Paris, oh ya!

Hey Everyone!

So it is officially day 3 in Paris and I cannot believe that we are in such a beautiful city! All over the world there are certainly great amounts of beauty to behold but in the last 48 hours I have witnessed some gorgeous sights! Yesterday we spent our morning at the great Notre Dame Cathedral. The Cathedral is located alongside the Siene River and has a very strong presence. Not only is the building constructed in such a way that it embodies God’s great power, but also His immense glory. The stained glass windows, high arches and statues are wonderful works of art. In Notre Dame you can’t help but think of God.

            After touring Notre Dame we visited Sainte Chapelle, another beautiful church. Sainte Chapelle is famous for its stained glass windows, which leave you in a state of awe at such beauty. While we sat in the Chapelle for a while it was impossible not to notice the gigantic windows that slash colour all over the walls and floors.

            In the afternoon we all enjoyed some free time: shopping, touring, and napping in the sunshine included. We had a boo-boo and ended up at the Louvre at closing time, so we’ll be headed for the late-night admission on another night, but ended up going to the Arc du Triomphe and Eifel Tower instead. The Arc du Triomphe is one of my favourite monuments in Paris. It displays carvings from certain French victories and is MASSIVE. You can literally see it from 3-4 kms away.

            After the Louvre we walked to the Eifel Tower just in time to catch the sun beginning to set. Many pictures were taken next to the world renowned tower, and each one of us seemed to feel for the first time the reality of the fact that we are in Paris. For some reason being at the Eifel tower made it so legit. What made this excursion even greater was the fact that we climbed 2 levels of the Tower at dark, with all of the lights of Paris lit up. Every hour the Eifel was illuminated with twinkling lights… so amazing! We all decided to take the elevator up to the top level and can now say that we have been to the top of the Eifel Tower of Paris! Little did we know that we had missed the last metros (except for 2 short lines) and had to walk back to our hotel at 1:30 am. But it was so worth it!

            That brings me to today. Many of us ventured outside of Paris to the Palace of Versailles, home of the French Royal Family prior to the Revolutions in the 1800’s. The best words to describe the vast grounds and gardens of Versailles: breathtaking. I was completely overwhelmed with the space that was covered in shrubbery, trees, lakes, ponds, fountains and plants. It was amazing to see the sunshine moving across the grounds in coherence with the cloud shadows. The palace of Versailles itself is also beautifully decorated. Our favourite room by far was the hall of mirrors, just outside of the Kings chambers. Overall, Versailles is definitely a must-see for any headed to France.

            Well, that’s all for now! We’re loving Paris but are looking forward to heading to Valencia for Days in the Diocese on Thursday! Please keep us in your prayers, you are in ours! God bless your faces off! Hannah xoxo.