Day 30

Bonjour!

Today was my last day in Paris and my last day in Europe. We used our time today to go to the two best museums in town: the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay!

So we began today at 10am with some pastries from the bakery across the street. Today I got a plain croissant and a flaky pastry with hot apple sauce in the middle. So good. Then we got on the metro and took it to the Louvre. We initially headed for the "secret entrance", Porte des Lions, but it was a big locked door that intimidated us so we just went to the huge main entrance, you know, the glass pyramid. So we went through all that and made our way in. We began together but eventually broke into two duos and a trio. I wandered with Ana Maria. We got lost several times and started off terribly confused, but we eventually found our bearings and made our way through pretty much everything. I missed just a few key things, though I was in the right section to see them, I just thought they were in a closed section until other girls said they saw them. Anyway, I saw a whole bunch of amazing art that I never thought I'd get to see in my life. It was stunning and bone-chilling and just amazing. I want to list things but my mind is numb from all that I saw today. It was really just a ton of stuff that I've learned about in my art history courses over the years. It's funny how much more I liked some of the pieces in person than I did while viewing it as a flat digital image.

After we all made our way through the galleries we met at one of the cafes in the museum for lunch. I got a fruit cup and a blueberry muffin. Then we left and walked right to Musee d'Orsay across the river. Musee d'Orsay used to be an old train station, and it now houses some of the best French art in history. So much Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, and more. I saw one of my favorite paintings, Birth of Venus by Alexandre Cabanel. It's so beautiful and soft. I say it and literally ran to it. Anway, Ana Maria and I wandered around together again and made sure to see everything in the 2 hours that we had. Some of the most famous paintings are in there, like Renoir's Moulin de la Galette and Manet's Le Dejeuner sur l'Herbe.

I saw so much amazing art today that my mind can't even comprehend it yet. I mean, I've seen more important art in the past month than I ever dreamed I would see in my lifetime. It's ridiculous and wonderful and I don't even understand it.

After we left Musee d'Orsay we began walking towards the Opera house in hopes of seeing it then getting dinner. Ana Maria, Katia, and Brittany separated there. So Rosie, Zoe, Amber, and I marched on. We stopped in a few shops, one of which was a cute jewelry store playing the new Vampire Weekend cd, so I got to enjoy that while the other girls shopped. After that we continued walking and eventually stopped at a cute cafe for dinner. It was so great. I got this ravioli dish with a green sauce that I'm assuming was spinach based. I don't even know. I just know it's one of the best things I've tasted on this trip. Then I got a bowl of veggies and a bowl of French fries (again, ha). Both things were scrumptious. Plus we had some bread on the table. French bread. That was also tasty.

After dinner we walked over to the Opera house and just looked at the outside, because it's beautiful and because it was too late to go in to look around unless we were going to the show tonight. Once we were through with that we got on the metro and headed back to the apartment. I showered and packed and now I'm ready to go home, physically and emotionally.

The past month has been the most incredible time of my life. I've learned a lot about myself and the world around me. My eyes have been opened to different cultures and different ways of life. I feel stronger than I ever have before. I know that I can take on anything with ease and grace if I try hard enough. But through all the admiration and love I feel towards the past month, I've missed my family and friends. I've missed the comfort of being home. I can't wait to get home tomorrow, see a few friends, do laundry, and lay in my bed forever.

Bonsoir!