Well, my devoted readers, it has been another crazy week and I have tons of new photos for you! This blog post may be the longest to date, so be sure to use the restroom before reading. You may also want to grab some popcorn.
On Monday, I climbed the 400+ stone steps to the top of Notre Dame cathedral, and I was awarded with blue skies and a fantastic view of Paris. I am constantly amazed by how beautiful it is here. After visiting Notre Dame, I walked along the Seine with a group of girlfriends and we ended up sitting by the water. I remember my first day in Paris, when I took a boat tour of the Seine. We motored past a group of animated students who were lounging by the river, laughing and talking. I took a picture of them because I thought, "Wow, they look so French!" Well, as my friends and I were sitting by the Seine, several boat tours passed by us... and we, also, had our photo taken. Maybe, as we've started to own Paris, the city has begun to own us... and we've become a little more French.
Here is a view of Notre Dame's backside, taken from my riverside seat.
And this is a photo of Hotel de Ville, the city hall. My church/school building is a couple short blocks from this magnificent monument. The sky was sure magnificent on Monday.
I have been enjoying school, for the most part. However, I my art history teacher is frustrating. On Wednesday, I had a particularly negative experience with my teacher... and I needed to get out of the country. So, my friend Amelia and I bought train tickets for Belgium.
I spent all of Thursday in Bruges (pronounced 'Broohj'), which is spelled 'Brugge' in Flemish (and pronounced 'Brooh-guh'). By train, it is about three hours away from Paris, including a train transfer in Brussels.
Bruges is called "The Venice of the North" because of its canal system and quaint water-side facades. The city has kept most of its medieval architecture intact, as many of the brick buildings date from the 12th and 13th centuries.
One of my favorite adventures in Bruges was a boat tour on the canal, and I was tempted to do it twice. The canals were spectacular.
I made sure to sit in the front of the boat, right next to the driver. He greeted each passenger in their native language (German, Italian, French, English, Japanese, etc.) and was very friendly. He was a Belgian Dick Van Dyke, with all of the charm and wit that comparison suggests. He had fun quizzing me on my French grammar and the Bonaparte family tree. He was also very interested in introducing me to his successful bachelor son, who is the head chef for a swanky restaurant in Bruges. He was a funny guy.
We rented bikes and rode around the town for a few hours. It was so easy to sight-see on two wheels, and I wish that I'd rented a bike earlier in the day. My bicycle was a little too big for me, so I did have a minor bike accident... but I stood up and brushed off the dirt very quickly. And then, I was back on the road!
One of the famous sites in Bruges is the Basilica of Holy Blood. Supposedly, after the Crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea used a piece of cloth to wipe blood from the body of Christ. The cloth was preserved and remained in the Holy Land until the Second Crusade
, when the King of Jerusalem (Baldwin III) gave it to his brother-in-law, the Count of Flanders Diederik van de Elzas. The count brough the cloth to Bruges in 1150 and placed it in a chapel he had built on Burg Square.
Reference www.sacreddestinations.com for more information. 
There is an altar in the basilica where the holy blood is displayed in a crystal vial. Who knows if the relic is what the basilica claims... but it was still a reverent setting. I donated some spare change to the church so that I could light a candle.
On Friday morning, I hopped on a train to Brussels, and I spent a few hours enjoying the big city before heading back to Paris. A trip to Brussels is not complete without a stop at the Manneken Pis fountain. If you are confused as to why this fountain is famous, feel free to click on this photo and enlarge it.
This is a photo from the Market Square in Brussels, which is one of the most beautiful town squares in Europe.
Brussels is famous for its delicious waffles. I bought this sugary concoction from a street vendor, and it was one of the most enjoyable culinary experiences of my life. Warm, sweet, not too sweet, soft... yum.
And if that waffle weren't enough to stop my heart, I got some good old Belgian frites, slathered with a curry sauce. Take a close look at the store's sign, which pays tribute to the Manneken Pis.
As I was walking back to the Brussels Midi train station, I played the world's largest trumpet. Well, to be quite honest, I have no idea what it was... but it made for a fun picture.
It was a fun weekend in Belgium... I wish I could share all of my pictures and stories with you, but we don't have time. I am too excited to tell you about my visit to Monet's Gardens in Giverny. I took the train to Vernon, which took about an hour, and then I followed the blue footsteps to the closest bus stop, where I boarded a bus to Giverny.
We all know Claude Monet (hopefully), the founder of French Impressionist painting. When I was a little girl, my mother would read to me about Claude Monet's gardens. I grew to love his paintings of water lilies, and I always dreamed of visiting Monet's Gardens with my mother someday. When I visited Musee Marmatton last month, I was emotional when I saw a collection of Monet's Nympheas in person. I have been in love with Monet's paintings since my childhood, and to see them in front of me was a powerful experience.
Now, imagine how I felt when I visited Monet's home and the gardens in Giverny.
The picture below sums up the emotion pretty well...
Monet's gardens are fantastic in autumn weather. The ivy had changed to deep hues of red and orange.
It rained a bit while we were in Giverny, which allowed for some striking photography. I love the definition of the rain drops in this photo.
And, of course, seeing the water lily pond was the highlight of the trip.
Below is a photo of the iconic Japanese bridge, which Monet captured in many of his paintings.
This garden inspired so many famous paintings, so I decided to create my own masterpiece.
Ashley got pretty artistic with her photo-taking, and I remained oblivious to the paparazzi.
This is a picture of me, standing on the Japanese bridge.
The shot below
could have been the coolest photo of all time, like a movie poster or a romance novel cover, but there's a green shirt lurking in the vines. Is anyone gifted with Photoshop? Thanks to Amelia for taking the picture.
After spending a significant amount of time in the gardens (but not nearly enough), our rumbling stomachs led us to a little restaurant called, appropriately, "Nympheas." It was a splurge, but I ordered a medium steak slathered with rocquefort cheese and a white wine sauce. For dessert, I ate my first "mousse au chocolat." I left the restaurant full and smiling.
We meandered around Giverny, enjoying the green countryside... and we stumbled upon haystacks, which are also a favorite subject in Monet's paintings. Isn't Giverny pretty? If I lived in such a charming location, I'd want to paint as well.
I found a little museum in Giverny where a team of artists recreated famous paintings with sand sculptures. This depiction of the Last Supper was actually larger than life.
The rest of these photos that document the natural beauty of Giverny in the fall. Ashley and I were in love with the landscape, and we decided that it was the perfect location for a photo shoot. So, some of these pictures are a little silly. Still, you have to admit that the surrounding countryside is beautiful.
This is Ashley's favorite photo-shoot image. She's rather proud of herself for capturing this facial expression. Here's how she described it: "You don't look sad, but you're hiding something. Like you have a secret, but not. It really is mysterious to me. Very interesting."
Thanks to Ashley, I have these fabulous model shots.
I love France. There are so many fascinating things to do in this country. And, if France isn't enough fun, it's relatively easy to travel to another country. I feel spoiled, having all of these amazing experiences. But I keep telling myself, "I have to have an adventure worthy of the blog!" So, really, I'm only going on trips for my readers...
I hope you enjoy reading my entries... because otherwise, I don't know how I'm going to continue justifying my compulsive traveling. :)
Until next time!
