Ok so today was my last day in Paris, but it was a splendid one! I got up early to see the city wake up as my dad suggested. Paris is stunning, even in the early morning. Around ten, I went to Notre Dame in hopes of being able to tour it. However, the cathedral was closed to the public due to an event. I am not entirely sure, but I think that it was a priest ordination. Regardless, it was awesome to witness the ceremony. The priests came out and walked around as part of the ceremony and the archbishop or archdeacon (not sure which one) came out to give a speech. It was fascinating to see the Catholic religion at its best. Notre Dame is the most stunning cathedral I have ever seen. I expect that it is second only to the Vatican.
Around 11:30, I walked to Musee D'orsay for another day of art. Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed in the museum so I will not be posting photos from that. I was really looking forward to seeing the paintings and was especially excited to see works from Van Gogh and Monet. The art did not disappoint. Monet's "Water Lillies" were stunning and it took me about ten minutes before I walked away. Monet is one of my favorite artists and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with his work. Not to be outdone, Vincent Van Gogh also created so absolutely stunning works as well. His self-portrait draws the biggest crowd and for good reason. Between the two, I found that I liked Monet better purely because of his use of so many colors. Overall, I found the art gallery to be quite amazing.
The rest of the day was also quite enjoyable. I sat down for a nice lunch at a cafe near the Jardin de Tuleries and had a salad. Afterwords, I walked down the street to Galignani which was the first established English bookstore on the planet. I purchased Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and something for my Dad. Since I was in the area, (relatively speaking), I walked down to the Galerie de Lafayete for some shopping. Due to the crowds, it was difficult to get around the store and I ended up not buying anything. I browsed some of the boutiques on my way back towards the Seine.
I ended the day at the Jardin du Luxembourg which is a very beautiful, romantic area of Paris. I sat down and read my new book for awhile and relaxed. There were plenty of people walking around and kids playing so it was an ideal setting. After a bit, I walked down to the Ile de St. Louis which has a very famous ice cream shop. Berthillion's has the best sorbet I have ever had. I opted for Passion Fruit which turned out to be an excellent choice. It was an ideal way to end my last day in Paris. I have loved every minute in the city of lights. Tomorrow, I head back to London to begin my time with Shakespeare! More about the program will come tomorrow! Here are some shots from today.
Priest Ordination
Musee D'orsay
Jardin du Luxembourg
Rue de Seine
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