The Greatest Day--A Blitz on Paris

No one has a continental breakfast like Paris!  The day began with one of the best breakfast's that i have ever had in the hotel.  We had fresh cheese, begets, craps, fruit, cereal, and juice. It was totally amazing.

After breakfast we rushed off to Notre Dame.  While on our way to Notre Dame we took a stroll along the "la Seine" river.  There are walkways all along the river side, we drop down to one of this walk ways and walked along the river for most of the trip. The river lead us right to Notre Dame.  

We began by walking through a beautiful park at the rear of the cathedral and then made are way up, the short walk was nothing but possessed by this majestic building.  The building is grand and huge.  There is an old ancient smell in the building.  The most captivating part of this building is the view down the grand hall and the huge circular windows on either end of the great hall.  We also went through the treasury in the cathedral were we saw numerous relics.  Some of which are bones from saints and fragments of what is believed to be the cross Christ suffered on.  

After that we walked along the island to Conciergerie, which is were most of the prisoners were held before they were executed.  This build was an excellent example of Gothic architecture.  With the great hall full of ancient columns.  It was amazing to behold.  Off to the side of the great hall was a series of small jail cells that held the prisoners.

After the justice hall, we walked just down the street and entered St. Chipelle which is an old chapel that was build to hold the crown of thorns that was put on the head of Christ.  This chapel is rather small but holds huge stained glass windows.  These windows tell stories from Genesis to the passion of Christ.  The chapel is ancient and glorious.  

After these amazing sights we headed to the second island for some world famous ice cream from Berthillon.  This is bar none the best ice cream i have ever eaten!  It was rich beyond belief and creamy with vivid tastes that were as brilliant as their color. We then continued down the street and tried a little crape place that produced some of the best crapes.  My was chocolate and coconut.  It was amazing.  One funny thing that we noticed with restruants here they never split the bill.  So after ever meal it is 4-6 Americans playing with foreign change trying to make the bill work out right ;)  On the way out of the store we heard a couple people speaking English wondering where to go...we quickly told them the crape place was good and to our joy the first bellowing words out of his mouth, almost before we could finish our sentence, were "Thank G--, English" we erupted into laughter because basically we were feeling similar.

After the lunch we headed down the river to the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.  It was an ancient store that was build for writers to come and find themselves in Paris, so of the best authors have written there.  This old building is full of ancient books and new ones as well.

Continuing up the street was found some of the coolest little shops, i latter came back here and got a shirt.  But at the end of the street and to the right we found the Pantheon.  This is a mimic of the Greek Pantheon and has changed roles over the years.  It has gone from a church to a memorial of French history and accomplishments.  It hold amazing painting of french history and victories, especially about the french revolution. This building was lack luster until Kaylee and i found the crypt, for in the crypt there are huge history boards describling everything up above, they had english subtitles.  It was awesome, we also saw Victor Hugo's crypt, along with crypts and memorials of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire.  It was so cool!    

We then walked through the Luxembourg Gardens which were also extremely beautiful.  One of the interesting things that we noticed that they treated the gardens like Americans would treat a beach, it was interesting.

Just North of the gardens we walked to a world famous bakery, with the idea that the pastries must look just as good as they taste.  It was amazing to see so many amazing things so impeccably done.  We had fun eating there.

After the bakery we headed over to Hotel de les Invalides which is were Napoleon's tomb is.  It was huge and we learned that Napoleon is actually buried in several layers of crypts (wood, metal, marble, etc).  One thing that was bad is that the building closed as soon as we arrived so i litterly got to see it and walk out, but it was crazy.

From the tomb we went to one of the most famous art museums Musee d'Orsay.  I must admit that by this time i thought my feet were going to fall off, but we walked all through the museum and had a great time.  We had an assignment to complete there in which we had to find certain painting...it was fun because the names we had were in English but all the id cards on the paintings were in French...one of group members called it the "Scavanger hunt from H---."  One of my most favorite pieces was "The Gates of Hell" by Rodin.

After the museum we found one of the best restruants and ate pizza and pasta.  It was a very nice place with a killer view of pairs streets.  It was a good find because we were all getting a little edgy after being hungry and running all day.  I had the best spicy pasta with lemonade. It was so much fun.

We had a late night that night running in about 11:30, we thought we were lost a few time but found the Metro alright.  However the metro didn't want to be found so when our friend Tiffany went through the turn style it decided to fight back and hit her in the face.  It split her eyebrow open and caused quite a mess.  It was crazy as English people told us to call the french 911 and all sorts of crazy things.  In then end we just got home and put a band aid on it and all was well.

The Best Day Ever!! Wow!

Welcome to Pairs

Have you ever tried to type on a frech keyboard it is so much fun! Not really.

Well yesterday was totally amazing! the day began by traveling to pairs on a train. that was my first train ride ever.  We left from kings crossing which is the famose because of harry potter and platform 9 and 3/4.  After ariving in Pair we took off across town to the heart of the city it was out of this world.  We saw the Louve, and the great arch. 

On our way to the arc we stopped and got lunch at a little place called Jour wich is a small little bachery.  The owner was so cool as he asked us a little about ourselves and laughed with us.  He taught me how to say thank you in french...after several attempts we received our first catch phrase from him..."No Mercy."

We climed to the top of the arch and saw all of pairs from this monument comemerating Napoleon and his victories.  The arc also hold a memorial to the unknown solider which is guarded at all times.  It was breath taking.  From the arch we could see all of Pairs flowing into monument.

After seeing the arch we travel past two musiems to the  Eiffel Tower.  I have been to the top of the Ifel Tower, the ride to the top was amazing, there is nothing like watching the ground leave you behind as you climb over 900 feet. It was amazing.  The view from the Eiffel Tower was literally breath taking. After we visited the tower we went to dinner at the coolest little restaurant, that was one of the most peacful dinners i have ever had, and it was so good!  It was a little restaurant tucked into a monument garden.  The atmosphere was quiet and proper.  It was so much fun.

Dinner found us on the lake taking a tour of pairs by boat.  This ride was amazing as we saw many of Paris's great historical monuments and listened to stereotype Paris music.  The mood was romantic and "Welcome to Pari." Along the way we saw lover's bridge, which is a bridge that lovers visit attach a lock to the bridge and throw the key into the river..."Paris holds the key to your heart."  My wife and I are going to Paris.  Towards the end of the trip all the lights began to hit the city, there is nothing quite like Paris at night.  The boat ride ended with the sparkling show of the  Eiffel tower.  It was somthing that one only dreams of...there are no words to do it justice.  It was a dream in pairs.

Phantom

Welcome back to class!  We had another fun three hour experience yesterday, though these are grueling, there is something about learning history and literature here ... the hours do pass quickly and there is a magic that makes everything real and alive as it is learned, when trips can be made to see what was discussed.

After class we headed down to Regency park, this walk began with me complaining about heading to just a park instead of some of the more dense and history packed sites.  By the first few steps of the walk i was changing my tune, this was no park!  Regency park is huge!  There was more to it than could be walked in two hours, between the sculpted gardens and majestic waters, rivers, and islands, this was one of the most beautiful places that i have seen.

After the part we headed down to Phantom of the Opera! This was amazing and extremely well done production.

Ill say more later but we're headed out... More to come soon.

The British Library

The day began with Shakespeare!  Can't be a bad day right!  We spent the morning in our English Literature class talking about Shakespeare and his 12th Night.  Interesting 12th Night was actually the height of the party during the celebration of Christmas, it was a time when everyone came out on the street in masks.  It was a party in which anyone could be anyone, and often times the fool became the King for the day.  This was a time to let it all go, therefore, 12th Night really plays with this idea of letting sexual tendencies, gender roles, and everything else go.  It explores the idea of what love is and how fickle.  All in all it was one of the best classes i have had.

After class we took a few minutes to talk about what we wanted to do during our free travel week.  I was looking at previewing Rome but have decided that is too expensive, so i'm going to stay here during the week and blitz London.

We then headed to The City toward the British Library, we spent the afternoon in the Library looking at original copies of Handel's Mesiah and Shakespeare's works.  We walked all the way around the Library and then found a nice corner to just sit and do some homework.

Later we to the 50 minute tube ride home in order to do our dish crew only to discover that dinner had been canceled.  I really have never been so mad, unfortunatly it rippled through the rest of the day.  We set back across town to hit up a famous pub back across town only to remember that it was a national holiday and everything was closed, which let us back across town again.  After wandering the streets a bit, Nick suggested sticky fingers.

Sticky Finger is a restaurant that was created by a member of the Rolling Stones.  All their burgers were half off yesterday and so we all had burgers.  It was really a cool place loaded with rock and roll memrabillia.  The night ended walking home and

Welcome to the Ward

Yesterday we were able to received our ward assignments.  I was assigned to the most ligit ward!  I attended the best fast and testimony meeting that i have heard in years, the best Sundayschool lesson, and saw one of the coolest teachers quorums that i have ever seen!  It was totally wicked!!  Well, if you haven't guessed, i'm in the teachers quorum as an assistant.  I have been asked to put together a small tour of London and teach a few lessons.  The teachers quorum is small, about 5 members (Gem, Johnny, Chasum, Enoch, Matt, and Duke).  I'm looking forward to getting to know them better.


After church Katie and I took off across the City.  We followed an old path through countless churches and ancient building.  I was neat to see how England is so riddled with the past, and how ancient Roman markets are modern markets today.  Almost every corner you turn holds a new building and a new ancient sight.

Dinner found us home and working.  It is now my teams turn to carry out and do dishes and set up.  I was fun to be able to work with and get to know a few new people.

Brighton and Canterbury

On the road again! We the hit the coach for the second time and headed to Brighton and Canterbury.

The morning was a little earlier that we usually make it out, which meant being Saturday breakfast was really on our own, i got up early in order to head to a local bakery extra, but upon striving to write my blog i crashed my computer.  With a quick blessing i had it running an hour latter, but say goodbye to breakfast--that was fun.

Upon finishing my blog we raced to the coach and within a few hour arrived in Brighton.  Brighton is a famous fashion and beach town and has been since the time of George the IV.  George came to Brighton and built the Brighton Pavilion.  The is the most unique of the mansions that i have seen thus far.  This mansion is completely decorated in an oriental style with the most ornate decorations from Asia, especially china.  One example is a several hundred pound chandelier that hangs from a dragons mouth--the dragon being the size of small car minus his appendages.  As i went through i could only think of how this was over the top!  It is no wonder that this was his party house.

While in Brighton i froze my butt off!! It was so cold!--So glad it was a beach town ;)  But while there we found the coolest little shop that was literally a nice hold in the wall.  I had a full English breakfast, which was amazing, not sure i would have it again but i can say i had a full English breakfast in Briton on the beach.

Finishing lunch found us on the bus again and heading to Canterbury, but i must first say the country of Briton is out of this world!  It is some of the most beautiful country i have ever seen.  Glorious rolling hills carved by countless rivers and stream, not an ounce of land that is not green, with each rolling hill framed in trees, with the occasional field of glorious gold.  The view from the coach was worth the ride itself.  But our driver played music during the trip, not my favorite.

Arriving in Canterbury found the weather warmer but still mindnumbingly cold!  We traveled through the most outrageous mall, i actually wish i would have had time to shop!  We arrived and Canterbury cathedral which is the martyr place of St. Thomas Becket and center for the church of England. Many people still pilgrimage to Canterbury church because of Thomas Becket (just a note his death was a rallying point for favoring the church's powers over the kings).  While visiting the Westminster like cathedral, we had the privilege of attending evening song.  It was amazing to hear the unique voice a young male voice echoing through an ancient cathedral.






The day finished with a small group of us going out to Masala world.  This Indian restaurant was recommended to us by an Indian woman that we met on the tube a few days ago.  She was correct in her recommendation of the Thai!  It was just a great time.  

Day In

Yesterday turned out to be a work day!

Got up in the morning and had a few minutes to write in my blog before breakfast.  After breakfast it was another three hour class in a hard chair, i tell you what i want to avoid three hour classes at all cost, those are hard to swallow. 

After class we headed out to Nandos for lunch; it is at Nandos that i discovered their fire sauce.  There is nothing better that their chicken burger with garlic bread, chips, and fire sauce.  I totally agree with Brian there needs to be one in the states!

After lunch my times was spent in the library finishing up my news papers and then writing my media paper.  I finished the rough draft of my paper and then read 12 Night.  One of the most interesting parts of 12 night for me was the word play on gloves and the English language.  He refers to sentences as children's gloves that can be easily turned inside out.  He then says he wishes his sister didn't have a name, implying that because a person is named they can change just as fast as a sentence from good to bad.