Palais Garnier

Today was a more relaxed day than the past few we have had, and we took the opportunity to go shopping in the Marais. We shopped for a while, and then had the chance to meet an up and coming designer, and to hear about his designs and his business. The highlight of the day for me, however, came after the shopping. A group of us traveled from the Marais to the Opera district to see the famous Palais Garnier opera house. The Palais Garnier is the inspiration for The Phantom of the Opera. Being a huge fan of both the book and the musical,I was so excited to have the chance to see the opera house. It is so beautiful and extravagant looking, decorated with so many chandeliers and statues. I was so excited to see the grand foyer and walk up the grand staircase that inspired the story I love so much. This by far has been one of my favorite parts of the trip. Day after day I am reminded of how great of an experience this is, and how fortunate I am to have been able to be part of this trip to this amazing country. Catie Meehan