A Paris, c’est la fête!

 Before starting this post, I just wanted to add in a couple thoughts about the recent attack in Nice. I went to the Eiffel Tower with two other BYU students, Megan and Miranda, to watch the fireworks that night, as it was France's Independence day celebration. After the program had ended, there were hundreds of thousands of people trying to get back to the metro. We were right in the middle of a huge crowd when Miranda stopped and said that she was receiving messages on her phone from friends, asking her if she was alright. Confused as to why they were inquiring about her safety, we investigated a little and soon learned that there had been a terrorist attack in Nice (Paris is about 8 hours north of Nice). As the story developed and the death toll increased, I felt very afraid and very vulnerable, not to mention that my heart ached for those families who had been affected by the attack.

But as I have been reflecting on this event, I have realized that even though there are horrible things happening around the world, I know that I can find peace. The way to do that is through prayer. Prayer will "change the night to day." I know that as we pray to our Heavenly Father, He can bless us with peace, comfort, and joy. Not only that, but as we come to know how much He loves each of us, that love will cast out any worldly fears we may have because God will give us confidence, courage, and empower us with love. May we replace fear with prayer and faith, especially for those around the world who are affected by these attacks.

Well, on a lighter subject, you may have noticed that the title of my post is in French - it was the theme of this year's program for the Fête Nationale, or Bastille Day as we say in America. The 14 juillet is the day that France celebrates its independence. So, where better to celebrate a French holiday than at the Eiffel Tower??\

In France, on the 14 July, there is always a fireworks show that usually lasts about 35 minutes. Before the fireworks, they usually have a concert from about 9pm-10:30pm, and the fireworks starts at 11pm. This is a picture during one of the performances. There were probably 6 professional opera singers who sang during the performance, a children's choir and an adult choir, and an incredible violinist and pianist as well who played with the orchestra. 

Here is a video clip I took of their national hymn, La Marseillaise. In the background, you'll see the French Flag projected onto the Eiffel Tower while the orchestra, opera singers, and audience sing l'Hymne National. 

After the orchestra, opera singers, and choir had finished, we waited about 20 minutes for the fireworks show to start. The theme of the program was, "A Paris, c’est la fête!", which pretty much means, "In Paris, it's a party!" For about 35 minutes, I watched an incredible fireworks show, which consisted of 7-10 songs to which the fireworks had been choreographed. It was unlike any fireworks show I'd ever seen.

Megan, Miranda, and I standing on le Champs de Mars which is a long park just next to the Eiffel Tower. Someone told me that were 400,000 people there! We had really good seats because someone went and saved them for us. Otherwise, when I got there, two hours before it started, there wouldn't have been any room for us!

The clip above shows one of my favourite parts of the program - the Eiffel Tower lit up like stars. For me, it was a fun time to reflect on family camping trips, star gazing in the mountains sitting on the cabin porch in Pine Valley, and also remembering that Heavenly Father created the Earth and everything in space. He knows all the details from the furthest star to the smallest fish in the sea to the red-headed Utah girl on an internship in France. He made the sky to be full of stars :) 

On the 13 July (Wednesday), I went to the Panthéon with Sarah Laurent! We had a wonderful time. We were both missionaries in the Canada Montreal mission, and I got to do several missionary exchanges with her. The Panthéon was origionally built as a church and dedicated to Sainte Genevieve, a Catholic saint. But it is now a mausoleum where celebrated authors, heros, and other philosophers from the age of Enlightenment are buried. I saw the tombstone of Voltaire, Marie Curie, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Louis Braille (who invented braille!), and many other war heroes as well.

Next to a giant mural of the life of Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc)

Rousseau's tombstone

Marie Curie and Pierre Curie's tombstones

We went to a café near the Cathédrale de Notre Dame and ate some really good French food. I think this particular dish could be described as grilled baguette with goat cheese and canard fumé (smoked duck) on top, an egg/potato soufflé and a salad. This is what Sarah ordered. I ate one of her slices of bread with duck on it. Can't say I fell in love with goat cheese, but the duck wasn't so bad. 

This was my very boring but pretty good italian version of the above dish. The meat on mine is ham, and unfortunately the name of the cheese escapes me at the moment.

Then we bought dessert here at this crêperie. Only in France can you buy crêpes through a window on the street, haha. 

It was a butter and sugar crêpe with lemon juice, and it was so good! Well worth the headache I got afterwards!

I absolutely love what I am doing right now with my internship. I wish I could share with you the photos of the people I visit, but I'm not allowed to. Just as a closing note, remember that the best things in life are not material possessions, but rather they are memories. So go find someone today who needs you to help them make a happy memory that they can keep forever.