Today was our first full day in Paris. It’s my first time abroad and I’m so overwhelmed at the sights and smells I’ve been able to experience. Paris is the last (but certainly not least) of our three cities, and it’s definitely a sight to see.

After a long day of travelling, we were up and ready to tour the Louvre today. As we entered the courtyard, the magnificent view of the Louvre became a reality. Stunning, detailed architecture with hand carved statues everywhere. I’ve never seen anything so breathtaking. The humongous palace was so beautiful in the morning air. As busy as it seemed, with hundreds of people in line for the Louvre and taking pictures—like the tourists we are—it was a rather peaceful walk around the courtyard, admiring the architecture up close. Through the morning fog, I could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

We were treated like royalty as we got to bypass the regular tourists in line who had probably already been there for a few hours. Make way, Purdue Queer Study Abroad Squad coming through! Our tour of the Louvre was a short one, but filled with great art from the Greeks, French, and Italians. We walked by so many truly magnificent pieces of art. Everything was just jaw-dropping. Even the ceilings were painted! I could lay down in a hallway and stare up at the ceiling for hours.

We saw art by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Ingres. We blew through our stops at pieces of art so quickly that I feel that I didn’t really get a chance to appreciate and study the art and the technique of the artist. It was also extremely crowded and loud, we all had to get “Jonathan Katz” close to hear what our tour guide was saying. But we hit the highlights, but still only saw less than 1% of what the Louvre had to offer.

We broke for lunch and some of us stayed at the Louvre to explore more, while others went back to Bastille where our hotel was to get some lunch and decompress from a busy, bustling morning. I went to a market that was right across from our hotel and bought bread and cheese and ate a peaceful lunch within the comfort of my hotel room, watching and listening to the Parisian environment. It was nice to sit and relax and watch the world go round for once, without having to endure another crowded restaurant and spend a few handfuls of Euros.

After lunch we met up with Soeur Nykky and Soeur Rose de Paname of Paris Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at a cute café where we were treated to a delicious variety of meats and cheeses; we definitely indulged ourselves. The sisters just wanted to have a conversation with us. It was very casual and friendly. We ate and laughed into the early evening while the pleasant breeze of the day waved the smoke and heat away.

Sister Rose’s involvement with the organization is focused on bringing awareness to everyone by creating conversation. Change comes through a culture’s politics, but before any politics can happen, first comes activism, then empowerment, and then political change. “Politics comes from the word politica (Greek) meaning ‘what defines the limits of a city.’” They just want to get people talking about issues, so that they are aware and can hopefully pass this information on to their friends and family. These sisters are not afraid to voice their opinion. The law will change when enough people start talking about it. As Sister Rose was explaining some examples—using HIV controversy—they said that you have to get people talking, even if it makes you or the other person uncomfortable. Information is a powerful tool, “You are beautiful and you are worth it and you have to protect the person you love.”

We had a wonderful time with the sisters and after we were dismissed for the night, we continued to hang out with Sister Rose as they took us on a small tour of the area. We went to get dessert, where I treated myself to a box of macaroons and then Sister Rose walked us home.