Greeting From Europe!

HELLO EVERYONE!!! I am finally in Europe. I landed in Frankfurt and got on a train and traveled to Paris.

Here are a few pictures from the stop in Paris. We spent the first few nights in hostels and the last night in a hotel. The first picture was taken from that hotel room. We had planned on spending some time at Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart), because it is the best view of the city (except from the Eiffel tower), so we took the metro to the closest stop and went to the first hotel we saw. It was VERY inexpensive, and we walked up stairs to get to the 6th floor. When we got to the room, we were suprised at how nice it was! Then we noticed a balcony (not knowing how close we were to the church). When we opened the balcony we were shocked to find ourselves with an amazing view of this famous church! We had a great evening relaxing with some wine, bread, and brie.

The next picture is me sitting in a cafe after lunch. Paris is a relaxing place to eat (American's sometimes complain about the service, but my french and our laid back attitudes made dining no problem). There is no rush for the waiters to get your order, your bill or your money. At least, the food never took long. You can see that I am wearing a green scarf. I bought it since one of my life long dreams has been to buy a scarf from Paris!

The next picture of me is pretty obvious! It's me at the base of the Eiffel Tower. My friend, Jacqueline, and I sat down in the grassy area in a park and relaxed for a few hours. We spent time journaling, talking, and resting our tired feet! The next day we did go to the top, and the view was AMAZING!

The final picture is with the Venus De Milo (which is dated around the 2nd century BC). She is amazingly beautiful in person! This was taken in the Lourve, where we spent most of our first day. We saw the Mona Lisa, Medusa's Raft, The Marly Horses, The Code of Hamurabi, Michelangelo's Slaves, and several other amazing works!

We also went to a Mass at Notre-Dame. It is always powerful to go to a service in an amazing church, and I was especially moved at this church. It is not as big or glamorous as the Bascilla in Washington, DC, but the history is undeniably impressive. We also took pictures at the Pantheon, Hotel des Invalides, Arc de Triomphe, and along the Champs-Elysees.

Right now, I am in Innsbruck, Austria. I will post a few pictures and stories in a few days! I will leave you with this, The Alps are SPECTACULAR!