On Friday, we hit some of the legendary sites: the Louvre and the Notre Dame. Both were astoundingly beautiful! After about 3 hours at the Louvre, I feel like we had still barely touched it. The Napoleon apartments were lavish and beautiful, the statues were classic and elegant, and of course, the Mona Lisa was…well, the Mona Lisa. It was almost overwhelming that there were so many famous works of art under one roof. Of course, I thought of the Da Vinci Code the entire time we walked around, as well. The Notre Dame was simply breathtaking with its high ceilings and majestic pieces of stained glass. I felt reminiscent of my Catholic School days as I wandered through the isles of the legendary establishment.
At night, we ventured to Montmartre, a famous Parisian district that sits on a hill overlooking the city. We randomly chose to sit down for dinner at “Chez Eugene,” and were pleasantly surprised to see that they had a live duet band entertaining for the evening. I was in heaven: amazing company, delicious red wine, fresh fish, warm bread, waiters in berets, and a band that played everything from the Beatles to Jack Johnson. The singer even invited Mary Catherine and I to join him in performing “Sweet Home Alabama,” but our familiarity with the lyrics was limited to the chorus, so we were rather unimpressive. We had a fun time in the spotlight, though! After dinner, we went to check out the view. It was absolutely gorgeous to see the Eiffel Tower highlight by twinkling blue lights against the dark night skyline. Unfortunately, rowdy teenagers and creepy old men selling Heineken to the youngins crowded the steps of the beautiful Basilica. It was kind of amusing, but the romantic mood was a bit lacking.
At night, we ventured to Montmartre, a famous Parisian district that sits on a hill overlooking the city. We randomly chose to sit down for dinner at “Chez Eugene,” and were pleasantly surprised to see that they had a live duet band entertaining for the evening. I was in heaven: amazing company, delicious red wine, fresh fish, warm bread, waiters in berets, and a band that played everything from the Beatles to Jack Johnson. The singer even invited Mary Catherine and I to join him in performing “Sweet Home Alabama,” but our familiarity with the lyrics was limited to the chorus, so we were rather unimpressive. We had a fun time in the spotlight, though! After dinner, we went to check out the view. It was absolutely gorgeous to see the Eiffel Tower highlight by twinkling blue lights against the dark night skyline. Unfortunately, rowdy teenagers and creepy old men selling Heineken to the youngins crowded the steps of the beautiful Basilica. It was kind of amusing, but the romantic mood was a bit lacking.
On Saturday, our last full day, we went to the Pantheon to see the legendary crypt where French heroes including Voltaire and Victor Hugo are buried. Once again, it was incredible to see another astounding architectural treasure in Paris. Afterwards, Michael and I spent the afternoon wandering along the riverside, checking out souvenirs stands, and simply enjoying each other’s company. Tired from walking, we spent the evening watching BBC and…Taken. So perfect to see the familiar places in this touching action film set in the very streets of Paris (if you have seen the movie, you will sense the sarcasm)!
Sunday should have been an uneventful morning of departure, but it turned into chaos when the boys missed their plane to the States. Hurrah! They made an unexpected trip to Brussels for one last night before a 6:20am flight. Oh the joys of international travel…
Sunday should have been an uneventful morning of departure, but it turned into chaos when the boys missed their plane to the States. Hurrah! They made an unexpected trip to Brussels for one last night before a 6:20am flight. Oh the joys of international travel…
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