Last Post

This is my last post for the 2013 Business of Culture class.  Before the class I wasn't sure if I really wanted to go, it was right after school ended, I never really dreamt of traveling to Paris, and I had already taken a FYSM class that had to do with my major.  After and during the trip I realized that it had been a great experience and completely worth it.  I have told my sister that if she ever gets the chance, to take this class.  I will definitely try to study abroad during college because if it is half as fun and educational as this it will be worth it.  So to everyone who made this trip possible, Merci.

Another Day Home

Today the weather is great again, and I have been doing a lot of things since I returned home that I couldn't do in Paris like going to the beach and watching TV in english.  Although I thankfully never had to drive in Paris I am so glad that Americans are more cautious drivers on the roads than the French.  When I went to France I realized that there was no way I could have done half the stuff we did without speaking French.  Without the planning and Professor D and Victoria translating, I would have eaten at McDonalds most of the time and might have made it to the Eiffel tower and Versailles within the ten days of the trip.  The next country I travel to probably will speak English or Spanish because I like being able to speak english and not just point to things I want.  The trip was great and luckily my lack of French caused no difficulties, but now I know that I definitely need to learn a second language.

Great Weather Again

Yesterday we finally had some good weather, I was able to go to the beach.  By living in Charleston I have become used to the sunny weather.  The Parisians are probably used to the weather they have, but I prefer Charleston weather.  I have been catching up on things that have been going on while I was away and saw a couple of movies in theatres.

Home again

I was sad to leave Paris but ready to go back to Charleston and the great weather.  Unfortunately the weather here was worse than it was in Paris and I had to stay inside the most of the day.  My family was excite to receive the souvenirs I had brought them and have asked me questions all day about the trip.  I still kinda wish I was still in Paris and could have woken up to great bread and orange juice and have a fulfilling day, but am glad to be back home to relax.  Though after all the activity in Paris I feel like I didn't do much today, especially when compared to touring world famous monuments and museums.  Home is kinda boring compared to Paris and hopefully I can readjust.

Leaving Paris

Today we left Paris, we left at around 4:10 at terminal K31.  I bought a few more souvenirs before I left on the long flight to Atlanta.  At Atlanta I had an hour long flight back to Charleston where I was picked up by my parents and the Paris trip ended.

Paris to Atlanta Flight

Lazy Sunday

Today I woke up at around eleven and then went to the outdoor market to look f some food.  I couldn't find anything so I ate ate McDonalds, and had a double cheeseburger and fries.  It reminded me of home and that Im going back tomorrow.  Afterwards I didn't feel well and went to bed for a few hours

Market

The Louvre

Outside Market

Today we went to visit the large outdoor market in Paris.  There was so much stuff it was like a Walmart was hit by a tornado.  I was going to buy a new wallet but I wasn't paying more than 5 euros and it was worth 35.  I probably could have reduced the price by half but that would still be three times as much as I wanted to spend so I didn't.

The Lourve

Next we went to the Lourve and I didn't expect it to be so huge.  The above image is only half of the above ground area and there must have been miles of artwork in it.  We were told to identify four different eras of artwork for the first 1.5 hours and explore the next 1.5 hours.  

Medieval 

This picture is of Jesus carrying the Cross.  Religion was a very large part of people's lives in the Medieval era due to the recent fall of the Roman Empire and increased power of the Catholic Church.  

Mona Lisa

Renaissance 

This is the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa by daVinci .  It is from the Renaissance era and reflects the more secular society of the time. there are many rumors of who this painting is of and even more conspiracy theories.  This was probably my favorite just because it was the most famous and well known, I think it was important to see this painting because the Mona Lisa is the probably the most priceless art in the Louvre.

Egyptian

The Egyptian Era was very interesting and I liked seeing the Spinx first.  The sculptures and hieroglyphics are thousands of years old and show proof of a rich and powerful civilization that still influences us today.

Greek

The Greeks are known as the Founders of Western Civilization because of democracy and learning but they also left us works of art.  The pot above is in excellent condition due to the excellent craftsmanship and the statues below show a culture that believed in trying to create perfection.

More Geek, statues

Napoleon's apartment

The above three photos show the apartments of Napoleon.  There are many practical part and many parts created for art.

Dinner

Dinner was excellent, I had salmon that I chose to not eat, and steak that tasted great.  The desert was great and ended the one of the last great days of the Paris trip