Final Dinner on the Champs Elysées!

As a way to book-end our trip, we were treated to a group dinner at Chez Clément on the Champs-Elysées. Our dinner included a nice little salad with a sesame vinaigrette, duck with mashed potatoes, and creme brûlée for dessert. They were very hearty servings, and I think most of us left without finishing our creme brûlée (too bad it's tough to pack or ship home...).

We finished our evening with a ride on a bateau-mouche on the Seine. We were treated to a sparkling Eiffel Tower (the lights glitter at the top of each hour for 5 minutes), along with a tour of the many monuments along the river. It was a little chilly and rainy, but still made for a great evening.

Le Louvre

Our last day in Paris commenced with a trip to the Louvre. We were off to a later start than anticipated, but the majority of the group was very understanding and excited about this excursion. Luck was on our side, as we didn't have to wait in line and students under the age of 18 are allowed in free with their passport ID :)

Personally, I find the Louvre very overwhelming. It's also funny to me that there are walls of paintings that are 10 feet high and 15 feet wide (or more!), but the most famous work of art is at most 16x20 inches :)

The Mona Lisa (aka La Jaconde) has barricades on each side and is encased in glass. There are guards in the room and a huge crowd (some of whom are taking pictures with their flashes...). The first time I saw this piece, the barricades were just inches away, but now they cushion the painting by at least 8 feet. One thing that hasn't changed is the need to elbow ones way to the front of the crowd for a good picture.

There were several painters in the Denon hall, working on duplicates of certain works of art. They make it look so easy- my stick figures pale in comparison.

Also a favorite is the Winged Victory, prestigiously placed at the top of a main staircase. It amazes me how these works last through hundreds of years.

After a quick tour of the "must sees," I made my way through the Carrousel portion of the Louvre, which is filled with quirky shops. I was very surprised to find a Starbucks, Apple Store, and McDonalds. While taking a picture of the Starbucks, I encountered a woman from Australia. I asked her what she thought of seeing this here, and she said she was equally surprised, even more so by the fact that there was another Starbucks outside on the street just across from another McDonalds on the corner. I think this topic will make for a great debate in my classroom.

Ok, so I had to try a muffin in France. This was purely a scientific study to compare the quality of muffins in France versus the quality of muffins in the US. This pastry connaisseur thinks that this was equally as delicious as anything I could get in the states :)

Well, I did send an email from the Apple Store, so that was a perk!

Our fabulous group hanging out in Europe's first food court! Bon appetit!

The Beaches of Normandy, the Memorial in Caen, and the American Cemetery

This time around, I will let the pictures speak for themselves.