14 Hours...

From the time we left our hotel to go to the Louvre to the time we made it back to our hotel that night, 14 hours of non-stop exploring had lapsed. To say we were looking a little rough at that point would have been an understatement. Our strategy of seeing as much as possible in one day worked, but sadly, it was not sustainable. Hence the reason we got a much-needed later start the next morning. But anyway, back to the longest day ever recorded.

We left the Louvre, wandered in the wrong direction, and thirty minutes later finally found the train that we needed to catch to take us to Versailles. It was the one time we took a wrong turn. But, it was not a fatal error, and we got to see the love locks on the bridge near Pont Neuf.

Like I mentioned before, Allison has got the depth of field thing down to an art.

I'm not proud to admit it, but I bought a bag of rather expensive sour gummy worms from a vending machine and chowed down on the way to Versailles. They did the trick and tided me over until we could find a creperie. And (gasp) I managed to find room in my tummy for an orange marmalade, midday snack.

Although it appears that I am double-fisting the folded(?) crepes, one was Allison's. Little did we know that this would be number one out of three crepes that Jenna would eat for her meals on this day. Please note that I am not judging her for it. Just stating facts. I had two, so I wasn't that far behind.

Refueled, we approached Versailles. We were racing the impending clouds of rainy doom, but they held off just long enough for us to make it through the palace and gardens. Only got sprinkled on while we were walking back to the train. And we were in possession of an additional umbrella thanks to our café waiter. He just gave it to us after he mocked our "impeccable" French language skills. Lucky duckies once again.

There she blows! Shiver me timbers. (I don't know why King Louis' residence suddenly took on a pirate theme. Apologies.)

Once again, there were far fewer people converging on this tourist hotspot than there were at Christmas. The result: better pictures of more tiny details that I probably was rushed past on my first visit. The next few photos are some of my favorites, and they kind of look like computer desktop wallpapers, but I think that's why I love them.

Fairly confident I could design an entire bedroom around this color scheme and shabby chic feeling. Oh wait, I think I already did. Sadly, that room is located in Tulsa. Those of you who have been in our bedroom before know what I'm talking about. Ok, that sounded weird. Not that we commonly invite our friends to hang out in our bedroom. Nevertheless, several of you know what it looks like. Moving on.

Be still, my heart.

More antique fixtures?! Ecstasy.

Continuing with the formerly mentioned chandelier motif. I love the ironwork flowers in this particularly unique and not so blingy piece, but why couldn't they just straighten the candles? You know someone has to clean them constantly to keep the cobwebs at bay. Obviously the person in charge of dusting does not have OCD.

Now for the most iconic scene of the palace. We would have been remiss to skip the classic Hall of Mirrors shot.

17 windows echoing the 17 mirrors and thousands upon thousands of crystals. Opulent.

Making our way outside to the gardens. You have to get geared up for the hike. This is entirely candid. Jenna seems to be giving Allison the evil eye; meanwhile, I'm looking at Jenna with a nervous forced smile, afraid she is going to send her death glare in my direction. But really, I don't know why we look so angry.

That's better. Well, Jenna looks happier, but I was concentrating on the hilarious birds that looked like they were walking on water.

The ponds had begun to freeze, but these guys didn't seem to mind. It got more entertaining when one bird would see his buddies chilling, decide that he needed to come in for a landing near them, and then bust through the thin layer of ice with his tiny stick legs. Their reflections made the group appear larger than it really was.

Further out there were more fountains and trees with less flying feathered friends.

After a late lunch at the same café in 'Little Venice' that I had eaten at with my parents, it was time to get back to Paris proper. We wanted to see the inside of Notre Dame and attempt to summit the Eiffel Tower.

Crepe #2 for Jenna. This one was a meaty one. Nutella crepes are better. Duh, anything Nutella is better, no matter what you are comparing it to.

An hour later (and a bit colder/wetter/dirtier,) we arrived at the cathedral. We made a regrettable stop at the archeological crypt (still not sure what all the rocks were about) and then continued on inside where the evening mass was getting underway.

Shocker. More chandeliers. Notre Dame, being as Gothic as Gothic can be, is depressingly dark. And remember how I said that the organ was the noisiest, most out of tune instrument I had ever heard? It wasn't just my ears. According to a sign, they are revamping the organ and the bells next year for the 850th anniversary of the church because they are in such disrepair that their sounds are grossly distorted.

The Pieta sculpture near the altar is iconic. It was depicted by David in that massive portrait of the crowning of Napoleon that we saw at the Louvre. No offense, but the overwhelming incense, gloomy organ, sorrowful statue, and sad singing sounds did not inspire a worshipful attitude in me. Where's the joy that should be felt knowing that Jesus rose again? All I got from this atmosphere was a somber feeling of death. And a near asthma attack from the incense.

Time for some fresh air. How about we head to the top of the Tower? Air gets fresher the higher up you go, right?

We were in luck - it was open again. However, due to the inclement weather, only one lift was in operation. The line was fairly long, and in it, we saw a guy with an OU hat on. I almost yelled, "Boomer!" just to evoke the "Sooner" response, but I couldn't bring myself to betray my beloved alma mater for a cheap thrill.

It sparkled again! And this time we were close enough to see all of the individual lights spaced throughout the beams.

So all the anticipation culminated in a climactic moment of panic. This was the top. And yes, we were in the open air. And no, we could not see a dang thing because it was so foggy. I take that back, if we leaned toward the fencing (like those girls behind us) we could look down and see the fog and rain blowing under our platform. Then the flooring would shift a little bit. That was disconcerting. All in all, it was an eerie feeling. There were only a handful of people there at the top with us. We couldn't even go on one side because the wind was so forceful. Unsettling, but simultaneously unforgettable.

We look so at ease, but that's an illusion. We were genuinely frightened. Fortunately we had taken a bathroom break on the first level on our way up. There was a shady woman standing at the entrance with an apron on collecting money from the toilet users. We weren't entirely sure whether she was in fact an attendant or just someone who had a smart money-making strategy. Either way, she got my two euros. Best part was when I thought my stall door was locked but an old lady flung it open while I was mid-business. Fond memories. Now that you have learned way more than you wanted to... Back down closer to sea level, below the billowing haze.

It was still captivating. Even in low visibility.

We took one final excursion before going back to our hotel. We met up with our friend Maggie, who is currently living in Paris, taking French classes, and working as an au pair. I was so excited to catch up with her (we hadn't seen each other since graduating from OSU)! We stumbled upon the perfect café to sit and chat and eat crepes. Unfortunately, we only remembered to take a group picture once we were in the metro... but that's ok. At least we remembered!

Considering how long we had been awake and walking around that day, we don't look half bad. No bloodshot eyes. Still smiling. Never thought that I'd have a fellow Okie/sorority sister to visit in Paris. What are the odds?

Welp, my fingers have worn themselves out for today. We only have one day of Paris left to recount and then a brief stint in Cambridge to recollect. I'll try to accomplish that this weekend sometime. Matt's coursework has really stepped it up a notch, and he has a lot of projects to work on over the coming days. He has already scheduled a mandatory break for brunch on Sunday afternoon at Pembroke College. I guess the brunch there is infamous, and we are obliged to go so my man can gobble up some bacon and pancakes. Afterwards, we will probably attend the evening service at Holy Trinity. Oh, and sometime soon I should be going to see "The Artist" movie with Asha. It has gotten great reviews and won numerous awards, so I'm excited to see it. Plus, it's in black and white and involves dancing and a cute dog. What more could I ask for in a film? Have a great weekend!