My second day in Paris was extremely intense, and wonderfully overwhelming. Overall climbing about 1,000 steps and walking all over Paris. Our first stop was the Sainte-Chappelle Cathedral. This cathedral was probably the most beautiful church I had ever stepped foot in. The stained glass was absolutely incredible. Even the floor tiles were beautiful. I can't imagine coming to worship there regularly, as some used to.
Next stop- La Cathedrale de Notre-Dame. I did not go inside the actual cathedral itself (although I wish I had), I did climb to the top of it and up to the bell tower, where the bell Emmanuel Bell can be seen. The view from the top of Notre-Dame was the first I had seen of Paris thus far, and so the most memorable. From there, you could see church spires, domes, and the iconic Tour D'Eiffel. It was so incredible to see all of Paris laid out before me for the first time.
After the rest of the visits, such as the Opera Garnier (where Le Fantôme de l'Opéra was conceived, and even holds a viewing box for the phantom himself), and L'arc de Triomphe, we decided to take a break, then head to what I was looking forward to the most: the Louvre.
The Louvre is THE biggest art museum in the world. It has so many paintings and pieces of art and culture that it would take you days to observe. We had about an hour. So I decided to go see the three pieces of art that I was dying to see the most: the Mona Lisa (La Jaconde), The Nike of Samothrace, and the statue of Venus de Milo.
Walking up to La Jaconde was incredible. For so many years I have been learning about her eyes, her coy smile, and the history of Leonardo da Vinci. Standing there while she looked at me was like meeting an old friend.
And Venus: as graceful as I'd imagined.
To complete the night, I saw the Eiffel Tower light up from a distance, sparkling against the Parisian night sky.
This looks like such a nice place. I am glad you are having a good time!
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