The View from Paris

We're back and feeling well-rested! Matt and I had a great time in Paris, and then we had a wonderful family vacation in Austin. This post will show our Paris pics and then the next ones will have Austin pics. :)

Let me begin with a brief word about why we were in Paris. Every summer our church sends out teams of students to go abroad and share the gospel in international contexts. This year one of the teams went to North Africa and then had their debriefing time in Paris. As a ministry, we send our own staff to help with the debriefing, so Matt and I got to go to Paris. I cannot tell you excited we were not only to go to Paris, but also to hear from this first team first-hand. They had a great team dynamic, and we really had a blast talking with them and popping around Paris with them.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27
We arrived one day before the team, and so the first night we were able to get our bearings and settle into our hotel. We were also able to meet up with my darling disciple and friend, Lauren. Here we were in front of the gorgeous Opera building, which looks deceptively small from the front.















We were then off to the Eiffel Tower.



































Nothing really compares to the Eiffel Tower at night, and at 10 p.m. it sparkles - literally!


















THURSDAY, JUNE 28
The first place we took the team was to the Arc de Triomphe via the Champs-Elysees, a very famous Parisian street.


















There are many streets that connect to the circle that the Arc sits on. This particular street is a view looking towards the northwest (fyi - the center of Paris is to the south and east of the Arc) at the Grande Arche de la Defense - the big open square at the end of the street.















This was just one view from the top. You can see the Eiffel Tower in the background.


















FRIDAY, JUNE 29
This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We had just taken the team to see Notre Dame. We were going to cross the bridge over the Seine River and then do some more walking and sightseeing. However, it was dinnertime, and everyone was hungry! So we bought some great sandwiches from a steet vendor and paused to eat on the bridge and enjoy the view, all the while a few feet away a man played his accordion (very French!).
















Of course, there was kissing; it's Paris!!














Relaxing in the courtyard of the Louvre - we are facing the infamous glass pyramids.



















Silliness in the courtyard of the Louvre


















SUNDAY, JULY 1
We took the team to Versailles, the former summer palace of the king of France. This view is of the back of the castle and just some of the gardens and fountains!































































Do you see us in the flowers?




















Look at this amazingly large bee!















Personal Reflection: I really, really enjoyed being in Paris again. After the last time I was there, I sincerely thought that that would be the last time. Never did I seriously think I would be so fortunate as to return. So after the first day I resolved to take every opportunity to use my French and to take in as much as possible the sights, sounds, and feel of Paris. I felt very comfortable there and felt reasonably confident leading a group of 17 other people around a city that was completely new to them. It was also beautiful to finally share Paris with Matt. We had both been there separately, but now we can say we've been there together. Interestingly, I was pregnant the last time I was in Paris, so I guess you could say I like to take every baby to Paris at least once. ;)