The Panthéon and le Pont Mirabeau

Today we had a later start, allowing me to sleep in for an extra hour or so.  By 10am, we were meeting just two blocks away in front of the Panthéon, the resting place of some of France's most brilliant and influential people.

The whole thing is a study is Neoclassicism with high arched domes, giant columns, and vast frescos covering the interior walls.

The crypt down below is the resting place of Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Louis Braille, Alexandre Dumas, Émile Zola, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Victor Hugo, among others.

After leaving the crypt we went on a tour of the upper levels of the building in three levels.  The first was inside and looked down on the giant hall.

The next level was outside, below the colonnade.

And the top level was around the top level of the colonnade on top of the building.  From there you can see the entire city from every angle.  It's absolutely incredible.

After leaving the Panthéon, we hurried back to the Foyer for class, but our professor never showed up! After waiting for thirty minutes, we decided to call it quits and split up to get lunch, go do homework, or go relax before our next outing.

At 2pm our next outing began.  It was a trip to Pont Mirabeau, a bridge on the other side of the city with famous views of the Eiffel Tower and miniature Statue of Liberty.

Our outing didn't last long and we were soon on our way back to the 5th.  Immediately upon arriving back on Boulevard Saint-Michel, I went grocery shopping to pick up some grapes, pesto, orangina, and other essentials.  Once my things were settled back in the Foyer though, I was off again.

On my own I took a bus into the 6th and went to Saint-Sulpice, an old and famous church in the city known for a group of murals inside painted by Delacroix.  I tracked down the murals (they were absolutely incredible) then took a walk down a nearby side street where I purchased a Longchamp for myself.  Then, carrying my lovely new bag I strolled back home, enjoying the beautiful (if a little hot) weather.

I made pasta for dinner tonight then tried to skype my parents (unfortunately the bad connection didn't really allow us to get much talking in).  After that I studied a bit for a test tomorrow then took and shower, wrote my blog, and am now going to bed.