PARIS

This weekend I was given the opportunity to visit Paris, France. One of the most famous cities in the world, the weekend trip was hard to resist. But, taking this opportunity meant leaving one behind. By deciding to go to Paris I was unable to visit the British Library. I am upset I was unable to attend this class meeting but Paris was also fun.

The trip started off to a great start! The bus driver was just a little late (about 2 hours)...pushing our arrival time back to 1am. When our group finally arrived we were all exhausted but excited to be in Paris. In the morning we were split into groups where we walked around the city seeing sites such as the Latin Quarter and the Pantheon. The groups all reconvened at Notre Dame, where we recieved our ticket to the Louvre. I went with two other MLIS students to the Louvre. The walk was long but enjoyable. While inside I felt a little overwhelmed. There are so many things to do and see inside of the museum; I also felt as though the building itself was a piece of artwork.

After spending a few hours in the Louvre and seeing sites such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, my friends and I left where we embarked on a long journey to the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triumph. We walked the whole way down the river to the two sites. The Eiffel Tower was spectacular. So far, it is the first site that has not been a disapointment. After posing for some pictures and walking to the Arch, we decided to take the Metro back to our hotel. We had walked over 15 miles that day. That night, we had dinner together with our entire group in a lovely French restaurant. Good food, good wine, and good company made for a fantastic evening. Not to mention, the French bread was delicious!

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early for our day trip to Versailles. Again, I was taken back with the palace; the amount of work that went into every detail was absolutely amazing. While touring the palace I walked through a room with a large amount of books in it. Once a study or a library, some of the books are still in place. This made me realize the importance of books in past societies.

While the palace was amazing, there are no words for how stunning and beautiful the gardens were. I spent most of the afternoon walking around looking at the several fountains and ponds and flowers that fill the large area. I wish I had more time to spent there. I would have loved to sit out there all day!

That evening, after our tour of Versaille, I went shopping at the Galleries Lafayette were I purchased an adorable dress. Afterwards, my friend and I walked to the Eiffel Tower were I enjoyed a delicious sandwhich under the Eiffel Tower while waiting for the rest of the group. We enjoyed a lovely boat cruise along the Seine River, seeing the sights of Paris at night.

Sunday morning I woke up early and went with some friends to mass at Notre Dame. The church was much different on the inside than I had expected. It was very dark and gothic; which I should have assumed from the outside, but I was still surprised when I went in. The mass was all in French, so it was hard to understand what was being said, however I really did enjoy it. Just being inside for mass was a special treat. The organ was amazing. The man playing was very good; it sounded very deep and dark, just the way the church felt inside. I thought it was very fitting.

After a very long and tiring weekend, I was ready to head back to London after mass.The bus ride seemed to take longer than the ride there, and I was extremely greatful to get back to King's College.