After our visit to Notre Dame, we headed for Avenue des Champs-Élysées, which is one of the most famous streets in the world. Home to many luxury brands and stores, the street includes the Louis Vuitton headquarters. Though none of us did any real shopping at that place, we were still amazed at the three story building featuring the latest designs from the Louis Vuitton fashion line. As we walked down the street, we started to notice that every restaurant had a sign with their whole menu written on it; some were even in English. It turns out that some people started to get mad when restaurants didn’t tell their prices, so by the time they finished their dinner they didn’t have enough money to pay for it. The government then made a law that every restaurant must have a menu with prices in front for the customers. As we took a new take on the signs, we let our gaze rise towards a gigantic monument, the Arc de Triumph.
The Arc de Triumph is dedicated to Napoleon himself. The walls of the arc are lined with the names of generals that fought for Napoleon in his wars when he was emperor. Some names have a line under them to signify their death during that war. Though none of us wanted to attempt the long walk up in the arc, we were still impressed at the sheer mass and presence this arc made. Like any great monument a flame is continually blazing under the arc. On the sides of the arc are great pieces of art that signify Napoleon’s power during his reign as emperor. Though Napoleon never got to see his own Arc de Triumph, he is forever engraved on the walls that also hold the generals that fought for him.
Since it was Easter we decided to pay a little tribute to one of the biggest religions in France by visiting the L’église de la Madeleine, which translates to Madeleine Church. The church is built in the classic Roman style with columns and domes. Built as a temple to the glory of Napoleon’s army, the building was formally announced as a church until 1842, 36 years after it was named a temple for Napoleon’s army. Though the visit was short-lived the church was elegant and beautiful, with its tall columns and three domes on the inside.
What do The Hunchback, Les Miserables, and portrayings of the people of France all have in common? Victor Hugo. Victor-Marie Hugo, was a talented play writer and poet that portrayed the injustice and poverty that plagued France’s society during the time. His stories brought a new look on life in France, and also thrust a new power in the people. Though many hated him for showing the bad side of the royal family, nobody can deny that Victor Hugo was a very important person in the world of literature. That is why we visited his residence, which dates back to 1605. It is now preserved as a museum that is operated by the city of Paris. After some quick looks at the place we dashed back to the bus, because we running late for our next stop.
A few of us decided to feast on the culture of Paris that night, so we decided to see a show at the Moulin Rouge. Moulin Rouge is considered the birthplace of the French Cancan dance. As people busted out their fancy clothes from the plastic bags they lugged around all day the bus instantly became a madhouse. Loud laughter and blushed cheeks quickly filled the air as people were undressing and dressing in the rocky bus. Everyone was wild, but in the end everyone looked great in the clothes. Especially for one Mr. Liong Goei who decided to break out a suit with a tie for the special night, but it wasn’t only the guys that decided to kick it up a notch; all the women powdered their faces with makeup which included a very special woman, Mrs. Melly, who decided to put a bit of flair to her lips as she painted them a bright red color. Our laughter soon calmed down, a bit, as we got off the bus to Moulin Rouge. Also called the red windmill, the building is painted with a scene of night girls smiling and dancing. After we went through a crowd at the door, we finally got in where we joined many people who awaited a very special night. As the lights dimmed down and the show lights went up, the performance started. The performance was filled with nonstop energy as dancers nailed every move together. Dancing and singing wasn’t the only thing that was in the performance, Jugglers and comedians even braved the stage. The night was great and everyone had a great time seeing the show, and once again the ride back on the bus was also filled with laughter.
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