It is nearing the end of September, and today was the first day of classes for me, but guess what, I have the freaking flu.  My temperature is an average 100 degrees Farenheit, and I have not left my house for two days.

Oh me, oh my.  BUT, because my last entry was already a rant, I will spare you this one and instead talk about Paris at night.  Tuesday night, three friends from the Sweet Briar Junior Year in France program and I left our houses to go watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at 11 p.m.  I always enjoyed watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the Butte de Montmartre, even though you have to search for a prime viewing location, but I took for granted the spectacle of watching la Tour sparkle only meters away from my eyes.  It was really beautiful to watch this large industrial sculpture suddenly light up into thousands of darting sparkles from such a close-up perspective.

A week ago, I also had the pleasure of walking with a good friend from the Latin Quartier to the Arc de Triomphe in the middle of the night, and my favorite little up Paris building by far was the Louvre.  It was absolutely magical to see the gradiose architecture of this prestigious museum and monument bathed in light and contrasting shadows.  We took a moment to bask in the glory of the Louvre, but I was momentarily distracted by a large Louvre rat that I chased for a little bit to amuse myself.  One thing to know about Paris by night is that every magistical building has its fair share of rats.  On the way to the Louvre, we walked along the Seine river and had the pleasure of catching two small Tango milangas where couples of all ages came to dance.

Ooh la la.  Once I am free from this illness, I will once again join Parisian nightlife.