[Paris, France - March 9-11, 2013]
Kyle and I have the privilege of traveling with four HUF students during their independent travel. We planned to visit Paris, Normandy, Brussels, and Amsterdam. With bags packed, passports in hand and excited for new adventures we boarded our flight and the journey began. Paris greeted us with its chilly winter night charm as we navigated buses, the metro and a maze of underground tunnels. Our hotel was nothing to brag about, and the men standing outside arguing was not comforting, but it was good enough. Tired, thirsty and hungry for a snack we poured into the Asian convenience store across the street at about midnight. Once satisfied we were off to bed to rest up for the next day's explorations.
Over breakfast each morning, with maps in hand, we plotted out what to do that day. The first day we began with a free walking tour led by Elliott, a cleaver red-head with a thick French accent. He showed us secret places of Paris and explained why French gardens have no grass and the story behind the shape of the Channel No. 5 bottle. We stopped for delicious crepes at a trendy organic restaurant and then set out for the Musee D'Orsay. The amount of works from many masters, particularly from among the impressionists, are almost overwhelming. It's unfair to try to appreciate all of the pieces in a brief two hour visit, but we appreciated what we could until they kicked us out - without even letting us buy postcards! It seems like the bookstore should be the last thing to close rather than the first, but no one asked us.
That evening we rode the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower for spectacular views just as the city lights were beginning to glow.
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| View from la Tour Eiffel |
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| Sacré-Cœur Basilica |
After our meal we walked back to the nearby Notre Dame to discover its treasures. This year is the Cathedral's 850th birthday. The gothic style exhibited with superb stained glass and terrific gargoyles never ceases to amaze. We attempted to make a brief visit to the Musee Rodin, but despite what the website says, it is closed on Mondays. So, naturally, we sat down for a coffee at a nearby cafe to plot out our next move.
Monday had been deemed "date night" by my thoughtful husband so the students went their separate ways and we discussed options for the evening. We had seen several river boats with restaurants on them so we decided to try that. We found the port and boarded the dinner cruise at 7:45 pm. The boat was nice, but almost had a floating disco feel to it complete with dance floor and flashing lights. We sat in small arm chairs side by side facing outwards towards a port side glass wall. The window extended up above our heads for maximum viewing. We embarked and enjoyed views of Notre Dame, the river islands, Musee D'Orsay, the Louvre and other fabulous works of French architecture as we ate our Salmon and basmati rice. The boat approached the Eiffle Tower just at the top of the hour so that we had a perfect view of the sparkling tower. At that exact moment, the constant drizzle which had been coming down all evening, turned to snow! Thick, delicate flakes seemed to be streaming down from the sparkling tower overhead. It was one of those magical moments we will not forget. Kyle and I just sat and marveled. We didn't even take any photos, we just enjoyed the moment, and it was perfect. The boat turned away to head back to our starting point and the snow tapered off and turned back into a wintery rain mix. It was as though that moment was just for us. "Thank you, God for choosing to bless us with a magical moment to share!"
Our two days in Paris were lovely and we continue to be optimistic about what adventures lie ahead despite ominous weather reports.
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Lovely story. Thanks for sharing.
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