Paris part deux

The next day we hit the ground running.  Well, sort of.  That jet lag is serious business!  It was Louvre day and I was not feeling it.  We tried to fuel up at a patisserie but the one we headed for was closed so we settled for the local Starbucks.  Lame.  I know.

We entered the Louvre with our handy museum passes which were totally worth it and headed straight for the Mona Lisa.  We bobbed and weaved passing famous paintings and sculptures all along the way.  The Louvre is WAY bigger than I had ever imagined.  You could spend months in that place.  In fact, Elisa told us that she had a class in the Louvre when she was in Paris for a study abroad and still felt like she didn't even come close to seeing it all. But we decided to make the most of our morning there and catch the highlights.  It proved to be more difficult than anticipated.  The maps were not very helpful and we got lost searching for Venus De Milo.  After a few hundred sets of stairs and lengthy hallways, she was finally found.  Along with Hammurabi's code, the statue of Amenemhatankh, The Nike of Samothrace, Cupids Kiss, the Seated Scribe, Raft of the Medusa, and so many many other amazing works.  It really was fascinating to see, in person, all the things that I learned about in school and all of my Art History classes at BYU.  

 I had imagined Mona to be a bit... bigger.

 We ran around the 652 thousand+ square feet all morning long.  And true to Ronnie form, we had more to see and do.  More Museums to see and do.
I'm pretty sure that he literally drug me through the Conciegerie.  It was a palace that was later converted into a prison used during the French Revolution.  It was pretty interesting and I am glad we went.  We got to see the cell where Marie Antoinette was held and also the name of one of my ancestors on the wall of prisoners that were beheaded.  Awesome.

Next on the agenda was Napoleons Tomb and The Rodin Museum.  But I could go no further.  Yes people, I caved.  I took a nap in the middle of the day in Paris.  I think my husband was dying a little on the inside just thinking about all the time we were wasting.  He was a trooper though.  He got me a "baguette sandwich" and took me for "une petite sieste".  I could have slept the whole day away but there was a church on a hill, and it was waiting for us.

 Montmartre quickly became one of our favorite places.  The area was busy with students and locals and of course tourists.  We climbed to the top of and were amazed at the view from where this beautiful church rests atop the hill.  There aren't many hills in Paris so it definitely stands out.  As we were approaching the base of the church we were  accosted by some aggressive vendors.  They would surround Ronnie and try to separate us, distracting him with tying a "free" bracelet on his wrist so they could pick pocket him.  Luckily I had a death grip on his arm and we made sure we had our things zipped in the back pack which we later wore on the front.  But after the police cleared them out in a hurry we were on our way, belongings intact.  Again, I was taken by the beautiful and ornate church, Sacre Coeur, which we were able to enter and partake of it's spirit.  As we walked around it was so peaceful and serene compared to the lively atmosphere outside,  which we liked just as much.  People watching in Paris never gets old.  We decided to head out for some dinner on the street and had a hard time choosing which cute little cafe to actually eat at.  We finally settled outside at a table on the sidewalk and ordered some typical steak frites for Ronnie and a HUGE pot of mussels and frites for me.  It was nothing too fancy or over the top but definitely one of our most favorite meals of the trip.  

 We walked around a little longer gathering a few souvenirs for the kids.  Ronnie even found a Beckham shirt from his days at Paris St. Germain to take home to our very own Beckham.

We didn't want this night to end so we decided to take the subway to our favorite stop on the Champs Elysees where we walked up to the Arc De Triomphe and climbed the windy stairs all the way to the top just in time to catch the lights flashing all over the Eiffel Tower.  It was as magical as it sounds.  And we may have even kissed under the Arc for good measure.  Hey, it's the city of love, you have to take it seriously.

The Champs Elysees on the left and the Eiffel Tower on the right.

 Darn scaffolding was in my shot

 A view of Sacre Coure in the distance

 All lit up and flashing away like millions of tourists