Paris by Night

This last weekend we competed in Paris against one of our League A opponents. It was a tough loss in the 5th set, 16-14. Our team battled and came back after losing the first sets as well. After the match we went to a restaurant right across from the gymnasium that was something called after Da Vinci. Anyway, I felt like pizza and ordered the Jeoconde (supreme) pizza and it was without a doubt the BEST PIZZA I've ever had! So authentic. The picture is below, and yes, that's an egg in the middle, which made it even better.

Well I was a little sad that I wasn't going to be able to see any sites while in the city, because we were planning on leaving early the next morning to head back Quimper. I was in the lobby and my coach saw me and asked me if I wanted to see some of the sights. It was already 1:30am! I literally thought of the movie, Yes Man, with Jim Carey. He has to say yes to anything that comes his way, no matter what, or the universe curses him in some obscure way. I wasn't expecting to be cursed, but in the movie, Jim Carey's character gains so much more insight about life and things that can be enjoyed from deciding to participate in things. Plus I had been super curious about the sites in Paris. I just wanted to see them. Seeing the Eiffel Tower is like seeing the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Once you have gone, you know you have stood where thousands of people famous or not have been. And they are in so many movies! I know that everyone can think of a movie with the Eiffel Tower in it. I'm thinking of Sabrina, with Harrison Ford and Julie Ormond. My sister probably would be shocked to hear that's the first movie that came to mind, but it's true!

Anyway, we drove along the Seine and went to the Eiffel Tower. Although it wasn't lit, it was still so cool to see and it's so much bigger up close than I imagined!

We drove further down the Seine and passed by the Louvre. I was getting giddy in my seat just thinking of all the art that was in that building! I'm such a nerd, but I would love to just take a whole day and see all of it! I was a huge fan of da Vinci when I was younger, I even wrote a book about him. Haha this isn't one of those published books that you claim. This was my assignment in my advanced grade school PEP class. We had to find some historical figure to write a book about. I chose da Vinci. I still have it in my closet. I actually flipped through it when I was packing to come here to France!

Next we walked around the cathedral Notre Dame. We first came to the back side, next to the other side of the river, as the cathedral is really on an island on the Seine. The opposite bridge was the famous for the locks that represent thousand of couples who are in love, lock their love together, kiss the key, and throw it into the river. So many locks were on this bridge. I can't even describe. All shapes and sizes. The best ones were inscribes with names and dates. Such a romantic place...

The cathedral of Notre Dame was so amazing to see. I have studied the architecture in my classes at BYU, including the flying buttresses and the rose windows. I can't wait til I can go in and explore from the inside. It's truly amazing that it is 850 years old! It's seen so many different eras of this world, and especially of France. But still, it's as beautiful today as it was when it was finished.