Kickin it with Picasso

Today I felt smarter than I just about ever have. This afternoon I took my first trip in to the Centre Georges Pompidou, which is actually just across the street from my school/church, and it a super cool building, inside and out! It houses the French National collection of modern art and it one of the largest museums I have ever entered. As I climbed the stairs into the first gallery I was greeted by Andy Warhol's print of Elizabeth Taylor and nearly lost my balance I was so excited. Before long I was entering the floor where my brain began to work. I walked into a room filled with the works of Matisse, Picasso and Braques and I started feeling light headed. These were the paintings I had painstakingly studied all last semester in my Humanities class and now they were sitting before me. Such an amazing experience.

So its been quite a few days since I have updated this thing, and for that I am sorry. Friday was an excursion to Chartres, an amazing little town outside of Paris which is home to one of the oldest standing cathedrals in Europe. We were priviledged to have as our tour guide through the cathedral, Malcom Miller, the king of Chartres who has been there for 54 years. The stained glass was magnificent and the spirit in that place was amazing. After the tour we spent the afternoon in the lovely little town of Chartres, munching on Croque Madames and bueno bars (a new obsession, uh oh). That night we spent hours at the base of the Eiffel Tower, a fun activity for any evening, banana nutella crepes in hand and friends all around.

Saturday was another funfilled day, busy to the max. Spent the day in the Luxembourg gardens, watching lovely little french children ride donkeys and play with sailboats in the fountain, one particularily cute little tubby boy. After a lunch of a baguette and an apple and hours getting sunburned we headed to Amorino and lovely little gelato stand with the best gelato I have every eaten in raspberry and coconut flavors, yum! (had a little run in with an non customer service oriented cashier, but nothing my rudimentary french could not handle.)

Sunday was another day at church, this time watched sacrament in english, though that was often hard to tell with the translating missionary mumbling very softly. After church a trip into Notre Dame, which was one of my favorite things I've done so far! Then back home after wandering for a few hours and a long walk in the enormous park near my house, complete with a circus on a large grassy knoll (pictures to follow tomorrow, we are going back to investigate!)

And here we are at monday. We started the day with a trip into our little town to send postcards and then onto the train into Paris and a trip to Les Puces, or the flea markets. Not quite the gold mines we thought they were going to be, but quite an interesting place, lots of lovely things to see, (but do not touch unless you plan to buy!). Then off the Arc de Triomphe, which is huge! Couldn't go up, but are planning to soon. Then off to the Centre Pompidou and the amazing treasures it holds! Full rich day for sure! Just listening to the Chocolat soundtrack and feeling utterly content...