Day 6

Oh whoa!  So it's day 6 for me, and only the second day on the official tour.  I can see that this is going to be an action packed few weeks!

Today we were set loose on Paris!  Ooooo ahhhh...  or Ooo la la perhaps.  I'm working on getting a map embedded into the post,, but that will have to wait til tomorrow.

Bus dropped us off at Musee d'Orsay, from there walked to Notre Dame.  Like I mentioned yesterday, everything is soooo much bigger than I can really describe and this famous church is no different.

The bells were chiming when I was there, and it seemed to go on for a few minutes for sure.  There was also a choir inside that I could hear from the outside.

It was absolutely another 10 mile day.  Mostly because I got lost, but I suppose that what's gave me the immersion feeling today.  After the Notre Dame I went to a smaller church known for it's leaded glass windows, they were beautiful!  

Then up to the Bastile.  Here I was supposed to take the Rue de Rivoli spoke of the 8 spoked circle, but instead went one too far and hopped on one that ran at about a 45* angle from what I was hoping.  Like most European cities, I was lucky when I finally was able to see the street sign, and knew I was in the wrong place.  I felt a little bit like a child's cartoon, where it zooms in on the map and shows the crazy route that the character took to get from point A to point B.  The point is that I saw much of Paris that I hadn't intended to see and I did eventually find my way to the Louvre. 

I took the very typical tourist photo.  

And then a walk through Jardin des Tuileres to L'Orangerie. Here is where I got to see 8 full panel pieces from Claude Monet's waterlily series.  Really fantastic to see it as the artist intended.  The gallery is specially designed to display his works in a semi panoramic fashion.  I learned that from reading the french info tables.  No I don't speak/read french, I was able to piece together from Spanish likeness and the diagrams thank goodness.

Yes, those are goats!

I just briefly have to thank my dad, who when I told him I wasn't going to take my tennis shoes looked at me very incredulously, but managed to nicely indicate I should probably take them with me.  Not only has the weather not been ideal (it poured today!), but my feet are being put through the ringer with another 10+ mile day on them, and boy am I thanking my lucky stars I brought them.

I should have never doubted you!

Tomorrow we are off to Switzerland for two days to stay in Lucerne.  I feel like a bad tourist  but I have absolutely no idea what I want to see there... except the Alps.  Long day tomorrow getting there, so there will likely not be any updates tomorrow.

Here are just a few random shots from lunch, and my brief morning of being lost, haha.  Paris had it's miner downs.  The metro... reeks.  There is a huge homeless population, and they are everywhere, not just in the metros.  As lovely as the dogs were, there was lots of dog excrement left blatantly on the sidewalk.  Most people were very patient with me as long I as I attempted to say a few things in French... very very limited French.  I have a whole different perspective as this was the first country I've ever been to where I didn't know the language. I felt a little bit lingually paralyzed by the end of the day.  I was restraining my natural urges for English, but didn't know enough French to communicate beyond pointing and yes/no/one and thank you.  Sometimes my first impression couldn't even be helped.  While most of the city was fantastic, I ran across one man who I hadn't said one word to, but he definitely spit on me as I walked past.  Oh well, after a silent tirade in my head I was able to literally wash my hands.  :)

Oh!  One more thing!  La Moulin Rouge!!  I'm pretty sure only the French could make semi-nudity that classy.  It was a fantastic dinner and a show last night!  I would highly recommend.