Sunday O'Fun

Sunday was so busy! Morning began with my commute to church. I took the RER into Paris, made a Metro transfer and then had to walk about 5-7 minutes. It really wasn't too bad. The RER/Metro is so easy to figure out and is extremely convenient...plus during my walk, I passed Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Cartier. Sounds rough, right? :)

Church was fantastic. I went to the American Cathedral in Paris. Everyone was incredibly friendly. It was a traditional Episcopal service, complete with fantastic music and a thought provoking message. It reminded me a lot of Saint Peters in Rome, GA. I felt very at home there. After the service, I attended the coffee hour and introduced myself to the priests and some regular attenders. I really enjoyed myself.

I had plans to meet my friend Simona, another opera singer from Sieur Du Luth, at 17H (or 5pm)... so I had a good 5 hours or so to kill. From the church, it only takes approximately 10 minutes or so to walk to the Champs-Elysees, so I decided to spend my Sunday exploring that area.

When I visited in the summer of 2009, I only had 7 days to see everything... there is so much to see/do in Paris!  I was able to hit all the major spots, but now I am able to spend time at each location,  looking at every statue, every description. It's absolutely wonderful. I'm totally one of those "annoying tourists" who could spend hours upon hours at a museum reading every caption on every painting.

For those of you who don't know, at one end of the Champs-Elysee stands the majestic Arc de Triomphe. At the opposite end, the Place de la Concorde. Although I walked the entire length of the street and back (2.4 miles), I spent most of my time at the Arc de Triomphe. Napolean commissed the building of the arc in 1806, to represent the strength of his military and memorialize the death of many soldiers. Four years later, in 1810, a wooden arc (with the same dimensions) was built to celebrate his marriage to Mary Louise. It wasn't until 15 years after he passed  away, that the arc, as it now stands, was completed.

The arc has been the location for many significant celebrations: victorious parade after WWI, De Gauille's liberation march after WWII, World Cup celebrations, Bastille Day, VE Day, and Remembrance Day. In 1920, the Tomb of the Unknown Solider was installed, complete with a Memorial Flame.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Memorial Flame

The best view, however, is not from the ground. You can go inside the arc, climb 284 steps, and see all of Paris. It's an amazing sight! Totally worth the 3-5 euros (discounted price). But you don't have to take my word for it... here are some of the pictures I took on Sunday:

Sacre Coeur

After visting the Arc of Triompe, I walked down the Champs-Elyees. It's a very busy street, with people and cars all around. It is also the home to some fantastic shopping opportunites, if you have an abundance of money.   :)

I stopped in a side garden just off the street and ate my packed lunch. I sat there for a while just admiring the flowers, my surroundings, and thanking God for giving me this opportunity to live in such a beautiful place. After I snapped out of my daze, I decided to go to the Petit Palais to see their current exhibition.

Grand Palais

Petit Palais

Lobby of Petit Palais

Courtyard of Petit Palais

Side Note: Many of the museums have free admission on the first Sunday of every month.

I honestly wasn't too fond of the exhibition. The museum was sectioned off into tiny viewing areas. Each area housed a short 3-5 minute film of a famous painting. Literally, they took a video camera, scanned across the painting, and piped in sounds effects. I had seen many of the paintings live... so I wasn't too impressed. I left the Petit Palais and walked to the Pont Alexandre III (bridge), one of my favorite views of the Eiffel Tower and quite possibly the most beautiful bridge in Paris.

This bridge was built in 1900 to honor the "new" alliance between Russia and France. The coat of arms from both countries can be found on the bridge, along with four bronze Pegasus statues. One thing that I didn't notice during my last visit were all of the locks attached to the bridge. When I got home, I looked up the significance of the locks. People attach their locks to the bridge, symbolizing their love, wishes, or promises. I hope to attach a lock before I leave. I will wait, however, until my purpose is known!

Padlocks on the bridge

If you would like to see a great video of the bridge go here: http://vimeo.com/10648133

Myself and Simona

After my walk on the bridge, I took the Metro to my friend, Simona's place. We had such a good time. We ate dinner, went shopping, and had coffee twice! I've missed her! I am so glad I have been able to keep in touch with my Parisian friends for so long!