Paris: Icons of France

I'm sorry that this post is so late; I've been spending some much needed time with family these past couple days.

But back to Paris!

The first day we were in Paris, we visited the Notre Dame. The famous cathedral and the set of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. As you probably know, the novel tells the story of a hunchback called Quasimodo who is a bell-ringer in the cathedral of Paris. The hunchback falls in love with a beautiful gypsy girl called Esmeralda. Sound familiar? That's because of Disney:

Thanks Disney!

At the time of writing this story, the cathedral was in a terrible state and desperately needed to be repaired. When the book was published, people became interested in the cathedral and everyone insisted on renovating the building, thereby saving it from certain destruction.

So while I'd seen the cathedral before, it had only been in cartoon form. Here was the real thing, right before my eyes:

Do you remember at the very beginning of the film, when Frolllo kills the gypsy woman right on the steps of Notre Dame, and the Priest warns him of the "eyes of Notre Dame?"

This part. It used to scare me when I was little. 

That part is surprisingly accurate. When I walked through the doors, I felt eyes on me. The entire façade is covered in a row of saints, looking on and silently judging. The gargoyles on the top were also quite impressive, though they never did pop to life.

Mady and I. This is the back of the cathedral.

We visited the Louvre on the second day. And while we didn't actually go in, there was plenty to see outside as well, such as the famous pyramids. The glass pyramid was built by I.M. Pei, and was inaugurated on March 30, 1989. They were resisted at first, because the metal and glass clash severely with the old and stately building where it is based.

Mom is getting really impatient for this one. So here it is: The Eiffel Tower. 

Me in the rain... with a ton of other tourists. 

Me and Mady actually visited the Eiffel Tower on three different occasions. The first time it was raining, so we didn't stay long at all; only long enough to snap a couple of pictures. The second time we went, it was dark. That was my favorite visit, because the Tower looked so beautiful all lit up. 

This is one of my favorite photos that I've ever taken.
I may have to invest in a real camera when I go home. 

At eight, the Tower started to sparkle. It was so amazing, and I could feel the excitement in the air. Mady and I were breathless and laughing, and we were running under the tower to the other side to capture the event in a picture. Sadly, none of the pictures turned out great. This is the bast one:

The last time we made our way to the Eiffel Tower, it was the day we were to leave. So we got up early to see it one last time, and get some last chance photos. 

The last day in Paris, but what a great time we had!

Our very last stop was the Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph). It was built between 1806 and 1836, and stands at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle. The Arch stands 162 ft tall, 150 ft wide and 72 ft deep. It's absolutely massive. The arch is in honor of those who fought for France, in particular, those who fought during the Napoleonic Wars. Engraved on the inside and at the top of the arch are all of the names of the generals and wars fought. There are inscriptions in the ground underneath the vault of the arch which include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, where the Memorial Flame burns.

I'm going to Paris?!?

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Mady frantically burst in to my room. She half yelled, "Do you wanna go to Paris with me?!" To which the answer was obviously yes. You just don't pass up a trip to Paris when it falls into your lap.

What happened was the girl that Mady was going to go with called and bailed out at the last minute. Mady had already had most things booked though, so that's when she ran into my room and scared me half to death. 

I was very frazzled at first though. I had just emailed my cousin Susan to pick me up for Easter break. She and Ray were going to take me around the local area and then North Wales as well.  So I had a momentary crisis. I called my mom in the middle of work to talk it over, but I decided that I couldn't pass up Paris. I told Susan right away, and I hope they understand. 

The plan is to take a bus from Manchester to London. We'll be in London for a day, and spend the night there. From there we'll catch another bus to Paris, and have three nights there. 

We know we have to see the Eiffel Tower. We plan on going all the way to the top, even though it's kind of pricey. We also want to see the Cathedral of Notre Dame. And of course, the Catacombs are high on my list. We want to eat macaroons and have a coffee in a little street cafe. 

I just can't believe I'm going to Paris! It was the one place I really wanted to see that wasn't in the UK, and now I'm going to see it! Four days in Paris... I can't believe I'm not dreaming!!