Notre Dame de Paris

Thankfully the rain stopped for a bit yesterday morning so Jess and I were able to walk from Rachel and Xavier's apartment to Ile Saint Louis. There are two islands in the middle of the Seine: one is Ile Saint Louis (a rich and fairly snobby neighborhood) and the other is called Ile de la Cite (where Notre Dame is located).

Since the weather had cleared up a bit we went in and out of shops along Ile Saint Louis and then ate lunch at a cafe. The restaurant had poulet and frites (chicken and french fries) so we both got an order and it was so delicious... the closest thing we've had to American food in a while.

After lunch we walked over the Seine onto Ile de la Cite and made our way towards Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris). Even though I visited the church a few years ago and I knew what to expect, I was still in awe. It's such a beautiful place and the cafes lining the streets make it such a picturesque area. After taking some pictures of the outside we walked inside and spent a good hour or so admiring the stained glass and huge ceilings. Notre Dame is so different from San Pietro in Rome, but they are by far the two most beautiful churches I have ever seen. Spending time in Notre Dame took me back to Mr. DeVastey's class at Lakeside when we watched the play 'Notre Dame de Paris' with Garou playing the Hunchback of Notre Dame... I really want to watch it when I get home!

Once we finished looking around Notre Dame, Jessica and I crossed the Seine again and walked back down Rue de Rivoli, towards the apartment. On the way we stopped at Hotel de Ville, which is essentially Paris's old city hall, and other random shops along the way. We planned to walk around an area called Le Marais, but the rain started to pick up again so we quickly changed plans and made our way back towards the apartment.

After we arrived at the apartment we spent a couple of hours relaxing at home and packing for our trip home until Rachel arrived from her business trip in Spain. Once she got home around 8:30 the girls all went to eat at a Moroccan restaurant that was just down the street from the apartment. We had a great time at dinner and the food was great-- we all got a different dish and split everything so it was really fun to be able to try so many new dishes. We were even more excited than usual because Italian food doesn't have much variety, so it was a nice change to eat couscous with chicken, eggplant, raisins, and cinnamon instead of pasta and cheese. We ended up staying at the restaurant and talking for about 2 hours... it was so much fun! Rachel has been so many places in the world and she's lived in Chicago, Florence, Costa Rica, and all throughout France. She also knows English, French, Spanish, and Italian... she's definitely a world traveler! Spending time with her was great and she gave a lot of good advice about things to take advantage of after we graduate from college, so that was helpful. On top of all of that she even paid for our meal! It's ridiculous how generous Rachel and Xavier are... Jessica and I really hit the jackpot with being able to stay with themon this trip!

I've actually got to run because Jess and I have a big day planned, but I'll write back soon. I can't believe I only have two days left before we make our way home!