Paris, the city of lights

hey all;

so ive been in paris for 4 days now and i must say you all have to visit here at some point in your lives. Ive seen and learned so much this week i really dont know where to start.

first a word about hostels, they rock. Ive met people from Reunion, Canada, hong kong, colombia and argentina. It allows me to stay there; cook and do laundry for about 20 dollars a night. If you know me at all, cheap is good.

Now about paris

The first day in the city i toured Palais du justice, which houses the concergerie (the former palace of french nobles then prison to thousands during the revolution and the Saint Chappelle which is a church built by king louis for his own use and known for the oldest stained glass in paris. The church was very beautiful but small and ornate. The next church i saw, Notre Dame de Paris was far more impressive especially when i took the tour and heard all about the many carvings on the doors; the gargoyles; and historical significance. I also took the time to climb the tower, meet the bell, and saw paris from the top. Quasimodo had the life. After the beautiful church, i went for something more modern at the Centre pompidou where i saw a °design today° exhibit. I learned about new advances in sound and cell phones and breakthroughs in development for the homeless in new york and africa. It was an enjoyable but busy day.

Friday i wandered to the Rodin museum. This french artist is known for his sculptures in bronze and marble. Does the thinker or the kiss ring a bell? His work is arranged in his former estate and garden and was truly breathtaking. Then i passed Le Hotel des Invalides which is not really a hotel but a place for war vets to call home as they age and go senile. Then i hiked to the Eiffel Tower and took a boat trip from the tower down the Seine River and back. I didnt realize that even the bridges are decorated in Paris = ) After that i saw the D orsay Museum which houses many works. I saw the impressionist pieces including monet, renoir; seurat, and van gogh and then to the art nouveau exhibit. I heard that the Louvre was free after 6pm so i hiked over there and lo and behold, free admission for those under 26! If youre going to visit paris do it young, you can get so many price breaks if you are.

Today i started at the arc de triomphe; walked down the champs elysees, toured la palais de decourverte ( palace of discovery; which is like there cultural center); place de la concorde where the guillotine was placed during the revolution, place de la bastille and finally the lyon train station. I wanted to see a photography musuem but for some reason it was closed. I was surprised yet a comfort to see familiar shops like gap, h and m, and the disney store. It seems that you can find anything you want in paris, well except peanut butter...now what am i giogn to eat??

Tomorrow im off to the region of montmatre to see the moulin rouge, le 2 moulins (the restaurante made famous by the film Amelie) and the basilique de sacre coeur (a church on a hill where all the french kings and queens are buried) I promise more inciteful things will come but for now im way to busy seeing this place!