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July 16, 2014

A Parisian Easter

Hello all!

As promised in my last post...this one will be just pictures from days 2 & 3 of my trip to Paris with Thomas over Easter. I already included a couple pictures from the Eiffel Tower in my last post, so the ones this time will be the views from the various levels during our climb. Enjoy!

Saturday:

Eiffel Tower

--- I didn't stop to take pictures on the first level, since we decided that the views would be more picture-worthy from the middle and top levels.

View from the second level, with the Montparnasse Tower in the distance
The Seine River, as seen from the second level
We made it! All the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower!
Same view of the Montparnasse Tower, only this time from the top level so you can tell how much higher up we actually are.

Arc de Triomphe


Unfortunately there was some re-furbishing going on, so most of the top was blocked off. But we were still able to climb up and have a beautiful panoramic view of Paris.

Underneath the Arc - the detail on the flowers is absolutely amazing
On our climb up the inside of the Arc - Wait, why does everything have to have a spiral staircase?
On top of the Arc!
Centered underneath the Arc is an eternal flame in honor of the French "Unknown Soldier" from World War I. Every day at 6:30 p.m. the flame is rekindled, as veterans lay wreaths decorated with the colors of the French flag around it.




Easter Vigil Mass at Notre Dame
Waiting in line before mass, eating Nutella and cinnamon/sugar crepes...and watching the church officials set up....
...This large pile of sticks for the fire that symbolizes Christ as the Light of the World, and his glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday
After mass finished, this was our last view of the inside of Notre Dame. This center space was the part we were not allowed to enter during our tour the day before.

Sunday:

Sacre-Couer Basilica

--- Commonly known as "The Basilica on the Hill," this monument is the highest point (by sea level) in Paris.
--- When Thomas and I got there, we decided to avoid the long line at the doors, so we didn't actually go inside. Instead, we chose to visit the crypt and then to climb the 300 stairs to the dome for another panoramic view of Paris. It was beautiful.


Just a zoomed-in view from where we are standing in the next picture...

This basilica is famous for its "perpetual Adoration"
Thomas found his Confirmation saint (St. Francis Xavier) in the crypts of the Sacre Coeur Basilica. (If you remember from my post about Rome, I found my saint in St. Peter's Basilica.)
The tomb of St. Therese of Lisieux (the "Little Flower") - the patron saint for China Little Flower, run by Thomas' parents. You can learn more about China Little Flower here: http://chunmiaolittleflower.org/
Oh, you know...just hanging out on the dome, taking fun pictures...


Orsay Museum (Musée d'Orsay)

--- This building originally functioned as a train station. It was obvious from the architecture and interior designs that it used to be a train station.
--- Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside the Orsay Museum. But we enjoyed a few hours of looking at very famous Impressionist paintings by many well-known artists. I LOVE Impressionism!
--- Some of the artists' works we saw include: Monet, Pissarro, Manet, Degas, Cezanne, and Van Gogh.
The Musée d'Orsay, as seen from the Seine River, on our first night in Paris.
Waiting in the HUGE line (on the other side of the building from the river). At least the weather was nice.
Gourmet Chocolate Museum

--- I didn't take any pictures here. There were various artifacts set up in a time-line, and as we walked through the self-tour, we learned the history of how gourmet chocolate came to France. At the end of the tour, we watched a demonstration of making chocolate molds and filling them....and then we got to sample various chocolates.


Pere Lachais Cemetery

--- I didn't even know this existed until Thomas told me. It was really nice to just have a relaxing afternoon stroll amid the beautiful tombs and monuments that covered the 110 acres; this is the largest cemetery in Paris.
--- The following information is from a website about this cemetery:
---------- The graves of the famous dead include the American musician Jim Morrison, Irish author Oscar Wilde, and French writers Balzac and Proust.
---------- Famous composer and musician Chopin is entombed here.
---------- Père Lachaise Cemetery was opened on May 21, 1804.








Montparnasse Tower

--- Between visiting the cemetery and the tower, we went back to the place we had rented to relax for a bit before venturing to a nearby restaurant that we'd found out about from our host. It was a little place called L'Amourette, and the food was good; although, both Thomas and I agreed that it could've been cooked longer.

Our appetizer - ravioli. I don't remember what was in it, but it tasted good :)
Our entrees - Thomas ordered "Magret de canard, purée de patates douces" (Duck, with mashed sweet potatoes); I ordered "
Bavette de l'Aubrac, sauce échalotes, frites" (Aubrac steak with shallot sauce, and fries)



--- After supper, we took the metro across the city to the Montparnasse Tower for a view of Paris at night. It is 59 stories high, and we took the "fastest elevator in Europe" to the 56th floor, and then walked stairs to the top. We even saw the Eiffel Tower 'sparkle,' as it does for 5 minutes, on the hour, every hour. Isn't the view just...breathtaking?


The Eiffel Tower as it sparkles

Well, that's the end of our trip to Paris. I hope you enjoyed the photos!

Until next time,

~Laurie