Allison King's Day Off

So I ditched class today, and I don't feel bad about it in the least. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Today I definitely looked :)

I'm starting my day with Emily at Notre Dame to actually go inside of it for the first time. I can't wait to see it! We waited in line forever to go to the top first. It's really funny how at these tourist hotspots you actually feel like you belong. There are absolutely no French people who do things like this, so it's like a collective space for outsiders. Once I finally got inside, I walked up so many flights of stairs in a teeny tiny stairwell that eventually brought me to the top. The view was breathtaking. You could see everything, and the gargoyles were unreal. I absolutely loved it! I also got to see the only original bell that survived the French revolution. After exploring the top, I went inside the cathedral and was completely blown away. The stained glass windows and high arches were incredible and transported you to a completely different time. I was lucky to catch a Mass that was going on while I browsed around inside. While looking at the story of each glass panel and statue, I listened to scripture readings and hymns. It was all so beautiful, and I would highly recommend actually attending a Mass no matter what denomination, religion, or belief system you have. It definitely adds to the experience of visiting!

I met Emily to head out for lunch. She took me to Montmatre which is a little town on the same hill as the Sacre Coeur. On our way up we had to quickly pass by gypsies and shady vendors who told who your ass was too small if you didn't look at the purses they were trying to sell you. Once we passed all of that, it was a totally different world. Montmatre was much quieter and quainter than downtown Paris. Emily even told me that residents on the hill do not refer to themselves as Parisians and now I understand why, it's completely different! Every building, store, and cafe was packed in together and it had a very small town feel. Artists lined the streets with the most beautiful artwork. This apparently was a big hangout for Monet, Picasso, Dali, and van Gogh, and these artists just seemed to channel the creative energy they left behind. We had lunch as a little cafe and had fun people watching. We also passed by a vineyard that spanned some of the downward slope. Any wine sold in Montmatre comes from that particular vineyard. For any of my readers that intend to visit Paris, please go see Montmatre. It's such a neat little place that you would never expect, I'm so thankful for Emily showing it to me!

After Montmatre, we went to Champs Elysees to sight see and window shop. We browsed around for while, but eventually made our way home to rest for a bit before dinner. We dined at a small cafe on one of the islands of the Seine very close to Notre Dame. The food was excellent, and we were lucky enough to have some performers decided to set up shop right next to us. They were a band of 6 incredibly talented musicians. We heard French songs as well as American swing and other Michael Buble-y material. They were just amazing! I have continuously been impressed with the talent Paris has, and I've had the pleasure of hearing them just on my trips during the day. This particular drew quite a crowd, and with good reason. Emily and I tipped them when we were leaving, thanking them for entertaining us through our meal.

After hearing more music, stopping briefly at The Moose, and getting ready for bed, I am now at home reluctantly working on a presentation I have due tomorrow. It's our last day of class, and my time is just now starting to sink in. All I can say is that I'm so happy to have taken advantage of one of my free days to soak up as much of Paris as I could :)

Au revoir!