An Explorer In Rome: Paris for Easter: Part 2

Saturday, we climbed the Arc de Triomphe, walked along the Champs Elysees, and went to the Bastille (which is no longer there, by the way). My brother wasn't feeling well, so my mom took him back to the apartment. My sister, aunt, and I went to the Bastille and then to Victor Hugo's house. When we came back, my sister and I explored Montmartre. We went to the Sacre Coeur, saw Picasso's studio, and walked by Van Gogh's house. We saw one of only windmills left on the hill. We then meandered back to the apartment, stopping to buy souvenirs and food for dinner.

Sunday was Easter so we attended mass at Sacre Coeur. It was packed and visitors were streaming in, which was very distracting. It was in French and I was tired, so I fell asleep for a little. The pain was that we didn't even get Eucharist! They didn't come down our aisle. Afterwards, we went towards Notre Dame. We saw Shakespeare and Co bookstore and walked to the Pantheon (there's one in Rome, too). The Pantheon was this big structure that from the outside looked like the Pantheon here in Rome. Inside, it had paintings and sculptures, mostly dedicated to St. Genevieve, patron of Paris. In the crypt, many famous people were buried, like Voltaire, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, and Rousseau. We headed down the street to the Luxembourg Gardens and strolled for a little in there. It was cold on Sunday so we decided to head back. We walked through the Latin Quarter, St. Germain, past Saint Sulpice church and along the Seine. For dinner, we just got sandwiches. I had an extremely early bedtime because I had to be up at 4:00 am to get my plane.

Paris grew on me. At first, I didn't really like it, but by the time I left, I wanted more. The metro is efficient and extensive--so nice for someone like me who loves public transportation. My favorite part, besides seeing my family, was probably Sacre Coeur. Although there were throngs of people, I loved the view and the church and the area.