Day Two in Paris!

Once again, we were lucky to have perfect weather in Paris. It was warm and sunny with a clear, blue sky dotted with big, white, puffy clouds. We had a very busy day sightseeing as you have previously seen.

First, we had breakfast at our hotel. After we had already finished eating, they brought out warm, fresh croissants. We couldn't resist, knowing well that they weren't the pop and bake type. Fresh Parisian croissants are unsurpassed in flavor.

We spent the morning sightseeing from our bus. We picked up our lovely and entertaining tour guide, Christine by the new opera house (which we would learn lots about). She told us in a voice blanketed with a charming French accent about the history of France, the significance of the buildings and all of the fun details. Something about the ancientness of the massive architectural works really commands your attention and awes you. I've seen hundreds of pictures and videos of Notre Dame, but I've never experienced it like I did today. I'm very much looking forward to singing in it later on this week.

The Louvre was absolutely magnificent. Had there been no artwork at all in the building, I would have been sufficiently impressed by the architecture of the building itself. We entered through the original foundation to the museum. This sounds like nothing at first glance, but the original foundation dates back to the Medieval Period. How cool is it that a whole group of people in 2009 walked through the same hallway that people did so many years ago? You sure don't get that in Chicago! The pyramids are really a nice touch to the building- and they bring in so much natural light. The entire building is magnificently lit naturally with only limited electrical aid. There was an ENORMOUS crowd around the Mona Lisa, and it took several minutes to work my way through to get a good look. You'd be surprised at the aggression that amounts from anxious tourists!

We had dinner at a charming little restaurant called Fontaines St. Honore. The food was very fresh and savory. They served us soup in pots with a ladle to share among us. I've never had soup served to me in such a manner, but it was fun! Dessert was vanilla flam, and it was delicious.

After dinner, we moved on to our Bateau Moches cruise on the Siene River. It was open air seating on a very long boat. Everybody got a great view. We passed under the many bridges of Paris while admiring the surroundings. At one point, some misbehaving bridge-standers dumped beer all over one side of the boat. Not many from our group were hit, but many others were. Not many were happy. Aside from the beer incident, the boat ride was marvelous. We got to see angles of buildings that are virtually impossible to see from the road.

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings us in Versailles! We also have our very first concert in La Madeleine tomorrow evening. Keep tuned for videos and pictures!

A side note: Some of the girls wanted me to relay to friends and family that their cell phones aren't working properly and some aren't receiving texts or calls. All is well, though- so no worries!