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!