Salutations!

Sorry for the long gap between posts. These lasts weeks are full of exciting events, preparation for the journey home, and lots and lots of homework! I promised to tell you a little bit about my trip to Paris, so here I go!

We had to be on campus at 5:30 am. Everyone was so tired! We took a coach (charter bus) down through London, and drove the bus straight onto a large train that carried us through the Chunnel. That was an interesting experience! Being on a bus and a train at the same time... very strange. But we made it across and arrived in France! I really enjoyed looking at the French countryside, which is quite lovely (It reminded me a bit of Iowa actually). After a 10 hour journey we arrived in Paris at the Tom Hotel. Once we were settled, Maggie, Rachel, Me, and two of our friends from the program here (Bridget from Norway, and Warren from Massachusetts) went out to dinner. Later on we took the Metra to the Eiffel Tower in time for the lights show that happens every hour on the hour after dark! It is really cool! The tower sparkles for the first 5 minutes, and then there is a lights show set to music that lasts about 10 minutes. I loved that!

The next morning we went back to the Eiffel Tower to see it during the day. It really is quite impressive, and the views from the top are really lovely. I didn't realize just how big Paris is! Once again we had beautiful weather and were able to see really far in all directions. From the top of the tower you can see the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Sacre Coeure, and the Arc De Triomphe. Pretty much all of Paris!

After that we went to Sacre Coeure, which is a huge, white, basilica church, set on top of a high hill. It was really beautiful inside and out. I have never been in a basilica before, and enjoyed the unique architecture. We ate nutella crepes on the steps of the church, out in the sun. Next we went to the Arc De Triomphe, which was quite impressive, and walked down the Champs Elysee, the famous street that leads up to the Arc. That evening we went to the Louvre! It is free admission for everyone under 26 on Friday nights, so we saw some of the most famous paintings and sculptures in the world (including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo) for free! Walking through the Louvre made me wish I knew more about art history, but I learned a little along the way. That night we ate at a fantastic French restaurant near the museum, and enjoyed interacting with the waiters, and trying out our French!

The next morning we went to Notre Dame. As I walked slowly around the inside of the walls, I was amazed at the detail in the stained glass windows. The sun would all of a sudden stream through and throw bright colors and patterns onto the walls and floors. It was breathtaking. The view from the top is really beautiful as well! Considering that it is just a cathedral, it's really amazing how high up we were! It was cool to hear and see the bells as well. That afternoon we went to the Musse Dorsay, which has a lot of impressionist artwork. We saw Monet, Manet, Van Gough, Degas, and many more. This is one of my favorite things we did, and if you are ever in Paris I would strongly urge you to see this museum! I discovered that I really like impressionism, which I never would have known if we hadn't gone... That evening we met for dinner, and then watched the lights show at the Eiffel Tower one last time.

The next morning we packed up and headed for The Palace of Versailles on the coach. We also managed to get in free here! This was breathtaking! The detail, and the gold, and the art, and the statues... I could not believe the excess and the extravagance! The Hall of Mirrors was really neat, and the chapel inside the house was really beautiful. The gardens were breathtaking! They were endless! Literally. I can't imagine how big they really are. There was a beautiful canal and rows upon rows of huge, gorgeous trees. I'm so glad we were able to see this before we headed back to York on the Chunnel once again.

Paris is a really beautiful city, and I am so thankful that I was able to see everything we did. I hope all of you get the chance to go there someday!

Since then I have been to Liverpool where I went to lunch with my friend Claire, who lived with me at Hope last semester. It was so good to see her again, and it was fun to have her show me around her city! Rachel and I went to the Beatles Museum as well, which I really enjoyed! I feel like I now have a thorough knowledge of Beatles history. Then yesterday I went to Chatsworth with Maggie and our friend Oddbjorg from Norway. Chatsworth is a lovely manor house where they filmed the scenes for Pemberley from the movie "Pride and Prejudice," and was the home of the Duchess of Devonshire in the movie the "Duchess." This was such a treat! We took a bus out to a small village near the home, then took a path through some huge fields where there were old trees, and sheep grazing, and quaint brick walls... it was really beautiful. The house itself was also really neat! It was decorated for Christmas, so everything was merry and bright! There were some really lovely artwork as well. The house is surrounded by gardens, and there is a huge fountain out front. This has to be one of my favourite places in England, and (once again) if you get the chance, you should definitely see it!

Thanks again for reading, and for all of your prayers and support! I may only fit in one more post before I fly back to the States December 19! Miss you all!

Cheers!