Thursday, June 13, 2019

Paris!! 25th Anniversary Trip


Don surprised me at Christmas 2018 with tickets to Paris, France for our 25th anniversary.  I spent a day or two in Paris after serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern France many years ago. (La Mission Français de Marseilles) Don spent 24 hours in Paris on his way to India on a business trip in March 2018.  We've been looking forward to celebrating our anniversary in Paris.

Day 1: Friday night/Saturday
Waiting at SLC International Airport for our 9 pm flight


Sunset on the Seine
The Eiffel Tower at night


Day 2: Sunday
Jardin du Luxemburg






L'hotel Luxemburg





As we were walking around Paris, we found this little Catholic Cathedral and we went inside.  I enjoy looking at the beautiful stained glass windows and artwork in these buildings.



Atrium with the baptismal font.
 

 

 


Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame was closed to the public due to the fire earlier this year.  We were able to walk around the outside and take a lot of photos of the building.  Restoration work is underway.




















Place de la Concorde






La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre


Dinner at Place du Tertre near Sacré Coeur
We had our portrait drawn by a street artist in the Place du Tertre.  He is very talented,
 but I don't think the picture really looks much like us.
Day 3: Monday
Musée du Louvre
Tickets for the Louvre Museum were sold out, so we didn't get to go inside to see the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo or other artwork.  However, we'd both been inside before, so we walked around outside and took some photos.






Don's favorite statue in the courtyard of the Louvre.
Academie Nationale de Musique


Le Tour d'Eiffel
We took an elevator to the 2nd platform and then another to the top of the tower.  There were so many people that we decided to walk all the way down the steps - stopping at the 1st platform -  instead of crowding into the elevator again.


Looking up from the ground to the 2nd platform


Looking up at the top from the 2nd platform
View from the 2nd platform


View from the top
View from the top
View from the top
View from the top
On the 1st platform. The Eiffel Tower is 130 years old this year.
 
On the 1st platform. We are standing on a glass floor through
which you can see the ground below.
Paris! The City of Love!
Looking down at the ground from the 1st platform.
L'Arc de Triomphe
View of the Arc de Triomphe from the Champs Élysee.
Day 4: Tuesday
Château de Versailles
King Louis XIV






One of the many painted ceilings.  I took 4 pictures to try and get all of it. (1 of 4)
(2 of 4)
(3 of 4)
(4 of 4)
Ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors. The Treaty of Versailles ending
World War One was signed here.  The Hall of Mirrors is still used for state
occasions such as receptions for visiting heads of state.
Hall of Mirrors
Hall of Mirrors
Queen's bed
Les Jardins de Versailles
Lower garden
Passage into a garden maze.
One of many statues in the garden.




Neptune Basin fountain
Neptune Basin fountain
Neptune Basin fountain
Fountain of the Dragon
Arc de Triomphe fountain




  



Just outside the Château de Versailles in the garden.
Paris Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Versailles, France
Unfortunately, the temple was closed for cleaning while we were there, so we were not able to attend a session, as we had hoped.  We walked around the temple garden, visited with the missionaries in the Visitor Center and learned a little about the design of the temple as well as the use of different flower patterns on the windows and woodwork that specifically represent France.




"Sainteté Au Seigneur, La Maison Du Seigneur"






"The beauty of the palace of the Kings of France, impressive as it was, simply cannot compare to the quiet magnificence of the palace of the King of Kings!" - Don

Last night in Paris.

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