What day is it? April 26, 2011
Posted by jychoi13 in Uncategorized.trackback
Good Morning, Evening or Night… Time has been flying by and we have done so much since we have arrived in Paris. It almost seems difficult to keep track of how many days we have been here and now it’s almost time to go!
Today, we had a jam packed schedule with 4 events. The first stop on our list was to Notre Dame. This cathedral is always one of my favorite places to visit and the history behind the architecture, statues, literature and media always make for an exciting visit! During the French revolution, Notre Dame was damaged very badly and the heads of the royal statues on the outside walls were decapitated! It wasn’t until several decades ago, the heads were found buried in someone’s back yard and are now hosted at the Cluny museum. In the mean time, the statues at Notre Dame have been refitted with new heads. Victor Hugo, author of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” made the cathedral so popular, it was restored and is presently one of the most visited monuments in Paris. As another bonus, we all walked the 400 plus steps to the top of the cathedral towers and saw some spectacular views. I still have yet to find Quasimodo, but someday I’ll catch him!
After Notre Dame, we stopped at the church of Sainte Chapelle. This petit church is located next to the Supreme Court of France and is heavily secured. Going through airport security seemed like a breeze compared to this place. Sainte Chapelle is very well known for several reasons. First, it was originally built in the 13th century to house the crown of thorns and a piece of the cross. King Louis IX thought it would put France on the map if it owned a major, holy artifact at that time. The King paid almost double for the artifacts than for the cost of the construction of Sainte Chapelle. He came close to making France go broke because of this. Second, this cathedral is known for it’s beautiful stained glass windows. There are so many pictures depicted in the glass that it manages to tell the stories the whole Bible. It was also architecturally amazing that the church remained strong and sturdy with all the stained glass instead of stone walls.
Our third stop of the day was at the Latin Quarter. Although we did not visit any landmarks, we passed by the Pantheon, Sorbonne University and the oldest church in Paris. The term Latin Quarter, comes from the days when that area of Paris was full scholars that spoke Latin. It is still true today that the Latin Quarter hosts the best university and best high school in Paris.
Lastly, tonight a dance party was held at the school for the students. The French students came prepared with pastries, sodas, juice, quiches, and other assorted snacks. Everyone had a great time and the teachers were also seen getting their groove on, on the dance floor.
Tomorrow, we head to this tiny museum that you might or might not have heard of, The Louvre. Please check back tomorrow for another update! Have a great day, night or evening!
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