Two Days of Rain

August 16, 2010 – Monday

We are down to our last day in Paris. I know it has been a great vacation because I am sad to leave but not regretful because I felt like we got to do all that we really wanted to do. I am also looking forward to getting home and seeing our dogs and house. I will need to jump right into Spanish work and church work however so we’ll need to hit the ground running. Morgan, Kara and Heather are a bit concerned about only having two weeks before heading back to school, but I am sure we’ll be able to get everything done that is necessary. Both Kara and Heather are moving up to a new school (high school – Stadium for Kara and middle school – Meeker for Heather). You can tell my mind is already switching because I am giving you details about life at home and not life in Paris. I’ll remedy that right now!

The last 2 days have been rainy. I realized the true luxury of having had a whole month in Paris while it rained hard all day yesterday. We went to church in the morning and then came home to make some dinner and relax. Because it was raining, we relaxed most of the afternoon and didn’t go out until about 5 PM. I felt sorry for the sopping wet tourists we saw that were trudging through all the activities they needed to get done in the few short days they had. We looked the same as all the other sopping wet tourists (except that we had umbrellas) but probably didn’t feel the same because the weather was not ruining one of the few precious days we had. We got on the metro to see the Opera Garnier – a most beautiful building with or without the rain! We walked down to the Place Vendome for a look at the Ritz Hotel and the very upper crust jewelry stores that surround it. There is a very tall pillar in the middle of the place with Napoleon standing victoriously at the top with war scenes snaking up around the column showing war scenes from the Battle of Austerlitz. The column is made of cannons won at that battle and other Napoleonic victories. It was a short walk from Place Vendome looking at expensive shops and hotels to the Place de la Concorde. Morgan, Kara and Heather each threw a coin into one of the fountains at Place de la Concrode. We then walked by the Petite Palais and the Exposition Hall and the the Alexander Bridge with the Ecole Militaire at the other end. These landmarks are all in the core of Paris and are truly examples of grand boulevards and amazing buildings. It is has been great to just walk from place to place and enjoy the beauty of Paris. There are not many cities with so many areas of beauty in the architecture, the open spaces, and the gardens – all linked easily by a metro system that is extremely easy to navigate.

Morgan has not been feeling 100% well and we were a bit wet at this point, so my family headed home and I decided to make one more trip to Notre Dame. August 15 is the Catholic celebration of the Assumption of Mary and there were many activities at Notre Dame in honor of the day. I got there to see the end of the sacred mass that ended the procession with the statue of the Virgin. There is a silver statue of Mary with baby Jesus that is THE virgin of Notre Dame. The mass was presided over by a Cardinal (don’t know his name) and the Archbishop of Paris. The nave of the church was full of people participating in the mass but there were still tourists circulating the ambulatories around the nave. I found a spot right outside the cordoned area of the nave and was able to see the stature of the virgin adorned with beautiful white flowers, hear the choir and see part of the altar. The Cardinal prepared the host for communion and the faithful went up to receive it (there were a lot of people). The end of the service was a song that everyone sang together and then the choir, nuns, and other priests assisting at the altar filed out right in front of me followed by the Archbisop and Cardinal. The final processional played by the organist was very powerful and sounded like all the key boards and pedals were in use. I wonder how many times the high holy day of the Assumption of Mary has been celebrated in that cathedral. I am so glad I decided to go to Notre Dame (my favorite place in Paris) one more time before our trip home. The power, beauty and history of that place never disappoint.

I rode the bus home – my girls always roll their eyes and plead to go on the metro when I suggest the bus because I have taken them on a few long rides. They say the bus is only fun for “old people.” Guess I know into which population group they have placed me! It was an easy ride home – even in the rain!

We got up this morning, Monday, to pack and clean. It was still raining – hard. We spent about 3 hours gathering all our belongings that get spread throughout all available space during regular life and doing some dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing, etc. I still need to do a final clean on the bathroom after all the hair and makeup is done tomorrow morning, but everything else is done. We then took a long walk down the Avenue Republique with the eventual goal of ending up at the Hard Rock Café. We stopped at several fun clothes stores - I found a cute jacket and Steve found a soccer shirt big enough for him! Our umbrellas kept us dry (except for some wet feet) on the long walk all down the avenue. We saw the most expensive parts of Paris yesterday and some of the bargain areas today. We found the Hard Rock Café and went in (mob scene at the t-shirt shop!) to what seemed like something lifted right out of the US somewhere. All the wait staff spoke English, the menu was in English and the food was over the top fatty, calorie laden and yummy! We enjoyed our lunch and decided we wouldn’t need to eat again until tomorrow (that may not be true but it is how we felt!). We didn’t buy any t-shirts but had fun looking at the memorabilia. Morgan was still not feeling 100% so she and Steve went back to the apartment and Kara, Heather and I went on a search for the final souvenirs.

We went to Montmartre because Kara saw a painting there on the 2^nd day we were in Paris that she didn’t buy at the time but then decided she’d like to have. We went back with my parents, but there were no paintings. I was doubtful we’d find many artists today because of the rain – I was right. We were a bit disappointed but started descending the hill (Montmartre really is on a “mount” and there are a lot of steps to go up to get there!) and found a small art shop on one of the streets. We found a small canvas (just cheap oil paintings – but a nice souvenir) and Kara found one she liked for only 18 euros. I was glad we found it. We then went to the Rue de Rivoli for a t-shirt for Heather. We found the “perfect” one for Heather as well as a few other small purchases and our last ice cream cones at the carnival that is in the Tuileries in the summer. It was still gray but not raining. It was a very fun day.

I am sure I should have something important and introspective to say at this point. Nothing profound comes to mind…maybe you’ll have to check in again for one more post after we make it home. (Don’t get your hopes up for anything too profound however!) I am very grateful we’ve had this opportunity. It has been as good as I hoped and expected. The last steps are to get the apartment deposit back (my fingers are still crossed), get to the airport and have a safe trip home. And so au revoir pour maintenant (good-bye for now).