Churches, Churches Churches

The Mona Lisa

After an early wake up call, 7:00 am, our day started out with a visit to the Louvre.  Having been there just last night, it was nice to come back today for the art and not just the architecture.  During our two hour visit we saw lots of famous works such as the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and the Coronation of the Emperor Napoleon.

Sainte Chapelle

After lunch, we were off to visit Sainte Chapelle and Notre Dame Cathedral.  Sainte Chapelle was in the late 1200's by King Louis IX to house his collection of relics including the Crown of Thorns which are now housed in Notre Dame.  It is most well known for it's breathtaking stain glass windows which depict all the stories from the Bible in exquisite fashion.

Notre Dame Cathedral

We were off next to see Notre Dame Cathedral, where the highlight of our visit was climbing the bell tower, like Quasimodo and hangout with the gargoyles for a bit.  After some 400+ steps up a tight stone stairwell we arrived at the top.  What a fabulous view of Paris!

Our final stop of the day was Montmartre and Sacré Coeur which is perched on a hill over looking the city.  This being our third church of the day, we decided to skip the inside and head straight for the Place du Tetre, a lovely, vibrant square full of artists and shops.  In was souvenir heaven for the kids who enjoyed going from shop to shop picking out presents for everyone back home.  We even stopped at a patisserie to enjoy our first macaron.  These little cookies are quite popular at the moment and are so delicious!  We are definitely going to have to find some more of these before we leave.

Raclette!

Our day ended as it usually does, in a cozy restaurant with a great meal.  Tonight was Raclette, usually by far the favorite meal of the trip.  What is Raclette, you say?  Well, it's potatoes covered with various cured meats, smothered in warm melted cheese with french pickles on the side.  The best part is, the students got to put it together themselves with table top grills.  A do it yourself experience the kids really enjoyed.