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Bonjour! A lot has happened since I last wrote. Last week I got to go on an official visit of ATLAS. It is 7 stories tall . I couldn't see all of it because they have begun closing it up so they can start to run test beams in August. However, I did get my own personal tour and some cool photos.
The CERN summer student lecture series also started last week. The lectures are wonderful and given by experts in the field. We have been learning about particle physics, accelerators, and detectors so far, as well as how all these things relate to the LHC (large hadron collider) at CERN. It has been an incredible experience. The lectures are every morning for three hours plus a half hour for discussion. I have learned a lot even though they just started last Wednesday!
Most importantly, I was off of work Friday to go to Paris, France. We took a 7 am train into Paris and spent all day Friday and Saturday there, leaving at 7 at night on Sunday. I got to see so many amazing things! The architecture there is wonderful. Among the highlights of my trip were a free
trip to the Louvre, the musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, and a trip to the top of the Eiffel tower. We spent Friday night at the Louvre, during which I got to see the Mona Lisa, as well as many other famous pieces of artwork. I also enjoyed Napoleon III's apartment, which has been preserved inside the Louvre. On Saturday, I went to as many places as possible, including Notre Dame, the Moulin Rouge, and river cruise through the city.
Saturday night was our most eventful night of the trip. We met at the Eiffel tower at 7 with the intention of riding the elevator to the top. However, someone had left a bag below it. Because of this there was a bomb scare, with police and roped off areas and such. So, we decided to try to find some authentic French cuisine in the neighborhood. We found a quaint restaurant where I had a wonderful meal, but some of the boys I was traveling with were not so lucky. We quickly realized that we were part of the raw food movement when Jake and Chen's plates arrived. They had both ordered beef dishes, and both were served completely uncooked! Chen's
was the funniest, as it was garnished with a raw egg. He was about to drink it shot style when the waitress informed him it was to be poured over his food. I felt bad for the boys and promised/bet them (cooked) sandwiches if they ate their food. Needless to say, the boys put LOTS of salt and pepper on their raw meet to mask the taste, and ate the food as quickly as possible. They both finished their whole plates. It was one of the funniest moments of the trip. The look on their faces when the raw meet was placed in front of them was priceless.
After the raw food experience, we headed back to the Eiffel tower. We took the stairs up the first two sections and then rode the elevator to the top. The elevator was glass and incredibly scary, but once we got to the top it was fenced in and felt very safe. The view was amazing, especially since by this time it was almost midnight and we were viewing Paris at night. Despite the endless Rush Hour 3 references (remember, I traveled with all boys), it was an wonderful experience. Unfortunately, my camera
does not take very good night pictures, so my photos of Paris at night did not turn out well.
On Sunday, we went to the Musee d'Orsay and the Pantheon. The Musee d'Orsay has an extensive impressionist collection, which was fabulous. I could have spent a whole day there, but unfortunately we had to go to the train station to catch our train back to Geneva. We made it back to the CERN hostel around midnight and I was exhausted. I plan on getting lots of rest this week so I can be ready for Munich this weekend!
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Tammy Sabol
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Thanks for sharing.
I am so excited to hear of your adventure(s). I can't believe that you para-glided even though you are a bit nervous with heights. WOW! I am loving the pics as well. I have never been out of the USA and I am enjoying all the info and experiences you are having. Thanks for sharing!