Letters From Paris : La Vie En Rose

Some highlights from the "City of Lights"

Oh, Paris. *Swoons* There is so much to say, limited words…so I’ll give you the highlight reel. There are a couple of bucket list items every girl has on her list…Paris…yeah that’s one of them. (Check!)

 La Vie En Rose (which means “Life in Pink” in French) is one of my all-time favorite songs. Before I left, I asked Jesus for one thing, “Can I please hear “La Vie En Rose” play while I’m in Paris?”

As soon as we got to Paris, the first thing we did was step foot in the Tuileries Jardins (Gardens.) There was a man with an accordion, and he began playing “La Vie En Rose.” I’m not going to lie, I teared up a little bit. Sometimes the “sweet nothings” are what mean the most. I only heard it play just that one time, and it was so special to me.

Anyways, I won’t go further into my sappy feminine dramatics, (which I’m filled of) and I’ll go on to tell you about the fabulously glamorous time I had in the city of love and lights. *Can we talk about the Eiffel Tower sparkling at night!?* 

Paris needs to be done the right way… God, glitz, and glamour! Leave one out, and you're missing out! There are so many beautiful historical Churches, iconic art, stunning hotels, cute cafes, fashion, shopping, vibrant city life, champagne, sparkles, and so much going on! I love it all!

 

Art : The Louvre is filled with Catholic art! The woman of the hour in the Louvre is Miss Mona Lisa (the most crowded part of the Louvre) but the painting right across from her, The Wedding of Cana, is amazing. One of my favorite paintings that I saw in the Louvre was “Juan Carreño de Miranda- The Mass of Saint John Matha; Musee de Louvre, Paris, France; 1666"

 Churches: I got to go to the “Chapel of The Miraculous Medal” which is the Marian apparition location of “Our Lady of The Miraculous Medal” and has the incorrupt body of Saint Catherine Laboure. Read about the chapel and apparition here : "The apparitions and the Miraculous Medal"

 

“The Shrine of Saint Vincent de Paul” - Saint Vincent de Paul’s incorrupt bones are pressed into a wax effigy of his likeness. His heart is incorrupt and is at The Chapel of The Sisters of Charity ( Which is also in Paris at the Chapel of The Miraculous Medal, only a couple minutes away!) The Shrine of Saint Vincent de Paul is stunning on the inside, and seemingly small and easy to overlook on the outside, meaning you would likely walk right past it without knowing Saint Vincent de Paul is inside!

 The Sainte-Chapelle is gorgeous! A bucket list place to visit. 

“Precious vestige of the royal palace of the City The Sainte-Chapelle was built in the middle of the 13th century by Louis IX, future Saint Louis, to house the most prestigious relic of the Passion of Christ: the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross.

Other relics (22 in total, including a fragment of the True Cross) were acquired in 1241, and Louis IX decided to build a monument worthy of this treasure.” - sainte-chapelle.fr

(I’m not wearing a veil, because the Sainte-Chapelle is no longer a in use chapel)

 

Read more about the Sainte-Chapelle here : "History of the Sainte-Chapelle"

Glitz & Glam : Watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle was one of my favorite moments in Paris. It's so romantic and beautiful. The street was lined with everyone, just waiting to see the city of lights come alive and sparkle, and there was something really beautiful about everyone coming together to witness an innocently beautiful moment full of sparkles.

The Four Seasons Paris, is beyond gorgeous. *Cue “Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend”*

Paris is the city of fashion, and tons of events are constantly happening. Are you even in Paris if you don’t see a Vogue event happening with Anna Wintour causing a commotion, and swarms of paparazzi? (Saw that)

Fun : Cruising down the Seine River at sunset. Absolutely lovely! & Getting desserts from the lovely and iconic “Angelina” then sitting in the gardens enjoying them. I love how Paris has many gardens that are filled with individual chairs. Everyone pulls up a seat, and simply enjoys the Parisian way of life. Macarons, flowers, good conversation, and a view of a former palace?…Count me in.

Shopping : I’ll spare you. (Haha)

In short, I had a fabulous time in Paris.

I’ll end with my statement on the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris :

“Having just spent many days in Paris visiting beautiful churches, soaking in the iconic glamour of the city of lights, watching the setup for The Olympics take place, and spending many dreamy days in Versailles, I condemn the blasphemy against Jesus Christ, the blatant disrespect of Catholic Queen Marie Antoinette, and the vulgarity found in the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris. Paris is a beautiful place, full of rich Catholic history, and countless Saints; with France being coined “The Eldest Daughter of The Church.” To disrespect the very religion that is heavily intertwined with the city of Paris and the country of France on such a heavily televised event is tasteless. Instead of drawing inspiration from the iconic beauty, choosing to display ugliness and mockery was done in extreme poor taste. While the world continues to stray further from truth, beauty, and goodness, those of us who uphold the transcendentals are obligated to shine even brighter and bring beauty to a world which lacks the very beauty it craves.”

Serviam 

Stay tuned for “Letters From Chartres” Xo