The day began with me waking up to my alarm clock around 8:15 am. At that point I still expected our group to not be meeting at the Museum of the Liberation of Paris until 11 so imagine my surprise when I checked my phone and saw that it had been changed to 9:45. I was suddenly glad that I had gone to bed early the night before. I still had time to shower and eat breakfast but I had to do it faster than I would have liked. Will and I left the hotel for the metro a little before 9:30. It was not as hot as it had been in the days before so I did not bring my backpack with my water bottle in it. However, it was very sunny so I brought my sunglasses. As we were changing trains, we ran into Gladys, Eve and Isabel and we joined them. I remember that we joked over whether or not we would beat Jenny and Dania to the museum since in the past they had a habit of being slightly late to our group meetings. But when we emerged from the metro we saw that they had in fact arrived before us.The museum was not very impressive to look at on the outside. In fact if it had not been pointed out as the museum I probably would not have noticed it. We were a little early so we had to wait outside the door for about ten minutes while our professor secured our tickets. When we entered the museum something I noticed immediately was that there was no air conditioning so it was rather stifling. Our professor gave us our tickets and we were first led into a room where we learned about life in Paris in the aftermath of the First World War and the buildup to the second. Then we were led downstairs to an underground bunker that was used as an air raid shelter during World War Two. Because it was deep underground and made almost exclusively from concrete it was very cool, almost chilling. We saw old gas masks that people were taught to wear in the event of mustard gas being used during a bombing which added to the eerie feeling. We watched old footage of bombings and the devastation that they left behind. I was feeling claustrophobic in the cramped quarters of the bunker and was glad when we left.After touring the bunker we learned about the sordid history of the Nazi occupation of Europe in World War Two, and particularly France’s involvement in it, both good and bad. After being forced to surrender to the Nazis, many French citizens actively tried not to fight, believing that resisting would only make their situation worse. However, there were those who resisted the Nazis at all costs, the greatest example being Jean Moulin, a French civil servant who was openly defiant toward the Nazi regime at a time when doing so could mean your death. He refused to give up any resistance members even when being ruthlessly tortured by the Nazis and would end up making the ultimate sacrifice for refusing to give in to their demands.After leaving the museum, we all went together to a Vietnamese restaurant. I had never had Vietnamese food before and I was excited to try it. I had chicken and rice with a Sprite. The chicken was covered in a sweet, tangy sauce that I especially enjoyed. When we finished our lunch pur group went our separate ways. I proceeded to spend several hours visiting stands along the Seine River. I didn’t buy anything but it was interesting to see all the miscellaneous items these stands had. I also got to walk along the Seine River which I had been meaning to do and was glad to be able to.After the Seine, I returned to the hotel for several hours then went to dinner at Le Hollywood near the hotel where I had a cheeseburger and fries. After that I went to tour the Eiffel Tower and got tickets to go up to the top where I got some very good photos and was able to view the city of Paris in all its glory. as able to view the city of Paris in all its glory. Because the line was long and it was nearing closing I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to reach the top in time but I was and it was worth the wait.Finally we all met up and went to a karaoke bar where we drank and sang karaoke in French until the early morning hours. In all it was a very good day and I was sad when it ended. I have greatly enjoyed my time in Paris and I will remember it fondly.

At 8:30 in the morning, I woke up for my third full day in Paris. It feels like I have already been here for so much longer from everything our group has done as a group over the past few days. I had already seen the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame de Paris. However, there are still lots of great places in Paris I haven’t been to yet. Today, I got to experience a couple of those.

Our group was not scheduled to meet together until 2, so I had plenty of time to do some exploring in the morning. By now, I have gotten more familiar with the area surrounding our hotel and the cafés, bistros, and subway stations are all more familiar than before. Walking around in the morning is the best because it is quiet and there aren’t any crowds. I walked through Montmartre and I made the 222-step climb up to the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. There was almost no line and upon entering, I was amazed by its beauty. The Sacre-Coeur has done Eucharistic adoration 24-7 for over 100 years, even throughout World War II. I went into the pews to pray and prayed for a little while. Then, the daily Mass started. Attending Mass in a different country was so cool because I got to see how the same event is different when performed in a different culture with a different language.

After Mass, I was hungry, so I stopped at a pastry shop to get some macarons. Then, a little while later, I stopped at a bakery to get a baguette to eat. Both the macarons and the baguette were delicious. It is so cool being able to walk around the city and go to shops, cafés, churches, gardens, or anything else. One of the things I have enjoyed most about Paris is how walkable it is. There are so many places I can go by just walking and there is even more I have access to with just my metro card.

At 2:00, our group met up and took the metro to the Musee d’Orsay. We met up with our professor and went inside the museum. The first thing I noticed about the museum was the shape of the building itself. The building was originally a train station, and the designs and windows on the walls and ceiling are impressive. However, what makes the Orsay special is its art. There were so many different works that reflected the different styles of art that were competing at the time. From sculptures of famous saints to paintings depicting everyday French life, there are works that fit so many different artistic tastes. My personal favorite kind of art is those which tell a story and evoke an emotion from the viewer. One painting from Orsay that did this really well was The Last Day of Corinth by Tony Robert-Fleury. However, there is also lots of value and emotion that can be expressed in simpler paintings. Another painting I really enjoyed was Jerusalem by Jean-Léon Gérôme. It depicts the famous scene of Jesus’s crucifixion, but from a completely different point of view than what is expected. I love how I got to experience both the old and the new, the traditional and the experimental. After hours of exploring artwork independently, I met up with our group and saw Van Gogh’s famous self-portrait, which was very cool. Finally, we walked out of the museum and back into the Paris sunlight.

Next, we made our way over to a Mexican restaurant where I enjoyed a beef quesadilla. Don’t get me wrong, I love French food, but there is such an amazing variety of offerings when it comes to food in Paris that I love trying them all. We took the metro back to the hotel, but before going back to my room I got a delicious raspberry pastry from the bakery.

In the end, I am very happy with what I was able to do today. Paris is such a wonderful city because it is so steeped in history and beauty, while at the same time it is always changing. Having the freedom to venture out into the city gives me a sense of freedom and the abundance of history and culture all around me gives me so many things to do. I am happy with my experience so far, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this amazing trip unfolds.