Sous le Ciel de Paris...

On Wednesday the 16th, our little gaggle of slightly French-fluent geese (well, besides Aidan, who is ridiculously fluent!) had the FABULOUS opportuity to visit Paris! Well, obviously we declined. NOT! Of course we sprung upon the opportunity, and clung for dear life. While there, our dearest Sophie (forever our role model)

Montmartre: a truly breathtaking monument, especially on the inside (I decided not to take pictures within the building, as there were many people praying and I did not wish to interrupt them)

 The view from Montmartre was breathtaking, you could see nearly all of Paris!

La Tour Eiffel (The Eiffel Tower): Just, Wow.

I now choose to describe the Eiffel tower in a list of appropriate onimonipias:
BAM! POW! SHAZAM! KABLOOM! WOWZERS!

The Champs-Élysées: Despite my ridiculously high expectations for this monument, the arch itself was still staggeringly powerful in person.

While picking up some lunch (and free-time shopping) by the Champs-Élysées, my dearest Melinda and I stumbled upon a fabulous candy shop, were we discovered the true beauty of des souris gélifié, or gummy mice. (For reference, the decapitated mouse is mine... I just couldn't resist the temptation!)

The Louvre: Once again, purely fantastic. After we gaped at the pyramids for a good twenty minutes, we visited the gift shop, where I was very nearly tempted into paying to go to the bathroom... One big difference in France: many public bathrooms actually charge users. (Hey, look, it's Melinda again!)

Notre-Dame: I was very surprised to find out that Notre Dame does not indeed have steps (As Melinda pointed out that the Disney movie purports the monument to contain stairs!) Another fun fact: do you see the row of statues running along the building? All of these are of the likeness of important church officials, except one, which is actually portraying the renovating architect! As for the interior, the various "Virgin and Child" and "Last Supper" art pieces were especially intriguing. Fun Fact: when we were walking to Notre Dame, I saw this guy on the street who looked super familiar! He stopped and asked - in english! - "You're from West High aren't you?!" Turns out he was in my ceramics class last year and is now backpacking through Europe. Crazy, huh?

After Notre Dame, we had some free time to shop (by this awesome sign!), Melinda and I actually became enraptured with a quaint little bookstore where we shopped for French books and school supplies for over an hour!

That was our day in Paris!