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| Me with the Mona Lisa |
Dear readers!
I know I haven't written anything for ages on here! Don't worry, I haven't fallen off the planet or anything. In all honesty, I've been meaning to blog about what's been happening in my life over the last month or so, but have been putting it off, due to various reasons. So, in this post, I thought I'd write about what I've been doing since the School of Intercessory Prayer SOIP finished a little over three weeks ago.
On December 20, I traveled to Paris, France, to visit my younger sister, Hannah, who has been living there for almost three years now. During the time I spent with her we did quite a few touristy things, like go up the Eiffel Tower. We went to the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, the sole reason I wanted to go to the Louvre was to see the famous Mona Lisa. I must say that all the rumours about the Mona Lisa's size is true. She's really small compared to other famous pieces of art. Like on the painting on the opposite wall. Its literally takes the entire wall, and everyone's attention was on the Mona Lisa. I had to elbow my way through the crowd to get to the front. I guess that's the problem when the artist is VERY famous! Though I can't help but wonder what Leonardo Di Vinci would have thought if he was to know that one of his paintings would be so famous, hanging behind bullet proof glass with four security guards and cord to keep the masses at a distance.
I also had the incredible opportunity to go to this museum where this armoury is housed from the middle ages right up to this exhibit on the World Wars. I got in for free, due to a French thing for under 24's (you need valid ID with you) and paid to go into this other exhibit. I had a blast, but its all been about the touristy sites but also spending quality time with my sister, Hannah. Its the first Christmas we've celebrated together away from home (the only other Christmas I didn't spend with my family was when I was in Brazil three years ago). We also celebrated my 23rd birthday together (its weird being 23, but it'll grow on me). We spent Christmas Eve with friends of Hannah's and Christmas Day with Hannah's host family out in the Parisian suburbs, who she'd stayed with when she first arrived in France a few years ago. It was lovely.
New Year's Eve was a little dull in comparison, because there weren't any fireworks, as these had been cancelled due to the bombing in November and there were terror threats in Paris and in Brussels. Hannah had a number of her friends phone her, warning us not to leave my sister's apartment to celebrate on the Champs Elysees (that's were the celebrating and fireworks tend to take place). So a Hannah invited a friend round who otherwise would have celebrated alone.
New Year's Eve was a little dull in comparison, because there weren't any fireworks, as these had been cancelled due to the bombing in November and there were terror threats in Paris and in Brussels. Hannah had a number of her friends phone her, warning us not to leave my sister's apartment to celebrate on the Champs Elysees (that's were the celebrating and fireworks tend to take place). So a Hannah invited a friend round who otherwise would have celebrated alone.