In my last entry - which was WAY too long ago - I mentioned that I would add my thoughts on the book I decided to read for our European trip.  I was required to write a book report on the book that I chose, so I thought I would just post that for you to read!  The book I read is called Chocolat, and the author is Joanne Harris.  I hope that, after reading what I have to say, you'll find the book as irresistible as I did!  =)  Here it is:

The book I chose to read while we were in Paris and Barcelona is Chocolat, by Joanne Harris.  I had seen the movie based off of the book, but I had no idea the book existed.  I chose to read Chocolat because the film had so intrigued me; I wanted to have a deeper understanding of the very complex characters and a fuller view of the intricacies in the plot.  I had high expectations for the book after watching the film, and was in no way disappointed.  Because of its unique and well-developed characters, engaging ideas, and beautiful diction and imagery, Chocolat is a book I would willingly recommend.

The story starts out with the main character, Vianne Rocher, and her daughter Anouk making a new beginning in the small, deeply conservative town of Lansquenet.  They buy and renovate an old bakery in the center of the village, turning it into La Celeste Praline, a tempting little chocolaterie full to bursting with delectable sweets.  While business is slow at first, the villagers soon discover and relish the high quality of the chocolates, which prove to be entirely irresistible.  Each villager is closed off, hard, and cold when he or she meets Vianne for the first time.  However, this universal pinched and fettered attitude soon wares off as Vianne begins to warm the cold, still town with her unfeigned happiness, genuine contentment, and deep concern for the well-being of those around her.  Before long, La Celeste Praline has a devoted following of regular customers and Vianne has been accepted into the hearts of about half of Lansquenet.

The other half, however, is an entirely different story.  While some of the townspeople welcome the breath of fresh air that Vianne brings with her, there are several folk who shun the woman and her natural, easy, slightly impertinent ways.  The leader of this bunch is the town’s reverend, Pere Reynaud.  Reynaud sees Vianne as a rival, a woman determined to derail the townspeople from their spiritual walks by using her chocolate as an insurmountable temptation.  He accuses her of playing to the weakness of his flock and causing them to succumb to their forbidden desires.  This really isn’t Vianne’s intent, and she refuses to let Reynaud discourage her or control his congregation so strictly.  Not being a church-goer herself – and therefore deepening Reynaud’s suspicion of her – she opens the chocolate shop on the first day of Lent, exactly when the people of the town are meant to be forgoing their indulgences.

The rest of the book details the struggle Vianne goes through in order to be accepted by the society of Lansquenet while helping others along the way.  Through Vianne, people in the town learn what it feels like to live again, although there is a constant shadow thrown by the restrictive and hypocritical Reynaud.  Josephine, a sweet woman dealing with the hardship of an alcoholic and abusive husband, finally gains the courage to leave the man who has been making her life miserable, much to the joy of Vianne – and the consternation of Reynaud.  One of the oldest – and strangest – residents of Lansquenet, Armande, throws caution to the wind and chooses to indulge herself and enjoy the last few months of her life before her serious diabetes causes her to go blind and eventually pass away.  A group of river gypsies find a true friend in Vianne and become partially accepted in Lansquenet for the first time, another unwelcome change in the eyes of the pious Reynaud.  Vianne uses her chocolates and her uncanny, eerily accurate perception of people’s personalities and struggles to introduce warmth and joy to the town of Lansquenet again, bringing certain villagers peace and unity while also causing controversy and strife between other residents of the town.

Vianne rejoices in the happiness she is able to bring to others through her chocolates and her kind, honest words.  She becomes increasingly uncomfortable, however, as Reynaud’s disapproval and opposition slowly begins to ware on her.  Vianne was raised by a mother who dabbled in witchcraft – an area with which she is somewhat familiar herself – and was constantly on the move, running from the so-called Black Man who represented evil and death.  Vianne has carried this constant upheaval and movement into her own life and struggles against the terror she has for Reynaud – her own personal Black Man – while deeply desiring to stay in Lansquenet, both for the sake of her young daughter and because she herself has become attached to her friends there.  She gains her own courage from the people she has been able to help and strives to find the same freedom they have discovered through her encouragement. 

Vianne’s fight against Reynaud climaxes on Easter Sunday, when she opens La Celeste Praline for a weeklong chocolate festival.  Naturally, Reynaud is highly enraged, perceiving this festival as Vianne’s final attempt to turn the people’s focus away from God and towards worldly pleasure.  Determined to win in his own struggle against temptation, Reynaud decides to enter Vianne’s shop early on Easter morning and destroy her supply of candy.  He emerges in the shop with a club in hand, completely bent on anonymous destruction, but instead finally succumbs to the desires he has been suppressing since he first laid eyes on the new chocolaterie months ago.  Rather than smashing the chocolates, he gorges himself on truffle after truffle until he is discovered by Vianne herself.  Humiliated to the extreme, he flees the shop and isn’t heard of again. 

It is assumed that Vianne has won her fight against the Black Man and against her own fear.  The people of Lansquenet are free from the domineering grip of the reverend and are happy and content with their lives once more.  Vianne could easily choose to stay, as both she and her daughter so keenly desire.  Whether she stays or not, the reader never discovers.  One is left with a feeling of quiet triumph, uneasy contentment, and halting satisfaction – the way Vianne feels at the end of her long struggle against fear.

Chocolat is a book unlike any I have read before.  I love the beautiful, delectable description of the lush, rich chocolates, pastries, and cakes Vianne creates.  I love the way the characters are developed so deeply – really, the plot is centered around character development rather than around a storyline.  I didn’t appreciate the way Christians were depicted – as domineering, restrictive, and hypocritical people determined to suck pleasure out of the lives of themselves and of others – but the rest of the book captured my heart, and I could almost imagine myself there in the story as we explored Versailles and the small, historical towns of the Basque Country.

So there you have it!  Read and enjoy.  =)

Today is the last day of the tour.  It's crazy that it's already finished, and yet at the same time I feel like I've been gone for months.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very good for us in Bilbao today.  It drizzled steadily all day long - not a big problem in the morning, as we were inside the Guggenheim until about 12:30, but more of an issue when we were dropped off for free time in the historical center of the city.  The Guggenheim surprised me very pleasantly.  I'm not a huge fan of modern art; don't get me wrong....it can be really interesting!  But my heart lies with the old masters of the Renaissance and Baroque time periods, as well as with the Impressionists.  So I was overjoyed to find that the entire top floor of the museum was currently devoted to Dutch and Flemish artwork!  I was particularly happy to view some Northern art since we had to miss it at the Louvre.  I saw a few pieces by Rembrandt, Jan Breugel the Elder, and Vermeer, among others.  As usual, I was completely flabbergasted by the ability of those amazing artists to take paint and apply it to canvas so skillfully and produce a finished work as realistic as a photograph.  Would that I could learn to paint that way some day!  The rest of the museum exceeded my expectations, also.  There were some photography and abstract exhibits on the second floor that were very engaging, as well as some large modern art pieces on the first floor that caught and held my attention.  Naturally, one of the most impressive things about the Guggenheim is its impressive architecture, designed by Frank Gehry.  I wasn't able to get some of the photos I would have liked, but it was still exciting to see such an unusual and uniquely beautiful piece of architecture!  

After spending time at the Guggenheim, we found a small, Subway-like cafe in the center of Bilbao.  We ate and chatted there for an hour or so, then wandered around the various quaint little shops in the area surrounding.  Unfortunately, many of the stores closed between about 2:30 and 4:00 for the afternoon siesta, which was the exact period of time that we were there.  However, we did manage to find a few fun candy stores and bakeries full of delectable treats!  Our afternoon was cut pretty short because of the rain, and the bus drove us back to the hotel at about 4:00.  Cortney and I made a quick trek across the street to buy some last-minute snacks for our flight home, and now we're busily packing and preparing for the long day of traveling ahead of us tomorrow.

I'm less nervous for the flights tomorrow than I was at the beginning of the trip.  Still, I can't help but have more than a few butterflies!  I know I'll be praying, and I would love it if you would, too.  I loved my time in Europe, but I'm ready to embrace America again with open arms.  Our trip will officially be over at about 9:30 tomorrow night!  I will continue to post during the next few days....I haven't made it very far in the book I chose to read for this trip, and I had planned to put down my thoughts and opinions as I read.  Therefore, you will be hearing from me again soon.  =)

Our tour is really starting to wind down.  It's been very nice to have a little bit of extra time and a more relaxed schedule; I'm finally starting to feel more rested and able to stop to take in the beautiful views of Europe around me.

Cortney and I made a rushed attempt to spot the Barcelona beach before we had to be back for the game and saw the sea, sand, and palm trees for all of two minutes before having to book it back to the metro station.  The rush was all my fault; even though we've been seven hours ahead of Sioux Falls time this entire trip, I'm so used to counting back six hours from all our visits to England.  We didn't have a clock in our hotel room, so we were relying on my computer to keep us on track.  My computer is still on Sioux Falls time, so when I counted ahead to figure out what time it was, I calculated with six hours instead of seven.  Hence, we were a whole hour shorter of time than we thought!  After spending such a hurried hour, I just wasn't in the mood for too much more action, so I opted not to go to the Barcelona football game last night, after all.  I know, I know....I'm sure there are some people out there who think I'm pretty crazy for giving up a chance like that.  Still, I know it worked out for the best!  I was able to save 40 euro, pack, eat a healthy dinner, and have some solitude before turning in for the night (none of which would have happened if I had gone to the game).

Our rushing wasn't over after last night, however - we got up this morning thinking that we had a whole hour more than we did to get ready!  We managed to make it to the bus only ten minutes late, which wasn't too bad, considering that we had not only to get ready but to pack and get all our luggage downstairs.  Once on the bus, we were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the four-hour drive to Pamplona, Spain (Pamplona was made famous for its bull running tradition in Ernest Hemingway's work).  A heavy fog had settled for most of our ride to Pamplona, but when it wasn't foggy, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.  Everything was so green and lush, and vineyard after vineyard rolled past.  There were thick trees everywhere, and the landscape was full of gently rolling hills and tall, majestic mountains.  It looked exactly like the Spain I always imagined.

Pamplona was incredible, also.  Much of the city was modernized, but the part that we spent time in was a perfectly preserved reminder of Hemingway's time.  The buildings were so quaint; most were painted different colors, and they were made of either brick or stone.  The windows had lovely moldings and ornate balconies, and the cafes around the main square were very reminiscent of bygone days.  We walked up a narrow cobblestone street to a hilltop that looked down on the walls of the original citadel and marveled at the stunning view!  Unfortunately, my camera died last night, so I wasn't able to capture any memories of one of my favorite places I've visited thus far.  Still, I kept telling myself that - because I wasn't so focused on snapping photos of everything - I was able to be much more in the moment and enjoy the time I had in Pamplona.

After spending a few hours in Pamplona, we boarded the bus again and drove two more hours through Basque country to the city of Bilbao, where we'll be staying now for the remainder of our tour.  Tonight is just a quiet night at the hotel to get caught up, and tomorrow we will be spending the day at the Guggenheim and in the downtown area.  It's crazy to think that the trip is winding up already!

Well, once again, I haven't written as often as I ought to.  What can I say....it's hard to keep up with a "daily" blog when travelling!  I'm going to pick up right where I left off and try to cover our activities day by day, as I did last time I wrote.

Thursday, January 13:  Cortney and I spent a nice, relaxing morning and early afternoon in the hotel.  The rest and break was much needed!  We ventured out of our room and down the street to a nearby grocery store, where we bought some healthy supplies and two very large cases of water.  As we trekked back to the hotel with all our loot in tow, I managed to drop my water not only once but twice, breaking the case and denting each bottle.  We finally made it back without too much more trouble!  It was an adventure shopping in the little French grocery store, especially as the employees didn't speak English.  Although it was tricky to pick out the right things with the labels written all in French, we managed to do just fine.  Once we were ready to head out to the city again, we gathered our things and took the metro to The Louvre.  What an incredible experience!  By the time we arrived it was about 3:30, and the museum closed at 6:00.  We didn't have as much time as we would have liked (the Louvre is SO huge!  Our tour guide told us that if you looked at each piece of work for one minute, you'd have to spend 24 hours a day for 24 days at the museum.  That's over 34,000 pieces of artwork!!!), but I wouldn't have traded the few hours we spent there for anything.  Our method - since we had so little time in such a gargantuan museum - was to start with the three most famous pieces and then work our way around the Italian, French, and Northern paintings from there.  The first thing we discovered is that the Louvre is quite confusing, with all its different rooms and sections and hallways.  I still can't get over its size.  We started out by searching for the Venus de Milo, the famous sculpture from Ancient Greece.  It took us awhile to find her, but it was more than worth it.  Our next stop - and one of my personal favorites - was the Nike of Samonthrace, or Winged Victory.  When we studied her in my first art history course, I fell in love immediately with her expressive pose, graceful drapery, powerful wings, and emotional appeal.  Seeing her in the Louvre was a dream come true!  I have to admit that I got a little teary-eyed when I first saw her placed at the top of a grand marble staircase, which isn't something that happens to me much!  But the moment was just so powerful to me:  here I was, a lowly art student at USF, walking through the deeply lavish and highly historical halls of the Louvre and looking up at one of my favorite sculptures of all time.  Eventually, we moved on to the last of the three pieces we absolutely couldn't miss....the Mona Lisa!  She was just as lovely in person as in every other place her mysterious face appears, of course.  We snapped a few photos of each other with da Vinci's secretive woman, then turned our attention to Veronese's "Wedding Feast at Cana," just across the room from the Mona Lisa.  It was almost humorous to see the contrast in size between the two paintings; da Vinci's is a very small piece (30x21 in.), while Veronese's covered the entire opposite wall (it's 262x390 in.).  Yet, despite the fact that Veronese painted a much larger and more intricate piece, the crowds still flock to the solitary portrait by da Vinci.  I'm not trying to discount the Mona Lisa by any means - she's absolutely beautiful in every way!  I just couldn't help seeing the irony in the situation.  After paying our respects to those three famous pieces of artwork, we sped around the Italian painters until the sun started setting.  At that point, we left the paintings for a view of the Tuileries Gardens before darkness fell.  While they were lovely, I couldn't help wishing it were summer so I could see them in their best form.  When we went back to seek out the French and Northern galleries, we had just missed our chance; the galleries had closed just minutes before we arrived back.  We grabbed a quick bite to eat, then decided to find a metro to take us back to the Eiffel Tower.  We wandered around in search of the station, but missed it....so we just decided to walk.  Although it was quite a distance along a mix of Paris's busiest roads by the Seine River and some of its back streets, we really enjoyed seeing those parts of the city from a different angle.  The tower was closed when we arrived - it was too windy to take people all the way up to the top - but it was well worth the walk to have one last glance at the iconic piece of Parisian architecture.  Exhausted from all the walking, we decided to get a metro back to the hotel.  When we arrived at the station, we were serenaded by two sweet buskers playing an accordion and a trumpet; they were so kind and friendly that we would gladly have given them a few coins, but we were stuck on the other side of the tracks.  We waved to them through the window as we drove off, looked at each other, and promptly decided to go back and find out a way to the other side of the tracks.  When we made it back a few minutes later, we were overjoyed to see that they were still sitting on the side of the station!  Luck was against us again, however; they got onto the train a little farther down right after we had gotten off, so we had wasted our time for nothing.  It made for good memories, in any case, and we were still smiling when we arrived at the hotel an hour or so later.  It had been a very long afternoon, and we were overjoyed to get to bed!

Friday, January 14:  On Friday, most of our group opted for a guided tour of the palace at Versailles, home of Louis XIV, the Sun King.  Again, this was an experience I felt to lucky to have!  It was nice to leave the city for a few hours and feel clean, fresh air and see a smaller town.  The town of Versailles is absolutely lovely!  Our tour guide told us that it's the wealthiest city in France, and I can certainly understand why.  Versailles is a lot like the Paris that I had imagined in my head, with quaint streets and pretty houses and such.  My mood was soaring high as the sun peeked out of the clouds for the first time since our arrival in France, and it stayed high as we viewed room after magnificent room of the rich Louis' palace.  The decoration was so lavish, it's almost impossible to describe.  The Hall of Mirrors, of course, was particularly ravishing.  The entire palace was covered from floor to ceiling in gold leaf, crystal chandeliers, velvet cushions, expensive fabrics, and the paintings and sculptures of several master artists.  I couldn't even begin to imagine living in such a residence.  The gardens were also incredible, groomed and trimmed to absolute perfection.  I loved strolling through the greenery at a leisurely pace, just enjoyed the peace and solitude that only nature can bring.  Again, I wish I could have experienced Versailles at its absolute best - in the summer - but it was a wonderful visit.  The bus dropped us back off in the center of Paris a few hours later and we ate a quick lunch, then headed to the d'Orsay Museum, home of the work of many French painters.  The d'Orsay - fortunately for us - isn't half the size of the Louvre, so we were actually able to see just about everything, although we had to move at a pretty good clip.  The highlights of my visit there were seeing some real, live paintings by Claude Monet (although I was disappointed that the d'Orsay only held three of his pieces) and several paintings by Manet and Courbet that we had discussed extensively in my most recent art history course.  It was so cool to be able to walk into a room and say, "oh!  I recognize that.  That's ____." or "hmmm, I haven't seen that piece before, but that really looks like the work of _____" and be right about it!  After spending a few hours at the d'Orsay, we took the metro back to the Opera district of Paris and bought some sweet treats at a gourmet candy store, then hurried to make it back to our hotel in time to load our luggage onto the bus.  Dinner was at a very unusual restaurant down another back street of Paris.  We were lead through the upper level of the restaurant and then down a winding staircase into the stone basement, which had the feel of a historic and cozy dungeon.  Maybe you've had a chance to visit Touch of Europe in Sioux Falls - the atmosphere was quite similar!  We were served flam, which is a traditional food from the north of France.  It's made of a cracker-thin pizza crust, a creamy cheese sauce, and various toppings (we had mushroom or ham, then chocolate and banana or apple for dessert).  I wished very heartily that I could try some, but my lactose intolerance held me back once again.  As soon as we finished dinner, we were whisked off to the station to catch our overnight train to Barcelona.  That was another experience in itself!  The cars are actually quite nice; each one contains a sink, luggage space, and four beds that fold up to provide four seats.  The journey wasn't the most comfortable one I've ever had with all the rocking and swaying of the train, but I was able to get more sleep than on the plane, to my relief.  We rolled into Barcelona twelve hours later, stumbled off the train and transferred to the bus, and then started the next stage of our tour in Spain!

Saturday, January 15:  Saturday was another very busy day.  We were met almost immediately by a tour guide, who introduced us to Barcelona from a high hilltop at the very outskirts of the city.  On the way back down, she took us through several of the most famous sights in Barcelona:  we got to see the stadium where the Olympics were held in 1992 and a few houses designed by the one and only Antoni Gaudi.  We got off the bus and explored Gaudi's highly unique Parque Guell for awhile, then continued on to the incredible La Sagrada Familia Cathedral.  Once again, I am at a loss for words!  I can't even begin to imagine how Gaudi created SUCH an intricate, ornate, and entirely different cathedral.  It's no wonder he estimated that it would take 200 years to build!  Unfortunately, we weren't able to go inside - during the month of January, the city decided to open up the inside of the cathedral for free.  The line was wrapped around the entire huge structure twice and tailed so far back you could hardly make sense of it, so we settled for a good, long look at the outside.  We arrived at our new hotel for the first time around noon and were excited to discover how wonderful it is, both because it's very nice and because it's so well-located.  After a quick turn-around, we headed to exchange some more money and then meet at the metro, which is just less than a block down the street from where we're staying.  We went in to the center of the city, where Cortney and I did some more shopping.  We both found some good deals - although we didn't buy anything that was strictly necessary - and then made it back to the hotel in time to shower before our late dinner, which was at 8:00.  And what a dinner it was!  We were taken to a beautiful little restaurant right on the port of Barcelona.  I loved seeing all the sailboats tied along the dock, as well as smelling the fresh sea air and feeling the cool breeze.  Once inside the restaurant, we were treated to a DELICIOUS three-course meal that started with a yummy pasta salad (fettucini, olive oil, carrots, mushrooms, and spices) and a simple - but incredible - platter of toasted bread rubbed with fresh tomatoes and olive oil.  Our main course was made up of delicately spiced potatoes and tomatoes and what was probably the most heavenly piece of salmon I have ever tasted.  It was cooked simply - just with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, onions, a little basil, and maybe just a bit a of salt a pepper - but so well; it was succulent, fragrant, and rich.  My mouth is starting to water now just remembering it!  Dessert was a creamy Spanish version of creme brulee that looked just as delicious as every other part of the meal, and I ate a luscious dish of fresh fruit.  All in all, it was quite a treat!  After dinner, we came back to the hotel and relaxed for an hour or so before slipping into bed.

Sunday, January 16:  I'm going to write about our experiences so far today just so I don't have quite so much to catch up on, but I'll have to finish the rest of this afternoon and evening when I get a chance to write again.  We were treated to a nice, long sleep last night, which was MUCH needed.  Breakfast wasn't until 9:30, and it was absolutely fantastic.  Not being a breakfast person, I only ate a warm roll, but there was quite the selection of fresh fruit (I grabbed a kiwi to save for later!), pastries, croissants, and eggs.  By a little after 10:30, we were on our way back to the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, where we were able to actually get inside La Sagrada Familia for a fee of 12.50.  It was worth the money - the inside of the cathedral is just as uniquely beautiful as the facade!  Unfortunately, my camera died a few minutes in, but I got most of the photos I wanted to take.  The nave was so tall and graceful, and the stained glass windows were burnished and glowing in the warm Barcelona sun.  I was struck by the height of the nave in relation to its length; it almost seemed taller than it was long!  We were also able to see inside a school that Gaudi had built so that his workers could attend classes as they worked on the cathedral.  We then walk down a staircase to observe a Catholic service going on in a smaller chapel beneath the main church.  It was also beautiful, but in a much more traditional and Gothic sort of way.  Our next stop was the Ramblas, or a market of kiosks set up along one of the main shopping streets in Barcelona.  We saw many various street performers dressed up in remarkable - and sometimes highly grotesque - costumes - and lots of unique candy and souvenir shops.  I ate a warm chicken sandwich and piece of carrot cake for lunch, which wasn't very Spanish of me, but it was quick and cheap and hit the spot.  We spent most of our afternoon shopping, then decided to come back to the hotel room to rest our sore feet and catch up on a few things like packing and blogging.  Hence my opportunity to write before I let another day slip by!  In a few minutes I think we're planning to head to the beach for a little while, and then we'll come back to get ready to go to a real Barcelona football game.  Tomorrow we're off to Pamplona and Bilbao!

So far, I'm loving Spain.  I had planned on enjoying Paris a whole lot more than Barcelona, but I've been surprised to discover that it's the other way around.  Maybe it's because our hotel room is quite a bit nicer and more spacious, or because Barcelona - although it's a very good size - isn't as large as Paris.  The air is so much more fresh here, and the pace of life just seems more leisurely.  I'm sure that a big part of it is because my mood is so much improved; with the sun, cloudless blue sky, and early spring-like weather, it's hard not be be joyful.  I do miss knowing parts of the language, however few those parts might be....the two main languages in Barcelona are Catalan and Spanish, both of which I know nothing!  Still, my opinion of Barcelona is very high, and I would love to come back someday.  Paris holds more of the kind of art and music that interests me, and I know that I need to spend another few days there sometime in my life, but for now, I'm more than content to stay in sunny, charming, Mediterranean Spain.  =)

Well, I'm afraid I've neglected to write the past two days!  It's been so busy and so crazy that I just have not had a minute.  Also, the hotel we're staying in has a somewhat unpredictable Internet service, and when I have actually sat down and tried to write, the Internet decided not to work.  I'll try to sum up the last three days here in one post!

Monday, January 10:  The flight.  Oh, goodness.  I was desperately nervous before our first flight; thankfully, it went well, so I was able to be more calm as we waited for our long trip from Chicago to Paris.  That second flight went just fine, also, to my great relief.  I settled down and tried to just relax, knowing that it wouldn't do anyone any good if I were freaking out for the full eight hours!  Still, even though I managed to remain basically calm, that didn't stop me from tightly gripping the armrests when we flew through clouds and windy areas; it was actually one of the most turbulent flights I've ever been on, despite the fact that the pilot told us before we took off that it was going to be a smooth flight!  I guess even pilots can't completely predict the weather.  ;)  Although I sat with my eyes closed for somewhere between three and five hours, I got about five minutes of sleep the whole time, if that.  Needless to say, I was absolutely exhausted when we arrived at the Paris airport after what seemed like an eternity.  The flight back is going to be even longer....I'm trying SO hard not to think about that!  I think that pretty much covers our experiences on Monday.

Tuesday, January 11:  Our first day in the City of Lights!  This whole day was very hard on all of us, as only a few people in the group had been lucky enough to actually sleep on the plane.  We started by taking a metro from our hotel to the Opera House district.  The first thing we did was exchange some money - or attempt to - at the bank.  That worked for everyone BUT me!  I started to panic a little bit when I was told that my debit card was invalid.  Thankfully, when we went to a different exchange kiosk, the card went through without a hitch.  We ate a quick lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and trying to find our bearings in this huge, foreign city.  We wanted to go into the Opera House, but weren't able to find the entrance (it turns out we should have gone in on the side through what was - in my opinion - a very secluded little gateway).  We resolved to come back on another day to explore the venue that inspired The Phantom of the Opera.  Dinner was at a little restaurant down a narrow street; we had salad, tuna, and rice with fruit for dessert.  

My first impression of Paris after that day was quite different from what I expected.  For some reason, I had an image of Paris as a quaint city with lots of character; I suppose the best way to explain it would be that the Paris in my head was probably much more like the Paris of the 1800's than the Paris of 2011. I expected to see people dressed in high fashion walking the wealthiest districts.  I expected to hear accordion music wafting out of each romantic, dimly lit restaurant and to be able to see the glamorous Eiffel Tower from every point in the city.  I thought life would seem leisurely, deeply pleasurable, and very attractive in every way.  I suppose this was a very unrealistic view; what big city in the world could be described in that way?  I can't think of a single one.  No....Paris is much, much bigger than what I expected.  Seriously, it's absolutely HUGE.  In each direction you look, you see building after building after building cramped together along the streets; I've hardly seen a patch of green grass anywhere - of course, there's no snow and the rain is plentiful, so it wouldn't be entirely unrealistic to expect some greenery.  Almost everybody seems to smoke.  I have never been in a city that smells so much of truck exhaust and cigarette smoke; it seems to hang in the air like visible smog.  Still, despite these rather negative thoughts toward the city, I find that I like it more and more each day.  There's more than enough to do (obviously), the shopping is wonderful (we happened to arrive at a perfect time; Parisian stores only hold sales twice a year, and we were able to experience them yesterday!), and there's so, so much history.  It's been fabulous to take photos in such a beautiful and historic city.  I also discovered just how intimidating it is to speak in French to the people here.  I didn't expect to be nervous about it; after taking French my freshman and sophomore years of high school and studying the basic phrases again before we took off, I was sure I knew enough to get me by.  And it is, for the most part....but it's hard not to feel silly attempting to ask questions in my own halting French when I hear their lovely language flowing so easily off the Parisians’ tongues.  Still, it's been a wonderful experience.  =)  The rest of the day went by in a blur; we were so tired we could hardly stand up anymore.  Walking into our hotel rooms that night was such a blessed relief for everybody!

Wednesday, January 11:  After a good night's sleep, I felt so much more ready for Paris yesterday than I had the day before!  We began our long and busy day by taking a three-hour bus tour of the city.  We drove past Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Tuileries Gardens, the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame Cathedral, Place de la Concorde (where Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette were beheaded), and - of course - the Eiffel Tower.  It was almost too much to take in, seeing all those famous sights in just three hours!  We were dropped off at Notre Dame after the tour.  What a cathedral.  As soon as I stepped through the doors, I was overcome with God's presence and a deep sense of awe.  The stained glass - and especially the rose window - was absolutely beautiful, as were the high, majestic arches and colonnades supporting the stunning vaulted ceiling.  The whole church had a sense of soft, hushed peace and magnificence, despite all the tourists standing around snapping photos and chatting together.  So far, Notre Dame has been the highlight of my Parisian experience.  We stopped by a little sidewalk cafe and bought delicious crepes for lunch, then headed off to hit the sales.  As usual, I bought more and spent more than I really should have, but I can't say I regret it....how often does one get to shop in Paris, such a fashionable city?  I also spent a part of the afternoon exploring Saint Chapelle.  (This was one of those moments in which I felt very silly speaking French, as I mentioned before.  I had to ask a policeman for directions to Saint Chapelle, so I walked up to him and – trying to sound as French as I possibly could - I very politely said “Ou est Salle Chapaint?”  Oh, dear.  We had quite the laugh after that one; it’s my goal not to mess up any more word endings when I speak French here!)  What a stunning chapel it is!  Despite the cloudy weather, the floor-to-ceiling stained glass was absolutely breathtaking; I can't even begin to imagine how beautiful it would have been in the sun!  I couldn't believe how lavish and rich the decoration was.  Any part of the building that wasn't masterfully crafted stained glass was painted in jewel-like color or shimmering gold.  It was a sight I wouldn't have missed for the world.  Those three things filled our whole afternoon, and my one regret was that we weren't able to visit Shakespeare and Company, the little bookstore that Ernest Hemingway frequented.  Dinner was another salad and delicious salmon, with more fruit for dessert.  While the fish and complimentary breadbasket were heavenly, I couldn't help being disappointed about missing out on the rich, creamy chocolate mousse that everyone else enjoyed.  I guess that's the price you pay for being lactose intolerant!  After we finished eating, we trekked back to the Eiffel Tower and took lots of photos.  At night, it was lit up so beautifully.  I couldn't have asked for anything better to take a picture of!  We attempted to take an elevator up to the very top, but unfortunately it was too windy for anyone to be allowed past the second floor.  Most of the group is going to go back later tonight; I may or may not, depending on how tired I am at the end of the day.  Our final activity was a cruise on the Seine River, where we had a perpetual view of the Eiffel Tower from different angles.  The city was all lit up, and it looked absolutely beautiful.  If the weather had been warmer, I couldn't imagine a more relaxing or romantic end to a long day!  

So, that pretty much covers the trip so far.  I'm so looking forward to seeing Barcelona on Saturday; although I'm so glad we've had this time here in Paris, I'm more ready than ever to see the sun and feel the warm breeze on my arms!  We've been told to expect sunny and 62 while we're there, and that is SUCH a welcome thought.  As an artist, my mood is very deeply affected by the weather, and even just one day of rain and clouds is enough to send me into a bit of a funk.  I hope to write again later today; until then, au revoir!

Tomorrow begins my first international journey without my family.  I've been to England many times in the company of my father, mother, and brother to visit my mother's kin, and tomorrow I embark on a trek to Paris, Barcelona, and Bilbao with a group of students from USF.  I'm excited, but incredibly apprehensive and nervous.  I'm a worrier - a huge worrier - and I have the tendency to freak out a little bit every night before I leave on a trip.  Tonight, my anxiety is higher than most times, as I face several flights tomorrow.  I HATE flying.  This is one of many times that I find myself wishing I lived in the world of Harry Potter.  Then I could simply turn sharply and apparate and voila!  I'd be in Paris without the ordeal of speeding through the air at an altitude of 30,000 feet with nothing between my feet and the distant earth but the floor of an airplane.

Moving on....I'd like to talk about what I'm looking forward to, not just what I'm NOT looking forward to. In Paris, I'll get to spend a day at the Louvre, which is a thought that makes me feel that I could faint dead away.  =)  We'll also see the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and its dazzling Hall of Mirrors, and many other things I've read about in my trusty art history textbook.  Naturally, I also plan on doing lots of shopping.  Fashion is an increasing interest of mine, and what better place to explore this avenue than Paris?  Finally, I'll also be reading "Chocolat," by Joanne Harris.  Maybe you've seen the delightful movie based on the novel!  I loved the film, and am excited to read the original creation.

So, in summary, this blog will be dedicated to my thoughts on travel, Paris, Barcelona, literature, food, fears, joys, and faith.  I'm going to be relying on God as much as possible throughout this trip, as it's a huge step for me.  I'm quite timid, shy, reserved....quite fearful.  I have a tendency to let those fears hold me back.  This trip is going to be a huge journey of faith for me as I step outside of my comfort zone in so many levels; leaving the country and spending a week and a half in a foreign nation where a foreign language is spoken without my family members (who provide me with MUCH security) and spending my time with a group of people that I honestly don't know very well, with the exception of one.

So, here's to facing fears, stepping out into new experiences, exploring art, food, literature, and culture....

Saisir le jour!!!