and I stated American. No vacancy was available. At the second hotel, I decided to speak in German and rooms were available. After making the rooming arrangements, the group from the car joined me in the hotel.
In the morning, we discussed plans for the day. Everyone but I was interested in shopping. Reluctantly, I agreed to join the others on a shopping excursion to find specific electronic items that the other students wanted to buy, that apparently were less expensive in France. After shopping all morning and still not finding the items sought, I was beginning to feel frustrated and aggravated as I felt that precious time in Paris was being wasted. Viewing a historic fort from the shopping district, I excused myself from the group, agreeing to meet up with them later in the day. I walked to the fort, then to the Eiffel Tower. Contemplating a visit to the top of the structure, I decided against it after finding out from a person about a crowded restaurant at the peak and long lines inside a narrow area that reminded me of a sensation of claustrophobia that I experienced while visiting the Statue of Liberty. I met with the group in the late afternoon at a café on the Champs Elysees, near the Arc of Triumph. As it turned out they still had not found all of the items they were seeking to purchase and would be shopping again the following day. The next morning, I decided to visit the Louvre museum, The Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Sacre Couer. Once again, plans were made to meet up with the group later in the day. My visit to the Louvre was my first experience touring a large art museum. Realizing the enormity of the museum, I walked through it at a moderate pace however a few paintings were captivating, obligating me to examine them more closely. Scene du deluge by Anne-Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson depicts one man’s desperate effort to rescue his family who are possibly brainwashed, from certain death ( check online: “Scene of the Flood” by Anne Louis Girodet de Roucy-Trioson). Le concert champetre by Le Giorgione depicts women as ignorant sexual objects who are possibly brainwashed and subservient to men (check online Le Giorgione Pastoral Concert (Fete Champetre). Les Sabines arretant le combat entre les Romains et les Sabins by artist Louis David shows one woman’s attempt to stop a raging battle of carnage in a city where some people appear to be insane (check online The Sabine Woman 1799). Exiting the Louvre later than expected I walked briskly to the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I entered the Cathedral through a heavy door and was amazed by the colossal size of the interior. Notre Dame was constructed between the tenth and twelfth centuries in a gothic architectural style. Few visitors were inside the Cathedral at that time and so the sounds of a few footsteps echoing within the walls of this enormous church, created an ambiance of eeriness. I thought about the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame and left the premises noticing a dark winding staircase near the heavy doors on my way out.
The school semester officially ended in June requiring me to make a decision on whether to return to the United States or remain in Europe for a while longer to travel additionally, which would necessitate being on a very tight budget. A student at the school was planning to travel after the completion of school thus providing me with a possible travel companion however, the student changed plans and left to visit Turkey. I decided to remain one extra month if I could stretch the German Mark that long to travel within Germany and Austria. I packed the essentials in a large knapsack and left the remainder of my luggage at a secure place in the school. Carrying with me a tour book, map, and youth hostel guide, I set out on the journey that included the two cities of Munich and Salzburg. In Munich I intended to visit