L'Opera, Luxembourg, Orsay, and the Seine River

This post will be quick tonight since it's really late, and I'm really tired. We started out the day by stopping by Place de la Republique for a quick picture (the whole square is under construction), and then we moved on to the Opera house. We weren't going to go in since it wasn't covered by our museum pass, but dad wanted to go in. So we did. And BOY, I'm so glad we did! It was absolutely amazing inside! The grand staircase, the theatre itself, and the halls...it was amazing...especially since Phantom of the Opera is my favorite musical. We got to see the Box 5 where the Phantom sits. There is a plaque on the door and everything.  How freaking awesome is that?!

We went home for lunch and to have a sit, and then we headed to the Orsay Museum. This museum has French art by Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, and many others. Our legs were tired before we even got in, but we made our way around and had a quick look at most everything. The museum itself is inside an old train station so it's unique, and I really liked the look of it. I think that Monet is my favorite painter....either that or Impressionism is my favorite painting style.

We walked to the St. Sulpice church next. This is the church in The Da Vinci Code, and  we found the Rose Line.  COOL!

We walked to the Luxembourg Gardens and enjoyed an apple while we people watched.  This park was full of locals...there were kids playing soccer, basketball, and tennis; old people playing chess and walking the paths; and young people meeting up and/or going to/from class. It was quite a happening place, and we couldn't quite figure out what they all were doing there. No one hangs out at parks at home. We decided it was probably because the people here don't have lots of kids or big yards to take care of. It seems that they just go to work, meet up, relax, and go to dinner.  The Luxembourg Gardens seemed to be the meeting place for many couples/groups/friends, and they hung out there til dinner time. Most were reading or chatting with others. I loved hanging out with the locals, and it made me like Paris even more.

We walked up to the Pantheon to find that it was closed so we just snapped a picture before heading to the metro to go to dinner kind of near the Eiffel Tower.  My friend/old roommate Sierra and her husband, Richard, are also in Paris, so we had plans to meet up with them for a boat ride on the Seine River. By the time we got to the restaurant we wanted to eat at, we thought it would be cutting it close to be on time to meet them, so we just grabbed a baguette from the boulangerie and some cheese from a fromagerie and enjoyed that while we walked up the Champs de Mars and watched the lights come on the Eiffel Tower.

We met up with Sierra and Richard and chatted until it was time to board the boat. It was a double decker, and we got to sit on the roof and see all the sights lit up. We passed under twenty something bridges. We got to see the Eiffel Tower light show which was probably one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. It just sparkles for five minutes straight. So cool. J'aime Paree.

We went to dinner after saying goodbye to Sierra and Richard. We ate at Le Petit Cler which is an affordable restaurant on a cute pedestrian street near the Eiffel Tower. Dad got a T-bone steak, and I got coconut chicken with curry. Both were yummy. We had potatoes and salad with our meals, and then we enjoyed desserts. I had the tart du jour (the tart of the day...hahaha...no, but seriously, it was lemon), and dad had a chocolate cake. Both were super yummy. This was one of the most inexpensive restaurants I could find, but we still ended up spending about as much money for that one meal as we have for food the rest of the time we've been here (minus all the crumbles and baguettes dad insists on buying every day ;) ). 

We got back home, exhausted, and ready to sleep. Dad's feet are bruised (on the inside) like mine were the first few days of my trip. Now I'm a sightseeing machine, totally trained for these conditions, and I don't feel a thing. Ha, okay, that's a lie. I'm tired too.

We have one more day in Paris! Time flies when you're having fun!

Light show

Notre Dame

Sierra and I by the Eiffel Tower

Sunsetting over Paris

Pantheon

Pantheon

Luxembourg Garden

Rose line

Opera House

Opera House

Reserved for the phantom of the opera

Ceiling over Grand Staircase

Grand Staircase

Grand Staircase