We woke up early on Monday morning in order to catch our train to Paris. Dave and Jen told us we had to be ready to leave at 7 and so I woke up at 6 to pack and get breakfast.

We loaded the van and drove the 30-ish minutes to the train station.

I was excited because I had never been on a bullet train before. The train ride was about 3 hours and when we arrived I was impressed by the architecture and art we were immediately met with. We took a “quick” tour around the city led by Dave and Jen and we ate at a brasserie. After we headed back to the hotel.

On Tuesday we got our first taste of breakfast in the hotel and I was disappointed with the orange juice. We hopped on the metro and headed toward the Opera house to admire the architecture and art.

Crossing the Seine to the left bank to visit the Musée d'Orsay. Afterward, we went different ways than Dave and Jen to get dinner in the city. 

We ate pasta and pizza and toured around for a little before meeting back with Dave and Jen and going back to the hotel, but not before getting engaged. 

Wednesday was dedicated to the Louvre only. The museum is massive and I didn’t expect to see everything in it but Dave led the group to the important stuff like the Mona Lisa and other works done by the artists we have been studying. Here I stand next to two sculpted slaves by Michelangelo, (Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) whom I studied and presented in art history class. We were then given time to go and look around ourselves. 

Kassia researched Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino)

Grace researched Eugène Delecroix

Nora presented the Italian Paolo Uccello. 

After the Louvre we took the Metro up to a section of Paris to eat at the famous Chartier. Dave ordered us all escargot, (snails) and everyone seemed satisfied except Kelby. 

...well, Grace too. 

On Thursday we caught a train out of the city to observe some of Van Gogh’s stomping ground. We walked the streets that he walked and stood where he stood while painting. We visited the place where he was shot and got to see his grave in the rain, where he was buried next to his brother Theo. We caught a train back and had some free time for dinner before climbing the Arc de Triomphe for a view of the Eiffel Tower. 

Friday we had the morning to ourselves to go where we wanted in the city. The group chose to go and see the Eiffel Tower up close and then do some shopping. We went to many designer stores and then met back up with Dave and Jen to go to the Orangerie where I got to see some Cezanne Apples and of course Monet's famous donation to France, his waterlilies. 

We caught the train back to Marseille and we drove home to Aix at beautiful twilight.

The beautiful Gare de Lyon

Of course we all came back inspired to make art. Here Jen gets some going on her specialty - mixed media collage and painting. 

Today, Sunday, is also a day of laundry and chillin, especially after our full week in Paris. Of course every morning is started with our anti-sick mandatory homemade juice.