Monday, Monday, so good to us.

All set for another day! On the 1 line, there are often bands that play in the metro stations. This one was exceptionally good! They had an upbeat Spanish sound and harmonized fabulously together. Mom was slightly horrified to see that I had been wearing tennis shoes with my skirts for a few weeks. She insisted that I buy a new pair of black shoes before we went anywhere else, haha. Next, I took her to the Musée du Moyen Age – Middle Ages Museum – to see the Unicorn Tapestry Series, the oldest intact series in the world. It portrays the five senses and a lot of symbolism with a princess, unicorn, and monkey. It’s quite beautiful. The funny thing is, that when we were at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Salt Lake a few months after getting back, I looked at the wall as we sat down and gasped as I saw a replica of one of the unicorn tapestries! Imagine that! In our very own Salt Lake City.
Well, after that, I took mom to the Sorbonne campus and begged the guards to let mom just step in for a look, but for security reasons they don’t allow anyone but students, so we walked the perimeter of the school. The buildings are gorgeous and just across the street, is the Collège de France campus. The picture to the right is the Law School building of La Sorbonne. I was hoping to take mom to this student café that I loved eating at-it was just off campus and in a basement decorated with eclectic black and white photos. I saw students from all over the world eat there; the best part is they had 5 Euro yummy lunches. Well, they happened to be closed so I couldn’t show mom, however, she picked the café we ate at and it turned out to be absolutely delicious, as we sat on the heated sidewalk patio. Next we headed up the street toward the Pantheon and the City Hall for the 5th arrondissement.
The building to the right is an Epicerie: a shop where spices are made. Still moving full steam ahead, we hopped on metro line 8 and headed toward the neighborhood of Saint Sulpice. We saw a quaint little house with a neat door and flowers in bloom so I hopped inside for a picture. Next, I took mom to one of the fanciest and best patisserie shops in Paris called Pierre Hermès. They are well known for their chocolate and macaroons and though it’s a little pricey, one could still spend more by crossing the street and shoping at Yves Saint Laurent. We ate by the fountain then walked to the Saint Sulpice Church. Unfortunately their famous organist wasn’t playing, but we did see the rose line that’s described in The Da Vinci Code. The church is currently under restoration but is beautiful despite the scaffolding. Before heading back, I took mom through the Gardens of Luxembourg where the French Senate building is surrounded by gorgeous flowers, statues, ponds, and orange trees. There is also a grotto with a beautiful grey sculpture of a Greek God. There are some fun things to keep your eyes peeled for while walking through: we spotted a mini statue of liberty, several people doing martial arts, kids pushing sailboats with sticks across the pond, and several Parisian couples. As we were on the metro headed back to Croissy, I had mom and I hop off at the GeorgeV stop and run up the stairs to get a glimpse of the Arc de Triomphe by night! We asked a man to take a picture but he must have been a little tipsy in every sense of the word. We were exhausted by the end of the day!

Third day in Paris

Evidently, mom’s first day in Paris was an absolute success! The next day was Sunday so I woke her up and took her on my Sunday routine: 1 train stop, 3 metro stops, and then a 20 minute walk from there to my ward in Versailles City. It was such a pleasure for me to have my mom be able to meet a few of the ward members I had become friends with: my dear friend Maria Babin, the Brother, Sister, Valentine and Emilée Caussé, Sister Salinas, Sister Jones, Mathieu, and others. Luckily, the mission president’s wife was there so my mom had an English speaking friend to discuss the lesson with. Everyone treated her so kindly and she came with me to Sunday School.
After church, I decided to take mom up to Montmartre to see the Basilica of the Sacred Heart – Sacre Coeur. We took the metro to Pigalle then hopped on a bus going up the hill. We hopped out and carefully avoided the salesmen who try to grab your wrist and tie a bracelet to it to force you to buy it. We followed the path up to the basilica and wandered up the stairs and inside. We enjoyed walking around while the mass was going on and looking at the Christian paintings. Then mom suggested we climb the dome to see the view from the hill, so up we went the flights of stone stairs! She kept trying to convince me that it was safe to lean out the window..ha..anything for a good picture. Though the day was cloudy, the view was nice an

d clear. We then moseyed down the darling streets of Montmartre and to one of my favorite places: the artist square. Dozens of independent artists paint on canvases set up in a courtyard and you can watch them paint or sit in for a portrait. Mom and I both are kicking ourselves for not purchasing one of the small oil paintings. We picked a random restaurant and had spectacular luck! We both had delicious French onion soup, I had lamb and mom had then we shared crème brulé and mousse au chocolat for dessert. I blushed crimson when the waiter complimented me sweetly on my French and mom was so pleased she left a bigger tip. As we started back down the hill, we stopped a cute little French family to see if they would take a picture of us, and as we walked away, the little boy chased after mom and handed her his piece of candy with a big smile. It was adorable-mom said ‘merci’ and the little boy laughed and ran back to his family. All in all, another great day for the Americans in Paris!

Mom's first day in France

First morning in Paris: I showed mom around the Julienne’s house then couldn’t wait to take her through the neighborhood and through Croissy-Sur-Seine, my town. I showed her all the features that make my neighborhood so neat. Houses’ worth isn’t measured by size, the age and amount of restoration is what makes a home remarkable. Lilacs were in bloom everywhere on my street, Avenue des Tilleuls. Croissy only has one central street of shops and holds the old French tradition of separating: a butcher for the meat, a market for the fruit, a bakery for the bread, etc…I took mom to the bakery to taste her first French tart and we sat in the town square while I told her where I shopped. We hopped on the metro and I had mom take a picture of me here since I’ve probably hopped on at this station over a hundred times. Mom saw the musicians who play for money and how the French don’t talk on the trains; however, I couldn’t help myself-I just wanted to tell her everything! We got off near the Eiffel Tower and walked up the Champs de Mars (Fields of March) toward the tower, passing the ‘peace’ war monument with ‘peace’ written in all of the world’s languages. Next, I took mom through the Tuileries Gardens and on to Angelina’s-the best place in Paris to drink hot chocolate. It’s very expensive, but entirely worth it. I’ve never tasted anything like it. Mom decided we should treat ourselves to one fancy meal each day so we started there. The food was good, but I think our favorite was at La Durée, which we’ll get to toward the end of our trip. We spent the rest of the day exploring the city, and since I had always been alone in Paris before, I hadn’t spent much time at night in the city, so it was fun to see everything lit up with mom. We passed L’Hotel de Ville, the city hall, the Pompidou museum and the modern art fountains shown in the movie Sabrina, then onto the institute, and finished by eating another Greek sandwich next to the river with our shoes off. It is so true that Paris is perfect when you have someone to share it with.

Finally Mom Arrives!

At last! One more day and after months of telling mom about Paris the day was almost here when I could SHOW it all to her! I spent my last day alone in Paris wandering around to find a dress I could wear to pick mom up and I found a cute black one with a bow and matching shoes in Chatelet Les Halles. I went to institute that night and spent time with the young adults. Late that night I got a note at my hotel from my dad’s secretary saying my mom’s plane had been delayed a few hours. The next morning I woke up super early to get ready and help a friend to the airport and waited what seemed like days for mom’s plane to arrive. Finally at long last she came out the doors and I yelled ‘Mommy!’ (Very un-Parisian like to yell in public) I ran over to her and we hugged very tightly, both tearing up and laughing! We were ecstatic to see each other! We sat down on the nearest bench and I proceeded to talk a million miles an hour. A dream-come-true to be able to have mom here in my Parisian world. From minute one I was so thrilled I couldn’t stop smiling. Though mom hadn’t slept in 24 hours she was not about to rest yet. We hopped on the metro and headed for the outskirts to take her luggage out to the Julienne's home, but on the transfer at Chatelet station we had quite a mishap. A woman had a heart attack on the RER line A train at the next stop and trains weren’t pulling out for hours. I knew the metro so I knew we had one other possibility: to take the Metro 1 line out and go around the problem. I should have realized I wouldn’t be the only one to try this backup plan. In less than a minute Chatelet became Grand Central Station at rush hour on Christmas Eve..times ten! Shoulder-to-shoulder doesn’t even come close to how this felt. Squashed from all sides and moving without our feet on the ground is more like it. I felt awful that this was mom’s first experience in Paris but when I looked up ahead of me, she was laughing! She was not panicking, just laughing! After a few hours of madness we decided to stay in Paris until our arranged dinner with my dear friend Elizabeth and her mother. We hopped out of the metro at Saint Michel station in the Latin Quarter to meet our friends and as soon as mom saw the fountain, she said “I love Paris!” I laughed and dragged her across the street so she could see the view and she awed when she saw the Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the view from the right bank. We took this picture with her luggage and despite the rain, were still on cloud nine to be together! I took mom to my favorite Greek stand squished between the shops in the Latin Quarter. We got a lamb kebab with cucumber sauce and herbs de Provence. I was so glad that mom loved it like I did, despite the sketchy way it’s cooked on a spit right on the side of the road. Though the rain never let up, we happily stayed outside with Elizabeth and Amy. After awhile I took mom back to the Julienne’s home on the train. She loved the neighborhood and I couldn’t wait to show it to her in the daytime! Once we arrived, looking like drowned rats, Mom met the Juliennes and gave them dozens of gifts from America-they said it felt like Christmas! We hopped in bed and mom crashed in T minus 3 seconds.

Aix en Provence

My next day in the south was spent in Cannes, where the Film Festival is held each year. Tons of celebrities own a home here, which explains the ridiculous prices for absolutely everything. A normal person could never afford to live in Cannes. I did enjoy seeing the red carpet walk though and spending the day at the beach.
After Cannes, the next stop was the Pont du Gard. Currently I don’t have any pictures of it because I kayaked down the river and couldn’t bring my camera. It is the oldest aqueduct bridge in the world and rowing down was an awesome way to see the sight.
Ensuite, Arles. Arles is an ancient Roman city with an arena that once housed lions and there were bullfights and all sorts of entertainment. I walked through the underground passages and climbed the bell tower with my friend Sarah Georges from Lyon, France.
Since we were staying in Aix en Provence, I got the chance to do a little sight seeing around the city with my friend Susie. She and I even ran into two LDS missionaries while gallivanting around and one was from Sandy, Utah no less! The city is historic with a different feel than Paris, though I will always prefer Paris to the South. The region of Provence is known for its herbs, lavender, and various crafts. Market day is every Wednesday and that was an experience I’ll never forget-wandering through the rows of bustling southerners, hearing prices being shouted and my senses on overload from the countless colors, smells, and sounds. I found a darling pottery stand where a man had hand painted all sorts of homemade ceramic kitchenware and couldn’t resist buying my mom and me each a painted provincial spoon rest.
Over the weekend I got the chance to go on splits with the area’s sister missionaries. We taught a man named Pascal with his friend. It was such a touching experience. When I sat through Pascal’s interview for baptism on Sunday, he was so excited. His favorite him was ‘je sais qu’il vit mon rédempteur’ I know that my Redeemer lives-and he wanted to sing it for the opening and closing hymns at his baptism. Sunday Brother Welch gave a fireside to the Aix stake after we attended their ward. One man was specifically touched by the presentation and resolved to start attending church again. My last day in the south was quite enjoyable and in the evening our group went out for a farewell to France dinner at a really nice and authentic provincial restaurant called Le Bistroquet. We girls were thrilled to get dressed up nicely and had actually found a round brush and blow-dryer to make ourselves presentable. The menu was incredible! The first course was a cold gelatin-like purée of olives, oils, herbs, and quite honestly, I’m not sure what else. Initially it has a bitter taste, but amazingly, the longer it sits on your tongue, the sweeter it tasted! The next course was a roast cooked in a red provincial wine. Yummmm..it was so tender. The bread was traditional and the dessert was a raspberry mousse with a raspberry rum sauce. I left the restaurant so full and determined I would rather starve than go back to eating American food. I love the way the French consider mealtime a drawn out, relaxed, and classy experience.

Saint Paul de Vence..Hidden Paradise

Continuing our stay in the south, we spent half a day in a village on a hill that was once a fortress. Today, it’s called St. Paul de Vence. I wished terribly we could have spent more time here; it was a quaint provincial French village with tiny cobblestone streets, church bells chiming on the hill, and foliage growing everywhere. The shops were built like cellars and when I stepped down, there were incredible works of art, or walls filled with herbs, or blown glass and pressed flowers…St. Paul de Vence is the ultimate secret of the south.
While exploring these shops, I found an independent artist’s workshop- his name was Jean Francois Gaulthier and his paintings were scenes of dancers. Next I stumbled onto an entire shop dedicated to Gustav Klimt, my favorite artist! There were enormous vases with his paintings painted on them, floor coverings and tapestries of his art..It’s a good thing I didn’t have enough money or I would have bought the shop on the spot.

Leaving Geneva..Headed South

As I walked back through Geneva I passed this park where the Swiss were playing chess with unique technique. Then before hopping on the bullet train again, we stopped at the University for lunch in the cafeteria. It was quite ironic to be eating Chinese food in the cafeteria surrounded by students of all nationalities and walks of life. Kilometer by kilometer the sun got brighter and the air got warmer. Pulling into the port of Marseilles I was excited to see what the Riviera had to offer. The shores were filled with sail boats and the streets lines with shops and the tanned skins of the southerners. Their accents were fabulously confusing! Pain “paan” came out sounding like “payyyn”. We rushed off onto a boat ride whizzing by the Chateau D’If - domain of the Count of Monte Cristo. Though the story is fictional, they’ve even unearthed a hole as evidence of where the Count dug out. There are several little islands near the shore and then five inlets where the water is a clear turquoise blue color. This is actually the spot where the rock was taken for the base of the Statue of Liberty when France gave it to us.

Bienvenue a Geneve..

Wow, this is somewhat embarrassing that I’m blogging my last month in France after the fact, but oh well. The night after I left the Julienne’s home, I hopped on a train headed for Geneva, Switzerland. While pulling into the station and hearing “Bienvenue à Genève” and seeing the hills of the Swiss countryside, I knew I was going to love Switzerland from the second I stepped off the train.
The first impression I got upon stepping out into Geneva is how clean it was! The buildings, though old, were sparkling, and ironically, when I looked into the gutter, I saw a piece of chocolate, where normally one would see a cigarette, hahaha. I had to laugh when I saw the metro map—coming from Paris where I had learned to work the 14 metro lines and 4 RER lines, I was shocked to see two metro lines here: one going North to South, and the other from East to West. I stayed in an “auberge de jeunesse,” a nice youth hostel, right on the shore of Geneva Lake. I could see the United Nations building across from me and vineyards on the hills surrounding me. The first evening, Brother Welch gave a fireside to the youth of the Geneva stake and he had me present for five minutes on the ancient seals that I’d been researching in the Louvre during the previous weeks. It was absolutely terrifying, but I think the youth enjoyed hearing the connections I made between the worth of the kings’ seal and how binding those ties were, both figuratively and literally. My friend Michel Gaginni, from the French house, grew up in Geneva, so after the fireside, I met his brother and sister and they took me to dinner and for a drive around the city. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Early the following day, the Welch’s and a few girls went to visit the Saint Pierre Cathedral. This part of Geneva is bursting with history from the days of the Protestant reformation. John Calvin considered it his ‘home ward’ I guess we could say. The remains from the 8th century on were amazing; I even saw a baptismal font in the underground portion. (Photo Right)
Finally, my favorite part of Geneva: the Bodmer Museum. I can honestly say, outside of Paris, this is the neatest museum I have ever seen. It’s located in a village called Cologny and is the private collection of Martin Bodmer. There are over 160,000 documents in 80 languages including a rare copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the oldest manuscripts of St. John’s Gospel, Greek coins, Plato's manuscripts, and fossils dating back hundreds of thousands of years. M. Bodmer didn’t want these pieces of history to be scattered with his death so he created this foundation. There was also a room devoted entirely to letters: collected from queens, thieves, celebrities, poets, authors—among these were letters from Marie Antoinette and Moliere. The letter to the right was written as an image. I hope to visit this astounding museum again in my life.

Mes Juliennes..

Today was my last day living with the Julienne’s…what a sad sad thought. For dinner, Madame made my favorite things; tarte au poivron et tomate, salade des endives, and mousse au chocolat…mmm.. and then she gave me a little present called “fraises tagadas,” a strawberry candy that I’d always heard of but never actually tried. Then we took family pictures, and she took us for a ride around Paris at night! It was gorgeous…To see it all lit up was amazing! When I got home, Lidwine had put a little note in my bed that said “gros bisous et tu me manqueras, a bientôt,” (big kisses & I’ll miss you, see you soon.” The sweet thing is that she left it with one of her chocolate Easter eggs that I know she loves…I’m really going to miss these sweet Juliennes, I’m glad I get one more week with them when I come back. Night…

Conference Weekend..

General Conference was absolutely incredible; especially the last session. Definitely worth staying up until midnight for! The French saints are so thrilled that Elder Causée will be the first French member of the quorum of the 70. I originally thought Charles Didier was, but in fact, he was Belgian. Elder Causée is in my ward here at Versailles and such a good man. He’s originally from Bordeaux and has been working very hard to further progress on the temple here in Paris. I had to giggle because Charles Didier’s wife is secretly hoping they’ll be called to be the temple presidents so that she can shop her heart out! My religion teacher here translated for part of conference. This week is insanely busy! Today we had play recitations and a test review since we’re panicking about Brother Welch’s final tomorrow. A plus…

An unlikely trio..

As I went into the little shop under the train tracks in Croissy to get lunch, I sat down and began to talk with the Tunisian woman working named Chédia and the only other customer, a man from Cameroon named Dominique. Chédia took her lunch break and sat down with us to eat. We laughed as we realized that we were quite an unlikely trio: A Muslim Tunisian, a Catholic Cameroonian, and a Mormon American; eating and joking together. Three very different accents, backgrounds, and situations, I think we all enjoyed the perspective. Neither of them had ever heard of a Mormon, much less met one. Chédia told us of the struggle it is to be a practicing Muslim, which she technically isn’t fully or she’d not be allowed to work and would be veiled. She lives with her uncle and is not allowed to date or wear make up, and she said she’s told she’s lucky: most Muslim girls our age go straight from their parents’ home into their spouse’s home without ever having a say in the matter or any life experiences first. Dominique was set up in an arranged marriage with a second cousin, but neither loved the other, so they are married in writing, but live separately as friends. For all three of us French is our second language. Arabic, a tribal dialect, and English being respectively our first. Experiences like this open my eyes wider each time to how diverse the human race is.

Sights, Smells and Tastes

These past few days have been very eventful: Sunday, there was said to be “an act of aggression” on the metro so there were absolutely no trains going into Paris in the early afternoon. Of course I was in Versailles trying to get from church to a conference in the heart of Paris. Unfortunately, I missed it-the Nobel Peace Prize winner of ’06, Mohammad Yunus was speaking. I’m jumping ahead of myself: Last weekend we visited the chateau Vaux le Vicomte – where Fouquet lived and hosted the party of the century! Moliere performed a play before dinner, there were fireworks, the take-home gift was a diamond tiara for the women and a stallion for the men – anyone who was anyone was invited. Well, King Louis 14th attended and became do insanely jealous that he decided he must outdo Fouquet, so he built Versailles as we know it today. Vaux le Vicomte was beautiful; we toured it golf-cart style. Saturday I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a play at L’académie Française. Le Misanthrope was the piece we saw since we just finished reading it, and unfortunately it was the most tragic of Moliere’s works, but the acting was the best I have ever witnessed. That is to be expected at L’Académie Française of course, but I was still quite stunned. Grimaces, pleas, and expressions of love were so intense; I for one felt a little emotionally spent after the three hour performance. The theater was historically and beautifully decorated in red velvet, dark wood, and old lights. Yesterday I ventured over to the Madeleine, which is deceivingly ornate. The outside looks so austere, but the inside is full of frescos, gold leaf décor and a statue of Mary’s ascension. Today, I coughed up the 6 euros to try Paris’ famous Angelina’s hot chocolate, and now can be a witness that it is the best out there. I also bought a copy of Notre Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). I am looking so forward to reading it! Well, tomorrow is a day entirely crammed with things to do, so I’d better get some shut eye…

Le Misanthrope at La Comedie Francaise!

Scurrying around this morning, a bustling Saturday, I first stopped at a wedding exposition with my friend Elizabeth, who is getting married this summer. She tried on one wedding dress, then we decided the shop was getting too busy, so we went to the Bastille to walk down by the Saint Martin canal, little did we know there was rioting going on in the square. It was some sort of “speaking out against aids and poverty” movement...thank heavens for free speech I suppose is what I should say. Then, the best part of the week, we were able to attend Le Misanthrope at La Comédie Française! The most well known theater in France, and where the very greatest playwrights and actors performed. The acting was unlike any other: I’ve never seen such passion in the pleading, grimacing, protesting, and even just the regular dialogue. Three hours of intensity, it was truly professional. This is said to be the very best of Moliere’s plays, according to himself and critics, yet I still prefer L’école des Femmes. It could be due to the fact that this is his only tragedy, the rest are comedies. Anyhow, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Luckily, there was one extra ticket, so Madame Welch allowed my friend Orélly from the ward to join us. I then visited the Arc du Triomphe along with every other weekend tourist or couple :) haha. Still neat to look at though, maybe I should have coughed up the five euros to go to the top, who knows. Well, since by that point I can’t remember the last time I had real protein, I stopped at an Algerian restaurant in my town to get…honestly, I won’t even try to guess..It was some sort of wrap concoction with about 12 things mixed in, and delicious. My books are sending me guilty vibes so I’d better get to them. A demain..

Bend it like Beckham...s'il vous plait..3.26.08

Bend it like Beckham! Last night a bunch of the girls and I went to the France vs. England soccer game! It’s a big deal seeing as they’re both top ten teams here. Beckham played for England, which was awesome to see, but of course I was rooting for France. They won, no contest, but it was a blast to watch! #22 for France, Henri Ribery was so great; he moved his feet faster than I though humanly possible! One of the French newscasters passed away the night before, so there was a moment of silence dedicated to him at the game. 49, heart attack, and three kids..tragic. On a happier note, today Brother Welch invited me to a conference on Mormonism with him and we did some major networking! The leaders of the CES in France were there along with leaders of other faiths. It was great to get out there and it was also fun having Brother Welch, who is so well known say, “Now have you met my student Haleigh?” I have learned more from him in one semester than I’ve ever learned in a religion class. Tomorrow I’ll write more about what he taught us in class today, it was incredible. A demain..

weekend merveilleux avec jeunes adultes à Nogent!

I had a marvelous weekend at the young single adults’ conference which was held in Nogent. People came from absolutely everywhere! We started out playing a speed-dating type game getting to know everyone and I met people from Marseilles, Toulouse, Alsace, Strasbourg, Geneva, Neuchatel, etc... I was excited to meet Lydia’s best friend Claire, from Bordeaux. We had a fantastic fireside given by Brother Welch in English while Frère Euvrard translated. It was touching to once again, go over the significance of the Savior’s role as the Good Samaritan in the parable. Then, the funniest thing happened! I was talking to a girl from Geneva and asked her if she knew the Gaggini family, explaining that Michel Gaggini was one of my close friends: she said, yes, but I should go talk to two boys across the room; it just so happened that one of them was Pascal Gaggini, Mitch’s brother! Ha-ha…It was an absolute pleasure to meet him, already having heard much about their family. Having the chance to sing in the Young Adult choir that the missionary couple put together to go along with the Good Samaritan fireside was neat. While talking with a new friend, Elliot, I learned that missionary work is really progressing in certain areas in France quite quickly. There was a baptism yesterday and two more scheduled. Yesterday being Easter morning, there were more French than usual on the metros, many dressed up for mass and for most, the only day of church each year. This morning, we rejoined together and did a treasure hunt all over Paris ending at the Eiffel Tower. It snowed, luckily only for a moment. I’d better get studying! A bientôt!

A Good Friday on Good Friday..

What a beautiful day…though I must say, the weather here in Paris is just plain moody. This morning, being Good Friday, was the revealing of the crown of thorns at Notre Dame. Personally, I don’t believe that it could be the original, and maybe I’m too cynical: they claim it was acquired by Saint Louis, King of France, from Baudouin de Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople, in the 13th century, and before being entrusted to the cathedral after the Revolution, was kept in secret in Sainte Chapelle. I suppose it’s the symbolism that’s important though. Well, I arrived early to be sure to get a good look, and was ushered to the line toward the priests, and upon viewing the crown, it was customary, no, expected, to bend and kiss it! I watched the woman in front of me and followed suit of course, but what an experience! It is enclosed in plastic tubing and sanitized after each person but it truly was fascinating to see the devotion of the French, considering that this is one of only two occasions each year they attend religious gatherings. I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic organ music though so stayed listening to it while reading my Book of Mormon sections. Continuing on a somber note, I visited the Père Lachaise Cemetery, the biggest in France and full of many historically prominent men and women. Naturally I stopped to pay homage to Moliere: studying his plays this semester has been so enjoyable and I have grown to realize what a genius he was. He and Fontaine, two of France’s greatest pens besides Victor Hugo, are buried next to each other. Chopin was next on the list, and ironically, Jim Morrison followed. The French joke that there’s no need for a map to find his grave; so many people commemorate his memory by smoking weed, one must simply follow the scent. The cemetery is over 100 acres and not somewhere I’d ever like to be after sundown! I laughed remembering when Rob, Cody and I snuck into Provo cemetery and getting the willies when a bat flew overhead; yet, it holds quite a different significance with some of France’s most renowned murderers and patriots underfoot, I’d never dare trespass here. Next I decided to venture into the Jewish Quarter of Paris. I passed several Orthodox men in their garb and many Jewish shops and houses with stars of David over the threshold. Well, I thought I’d be daring and try the local grub; was that ever an adventure! I think every time I bit into the pita I found a new color or ingredient; some recognizable, some not. There was some sort of unidentifiable meat under rice and some tasteless brown moist vegetables, chickpeas, several vegetables, a sauce with bright purple something-or-others, haha. It was gushing everywhere so I was leaning over a garbage can-receiving strange looks from passersby. Well, it wasn’t until I was relaying this to Eurah, my roommate, that I realized, the Parisians probably thought I took the sandwich from out of that garbage can and was eating it! :D The demolished state it was in must have looked like remains…oh dear. C’est la vie. Tomorrow is the first day of the enormous Young Single Adults conference at Nogent-sur-Seine. There should be several great speakers, a really fun dance and activities. A bientôt!

An Unforgettable Excursion...

What a week & where to begin! Tuesday morning I left for an excursion with my class. I arrived first at Omaha beach in Normandy. I had no idea Hugh Nibley was here on D-Day and was a correspondent-he spoke perfect German. The museum was touching portraying the great degree of destruction and loss. This is the first battle where we went in from behind enemy lines using parachutes. Dwight Eisenhower was the commander in chief at the time. I then walked down to Utah Beach-it has been left untouched so the terrain is marred with crater-like scars from the bombings. Ensuite, I saw the Bayeux Tapestry. It was full of symbolism and enormous!-Longer than a football field and depicting the life of William the Conqueror. I spent the rest of the day at Saint Malo, a quaint sea port village. The village is walled, so I walked the perimeter. There were also some old war bunkers on the shore, so I explored those and the cathedral with my friend Elizabeth. That evening, eleven girls and myself decided we should try the renowned seafood in the region and walked to a beautiful restaurant. We all felt gutsy enough to try escargot-and I’m thrilled to say, the taste of a snail is much better than the thought of eating one! There is so much garlic that there’s no image of it crawling down the sidewalk. ..Wednesday, I had an unexpected and incredible spiritual experience. We arrived at Mont Saint Michel in the morning for a tour, with a guide who spoke several languages, named Catarina. I walked next to her and the Welch’s and she asked after the first few rooms, “Why are you so different? Your group is so different?” In the next room, the acoustics were beautiful and it was too early for many tourists, so someone suggested we sing a hymn. Catarina gave us permission, so we began; within moments this composed French woman’s eyes were tearing up, and by the last verse, all the tourists passing through stopped and watched. When we finished, she and a few others said, “Chantez encore, s’il vous plaît…” The only other French hymn we knew how to harmonize was Je suis enfant de Dieu-I am a child of God, and that one was received just as well. Obviously Mont Saint Michel is a holy place, but I never expected to feel the spirit. We had to continue, but she was trying to figure out what was so different about us. I told her, “We believe that our hymns are, in fact, prayers to God.” She said, “Yes, I know. I can feel that.” Madame Welch told her, “Just because we’re not Catholic Catarina, we are still believers.” She asked us to sing twice more during our visit. When we finished, she treated us to cookies in the town and Brother Welch suggested I offer her something to remember us by, I asked if he had an extra French hymnal, he ‘just so happened’ to have one, and a Book of Mormon. By this point I was terrified because the first time I gave a Book of Mormon away was six years ago in Rouen, France and the woman was offended and returned it. But, taking a deep breath, Diane and I took Catarina aside and I said, “We’d like to leave you with a gift-our songs and our beliefs.” She replied, “I can’t read the notes, but I love the words…and this (she gripped the Book of Mormon)...I am very interested in this and seeing what makes you so different.” I thought I was going to faint and was squeezing Diane’s hand so tightly…I now understand why missionaries in France often have a hard time-to penetrate the shell of the French is difficult, but when it happens, it’s incredible. The great news is that there are missionaries in Cannes who are going to seek her out as soon as possible.
..Thursday, we started our visits to the castles of the Loire Valley; what an entirely different perspective than Paris! The history behind all six that we saw was so fun. I came to France thinking I would fill some sort of void of knowledge yet in fact, have just initiated the desire to learn more and more! I have become such an enthusiast of Jeanne D’Arc-Joan of Arc. What a woman-I’m dying to read Mark Twain’s biography of her. Even President Faust believed her to be inspired. I passed the wall she jumped over when preparing her troops for battle. My favorite historic chateau was probably Chenonceau. It is considered the women’s castle because of the notorious Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitier who reigned there. Picturesquely speaking, Chambord was impressive. It would be a dream to wander the grounds all day either on horse of by foot.
Friday..We spent the night in the Convent Bon Pasteur. It was so neat to eat, talk, and stay with the nuns. Some wore their habits, some didn’t. They are wonderful women from all over who dedicate their lives to prayer and service. The one I spoke with was Sri Lankan. We visited the Tapestry of the Apocalypse later that day. Waking up early, we went to Leonardo de Vinci’s home which was a fun experience! Many people don’t get past his art to see his inventions, sketches, and philosophy. His home was filled with his quotes, and all the inventions he’d sketched out, a modern man built and they're displayed! Of the citations, my favorite was, “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”
Saturday..Our last day was packed full, but my favorite part was visiting Chartres cathedral and hearing Brother Welch discuss the Good Samaritan window. I was fascinated to learn that the parable is actually an allegory of the plan of salvation! I had no idea. It is one of the few that we have an explanation for. I’d always thought that the Priest and Levite who pass the fallen man (Adam, who represents all of us) ignored him insensitively, when in fact it was that they couldn’t help him. The circumstance necessitated a Savior, the Savior to come. I wish I knew the stories behind every foot of the 25,000 square feet of stained glass.

Bordeaux: Amis, Arias, Amazing

3.9.08...Bonjour! I spent a superb weekend in Bordeaux! Arriving Thursday evening, I wanted to jump off the tram at every neat sight on the route to the Defranchi home. It was a pleasure to finally meet them! Marina and Sylvia treated me just like a sister and Alexis and Catherine couldn’t have been more hospitable! Friday morning Sylvia gave me the grand tour of Bordeaux! The cathedral Pay Berland, the Rue Saint Catherine, the best shops and treats, we even stopped at the town fair and rode one free fall attraction. Inevitably, I took a picture on the ‘tourist tortoise.’ We ate an Arab kebab in the center of town. Ensuite, the evening was an absolute delight-Alexis asked permission of the director of the opera for me to watch the dress rehearsal of the Faust opera that begins next week! It is rare that the public is allowed, but I was privileged to see the first half with the full orchestra…there are not words enough to describe! It was unbelievable! The voices were more powerful than any I’d ever heard; intense enough to bring tears to the toughest of souls. It was so moving, I was sad to leave. But, the next morning, Alexis sang the aria Turandot by Puccini for me! Saturday afternoon, my friend Romy invited me over, and cooked me a yummy fish lunch. We then waltzed all through the streets of Bordeaux. The shops ranged from Chinese knockoffs to Hermes there is a fee just to enter the store! I especially loved the dress shops and ‘habitat’ - the Pottery Barn of France. She had me taste cannelé a specialty cinnamon tasting bread of Bordeaux. En plus, gave me a darling pair of earrings to remind me of the city. The trip passed quickly but was well worth it! I am now back in Paris and this week will be traveling to Normandy and the Loire Valley. Bonsoir…