While everyone was celebrating Veterans' Day back home, I was celebrating Armistice Day with the French. November 11 marks the day of the armistice that ended WWI.
I went with my friends Alison, Alex and Kate to L'Arc de Triomphe this morning and piled into the crowd waiting for President Nicolas Sarkozy to arrive at 11h. An enormous blue, white and red flag hung from the center of the monument. Sarkozy's wife was the first to arrive. She recieved quite a cheer.
Then we could see Sarkozy's sleek, black vehicle on the large television screen, moving slowly down Les Champs-Elysees, surrounded by motorcycle protectors. He arrived with Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.
The two circled the monument and then stoof seriously as a band played the Marseillaise, France's national anthem. Then they laid a flowery wreath on the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier and lit a flame in the torch beside it.
After a few more songs, Sarkozy gave a short speech. We watched him on the screen with German subtitles (What a help!). Merkel gave a speech as well, this time in German with French subtitles. They both talked about the countries' past and current friendly relations. According to Wikipedia, Forbes Magazine named Merkel the msot powerful woman in the world freom 2006 to 2009.
The ceremony ended with instruments playing Ode to Joy. We slipped away before the metro became a mob scene and went to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery. It is the most famous one in Paris. We got lost; it's so big. Many famous people are
buried there. We saw Balzac's grave, and Alison pretended to kiss Oscar Wilds' tomb, which is covered in red lipstick.
Tonight I went to a connect group from Paris Hillsong, the church I have been attending here. A small group of about 10 young adults met together at Starbucks. Everyone spoke some English, but once the group discussion began it was all in French, so it was more good practice.
French Fact: Twelve roads spill into a roundabout encircling L'Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon I had the monument commissioned, and it was later dedicated to an unknown soldier killed during WWI.
I went with my friends Alison, Alex and Kate to L'Arc de Triomphe this morning and piled into the crowd waiting for President Nicolas Sarkozy to arrive at 11h. An enormous blue, white and red flag hung from the center of the monument. Sarkozy's wife was the first to arrive. She recieved quite a cheer.
Then we could see Sarkozy's sleek, black vehicle on the large television screen, moving slowly down Les Champs-Elysees, surrounded by motorcycle protectors. He arrived with Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.
The two circled the monument and then stoof seriously as a band played the Marseillaise, France's national anthem. Then they laid a flowery wreath on the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier and lit a flame in the torch beside it.
After a few more songs, Sarkozy gave a short speech. We watched him on the screen with German subtitles (What a help!). Merkel gave a speech as well, this time in German with French subtitles. They both talked about the countries' past and current friendly relations. According to Wikipedia, Forbes Magazine named Merkel the msot powerful woman in the world freom 2006 to 2009.
The ceremony ended with instruments playing Ode to Joy. We slipped away before the metro became a mob scene and went to visit Pere Lachaise Cemetery. It is the most famous one in Paris. We got lost; it's so big. Many famous people are
buried there. We saw Balzac's grave, and Alison pretended to kiss Oscar Wilds' tomb, which is covered in red lipstick.Tonight I went to a connect group from Paris Hillsong, the church I have been attending here. A small group of about 10 young adults met together at Starbucks. Everyone spoke some English, but once the group discussion began it was all in French, so it was more good practice.
French Fact: Twelve roads spill into a roundabout encircling L'Arc de Triomphe. Napoleon I had the monument commissioned, and it was later dedicated to an unknown soldier killed during WWI.
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