Last day in Paris (23 July)

Today was slightly less eventful than the other two days. We got a later start because everyone was tired.

We first went to Notre Dame. I had been all pumped to see it, but then was slightly disappointed. It was so dark inside and there were sooooooo many people! But now I’ve been to Notre Dame. I didn’t go up to the towers like I wanted because the line was long and not everyone in the group wanted to go.

I did love the stained glass in Notre Dame!

Beach along the Seine? I've never seen anything like this sand castle!

Notre Dame is on the left. I love the clouds.

Then we went to the Lafayette galleries. This is a crazy shopping center with all the big names. Things are insanely expensive, but people were actually shopping. It was interesting to see that side of life, I suppose. Not really my scene.

Then we grabbed crepes for lunch (a banana-nutella one for me!) and headed to the train station because everyone except for Angela and I were leaving at 4. Angela and I tried to see if we could switch our tickets, but we couldn’t, so we went out (this time with our luggage) to a basilica, Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. It is a very touristy place in a ghetto part of town (afterwards I heard it was the red light district?), so I was clinging to my backpack, keeping it on my front the whole time. It wasn’t the best place to lug around my luggage. Anyway, the basilica itself was really pretty. Angela and I just sat in there for a while. I did my scripture study, too. Even though there were tons of tourists, the people in charge make sure they are really quiet, so it was peaceful.

View of Paris from the Basilica

We headed back to the train station and I got a few more stamps in my passport (hoorah). And soon we were on our way back to London.

So, recap: I’m glad I went to Paris. There were a few things that I’ve always wanted to see (namely Versailles and the Louvre) and I really enjoyed them. (There were a few places I had wanted to go to, but didn’t get the chance, but you win some, you lose some.) I also experienced a bit of culture and grew in my understanding of the English language (and how it has been influenced by French). I feel like I strengthened some friendships and learned how to navigate a foreign city better. My philosophy going into this minitrip was that I’d go to Paris once so I’d not have to go again. That philosophy holds true.

Everyone had told me that Paris was a dirty city. Because I was expecting it to be so dirty, I didn’t think it was that bad. But getting back to London was a breath of fresh air. Suddenly the London Underground looked sparkling clean and I didn’t feel like I had to have my hand over my bag at every minute. I was surprised and relieved to hear people speaking English on the trip home. It felt good.

And the very best part of the day was my 10:00 pm run. I had been dying from not officially exercising during the Paris trip and the run was just what I needed to feel ready for my last two days in London.