it was july 6 2008

paris all the time, non-stop, all day pass. early in the morning michele and i left the hostel and went to the heart of paris with the plan to meet jess later on. the two of us explored around the louvre, walked the bridges that cross the seine and follow the waters edge to the next one. looking down the seine and seeing all the bridges and buildings is quite a beautiful sight. even after days in paris i was always delighted to see the bridges and banks of the seine. as we walked around in the morning, we saw our first glimpse of the eiffel tower. 

mid-day we met jess and went to the louvre, which after entering with the overflowing crowds of people, we soon realized, it was just too much. we did the traditional view of the mona lisa and other famous works, many of which i was happy to see after spending so many art history classes studying. but within less than half an hour we were out of the museum. the outside of the louvre impressed me more than the art inside, the building and its grounds are huge and elegant. the tuilleres that are the famous gardens of the impressionist painters are right behind the louvre and now offer a respite for those weary of how overwhelming the louvre can be. from the louvre we went down the banks of the seine to notre dame cathedral.