by Temple. Slightly groggy and slightly jet-lagged, we spent a few hours driving around Paris and seeing all of the major sites from a tour bus. We ended up at the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) in Montmarte. Our tour guide pointed out that the church was bombed during WWII but all of the bombs missed hitting the church. Montmarte is the highest point in Paris and provided a gorgeous view of the city. A light snow was falling by the time we reached the summit and this added an element of winter beauty to the scene. The inside of the church was absolutely beautiful. We arrived during the service and got to see the end of Sunday morning mass. It was kind of strange to be milling around the peripheray of the church while the service was going on.

Next we headed over to a neighboring village that is home to a lot of artists. There was a small square where numerous artists were selling paintings or sketching customers who were willing to pose for an hour or so. At this point, our group split up and headed separate directions. About half of us ate lunch at the Au clairon du chasseurs and enjoyed another round of Croque Madames and some French Onion soup which is just... Onion Soup. A chance for us to warm up before wandering back out into the cold. During lunch, the snow turned into a slight rainfall.

After lunch, four of us decided to head down to the Louvre. We wasted a few Euro on some very cheap umbrellas and began the roughly 1 mile walk down the hill and through the city. I was open to taking a taxi and sparing the rainfall, but the rain drops slowed down and I'm very glad we walked. We had the chance to wander through some of the neighborhoods in Paris and see some things outside of the tourist spots. Our route to the Louvre crossed through the Moulin Rouge and the red-light district. This was a very interesting site - something you don't see in the United States. Much more explicit than I was expecting and a lot of imagery available for all to see. We saw mostly families (some children!) walking up and down the street paying no notice to the surrounding establishments. I expected something a little more seedier. We also passed by the Trinite Church and the Paris Opera.

By the time we reached the Louvre, the raindrops had begun to fall again. Emily and Diane were heading into the Louvre while Dan and I headed up the Seine to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. (I'm planning to visit the museums later in the week, don't worry). By the time we reached Notre Dame, Dan and I were pretty soaked. Dan snapped a few pictures and headed back to his hotel which was close by (we stayed at different hotels). I headed insisde and took a quick walk around the Cathedral. Much like Sacre Coeur, the inside of Notre Dame is simply stunning. So huge and ornate and humbling. There was some sort of service going on but I don't think it was a mass. The outter ring of the Cathedral had many ornate stained glass windows as well as confessionals and private prayer services.

After leaving Notre Dame, I discovered the Metro and found my way back to Republique square. A quick nap was followed by a group dinner sponsored by Temple. Now just sitting back in the room and finishing up some homework for classes back home. I need to prepare some more classwork for the Paris course, but may postpone for another day. It is past my bedtime... haha. We're really not sure what to expect from this class. Apparently there are more students than just our group involved. Class runs from 9 until 5 or 6. We're all curious how much homework needs to be completed and how much free time we'll have to run around Paris in the evenings. Hopefully there will be a nice balance between hard work and hard play.

Check out today's pictures of Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Trinite Church, Paris Opera, and the Louvre. Camera batteries died before hitting Notre Dame, but I'll get more pictures later.