L'Opera Garnier! Do You Even Know excitement?!
Monday, May 29
Rain, rain, and more rain. Go away! Oh well. Class has been just lovely. I like M. Le Bras; he's very nice. I din't do so hot on the last quiz, but we don't talk about that. This is our last mandatory walk for class while here in Paris. I didn't even realize what was in this walk before hand, but it was one of my favorites! Find out why if you keeping reading. Other wise it's an ordinary day. We had FHE of course, which was good. Said goodbye to Elder Standford. This was our last FHE in Paris. A bit bitter sweet.

                                            This sums up our lives. It's been raining for days.

                                  McKenna posing as Jeanne d'Arc. I think she would be proud.

This is La Place de la Vendome. The column stands 140 feet tall in the middle of the square. It was erected in 1806 to celebrate Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz. Over 12 hundred Austrian cannons were melted down to create this column, Napoleon is on top in roman costume.

This is the Opera Garnier!!!!! Guys, this place is the equivalent to the Globe in excitement level!!!! This is where "The Phantom of the Opera" is set. There is a small lake beneath the opera house just like in the book! Also, this place is the center for Ballet in Europe! My teachers have talked about this place and the wonderful dancers and choreographers that have been here. I could just picture my teacher Mrs. Suzi in my head as if she were on stage. She belongs in a place like this. I was in heaven!  The architecture is amazing! Quite truly like a dream. Oh my gosh you guys! If only I was good enough to perform here! That would make my life! They don't really use it for Operas anymore, though, they have another place for that now. It's pretty much just ballets now. I can't dance, and I can't sing  nearly good enough for a place like this, but I pretended while I was there, that I could and for a moment, I could almost believe it. This place is magical.

It's a dragon on the steps! 

The grand staircase

These costumes were used for the ballet "Themes et Variations" choreographed by Balanchine en 1947! For those who don't know much about the ballet world, he's a big deal

They have a library that has the life story of the opera housefrom when it first opened in 1870s! This place is so cool!


This is the lunar room. There is a matching solar room across the hall. This picture doesn't do it justice.

This is the set for Giselle, the ballet that's playing at the opera right now. It would have been a dream to see it, but it's way too expensive. Oh well. 

This is booth that is left empty for the phantom of the Opera. I don't know if it's actually left empty anymore, but it was pretty cool to be there. I might have had that musical stuck in my head the whole time I was there.