
Monday, May 27th
Monday was the last day of our vacation and I was anxious to make the most of it. So I planned a route around the city so that I could see as many things as I could. I started off at the mètro St. Michel and walked by Notre Dame and through the Quartier Latin. I was expecting a little more out of the Quartier Latin but all I found was restaurant after restaurant of owners trying to coax tourists into their establishment. From there I walked to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is incredibly beautiful. Monday happened to be on of the first sunny/warm days in the past two weeks so the park was packed. There were hundreds of people tanning, relaxing, chatting and reading in the chairs or on the lawn. Kids were running around chasing each other or playing soccer. Old men were playing pétanque in a corner covered by trees. And there was a lively game of tennis going on the courts. The whole scene was perfected by a mini jazz concert being performed under the main gazebo near the entrance by a middle school group. The group certainly wasn't professional - or possibly even amateur, but the struggling notes wafted out from the white gazebo covered by shade spreading itself around the rest of the park - so even the faint notes could be heard by those reclining by the fountains. With the warm sun beaming down, it was a lovely day.
After I had spent enough time wandering and strolling through the park, I walked up the street to the Panthéon. The Panthéon started out as a monument to the great men (and women) of France and later became their final resting places. Some of the most notable residents include Voltaire, Balzac, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie. This tradition continues in France today - they continue to bury those who they consider great within the impressive building built of marble and stone. It was neat to see the tombs held underneath the Panthéon but also...pretty spooky. The warm of the day was completely sucked out and replaced with a chill dampness that seems to radiate from the stone itself. And you walk past door after door to rooms that hold the tombs of the residents. Needless to say I was happy to return back to the world of the living.
I grabbed a bite to eat and then began to head towards La Place de la Bastille. Typically I would ride the mètro to each destination but I figured since it was such a nice day, it would be a great time for me to really see the city - on foot. It took a bit of time since it was farther away but it was nice to walk the streets of Paris and try and soak up the atmosphere and the moment. I had dreamed of this moment for years. Quite literally, years. To be strolling in Paris with the sun shining down on me was a dream at least six years in the making. And it had come true. Proof that although life is not a fairytale and there aren't always "happily ever afters" in this life that end in a beautiful sunset and no worries for the rest of your life - there are fairytale moments - and this was one of them to me. No fairy godmother had been involved and no prince was here to sweep me off my feet - but that was no matter. I had worked really hard and being in Paris I had everything I needed for my fairytale moment.


Monday night means Family Home evening with the jeunes adultes but I had an hour or so left before it started. I went on the mètro and wasted some time looking at shops in the Quartier Marais that was near the church. We all had a good FHE - and an even better dinner! And most of the girls were back from their vacation so we were able to catch up and hear all their exciting stories and sometimes swap one for our own. It had only been a weekend (ok an extended weekend because of Thursday, Friday and Monday) but still it was surprising how much we had missed each other and how great it felt to have everyone back together! You spend nearly all day together for weeks so then even a short break feels odd and you notice how everyone is missing. After we had chatted long enough and FHE was over, I went and stopped by my friend's house to talk. Seeing so many friends was the perfect ending to my day in Paris.