Paris!! Day 3

I was GETTING to this point, Julie, but since you insist, I will mention it first. One of the biggest parts of our trip to Paris was a man named Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Technically, it was a large ad of his for a clothing line, I believe. If you don't recognize the name, he's an actor, so go imdb him, and he's also the one true love of Julie. There are many large multi-sided signboards throughout the city with advertisements and posters on them, and basically, wherever we were in Paris, Jonathan would lead us down the right way: "Um, I'm not really sure which road it is... oh look, there's Jonathan!" and that would be the correct way. "I'm really hungry, I could really use... oh look, Jonathan!" and there would be the perfect restaurant. It was really uncanny, but I tell you the complete truth. Anytime we needed something, he was there, smirking down at us with those lovely eyes (and, frankly, an unfortunate goatee as well), leading us on.

So, Sunday came, and Finn (my program leader) was taking whoever wanted to go to mass up to Sacre Coeur, the beautiful church on the top of Montmartre. There are many, many, many stairs up to the church, giving the Rufus Wainwright song "Complaint de la Butte" from Moulin Rouge a whole new meaning: "the stairways up to the butte can make the wretched sigh, while windmill wings of the Moulin shelter you and I." Anyway, ponder that as you will, and I refer you to my pictures for a visual. At the base of the staircases is a carousel, which is fun, and as you go up there are people selling things for tourists and things. Now, if you look back at my pictures of the Eiffel Tower, there is one that shows a line of men holding large metal rings, which held Eiffel Tower keychains and things to sell to you. Here, on the stairs of Montmartre, there are "string salesmen," or so I have termed them. They form a line across the stairs, and if you pass too close to them and they can grab your arm, they wrap a type of string around your wrist and apply heat to it to make it into a bracelet of sorts, then insist that you pay for it. I didn't know this at the time, but as we approached where the men were, Finn hissed "keep your hands at your sides, keep them down, don't make eye contact." We all made it through un-stringed, you'll be glad to hear.

When you finally reach the top (Julie and I took the last flight Rocky-style), you are treated to the dueling gorgeous views of the church in front of you and a panoramic of the city behind you. Mass was in French of course, but we could follow along in the programs (written, French and Spanish are similar enough that I could pick out some things). The singing was breathtaking... I'm really running out of adjectives here, people, I'm sorry. Anyway, they were Benedictine nuns, and they sang in multi-part harmony sometimes and other times it was just the one, but it was beautiful, especially in combo with the super-intense organ music going on. We also joined in the singing, since it was printed for us, and I think we did pretty well.

Julie and I met up with Jaye, Jess, and Shaina after mass for our first foray onto the transportation systems of Paris and from thence on to Versailles! Finn had given us day passes for the Metro, so we took that to Notre Dame, where we would pick up the train. We stopped off for some lunch (paninis and crepes from an outdoor shop) and then headed out. After some initial difficulties trying to buy tickets (yes Julie, you were right) our train came conveniently quickly, so we hopped on and headed out of the city. Versailles is a whole new kind of insane: I've seen my share of castles at this point, but I'd never seen a PALACE. Certainly not one with gold everywhere, and statues, and incredible ceilings and paintings and fabric-covered walls and decorative pillars inside of rooms and huge long halls of paintings and busts of war heroes and battles and of course the Hall of Mirrors. Go look at my pictures please. We stood in a long long line to get in, but totally worth it: not only did we get to go in, of course, but we also got to be treated to "Monsieur le Desk," the very cute French man working at a desk in the ticket office (he gives out information, we had to pass him to buy tickets), who very charmingly talked to us in French until I said we didn't understand, so then he swapped over and gave us English maps of the palace. Such a nice boy... I liked his hair so much (name the quote!). After making our way through the many sections of the palace we went out to the famed gardens, which, despite the fact that it was not quite prime viewing season, were nonetheless great. We met up with Ethan, Mike, and some of the others while we were out, which was nice, and they wandered with us for a bit before heading in, since they hadn't seen the inside yet. The shrubbery (with a path! a path!) was in lots of fun shapes, including "umbrella" and "pointy cone shape," the former of which Jess and Jaye crouched under, and the latter of which Mike said "I want to go touch that tree," and proceeded to do so, because it was so perfect. We also found thrilling statues of "Lion Crushing Scary Boar Thing" and "Lion Crushing Genitals of Large Hound."

We had just enough time when we got back to Paris to hit up a bakery for some baguettes and pain au chocolat before meeting up with the group to go to the airport. We were at the airport FOREVER waiting in a HUGE security line from hell, but we eventually got through and back to Shannon, where our driver was waiting, and we headed home. We dropped off the Menlo people first, leaving the seven of us Corrib Villagers to stretch out after a long cramped ride, and arrived at the village to find that RAG week had indeed started. We were met by the extra security, who checked the outside of our bus (for clingers-on? are we in a James Bond film?) before letting us through. The merriment had started, the "party patio" below us was getting into gear, their playlist (which would haunt us throughout the week with songs like "Who Let the Dogs Out?: Remix" and a selection of odd techno-like sounds) pounding. We made it through the week alright, it almost died out by Wednesday, but picked up for Thursday, the final hurrah. It was definitely an experience, and apparently it was so crazy this year (there was a mass arrest, I hear) that they've canceled it for next year. A pity, really, since I hear they raised a good chunk of money. Ah well. *Hums "Making Memories" from the Disney sing-a-long songs video*

"Ou est la piscine?"