AKA the day that everything goes wrong. We started off by going to the Pantheon, then realized we had to pay to get in and didn’t think the museum pass covered it. Ya…I messed that one up because apparently we did but, we never made it back. From there, we went to Luxemburg Park which was pretty, but there wasn’t much to do there aside from watching sail boats. After that, we decided to go to the catacombs, but got there and realized there was a HUGE line and decided it wasn’t worth our time. We grabbed food, met a couple from Florida, then headed to the Arc to get a music box for Theresa’s mom. After a 30 minute metro ride, we walked out from the station and people with yellow vest were everywhere. Yes, that’s right we walked into a protest. There were cops completely surrounding the arc, along with them blocking the streets off. Cautiously, we still wanted to try to see if we could get to the arc, so we walked around until we found the doors and saw the underground tunnel was blocked off. Trying to find the metro to get the heck out of there, we turned left and saw a march of people coming down the street toward the Arc and decided to just walk to the next metro stop to get out of there as fast as possible. At this point, I think the universe was trying to tell me to just stay in the hotel and study for my biochem exam, but I didn’t listen and we ended up meeting some of the group at a mall, then found the I love you wall, and went to the Place du Tetre and getting some last minute paintings. That actually ended up turning around the day, and ended by grabbing dinner and crapes with John and Alicia. After we headed back to the hotel and got ready for our flight the next morning.
I really meant to read your entire journal, but the letters are kind of small on my computer and I haven’t updated my accessibility options. Anyway, at least it saved me the trouble of a lot more drivel about the Eiffel Tower. Also, I did not mention this at the time, but when I stopped to pray in the Sacre Coure, I was praying to be around more respectful students, ones that would not complain about my navigation. Clearly God was not listening, even though I was on the tallest hill in Paris. In retrospect, if you (and Theresa) compare what happened when I was not around your group (like you walking into a Yellow Vest protest), I think you can clearly see my positive influence.
What I did like about your journal (of what I read) was how adventurous you were when it came to the culture (and even the food) of both cities. I also appreciated your sense of humor during the trip and in the class. It was fun exploring the both London and Paris with you and even learning more about the Eiffel Tower. I was so proud of you when you mentioned to the French guide that Lavoissier’s name was on it! Having said all of that, let s hope for both of us that I will not be seeing you in my fall biochemistry class.