Paris, November 22

Phew! For those of you who have been wondering why it's been such a long time since I've posted, it's because I didn't have much turnaround between the epic trip to Andalucia and a wonderful excursion to Paris last weekend. Those of you who knew I was in Paris and are wondering why I haven't posted about it yet should also know that I have been SWAMPED with work ever since I got back. . . but now I can relax a little and write to everyone, because, thank heavens, it's SABBATH. Even if I weren't such a die hard Adventist, I think I'd still have to pick a day like this to stubbornly defend rest. . . but I digress. You want the fun exotic stuff, not my anti-stress rhetoric.

Approaching Paris from the air at night was a breathtaking spectacle like no other, a good first impression of the City of Lights. When we landed, and found our way to the hotel, we were mildly surprised to find ourselves in the red light district, but the hotel itself was in a nice, quiet little alley away from all of that. Hotel Andre Gill was decorated in warm orange colors and cats were on the reception counter--and so I instantly fell in love with it. We had our first taste of Paris that night in the form of warm Nutella crepes from a street vendor.

Our first full day, we did a lot. Versailles is large and nearly indescribable in its vastness, not just the palace but its sweeping grounds, outlying summer palace, and Marie Antoinette's estate. The fall colors only served to increase its loveliness. We emerged from the metro after our visit to see a sparking blue Eiffel Tower (blue to celebrate the EU being in Paris currently). Wow, that thing is just as beautiful as I'd always pictured it, and more. . . and the full moon only added to the romantic atmosphere. Later, we toured the Seine on a ferry, sliding under twelve of Paris's most famous bridges and getting a great overview of the city and its history, from Notre Dame to World War II. Altogether, an excellent day.

The next day, we found a Free Tour (which they have in many cities in Europe, it turns out) that took us all over Paris. We started at the Saint Michael Fountain, and it seems like we went everywhere. . . on foot. This filled in an area of French history about which my memory had been sketchy--their civil war between the Catholics and Protestants. Seeing the church from across the Louvre where a Catholic king and a Protestant queen got married to the sound of riots in the streets just amazed me at how people survive such insane things. After our tour, which ended at the World Fair buildings, two of us went to see the interior of the Paris Opera House--wow, that was cool. I was amazed by their score library and set designs. The costumes were out, too, in long rows for a sale or something. The building itself is indescribably beautiful, far beyond anything the various set designers for The Phantom of the Opera can recreate.

After that, we headed out to the Louvre, breaking up to see whatever particularly appetized our own tastes. I saw, of course, the Louvre's three most famous works (the Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, and Venus de Milo), but I think I was almost more impressed by Napoleon's apartments and Hammurabi's Code of Law, which I hadn't known was in there. Just walking through the section it was in, full of artifacts from Darius I's palace, was amazing from the perspective of a biblical scholar. . . and then to see Delacroix's famous painting of Liberty leading France to victory. . . I think that was my favorite. Afterwards, we saw the Arc du Triomphe up close. I never realized it was so big and beautiful. . . I love it. By the time we got back to the hotel, exhausted, we had, according to my step counter, done a four days' march. It was worth it.

Thankfully, the day that followed was not nearly so intense. We started it with a leisurely stroll up to Sacre Couer, where we arrived not just to a beautiful church and view of Paris inside and out, but to the pure, clear sound of womens' voices--we had come, quite accidentally, during mass. The experience was transcendental. From there we crossed by metro over to Notre Dame, to see it up close and personal. How lovely! It was every bit as gorgeous as Victor Hugo had described it. . . I was in awe of the incredible presence of this cathedral, and enjoyed the music of a choir that was singing there. There were protesters outside of it for some reason, which made it hard for me to meet back up with my group, but I found them, and we ate dinner on the banks of the Seine.

Later, we went on a tour of Montmarte, to see the various homes of the artists and composers who had lived and worked there. From the top of the hill, we could see all the lights before us. It was a breathtaking sight. In one square, we could see artists at work still, carrying on the legacy of the greats. We returned to the hotel, picked up our companions, and went to try and see Luxembourg gardens. Sadly, they were closed for the night, but what I saw through the bars was enough to allow me to see why Victor Hugo picked them as the backdrop for Marius and Cosette's courtship in Les Miserables. I really want to re-read that book now. . . but it's a real brick of a book, and I don't have that kind of time any more. We saw the facade of St. Sulpice, too, and made our way back to the hotel.

In the morning, we did some last-minute shopping before going to the Musee d'Orsy, where the Impressionist works are kept. After the Louvre, this sunlit burst of color was wonderfully overwhelming. The Impressionist masters speak to me in a way the somewhat stilted works in the Louvre do not. To see, at last, up close, the works of Seurat, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, and so many others I've admired all my life was a truly uplifting experience. The pastel works particularly captivated me with their soft, mysterious qualities. . . there was one of a family that I particularly loved, because it made me think of my parents. The many Degas paintings reminded me of a friend of mine who used to study ballet.

Finding the bus to the airport was a bit of an adventure, but eventually we got there, thinking the adventure over. . . but then we got to Valencia, and there was no one to pick us up from the airport. Eventually, one of the deans came and picked us up, but for a while, we grimly thought we would have to spend the night in the airport.

Since then, homework, homework, and more homework! Hopefully, as we careen towards the end of the quarter, things will start to ease up. Keep in your prayers the community of PUC, as there has been a car accident there which has killed four students, one of which I remember from my work at the library. It is sad to see such things happen, and they remind us all that nothing lasts forever. Thank you for reading to the end of this post, which I know is ridiculously long. My love to everyone. . . I miss you all more than ever, as Thanksgiving approaches, and hope that yours is happy.