Le Scavenger Hunt!

What I thought would be my worst day in Paris turned out to be a great experience. Suffering from severe jet lag on day five, I woke up at 4:00 a.m. after sleeping for only an hour and a half. I couldn't fall back asleep, and I thought my day of hell would begin at 12:00 with the Abroadco scavenger hunt.

Seriously, who likes scavenger hunts anyway? In my past experiences in USY, Pressman, Shalhevet, you name it, the "take a picture of this" and "make a human pyramid here" never really did it for me. And after an abysmal night of sleep, roaming the city for five hours was the last thing I wanted to do.

And then I remembered we were in Paris...

Task 1: Notre Dame

I met up with everyone a bit late, and by the time I caught up to my group at Notre Dame, they had already completed the first task of getting a program of the Masses for the week (I know. So Jewish). I went to the cathedral yesterday, so the inside wasn't something I was too upset about missing, but it was nice to see the marvelous architecture of the famous Notre Dame.

Task 2: L'Hotel de Ville

Once again, I was stunned by Paris' architecture, and it wouldn't be the last time of the day. L'Hotel de Ville is another word for the mayor's office. Looking at it, I couldn't help but think if Los Angeles would ever dish out the money for someone like Antonia Villaraigosa. I decided it definitively wouldn't. Regardless, the building is a wonderful piece of art and is mere steps from Notre Dame, fitting in perfectly with the rest of the fourth arrondissment.

Task 3: The Louvre
The Louvre museum is by far the most famous in Paris, and one of the most famous in the world. On our boat tour yesterday, the guide said it is the third most important museum on the planet, whatever that means. We got a chance to really get a close up view on what is, in my opinion, the most extravagant building in Paris I have seen so far. The attention to detail on every single aspect of the building makes it the perfect home for such an acclaimed collection of art. What I didn't know was exactly how big it was. I don't know the exact dimensions, but it is enormous. The courtyard, aside from being huge was beautiful as well. Tomorrow we finally get to go inside the building, and I'm sure it's equally impressive.

Task 4: Arc de Triomphe & Champs Élyssés

Paris seemingly set up its metro system so that tourists don't really have to look to find what they're looking for. Literally off the steps of the Champs Élyssés metro lies the Arc de Triomphe, a huge monument dedicated to Napolean. Clearly, he did something right. It really is difficult to comprehend how big the structure is, and pictures don't really do it justice. It sits in the middle of the biggest roundabout of cars I have ever seen, and every angle has a different and equally amazing view.

Down the street from Arc de Triomphe lies Champs Elysses, which is home to the famous designers like Louis Vuitton, Cartier, etc. It's a really pretty street with wide sidewalks, but the biggest treat was in the bakery Ladurée, which is famous for its macarons, which is a fancy name for double decker cookies. They really were amazing, and the raspberry (framboise) flavor may have been the best pastry I've ever had. They were 1.50 euros a piece, and I would have paid 3.00 a piece. They were that good.

Task 5: The Eiffel Tower

Finally, after four days of being in Paris, I finally got to see the Eiffel Tower from an unobstructed view. In fact, the view was incredible. Aside from the men trying to sell us "bling" outside the viewing spot, it was pretty much perfect. Some people think the tower is an eye sore, but I like its originality and the way the city of Paris has turned it into a national landmark. I can't wait to see it lit up at night.

Task 6: Montparnasse Cafés

The last task we were able to complete was to eat and drink at the cafés near the Montparnasse metro, which is home to the Paris train station that can take you to any part of France. I had my second café au lait of the day, and we did some people watching before heading over to Cité Universite to collect our winnings. It was a nice culmination to the day, and after all of the walking we did, it was nice to get some more caffeine in my system.

For our prize, Tawna — our resident director — got us a few bottles of nice Bordeaux and a galette de rois (king's cake). The cake wasn't as good as some of the other pastries I've had so far, but there was a little prize in the middle, a little ceramic doll that our friend Jaime discovered with the first cut of the cake. We let her take the cardboard crown too.

Well, that's about it. It was a really long and really fun day, but it's almost 9:00 p.m. and I've gotten less than two hours of sleep over the past day and a half, so it looks like I'll be hitting the sack. I'll try to post pictures and thoughts from the Louvre tomorrow. Until then, au revoir!