Sauntering Through Paris

Extra flame from Lady Liberty

When we took the boat tour our guide told us that Paris has an extra flame from the Statue of Liberty. We found it as we were walking down the street. We were excited to see something American and my personal reaction of excitement was surprising.

This is just a great photo opt picture of the girls and I on a romantic bridge over the Seine River. Moments like this just need to be captured. I think we were even at this exact bridge one night watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle.

The Louvre

The Mona Lisa

From the view on top of the Eiffel Tower the Louvre was one of the largest buildings. It is crazy because the majority of the Louvre is underground. People say that the Louvre can be done in a three week time period and all the recognizable, retainable information still wouldn’t seep in. I totally believe that now. It was a bit overwhelming because I knew there were so many things I’d really enjoy to see or learn about, but I definitely had to pick and choose. I did see the Mona Lisa though! Besides what people have said about it being under-rated, I thought it was pretty cool. My other favorite painting was one that we had to see for our humanities class. It’s called St. Joseph with Little Boy Jesus. Hopefully I’ll come back to the Louvre some day to be able to bask in the thousands of pieces of art that I didn’t get to see. As for what I did get to see, I am so grateful that I even got to go to the Louvre and experience it. 

The Louvre

Musee D'Orsay

This museum was a phenomenal building. Before it became a museum it was a train station. The ceilings and walls were ornate which added to the museum atmosphere. For some reason I didn’t take any pictures of the museum, but I did get a picture of my favorite painting. The painting is called “The Rehearsal” by: Edgar Degas. I love the scene of girls at the studio warming up at the bar preparing for class or possibly even a show. I think a large reason why I connect with this painting and can totally relate to this piece is because I can put myself in that scene.  

Musee L'Orangerie

Monet’s water lilies and willows; need I say more.  The paintings are from the scenery of Monet’s own gardens. They were his main focus of artistic work for the last thirteen years of his life. I never realized how beautiful and large these wall paintings are. The rich cool tones of purple, blue, and green highlighted by soft yellows and white had me captivated. Textbook pictures will never be able to do these paintings justice.

Notre Dame

I was really excited to go to this cathedral because it’s one that I have known about since age 5 from the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It is much better in real life compared to the cartoon Disney movie. There was a morning mass service going on while we were sauntering through the cathedral. One of the girls and I decided to attend the service just out of curiosity. The entire mass service was in French and after we learned that normally they only let locals come in and attend the service. We must have looked the part! It’s pretty cool to think that I attended mass in the infamous Notre Dame Cathedral. 

Notre Dame of Paris

Versailles

outside the gates of Versailles

Bed of Mary Antoinette 

Ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors

King Louis XIV of France took the court and built up a new capital outside of Paris identified as Versailles. Versailles is not only famous for it’s building, but also for its symbol of absolute monarchy. I felt like I had just entered a city like Vatican when I stepped in the big golden gates of Versailles. It is unbelievable to me how much money was spent on the monarch and his court, especially when people of France were suffering at the time. It’s only logical that at the beginning of the French Revolution Versailles was invaded by the people as an act of rebellion. The palace is an obvious Baroque style with every single thing lined in gold. My favorite room in the palace was the bedroom of Mary Antoinette. Her problematic arranged marriage to King Louis XVI led to a relationship with a forbidden lover. Her bedroom had a small trap door for her to escape from. I found it very odd that her and the king had separate bedrooms that they slept in each night. That cannot be good for an already struggling marriage.  Another part of it that was my favorite was the famous Hall of Mirrors. It was as extravagant as I had imagined it to be. 

Charte Cathedral

Unusual difference in Towers?

Charte Cathedral is unique in comparison to all the other cathedrals in the world because it is a combination of Gothic and Romanesque that is evident in the two distinctively different towers. There are over 200 stain glass windows that display biblical stories in Charte Cathedral that add up to 2,000 square yards of glass. As a part of our Bible & Christianity class we each researched a window and explained to all the students on a tour the symbolism and meaning of our window. My window was a rose window. Old Testament prophets had New Testament prophets on their shoulders in each pain to show the building upon each other and sense of scriptural unity. Mary was in the center of the rose window because it was said that through her the Old Testament prophets’ ministry was fulfilled. It was interactive and quite enjoyable for all of us to take turns describing the stain glass. The Charte Cathedral is considered a place of pilgrimage because it houses the shirt of Mary that is debated to be worn at the conception of Christ or the birth of Christ. My favorite part of this cathedral was that it demonstrates the plan of salvation. All the prophets that were sculpted or displayed were ones that testified of the plan. 

Rose stain glass window

Paris

Night View of the Eiffel Tower

Every hour on the hour,
The Eiffel Tower Sparkles with lights

Day-time view of the Eiffel Tower

Tip Top of the Eiffel Tower

View from on top of the Eiffel Tower looking down
on the Seine River and the  gorgeous city

The first night in Paris we took a boat ride on the Seine River. The city was breath taking at night, everything lights up. On top of seeing the city for the first time, the Eiffel Tower surprised us and we quickly learned that it sparkles with lights every hour on the hour. Pictures don’t even come close to how bright and beautiful it really is in real life. The boat ride was a brief tour of the city that we were about to explore over the next few days.

One afternoon we took the trek to the top of the Eiffel Tower. There was an option to take an elevator all the way to the top, but we chose the exciting route of climbing 600 steps to the second level and then an elevator from there to the top. There was something enchanting about the Eiffel Tower. It is a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Millions of people ascend to the top each year. We had been warned that the Eiffel Tower is the #1 place for scamming and pick pocketing because it is such a popular tourist spot. With all of the US citizen travel alerts that we have been receiving we were thinking about how the Eiffel Tower is probably a hot spot for terrorist attacks. Luckily nothing happened the day we were there and everything seemed to be secure and safe.

The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower is remarkable. The city of Paris is a very beautiful city to look down on. The Seine River as well as the many gardens and parks add a lot of natural beauty to the scene. I have to admit that the view of Paris was the prettiest view I have ever seen (above New York city and London). I felt really blessed because the weather was beautiful the entire week we were in France so we were able to get the full affect. 

Armistice

World War I stop number two was the location that the French train car met the German train car to sign the treaty to end the war. The sight was a reminder that even though World War I ended there, it was the beginning of World War II. The original train cars were re-made and placed in a museum right next to the actual spot of signing. You could look inside the car and see the names of all the men that were apart of the conference and signing. Sure enough Hitler had his place as a German representative. At the sight there was one statue remaining from the six that were originally erected there in 1918. The statue is of the French General Fosch. During World War II Hitler knocked all the other monuments down. He purposely kept the monument of Fosch there so that he (Fosch) could see the devastation Hitler brought upon France as an act of vengeance. It was pretty powerful to stand in the place of a wars ending. 

Trenches and Tunnels at Vimy Ridge

Trenches among the beautiful landscape of France

War pocked land from land-mine bombs

On our way into Paris we stopped at a recreated World War I sight. WWI was a war of trench warfare that was fought in large on the home front of France. The war trenches were re-excavated and all of the original sand bags that lined the trench walls were replaced with cement look-a-likes. As an American it’s hard to comprehend a war being fought on your homeland. Besides Pearl Harbor and until the strikes of terrorism the land of the United States has been fortunate enough to be preserved from war. For miles the pockmarked land reminds the people of France of the devastation that came from World War I. In 1998 the excavation archeologists found a bomb trap that had been there since the great war. It was unbelievable how close the German trenches were to the Canadian trenches. The battle that was at this specific spot went on for 3 weeks. That seems like a long time, especially when they’re so close to each other. Dr. Tate told us a really neat story about the Great War: On Christmas Eve at one of the trench sites the two sides (Germans vs. Scots & British) made a pact to forgo fighting the night of Christmas Eve. Men from both sides came out and met in the middle. Together they sang Silent Night accompanied by bagpipes. Touching story I know. 

Journey to France

Fairy across the English Channel

We took a fairy across the English Channel so that our coach could be our source of transportation while in France. The coach driver, Tony, is good friends with a couple of the professors and he wanted to take a trip over to France for a week so it worked out nicely. It does take a lot longer to travel by fairy rather than taking the underground chunnel. It was worth it because the boat reminded me of a cruise ship and it was a lovely sight to look back at the white cliffs of Dover. We went out on the top/upper deck to feel the cool breeze. I kind of felt like I was in the movie Titanic. 

Borough Market

The Turkish Veggie-Burger that changed  my  life

Tables and Tables of Food to Buy

The word on the street was that we had to experience the fine foods of Borough Market one afternoon. I love the food markets and was really excited to see the diversity of the foods that would be brought together in the London community. I was not disappointed. All of my friends and I got different things and then passed it around so we could get a little taste of everything. I chose to get a Turkish veggie-burger. I have never eaten a veggie-burger before but the smell coming from this particular stand had me convinced that it must taste amazing. It was far above amazing! That afternoon I tried tastes of different Indian curries, all kinds of cheeses, chocolate covered nuts, pastries of all kinds, wheat/grass smoothie, beef pie and whatever else was being handed out to sample. 

Tower of London

The Tower Bridge right outside the Tower of London

heavy duty helmet armor that was worn

King Henry VIII's armor 

Imperial State Crown

The Tower of London is another historical building that the government preserves and leaves open to the public as a type of museum for British history. The building that is the “Tower” of the enclosed area was where prisoners were held and traces back to the monarch William the Conqueror. As we walked through the stone rooms I read some of the etchings that were written and carved in the walls. Some of them have been traced back to 1066. It was interesting to see what was written because many of the people imprisoned and executed were guilty or accused of false charges. A couple of them said: “Those who suffer in this life will be closer to God in the next.”  “I shall have justice in God.”

A separate building was a museum of all the torturing devices that were used on their prisoners. It was gut wrenching to see what they really did to human beings. There was a stretching machine that, when cranked tight enough would pull all the bones out of the main joints (arms and legs) and then continue to do internal damage as well. There was a crushing device that went around a crouched body. When the prisoner was in a ball position inside of it it was tightened enough to crush them alive. All of us girls found this exhibit really disturbing, when the two boys in the program were intrigued. In the same area there was an exhibit titled, Fit For a King. On display was five hundred years worth of spectacular royal armor. It gave a fascinating insight into the personalities, power and physical size of England’s kings. The skill of the royal armors was to combine practical protection for tournaments and battle with breathtaking designs and decoration, all fit for a king.

The place of interest for the 37 girls and myself was the display room of the Royal Crown Jewels. Everything on display was designed and created for members of the royal family. The enormous collection is the world’s greatest collection of crown jewels and has been considered priceless symbols of British Monarchy since the 17^th Century (not surprising to me). There are a total of 23,578 gems that make up the entire collection. The Imperial State Crown alone has 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies. One of the queen’s scepters had a diamond that was 531 carrots. I’m pretty sure that has got to be the largest diamond in the world, but who knows. All the crowns were really impractical; each one weighed about 30 lbs. The coronation robe was also on display and supposedly weighed about 20 lbs. That would be a heavy out-fit to be worn for an entire ceremony. In my personal opinion it’s a waste to have something worth that much money sitting in a show room and maybe used once a decade. I feel like the money spent on jewels could feed and help an entire country in poverty! 

Monk's House

In her beautiful gardens

Small Back Door

Virginia Woolf

In my Great War and Modernism class we will be reading the novel Mrs. Dalloway, written by Virginia Woolf. It is a book that was highly experimental, deeply involving, and impressionistic for her time. Today we took a trip to her home. It’s formally called Monk’s house. It’s a weather-boarded cottage embedded in wild gardens and beautiful scenery. I noticed that inside her house there were a lot of thought provoking novels, many of which were war books. She had a separate room set aside for her writing. Inside of the room were pictures of all the people that visited her home, one of them being T.S. Elliott. It’s sad because we learned upon the visit that she had committed suicide. 

Bateman's

Kipling's Study

In Front of the House

We visited the tranquil home of the famous author and poet, Rudyard Kipling. “Recessional” is a poem by Rudyard Kipling that he wrote in 1897 for the Queens Diamond Jubilee.

During his concluding comments in the General Conference session that was after September 11, 2001, President Hinckley used this poem. He said:

            “Regardless of what may come, may faith, immovable and constant, shine above us as the polar star.

Now, today, we are faced with particular problems, serious and consuming and difficult and of great concern to us. Surely we have need for the Lord.

            When I went home for lunch, I turned on the television, looked at the news for a moment, and paraphrased in my mind the words of the Psalms: “Why do the nations so furiously rage together?” I’ve lived through all of the wars of the 20^th century. My eldest brother lies buried in the soil of France, a victim of the First World War. I have lived through the Second World War, and Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and lesser conflicts. We have been a very quarrelsome and difficult people in our conflicts one with another. We so need to turn to the Lord and look to Him. I think of the great words of Kipling:

Far-called, our naives melt away;

On dune and headland sinks the fire-

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

Lest we forget—Lest we forget!

It is such a fitting poem for the issue President Hinckley was forced to address. After reading this conference talk I knew that Rudyard Kipling must have been an excellent author and poet if President Hinckley read and quoted his works.

When we arrived at Kipling’s so called “good and peaceable place”, the woman that greeted us said that it was a modest home of the time. As soon as I saw it I was surprised by its size and elegance. In my opinion it is not a modest home by any means, but maybe for the time in which he lived it was. Kipling’s wife was a very artistic woman and had a lot to do with the interior décor. It was decorated with crafts and heirlooms from all over the world. They had many things imported from abroad, supplying the home with only the finest. All the linens in the bedrooms and kitchen were hand –made. My favorite room was Kipling’s study. The walls were covered with shelves holding years of classical literature that may have inspired his works. I loved the library look his study had and would love something similar in my future home. The estate also had beautiful gardens surrounding the house and covering acres of land. Beautiful homes like this make me wish that I lived in these times.  

1066 Battle of Hastings Abbey and Battlefield

Battle Abbey

We visited the grounds of the most famous and important battle in English history. It was kind of cool to think that on October 14, 1066 thousands of men were slaughtered on the very land we walked on. It was the last successful military invasion of England where the King was killed. The battle transformed the country forever. I touched the stone that marks the place where King Harold fell in battle. The fighting with shields and swords that took place on this battlefield reminded me of the fighting that took place in The Book of Mormon. 

Bodium Castle

Up on one of the castle towers overlooking the countryside

Bodium Castle

This 13^th century castle looks like the ones you find in storybooks, almost too romantic to be true. The fact that the castle is completely surrounded by a lake-like mote with a single bridge walkway up to the main entrance gives it a magical touch. Within the castle walls, the open area is beautiful with marble arches and unique windows of all sizes. Sir Edward, the man who built the castle, wanted it to not only be a military stronghold but also a residence that showed off power and wealth. When I stood on one of the top towers overlooking the beautiful countryside below, I felt that great sense of power that Sir Edward had in mind.  

Happy Birthday Lisa Claire!

Devoured Gu Cupcake from Harrods

Midnight Birthday Surprise

Lisa and I grew up together in the same home ward and have been friends since elementary school. Birthdays have always been a big deal to Lisa and she never fails to celebrate for everyone else. Her 7 roommates (including myself) wanted to do a little something special to celebrate. We are all ALWAYS together so we knew it would be hard to surprise her, but who doesn’t love a good surprise.

We picked up some yummy desserts from Harrods and planned to have the ritual singing and treats in the kitchen around midnight. The struggle was to not let Lisa know what was going on and then somehow get her to come into the kitchen without suspecting a surprise. After some brainstorming we had figured out a plan.

The BYU Centre had been contacted by the U.S. embassy with a world-wide travel alert for all Americans. Our professors had talked to us briefly giving some advice to avoid public political displays and other things to keep us safe while abroad. They said that they would let us know if they hear anything else on what things could be going on etc… When everyone was assembled in the kitchen a few girls were still in our room with Lisa. As planned someone came into the room and told them that we were all meeting in the kitchen for an unexpected update on news about 9/11 from the professors. Lisa claims that she had no idea and totally believed us. When she came into the kitchen we sang to her and shared some delicious treats. It was a fun night and great way to start off a birthday. Happy Birthday Lisa Claire!

Canterbury Cathedral

Inside of Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

This Cathedral is the mother church of Anglican Christianity. One of the greatest aspects of this cathedral is its exterior. Its location was in a quant little town that is said to look similar to Switzerland. The best part of the tour was when our guide told us about the archbishop, Thomas Becket, and his murder. King Henry II appointed Thomas Becket to be the Archbishop of Canterbury thinking that he would be able to impose his will upon the powerful religious institution through his dear friend. King Henry II was mistaken. Thomas Becket had an allegiance to the church inspiring him to take a stand against the king. The king’s men were sent out to kill Thomas Becket. When they found him in his home and sanctuary (Canterbury Cathedral) they tried to take him from the holy space for execution. He would not leave the cathedral so the king’s men spilled his brain on the steps of his own altar. It’s a sad story because Thomas had done nothing wrong and the blame of his murder fell onto his former close friend King Henry II. The interesting part of the story is that King Henry felt so bad that the next day he walked the streets barefoot and let the monks of Canterbury Cathedral beat him. People take a pilgrimage to visit the crypt and memorial of Thomas Becket still today. 

St. Martin's Church

Crucifix and Stain Glass in the Church

Over the many years that BYU has been here in London, there has never been a group that has been able to go and visit the St. Martin Church in Canterbury. We studied the background story explaining how it got there and where it came from. To me it seems to be a love story. Love of religion incorporated with the growing love of a marriage. King Ethelbert had an arranged marriage with Princess Bertha of France. A part of their arranged marriage agreement was that she would be able to worship as she pleased when they were married. When they married she moved over to England and her husband allowed her to continue practicing her religion in an existing church that had been used in the Roman period but had faded into disuse. Queen Bertha was admired, adored, and loved by the people and later on she even converted her husband the king. The church is still used today, but will forever hold that legacy.

In my reading for my religion class the symbolism that is found in churches was explained in depth and St. Martin’s church was a prime example. The ceiling above the nave of the church looked like the bottom of a ship. A parallel is drawn from the scriptures; there are various accounts of boats saving the people form the storms. The baptismal font was in the front of the church right after you come in the doors. As you progressively travel east in the church you get closer to the crucifix. This advancement through the space represents the journey of life towards the Savior. Another really neat thing that made this church unique was the crucifix. The crucifix was a cross with a tree branch on it. My professor was surprised by this idea and said that in the book of Isaiah he refers to Christ as the living branch.

Before we left the church we sang a few hymns as customary in such a private sacred space. We sang “I Need Thee Every Hour”, “The Spirit of God”, and “I am a Child of God”. I definitely felt the spirit and it helped me look past the differences of this church building than to mine and realized that there are many sacred spaces around the world. I am sure that BYU will be back to visit this church in the future.