Louvre is in the Air (Entree Day #2)

Keep good company - that is, go to the Louvre.

Paul Cezanne

Bonjour my sweet petites!  Can you believe that I haven't blogged since August?!? I sincerely apologize for the delay in writing.  Between a 2 week bout of the flu in September, Annual Meeting in October, working at Bethel as a tour guide, and life in general, I have fallen way behind. It's high time to catch up on the Europe blog. Grab a blanket, francophiles, it's story time!

Day 2 in Paris had a FANTASTIC itinerary in store. The opening quote of this post was quite an obvious hint: visiting the Louvre. This national treasure is the world's largest art museum,  with a highly celebrated collection of beloved pieces. Believe me when I say that excitement did not even scratch the surface of how I felt to be there.

Bonjour à tout le monde!!!

Sarah and I, after a light breakfast of brioche and coffee, met up with another friend named Armelle in front of the Louvre in order to meet up with the guys. The whole courtyard was flooded with people, families travelling together and hecklers selling cheap Parisian fares. The focal point naturally was the pristine pyramid in the center, dazzling radiantly against the historic backdrop of the surrounding buildings. Despite the high volume of visitors, there was still a sense of respectful awe encasing the vicinity.

But where were the boys?!? No international phone service, no Wi-Fi, so no means of communication. We attempted to call Alain (the brother they were staying with, coincidentally also Armelle's brother), but he was already at work and did not know their whereabouts. Naturally, we were concerned but hopeful that they'd arrive in due time. In the interim, we were joined by yet another friend named Brian.

(Side note: If you ever need a really good Paris tour guide, Brian is your man. People that enamored by their city make me ashamed that I do not speak glowingly of NYC. He spoke of the City of Lights with resounding passion, it was really quite beautiful. End of side note.)

An important detail I've forgotten to include: our trip to Paris coincided with the French Independence Day, or Bastille Day. ON TOP OF THAT, the President of the United States also paid Paris a visit at the same time as us. Needless to say, the security pretty much everywhere was extremely high, but as a bonus, there were terrific air shows performing above the museum (which made for good entertainment), as well as the well-known exhibits having free admission. The planes zoomed and flew in perfectly choreographed routines above our little quartet as we bought coffee and waited for JJ and Ribz.

After about an hour or so, they finally appeared! The presidential traffic had delayed them immensely, but somehow they managed to find their way (alone, I might add) to the museum. Reunited as a group, we stood in line and thus began our tour of The Louvre. I can wax poetic about all the beauties that resided in that gorgeous building,  but I will allow the photos to speak for themselves. 

Le  Dream Team

I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried when I saw Mona Lisa in person

The Tetragrammaton on the real Moabite Stone!! Bible history right there

We were only able to explore about two wings of the museum, since time was needed for the rest of our day's activities. After the Louvre, we traversed the streets of Paris by foot, absorbing the delicious sights and sounds without the first day's jetlagged cloudiness. The brilliance of the Parisian day scene shimmered like the river Seine, different languages and scents blending together in a melodic symphony of senses. It was already well established in our minds: Paris stole our hearts. And it had barely been a full 24 hours!!!

One of our major must see tourist attractions was Notre Dame, and if you're a fan of Disney musical cartoons, you can imagine why Ribz and I were so excited to see this building in person. It is one of the few Gothic style buildings surviving in that part of Paris; it's been preserved so well that you can almost see Quasimodo hanging off the side. We were so swept away by the street performers and general atmosphere that we completely fell for a pretty typical hustler ploy. Don't worry, readers, I'll share funny anecdotes such as this one in upcoming blog nuggets.

After a delicious lunch comprised of shwarma and gelato, we continued on towards Luxembourg Gardens. The second-largest park in Paris, its sheer size only emphasizes the lush landscaping and the many detailed sculptures inhabiting it. If it is art that you seek, you need not look any further than this area of Paris; it is as Hemingway described, "a moveable feast."

SPEAKING OF FEASTS.

What would be the perfect end to an exciting day like this one? Food and fireworks of course! Unbeknownst to us,  Sarah had made reservations at this fine French restaurant called Le Jeroboam with a whole group of other local brothers and sisters. Très délicieux! We were treated to a 3-course meal that was positively ravishing and mouthwatering. In the Nom-Noms of Paris, we will be going through a beautifully detailed post of all the yumminess we experienced.

After dinner, we emerged into the crowded street towards a central courtyard, throngs of people congregating. Down one of the avenues was a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower, its lights already beginning to shimmer and dance in sync. Not even our pictures or videos can do justice to how breathtakingly astounding the displays and fireworks were. My recollections of the EPCOT fireworks show from a Disney trip a decade ago faded away in the vivid splendour of Bastille Day. Stillness intermingled with delighted shrieks with every boom colouring the night sky. It was and will be unforgettable. With lifted hearts and ringing ears, we returned to our abode via train, satisfied with our second day's adventures and eager for the next.

Literally Midnight in Paris *Woody Allen fangirl moment*

After this writing hiatus,  I hope that this latest post is to your collective satisfaction! I had missed penning my adventures; here's hoping that I get to speed with the rest of my Euro trip. Have a lovely evening and stay tuned for the next post!

Louvre,

The Adventurous A.