My first impression of Paris was not the best one. A four hour bus ride Easter morning led us
from Brussels to Paris. I really enjoyed
the bus ride because it gave me time to work, think, and just relax. That time quickly came to an end as our tour
of Paris began. The metro, sidewalks,
and streets were packed to capacity because of the Easter holiday. It was terrible! The only cool part was that I got to walk
through the Sacred Heart Cathedral during Easter Mass. But also imagine one of the most popular
churches in Paris packed with people during Easter. It was ridiculous, and I do not handle crowds
very well. I headed back to the hotel as
soon as possible and tried to get some work done before I completely zonked out
for the day.
The next day was much more enjoyable. Half of the group went with Les, while the
rest of us went with Rod on an informal tour of Paris. It was one of my favorite days so far. Everyone with us was relaxed and enjoyable
the entire day. We did not have much of
a schedule or place to be, we just walked around and saw stuff; actually we saw
a lot of stuff. The day began with a
visit to a contemporary church just outside of Paris, and then we worked our
way into the city where we saw the Pompidou Center, Parc de la Viollette ,
Notre Dame Cathdral, and the Eiffel Tower.
Paris would not be Paris without Notre Dame and the Eiffel
Tower. I was going into this city with
the mindset that it would not be all that impressive because I have heard that
quite a few times, and to be honest I am not all that excited about French
culture. I am happy to tell you that I
was pleasantly surprised. It is not my
favorite city by far, however, I had some enjoyable times visiting all the
places I have only dreamed about seeing, especially the Eiffel Tower and Notre
Dame. After seeing the Eiffel Tower, I
can tell you that my respect for it in the architecture world changed. Before it was just a tower to me, but being
there and seeing the intricate details was amazing! I can definitely understand why it has been
an icon from the beginning. To see it at
night is even better because at the top of every hour the entire tower sparkles
with lights. The Eiffel Tower has not
seen the last of me! Notre Dame is just
as impressive and original. Its orientation
along the river makes the cathedral one of the most picturesque places in
Paris, in my opinion. I have seen
several churches throughout Europe, and Notre Dame is definitely among my
favorites. After the informal tour it
was back to the hotel and bedtime for me because it was such an exhausting
day.
Day 2 of Paris was exponentially better than the first day,
and for that I am thankful. I think day
1 was especially hard because it was Easter.
While my family was at home celebrating together I was fighting through
crowds and watching my back for pick-pocketing.
It was certainly unpleasant at times but then I stopped and realized how
lucky I was to be spending my Easter Sunday in Paris. It was an awesome feeling, but it still did
not stop me from missing my family. <3
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