12/09/2010 Update

Greetings from Tulsa!  After 88 days, I've finally returned.  This wasn't part of my original plan, but festivities have led me home for a few weeks before continuing my trip again in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand.

My final stop on my European swing was Paris.  Paris is somewhat similar to Rome.  While I don't believe there's as much to do in Paris (completely subjective depending on what you like), there's still enough to occupy as much time as you'd like to spend.  Paris also has the distinction of having as many, if not more, gypsies than Rome.  It's really annoying.  I usually talk to them in German and occasionally that works and they leave me alone; however, I did have one stab me with a pen when I kept saying "nein" over and over again.

My favorite sightseeing stops in Paris were the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre.

The Arc de Triomphe is awesome.  Twelve Parisian avenues radiate from the arc including one of the most famous in all of Paris, Champs-Élysée, a huge shopping boulevard.  From the arc, you can see downtown, the giant ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde, the Eiffel Tower, and several high dollar neighborhoods.  The arc was commissioned by Napoleon and stands 164 feet high.  The facade is full of sculpted scenes that commemorate different triumphs of French history, such as the French Revolution.  There is an eternal flame that burns beneath the arc which is dedicated to the unknown solider of World War I.  It's much bigger than what I imagined it to be, and was well worth the time and effort to see it.

The Louvre is enormous.  Originally built as a palace, the Louvre was transformed into a museum in the 1700's and has since been expanded numerous times.  The Louvre is instantly recognizable by its glass pyramid entrance designed by I.M. Pei.  Once inside, the Louvre is split into seven sections amongst three different buildings.  The best thing about the Louvre is how well laid out it is.  The map is easy to read and in most situations, there was good continuity within exhibits.  This is important, because with a museum that is so large, a poor layout would really ruin the experience.  The most popular section is the Italian painters section which is home to the Mona Lisa.  It's pretty funny to see everyone nudge their way into position for a picture of the Mona Lisa.  My favorite exhibit was the Egyptian exhibition.  The Egyptian section was the most extensive Egyptian collection I have ever seen and contained a lot of really unique pieces.  My favorites were the statues of Ramses II and the Sacred Scribe which has eerily real looking eyes.  Some of my other favorite pieces included the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Venus de Milo, Pandemonium by John Martin,  Hercules battling the Hydra, and Hamurabi's Code of Laws.

Paris was much better then what I was expecting.  Sure, I had a few run-ins with rude French people, but I also had my fair share of encounters with really nice, friendly people.  The weather sucked while I was there including three days of heavy snow but c'est la vie (although I am pretty disappointed I couldn't make it to Omaha Beach to pay my respects).  Luckily, I had awesome roommates while I was there (2 girls from Brisbane, 1 guy from Singapore, 2 guys from Bologna, 1 guy from Melbourne), so even though we were cooped up inside quite a bit, we made the best of it and found ways to have a good time, weather be damned!

It's nice to be back on US soil!  I look forward to time with the family, a good nights sleep, and Rio Verde!

Cheers!