Ah, Paris!

From London, we took the Chunnel (mostly just so we could say we did) to Paris. This place was truly spectacular! The buildings in particular were gorgeous (most of which were white or a variation of white-this made a neat effect when you could see for miles and everything is white), and because Paris is quite hilly, the views were absolutely breathtaking. We only had about 2 days and 1 night to spend in Paris, so we filled our 2 days to the brim with sites.

After walking around and finding our hostel (which was located in Mont Marte, which is a community on a slightly higher elevation than most of the rest of the city so the views were incredible), we set off for the 2 major streets that were recommended as hot spots to visit (by Rick Steves-our Europe guide). First, we went to the Champs Elysse. This is the hottest shopping district in the city. After fighting through immense crowds and seeing a street performer of some variation literally every 20 feet, we headed up to the Arc de Triomphe. Then, we managed to make it to another street (much littler and more laid back than the former) called Rue Cler. Here, we stopped at a few different specialty shops and managed to piece together a fabulous lunch. We then proceeded to have a picnic in the park where the Eiffle Tower is located. This was awesome!

We also made visits to a few churches including the famous Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur...wow! The Pope was scheduled to visit in a couple days, so we lucked out that everything was open. But while we were in the Notre Dame, we actually got to hear a choir practicing for his visit. It was really cool. The acoustics were amazing! And somehow, we still managed to set aside quite a few hours (a year wouldn't be enough to see everything tho) to visit the Louvre and the magnificent treasures it holds.

This was also the city where we got hit with all the scam artists. But, every scam we encountered was straight textbook, so we avoided each of them easily. We were pretty proud of ourselves. But Paris really was spectacular! It was so fun to just get lost in the backstreets and just take it all in. What more can I say then that it was (smooch) magnifique! :)

This is the Sacre Coeur and the terrace around it. This was pretty funny, cuz here tons of Africans were trying to scam us by making a "friendship bracelet" on a tourist's wrist and then demanding a steep price for it. I seriously had to rip my arm away from 5 different guys trying this trick!Here I am taking a quick break on one of the Louvre Pyramids. They were so cool! You could look in them and see the inside of part of the museum.
This is one of many very ornate hallways in the Louvre. The ceilings were painted and there were paintings everywhere. You could sit and stare at one room for hours!
Here is Jared posing with the Venus di Milo. She and the Mona Lisa were hoarded by tourists 24/7. We had to elbow our way in just to be able to snap a quick pic. (hence the head of hair in the picture)
This is one of the cute little shops on Rue Cler. This particular place is where we bought our stinky cheese (some brie) to eat with our bread, meat, and fruit. Mmm-mm good!
This is a view of Notre Dame. The line to get in was rather heinous, but at least it was moving pretty fast. This is also where we ran into our first of many missionaries on our trip. This one had just finished his mission and was visiting some sites with his family before he headed back home. It was fun to see that Elders really are everywhere!
And this is umm...I can't seem to remember what this tower was called...but hey, it's a pretty cool shot don't ya think? :)
Romance is definitely in the air in Paris!
Here is Jared in front of the Arc de Triomphe. This monument is located in the center of the craziest road in the world. There's literally no street signs or even lanes. It's just a complete and utter free-for-all encircling Napolean's Arch. (I never want to drive in Paris, particularly here)
This is the Champs Elyssee. The square trees were pretty cool on this long and lively street.
Apparently in London, there are Bobbies on horseback, but in Paris, it's all about the rollerblades!
And here we are enjoying our first of many crepes in Paris. Ever heard of Better Than Sex Cake? Well, that's how Jared described this amazing concoction of dough, hazelnut chocolate, and bananas!