Allez Les Bleus!

My time here in Paris has almost come to an end, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen and done my fair share of new things this past week! As grades for my classes had to be turned in last Tuesday, I have been going to class solely by willpower and realizing that I still need to be in a classroom setting. Without grades, most of the class periods are spent conversing in French, which has ended up being really great for my pre-departure days. I am scared about how much French I am going to lose this summer before school.

I have wanted to spend my remaining afternoons going to the places I had always thought about going, yet never had given myself the chance. One of the places on that list was La Defense.

Known as the major business district of Paris, this area in the far west of the city is full of high skyscrapers and hoards of businessmen (and businesswomen). A lot of Parisians seem to dislike the area, claiming that it’s “not Paris”. Even tourists express their negative opinion of the district being too “American”.

Look closely and you can see L'Arc De Triomphe in the distance.

I, myself, loved La Defense! For some reason, I found it to be a refreshing new look at Paris as a whole, and gave me more of an appreciation for the magnitude of the city and its culture. Alongside the buildings were many pieces of contemporary art that I enjoyed taking photos of with the city in the background.

Well, someone gave this part of town a big thumbs-up!

Another place off of my “Paris bucket list” was the Pantheon. Walking past it most days after school, I always had intended on going there, yet never managed to find the time. It’s usually around 6-8 Euros to get in, so it wasn’t until I found out that I could use my Visa to get in for free that I made my way over to the historical site.

First built as a replacement church of the Abbey of St. Genevieve, upon completion it was turned into a mausoleum for prominent French figures. I walked in and was a bit surprised by the size of the building in general. After looking at the massive paintings on the walls, I made my way down into the crypts. Many well-known people are buried there, including Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and Voltaire. It was cold and quiet underground, but seeing how many famous people were buried there was awesome.

"Foucault's Pendulum" which proved the earth was rotating.

Live Free or Die.

The grave of Voltaire.

After the crypts, I waited to take the tour of the dome of the Pantheon. Once the tour started, we climbed lots and lots of stairs until we had reached the top of the interior of the main room. It was great to see everything from the top looking down. The next step in the tour was to the outside of the dome! The view was incredible, with the Eiffel Tower and all the other great monuments of Paris is full view. After a good 20 minutes at the dome, the group made our way back down the steps. I was so happy I had finally made the time to experience the Pantheon, as I was completely impressed!

Going to one of the top spots on the list of coolest events that I participated in France was this past Friday night. I, along with Victoria, went to watch the World Cup match between France and Uruguay on a big screen. But didn’t I mention? It was on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower, alongside 15,000 other fans! The ambiance was so awesome, that even though the teams tied, I had a memorable evening.

Didn't even have to edit it. The sky was so cool.

Representing other countries.

Looking back on it, however, I would have liked to see the outcry from French people if France had won or lost. They lit flares after a red card was called, so I can only imagine what would have happened if they had won!

People keep asking me if I am ready to come home. My answer? It is bittersweet. I am ready in some regard to have the comforts of my family and friends, but I have found so much to love about Paris and this experience as a whole, so leaving is going to bring a lot of different emotions. Now I have to try and pack, which is a completely different story…

Affecteusement,

George