Friday morning, July 4: Our change in plans earlier in the week paid off. Friday’s weather was sunny and warm, perfect for riding around Paris. We rode a different route than our evening ride—Paris does not lack in beautiful things to see.
Of the 1948 trip, leader John Wallace wrote that riding through Paris during afternoon rush hour was one of the most challenging and memorable experiences. I think we outdid his group with our riding in daytime traffic, especially our group crossing of La Place de Concorde. Our tour guide always made sure we rode safely and obeyed the rules of the road. But in order to not get separated, we had to “dominate the lane”—stay together as a pack and not be intimidated by impatient drivers. I marvel at how quickly we mastered this technique.
- Sue Gettlin
We dressed ourselves in our classy designer Arcadia t-shirts, created by Scott, and swarmed the rues and avenues with our blinding red color as we rode trough the city. I seriously doubt that 60 years ago the first group studying abroad had such a difficult time biking around Europe through all the crazy traffic! But we dominated the roads as often as possible. I love biking and want my own here to get around on since it is so easy!
- Shaina McAndrewsDowntime at the CaféThis afternoon I did as the Parisians do and relaxed at a café. It was wonderful to enjoy the quiet and relaxation that we seem to miss out on in the States.
- Jacqueline CashBi-lingual DiningHappy 4th of July! In order to celebrate, Scott and I decided to "cheat" on our "French diet," and go to MacDonald's for dinner. When we got there, we were very excited to see that some of the items on the menu were in English. When we got up to order, it was a relief to find that the people behind the counters spoke English as well. We did the polite thing and asked (in French) if they spoke English before we ordered. But our encounter at the counter got me thinking.
In many of the restaurants that we have eaten, there had been English descriptions under the French name of the dish. This was a first for me because I have been to several non-English speaking countries, and so far France is the only one where there have been several bi-lingual menus. Besides English menus, I have seen both Spanish and Italian menus at several restaurants. This to me reflects so well on France because to me, it only seems fair that people be expected to speak the native language of the country that they visit. I've tried my best to speak in French when ordering, but is a relief when the waiter or waitress understands me.
- Brittany McCallFriday Night at the LouvreI spent the evening at the Louvre, taking advantage of the free admission for visitors under 26 years of age on Friday nights.
My favorite part of my Paris experience thus far, was seeing in person, a lot of the art works I have studied and taught about. Specifically, I enjoyed standing in front of Gericault’s “Raft of the Medusa. As I was taking photographs and talking to Maya (Stewart) about my views on this work, a woman came up and asked if she could join in on my mini-lecture.
Also, the Louvre has a new initiative, inviting contemporary artists each year to create works that dialogue with a period of their permanent collection. The current artist is Jan Fabre. His works correspond in conversation with Northern Renaissance paintings of Christ’s flagellation showing wounds from the crucifixion. Favre uses his own body fluids in his early works but later switches to iridescent beetle wings. His self-portraits are most jarring because they are so hyper-realistic. I think it’s telling of the time that such a historic museum is now proactively promoting contemporary art.
- Kajette Bloomfield
The most memorable event of the day was visiting the
Mona Lisa and Napoleon’s Apartment at the Musee du Louvre. I have never witnessed such a huge museum in my life. The paintings were breath-taking and the stories behind them are simply inspiring and interesting.
- Daniel Dotse
I decided to visit the Lourve, as I didn’t want to leave Paris without seeing the infamous
Mona Lisa. Seeing it in person was an awesome experience, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to get close enough to see the details of the painting. Fortunately, the Louvre was probably the biggest museum I have ever been in and there were countless other exhibits to see. I really enjoyed seeing the section on Greek art and getting an up-close looking at hundreds of different sculptures. In addition, my walk through Napoleon’s apartment was one of the highlights of my trip.
Late Friday evening, a group of us took a trip to Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) on Montmatre, which is home to one of the best views in Paris. Here we sat with dozens of locals and tourists who all came to enjoy the romantic location and the great view. It was truly an awesome place to relax and hang out while overlooking the whole city.
- Matt Bauer Shown above: Group in front of Napolean's Tomb; Maya Stewart, Jacqueline Cash and Matt Bauer; Daniel Dotse in the Louvre; Evan Williams in front of Mona Lisa.
View the day's photos
