Good evening parents, friends, fellow classmates and anyone else still with us on this blogging journey. This morning we traveled from Frankfurt, Germany to Paris, France on the German ICE (a super high speed train) – we reached speeds of up to 310kph (approx. 200mph). Upon our arrival in Paris we met our tour guide, Margo.
Margo took us first to the Arc de Triomphe where we walked all 284 steps to the top. We were greeted by an incredible view of Paris. I’ve included a photo from the top where you can see the Eiffel Tower on the horizon. After this breathtaking experience (literally) we stopped by an Eiffel Tower viewing area for some tourist photos. It should be noted that the weather here is a solid 30 degrees warmer and much sunnier than our previous European stops – morale is high.
Our last stop of the day was the famous church of Notre Dame. Margo told us about all the intricate carvings on the front of the church and how they each tell a detailed story. We also learned that the church was built over the span of 170 years – so it’s only a few years older than me. The interior of the church was immaculate. The chandeliers as well as the massive stained glass windows broadcasted elements of greatness. Trying to imagine the amount of engineering that went into it’s construction makes it seem impossible given the time period (1400).
After this we had free time to eat dinner and do some shopping in the fifth quarter of Paris, the Latin Quarter. I enjoyed a nice Italian dinner with an apple tart desert while many others bought stocks in the baguette businesses. Currently I am writing to you from our bus to Normandy driven by a great Frenchman named Phillipe. We should arrive in about three hours to our hotel. With that, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my post about our day in Paris. I’ll update everyone tomorrow evening!
Nic Nelson
