If it was your last Friday night in Paris what would you do? Drink along the quai or going to some chic club felt so "been there done that" when Kaley and I tried to make plans. Anna and the boys were all preparing for Gay Pride the next day so it would just be us and we wanted to do something fun, fabulous, and totally French. Well, duh! We had to go to a Jazz Club. I researched it and it looked like the best Jazz Club on the Rive Gauche was Le Caveau de la Huchette, located about a stone's throw from Notre Dame in the Latin Quarter. C'était incroyable!
Kaley and I got all dressed up (I considered it a big night so I even ventured out to wear heels, which I never do with the amount of walking this city requires) and headed out to Le Caveau. We quickly discovered how this club got its name. While the ground floor might be an everyday looking bar, the downstairs was quite literally a cave! It was kind of creepy and felt very prohibition. There was a live band playing some fun jazzy tunes and the place was packed with dancers! Now, I expected more of a sit and listen to the music kind of atmosphere, not a full on jump and jive session. It was amazing how many amazing dancers there were in this place. Kaley and I fought for a seat just to sit and watch them all on the dance floor. They were amazing. It was then, about half way through my mojito, that an older gentleman, Jean-Marc came and asked if I would dance with him. I was about to say no, but then I remembered my personal mantra for this month being "Pourquoi Pas?" and I headed out on the dance floor with him, excusing myself in terrible French about how bad of a dancer I am. Despite all of this, Jean-Marc took me out on the dance floor and spent the majority of the night teaching me how to do the "Handkerchief". It was so much fun! And even though I am a terrible dancer, I learned a lot! By the end of the set I had the majority of the moves down! I'm still beaming with pride.
Drinking, dancing, and jazz! A perfect last Friday night in Paris. As far as my final weekend in Paris? It's been quiet and enjoyable. I went to the Musee d'Orsay on Saturday and spent some time in the Parc de Montsouris. It's funny, actually. For the past three weeks it has been nothing but overcast and rainy and finally, on my last weekend here, the sun is shining and it is warm and beautiful! I guess Paris was saving the best for last.
P.S.
I know that I've been saying for a while that I will update you with pictures, but it turns out this will not happen. My computer is now choosing this wonderfully inconvenient time to be "full" on files, and thus not accept any attempts for me to upload pictures or sometimes even open my email. I just purged and deleted about 1000 emails, but pictures aren't that easy to delete in order to free up space. So, unfortunately, you will all have to wait until I'm back in the States to see my wonderful pictures. And in the meantime, I will freak out over my camera in hopes that I will forever save the 700+ pictures that are stored on there currently...
The chronicles of my travels, studies, and adventures en l'Hexagone.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Starstruck
I had a conversation the other day over lunch about Twilight. It was with my friends Kaley and Teresa and we were talking about those crazy insane fans who stalk, scream, and practically wet themselves when they see Rob Pattinson. I can't blame them, he is a dream boat, but I always thought I'd be that cool fan. You know, the one who quietly goes up to them and says, "hey, I love your work" or something like that. Well, as it turns out, I'm not one of those easygoing fans who can keep their cool while chatting up a celeb. In fact, I wasn't even "chatting up" anyone. It was just me a few tables over, camera in hand, sweating profusely, and practically squealing because the sexiest man on Planet Earth was breathing the same air that I was.
It was our farewell dinner for CEA. We all met up at Le Mosquée de Paris, which is a super cool restaurant that is actually in a Mosque. Apparently it's a must-eat in Paris and I understand why, because the food was seriously amazing. I never thought that I could be so full on couscous and hot honey tea. It was absolutely delectable and that was only the food *wink*.
A bunch of us were sitting at our table waiting to order when Anna said "Man, that guy looks like Usher." I immediately checked him out and I was in disbelief. We were all like, "No way, that can't be Usher. What would he be doing in a Mosque in Paris..." But after further inquiries, it was decided that yes, in fact, Usher and his rock hard abs were sitting a few tables over. Then I began to hyperventilate. I'm not even kidding. All that 'easy going' bullshit went right out the window and a psychotic fangirl took her place. It was an out of body experience. I kept thinking that this was not me. I did not plainly take pictures of other people in restaurants and practically scream at my friends with excitement, and then he waved....ah!
I guess we were being really obvious. All of us were swooning and giggling for about 30 minutes. It was totally unreal.
Of course, both tables (CEA and the Usher posse) got their food and we all quieted down. That didn't mean that I didn't watch him my entire meal, but the queasiness subsided and I was able to take my eyes off of him (occasionally). He was with the oddest group of people. The really big guy was his bodyguard I'm assuming, but the two other women were just odd. One looked like Kimora Lee Simmons, but I doubt it was her. She was just this fabulous tan Asian lady who wore her sunglasses the whole time. Then he was with another women (in the most adorable cheetah maxi dress) who didn't look like anyone special. I'll have to do some serious research and figure out Usher's social life and see if I recognize anyone...But anyway, it looked like they were having a good time. He was on his Blackberry most of the time, but the conversation looked interesting. Man, do I sound like I have a problem.
Oh, and the best part of it all! We made eye contact! I'm not even kidding. He was walking, actually no, that statement is wrong. Usher does not walk. He struts or floats or something else entirely that is incapable to the rest of the human species. I can't put a name to it, it's just distinctly Usher and goodness is it sexy...Anyway, he was on his way to the bathroom, which included him going directly toward our table and I waved at him. He looked deep into my eyes, gave that boyish smile, and waved back. I then proceeded to melt into pile of complete goo. Apparently though, his people arranged for him to not walk through the restaurant to the bathrooms so he did this super cool swivel (I swear, his feet were not touching the ground), and he turned around and went through the kitchen to the restroom. At that moment he was directly across the table from me. If I had wanted I could have reached out my hand and easily touched him. I'm sure his bodyguard would have been on me in 2 seconds, but I'm seriously wondering now if the physical pain and lawsuit would have been worth it...
Despite our hysteria, no one else in the restaurant seemed to notice this Appolon (French term. So fitting). It wasn't until he got up to leave that the kids at the table directly next to him noticed. They approached Usher's people while he was using the bathroom and Anna, being just as obsessed and a really good lip reader, saw that he was signing autographs but not taking pictures. Well, we had pestered him enough during his meal and now, a half hour later, my hormones had finally balanced out and I didn't feel the need to have him sign my french phrasebook or napkin. I decided to be nice and not draw even more attention to him. So I guess, in a way, I conquered my inner fan girl. Perhaps this was necessary for my wellbeing....a test of sorts so that now I am prepared for the elusive Rob Pattinson or George Clooney. I heard that both Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp have homes in France. Perhaps they're next! One can hope!
*Revelation: I must preface this by asking that you please not judge me for this statement. When Anna and I went to the bathroom after Usher had left, we accidentally used the men's room. (In France most public restrooms are one room with just separate stalls. It can kind of get confusing...) This means that not only did Usher and I make eye contact, breath the same air, and eat the same couscous, but we also used the same toilet.
As sad and disturbing as this epiphany is I feel very content with the amount of contact we had. And I hereby pledge that this will be last obsessive statement about Usher. I sincerely believe that after some thought and serious contemplation that I can begin to live my life normally again and slowly become the cool, breezy fan who is friend to the stars.
It was our farewell dinner for CEA. We all met up at Le Mosquée de Paris, which is a super cool restaurant that is actually in a Mosque. Apparently it's a must-eat in Paris and I understand why, because the food was seriously amazing. I never thought that I could be so full on couscous and hot honey tea. It was absolutely delectable and that was only the food *wink*.
A bunch of us were sitting at our table waiting to order when Anna said "Man, that guy looks like Usher." I immediately checked him out and I was in disbelief. We were all like, "No way, that can't be Usher. What would he be doing in a Mosque in Paris..." But after further inquiries, it was decided that yes, in fact, Usher and his rock hard abs were sitting a few tables over. Then I began to hyperventilate. I'm not even kidding. All that 'easy going' bullshit went right out the window and a psychotic fangirl took her place. It was an out of body experience. I kept thinking that this was not me. I did not plainly take pictures of other people in restaurants and practically scream at my friends with excitement, and then he waved....ah!
I guess we were being really obvious. All of us were swooning and giggling for about 30 minutes. It was totally unreal.
Of course, both tables (CEA and the Usher posse) got their food and we all quieted down. That didn't mean that I didn't watch him my entire meal, but the queasiness subsided and I was able to take my eyes off of him (occasionally). He was with the oddest group of people. The really big guy was his bodyguard I'm assuming, but the two other women were just odd. One looked like Kimora Lee Simmons, but I doubt it was her. She was just this fabulous tan Asian lady who wore her sunglasses the whole time. Then he was with another women (in the most adorable cheetah maxi dress) who didn't look like anyone special. I'll have to do some serious research and figure out Usher's social life and see if I recognize anyone...But anyway, it looked like they were having a good time. He was on his Blackberry most of the time, but the conversation looked interesting. Man, do I sound like I have a problem.
Oh, and the best part of it all! We made eye contact! I'm not even kidding. He was walking, actually no, that statement is wrong. Usher does not walk. He struts or floats or something else entirely that is incapable to the rest of the human species. I can't put a name to it, it's just distinctly Usher and goodness is it sexy...Anyway, he was on his way to the bathroom, which included him going directly toward our table and I waved at him. He looked deep into my eyes, gave that boyish smile, and waved back. I then proceeded to melt into pile of complete goo. Apparently though, his people arranged for him to not walk through the restaurant to the bathrooms so he did this super cool swivel (I swear, his feet were not touching the ground), and he turned around and went through the kitchen to the restroom. At that moment he was directly across the table from me. If I had wanted I could have reached out my hand and easily touched him. I'm sure his bodyguard would have been on me in 2 seconds, but I'm seriously wondering now if the physical pain and lawsuit would have been worth it...
This was when I first fell in love with Usher 10 years ago.
Oh boy, have I got it bad...
Despite our hysteria, no one else in the restaurant seemed to notice this Appolon (French term. So fitting). It wasn't until he got up to leave that the kids at the table directly next to him noticed. They approached Usher's people while he was using the bathroom and Anna, being just as obsessed and a really good lip reader, saw that he was signing autographs but not taking pictures. Well, we had pestered him enough during his meal and now, a half hour later, my hormones had finally balanced out and I didn't feel the need to have him sign my french phrasebook or napkin. I decided to be nice and not draw even more attention to him. So I guess, in a way, I conquered my inner fan girl. Perhaps this was necessary for my wellbeing....a test of sorts so that now I am prepared for the elusive Rob Pattinson or George Clooney. I heard that both Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp have homes in France. Perhaps they're next! One can hope!
*Revelation: I must preface this by asking that you please not judge me for this statement. When Anna and I went to the bathroom after Usher had left, we accidentally used the men's room. (In France most public restrooms are one room with just separate stalls. It can kind of get confusing...) This means that not only did Usher and I make eye contact, breath the same air, and eat the same couscous, but we also used the same toilet.
As sad and disturbing as this epiphany is I feel very content with the amount of contact we had. And I hereby pledge that this will be last obsessive statement about Usher. I sincerely believe that after some thought and serious contemplation that I can begin to live my life normally again and slowly become the cool, breezy fan who is friend to the stars.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Fête de la Musique
For a city with a "Who's Who" list of churches and cathedrals, Paris sure knows how to celebrate a Pagan holiday. Yesterday was the summer solstice and the Parisians thoroughly welcomed the new season with a huge city-wide party. Fête de la Musique was a free-for-all for musicians and dancers in Paris to spend the entire day, with the most sunlight, to play, dance, and enjoy free music on the streets. I have never experienced anything like it.
During the daytime it was mostly metro performers and the odd acoustic guitar on the street corner, but the night was something else entirely. Oh, and speaking of the metro, I experienced my first Metro strike yesterday as well. Apparently you haven't experienced 'real' Paris until you've had to deal with a Metro strike. I find this funny because 1) it was a pain in the butt to get anywhere and 2) it was only a strike on my line. The train's came about 10 minutes apart and only went to next station where I had to stand in a huge line just to get on a different train that took me practically around the city to go what would be 3 short stops on my original line. It was a lovely experience.
During the day I set out to enjoy a musical Paris. After grammar class, Kaley had one last phonetics class so I decided to walk around the Latin Quarter and find a cafe to get some much needed caffeine. Well, I ended up just wandering along the Seine. I walked out onto Pont Neuf. It was really gloomy and kind of rainy so it was almost peaceful sitting out in an island in the middle of the Seine. I kept on walking for a while and finally decided to stop at a cafe not far from the Musee d'Orsay. It was really cute and, as it turns out, very expensive. I was shocked to see that my cappuccino cost almost 7£. Recovering from my initial shock, I looked at the menu to scope out the other prices and saw a little blurb written on the front. Le Cafe Frégate was apparently the inspiration for Dumas when he was writing The Three Musketeers. Well that was unexpected...I know it's a pretty cool historical place and just next door to Volatire's home, but 7£ for a cup of coffee? No thank you.
I continued walking down to the Musee d'Orsay where I sat for about 10 minutes and listened to a jazz quartet. They were playing some of my favorites and all four of the musicians were smoking while playing their instruments. It was so French! What was even more French though was the sign on the front of the Musee d'Orsay. It said (and I quote) "We may not open today". No definitive statement, no explanation, just French... Disappointed about the d'Orsay, I was still determined to find some kind of landmark or museum to visit. I trekked some more down along the Seine to the Invalides. I walked around there for a moment but decided that I didn't want to spend even more money to see Napoleon's tomb, at least not today anyway. I walked back to the Seine, across Pont Alexandre, and over to the Champs-Élysées where I caught a fully functional Metro to the Opera house. I decided then that this would be my main visit of the day. The Opera was gorgeous. Unfortunately, the auditorium was closed because of a rehearsal, but being the creeper that I am, I found a tiny open window on a door that showed all the ballerinas practicing. It was beyond cool. I think that is my one wish in life. I want to be a ballerina more than anything. Watching Black Swan kind of put this dream of mine into perspective though. Oddly enough, the soundtrack and dvd for Black Swan were being sold in the gift shop of the Opera Garnier. I was shocked to see these mementos but not the Phantom of the Opera. My dreams were crushed. As if I hadn't walked around that entire building humming the soundtrack to one of my favorite musicals set in that very place...Well, now I'm glad that I didn't reenact Masquerade on the famed staircase...
After the Opera house I took the long train home (literally) and met up with Kaley to go back out to experience the true fête. We got to Saint Michel about 7:30 and it was already a madhouse. People and music everywhere. We stopped in front of the Fountain Saint Michel for a while and watched some break dancers dance to some African music. It was too cool. For the next 6 or so hours we hopped from street to street, band to band. It was amazing. We danced, made friends, drank, and had a blast. After a while, I got it in my head that I was going to be truly Parisian. While dancing and listening to music I went out of my comfort zone and started talking to random people. Of course, the Parisians do this by walking up to strangers and asking for a cigarette. I'm not kidding. You'll just be sitting at a cafe, in a metro station, or walking on the street and people will come up and ask if you have a smoke and stay and chat for a while. My attempt was hilarious. While I was practicing my French, my wingman Kaley was giving out fake names to men and pretending she was British. It was a blast. The clouds lifted and it was light until almost 11 pm and warm for the entire night. Something just came over the city that was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Everyone was singing and dancing, some even dancing in the beautiful Fountain St. Michel. I can barely even describe how amazing and crazy it was. Take the most insane frat party you've ever been to, multiply it by 150 million, and then apply it to millions of people in one of the most exciting cities in the entire world. Like I said, crazy fun.
Going back to Saint Michel-Notre Dame the next morning (a few short hours later) was shocking. Everything was cleaned up and it looked like nothing had happened. It was raining again, like it does every morning, and it was almost sad. Back to real life, class, and the crazy traffic on Île-de-Cité on a Wednesday morning. If it clears up though, we were all thinking of making our own fête at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Tomorrow is our farewell dinner from CEA. When did that happen? The Global Campus-Gay Paris kids all leave at the end of the week, so I guess it's only fitting to have it then. I'm hitting the one week mark til my vacation and I'm excited but sad that this is all coming to a close. On the bright side though, I hit up about 3 things on my Paris bucket-list yesterday. Now if I can only keep up the momentum and keep on dancing through Paris this next week, then I will be a very happy girl.
During the daytime it was mostly metro performers and the odd acoustic guitar on the street corner, but the night was something else entirely. Oh, and speaking of the metro, I experienced my first Metro strike yesterday as well. Apparently you haven't experienced 'real' Paris until you've had to deal with a Metro strike. I find this funny because 1) it was a pain in the butt to get anywhere and 2) it was only a strike on my line. The train's came about 10 minutes apart and only went to next station where I had to stand in a huge line just to get on a different train that took me practically around the city to go what would be 3 short stops on my original line. It was a lovely experience.
During the day I set out to enjoy a musical Paris. After grammar class, Kaley had one last phonetics class so I decided to walk around the Latin Quarter and find a cafe to get some much needed caffeine. Well, I ended up just wandering along the Seine. I walked out onto Pont Neuf. It was really gloomy and kind of rainy so it was almost peaceful sitting out in an island in the middle of the Seine. I kept on walking for a while and finally decided to stop at a cafe not far from the Musee d'Orsay. It was really cute and, as it turns out, very expensive. I was shocked to see that my cappuccino cost almost 7£. Recovering from my initial shock, I looked at the menu to scope out the other prices and saw a little blurb written on the front. Le Cafe Frégate was apparently the inspiration for Dumas when he was writing The Three Musketeers. Well that was unexpected...I know it's a pretty cool historical place and just next door to Volatire's home, but 7£ for a cup of coffee? No thank you.
I continued walking down to the Musee d'Orsay where I sat for about 10 minutes and listened to a jazz quartet. They were playing some of my favorites and all four of the musicians were smoking while playing their instruments. It was so French! What was even more French though was the sign on the front of the Musee d'Orsay. It said (and I quote) "We may not open today". No definitive statement, no explanation, just French... Disappointed about the d'Orsay, I was still determined to find some kind of landmark or museum to visit. I trekked some more down along the Seine to the Invalides. I walked around there for a moment but decided that I didn't want to spend even more money to see Napoleon's tomb, at least not today anyway. I walked back to the Seine, across Pont Alexandre, and over to the Champs-Élysées where I caught a fully functional Metro to the Opera house. I decided then that this would be my main visit of the day. The Opera was gorgeous. Unfortunately, the auditorium was closed because of a rehearsal, but being the creeper that I am, I found a tiny open window on a door that showed all the ballerinas practicing. It was beyond cool. I think that is my one wish in life. I want to be a ballerina more than anything. Watching Black Swan kind of put this dream of mine into perspective though. Oddly enough, the soundtrack and dvd for Black Swan were being sold in the gift shop of the Opera Garnier. I was shocked to see these mementos but not the Phantom of the Opera. My dreams were crushed. As if I hadn't walked around that entire building humming the soundtrack to one of my favorite musicals set in that very place...Well, now I'm glad that I didn't reenact Masquerade on the famed staircase...
After the Opera house I took the long train home (literally) and met up with Kaley to go back out to experience the true fête. We got to Saint Michel about 7:30 and it was already a madhouse. People and music everywhere. We stopped in front of the Fountain Saint Michel for a while and watched some break dancers dance to some African music. It was too cool. For the next 6 or so hours we hopped from street to street, band to band. It was amazing. We danced, made friends, drank, and had a blast. After a while, I got it in my head that I was going to be truly Parisian. While dancing and listening to music I went out of my comfort zone and started talking to random people. Of course, the Parisians do this by walking up to strangers and asking for a cigarette. I'm not kidding. You'll just be sitting at a cafe, in a metro station, or walking on the street and people will come up and ask if you have a smoke and stay and chat for a while. My attempt was hilarious. While I was practicing my French, my wingman Kaley was giving out fake names to men and pretending she was British. It was a blast. The clouds lifted and it was light until almost 11 pm and warm for the entire night. Something just came over the city that was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Everyone was singing and dancing, some even dancing in the beautiful Fountain St. Michel. I can barely even describe how amazing and crazy it was. Take the most insane frat party you've ever been to, multiply it by 150 million, and then apply it to millions of people in one of the most exciting cities in the entire world. Like I said, crazy fun.
Going back to Saint Michel-Notre Dame the next morning (a few short hours later) was shocking. Everything was cleaned up and it looked like nothing had happened. It was raining again, like it does every morning, and it was almost sad. Back to real life, class, and the crazy traffic on Île-de-Cité on a Wednesday morning. If it clears up though, we were all thinking of making our own fête at the top of the Eiffel Tower.
Tomorrow is our farewell dinner from CEA. When did that happen? The Global Campus-Gay Paris kids all leave at the end of the week, so I guess it's only fitting to have it then. I'm hitting the one week mark til my vacation and I'm excited but sad that this is all coming to a close. On the bright side though, I hit up about 3 things on my Paris bucket-list yesterday. Now if I can only keep up the momentum and keep on dancing through Paris this next week, then I will be a very happy girl.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Town & Country
I can't believe it's already been a week since my last post! I feel incredibly guilty for neglecting writing this past week. This week wasn't even that busy, aside from everyday school stuff, that is. I absolutely need to write down the fun things I did this week like the boat tour of the Seine and shopping in the Latin Quarter, but first I need to tell you all about this weekend.
It.Was.Incredible. CEA put together an excursion this weekend to Burgundy. It is about 2 hours South/East of Paris and incredibly beautiful. I felt so Parisian escaping the city to the countryside (again).
All 15 of us (17 if you include the two CEA staff members who came) met at Gare de Lyon early on Saturday morning to catch the train to Dijon at 8:30. Two hours later we were in Dijon (yes, like the mustard). Only it wasn't the mustard that attracted me to the town so much. Coincidentally, Dijon is the city of owls!! No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I practically wet myself when I stumbled upon all the owls adorning the city. They are on the sidewalks, on the sides of churches, t-shirts, you name it! Of course, my squealing and excitement quickly spread throughout the group and I explained that owl, or as the French say La Chouette--which literally translates to cool/super (yeah that's right, Chi Omega)--is something very special to me. This meant that all Saturday I was constantly being called over to examine yet another owl memorial or really cute owl oven mitt. Needless to say, I was so in my element.
This weekend's excursion was all "inclusive" by CEA. The hotel, train, and some food were already included for our short 2 day trip. Translation: everything was really cheap. We started off our adventures in Dijon with a "self-guided" walking tour of the city. Ha! Basically, we were given a little booklet with the "Owl's Trail" of the city. It was very interesting and gave us the flexibility and freedom to spend extra time at one stop or take a long lunch. After walking and getting lost in the town for about 2 hours, Kaley and I took a tour break to have lunch with another CEA-Sorbonne student, Maggie. It was lovely and we timed it just right to miss the random rain storm. I discovered a new favorite food: Salade de Chevre Chaud. It consists of a big hearty salad with all sorts of vegetables, but my favorite part (of course) is the toast with melted goat cheese on top. Yumo. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it....One salade and two cappuccinos later I was ready for our "tour" of the gingerbread factory. Apparently they only give tours of the factory once every 5 years because of the intense sterilization that the plant goes through after thousands of people infiltrate the home of gingerbread so we all sat in a room above a gingerbread store and learned about the process of making gingerbread. It was fascinating and I really enjoyed it, especially the sample portion. I thought that mustard was the big delicacy of Dijon, but gingerbread or Pain d'epices is a major competitor and I completely understand why. This gingerbread is amazing and they make such fun flavors. My favorite has to be a tie between almonds and oranges. Yummy. Oh, and a major plus is that they make gingerbread in the shape of an owl. It took all my strength not to buy pounds of that stuff.
After the tour we had more free time to walk around the city. This time we veered off the Owl's Trail a little and just ended up walking around looking at the beautiful architecture. We actually stopped outside a church and caught the very end of the wedding. It was beautiful. It's also a French tradition to drive around town after getting married and honk at everyone. It was a beautiful Saturday in June so the entire day was filled with honking and tulle. It was so much fun.
Another cup of coffee later and we were back at the train station and ready for our departure to Beaune "Capital of Burgundy Wine", which is about 45 minutes south of Dijon by train. Well, if I thought that Dijon was small then I was in for a surprise with the small town of Beaune. We got off the train in a small station surrounded by vast fields and I actually thought to myself "Interesting. This is an odd place to transfer trains....". Nope. It was our final destination. Our hotel was located right across the tracks (on the outskirts of town) so it was easy to walk across the street, up two flights of stairs, and collapse from exhaustion. Before dinner we all showered and watched an interesting episode of Tous Ensemble, which I quickly discovered was the French version of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. It was riveting.
Dinner was at the small hotel restaurant. It was delicious. Three hours and I don't even know how many bottles of Burgundy Wine later, we were all ready to go out and celebrate a friend Carlos' 21st birthday. Sure, it had way less significance here than in the states, but we all still wanted to go out and celebrate. There was, however, one small problem. We were in the middle of nowhere and what self respecting town dating back to the Middle Ages has a night club? So we made friends with the man at the front desk and found out that there was in fact a night club in Beaune, it was just a 30-40 minute walk. But we were determined to take Carlos out on his birthday so five of us made the trek out to the chic night club appropriately called "B.O." I wish I was kidding...
B.O was actually a lot of fun. A lot different than clubs in Paris. It didn't cost me a fortune to get in and the people there actually danced. Go figure! I had a blast and most importantly so did Carlos. They played a lot of Latin music with the occasional random American song thrown in there. I never thought that I would be dancing to Kool & the Gang in a French Club...It was totally worth the lack of sleep for the next day in Beaune.
Aside from it's wine, Beaune is best known for their beautifully well-preserved medieval town. Perhaps the coolest of these ancient buildings in the town center is the Hotel-Dieu. Hotel Dieu is this 15th century hospital that was run by Nuns and now is a retirement home. The majority of the "Palace for the Poor" has now been preserved and frozen in the time of its conception. It was interesting but very very creepy. I could just picture hundreds of the sick poor of Beaune all together in this big hall. They also had this enormous painting of Judgment Day on the back wall, which, in my opinion, would be a tad frightening to look at if you and 60 of your best hobo friends were all dying in a big room...Apparently the painting is very famous, but I found myself creeped out. After touring Hotel Dieu we had even more free time. A couple of us went and had (another) long lunch by this little square. There was a jazz band in the middle of the square who, to my delight, were playing the best of Michael Buble. I loved it.
Lunch was followed by a wine tasting at the Marche aux Vins. It was fascinating. We were taken down into their cellar and tasted about 8 different wines. Personally, I've never had wine that is older than 2010 so this was quite an adventure for me. We were given little saucer-things to drink from and all the wines were absolutely delicious. There was no way that I was going to even consider spitting out the amazing (and remarkably expensive) wines that we tasted. I drank it all. I even bought a bottle too! Sure, it was the cheapest bottle but it was my favorite of their Chardonnay that I tasted. I'm planning on sharing it with Kristie and Mom when they get here in 10 days! It is very tempting though. I can hear the beautiful bottle calling my name and I know that I must resist temptation. This is going to be a long week and a half...
After wine tasting we had even more free time to explore the teeny tiny city, which was spent souvenir shopping and eating amazing ice cream. We eventually found our way back to the hotel and hopped back on the train to Paris-Gare de Lyon. Overall it was such a fun trip! It is a place that I would never have thought to visit, but I am so glad that I did! It also helped me meet a lot of other CEA students that aren't in the Sorbonne program. Their program ends in a couple days and it made me realize how little time I have left here in Paris. We all started talking about how nothing will be the same for us back in the States (mainly the bread) and I began to have a little panic attack on my impending departure from Franceland. True, I do have an extra 8 days after everyone from the Sorbonne leaves, but I know that time is just going to fly by with Mom, Kristie, and I traversing through Northern France. Wah.
I can't bear to talk about this though. Not now. Not when I have another beautiful 10 days in front of me in my current home. I guess this means that I have to powerhouse and finish my mini "bucket list" for Paris...
It's going to be a busy week!
It.Was.Incredible. CEA put together an excursion this weekend to Burgundy. It is about 2 hours South/East of Paris and incredibly beautiful. I felt so Parisian escaping the city to the countryside (again).
All 15 of us (17 if you include the two CEA staff members who came) met at Gare de Lyon early on Saturday morning to catch the train to Dijon at 8:30. Two hours later we were in Dijon (yes, like the mustard). Only it wasn't the mustard that attracted me to the town so much. Coincidentally, Dijon is the city of owls!! No, I'm not kidding. Yes, I practically wet myself when I stumbled upon all the owls adorning the city. They are on the sidewalks, on the sides of churches, t-shirts, you name it! Of course, my squealing and excitement quickly spread throughout the group and I explained that owl, or as the French say La Chouette--which literally translates to cool/super (yeah that's right, Chi Omega)--is something very special to me. This meant that all Saturday I was constantly being called over to examine yet another owl memorial or really cute owl oven mitt. Needless to say, I was so in my element.
This weekend's excursion was all "inclusive" by CEA. The hotel, train, and some food were already included for our short 2 day trip. Translation: everything was really cheap. We started off our adventures in Dijon with a "self-guided" walking tour of the city. Ha! Basically, we were given a little booklet with the "Owl's Trail" of the city. It was very interesting and gave us the flexibility and freedom to spend extra time at one stop or take a long lunch. After walking and getting lost in the town for about 2 hours, Kaley and I took a tour break to have lunch with another CEA-Sorbonne student, Maggie. It was lovely and we timed it just right to miss the random rain storm. I discovered a new favorite food: Salade de Chevre Chaud. It consists of a big hearty salad with all sorts of vegetables, but my favorite part (of course) is the toast with melted goat cheese on top. Yumo. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it....One salade and two cappuccinos later I was ready for our "tour" of the gingerbread factory. Apparently they only give tours of the factory once every 5 years because of the intense sterilization that the plant goes through after thousands of people infiltrate the home of gingerbread so we all sat in a room above a gingerbread store and learned about the process of making gingerbread. It was fascinating and I really enjoyed it, especially the sample portion. I thought that mustard was the big delicacy of Dijon, but gingerbread or Pain d'epices is a major competitor and I completely understand why. This gingerbread is amazing and they make such fun flavors. My favorite has to be a tie between almonds and oranges. Yummy. Oh, and a major plus is that they make gingerbread in the shape of an owl. It took all my strength not to buy pounds of that stuff.
After the tour we had more free time to walk around the city. This time we veered off the Owl's Trail a little and just ended up walking around looking at the beautiful architecture. We actually stopped outside a church and caught the very end of the wedding. It was beautiful. It's also a French tradition to drive around town after getting married and honk at everyone. It was a beautiful Saturday in June so the entire day was filled with honking and tulle. It was so much fun.
Another cup of coffee later and we were back at the train station and ready for our departure to Beaune "Capital of Burgundy Wine", which is about 45 minutes south of Dijon by train. Well, if I thought that Dijon was small then I was in for a surprise with the small town of Beaune. We got off the train in a small station surrounded by vast fields and I actually thought to myself "Interesting. This is an odd place to transfer trains....". Nope. It was our final destination. Our hotel was located right across the tracks (on the outskirts of town) so it was easy to walk across the street, up two flights of stairs, and collapse from exhaustion. Before dinner we all showered and watched an interesting episode of Tous Ensemble, which I quickly discovered was the French version of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. It was riveting.
Dinner was at the small hotel restaurant. It was delicious. Three hours and I don't even know how many bottles of Burgundy Wine later, we were all ready to go out and celebrate a friend Carlos' 21st birthday. Sure, it had way less significance here than in the states, but we all still wanted to go out and celebrate. There was, however, one small problem. We were in the middle of nowhere and what self respecting town dating back to the Middle Ages has a night club? So we made friends with the man at the front desk and found out that there was in fact a night club in Beaune, it was just a 30-40 minute walk. But we were determined to take Carlos out on his birthday so five of us made the trek out to the chic night club appropriately called "B.O." I wish I was kidding...
B.O was actually a lot of fun. A lot different than clubs in Paris. It didn't cost me a fortune to get in and the people there actually danced. Go figure! I had a blast and most importantly so did Carlos. They played a lot of Latin music with the occasional random American song thrown in there. I never thought that I would be dancing to Kool & the Gang in a French Club...It was totally worth the lack of sleep for the next day in Beaune.
Aside from it's wine, Beaune is best known for their beautifully well-preserved medieval town. Perhaps the coolest of these ancient buildings in the town center is the Hotel-Dieu. Hotel Dieu is this 15th century hospital that was run by Nuns and now is a retirement home. The majority of the "Palace for the Poor" has now been preserved and frozen in the time of its conception. It was interesting but very very creepy. I could just picture hundreds of the sick poor of Beaune all together in this big hall. They also had this enormous painting of Judgment Day on the back wall, which, in my opinion, would be a tad frightening to look at if you and 60 of your best hobo friends were all dying in a big room...Apparently the painting is very famous, but I found myself creeped out. After touring Hotel Dieu we had even more free time. A couple of us went and had (another) long lunch by this little square. There was a jazz band in the middle of the square who, to my delight, were playing the best of Michael Buble. I loved it.
Lunch was followed by a wine tasting at the Marche aux Vins. It was fascinating. We were taken down into their cellar and tasted about 8 different wines. Personally, I've never had wine that is older than 2010 so this was quite an adventure for me. We were given little saucer-things to drink from and all the wines were absolutely delicious. There was no way that I was going to even consider spitting out the amazing (and remarkably expensive) wines that we tasted. I drank it all. I even bought a bottle too! Sure, it was the cheapest bottle but it was my favorite of their Chardonnay that I tasted. I'm planning on sharing it with Kristie and Mom when they get here in 10 days! It is very tempting though. I can hear the beautiful bottle calling my name and I know that I must resist temptation. This is going to be a long week and a half...
After wine tasting we had even more free time to explore the teeny tiny city, which was spent souvenir shopping and eating amazing ice cream. We eventually found our way back to the hotel and hopped back on the train to Paris-Gare de Lyon. Overall it was such a fun trip! It is a place that I would never have thought to visit, but I am so glad that I did! It also helped me meet a lot of other CEA students that aren't in the Sorbonne program. Their program ends in a couple days and it made me realize how little time I have left here in Paris. We all started talking about how nothing will be the same for us back in the States (mainly the bread) and I began to have a little panic attack on my impending departure from Franceland. True, I do have an extra 8 days after everyone from the Sorbonne leaves, but I know that time is just going to fly by with Mom, Kristie, and I traversing through Northern France. Wah.
I can't bear to talk about this though. Not now. Not when I have another beautiful 10 days in front of me in my current home. I guess this means that I have to powerhouse and finish my mini "bucket list" for Paris...
It's going to be a busy week!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Côte d’Azur
I didn't come to France with any travel expectations. I knew that when Mom and Kristie came over we would travel around Île-de-France and regions slightly to the North and West, but other than that I had no plans to see the rest of the country. I can now say how happy I am that I was wrong in this assumption. The Parisians have this saying, and while the exact French translation escapes me right now, it goes something like: There is Paris and then there is the rest of France, implying that the rest of this beautiful country just doesn't compare to the capital. Wrong! I love Paris and the excitement of the city, but there is something absolutely blissful about leaving it.
I escaped Paris this weekend to go to warm and beautiful Nice. I'm glad that we all decided to do this trip because, quite frankly, the rain was starting to get to me, and Nice ended up being the perfect destination, considering that it has an average of 300 days of sunlight a year. Thank goodness.
After an eventful Friday of visiting the Paris Catacombs (Creepy!), the Musee du Louvre, and my first adventure of doing laundry in France, Kaley and I set out on Saturday morning for Nice to meet up with our friends. We traveled by train, but not just any train, but the TGV. Every French textbook has a chapter or lesson about travel and the TGV is always included. I felt giddy being able to actually ride this famed high-speed train throughout the majority of the country. It was way too cool. Also, to make everything 20x better was that when we booked our tickets the cheapest seats were in first class. We were riding in style. It was an early train however, and I ended up being knocked out for the first 2 hours of the ride, which ended up being much of the French countryside that I wanted to see. I was a little upset until we started traveling along the coast. The view was unbelievable. Traveling between the Alps and the Mediterranean was absolutely gorgeous. I felt like I was living out an episode of "House Hunters International". There are so many episodes that take place in that region and they're all gorgeous. I can just see myself on that show: Single, 20something, and broke, looking for a Villa in the South of France that won't break the bank. Yeah, right. I can keep dreaming.
We arrived in Nice around 3 pm, walked about 2 blocks down the road and were already at our Hostel. Kaley and I threw down our luggage and quickly put on our swimsuits and headed for the beach. Oh my! I have never seen so many different shades of blue in one single body of water. It was unbelievable. For about 2 hours we swam and sunbathed. It was heaven. We returned to the hostel around 6, showered up, met our 6 other roommates and headed out to dinner with one of them, Peitra, who was an Au Pair from Canada. She was so nice and took us all around Vieux Nice by the water for dinner. This is where I instantly fell in love with the city. The food is amazing! Just imagine all your favorite French cooking and cuisine with an Italian twist. Yumo! I was in heaven. I had the most unbelievable pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, and pine nuts. The three of us split this divine bottle of rose wine too. I was content. The restaurant we went to was so beautiful and the people were so nice. They even brought us over these lemon shooters free of charge. I need to find out where to buy this drink. It was amazing. After our delectable meal, the three of us headed back to the Hostel for a champagne party. Most everyone who was staying there that night was there and we all bonded and chatted over champagne. It was here that we met up with our other friends as well as made many other acquaintances. I was shocked by how many Canadians and Australians that were there, but my new favorite friend was this guy Dickson from, none other than UVa. Small world. We ended up all going out after the party, Dickson, Peitra, Kaley, and I. It was a lot of fun and I was exhausted by the end of it all.
Sunday was filled with much of the same activities as Saturday: going to the beach and eating. Like I said, heaven.
However, here is a short list of things I quickly learned about Nice beaches:
Now I'm back in Paris, burnt to a crisp, and dreading my homework and going back to reality tomorrow. I quite enjoyed my "Vacation from my Vacation". This does mean, however, that I have now been spoiled. I'm damaged goods and now can only vacation on the Côte d’Azur. I think the French Riviera is quite my style, well except for what they wear or lack there of...It's perfect for me really though. It's a perfect combination of so many great things: France & Italy, the mountains & ocean, the old and new, etc. I can see myself getting comfortable with such things. Now I just have to find the money to make this obsession a reality. All I know, is that I've only been gone for 8 hours and I already need to go back.
I escaped Paris this weekend to go to warm and beautiful Nice. I'm glad that we all decided to do this trip because, quite frankly, the rain was starting to get to me, and Nice ended up being the perfect destination, considering that it has an average of 300 days of sunlight a year. Thank goodness.
After an eventful Friday of visiting the Paris Catacombs (Creepy!), the Musee du Louvre, and my first adventure of doing laundry in France, Kaley and I set out on Saturday morning for Nice to meet up with our friends. We traveled by train, but not just any train, but the TGV. Every French textbook has a chapter or lesson about travel and the TGV is always included. I felt giddy being able to actually ride this famed high-speed train throughout the majority of the country. It was way too cool. Also, to make everything 20x better was that when we booked our tickets the cheapest seats were in first class. We were riding in style. It was an early train however, and I ended up being knocked out for the first 2 hours of the ride, which ended up being much of the French countryside that I wanted to see. I was a little upset until we started traveling along the coast. The view was unbelievable. Traveling between the Alps and the Mediterranean was absolutely gorgeous. I felt like I was living out an episode of "House Hunters International". There are so many episodes that take place in that region and they're all gorgeous. I can just see myself on that show: Single, 20something, and broke, looking for a Villa in the South of France that won't break the bank. Yeah, right. I can keep dreaming.
We arrived in Nice around 3 pm, walked about 2 blocks down the road and were already at our Hostel. Kaley and I threw down our luggage and quickly put on our swimsuits and headed for the beach. Oh my! I have never seen so many different shades of blue in one single body of water. It was unbelievable. For about 2 hours we swam and sunbathed. It was heaven. We returned to the hostel around 6, showered up, met our 6 other roommates and headed out to dinner with one of them, Peitra, who was an Au Pair from Canada. She was so nice and took us all around Vieux Nice by the water for dinner. This is where I instantly fell in love with the city. The food is amazing! Just imagine all your favorite French cooking and cuisine with an Italian twist. Yumo! I was in heaven. I had the most unbelievable pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, and pine nuts. The three of us split this divine bottle of rose wine too. I was content. The restaurant we went to was so beautiful and the people were so nice. They even brought us over these lemon shooters free of charge. I need to find out where to buy this drink. It was amazing. After our delectable meal, the three of us headed back to the Hostel for a champagne party. Most everyone who was staying there that night was there and we all bonded and chatted over champagne. It was here that we met up with our other friends as well as made many other acquaintances. I was shocked by how many Canadians and Australians that were there, but my new favorite friend was this guy Dickson from, none other than UVa. Small world. We ended up all going out after the party, Dickson, Peitra, Kaley, and I. It was a lot of fun and I was exhausted by the end of it all.
Sunday was filled with much of the same activities as Saturday: going to the beach and eating. Like I said, heaven.
However, here is a short list of things I quickly learned about Nice beaches:
- They don't have sand beaches. They're all rocks. It's beautiful but a little tricky to walk on.
- They are clothing optional. Wow.
- The sun is very strong.
Now I'm back in Paris, burnt to a crisp, and dreading my homework and going back to reality tomorrow. I quite enjoyed my "Vacation from my Vacation". This does mean, however, that I have now been spoiled. I'm damaged goods and now can only vacation on the Côte d’Azur. I think the French Riviera is quite my style, well except for what they wear or lack there of...It's perfect for me really though. It's a perfect combination of so many great things: France & Italy, the mountains & ocean, the old and new, etc. I can see myself getting comfortable with such things. Now I just have to find the money to make this obsession a reality. All I know, is that I've only been gone for 8 hours and I already need to go back.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Rainydays and Mondays (and Sundays and Tuesdays too)
It started raining Saturday night and has barely let up since. It's been raining cats and dogs! The French do not use that expression though. They say "Il pleut des cordes" which literally means "it's raining ropes". Ha! In between the momentous downpours, however, there has been some sunshine and the city really is lovely when it is all misty and green.
Sunday afternoon was supposed to be spent at le Musee du Louvre. The museum is free the first Sunday of the month and we planned on seeing the Louvre admist all the cheap tourists and students just like us. When we arrived though our plans quickly changed. The line was expansive and wrapped around the enormous palace. No way! I had not yet forgotten about Versailles the day before and nothing made me feel more uncomfortable and anxious than waiting in line for hours inside and out of the museum. I've already been to the Louvre and while it is absolutely impressive and gorgeous I also came here to see Paris not paintings that I can see in a book. And, while I'm being honest, the Mona Lisa is a little disappointing. It's about the size of a postage stamp and surrounded by missile proof glass, countless bodyguards, and an even larger crowd of people. The Mona Lisa will just have to wait until another day.
We decided on another touristy destination, but not quite on the maps of your everyday tourists of Paris. Montparnasse in the 13th/6th arrondissement is quickly becoming one of my favorite and most frequented parts of town that I visit. It's close to home, has great shopping, and is where my Laboratoire Phonetique is held for the next two weeks at Le Maison des Etudiants. What makes Montparnasse so special is the famed Tour Montparnasse, which is the only skyscraper in Paris. Some consider it an eyesore on the horizon, but it's the tallest building in the city so it would naturally have the best view of Paris. Many people chose to go to the top of l'Arc de Triomphe (which I want to do too, I just don't know how people cross that street...) and the bell towers of Notre Dame. Newsflash: those famous landmarks are very cool but also very short in comparison to the rest of the buildings. You can't really see much from the top of Notre Dame, except the Seine and the cafe where you just ate lunch....The expansive Tour Montparnasse, however, can offer you a 360 degree view of the whole capital. It was beautiful! We timed it just right too and got our 7 £'s worth of a view of the city in between rain storms. Perhaps the most fun was buying an overpriced cafe (so that we could actually sit at a table) and looking at our maps, trying to figure out where exactly we lived. We thought it would be easy since we practically live in the huge Parc de Montsouris, but it was harder than we thought and we ended up choosing a general area in which we lived.
Monday was spent in class. After our regular grammar class we all shuffled on over to the Phonetics Lab. It was fascinating but difficult. Half the class is spent dissecting sentences and the other is in the actual "lab" where we all wear headphones and repeat phrases after the teacher. I was shocked when they played all the repetitions back at me. Is that really how I sound? Yikes. The phrases that they pick are really hard too. Right now we're learning about liasons and when to properly use them. For you non-French speakers, liasons are connecting a usually unpronounced ending consonant with the following verb. Doesn't seem that hard but it is tricky when they give you these long tongue twisters to repeat. My problem isn't really the pronunciation but my short term memory. I can read the phrase fine but when I have to repeat the entire phrase I forgot half the sentence. Woops. I basically sheepishly smile at the professor the whole time (who I'm 75% sure is the mean woman who administered the oral portion of my placement exam. Womp) while she helps me remember the entire phrase. It's bizarre because she speaks into my headphones instead of directly to me. I have fun with it though and she smiled at me today so it can't be that bad.
After class on Monday we wandered around the Montparnasse Cemetery. It was creepy but absolutely beautiful. We went there because Kaley swore Jim Morrison was buried there. When we actually got to the cemetery I asked Kaley why his name wasn't on the map. Turns out she thought that we were at the only cemetery in Paris. She was wrong by a longshot. We'll go find his grave someday in one of the dozens of cemeteries of Paris even if I'm not really a big The Doors fan. Not that I'm not a fan, it's just that I've never really listened to their music. Perhaps I will have to now. The Cemetery ended up being a really nice way to spend an hour on a gloomy Monday afternoon. It was very peaceful and while creepy was very enjoyable. After our excursion to the Cemetery we went to a lecture on Oenology: Wine tasting. Success! The seminar blew my mind! I thought that swirling your wine around in the glass was just for show, but letting the wine breath changes it's chemical make-up entirely! It also made me feel guilty for buying my 2 £ bottle of wine and drinking the cheap stuff. I guess I'll have to indulge in my newfound sophisticated appreciation of French wines. The question remains however, how many bottles will I attempt to bring back? During the lecture I envisioned myself bringing back a beautiful bottle of French wine for all my friends/family, but when I asked the professor how much a good bottle of wine cost I quickly changed my mind. I love you all, but I simply cannot buy a 40 £ bottle of wine for everyone. Unless you send money, that is.... :)
Today it rained nonstop and harder than ever. Class and Phonetics went well and afterwards Kaley and I were planning a lazy rainy day lounged around the apartment and studying for our first French test tomorrow. Now, I should know by now that all my plans never work out in this fine city. Planning on going out for a drink with friends ends up spending the entire night at a club, taking a quick metro ride ends up being a debacle with 3 line changes and much confusion, taking a quick 2 hour tour of Versailles turns into an entire day of heat and exhaustion, etc. Basically, I should prepare to be surprised, but somehow it always sneaks up on me. So the lazy rainy day did not happen. Instead I spent most of my day out in the rain running back and forth and stressing out.
There is a group of 5 of us who are all going to Nice this weekend! I am very excited! Kaley and I bought our tickets together while the other three (who all live together in another CEA apartment) bought theirs. Surprise! They bought different tickets. But, wait for it, not just a different time but different days. So, Kaley and I will be arriving in Nice on Saturday morning and leaving Monday morning whereas the rest of our crew will be getting there Friday night and leaving Sunday afternoon. Not a big difference, but I still find it hilarious how we had a "planning session" to avoid this problem. I'm not affected by it, but I swear Kaley is going to have an aneurysm.
So today after class Kaley and I thought we'd take a brief detour to CEA to print out our train reservations since we couldn't pay online. We asked the lady at the front desk where we could "redeem" our reservation and she informed us that every metro station would be fine. Ok! We took her word for it and headed back home thinking we could stop by the front desk at Cite Universitaire and quickly buy our tickets. Wrong. The ladies at the counter told us we had to go back to Denfert-Rochererau, which is one station over. Easy enough. So we get back on the metro and ride to Denfert-Rochererau. The very nice man at the counter there told us we could only buy the tickets at the SNCF (travel company) boutique. He gave me directions and we headed out of the metro and into the rain to find this office. Lucky for us, it was only around the corner. Once inside we took a number and patiently waited for 10 minutes. When I presented my printed receipt to the woman behind the counter typed everything up and I was all set, I just had to pay. My card got rejected. Great. I think it was because the Europeans have special debit cards with really cool microchips in them. Half of the time my card works and the other half I end up using cash. I guess this was a cash moment, only I didn't have 280 £ just hanging out in my pocket. I went back out into the rain and found some random ATM. My card was rejected there too. This is about when I started freaking out. It was also at this time that Kaley came out of the SNCF building. Her card had been rejected as well. We went to a different ATM and discovered that if we had multiple transactions of smaller amounts of money that we would be fine. 150 £, 100 £, and a 50 £ withdraw transaction later I had all my money in order, but Kaley's card was still being stubborn so we went all the way back home, walked through the park in the pouring rain to get cash from the apartment and then turned right back and returned to SNCF where we took a number again and waited in line for another 15 minutes. This trip was successful and I now have two tickets to Nice for the long weekend. If all this rain has prepared me for anything it is the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean. I literally cannot wait!!!
I promise I will upload pictures soon. Love
Sunday afternoon was supposed to be spent at le Musee du Louvre. The museum is free the first Sunday of the month and we planned on seeing the Louvre admist all the cheap tourists and students just like us. When we arrived though our plans quickly changed. The line was expansive and wrapped around the enormous palace. No way! I had not yet forgotten about Versailles the day before and nothing made me feel more uncomfortable and anxious than waiting in line for hours inside and out of the museum. I've already been to the Louvre and while it is absolutely impressive and gorgeous I also came here to see Paris not paintings that I can see in a book. And, while I'm being honest, the Mona Lisa is a little disappointing. It's about the size of a postage stamp and surrounded by missile proof glass, countless bodyguards, and an even larger crowd of people. The Mona Lisa will just have to wait until another day.
We decided on another touristy destination, but not quite on the maps of your everyday tourists of Paris. Montparnasse in the 13th/6th arrondissement is quickly becoming one of my favorite and most frequented parts of town that I visit. It's close to home, has great shopping, and is where my Laboratoire Phonetique is held for the next two weeks at Le Maison des Etudiants. What makes Montparnasse so special is the famed Tour Montparnasse, which is the only skyscraper in Paris. Some consider it an eyesore on the horizon, but it's the tallest building in the city so it would naturally have the best view of Paris. Many people chose to go to the top of l'Arc de Triomphe (which I want to do too, I just don't know how people cross that street...) and the bell towers of Notre Dame. Newsflash: those famous landmarks are very cool but also very short in comparison to the rest of the buildings. You can't really see much from the top of Notre Dame, except the Seine and the cafe where you just ate lunch....The expansive Tour Montparnasse, however, can offer you a 360 degree view of the whole capital. It was beautiful! We timed it just right too and got our 7 £'s worth of a view of the city in between rain storms. Perhaps the most fun was buying an overpriced cafe (so that we could actually sit at a table) and looking at our maps, trying to figure out where exactly we lived. We thought it would be easy since we practically live in the huge Parc de Montsouris, but it was harder than we thought and we ended up choosing a general area in which we lived.
Monday was spent in class. After our regular grammar class we all shuffled on over to the Phonetics Lab. It was fascinating but difficult. Half the class is spent dissecting sentences and the other is in the actual "lab" where we all wear headphones and repeat phrases after the teacher. I was shocked when they played all the repetitions back at me. Is that really how I sound? Yikes. The phrases that they pick are really hard too. Right now we're learning about liasons and when to properly use them. For you non-French speakers, liasons are connecting a usually unpronounced ending consonant with the following verb. Doesn't seem that hard but it is tricky when they give you these long tongue twisters to repeat. My problem isn't really the pronunciation but my short term memory. I can read the phrase fine but when I have to repeat the entire phrase I forgot half the sentence. Woops. I basically sheepishly smile at the professor the whole time (who I'm 75% sure is the mean woman who administered the oral portion of my placement exam. Womp) while she helps me remember the entire phrase. It's bizarre because she speaks into my headphones instead of directly to me. I have fun with it though and she smiled at me today so it can't be that bad.
After class on Monday we wandered around the Montparnasse Cemetery. It was creepy but absolutely beautiful. We went there because Kaley swore Jim Morrison was buried there. When we actually got to the cemetery I asked Kaley why his name wasn't on the map. Turns out she thought that we were at the only cemetery in Paris. She was wrong by a longshot. We'll go find his grave someday in one of the dozens of cemeteries of Paris even if I'm not really a big The Doors fan. Not that I'm not a fan, it's just that I've never really listened to their music. Perhaps I will have to now. The Cemetery ended up being a really nice way to spend an hour on a gloomy Monday afternoon. It was very peaceful and while creepy was very enjoyable. After our excursion to the Cemetery we went to a lecture on Oenology: Wine tasting. Success! The seminar blew my mind! I thought that swirling your wine around in the glass was just for show, but letting the wine breath changes it's chemical make-up entirely! It also made me feel guilty for buying my 2 £ bottle of wine and drinking the cheap stuff. I guess I'll have to indulge in my newfound sophisticated appreciation of French wines. The question remains however, how many bottles will I attempt to bring back? During the lecture I envisioned myself bringing back a beautiful bottle of French wine for all my friends/family, but when I asked the professor how much a good bottle of wine cost I quickly changed my mind. I love you all, but I simply cannot buy a 40 £ bottle of wine for everyone. Unless you send money, that is.... :)
Today it rained nonstop and harder than ever. Class and Phonetics went well and afterwards Kaley and I were planning a lazy rainy day lounged around the apartment and studying for our first French test tomorrow. Now, I should know by now that all my plans never work out in this fine city. Planning on going out for a drink with friends ends up spending the entire night at a club, taking a quick metro ride ends up being a debacle with 3 line changes and much confusion, taking a quick 2 hour tour of Versailles turns into an entire day of heat and exhaustion, etc. Basically, I should prepare to be surprised, but somehow it always sneaks up on me. So the lazy rainy day did not happen. Instead I spent most of my day out in the rain running back and forth and stressing out.
There is a group of 5 of us who are all going to Nice this weekend! I am very excited! Kaley and I bought our tickets together while the other three (who all live together in another CEA apartment) bought theirs. Surprise! They bought different tickets. But, wait for it, not just a different time but different days. So, Kaley and I will be arriving in Nice on Saturday morning and leaving Monday morning whereas the rest of our crew will be getting there Friday night and leaving Sunday afternoon. Not a big difference, but I still find it hilarious how we had a "planning session" to avoid this problem. I'm not affected by it, but I swear Kaley is going to have an aneurysm.
So today after class Kaley and I thought we'd take a brief detour to CEA to print out our train reservations since we couldn't pay online. We asked the lady at the front desk where we could "redeem" our reservation and she informed us that every metro station would be fine. Ok! We took her word for it and headed back home thinking we could stop by the front desk at Cite Universitaire and quickly buy our tickets. Wrong. The ladies at the counter told us we had to go back to Denfert-Rochererau, which is one station over. Easy enough. So we get back on the metro and ride to Denfert-Rochererau. The very nice man at the counter there told us we could only buy the tickets at the SNCF (travel company) boutique. He gave me directions and we headed out of the metro and into the rain to find this office. Lucky for us, it was only around the corner. Once inside we took a number and patiently waited for 10 minutes. When I presented my printed receipt to the woman behind the counter typed everything up and I was all set, I just had to pay. My card got rejected. Great. I think it was because the Europeans have special debit cards with really cool microchips in them. Half of the time my card works and the other half I end up using cash. I guess this was a cash moment, only I didn't have 280 £ just hanging out in my pocket. I went back out into the rain and found some random ATM. My card was rejected there too. This is about when I started freaking out. It was also at this time that Kaley came out of the SNCF building. Her card had been rejected as well. We went to a different ATM and discovered that if we had multiple transactions of smaller amounts of money that we would be fine. 150 £, 100 £, and a 50 £ withdraw transaction later I had all my money in order, but Kaley's card was still being stubborn so we went all the way back home, walked through the park in the pouring rain to get cash from the apartment and then turned right back and returned to SNCF where we took a number again and waited in line for another 15 minutes. This trip was successful and I now have two tickets to Nice for the long weekend. If all this rain has prepared me for anything it is the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean. I literally cannot wait!!!
I promise I will upload pictures soon. Love
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Hot Day outside the City
So I'm a dinkus. I totally forgot to even include a reference to the title of my last post, "Hot Day in the City". Well duh, it has been a really hot past couple of days here in Paris. Like almost unbearable. I've got this mindset that's sort of like "I lived on a tropical island and in Florida so what's hot for the majority of people is mild for me". Wrong. I've been dying of this heat. I've been thinking of this constantly and why I could easily manage Okinawa and Pensacola's heat but not Paris, which roughly has the same climate as Boston. Lame. The answer is simple: air conditioning. There are a select few buildings in Paris that have air conditioning. My apartment, classrooms, and even stores go without any form of air conditioning. But it isn't even buildings that need air conditioning the most, it's the metro that takes the cake. Imagine rush hour in a small metal tube beneath the ground jam packed with way too many people, oh and yeah, don't forget to include the European's lack of personal space. Yeah, the image is sickening for me too. Especially since I've lived this scenario multiple times in the past week and a half.
So yesterday we decided to escape the hot city and take a little trip to Versailles. Well, guess what? There is no air conditioning there either. But that fact probably would have been irrelevant since we spent the majority of the day outside. Versailles is notorious for it's gardens and ridiculously over the top stylings in gold. It really is amazing and absolutely beautiful. However, throughout my day at Versailles I kept having this feeling of deja vu. Sure, I've been to Versailles before, but the whole day felt like something else entirely: Disneyworld. Ok, maybe Versailles isn't the happiest place on Earth, but yesterday fit all the other criteria: Hot, loads of people (especially crying babies), and LINES. It was insane. There were lines everywhere. Kaley and I thought we were being smart by getting there shortly after opening. Wrong. There were people everywhere. We waited in line for an hour to buy our tickets. Then after we bought our tickets we had to wait in an enormous line to even get inside the chateau. The worst part is that it took us forever to even find the end of the line. There were people snaked up and down the expansive courtyard in front of the chateau. The only time I've ever seen so many people is truly at DisneyWorld. We waited in that line for another hour and then finally got inside the chateau where there were, you guessed it, even more lines just to get into the rooms. There were so many people that the only thing I could get a decent picture of was the ceiling. So yesterday I took a ceiling tour of Versailles (they are very beautiful and elaborately painted though). There was also a special exhibit going on yesterday, which probably added to the crowds of people. It was called "Thrones though Time". There were famous thrones displayed all throughout the castle which was really cool. It would have been even cooler if I'd gotten to see them without having to squeeze between hundreds of sticky sweaty people to even read the plaque.
Next came the gardens. We had to stand in line (again!) to buy more overpriced tickets to get in to the gardens. They were so expensive because there was a special exhibit outside too. It was called "Musical Fountains". I thought it sounded a little lame, but I bought the pass anyway. The gardens were even better than the chateau for a number of reasons: personal space, shade, and ice cream. I don't think ice cream has ever tasted so good on that hot day outside of Paris. Truly. After ice cream something even better happened. We walked on down to the huge land-made lake and were able to sit down and put our feet in the water. The water was cold and it was heavenly. I'm pretty sure Kaley and I sat there for almost 45 minutes just watching people in rowboats and ducklings swim all over the place. It was so nice. Other people did enjoy this more though with many women deciding to take in the sun by taking off their tops and sunbathing. Only in France...It was about this time that Kaley and I decided to head back. However, while we were walking back up towards the chateau this powerful music began to play and Voila! All the fountains turned on and were synchronized to this wonderful classical music. It was amazing! I was so wrong. The musical fountains were not lame at all and I was completely mystified. Of course, this meant that we now had to go around the entire gardens again and take pictures of all the fountains in action. Just our luck, but still so beautiful.
Overall, our trip to Versailles was hot and crowded, but with some seriously beautiful sights and a fountain show that made it a good day. Thankfully, after we got home a huge thunderstorm rolled through and thoroughly cooled down the city. We stayed in and friends came over and played games most of the night while the storm raged on outside. It was a good day.
So yesterday we decided to escape the hot city and take a little trip to Versailles. Well, guess what? There is no air conditioning there either. But that fact probably would have been irrelevant since we spent the majority of the day outside. Versailles is notorious for it's gardens and ridiculously over the top stylings in gold. It really is amazing and absolutely beautiful. However, throughout my day at Versailles I kept having this feeling of deja vu. Sure, I've been to Versailles before, but the whole day felt like something else entirely: Disneyworld. Ok, maybe Versailles isn't the happiest place on Earth, but yesterday fit all the other criteria: Hot, loads of people (especially crying babies), and LINES. It was insane. There were lines everywhere. Kaley and I thought we were being smart by getting there shortly after opening. Wrong. There were people everywhere. We waited in line for an hour to buy our tickets. Then after we bought our tickets we had to wait in an enormous line to even get inside the chateau. The worst part is that it took us forever to even find the end of the line. There were people snaked up and down the expansive courtyard in front of the chateau. The only time I've ever seen so many people is truly at DisneyWorld. We waited in that line for another hour and then finally got inside the chateau where there were, you guessed it, even more lines just to get into the rooms. There were so many people that the only thing I could get a decent picture of was the ceiling. So yesterday I took a ceiling tour of Versailles (they are very beautiful and elaborately painted though). There was also a special exhibit going on yesterday, which probably added to the crowds of people. It was called "Thrones though Time". There were famous thrones displayed all throughout the castle which was really cool. It would have been even cooler if I'd gotten to see them without having to squeeze between hundreds of sticky sweaty people to even read the plaque.
Next came the gardens. We had to stand in line (again!) to buy more overpriced tickets to get in to the gardens. They were so expensive because there was a special exhibit outside too. It was called "Musical Fountains". I thought it sounded a little lame, but I bought the pass anyway. The gardens were even better than the chateau for a number of reasons: personal space, shade, and ice cream. I don't think ice cream has ever tasted so good on that hot day outside of Paris. Truly. After ice cream something even better happened. We walked on down to the huge land-made lake and were able to sit down and put our feet in the water. The water was cold and it was heavenly. I'm pretty sure Kaley and I sat there for almost 45 minutes just watching people in rowboats and ducklings swim all over the place. It was so nice. Other people did enjoy this more though with many women deciding to take in the sun by taking off their tops and sunbathing. Only in France...It was about this time that Kaley and I decided to head back. However, while we were walking back up towards the chateau this powerful music began to play and Voila! All the fountains turned on and were synchronized to this wonderful classical music. It was amazing! I was so wrong. The musical fountains were not lame at all and I was completely mystified. Of course, this meant that we now had to go around the entire gardens again and take pictures of all the fountains in action. Just our luck, but still so beautiful.
Overall, our trip to Versailles was hot and crowded, but with some seriously beautiful sights and a fountain show that made it a good day. Thankfully, after we got home a huge thunderstorm rolled through and thoroughly cooled down the city. We stayed in and friends came over and played games most of the night while the storm raged on outside. It was a good day.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Hot Day in the City
Sorry for the delay in this update. I've had a really busy two days. I've been taking Paris by storm and seeing the sites and enjoying the city immensely!
Friday was my second class at the Sorbonne. It went very well. I was actually a little surprised at how fast the two hours of class flew by! We're learning some really basic stuff and it's actually somewhat enjoyable to be able to sit in a French class and know what is being taught/what the teacher is saying. Obviously this is a new concept for me. One time in my Intermediate French class Sophomore year my professor looked at me in the middle of class and (in English) said "Why do you look so scared?" I was 1) embarrassed and 2) even more frightened that she was going to call on my scaredy-cat self. These anxiety problems has ceased to occur in this class, well, at least for now. Who knows what the future holds.
After class on Friday, Kaley, my roommate, and I set out to explore Paris and to make up for our lazy holiday on Thursday. Oh boy, did we make up for it. We started off our productive day with taking the quick walk over to the Pantheon, which is in the center of the Sorbonne's campus. Wow is all I have to say. It was amazing. For starters, the exterior of the building is astounding and, as I learned on our self-lead tour of the building, is modeled after the Roman Pantheon (duh). The inside, on the other hand, is even more impressive. It is beautifully decorated in floor to ceiling length tapestries and paintings of the Republique of France. Apparently, the Pantheon was built as a church and then flip-flopped between secular and nonsecularism for a good 200 years during the revolution and the some 8 Republics and various monarchies that France had in between then and now. Currently it is modeled in a very patriotic and pro-revolution kind of way, which is very inspiring. Nothing like a good revolution that really inspires you, right? By far the coolest part, and in keeping with the Revolutionary tradition, was the Crypt. So creepy but so cool. Underneath this building are dozens of highly regarded French men and women who served their country and the Revolution with all their might. Well, at least for the most part. For some people I just didn't make the connection, but that's what the plaque said so that's what I'm going with. Down in the cold, creepy Crypt there were the...ahem, remains of some really cool people. I saw the eternal resting place of Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and so many other cool Frenchies that I have no concept of. It was fascinating!! At one point I did get a little freaked out looking at the stone encompassing of a person who had been dead for over 200 years, but that feeling quickly dissipated when I was surrounded by some of France's greatest writers. It was beyond cool!
After the Pantheon Kaley and I strolled through the Luxembourg gardens over towards Montparnasse where we had shopped the day before. We were on a mission to find the three floor H&M that we had walked right past the day before. We found it and it was glorious. Amazing. I almost bought this gorgeous dress, but I felt like I could buy the same thing in the States and that is wasn't really worth the extra weight in my suitcase. Believe it or not, the fact that I have to fit everything and more into my two little suitcases to come home has been seriously limiting my shopping excursions here in Paris. I'm quite proud of myself. H&M was followed by lunch at a nice cafe next door. However, Kaley and I decided to be cheap and save our money by buying a panini from the vendor outside and eating it in the cafe. I could seriously live off "Trois Fromage Paninis". They are amazing.
Our lovely lunch date was followed with a metro ride over to CEA to see if we could borrow a hairdryer and also inquire about our pending trip to Nice next weekend *squeal*. The trip looks to be in good shape, but there were no more hairdryers to be lent out so we trekked on over to La Place de Republique to do some electronics shopping. Darty, I've discovered, is the French equivalent of Best Buy, only weirder. The way to buy electronics in France is absolutely bizarre! We walked into this huge department store and upon finally finding our way down to the Beauty and Health section stumbled upon the hairdryers and straighteners. We then proceeded to wait for 5 minutes for a sales clerk to approach us about which model we would like. We told her which ones we wanted (in French of course!) and that we were going to pay in cash. She printed out receipts for us and told us to go back upstairs to the cashier's desk. Ok, so we went up the escalator and waited in line to give the cashier our receipt and pay for our purchase. After doing so we were given another receipt and told to go down to the warehouse to pick up our items. Weird. So we found our way back downstairs to the warehouse where we waited in line again to give our new receipt to another employee who went in the back to retrieve our electronics. Woof. It was such an ordeal! But, I did buy the cheapest straightener in town. I can't tell yet if that's a good or bad thing, but there's only one way to find out! Tomorrow (or I guess today now) is Versailles! I can't wait to officially be a tourist and see the great Cheateau of Versailles. I'll have to write more about it later since our internet is freaking out and running at a snail's pace. Love
Friday was my second class at the Sorbonne. It went very well. I was actually a little surprised at how fast the two hours of class flew by! We're learning some really basic stuff and it's actually somewhat enjoyable to be able to sit in a French class and know what is being taught/what the teacher is saying. Obviously this is a new concept for me. One time in my Intermediate French class Sophomore year my professor looked at me in the middle of class and (in English) said "Why do you look so scared?" I was 1) embarrassed and 2) even more frightened that she was going to call on my scaredy-cat self. These anxiety problems has ceased to occur in this class, well, at least for now. Who knows what the future holds.
After class on Friday, Kaley, my roommate, and I set out to explore Paris and to make up for our lazy holiday on Thursday. Oh boy, did we make up for it. We started off our productive day with taking the quick walk over to the Pantheon, which is in the center of the Sorbonne's campus. Wow is all I have to say. It was amazing. For starters, the exterior of the building is astounding and, as I learned on our self-lead tour of the building, is modeled after the Roman Pantheon (duh). The inside, on the other hand, is even more impressive. It is beautifully decorated in floor to ceiling length tapestries and paintings of the Republique of France. Apparently, the Pantheon was built as a church and then flip-flopped between secular and nonsecularism for a good 200 years during the revolution and the some 8 Republics and various monarchies that France had in between then and now. Currently it is modeled in a very patriotic and pro-revolution kind of way, which is very inspiring. Nothing like a good revolution that really inspires you, right? By far the coolest part, and in keeping with the Revolutionary tradition, was the Crypt. So creepy but so cool. Underneath this building are dozens of highly regarded French men and women who served their country and the Revolution with all their might. Well, at least for the most part. For some people I just didn't make the connection, but that's what the plaque said so that's what I'm going with. Down in the cold, creepy Crypt there were the...ahem, remains of some really cool people. I saw the eternal resting place of Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and so many other cool Frenchies that I have no concept of. It was fascinating!! At one point I did get a little freaked out looking at the stone encompassing of a person who had been dead for over 200 years, but that feeling quickly dissipated when I was surrounded by some of France's greatest writers. It was beyond cool!
After the Pantheon Kaley and I strolled through the Luxembourg gardens over towards Montparnasse where we had shopped the day before. We were on a mission to find the three floor H&M that we had walked right past the day before. We found it and it was glorious. Amazing. I almost bought this gorgeous dress, but I felt like I could buy the same thing in the States and that is wasn't really worth the extra weight in my suitcase. Believe it or not, the fact that I have to fit everything and more into my two little suitcases to come home has been seriously limiting my shopping excursions here in Paris. I'm quite proud of myself. H&M was followed by lunch at a nice cafe next door. However, Kaley and I decided to be cheap and save our money by buying a panini from the vendor outside and eating it in the cafe. I could seriously live off "Trois Fromage Paninis". They are amazing.
Our lovely lunch date was followed with a metro ride over to CEA to see if we could borrow a hairdryer and also inquire about our pending trip to Nice next weekend *squeal*. The trip looks to be in good shape, but there were no more hairdryers to be lent out so we trekked on over to La Place de Republique to do some electronics shopping. Darty, I've discovered, is the French equivalent of Best Buy, only weirder. The way to buy electronics in France is absolutely bizarre! We walked into this huge department store and upon finally finding our way down to the Beauty and Health section stumbled upon the hairdryers and straighteners. We then proceeded to wait for 5 minutes for a sales clerk to approach us about which model we would like. We told her which ones we wanted (in French of course!) and that we were going to pay in cash. She printed out receipts for us and told us to go back upstairs to the cashier's desk. Ok, so we went up the escalator and waited in line to give the cashier our receipt and pay for our purchase. After doing so we were given another receipt and told to go down to the warehouse to pick up our items. Weird. So we found our way back downstairs to the warehouse where we waited in line again to give our new receipt to another employee who went in the back to retrieve our electronics. Woof. It was such an ordeal! But, I did buy the cheapest straightener in town. I can't tell yet if that's a good or bad thing, but there's only one way to find out! Tomorrow (or I guess today now) is Versailles! I can't wait to officially be a tourist and see the great Cheateau of Versailles. I'll have to write more about it later since our internet is freaking out and running at a snail's pace. Love
Thursday, June 2, 2011
La Sorbonne (Part Deux)
My suspicions were confirmed. I did absolutely terrible on the placement exam. Well, I actually don't know what my grade was, but La Sorbonne found it fit that I was placed in Francais Elementaire, which is the level between beginners and intermediate. At first I was a little upset, but then I found out I had the same class with 2 other CEA girls, one of which is my roommate, and when we all went to class together I had a mini revelation. Obviously, no one understands and speaks French better than, you guessed it, the French. They know what to look for and how to truly test proficiency in nonnative speakers. So, I have decided to trust their judgment and enjoy this class to the fullest. Yesterday's class was easy and enjoyable and I'm sincerely hoping this isn't just the case for the first day. My professor is very nice and interactive. We refreshed some basics, introduced ourselves (always fun), and had a dictation, which I seriously rocked. Woot! It is a little intimidating, however, that the class is solely in French. There is absolutely no English. This is because not everyone is from the United States or English speaking countries. Kaley, my roommate, sat next to a girl from Iceland and the guy in front of me was Chinese. French is the only common language we all share, which is fascinating but a little tricky with learning, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
My class is from 9-11 AM and it isn't actually on the Sorbonne's campus. I guess when I signed up for the program I pictured myself going to school in the Pantheon (which doesn't even have classrooms), so it was interesting to learn how the Sorbonne is set up in the Latin Quarter of Paris. All of the university's buildings are spread out so I will be having class literally on the left bank in a building about 2 steps away from the Notre Dame. It's beautiful and a central location! I only have to take one metro line, which I am beyond thrilled about! The way that this class works is the regular grammar component from 9-11 everyday for the first and last week of class. Then, in the middle two weeks on top of the regular grammar class I have a phonetics class from 11:30-12:30. It's actually really cool. It doesn't start until next week but I'm assuming we'll go over pronunciation and vocabulary. This gives me 40 hours of grammar instruction and 10 of phonetics, making that a grand total of 50 contact hours, which is the equivalent of 3 credits. Yay!!
So I've gotten a great start to my French class and then today there wasn't even any class. It's Ascension Day, which is a French holiday. No one had school last night so a bunch of us went out and hit up all the gay bars. It was interesting...I'll spare you the details, but it was a total blast! I think we're doing some shopping today. I absolutely need to get to a Zara. I actually just made up a wishlist of everything I want to do while I'm here in Paris. I figure, if I have to do a lot of stuff after class then I'm going to have to be organized about it. There are a lot of museums, gardens, and cafes on there, but I think I can do it. I've seen the majority of major monuments for the most part, but now I want to go to Hemingway's favorite restaurant and see Debussy's grave. Fun fact, actually. The Parc de Montsouris was often frequented by Hemingway during his stay here in Paris. I think that is so cool! I walk the same path to the Metro everyday that Ernest Hemingway walked in the 1920s. Somebody pinch me!
My class is from 9-11 AM and it isn't actually on the Sorbonne's campus. I guess when I signed up for the program I pictured myself going to school in the Pantheon (which doesn't even have classrooms), so it was interesting to learn how the Sorbonne is set up in the Latin Quarter of Paris. All of the university's buildings are spread out so I will be having class literally on the left bank in a building about 2 steps away from the Notre Dame. It's beautiful and a central location! I only have to take one metro line, which I am beyond thrilled about! The way that this class works is the regular grammar component from 9-11 everyday for the first and last week of class. Then, in the middle two weeks on top of the regular grammar class I have a phonetics class from 11:30-12:30. It's actually really cool. It doesn't start until next week but I'm assuming we'll go over pronunciation and vocabulary. This gives me 40 hours of grammar instruction and 10 of phonetics, making that a grand total of 50 contact hours, which is the equivalent of 3 credits. Yay!!
So I've gotten a great start to my French class and then today there wasn't even any class. It's Ascension Day, which is a French holiday. No one had school last night so a bunch of us went out and hit up all the gay bars. It was interesting...I'll spare you the details, but it was a total blast! I think we're doing some shopping today. I absolutely need to get to a Zara. I actually just made up a wishlist of everything I want to do while I'm here in Paris. I figure, if I have to do a lot of stuff after class then I'm going to have to be organized about it. There are a lot of museums, gardens, and cafes on there, but I think I can do it. I've seen the majority of major monuments for the most part, but now I want to go to Hemingway's favorite restaurant and see Debussy's grave. Fun fact, actually. The Parc de Montsouris was often frequented by Hemingway during his stay here in Paris. I think that is so cool! I walk the same path to the Metro everyday that Ernest Hemingway walked in the 1920s. Somebody pinch me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)