Paris 2023

Hello Ibis Gare du Nord Chateau Landon, I'm back!

We ended up attending an English-speaking ward in Paris. I had reached out to bishops to confirm when church is. Last year we found ourselves at stake conference twice. Once we found out early, so we adjusted and showed up at the correct time. Another time, we arrived to the building to find no church. 

This time we thought we'd plan ahead. The bishop told us church was at 12:30, so we change up a few things and went to church at 12:30, only to find it was a ward for tourists, in English. Also, they announced no church next week - there would be a stained glass window exhibit.

After church, we had a Chanel walking tour, then rested. Allie and Lane came to Paris. They are staying at a nearby hotel. Lane has never been to Europe, so we'll show her Paris. They have bought entrance tickets to some events at the same time as us. I was nervous about them coming and about juggling my time. After thought and talking with Natalie, I had a good talk with the girls and told them that my #1 priority is to be a director. My #2 priority is mom. That helped set up expectations and boundaries. 

Notre Dame is still undergoing repairs from a fire a few years back

Mel and I in front of "our lady"

Welcome back to the Ibis

Lane, Mel, and Allie having fun at a nearby park

First of many visits to Amorino for gelato

Our first day out together, crossing the Seine

Last year I had a view of the top of the Eiffel Tower. This year I have a view of the fire escape. Hey, I'm still in Paris though. 

While walking to the metro to get to church we heard "hey, where are all those Americans going?" It was our colleague Chad and his wife, Patsy. 

The Ritz Hotel, where Coco Chanel lived and where Princess Diana spent her last days.

Monday we connected with a guide we've worked with before, Elle, and the students had a tour of Printemps, one of the large department stores in Paris. We get to see the underground walkways where they move inventory. We saw a tiny hidden space where French insurgents hid during World War II. That was interesting. We also got to see the back side of a large stained glass dome roof. 

Then we went to Dior.  There were some new dresses that weren't there last year. It was fun to see different pieces and to see how new pieces have been inspired by old Dior. We saw women doing bound buttonholes by hand. I love that exhibit. It's so beautiful. 

Dior looks

Stained glass dome in Printemps. Every detail in this store evokes spring (printemps in French)

Dior

Rooftop of Printemps

Cool floor in lobby of Printemps

Dior

Christian Dior's office

Dior with Lane, Mel, me, and Allie

Printemps was designed to evoke a beautiful experience

Dior

I LOVED this dress from Dior autumn - winter 2022

Toiles or mock ups

Dior

The iconic look that started it all

With my girlies that I love so much

Staircase in Printemps

Rooftop of Printemps

Outfit worn by Princess Diana

Printemps underground

Behind the stained glass dome in Printemps

French resistance members hid here during WWII

Printemps underground

Printemps = spring

View from rooftop of Printemps. Look at all the orange clay chimneys

Tuesday we started the day walking to Sacre Coeur with Allie and Lane. Then our study group went to meet with a new designer, Aros Antodiadis. I almost bought a denim skirt. I'm glad I decided against it because I found something better in Italy. It was great to hear from Aros and his business partner Rudolph about their business ethos and the growth of the business. It's now illegal in the European Union for designers to throw fabric away, so these guys purchase fabric from designers and use it in their collections. We then went back to Caramel Sarassin for a crepe making class. Bertrand and Stephane were so happy to see us. We had a great time. They outdid themselves with lots of yummy crepe toppings. They also taught the students how to make decorations for crepes with colored batter. Bruce had fun writing stuff in Chinese characters. Once the students had finished eating all the crepes they wanted to eat, they started handing them out the window to passersby. 

Mel makes and eats her crepe

Sacre Coeur is so beautiful

Bertrand teaches Bruce how to embellish a crepe with colored batter

Look at those toppings 

My group: front row: me, Melia, Vanessa, Ashley B
back row: Bertrand, Stephane, Cami, Cassidy, Emily B, Allie, Lily, Bruce, Ashley, Aubrey, Ella

The best sandwich I found in Paris. I can't wait to go back someday and get another. Société de Boulangerie de Rennes. It’s a 10 minute walk from the Pompidou. 32 Rue Vieille-du-Temple.

Took a picture for reference

Sacre Coeur with Allie

Aubrey and Allie concentrate on the task at hand

Mixing the batter

Lily and Cami, new friends on study abroad

Lane, Allie, me, and Natalie

I got a cold and wasn't feeling great. Thankfully I had brought cold meds, which came in handy. I had also been supplementing with vitamin C everyday. The cold didn't last long. Wednesday the students went with Maile to Ecole Lesage to have their embroidery and beading class. The limit is 24 people, so Natalie and I didn't go. We took the day to shop and run errands we wanted to run. We thought about going out to see Villa Savoy with our colleague Chad Gibbs and his wife, but Natalie wanted to stay close to Paris in case we were needed. We went to Galeries Lafayette with Allie and Lane and went to LV Dreams, an exhibition about Loius Vuitton. It was free and had fun spaces for taking photos. Elle, a tour guide we use, had recommended it to us. 

Germain des Pres Abbey was stunning

Me and Allie at LV Dreams

The art nouveaux elevator in Galeries Lafayette caught our eye

More of the Abbey that Elle recommended

LV scarves

LV trunks

I love the buildings in Paris

LV bags

This is the craziest ice cream I've ever gotten and it cost about $9. Ice cream rolled in pistachios and topped in whipped cream and more pistachios

Mini macarons were delicious and pretty

Thursday we walked almost 30,000 steps. Natalie and I prefer to walk places when possible. We always check citymapper. If a destination is 30 minutes away by walking or 25 minutes away by metro, we walk. We covered that city. We walked along the Seine and went through a tunnel area that smelled horrible! Urine. Natalie gagged. It was so gross, but didn't last long thankfully. We went to the Pompidou, went shopping, and went to other museums. We met up as a group and Chad took us on a walking tour to see some famous art nouveau buildings. There is a home with a crazy, ornate door. There's also a school with a beautiful exterior. Evidently the interior is very utilitarian. Then we all went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Al and Lane could only get tickets to walk to the 2nd level. While Mel and I went with the group to the top, Allie and Lane walked to the 2nd level, then we all met at the 2nd level to take pictures together. We didn't stay out too late because Friday was DISNEY day. Early day so we could take the train out there and be there in time for opening. 

I was really drawn to look at furniture, floor plans, and home design at these museums

Natalie and I explored this church that was right by the Pompidou

Reunited with the salad that I got almost daily last year. The Franprix near our hotel quit selling it, but I found it elsewhere

Art Nouveau near the Eiffel Tower. This is a school

Textures in the Pompidou

Peep the Pompidou out the church window

This piece of art is a deconstructed piano

Church near the Pompidou

The Pompidou is a fun place with interesting art

These pieces of furniture were at the Pompidou

2nd level of Eiffel Tower with Allie, Lane, and Mel

Courtyard of prison where Marie Antoinette stayed

Went to see the room that Monet designed to house his Water Lilies

More Pompidou furniture

The Pantheon

Very famous art nouveau door near Eiffel Tower

"In Bed" I loved this piece of art

Art nouveau staircase near Eiffel Tower

Prisoners had their hair cut here before going to the guillotine. Wow. Why?

Nice walk along the Seine, except for the tunnel where everyone pees. 

Cool chairs at the Pompidou

My salad

Modern kitchen

Water Lilies

Loved this statue in the Abbey

Lane had never been to a Disney park. I bought tickets for Allie, Mel, and Lane to go to the park. We had so much fun. Some students in our study abroad also went. 

Writing about the Disney day comes with mixed emotions because I love being at Disneyland, but also because it was a day of dealing with major stuff with a a student that was back in Paris. Even my sister Kristen said that she saw a photo I sent and said that something wasn't right...that I didn't look my normal happy self at Disneyland. 

The day started great. We went to Walt Disney Studios and rode Crush's Coaster, which is an exclusive to Disneyland Paris. Then we went on Ratatouille and Tower of Terror. We got in line for the Guardians of the Galaxy ride, but it shut down temporarily and didn't open up soon enough for us. We had to leave to get to Chez Remy, the Ratatouille inspired restaurant where you feel like you are the size of a mouse. Mel bought my lunch as a Christmas present. We had 2 tables - Natalie, me, Mel, Kate, Allie, and Lane at one table and Emily Burdette, Vanessa Johnson, Lily Andros, Ella Bodnar, and Ashley Fry. I thought for sure we'd see those students in the park, but we never saw them again. I'm still kinda sad that we didn't get a group picture at some point in the park. We ate great steak, fries, and ratatouille at the restaurant. We were seated at a table near the exit of the ride, so we could see people leaving the Ratatouille ride and they could see us. 

Then we went over to the Disneyland side. We rode Pirates, Phantom Manor, Hyperspace Mountain, Small World, Storybook land, and other rides. We took lots of fun pictures. and really had a blast. Natalie got to connect with a good family friend, which was really meaningful for her. Her grandpa died while we were on study abroad and this young man, Thor, had been a caretaker for grandpa, along with Natalie's cousins. Thor was the first person Natalie got to see after receiving the difficult news that knew her grandpa. Around mid-afternoon, we got a message from our TA, Maile, that she needed to talk to us when we got back. She had news about a certain student and it wasn't good news. This student had already been out after curfew, gone out alone, and had been using vulgar language. We had emailed the Kennedy Center about it. We had documentation of infractions and conversations we had. About a week or two before the infamous message, we had given ALL the students one LAST WARNING at the recommendation of the Kennedy Center. Everyone was told that they were not to solicit or go on dates, they were not to be out alone, and they were not to be out after curfew. If anyone was found doing that, they would be reported and possibly sent home. 

Everything is designed to make you feel small. The table tops are made to look like jam lids

It's a Small World in Paris is so cute to look at 

Kiki

Lunch

Lane, Mel, Me, Allie

The light fixture looks like a colander with Christmas lights

Kate, Allie, Lane, Mel, and me

BFFs

30 years of Disneyland Paris

Boba

Hyperspace Mountain

This is a booth at the Ratatouille restaurant. Look at how big the plates are.

Directors

Lane, Mel, me, and Allie

Lunch

Kate brought her video camera

One of the hotels

Me and my girlies

We laughed so hard taking pictures. I was trying to get untangled from my phone leash without losing my Mickey ice cream bar. The photo below is the one Kristen saw and knew something was not right. 

Well, the student had left a group of students at the metro station and gotten on a train alone. The student had also accompanied another student to a museum to meet up with a group, but left alone before the student made contact with the group (leaving another student alone). We very strongly adhere to a buddy system for everyone's safety. With this news, we contacted the Kennedy Center and began proceedings to see if the student had to go home. Natalie and I also made a plan to leave Disneyland about 3 hours before we had planned. We had to get back to Paris to talk to our TA and to make phone calls to Malcolm, our Kennedy Center coordinator. He's been doing this for years and had never sent a student home. 

We got in line for Thunder Mountain railroad, but the ride shut down temporarily. Natalie and I had to leave before it re-opened. My girlies stayed until the park closed, or close to it. 

Natalie and I got back to the hotel and met with our TA and she shared a lot of information that students had shared with her - things they knew that this student had done because they had seen them do it or because the student had bragged to them about it and asked them to cover for them. It all came out. We had a conversation with Malcolm and it was quickly decided that this student had to go home. We couldn't ensure this student's safety with their current behavior, so a ticket was procured to send them home ASAP. 

Natalie and I waited in the hotel lobby until students who went to a Harry Styles concert started trickling back in. The offending student arrived and we asked them to stay in the lobby with us. When we told them they were going home, they were shocked. There was no room for negotiating. We had already negotiated and given final warnings. We got to bed around 2:00 that night. 

Saturday was Versailles and the Paris temple. Allie and Lane also joined us. They took public transportation out there. Chad and his wife rode the private bus with us. Versailles is so opulent. The grounds are beautiful. We spent time walking around and looking at fountains and listening to music. We also got lunch at a restaurant there and I got a really rich hot chocolate that I had heard a lot about. It was very delicious. The bus then took us to the temple, where we were able to spend about 30 minutes enjoying the grounds. It was a good day. Everyone knew our student was heading home on Sunday because they let the students know. These things are not fun. After Versailles, Natalie and I hauled butt over to Dior because I had to take care of a receipt. Then we got sandwiches, bringing one back to the student who was in the hotel, packing.

Always look up. You never know what'll be on the ceiling.

So rich and they give you whipped cream to make it even more rich

I met Sister McCleary, cousin to my friend Lexi Dastrup and member of the McCleary family from Pleasanton

Paris Temple

Versailles Gardens

Temple grounds

Versailles Hall of Mirrors

Temple grounds

Natalie and I got up early Sunday morning to see off our student. It's Mother's Day in France. I was lucky to be with my girls. We then went to see a stained glass exhibit at the church before heading to the Louvre. We had made so many inquiries to make sure we'd find sacrament meetings and not stake conferences and to make sure they'd have enough bread for the sacrament. In the end, we did miss church our 2nd Sunday in Paris because of a special stained glass exhibit at the church. We decided to just see that and call it good. After the exhibit and a short Come Follow Me discussion. we spent the afternoon at the Louvre. Natalie and I took turns leading Come Follow Me discussions on Sundays and we started every day with a thought and a prayer, with students taking turns as well. One Come Follow Me that I felt impressed to do in Paris was to have students get in small groups and share with each other things they've noticed about each other on the trip - talents, gifts, etc. I got feedback that it meant a lot to students to have their peers share with them what attributes they saw in them. 

We saw the typical Mona Lisa, Winged Victory, Venus de Milo, etc. in the Louvre. We also made a point to see Napoleon's apartments. Since a student told me about them last year, I've wanted to see them. I've discovered that I really like old clothing and old furniture. I love to see the details. We spent about 3 hours there. It was a bit hot, but still wonderful. By this time, I had begun taking pictures of art that made me laugh or made me wonder why the artist chose to paint it. I collected quite a few photos of interesting pieces during the 2nd half of study abroad. 

We also went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. We met up with Jamie Stephens and her daughter Abigale for gelato. They'd been in Paris for a couple of days, but our schedules did not line up at all. I did see Jamie once in the lobby of the hotel, waiting for the elevator. When she said she was taking Abigale to Paris, I helped them plan the trip. Anyway, we had a fun night eating gelato and watching the rats scurry around by the bridge. 

Arch de Triomphe girlies

Look at the details on this sculpture in the Louvre

I know the one place to get Dr. Pepper Zero in Paris. I picked up an extra bottle to take to Florence because I knew I'd have a fridge. I even skipped going to a museum to grab some much needed refreshment. 

Finally connected with Jamie. 

The girls and I started the day with pastries. We were hoping to find Mel's raspberry pastry, but they didn't have it that day. It was Mother's Day in France. I'm wearing a necklace little Kamiko made me. 

Beautiful wallpaper in the Napoleon apartments

I love everything about the Napoleon apartments

The guy in this military recruitment poster looked so much like Bekki's dad, Jim, that I had to get a photo. I sent it to Kamiko, who shared it with all Braus and they agreed. 

Mona

Lumiere from "Beauty and the Beast"

Venus

Pizza in the park 

Inside the Louvre

The Wedding at Cana

Mel, Allie, me, Abigale, Jamie - Moms and daughters in Paris on Mother's Day

We missed these last year and I was so excited to see them

Venus de Milo

Monday was the day to take an 8-hour train ride to Italy. We rode to Milan and switched trains to ride to Florence. The ride is through the alps and there is beautiful scenery, but I slept most of the time. Great day for a nap. 

Train time!