Sculpture, stairs and Vivaldi!

Thursday was Chris and Jessie's last full day in Paris. It went by so fast, we could hardly believe it! Wednesday night, over a game of hearts (during which Jessie shot the moon for the first time ever! Nice one, Jess!), we decided to prioritize our next day. Trevor and I had strongly recommended the Rodin museum, which is right down the street from the apartment. It's a favorite of ours because the sculptures are beautiful, and the museum itself is in Rodin's house (more like small palace) and garden. Since it's hidden behind a high wall, you never expect such a gorgeous piece of property, and it really is a gem in the heart of Paris. Chris and Jessie knew they wanted to go to the Sacre Coeur, because our friend Christophe recommended checking out the view of Paris from there. We also had tickets for a concert at the Ste. Chapelle that night, so it was going to be a busy day.

We ended up just going to the garden at the Rodin Museum (for just 1 euro!). We brought some sandwiches and sat on a bench, taking it all in while we ate.

From the bench where we ate our lunch...view on Rodin's house

Trevor and me in Rodin's garden

Gates of Hell

What visit of Rodin's garden would be complete without a photo of The Thinker?

There were gorgeous roses all over the garden

After Rodin, we all headed to Montmartre on the metro. This is where the Sacre Coeur is. Unfortunately (perhaps fortunately for our thigh muscles), we didn't find the automated lift up the gigantic hill to the Sacre Coeur until after we had gone up the stairs. Good exercise though!

Here is the view of Paris from the Sacre Coeur. It was a gray day, but still pretty clear!

After visiting the Sacre Coeur, we stopped at a hilltop cafe for a drink. On the way, I narrowly missed getting hit by a Smart Car that was not being very smart and going way too fast around a corner. Luckily, I was fine and the view from the cafe was wonderful. No pictures though...whoops!

We headed home to change and get ready for the concert at the Ste. Chapelle. The piece was Vivaldi- Four Seasons, and it was very beautiful. I think the best part, though, is getting to sit in the Ste. Chapelle for an hour and take it all in. It's an absolutely wonderful place in Paris that doesn't get the attention in deserves (which is probably for the best, really).

Trevor and me after the concert

After the concert, we walked over to a crepe place I used to eat at a lot when I was studying in Paris. It's a cute little hole in the wall on St. Andre des Arts. Chris and Jessie shared a dessert crepe with carmelized apples, chocolate, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. They were generous enough to share a taste with us, and it was quite delicious.

...and it's gone. Sadness!

After dinner, we all needed to walk a bit to digest, so we strolled over to Notre Dame. Keep in mind, it was at least 9:30pm by this point...and still light out.


Then we walked to the Louvre, through the Jardin des Tuilleries, and hopped on a metro to the Eiffel Tower. We arrived at 11:15, just after the twinkling lights had turned off (they are on at the top of every hour for 10 minutes). But, we still enjoyed seeing it with the regular lights.


After that, we headed back to the apartment. Chris and Jessie packed up their suitcases, we all watched some Bruno previews, and headed to bed. The next morning Chris and Jessie left bright and early to go down to the south to visit our friend Renee. We had a great time with them, and loved being a part of their first Paris experience!