Stephen Caton: Le Grande Tour De L'Europe: Paris, Jour Quatre

Our second day in Paris was not as quite as busy as the first, but it was still every bit as exciting. We started the day off with a bus tour of Paris. We saw Les Invalide (which is where Napoleon is buried), Le Tour de Eiffel, Place de la Concorde, Garnier's Maison de Opera, Sacre Coeur, and Notre Dame. We also took an excursion to Versailles; it was absolutely indescribable. I have never seen so many gilded things in my life!!! Everywhere you turned there was gold, Gold, GOLD!!! The ceilings were breathtaking! It made Windsor Castle look like a log cabin. I was a little disappointed that we did not have enough time to tour the gardens; however, we had a gorgeous view of them from the windows. I also saw the bedrooms of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. We saw the Coronation of Napoleon and the famous portrait of Marie Antoinette and her children. That afternoon we went to the Notre Dame. It was so intricate and very beautiful; it reminded me a lot of Westminster Abbey. Their Gothic styles were very similar. John David, Claudia, and I took a short excursion across the River Saine to the William Shakespeare and Company book store. That night we went to Montmartre to tour the Sacre Coeur. The style of this cathedral was completely different from Notre Dame. It was made of white marble and very simple and sophisticated. Inside there was no talking and there were candle stations everywhere where you could purchase a candle and light it in memory of your favorite saint. It was a very "sacre" or sacred atmosphere. I felt the closest to the Lord inside Sacre Coeur than any other church we had visited. The view from the top of Montmartre went on for miles! It was almost as magnificent as the view from the Eiffel Tower. We then went to Montmartre square and had a crepe at a cafe. I believe that the atmosphere in the square was what finally made me realize that I had fallen in love with Paris! Everything was so relaxing and so beautiful atop this peaceful mountain! When we left, we ran into some seedy people in from of the Sacre Coeur. People were sitting around drinking out of brown paper sacks and loitering the from of the church.