Museum edition.

We'll just call this week Museum Week, plus Versailles and Chartres. My feet have walked so many miles on museum floors that they don't know how to walk on any other floors.

Saturday May 12:
Versailles was first. Palace of King Louis XIV. Not technically a museum but I think it might as well be! Sydnie and I entertained daydreams of Alice in Wonderland themed scavenger hunts or huge wedding receptions/parties in the massive gardens.

That night we headed to the top of Montparnasse Tower for a view of Paris that included the sparkling Tour d'Eiffel, as opposed to one from its viewpoint. It really was breathtaking. Isn't any view is when you're 59 floors above the Earth?

Sunday May 13:
Church! We might have arrived almost an hour late and had to stand in the back because it was so packed, but it was still so good. It's always reassuring to know that no matter where you go to church - Utah, South Carolina, or halfway around the world in France - it's always the same gospel and the same amazing members. There were two meetings to choose from each hour, either French or English speaking. I went to French Sunday School and Relief Society, and even read a scripture out loud in my awful American accent.

After church, Sydnie and I had a fabulous little picnic lunch underneath the Eiffel Tower and stayed there for a while enjoying the sun and the people walking by. Then we took a walk down the Seine to les Invalides (Napoleon's burial grounds) and looked around before heading home. It was lovely!

Monday May 14:
This was the day of our journey to Chartres, the site of one of the oldest cathedrals in France. It's a cute little town spreading out from the church, with winding streets and lots of fun shops. The strained glass windows are exquisite and tell the stories from the Bible in a way I have never thought of them before.

We then stopped to eat at one of the many pizzerias lining the streets, where I proudly ate this entire pizza by myself. Why don't I entire eating contests and make a living off this talent?

Tuesday May 15:
Back to school, unfortunately. But then again, this was the day that the museum hopping began, so maybe I should be glad I got to sit down for at least the first half of the day! We started with the Museum of Modern Art, where I saw many things that I enjoyed. Lots of people think modern art is too weird and too abstract, but I think it's cool.

Immediately following that, we headed to the Rodin, home of "The Thinker", and a nice garden, and a lot of other sculptures that are pretty sweet. This is the real and true Thinker over the doors to the Gates of Hell. I think the rain adds to the effect.

After dinner that night, our group met up again in the Latin Quarter for some crepes (How many days have I been here? 11. How many crepes have I eaten? 8.) and some very cold window shopping. It might be summer in other parts of the world but not in Paris!

Wednesday May 16:
More school and more museums. First up was the Shoah, which is Paris' holocaust memorial. It made me think a lot about what it would be like to go through things like concentration camps, losing family members, and starvation. I will admit that I have been a little homesick since coming here, more for people than places. But seeing that made me realize how blessed I really am. I can't imagine what it would be like to be ripped away from everything and everyone you know, without knowing if you would ever return.

There were pieces of walls in the museum that had inscriptions that people had made, perhaps in the hope to be remembered. Many of them had the person's name, the date, and the words "destination inconnu" - unknown destination. We still don't know where they went, and we may never know.

Next up was the Carnavalet, the museum of Paris' history. Personally, I'm just trying to find out where I can get one of these rings. It contains Marie Antoinette's actual hair. I know you want one too!

Which brings me to today.

Thursday May 17:
No school since it's a French holiday, so we got to sleep in all the way until 9:30, instead of our usual 6:30. A great start to the day, if you ask me. We got to the Louvre at about 11:30 and started off strong with the Mary Magdalene and the Code of Hammurabi. After lunch, though, stairs were looking daunting and people were being just a little bit pushy. However, we did make it to all the must-sees and even had enough energy for the crown jewels! It's not as easy as it looks, especially when there are literally miles of things to see. But it was worth it, of course!

My hair idol

I had to battle about three thousand people for this picture. Appreciate it.

Probably my favorite statue ever created.

Tonight Sydnie and I are thinking of hitting up Erasmus, also known as the free club for international students. But then again, we are exhausted from Museum Week, which probably still is not over, or may become Museum Weeks. So we'll see what happens I guess!