Today is a very special day for me as it is my oldest child's birthday. Marquitta was a beautiful baby and has grown into an even more beautiful woman.
Now for my day three adventures in Paris, the capital of France. Early this morning I woke up with the anticipation of working out a plan for accomplishing my task of gathering information for my paper. There was a change of plans. My group took a tour of Paris like a whirlwind. We mapped out the route in which we would take to gain the knowledge of Paris that is outlined in the syllabus.
It could be very easy to forget that this is a study abroad trip and not just a wonderful vacation. I am so thankful to be here. Studying abroad is just that, studying while abroad in another country. We earned our keep today. Tjaya, Coshia, Tao, and I walked a while, climbed lots of stairs all day, and took the subway to our different destinations. We traveled from District 15 all the way to District 9 looking at two star hotels. Also, we visited so many grocery stores that I know the price of a liter of whole milk, a dozen of eggs, and the price of rib eye steaks per kilo all across Paris.
Today was similar to a scavenger hunt except there was not a prize at the end of it. In addition to that today was not a game; it was all about business. Searching different Districts for the same items was enlightening because it is the same as it is in America. Prices differ depending on what location you are shopping.
District 5 was my favorite District because it was the most beautiful of them all. I am so thankful for seeing a large building up on top of a hill because if I had not spotted that building, I would not have been driven to climb the hill and witness pure splendor: Place Saint Genevieve. The church was being cleaned or painted, maybe even repaired but it was a beautiful sight. The architectural masterpiece was divine. I ventured inside and was totally blown away. The utter beauty of the church was fascinating in itself, but once inside the Holy Spirit took over. I immersed myself in it and prayed. I pray all of the time, but I got a power surge that will help me for the days ahead. The hill that we climbed also took us to the Parathion. A magnificent building in itself as well. The sheer magnitude of this building was amazing too.
Today in Paris: my daughter's birthday, a Tuesday, a great day!!!
(I am having trouble getting the photos to upload. I will continue tomorrow to get them in.) Done...
