Well,
I'm currently in Newburyport, watching the snow lightly fall. It's quite a beautiful scene; I'm now back in my little colonial city by the sea, all decorated for Christmas.
Getting through the airport was much more smooth, though my flight kept getting delayed. But we took off!
Now, it's time to readjust to American life. I'm worried it will be harder. Readjusting from college life to home life isn't so hard; adjusting from living in Paris, France to Newburyport is well, a whole different story.
I just wish I could have a week to settle back, as in a week before Christmas. The fact that the holiday is fast approaching has caught me completely off guard. I had so much Christmas spirit back in Paris; here it may need a reboot.
Reverse cultural shock? Not exactly a present I was wanting for Christmas.
Miss you already Paris!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Ready to duel with CDG
I leave the homestay at 10:30 AM my time, and my flight has been delayed until 3:30.
But delayed means it's still on! So I'm holding on to that!
But delayed means it's still on! So I'm holding on to that!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Mon cadeau de Noël
Mes amis,
Today was like a Christmas gift. Having this extra day in Paris refreshed my spirit and I'm ready to brace for tomorrow.
I tried to sleep in, but still woke up at 9:30. Oh well. It was just nice to have my room and such to myself. After getting ready, I headed to the Marais and went to the Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme. It was in an old hôtel particulier and chronicled Jewish life in Europe from the Middle Ages to present day. Wow, just incredible. It's such a nice break from the Gothic, Madonna and Childs of Catholicism. The art is much more nature inspired, plus the use of calligraphy is also beautiful. Hebrew and Yiddish is a nice break from Latin. Overall, just a beautiful museum with beautiful objects. It really was like learning of a whole new world and culture.
After, I ventured to Angelina and got my wonderful hot coco to go. I got the most evil stares from people waiting in line to eat. They clearly new I got the hot coco, and I was happy. Oh well, a line is what you get when you decide to eat at a celebrated tea room on a Sunday. Plus, I would have gone all American on their butt considering the hell I went through on Saturday.
Anywho! I then decided to go through the jardin de Tuileries, which was more of a trudge. The snow and sleet made for quite the walking mess. Realizing I needed shelter, and a good place to read A Moveable Feast, I was able to silently walk into the Église de Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois and read some Hemingway in a side chapel with great light and few people.
After that, I went to a specific memorial, dedicated to the victims of the Velodrome d'Hiver disaster. Look it up to find out more; it's such a tragic event. The memorial was moving, and also the tears came again. But to lighten up the day, I ventured to Le Bon Marché which I LOVED!! A totally different atmosphere. I finished my day at the Chapelle de la Médaille Miraculeuse.
Overall, this day was a gift. Say prayers that I get home tomorrow!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
La fin? Au contraire!
Mes amis!
I don't know if this was an act of God, Mother Nature, or a bit of both. Bit somehow, my stay in Paris is a bit longer. Let's begin this epic.
So, saying goodbye, got that out of the way. The drive down to the airport was fine, everything looked fine. Until I see in read letters, next to my flight number, "Canceled."
For a second, I panicked.
As I saw a massive line of people waiting to get their flights changed, I saw some other students from AIFS. Honestly, thank God they were there. I joined them, and it was nice to be with familiar faces. We also made friends with two other passengers; one very nice Irishman on his way to Shannon, and a students named Annie.
We were in line, and kept waiting...and waiting... and waiting. In total? Just over 7 hours in line. It was like being in the inner most circle of Hell. And the line got long, so long that I bet people are currently sleeping on the floor of Charles de Gaulle.
When I got to the desk, the best they could do would be a Monday flight, with a layover in Montreal. I said no thank you.
Luckily, La Merveilleuse Danica was able to finagle flights. I have a Monday flight, DIRECT!! It leaves at 1ish and I'll be on Boston for 3ish. Doogie shall be awaiting me.
Getting back from the airport was a struggle. Me and Greta had to lug our heavy luggage on the RER, then to the Metro to get home. I don't know how I did it on my own... in the Metro... and the snow.
Needless to say, seeing my host family again brightened up my day. They made me a wonderful dinner, and are just going on with life. What touched me the most was when my host dad said, "But Ben, you're home!"
I gave him a look, and he replied, "You yourself mentioned in the Christmas card you gave us, that Paris is now like a second home. Well, you are home now." Ladies and gentlemen, let the tears flow! So now I'm going to read a little Hemingway (A Moveable Feast) and sleep in. But obviously I'm not wasting a full day in Paris. It shall be the Museum of Jewish History and Art, then Angelina's!
I don't know if this was an act of God, Mother Nature, or a bit of both. Bit somehow, my stay in Paris is a bit longer. Let's begin this epic.
So, saying goodbye, got that out of the way. The drive down to the airport was fine, everything looked fine. Until I see in read letters, next to my flight number, "Canceled."
For a second, I panicked.
As I saw a massive line of people waiting to get their flights changed, I saw some other students from AIFS. Honestly, thank God they were there. I joined them, and it was nice to be with familiar faces. We also made friends with two other passengers; one very nice Irishman on his way to Shannon, and a students named Annie.
We were in line, and kept waiting...and waiting... and waiting. In total? Just over 7 hours in line. It was like being in the inner most circle of Hell. And the line got long, so long that I bet people are currently sleeping on the floor of Charles de Gaulle.
When I got to the desk, the best they could do would be a Monday flight, with a layover in Montreal. I said no thank you.
Luckily, La Merveilleuse Danica was able to finagle flights. I have a Monday flight, DIRECT!! It leaves at 1ish and I'll be on Boston for 3ish. Doogie shall be awaiting me.
Getting back from the airport was a struggle. Me and Greta had to lug our heavy luggage on the RER, then to the Metro to get home. I don't know how I did it on my own... in the Metro... and the snow.
Needless to say, seeing my host family again brightened up my day. They made me a wonderful dinner, and are just going on with life. What touched me the most was when my host dad said, "But Ben, you're home!"
I gave him a look, and he replied, "You yourself mentioned in the Christmas card you gave us, that Paris is now like a second home. Well, you are home now." Ladies and gentlemen, let the tears flow! So now I'm going to read a little Hemingway (A Moveable Feast) and sleep in. But obviously I'm not wasting a full day in Paris. It shall be the Museum of Jewish History and Art, then Angelina's!
Friday, December 17, 2010
La fin
Joyce Jonathan is currently playing in the background. Snow is lightly falling outside. My luggage is almost completely packed, and almost to full capacity. British Airways will definitely be making extra money off of me. The room looks almost bare with our stuff back in our luggage. It just seemed like yesterday I was awing at the size of our room.
Today was a day that I was expecting, but still took me off guard. Today was, unfortunately, about goodbyes.
I said goodbye to Père Lachaise and the illustrious names on tombstones. I said goodbye to my classroom building. To the baker and her son. I said goodbye to the Musée d'Orsay, sending my regards to Renoir, Monet, Manet, van Gogh and Sisley as I walked along the corridors of art. I said goodbye to Notre-Dame, who, while always flooded with tourists, still offered a little calm today. I said goodbye to the glittering Tour Eiffel, which still amazes me. I said goodbye to the Seine that flows through this city that I've fallen in love with.
I said goodbye to Les Merveilleuses Alexia, Danica and Jane, three women who made my experience so wonderful. I said goodbye to my fellow students, and goodbye to the few close friends I made on this trip. Tomorrow I will say goodbye to Monsieur et Madame d'Ollone, who I am hoping will continue to be a part of my life through email and phone chats.
But, as hard as the goodbyes are, another door opens.
I will say hello to New England, to Massachusetts, to Boston! I will say hello to my mom, my dad, Doogie, my grandparents. I will say hello to my cousins that I haven't seen in over a year. I will say hello to Newburyport, to the brick downtown. I will say hello to the Merrimack River, to the Atlantic Ocean. I will say hello to my dearest friends from childhood and high school. I'll then say hello to Newport, to Salve. Hello to my beloved college friends and professors. And, I'll say hello to myself, changed and unchanged, as I reenter my country.
I wish I could put into words my love for the USA and for France. Unfortunately I can't, but someone I know can. Take it away fellow Francophile Jamie:
Today was a day that I was expecting, but still took me off guard. Today was, unfortunately, about goodbyes.
I said goodbye to Père Lachaise and the illustrious names on tombstones. I said goodbye to my classroom building. To the baker and her son. I said goodbye to the Musée d'Orsay, sending my regards to Renoir, Monet, Manet, van Gogh and Sisley as I walked along the corridors of art. I said goodbye to Notre-Dame, who, while always flooded with tourists, still offered a little calm today. I said goodbye to the glittering Tour Eiffel, which still amazes me. I said goodbye to the Seine that flows through this city that I've fallen in love with.
I said goodbye to Les Merveilleuses Alexia, Danica and Jane, three women who made my experience so wonderful. I said goodbye to my fellow students, and goodbye to the few close friends I made on this trip. Tomorrow I will say goodbye to Monsieur et Madame d'Ollone, who I am hoping will continue to be a part of my life through email and phone chats.
But, as hard as the goodbyes are, another door opens.
I will say hello to New England, to Massachusetts, to Boston! I will say hello to my mom, my dad, Doogie, my grandparents. I will say hello to my cousins that I haven't seen in over a year. I will say hello to Newburyport, to the brick downtown. I will say hello to the Merrimack River, to the Atlantic Ocean. I will say hello to my dearest friends from childhood and high school. I'll then say hello to Newport, to Salve. Hello to my beloved college friends and professors. And, I'll say hello to myself, changed and unchanged, as I reenter my country.
I wish I could put into words my love for the USA and for France. Unfortunately I can't, but someone I know can. Take it away fellow Francophile Jamie:
"That’s the trouble, isn’t it - that it’s not about one or the other? It’s just always going to be like this. Missing baguettes or baseball. Missing la vie à Paris or life in Boston."
To all who have kept up with this blog and reading, I send my warmest regards.
My time in Paris has been some of the happiest moments of my life. If only I could clone myself so I could experience la vie Parisienne and la vie Américaine. But I know, I know in my heart of hearts, I will return. I'll see some of my favorite sights and visit some things I never got to see. (surprising isn't it?)
As I have said all day, c'est toujours à bientôt, ne jamais adieu. It's always see you soon, never farewell.
Merci beaucoup, Paris.
Avec amour,
Ben
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A Consumer Christmas?
Today, I ventured to Galeries Lafayette, perhaps one of the most famous department stores in the world. It happens to be right next to Au Printemps, another famous department store.
Well first off, they don't call them les grands magasins for nothing. GL was HUGE and put Macy's to shame. Shame shame shame on you Macy's.
Like my mom said when she was here, the GL is a museum... of globalization, consumerism, and wealth. This isn't a place where you'll find Martha Stewart brand tablecloths. Burberry, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, all of the big world leaders in luxury under one roof. One beautiful roof.
But frankly, I maybe spent 15 minutes in there, because it was SWAMPED. So many people running around in different directions to buy that Burberry scarf or new Chanel perfume. I got so overwhelmed and just ran like a bat out of Hell.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to Le Bon Marché, another department store but with a totally different attitude. I've been told it's much quieter and a total different experience. So, I shall go.
The clock is ticking!!
Well first off, they don't call them les grands magasins for nothing. GL was HUGE and put Macy's to shame. Shame shame shame on you Macy's.
Like my mom said when she was here, the GL is a museum... of globalization, consumerism, and wealth. This isn't a place where you'll find Martha Stewart brand tablecloths. Burberry, Hugo Boss, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, all of the big world leaders in luxury under one roof. One beautiful roof.
But frankly, I maybe spent 15 minutes in there, because it was SWAMPED. So many people running around in different directions to buy that Burberry scarf or new Chanel perfume. I got so overwhelmed and just ran like a bat out of Hell.
Tomorrow I'm going to go to Le Bon Marché, another department store but with a totally different attitude. I've been told it's much quieter and a total different experience. So, I shall go.
The clock is ticking!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Venez divin Messie
Ah, mes amis! Noel is almost here! And that is why my title for this post is the wonderful hymn, O Come Divine Messiah. I didn't know it was French; I sung it when I was at Mass on Sunday. When I finally recognized what the song was, I joined in full blast. Here's hoping I didn't butcher the words!
For some reason I had a rush of Christmas spirit today; of course, shopping was involved. Let's begin.
I started off the day with visiting a church that my host dad has recommended for weeks now. It's called Saint-Eustache, considered to be a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. I had no idea about the latter. Nor did I know that Louis XIV received his First Communion there, or that it was where the funeral of Mozart's mother was, or that both Moliere and Madame Pompadour were christened there.
Why aren't places like this talked about in Paris guide books?!
I wandered around, taking photos and stopping to light a candle for a much needed intention. The chapel of the Virgin in the rear of the church was GORGEOUS, along with this beautiful window of blue, yellow and white stained glass. Not only that, one of the rose windows had parts in the shape of hearts. Sweet.
After class (ugh, side note. I have linguistically checked out. I can't learn any more French. I need to look over all the new French I've learned over break to fully comprehend!), I booked it back home to then undergo my Parisian Christmas shopping.
For some reason I had a rush of Christmas spirit today; of course, shopping was involved. Let's begin.
I started off the day with visiting a church that my host dad has recommended for weeks now. It's called Saint-Eustache, considered to be a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. I had no idea about the latter. Nor did I know that Louis XIV received his First Communion there, or that it was where the funeral of Mozart's mother was, or that both Moliere and Madame Pompadour were christened there.
Why aren't places like this talked about in Paris guide books?!
I wandered around, taking photos and stopping to light a candle for a much needed intention. The chapel of the Virgin in the rear of the church was GORGEOUS, along with this beautiful window of blue, yellow and white stained glass. Not only that, one of the rose windows had parts in the shape of hearts. Sweet.
After class (ugh, side note. I have linguistically checked out. I can't learn any more French. I need to look over all the new French I've learned over break to fully comprehend!), I booked it back home to then undergo my Parisian Christmas shopping.
First stop was Longchamp, on the rue Saint-Honoré of course. I need to explore this street more, because the more westward you go, the more wonderful places you'll find like Hermes or the palace of the President.
After that little stop, I continued down the rue, going up and down Place Vendôme and finishing off on rue de Rivoli. Just being in that area, it's being in a completely different world. You're transported to the world of luxurious, glamorous, fabulous Paris. Couples walking with shopping bags from the most revered stores like Charvet, Bulgari, Guerlain; women walking around in their beautiful fur coats and pearls; the elegant window displays, lights and wreaths. This kind of glamour cosmopolitan Christmas is one I'm not really used to seeing. Needless to say, it's quite a spectacle. But it is strange to not see more rustic, evergreen decorations I see so often back home. But in any case, I'll be seeing them soon next week!
I went to Angelina to scoop up some of their hot chocolate to bring home. Right next door is Gagliani, the oldest English bookstore in the continent of Europe. Walking in, I preferred it to Shakespeare & Co. It carries English but French as well. But what I loved about this place was the massive amounts of books on French and British history, including royal history. I must have looked through 5 or 6 books. One was this giant one dedicated to Elizabeth II, it was just photos of her throughout her life. It was so beautifully done, and had so many photos of her I've never seen. I wrote down a few of the titles so I'll take them out at the library, or get them at Border's. Whichever comes first.
It's funny, it just doesn't feel like my last days in Paris. It probably won't hit me until Friday or Saturday morning, but I feel like it's a normal week. If only that could be true.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Ma famille francaise
Tonight, Monsieur and Madame hosted myself and my roommate for dinner tonight.
Needless to say, tonight was one of my favorite nights I've had in Paris.
Madame cooked a wonderful dinner, and this time around, I spoke more French and asked more questions. It was fascinating to hear stories about both their families, their brothers and sisters, other relatives, their children, etc. They also got us a little Christmas gift, a little calendar of Paris photographs. So sweet!
They insisted on me playing some piano, so I played a little. Had a few mistakes, but oh well. It went well.
But I didn't realize how much I'm going to miss them until I started going upstairs to my room. I got this giant lump in my throat and could feel my post-meal smile turning into a frown. They are the sweetest people in the world who have been so hospitable and wonderful.
Needless to say, tonight was one of my favorite nights I've had in Paris.
Madame cooked a wonderful dinner, and this time around, I spoke more French and asked more questions. It was fascinating to hear stories about both their families, their brothers and sisters, other relatives, their children, etc. They also got us a little Christmas gift, a little calendar of Paris photographs. So sweet!
They insisted on me playing some piano, so I played a little. Had a few mistakes, but oh well. It went well.
But I didn't realize how much I'm going to miss them until I started going upstairs to my room. I got this giant lump in my throat and could feel my post-meal smile turning into a frown. They are the sweetest people in the world who have been so hospitable and wonderful.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Now or Never
It's my last weekend in Paris.
Where did the time go? Now it's going to be a matter of finishing up my sightseeing, buying some last minute souvenirs and Christmas gifts, and trying soaking in this wonderful city before going back to the states.
These past two days I've been able to see some places which I'll write about later. Today is a Champs/Arc/Sorbonne/Walking day. Tomorrow is Madeleine/Grand Palais/Galeries Lafayettes day.
Oh good Lord. Today was so not the day of meeting objectives. The three of us (me, Kirstie and Mandi) were so tried. Plus, Sorbonne bookstore was closed. We just weren't feeling it. But I did get some more macaroons at Laduree; I shall return again. God help my waistline.
Oh, and packing? I've already accepted the fact that my luggage shall be overweight. I think my souvenirs way more than my clothes.
Where did the time go? Now it's going to be a matter of finishing up my sightseeing, buying some last minute souvenirs and Christmas gifts, and trying soaking in this wonderful city before going back to the states.
Oh good Lord. Today was so not the day of meeting objectives. The three of us (me, Kirstie and Mandi) were so tried. Plus, Sorbonne bookstore was closed. We just weren't feeling it. But I did get some more macaroons at Laduree; I shall return again. God help my waistline.
Oh, and packing? I've already accepted the fact that my luggage shall be overweight. I think my souvenirs way more than my clothes.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
La Neige!!
Mes amis! L'hiver est ici dans la ville de Paris!
I'm currently sitting in my room, watching the snow swirl around, sipping on my hot chocolate. And I have Christmas music playing in the background. It's like a dream!
But this morning was anything but. Our class had a walking tour... at 8:30 in the morning... for 3 hours... in the cold... and it was semi sleeting, then hailing.
MISERABLE.
But as soon as I got to cours pratiques, the snow started. That was probably between 12:30 and 1. It's 15 minutes until 4, and it's still snowing. It's keeps going in and out of heaviness, and I'm hoping it stops because tomorrow I want to take more pictures. I think we will definitely get a few inches. Isn't that insane? Sorry New England, but Paris wins so far with snow this season. We've had days of flurries and such, but today is a real snowstorm.
Suffice to say, I'm skipping phonetics class tonight. Because while the snow is lovely, walking through snow and slush... without my snow boats... is quite vexing.
But please enjoy the photos! The last one is the view from outside my window.
Monday, December 6, 2010
So it begins
The week before the final stretch, oh my. How am I supposed to leave a city where in some parts, I'm a local? Just today I gave a wave to the man who runs my favorite bakery. He waved back with a wink and a smile. How can I leave that? But I digress.
So this weekend Sarah and her friend came to visit! We were able to do a few things, but I'm disappointed in that we didn't see as much as we wanted. From trying to find each other to missing certain Metro stops, it was adventurous none the less.
Sunday after they left I ventured to Napoleon's tomb, which was quite a site! Even in death his ego reigns with high relief carvings of himself doing wonderful things for France. After a successful find at the gift shop, I went home to do some hw and some chats with the parents.
Today, for some reason, has been great. After class I went back to this church we visited in architecture, L'eglise de Saint-Germain 'Auxerrois. It was once the parish of the French kings, since it's right next to the Louvre which for centuries was the official royal residence. I loved it, a mix of different styles, a bit dark. Some parts looked unfinished or partly deconsecrated because of the Revolution. Basically, it had character. I have found this church and others to have character, unlike Notre-Dame.
Yes, Notre-Dame is greatly tied with the history of Paris, but I find now that sometimes, the holiness of the place is lessened by the insane amounts of tourists taking photos. I realize I have mentioned that in my opinion, churches are fine to take photos of. But when it's hundred of loud talking tourists interrupting people at prayer or during Mass, it's a different story. No photos should be allowed. And, so much of Notre-Dame is restored. It's an unauthentic authentic church. I also find that Notre-Dame tries to pry as much money out of tourists and the faithful as possible. I understand churches need money, no shit sherlock. But there are more respectable and honorable ways of getting that money.
Have a gift shop, but perhaps put it downstairs or something, because it really disrupts the doings of a church. A church or any place of worship, needs to have a level of sanctity and solitude. I think Notre-Dame has frankly lost it. It only happens during Mass or Veneration of the Relics of the Passion. Once that is over, Notre-Dame is just a noisy loud building with the sounds of camera's clicking away.
So this weekend Sarah and her friend came to visit! We were able to do a few things, but I'm disappointed in that we didn't see as much as we wanted. From trying to find each other to missing certain Metro stops, it was adventurous none the less.
Sunday after they left I ventured to Napoleon's tomb, which was quite a site! Even in death his ego reigns with high relief carvings of himself doing wonderful things for France. After a successful find at the gift shop, I went home to do some hw and some chats with the parents.
Today, for some reason, has been great. After class I went back to this church we visited in architecture, L'eglise de Saint-Germain 'Auxerrois. It was once the parish of the French kings, since it's right next to the Louvre which for centuries was the official royal residence. I loved it, a mix of different styles, a bit dark. Some parts looked unfinished or partly deconsecrated because of the Revolution. Basically, it had character. I have found this church and others to have character, unlike Notre-Dame.
Yes, Notre-Dame is greatly tied with the history of Paris, but I find now that sometimes, the holiness of the place is lessened by the insane amounts of tourists taking photos. I realize I have mentioned that in my opinion, churches are fine to take photos of. But when it's hundred of loud talking tourists interrupting people at prayer or during Mass, it's a different story. No photos should be allowed. And, so much of Notre-Dame is restored. It's an unauthentic authentic church. I also find that Notre-Dame tries to pry as much money out of tourists and the faithful as possible. I understand churches need money, no shit sherlock. But there are more respectable and honorable ways of getting that money.
Have a gift shop, but perhaps put it downstairs or something, because it really disrupts the doings of a church. A church or any place of worship, needs to have a level of sanctity and solitude. I think Notre-Dame has frankly lost it. It only happens during Mass or Veneration of the Relics of the Passion. Once that is over, Notre-Dame is just a noisy loud building with the sounds of camera's clicking away.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Magic in the Air & A Reflection on December
Imagine this:
Stepping outside after class, the iPod playing The Nutcracker, and a light snow is falling from the sky. You turn the corner and the street has Christmas lights hanging from the tops of buildings. And as you stand in line at the grocery store, you watch and listen as two women talk about the trials and tribulations of motherhood, as the woman in line looks at her rambunctious 3 year old.
How life can sometimes feel unreal! But it's been magical watching Paris welcome the Christmas season.
And as magical as it is, I find it to always have a tinge of sadness, but especially now with the economic crisis, seeing people sleeping on the street. I just read in the Globe about people who will be loosing unemployment benefits on Christmas.
It's absolutely tragic, and it's anathema to the pictures of people shopping on Black Friday, or seeing giant groups of people walking down the Champs-Elysees with shopping bags.
I think this is the drawback of living in a major city. You see extremes: from economic status to belief systems. Most of the time, it's exhilarating, eye opening and incredible. But other times, like now, it's incredibly sad, gut wrenching, and humbling.
Being here in Paris, just being here abroad, has been one of the best things I could ever do for myself. How lucky am I to be here. And it only gets better with Sarah coming this weekend, and some fun excursions for my last 2 weeks in Paris. Let's roll out of here with a bang!
Laissez les bon temps rouler!!
Stepping outside after class, the iPod playing The Nutcracker, and a light snow is falling from the sky. You turn the corner and the street has Christmas lights hanging from the tops of buildings. And as you stand in line at the grocery store, you watch and listen as two women talk about the trials and tribulations of motherhood, as the woman in line looks at her rambunctious 3 year old.
How life can sometimes feel unreal! But it's been magical watching Paris welcome the Christmas season.
And as magical as it is, I find it to always have a tinge of sadness, but especially now with the economic crisis, seeing people sleeping on the street. I just read in the Globe about people who will be loosing unemployment benefits on Christmas.
It's absolutely tragic, and it's anathema to the pictures of people shopping on Black Friday, or seeing giant groups of people walking down the Champs-Elysees with shopping bags.
I think this is the drawback of living in a major city. You see extremes: from economic status to belief systems. Most of the time, it's exhilarating, eye opening and incredible. But other times, like now, it's incredibly sad, gut wrenching, and humbling.
Being here in Paris, just being here abroad, has been one of the best things I could ever do for myself. How lucky am I to be here. And it only gets better with Sarah coming this weekend, and some fun excursions for my last 2 weeks in Paris. Let's roll out of here with a bang!
Laissez les bon temps rouler!!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
17 days left... I think I need to get dual citizenship.
Well, the title sums up my feelings on my departure in almost 2 weeks. Ugh, the thought kills me.
Anyway, since Thanksgiving, some wonderful events.
*H&M on the Champs, naturally.
*Went to the apartment of Irene Nemirovsky.
*Paris is decorated for Christmas!!
*Went on a wonderful tour of the Memorial de la Shoah.
*Went to a Bach concert at Notre-Dame!!!!
*I've seen Harry Potter... TWICE!
So things in Paris are wonderful. I've realized that my time here has become like the purchase of my chocolate chocolate chip brioche. Here's why:
Paris, like the brioche, is wonderful and when you take a bite out of it, you instantly feel wonderful. You then want more, and take more, until before you know it, it's all gone. This is a real story, as I bought said brioche on Monday. It's now Wednesday, and it's all gone.
Luckily, I still have many more chances of buying said brioche in the 17 days I have left. My last weeks here are going to be full of food shopping, shopping, and site seeing... plus shopping.
Oh, and a Salve friend is coming this weekend. YAY!!
Anyway, since Thanksgiving, some wonderful events.
*H&M on the Champs, naturally.
*Went to the apartment of Irene Nemirovsky.
*Paris is decorated for Christmas!!
*Went on a wonderful tour of the Memorial de la Shoah.
*Went to a Bach concert at Notre-Dame!!!!
*I've seen Harry Potter... TWICE!
So things in Paris are wonderful. I've realized that my time here has become like the purchase of my chocolate chocolate chip brioche. Here's why:
Paris, like the brioche, is wonderful and when you take a bite out of it, you instantly feel wonderful. You then want more, and take more, until before you know it, it's all gone. This is a real story, as I bought said brioche on Monday. It's now Wednesday, and it's all gone.
Luckily, I still have many more chances of buying said brioche in the 17 days I have left. My last weeks here are going to be full of food shopping, shopping, and site seeing... plus shopping.
Oh, and a Salve friend is coming this weekend. YAY!!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Le jour de l'action de grace et la neige
Bonsoir tout le monde!
I already feel like this weekend will be wonderful. It definitely has to do with Thanksgiving last night, which was wonderful to say the least.
A group of us from my fashion class went to this little establishment where we enjoyed a few glasses from sangria before dinner. I think that made everyone feel better, and make the overall mood of the dinner all the more jolly. In fact, I think everyone at the dinner was a little slap happy, so it made for a fun evening.
Dinner was at this little restaurant close to St. Michel. I sat at a wonderful table, and here we go, our menu! I've rated each part out of 4 stars.
Drinks:
Kir
Beaujolais nouveau
Entree:
Pumpkin soup ***
Plat principal:
Turkey in a mushroom cream sauce with vegetables *** 1/2
Dessert:
Little apple tart with a crumb topping and ice cream with a chocolate syrup drizzle ****
Surprised by how the stars went? I didn't think so. But what I found so special about this meal, besides the company, was saying grace for my table. Everyone was fine, even enthusiastic for a blessing, so I felt very touched to lead everyone.
Alexia, Danica and Jane did a wonderful job coordinating this. I had to send them a thank you note for a wonderful and memorable night. I skyped with the family after, and overall, this was a kick ass Thanksgiving.
In other news, IT SNOWED IN PARIS TODAY!!! I was walking along the Luxembourg Gardens with my Salve friend Colleen and her friend Katie. I stop dead in my tracks:
"Did I just see a snowflake?"
Then lo, the heavens opened and the snow just POURED right in! I caught my first snowflake of the season in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, France.
How lucky am I!!
I already feel like this weekend will be wonderful. It definitely has to do with Thanksgiving last night, which was wonderful to say the least.
A group of us from my fashion class went to this little establishment where we enjoyed a few glasses from sangria before dinner. I think that made everyone feel better, and make the overall mood of the dinner all the more jolly. In fact, I think everyone at the dinner was a little slap happy, so it made for a fun evening.
Dinner was at this little restaurant close to St. Michel. I sat at a wonderful table, and here we go, our menu! I've rated each part out of 4 stars.
Drinks:
Kir
Beaujolais nouveau
Entree:
Pumpkin soup ***
Plat principal:
Turkey in a mushroom cream sauce with vegetables *** 1/2
Dessert:
Little apple tart with a crumb topping and ice cream with a chocolate syrup drizzle ****
Surprised by how the stars went? I didn't think so. But what I found so special about this meal, besides the company, was saying grace for my table. Everyone was fine, even enthusiastic for a blessing, so I felt very touched to lead everyone.
Alexia, Danica and Jane did a wonderful job coordinating this. I had to send them a thank you note for a wonderful and memorable night. I skyped with the family after, and overall, this was a kick ass Thanksgiving.
In other news, IT SNOWED IN PARIS TODAY!!! I was walking along the Luxembourg Gardens with my Salve friend Colleen and her friend Katie. I stop dead in my tracks:
"Did I just see a snowflake?"
Then lo, the heavens opened and the snow just POURED right in! I caught my first snowflake of the season in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, France.
How lucky am I!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
I give in Paris, I give in!!
First off:
Congratulations Paris. I'm throwing in the towel. I've tried to hang on to Thanksgiving spirit, but due to the non-celebration of this holiday, plus all the Christmas decorations that are up, I'm officially excited for Christmas.
I thought I could hold off until after Thursday, but alas, Christmas always arrives early in cities.
Secondly, a shout out to the woman on the Metro who proved that you can wear black, brown & gray AND look awesome. Rock on Metro woman.
Yesterday was probably one of the best I've had in Paris so far. And it was a Monday, usually my least favorite day of the week, because it makes Friday seem so far away.
We finally went to the Orangerie museum, where we saw Monet's water lilies.
I was breathless, because it was not one but 2 rooms of these giant paintings of his pond at Giverny. Just impressive, and moving too. He donated these paintings to the nation, and these were done when his eye sight was going and many thought he was crazy. Well, I think these paintings are the most elegant "Fuck you" to anyone I've ever seen. Go Monet.
After phonetics class (which is always fun, I think our teacher gets a kick out of Americans), I met up with some of the girls for dinner. I met them at the ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde. That night, the Champs-Elysees was all it up for Christmas, and shall be throughout the holiday season.
We walked along the Champs to dinner, and it was so wonderful! The lights, the Christmas market booths set up, as cheesy as it sounds, it was magical. Hot wine, churros, little gifts, what more could you ask for? We ate a delicious dinner at Bistro Romain, which is a wonderful chain of restaurants in France. My LORD is was so good, and with our vouchers, free!
On the way back we decided to pretend we were 5 years old and slide down those long giant slides you see at carnivals. They had one set up along the Champs and we couldn't resist. We took pics of each other; it was like we were parents and children both times. We got a crowd going, who seemed to love watching us have fun. And they totally knew we were Americans.
Oh well.
Congratulations Paris. I'm throwing in the towel. I've tried to hang on to Thanksgiving spirit, but due to the non-celebration of this holiday, plus all the Christmas decorations that are up, I'm officially excited for Christmas.
I thought I could hold off until after Thursday, but alas, Christmas always arrives early in cities.
Secondly, a shout out to the woman on the Metro who proved that you can wear black, brown & gray AND look awesome. Rock on Metro woman.
Yesterday was probably one of the best I've had in Paris so far. And it was a Monday, usually my least favorite day of the week, because it makes Friday seem so far away.
We finally went to the Orangerie museum, where we saw Monet's water lilies.
I was breathless, because it was not one but 2 rooms of these giant paintings of his pond at Giverny. Just impressive, and moving too. He donated these paintings to the nation, and these were done when his eye sight was going and many thought he was crazy. Well, I think these paintings are the most elegant "Fuck you" to anyone I've ever seen. Go Monet.
After phonetics class (which is always fun, I think our teacher gets a kick out of Americans), I met up with some of the girls for dinner. I met them at the ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde. That night, the Champs-Elysees was all it up for Christmas, and shall be throughout the holiday season.
We walked along the Champs to dinner, and it was so wonderful! The lights, the Christmas market booths set up, as cheesy as it sounds, it was magical. Hot wine, churros, little gifts, what more could you ask for? We ate a delicious dinner at Bistro Romain, which is a wonderful chain of restaurants in France. My LORD is was so good, and with our vouchers, free!
On the way back we decided to pretend we were 5 years old and slide down those long giant slides you see at carnivals. They had one set up along the Champs and we couldn't resist. We took pics of each other; it was like we were parents and children both times. We got a crowd going, who seemed to love watching us have fun. And they totally knew we were Americans.
Oh well.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Here we go
For the record: I'm sitting here watching Wizard People and sort of working on my paper.
Who doesn't want to spend their Saturday night like this?
Alright, so this week was fairly quiet. Monday, after coming back from Florence, felt like "Welcome back to Paris, the city that never stops and you better be ready!" It really was quite a shock going back from the slow-paced living of Tuscany to the pace of Paris. But after Monday things got better.
Thursday night me and some of the AIFS peeps went to a Chopin concert at the church of St. Julien de Pauvre. One of the oldest churches in Paris, it claims to be the oldest, but St. Germain des Pres challenges that. I vote for St. Germain since I presented on it.
But the concert was wonderful. The church is tiny, and as the pianist entered the lights dimmed, and except for two spotlights, we were surrounded by the glow of candles. The music was wonderful, quite a few times I was touched. Her final piece of the night was some Mozart, but she made it jazzy which was fun to hear.
Friday Mandi, Kirstie, our new acquaintance Ashley and I went to The Moose, this awesome Canadian bar close to school. When I saw the sign for it (in English), I was so excited! My meal of the night? A mojito and mozzarella sticks. It's been FOREVER since I've had mozzarella sticks, it was quite nostalgic. Plus, they were showing recaps of football games, as in American football. I didn't want to leave!
Today I actually felt like a student. Why? Well, I have a paper due in a few weeks for my architecture class...which is in French. So Kirstie, Mandi and I met to work on them. Thank God we got things started. We took a lunch break in between at a very classy establishment.
McDonald's. Now don't judge, this was the one on the Champs-Elysees. It was the nicest McDonald's I've ever been to. And all the people who eat there are thin. No joke.
Tomorrow is more work, and then it's back to fun this upcoming week. Orangerie on Monday, potential Christmas market on Tuesday, HP hopefully Wednesday, Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, and hopefully more fun on Friday. Woo!
Who doesn't want to spend their Saturday night like this?
Alright, so this week was fairly quiet. Monday, after coming back from Florence, felt like "Welcome back to Paris, the city that never stops and you better be ready!" It really was quite a shock going back from the slow-paced living of Tuscany to the pace of Paris. But after Monday things got better.
Thursday night me and some of the AIFS peeps went to a Chopin concert at the church of St. Julien de Pauvre. One of the oldest churches in Paris, it claims to be the oldest, but St. Germain des Pres challenges that. I vote for St. Germain since I presented on it.
But the concert was wonderful. The church is tiny, and as the pianist entered the lights dimmed, and except for two spotlights, we were surrounded by the glow of candles. The music was wonderful, quite a few times I was touched. Her final piece of the night was some Mozart, but she made it jazzy which was fun to hear.
Friday Mandi, Kirstie, our new acquaintance Ashley and I went to The Moose, this awesome Canadian bar close to school. When I saw the sign for it (in English), I was so excited! My meal of the night? A mojito and mozzarella sticks. It's been FOREVER since I've had mozzarella sticks, it was quite nostalgic. Plus, they were showing recaps of football games, as in American football. I didn't want to leave!
Today I actually felt like a student. Why? Well, I have a paper due in a few weeks for my architecture class...which is in French. So Kirstie, Mandi and I met to work on them. Thank God we got things started. We took a lunch break in between at a very classy establishment.
McDonald's. Now don't judge, this was the one on the Champs-Elysees. It was the nicest McDonald's I've ever been to. And all the people who eat there are thin. No joke.
Tomorrow is more work, and then it's back to fun this upcoming week. Orangerie on Monday, potential Christmas market on Tuesday, HP hopefully Wednesday, Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, and hopefully more fun on Friday. Woo!
Dites-moi ce n'est pas vrai!
Salut tout le monde,
Aujourd'hui est le 20 novembre. Je rentrerai au 18 decembre.
Mon Dieu! J'ai beaucoup de chose que je dois fair! Not even cultural things related, I need to get going on my paper for Parisian architecture.
A more substantial entry will be up soon, probably tomorrow. I'm super excited for this week, but I'll you why later!
Aujourd'hui est le 20 novembre. Je rentrerai au 18 decembre.
Mon Dieu! J'ai beaucoup de chose que je dois fair! Not even cultural things related, I need to get going on my paper for Parisian architecture.
A more substantial entry will be up soon, probably tomorrow. I'm super excited for this week, but I'll you why later!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Photos from Florence!!
Just kidding, copy and paste the link. Then enjoy.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=565471&id=756660499&l=d424058299
Pisa & Wrap-Up
Sunday
Sunday morning we dragged ourselves out of bed to go to Pisa, where we would fly out that afternoon. I was so sad leaving our wonderful Florentine home with views of the city. I really didn't want to leave.
Pisa we saw the Leaning Tower, which was neat, but... I guess I was expecting it to be taller. And after a few shots, I just felt, "It's a leaning tower of white marble. Amazing?" Besides that, Pisa seemed a bit tough. But in any case, we had a delicious lunch, and then made our way to the airport.
Our flight back was much quieter, seeing as this time we were flying with more French people and little Italians. We got in on time, and I was home before 9 that night.
Final Thoughts
It still hasn't hit me that a week ago today we were gathering at the RyanAir bus station to take us to the airport. This trip was one of the most relaxed and happy days I've had here. To say that I enjoyed Florence is doing the city a disservice. I LOVED Florence, and I want to go back so badly. I missed on a few sights, but I'd go back to see the same sights again and again.
I'm so thankful I was able to see so much, and so grateful to Jenny's family for opening up their home to us. Florence came and went so quickly, just like a dream.
But don't you worry Florence, I shall return. Grazie mille.
Sunday morning we dragged ourselves out of bed to go to Pisa, where we would fly out that afternoon. I was so sad leaving our wonderful Florentine home with views of the city. I really didn't want to leave.
Pisa we saw the Leaning Tower, which was neat, but... I guess I was expecting it to be taller. And after a few shots, I just felt, "It's a leaning tower of white marble. Amazing?" Besides that, Pisa seemed a bit tough. But in any case, we had a delicious lunch, and then made our way to the airport.
Our flight back was much quieter, seeing as this time we were flying with more French people and little Italians. We got in on time, and I was home before 9 that night.
Final Thoughts
It still hasn't hit me that a week ago today we were gathering at the RyanAir bus station to take us to the airport. This trip was one of the most relaxed and happy days I've had here. To say that I enjoyed Florence is doing the city a disservice. I LOVED Florence, and I want to go back so badly. I missed on a few sights, but I'd go back to see the same sights again and again.
I'm so thankful I was able to see so much, and so grateful to Jenny's family for opening up their home to us. Florence came and went so quickly, just like a dream.
But don't you worry Florence, I shall return. Grazie mille.
Firenze, pt 3! & Siena
Friday
Today was one of the best days of the trip. Me, Greta and Bine decided to go to the Uffizi, plus some shopping and they wanted to go see David.
What I forgot to mention is that the Uffizi is right next to the Piazza della Signoria, which was where the friar Savonarola was burned at the stake. I didn't realize he was killed in Florence. In a nutshell, he was a friar who, in my opinion, had the courage to criticize the Church during the Renaissance period. Unfortunately, he was a wee bit extreme with some of his views, and that got himself in a lot of trouble. Anyway, I digress.
For breakfast, we got gelato. I wish I was joking. We then went to the Uffizi, a beautiful museum housing more works of the Italian masters. Not only did they have an amazing exhibit on Caravaggio, plus works by Duhrer and da Vinci, but they had an ENTIRE ROOM dedicated to Boticelli.
I walked in, and first I see the Madonna of the Magnificat, one of my favorites. I then see, right next to it, The Birth of Venus, and beside that, Allegory of Spring.
Starstruck. Speechless. Moved. Amazed. Seeing what I saw that day was much more impressive than the Mona Lisa.
After the Uffizi we got a delicious lunch, and then wanted to check out the leather stores. Italian leather, and specifically leather from Florence, is of unbelievable quality. Plus, you aren't paying for a brand name, so it's much more reasonable. (Unless you could care less about cost, the Italian designers weren't far away)
We first went to the Leather School, and there you can see artisans creating various leather goods. It was really neat to see, but we continued. I found one store where I purchased a handsome set of black leather gloves, and I got them for 10% off too.
We then stumbled into one store, whose owner told us he owned another store down the street and everything was on sale at 50% off. The second store was even better. Bine found the leather boots she wanted, plus a gorgeous leather jacket. I wasn't planning on spending more, but I spied with my eyes a pair of brown leather shoes. I tried them on, and I was hooked. They were 50% off, plus the salesman took off another 10 Euros because I payed in cash.
I finished my purchases by buying two bags of rainbow colored bow-tie pasta.
Success? I think so. Grazie Firenze!
Saturday
Our final full day we spent in Siena. Unfortunately we got there a bit later than expected, so I thought our time there was pleasant but too brief. And, I regret not doing enough research on the city. I'll get to that later.
Once we got off the bus we followed Valerie to a restaurant that was highly recommended. It was definitely worth the walk. I had an amazing grilled veal steak, followed by little biscotti you soak in sweet wine. Yum yum.
We then walked to Siena's Duomo, and I will say, Siena is quite charming. It has a more Medieval feeling to it, more brick buildings and such. This Duomo was much more impressive on the inside. Again, huge, massive, and lots of marble. It was a treat! We also visited the Piazza del Campo, Siena's central square with the Palazzo Pubblico as the focal point.
The square is beautiful. It's shell shaped, so there's a curve, and it was so nice to relax on it. The square is also known for the famous Palio di Siena horse races that take place there. The energy must change so much, because it had a very relaxed laid-back atmosphere. I can't imagine when they are setting up for the races!
Before we left, we explored the Santuario e casa di Santa Caterina. Bine's friend recommend we visit, and I wanted to go, seeing that St. Catherine of Sienna is the city patron, and my mom is a 3rd generation Catherine in the family.
This place was a hidden gem. One side was the sanctuary, and the other side had a chapel. You open the doors, and the chapel glowed with light. Frescos, paintings and flags just glowed. My eyes were so wide looking around. But I wish I had researched Siena because I found out, this sanctuary was where Catherine actually lived. And the crucifix hanging on the altar is the one that gave her the stigmata.
Incredible. And I was there.
We got back, had a delicious homemade Mexican dinner courtesy of Jenny's mom, and then went out to celebrate our last night in Florence. Again, SO MUCH FUN. More merriment followed by secret bakery treats.
Today was one of the best days of the trip. Me, Greta and Bine decided to go to the Uffizi, plus some shopping and they wanted to go see David.
What I forgot to mention is that the Uffizi is right next to the Piazza della Signoria, which was where the friar Savonarola was burned at the stake. I didn't realize he was killed in Florence. In a nutshell, he was a friar who, in my opinion, had the courage to criticize the Church during the Renaissance period. Unfortunately, he was a wee bit extreme with some of his views, and that got himself in a lot of trouble. Anyway, I digress.
For breakfast, we got gelato. I wish I was joking. We then went to the Uffizi, a beautiful museum housing more works of the Italian masters. Not only did they have an amazing exhibit on Caravaggio, plus works by Duhrer and da Vinci, but they had an ENTIRE ROOM dedicated to Boticelli.
I walked in, and first I see the Madonna of the Magnificat, one of my favorites. I then see, right next to it, The Birth of Venus, and beside that, Allegory of Spring.
Starstruck. Speechless. Moved. Amazed. Seeing what I saw that day was much more impressive than the Mona Lisa.
After the Uffizi we got a delicious lunch, and then wanted to check out the leather stores. Italian leather, and specifically leather from Florence, is of unbelievable quality. Plus, you aren't paying for a brand name, so it's much more reasonable. (Unless you could care less about cost, the Italian designers weren't far away)
We first went to the Leather School, and there you can see artisans creating various leather goods. It was really neat to see, but we continued. I found one store where I purchased a handsome set of black leather gloves, and I got them for 10% off too.
We then stumbled into one store, whose owner told us he owned another store down the street and everything was on sale at 50% off. The second store was even better. Bine found the leather boots she wanted, plus a gorgeous leather jacket. I wasn't planning on spending more, but I spied with my eyes a pair of brown leather shoes. I tried them on, and I was hooked. They were 50% off, plus the salesman took off another 10 Euros because I payed in cash.
I finished my purchases by buying two bags of rainbow colored bow-tie pasta.
Success? I think so. Grazie Firenze!
Saturday
Our final full day we spent in Siena. Unfortunately we got there a bit later than expected, so I thought our time there was pleasant but too brief. And, I regret not doing enough research on the city. I'll get to that later.
Once we got off the bus we followed Valerie to a restaurant that was highly recommended. It was definitely worth the walk. I had an amazing grilled veal steak, followed by little biscotti you soak in sweet wine. Yum yum.
We then walked to Siena's Duomo, and I will say, Siena is quite charming. It has a more Medieval feeling to it, more brick buildings and such. This Duomo was much more impressive on the inside. Again, huge, massive, and lots of marble. It was a treat! We also visited the Piazza del Campo, Siena's central square with the Palazzo Pubblico as the focal point.
The square is beautiful. It's shell shaped, so there's a curve, and it was so nice to relax on it. The square is also known for the famous Palio di Siena horse races that take place there. The energy must change so much, because it had a very relaxed laid-back atmosphere. I can't imagine when they are setting up for the races!
Before we left, we explored the Santuario e casa di Santa Caterina. Bine's friend recommend we visit, and I wanted to go, seeing that St. Catherine of Sienna is the city patron, and my mom is a 3rd generation Catherine in the family.
This place was a hidden gem. One side was the sanctuary, and the other side had a chapel. You open the doors, and the chapel glowed with light. Frescos, paintings and flags just glowed. My eyes were so wide looking around. But I wish I had researched Siena because I found out, this sanctuary was where Catherine actually lived. And the crucifix hanging on the altar is the one that gave her the stigmata.
Incredible. And I was there.
We got back, had a delicious homemade Mexican dinner courtesy of Jenny's mom, and then went out to celebrate our last night in Florence. Again, SO MUCH FUN. More merriment followed by secret bakery treats.
Firenze, pt 2!
Thursday
Thursday most of the group went to Lucca, but I stayed behind with MB. I had 4 full days and I wanted as much of Florence as possible. MB (Mary Beth, fellow companion) was gracious enough to let me play tourist since she's been to most of the places in Florence already.
I first went to the Accademia di Belle Arti, which houses quite the many works of art by Italian masters. But the real gem is that this place houses the original David by Michelangelo. I walked up to David and walked around, slowly, with a big smile on my face. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. After learning about this in numerous classes and seeing pictures, I was standing feet away from this massive work. Talk about being star struck. The sculpture is so perfectly done, I swear it was breathing. It's that lifelike.
After we headed to the Basilica di San Lorenzo, another massive but beautiful church. It's here that many members of the Medici family are buried. Unfortunately I missed them because of the weird times, but I was able to look inside. What struck me is that most of the churches we went to charged admission. In France most churches are free with a few exceptions. But I took advantage of the side entrance reserved for prayer. I did pray and light a candle, but it allowed me some time to enjoy the basilica's beauty and not pay. I do think it's a scandal to charge admission. At least say it's a donation to restoration work or something.
Since we had some time left, I ventured over to the Basilica di Santa Croce, which is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories. Why? Well, because the following greats are buried here:
Galileo
Machiavelli
Foscolo
Gentile
Rossini
Yup, and they even have a tomb for Dante... even though he's not buried there. Poor Florence can't even get a favorite son's body back. It's a darn shame. But the church is really neat, tons of frescos everywhere and a lot of floor tombs. I loved the floor tombs, but how surprised are you about that?
Oh, and later that night some of us went out. It was SO MUCH FUN. After we found one of Florence's secret bakeries. You find out about these places by word of mouth, and there is nothing sweeter than a chocolate cream croissant in the early hours of the morning.
Thursday most of the group went to Lucca, but I stayed behind with MB. I had 4 full days and I wanted as much of Florence as possible. MB (Mary Beth, fellow companion) was gracious enough to let me play tourist since she's been to most of the places in Florence already.
I first went to the Accademia di Belle Arti, which houses quite the many works of art by Italian masters. But the real gem is that this place houses the original David by Michelangelo. I walked up to David and walked around, slowly, with a big smile on my face. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. After learning about this in numerous classes and seeing pictures, I was standing feet away from this massive work. Talk about being star struck. The sculpture is so perfectly done, I swear it was breathing. It's that lifelike.
After we headed to the Basilica di San Lorenzo, another massive but beautiful church. It's here that many members of the Medici family are buried. Unfortunately I missed them because of the weird times, but I was able to look inside. What struck me is that most of the churches we went to charged admission. In France most churches are free with a few exceptions. But I took advantage of the side entrance reserved for prayer. I did pray and light a candle, but it allowed me some time to enjoy the basilica's beauty and not pay. I do think it's a scandal to charge admission. At least say it's a donation to restoration work or something.
Since we had some time left, I ventured over to the Basilica di Santa Croce, which is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories. Why? Well, because the following greats are buried here:
Galileo
Machiavelli
Foscolo
Gentile
Rossini
Yup, and they even have a tomb for Dante... even though he's not buried there. Poor Florence can't even get a favorite son's body back. It's a darn shame. But the church is really neat, tons of frescos everywhere and a lot of floor tombs. I loved the floor tombs, but how surprised are you about that?
Oh, and later that night some of us went out. It was SO MUCH FUN. After we found one of Florence's secret bakeries. You find out about these places by word of mouth, and there is nothing sweeter than a chocolate cream croissant in the early hours of the morning.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Firenze, pt 1!
I will say, Florence gives Paris a run for it's money. It is so beautiful, with wonderful food, cuisine, art and all around vibe. But it's a different kind of beauty. Florence is the Jewel of the Renaissance, so you're instantly transported to that period in time.
There's too much to say about Florence, so here is Florence from our arrival until Wednesday night. So, here it goes!
Tuesday:
Our flight became an experience. We were freaked our about our luggage being at the right weight and dimensions. Those RyanAir people scare you! But luckily, all of ours fit like a glove, and they didn't bother weighing them. On board, it was basically us, and a plane full of Italians. It was the loudest flight I've ever been on. And when our captain told us we may have to go to Bologna because of bad weather, the voices just got louder and hands were flying everywhere!
Luckily, we landed in Pisa as planned, and because it was so late, we shelved out some extra Euros to pay for a chauffeur who took us right to Jenny's house. Jenny, FYI, is my amazing program friend who's family lives in Florence. Free lodging? Yes please!
We come to the house, which is just a beautiful house in what I like to call, sun-kissed yellow. Many of the buildings in Florence have the sun-kissed shade of yellow, orange, pink, you name it. And when we enter the house, (I think it's about midnight now), we see a table, full of sandwiches, dessert, wine, and lit candles. Jenny's mom made this for us, and it was the most wonderful sight to see. Jenny's mom was a RIOT and a wonderful hostess. Jenny's sister and her friend were also there, they were a ton of fun too.
We all slept in the living room, or as Jenny's mom said, "The Orphanage." Mattresses with bedding were scattered throughout, and it was like a giant slumber party. Very fun indeed!
Wednesday: After waking up late, we decided to go to the Duomo, Florence's giant cathedral. Before we left we explored the Piazzale Michelangelo, which is a wonderful square set up on a hill. It's right by Jenny's house which is high up. Well, we thought the views from Jenny's house were amazing, the views from the Piazelle were magnificent. You can see all of the historic district of Florence, and we also explored a beautiful church, the Basilica Abbaziale di San Miniato al Monte, and cemetery right by. I can't wait to post the pictures, the view was breathtaking from both spots.
Walking through Florence just made me smile. What a gem of a city. And.. I ran into Kathy, my chiropractor who was on vacation with her husband!! It was wonderful see a familiar face, in Florence!!! We then scooped up some gelato, and headed to the Duomo.
Oh my word. To think I thought Notre-Dame was massive. This church is one of Italy's largest, and it's HUGE. Totally different from your French Gothic beauties. Here, frescos and marble reign. The dome itself is massive, and just the overall space is just huge. And, right across from the cathedral was the Baptistery, which had the famous and equally beautiful Gates of Paradise.
This whole day was a precursor to the more wonderful days I would have in Tuscany. I promise to put up pictures soon!
There's too much to say about Florence, so here is Florence from our arrival until Wednesday night. So, here it goes!
Tuesday:
Our flight became an experience. We were freaked our about our luggage being at the right weight and dimensions. Those RyanAir people scare you! But luckily, all of ours fit like a glove, and they didn't bother weighing them. On board, it was basically us, and a plane full of Italians. It was the loudest flight I've ever been on. And when our captain told us we may have to go to Bologna because of bad weather, the voices just got louder and hands were flying everywhere!
Luckily, we landed in Pisa as planned, and because it was so late, we shelved out some extra Euros to pay for a chauffeur who took us right to Jenny's house. Jenny, FYI, is my amazing program friend who's family lives in Florence. Free lodging? Yes please!
We come to the house, which is just a beautiful house in what I like to call, sun-kissed yellow. Many of the buildings in Florence have the sun-kissed shade of yellow, orange, pink, you name it. And when we enter the house, (I think it's about midnight now), we see a table, full of sandwiches, dessert, wine, and lit candles. Jenny's mom made this for us, and it was the most wonderful sight to see. Jenny's mom was a RIOT and a wonderful hostess. Jenny's sister and her friend were also there, they were a ton of fun too.
We all slept in the living room, or as Jenny's mom said, "The Orphanage." Mattresses with bedding were scattered throughout, and it was like a giant slumber party. Very fun indeed!
Wednesday: After waking up late, we decided to go to the Duomo, Florence's giant cathedral. Before we left we explored the Piazzale Michelangelo, which is a wonderful square set up on a hill. It's right by Jenny's house which is high up. Well, we thought the views from Jenny's house were amazing, the views from the Piazelle were magnificent. You can see all of the historic district of Florence, and we also explored a beautiful church, the Basilica Abbaziale di San Miniato al Monte, and cemetery right by. I can't wait to post the pictures, the view was breathtaking from both spots.
Walking through Florence just made me smile. What a gem of a city. And.. I ran into Kathy, my chiropractor who was on vacation with her husband!! It was wonderful see a familiar face, in Florence!!! We then scooped up some gelato, and headed to the Duomo.
Oh my word. To think I thought Notre-Dame was massive. This church is one of Italy's largest, and it's HUGE. Totally different from your French Gothic beauties. Here, frescos and marble reign. The dome itself is massive, and just the overall space is just huge. And, right across from the cathedral was the Baptistery, which had the famous and equally beautiful Gates of Paradise.
This whole day was a precursor to the more wonderful days I would have in Tuscany. I promise to put up pictures soon!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Before Firenze
So, later tonight, I leave for Florence, Italy!! I'll be there until Sunday; can you believe it? It's like Thanksgiving break just two weeks early!
I can't wait to explore this city of the Renaissance. David, the de Medici family, and Lord knows who else! I can't wait.
But, yesterday some of us went to the Cluny Museum, which is dedicated to Medieval life. Needless to say, I LOVED it.
But I really loved it because they have these six tapestries (I love tapestries) called La Dame à la licorne, in English The Lady & The Unicorn. Not only was it interesting to see that they represent the 5 senses, the 6th one remains a mystery. And they are BEAUTIFULLY done, just stunning.
Another reason why they're awesome: These are the tapestries that hang in the Gryffindor Common Room in the Harry Potter films!!
GAH! I was so thrilled. And part I of HP comes out in a few weeks. Again, THRILLED!
Arrivederci everyone! Until Sunday!
I can't wait to explore this city of the Renaissance. David, the de Medici family, and Lord knows who else! I can't wait.
But, yesterday some of us went to the Cluny Museum, which is dedicated to Medieval life. Needless to say, I LOVED it.
But I really loved it because they have these six tapestries (I love tapestries) called La Dame à la licorne, in English The Lady & The Unicorn. Not only was it interesting to see that they represent the 5 senses, the 6th one remains a mystery. And they are BEAUTIFULLY done, just stunning.
Another reason why they're awesome: These are the tapestries that hang in the Gryffindor Common Room in the Harry Potter films!!
GAH! I was so thrilled. And part I of HP comes out in a few weeks. Again, THRILLED!
Arrivederci everyone! Until Sunday!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
J'adore le musée d'Orsay!!
I AM IN LOVE.
When you have fresh croissants for breakfast from your host family, you know the day has gotten off to a good start.
When you can enter the famed Musée d'Orsay, specializing in art from 1848-1915, for free, it's even better.
When you enter an architecturally beautiful museum, housing the works of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin, Sisley, Seurat, van Gogh, a special temporary exhibit on Gérôme, plus beautiful photography exhibits of the French countryside, you've died and gone to heaven.
And let me be honest, half of the men listed up there that I saw, I had never heard of before, or I've seen a piece by them and never made the connection. I simply fell in love with Alfred Sisley, someone who I had never heard of. His work just made me smile.
And, I also had never heard of Gérôme either; needless to say the exhibit on him was flawless and I LOVED it. So many influences, from the East, Greco-Roman and also moments in French history. Such a perfect combination.
There is NO DOUBT in my mind that I'll be going back. I covered a lot of ground, but I still didn't see other sections of the museum. I think I'll go again on 1st Sunday in December for free admission. And I've decided that the last week I'm here, I'll spend my Thursday night at the d'Orsay. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
When you have fresh croissants for breakfast from your host family, you know the day has gotten off to a good start.
When you can enter the famed Musée d'Orsay, specializing in art from 1848-1915, for free, it's even better.
When you enter an architecturally beautiful museum, housing the works of Monet, Manet, Renoir, Pissarro, Degas, Cézanne, Gauguin, Sisley, Seurat, van Gogh, a special temporary exhibit on Gérôme, plus beautiful photography exhibits of the French countryside, you've died and gone to heaven.
And let me be honest, half of the men listed up there that I saw, I had never heard of before, or I've seen a piece by them and never made the connection. I simply fell in love with Alfred Sisley, someone who I had never heard of. His work just made me smile.
And, I also had never heard of Gérôme either; needless to say the exhibit on him was flawless and I LOVED it. So many influences, from the East, Greco-Roman and also moments in French history. Such a perfect combination.
There is NO DOUBT in my mind that I'll be going back. I covered a lot of ground, but I still didn't see other sections of the museum. I think I'll go again on 1st Sunday in December for free admission. And I've decided that the last week I'm here, I'll spend my Thursday night at the d'Orsay. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
La Tour Eiffel et le Louvre
Last night, I ventured to the Eiffel Tower. Ticket in hand, I waited the extremely long line to get to the elevator to the 2nd floor. Although, the wait was alleviated by watching giant groups of colorful Asian tourists talk to one side of me, while listening to Americans from Wisconsin talk on the other.
Let's just say, I was laughing so hard on the inside.
Anyway, I get to the second floor, and before me is the city of Paris lit up. And then, I hear a giant gasp. I forgot, it was 10! And at each hour, the tower just sparkles with blinking lights. I was standing there, so mesmerized by what I saw. This was definitely one of my "I'm in Paris, France!" moments. As I walked down the tower (so many steps), all I could think was, "I can't leave I can't leave I can't leave."
And today, I had the brilliant original plan of spending this raining day at the Louvre. Unfortunately, a bunch of tourists decided to do the same thing. Oh well.
I got in for free which put me in a very agreeable mood. I then decided to see the biggies: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace. That, plus Coronation of Napoleon, Liberty Leading the People, numerous works by Delacroix, Reubens, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Vermeer, Da Vinci, Napoleon III's rooms, some beautiful crown jewels, numerous objets d'art.
I even lucked out on seeing many portraits used in my Fashion class, and I saw some of the French crown jewels which of course were stunning.
Well, folks, seeing all of that was overwhelming, but incredibly special and wonderful. For some reason, I didn't find the need to take pictures. There's something about a museum, versus a cathedral or chateau, that I think warrants you to look at things more actively than usual. I find it's more special to go to a museum, find a work of art, and just look at it. Find what you think makes it special, and take that with you. And, 9.99/10 times, if and when you return to a museum, that work of art will still be there.
And, on a more reasonable level, the pictures you take of the art NEVER look at good as the one in the books sold by the museum. I was tempted to buy one, but I refrained. If by December it's something I really want, I can easily go back and buy one. You don't need to get a ticket to go to the bookstore, so it's not an issue at all.
But while seeing great works was impressive, I had more fun turning a corner and discovering a painting I've liked, but never knew was at the Louvre. I got so excited when I turned the corner and found the original Hans Holbein the Younger's painting of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife. This painting was the same one Henry VIII saw. I was as giddy as a schoolboy.
And I was struck by two of the numerous religious paintings I saw.
One was in the Northern Europe paintings wing, and it was a painting of Christ being taken down from the cross. What was so different was that you saw Christ, limp and dead with grey-blue skin. You look around, and everyone else has the glow of health, except one other person: His mother. Mary is shown fainted in the arms of St. John, tears down her face, eyes closed, but her skin grey-blue just like Jesus. I thought it was very eerie, but a powerful connection between mother and son. As He died, a little piece of her did too. I've never seen Mary portrayed as being dead like that before.
The second one I really liked was Pierre Mignard's La vierge aux raisins, The Virgin of the Grapes. (Here's the link to the painting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mignard_vierge_raisins.jpg)
What I loved about it was that, they both have a little grin. And it just strikes me as a realistic painting of Mary and Jesus as a child. He actually has the expression of a precocious, even mischievous little boy playing hide and seek with his mother's clothes. She appears calm, but I notice a little grin on her face as she hands him the grapes. They just appear as incredible human and relatable: no halos, no angels, no radiation of heavenly light. Just a mother and son in the intimacy of home.
Don't I sound like I know what the hell I'm taking about? It surprises me too!
Let's just say, I was laughing so hard on the inside.
Anyway, I get to the second floor, and before me is the city of Paris lit up. And then, I hear a giant gasp. I forgot, it was 10! And at each hour, the tower just sparkles with blinking lights. I was standing there, so mesmerized by what I saw. This was definitely one of my "I'm in Paris, France!" moments. As I walked down the tower (so many steps), all I could think was, "I can't leave I can't leave I can't leave."
And today, I had the brilliant original plan of spending this raining day at the Louvre. Unfortunately, a bunch of tourists decided to do the same thing. Oh well.
I got in for free which put me in a very agreeable mood. I then decided to see the biggies: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace. That, plus Coronation of Napoleon, Liberty Leading the People, numerous works by Delacroix, Reubens, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Vermeer, Da Vinci, Napoleon III's rooms, some beautiful crown jewels, numerous objets d'art.
I even lucked out on seeing many portraits used in my Fashion class, and I saw some of the French crown jewels which of course were stunning.
Well, folks, seeing all of that was overwhelming, but incredibly special and wonderful. For some reason, I didn't find the need to take pictures. There's something about a museum, versus a cathedral or chateau, that I think warrants you to look at things more actively than usual. I find it's more special to go to a museum, find a work of art, and just look at it. Find what you think makes it special, and take that with you. And, 9.99/10 times, if and when you return to a museum, that work of art will still be there.
And, on a more reasonable level, the pictures you take of the art NEVER look at good as the one in the books sold by the museum. I was tempted to buy one, but I refrained. If by December it's something I really want, I can easily go back and buy one. You don't need to get a ticket to go to the bookstore, so it's not an issue at all.
But while seeing great works was impressive, I had more fun turning a corner and discovering a painting I've liked, but never knew was at the Louvre. I got so excited when I turned the corner and found the original Hans Holbein the Younger's painting of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII's fourth wife. This painting was the same one Henry VIII saw. I was as giddy as a schoolboy.
And I was struck by two of the numerous religious paintings I saw.
One was in the Northern Europe paintings wing, and it was a painting of Christ being taken down from the cross. What was so different was that you saw Christ, limp and dead with grey-blue skin. You look around, and everyone else has the glow of health, except one other person: His mother. Mary is shown fainted in the arms of St. John, tears down her face, eyes closed, but her skin grey-blue just like Jesus. I thought it was very eerie, but a powerful connection between mother and son. As He died, a little piece of her did too. I've never seen Mary portrayed as being dead like that before.
The second one I really liked was Pierre Mignard's La vierge aux raisins, The Virgin of the Grapes. (Here's the link to the painting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mignard_vierge_raisins.jpg)
What I loved about it was that, they both have a little grin. And it just strikes me as a realistic painting of Mary and Jesus as a child. He actually has the expression of a precocious, even mischievous little boy playing hide and seek with his mother's clothes. She appears calm, but I notice a little grin on her face as she hands him the grapes. They just appear as incredible human and relatable: no halos, no angels, no radiation of heavenly light. Just a mother and son in the intimacy of home.
Don't I sound like I know what the hell I'm taking about? It surprises me too!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Sainte-Chapelle, Conciergerie, & Moliere.. & Memory Lane
THAT, my friends, is BEAUTY.
Honestly the Sainte-Chapelle is so incredibly beautiful, when I looked at my pictures for the 5th time, I still just said, "Wow." The lower level was beautiful because the ceilings are a deep blue with golden fleur de lys painted over it.
But then you go up the stairs, and you you immediately come upon those windows.
We're talking about medieval stain glass; in fact 2/3 of the windows are authentic. That means that over half of the windows are originally from the 13th century. Plus, the colors are just so rich. It's like being surrounded by a painter's palette.
After Sainte-Chapelle was the Conciergerie, which was also impressive. Like the Tower of London, it served as a palace and prison. What drew me to the Conciergerie is the fact that Marie Antoinette was a prisoner here before she was killed. Because her cell no longer exists, they have an excellent recreation.
What was her cell is now a chapel; unfortunately it's just for show. I wish it had a space for you to pray but oh well. The chapel is painted deep deep blue, with silver tears painted on that. There's a memorial to Louis XVI, his sister Madame Elisabeth, and then there's a space featuring three paintings depicting Marie Antoinette's separation from her children, Marie Antoinette in her cell, and lastly, Marie Antoinette receiving Communion for the last time.
It was incredibly moving, and all the more makes me feel for her. I can remember reading my first book about her in elementary school in 5th grade. The book was in the series called The Royal Diaries. It was by the same folks that published Dear America, My Name is America etc. Pretty much the only books that were out there for kids that pertained to history, and even then, most of the books were geared towards girls. The books about boys took a while to catch on, but when they did those were great too. But I loved reading about a different character in a different time period. To me, it didn't matter that they were girls. What mattered was that you felt like you were reading the diary of someone who was your age, and they were describing some of the most amazing moments in history: whether as a passenger on the Titanic, working in the mills of Lowell, living through the Civil War, surviving day to day during the Great Depression. You were instantly captured and taken into another world.
And The Royal Diaries, well, is the reason why I'm obsessed with royalty. It was because of these books that I fell in love with Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette, Anastasia, Elisabeth of Austria, and so many more. Some of these women led the most incredible, complex, beautiful and tragic lives. And now I'm in Europe, where I can easily access where they lived, entertained, worshipped, died, and where they rest.
Okay, Memory Lane trip done.
Later that night a group of us saw Moliere's "Les Precieuses Ridicules." You can google the plot, but it involved laughing at people's expense, which is always a good time. The play was shown at this very local black box theatre. It felt so wonderful to see a show! Even if it was in rapid fire French, I had a ball.
Oh, and I leave for FLORENCE, ITALY next Tuesday. Huzzah for me.
La nuit et le jour
Unless that is the actually saying for "Night and day," that is what Wednesday and today have been.
Wednesday I can say, without a doubt, was probably the worst day I've had in Paris, both because of things in and out of my control, but namely:
*Election results from MA.
*One of my classes was filled.
*Not so hot on my first French test.
*Headache from hell. Honestly one of the worst headaches I've had in a while.
Luckily, there were a few good points of the day, namely: Saint-Chapelle, Conciergerie & the Moliere play. But those will be in a separate post.
Then you have today, and it's a total 180.
*Slept wonderfully
*Found a free spot in the class I need and GOT IT.
* Chatted with the nicest old Irishmen today.
*One of the best meals eaten today.
I went to this nice little place called Le Cafe in the 2nd. Now for the record, this post is dedicated to Jamie Burgess. She told me about this place and the following dish I had:
Camembert chaud.
Please imagine: Baked camembert still in it's wooden container, swimming in honey, with a delicious salad and roasted seasoned potatoes.
Let the envy and mouth watering begin.
Wednesday I can say, without a doubt, was probably the worst day I've had in Paris, both because of things in and out of my control, but namely:
*Election results from MA.
*One of my classes was filled.
*Not so hot on my first French test.
*Headache from hell. Honestly one of the worst headaches I've had in a while.
Luckily, there were a few good points of the day, namely: Saint-Chapelle, Conciergerie & the Moliere play. But those will be in a separate post.
Then you have today, and it's a total 180.
*Slept wonderfully
*Found a free spot in the class I need and GOT IT.
* Chatted with the nicest old Irishmen today.
*One of the best meals eaten today.
I went to this nice little place called Le Cafe in the 2nd. Now for the record, this post is dedicated to Jamie Burgess. She told me about this place and the following dish I had:
Camembert chaud.
Please imagine: Baked camembert still in it's wooden container, swimming in honey, with a delicious salad and roasted seasoned potatoes.
Let the envy and mouth watering begin.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Puis-je goûter?
That my friends was the phrase of the day. I'll explain later.
But first, Happy All Saint's Day!
I just have to mention, I'm currently watching Hocus Pocus with the biggest grin on my face. I didn't have the time to watch it yesterday, but since today and tomorrow (All Souls) is related to Halloween, technically the holiday season isn't over yet.
So, as mentioned, Halloween was spent with lots of dead people. Today was a very different kind of day. First off, it didn't involve dead people, tombs or famous Frenchmen.
Instead, today was more of a treat.
In honor of All Saints and since I can't make it to Mass for All Souls, I ventured to Notre Dame for 10 AM Mass. While I much prefer the Mass offered at 12:45, the 10 AM I think is the most beautiful Notre Dame offers.
Pourquoi?
The 10 AM is the Gregorian Mass, which is to say: the Gregorian Choir Ensemble provides the music, and major parts of the Mass such as Gloria, Nicene Creed, Mass parts are said/sung in Latin. The choir sings a cappella and their talent is incredible. These people are talented musicians who have studied music, or are studying music, and range from the Children's Choir to Adult Choir. So, to sum it up: These people know their stuff.
After Mass, Kirstie and I met up to venture on the biggest Halloween treat I could imagine.
Le Salon du Chocolat. Qu'est-ce que c'est?
At the Porte de Versailles metro stop, there are these GIANT exposition centers. This year, Paris was hosting the 16th annual SDC, and these exposition halls were filled to the brim with chocolatiers, bakers, and confectionery companies from Paris and all of France.
Their goal? Offer free samples of their chocolate goodness and get you to spend all your Euros.
Honestly, had I withdrawn all my money from my bank account, I could have easily spent all my money. I was more tempted there than walking along the Champs Elysees.
Needless to say, Kirstie and I were overwhelmed. Everywhere you looked there was a booth specializing in something: cookies, baked goods, cocao beans, chocolate bars, chocolate spreads, regional chocolates. Plus, the theme of the salon was sustainable/green chocolates. So everything was all natural and/or organic.
Now, I think it's very important to buy all natural/organic. Unfortunately, it's still not economically possible for everyone to buy everything AN/O. But I think, as a way to start, choose a couple items you love and can't live without. And buy those products AN/O. I think chocolate is easily one of those staples.
Okay, so as we wandered throughout the expo, we were able to partake in the free samples, including a little glass of Grand Marnier vanilla cognac. Talk about smooth, mon Dieu!!
I purchased some heavenly cookies from this company called Laura Todd. I highly recommend you check out their website. While it's only in French, they are committed to baking and making wonderful culinary creations with AN/O ingredients. You can't argue that. I bought 6 and I currently have 3 left. They're delicious!!
I then purchased some regional chocolates from Marseilles. I guess the chocolates are made with olive oil, and are filled with this almond paste but it's not marzipan. I sampled them, fell in love and bought a box. I put those in the fridge and I'm going to return to the US with them; I'll greatly enjoy them when I'm depressed missing Paris.
After our trip, we of course got gyros frites for lunch. WIN.
But besides the chocolate, what the SDC taught me was:
*Confidence plays a HUGE key when speaking French.
*Volume also plays a huge park in speaking French.
*It's important to try out as much French as possible, and when all else fails, "Parlez-vous anglais?"
I just got so nervous, too nervous. It probably didn't help being surrounded by huge crowds, but I'm glad it happened. Basically, I have to know that I'm confident in what I know so far in French, and what I don't know, I have to learn on my own. Or, if in conversation, ask "Parlez-vous anglais?" or warn the person beforehand, "Je vous demande pardon; je parle un petit peu français."
That, plus the question "Comment dites-vous ... en français?" (How do you say .... in French?) is probably helpful.
Just trying to speak in French, I have found, earns you some respect. It's never okay to go right into English. And it makes sense, you know? Even my mother, who can't speak French to save her life, listened to some French cd's and she, plus Mary, learned some essential phrases and therefore had an amazing time here.
Well folks, this weekend, in essence, was a huge success. It's back to the grind tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Bonne nuit et grosses bises.
But first, Happy All Saint's Day!
I just have to mention, I'm currently watching Hocus Pocus with the biggest grin on my face. I didn't have the time to watch it yesterday, but since today and tomorrow (All Souls) is related to Halloween, technically the holiday season isn't over yet.
So, as mentioned, Halloween was spent with lots of dead people. Today was a very different kind of day. First off, it didn't involve dead people, tombs or famous Frenchmen.
Instead, today was more of a treat.
In honor of All Saints and since I can't make it to Mass for All Souls, I ventured to Notre Dame for 10 AM Mass. While I much prefer the Mass offered at 12:45, the 10 AM I think is the most beautiful Notre Dame offers.
Pourquoi?
The 10 AM is the Gregorian Mass, which is to say: the Gregorian Choir Ensemble provides the music, and major parts of the Mass such as Gloria, Nicene Creed, Mass parts are said/sung in Latin. The choir sings a cappella and their talent is incredible. These people are talented musicians who have studied music, or are studying music, and range from the Children's Choir to Adult Choir. So, to sum it up: These people know their stuff.
After Mass, Kirstie and I met up to venture on the biggest Halloween treat I could imagine.
Le Salon du Chocolat. Qu'est-ce que c'est?
At the Porte de Versailles metro stop, there are these GIANT exposition centers. This year, Paris was hosting the 16th annual SDC, and these exposition halls were filled to the brim with chocolatiers, bakers, and confectionery companies from Paris and all of France.
Their goal? Offer free samples of their chocolate goodness and get you to spend all your Euros.
Honestly, had I withdrawn all my money from my bank account, I could have easily spent all my money. I was more tempted there than walking along the Champs Elysees.
Needless to say, Kirstie and I were overwhelmed. Everywhere you looked there was a booth specializing in something: cookies, baked goods, cocao beans, chocolate bars, chocolate spreads, regional chocolates. Plus, the theme of the salon was sustainable/green chocolates. So everything was all natural and/or organic.
Now, I think it's very important to buy all natural/organic. Unfortunately, it's still not economically possible for everyone to buy everything AN/O. But I think, as a way to start, choose a couple items you love and can't live without. And buy those products AN/O. I think chocolate is easily one of those staples.
Okay, so as we wandered throughout the expo, we were able to partake in the free samples, including a little glass of Grand Marnier vanilla cognac. Talk about smooth, mon Dieu!!
I purchased some heavenly cookies from this company called Laura Todd. I highly recommend you check out their website. While it's only in French, they are committed to baking and making wonderful culinary creations with AN/O ingredients. You can't argue that. I bought 6 and I currently have 3 left. They're delicious!!
I then purchased some regional chocolates from Marseilles. I guess the chocolates are made with olive oil, and are filled with this almond paste but it's not marzipan. I sampled them, fell in love and bought a box. I put those in the fridge and I'm going to return to the US with them; I'll greatly enjoy them when I'm depressed missing Paris.
After our trip, we of course got gyros frites for lunch. WIN.
But besides the chocolate, what the SDC taught me was:
*Confidence plays a HUGE key when speaking French.
*Volume also plays a huge park in speaking French.
*It's important to try out as much French as possible, and when all else fails, "Parlez-vous anglais?"
I just got so nervous, too nervous. It probably didn't help being surrounded by huge crowds, but I'm glad it happened. Basically, I have to know that I'm confident in what I know so far in French, and what I don't know, I have to learn on my own. Or, if in conversation, ask "Parlez-vous anglais?" or warn the person beforehand, "Je vous demande pardon; je parle un petit peu français."
That, plus the question "Comment dites-vous ... en français?" (How do you say .... in French?) is probably helpful.
Just trying to speak in French, I have found, earns you some respect. It's never okay to go right into English. And it makes sense, you know? Even my mother, who can't speak French to save her life, listened to some French cd's and she, plus Mary, learned some essential phrases and therefore had an amazing time here.
Well folks, this weekend, in essence, was a huge success. It's back to the grind tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Bonne nuit et grosses bises.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
For Your Viewing Pleasure
Enjoy this little treat of my Halloween weekend!
The links are to photos of:
St. Denis Basilica
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=556445&id=756660499&l=6c41dc2fe
Left Bank Trips
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=556457&id=756660499&l=1ce58f67cf
Catacombs and the Pantheon
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=556998&id=756660499&l=71ce96ca32
Expect a blog update very soon!!
The links are to photos of:
St. Denis Basilica
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=556445&id=756660499&l=6c41dc2fe
Left Bank Trips
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=556457&id=756660499&l=1ce58f67cf
Catacombs and the Pantheon
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=556998&id=756660499&l=71ce96ca32
Expect a blog update very soon!!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
All Hallows Eve Eve, Parisian style
So begins my Parisian Halloween weekend folks!
Friday: I had my first French test; I thought it wasn't terrible but that will depend on my grade come Tuesday. And since I got out of class early, I got an early start on my visit to St. Denis! My overall impression of St. Denis is that it's more authentically Gothic than Notre-Dame. Don't get me wrong, Notre-Dame is impressive, but St. Denis has a certain flavor to it.
Abbot Suger, who was a 12th century statesman & abbot, rebuilt major portions of the Basilica when it was just an abbey church. It's thanks to him that Gothic became known and spread throughout Europe. Plus, unlike Notre-Dame, St. Denis didn't suffer the massive destruction of statues and damage of it's facade like Notre-Dame did. But St. Denis did end up with some desecration; some of the tombs were opened and the bodies scattered, but many remains were later found and returned.
The basilica is quite impressive, beautiful windows and a very beautiful altar. Not only that, Joan of Arc came to the basilica in 1429, and in a symbolic gesture, offered her armor to St. Denis. But the real prize is that St. Denis is the Royal Necropolis of France. All but 3 French kings are buried here. So seeing their tombs was so surreal. Some of them, like Henry II and Catherine de Medici's are quite impressive. I plan on putting some photo links up soon.
In the crypt of the church are more tombs of famous monarchs: Louis XIV, Louis XV, and yes, Louis XVI. In black marble tombs are the remains of Marie Antoinette and her husband. I was freaking out!!
Today was equally as great. I met up with Kirstie and Mandi to go to Louis Vuitton. Now, it wasn't to shop there. But if I were to have endless amounts of money, I would spend it on luggage. That's what got the original Louis V. going: luggage and trunks. Needless to say, these are still made beautifully, definitely pieces that will last a lifetime. And you can get them without the annoying LV logo; I think so much of what LV now makes is too loud or gaudy. A nice handsome piece of luggage never goes out of style.
But I digress.
The LV store has a museum on the top floor. No joke. The exhibition changes, and the one we saw was called "Who are you Peter?" in reference to Peter Pan. The exhibit was modern art, playing around the idea of Peter Pan, Neverland and not growing up. Getting to the top is the best. They explain to you that when you up the elevator, it's done in complete silence and in pitch black dark. This is supposed to clear your mind and prepare you for the exhibit.
Needless to say, I loved it! It was eerie, creepy, and haunting. Which is a lot like Peter Pan; Disney makes the story so sweet, but Peter Pan isn't all rainbows and gumdrops. Neverland is quite wild, remember how the mermaids try to drown Wendy?
After the museum we got a fantastic lunch at Les Deux Magots, a very famous cafe that was frequented by Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Paul Sartre and other members of the intelligentsia. We ate outside because it was so beautiful. My meal consisted of:
*Cup of hot wine. YUM.
*Omelette with cheese, ham & herbs.
*Roll.
*Chocolate cake from heaven. It was covered in chocolate ganache. It melted in my mouth. And I melted with it.
To finish off the day we explored Montparnasse Cemetery. There we saw the graves of:
*Simone de Beauvoir & Jean Paul Sartre
*Serge Gainsbourg, singer-songwriter & once had an affair with Brigitte Bardot
*Alfred Dreyfus (remember the Dreyfus Affair and J'accuse?)
But what really struck me was the grave of a family we saw. Three family members aren't buried there; instead the sign read "To the memory of... deported and died at Auschwitz."
I gasped when I read that. Many other tombs in this cemetery mentioned "Lost to the German Barbary," namely the German invasion and/or deportation. There was a much more feeling of sadness to this cemetery vs. Pere Lachaise. This cemetery seems to be much more active, and seeing all the flowers on graves in preparation for Toussaint, or All Saint's Day, definitely gave the place a more somber feeling.
I mistakenly thought All Souls came before All Saints, but that's not the case. All Saints is Monday and All Souls Tuesday, but it looks like the French combine the too, for on Toussaint the graves are decorated with flowers. I saw some older couples placing flowers on graves, and I just felt so sad. For though we tourists come to graveyards to look up famous people, right next to them is someone's husband or wife, brother or sister. And who knows what their life was like. Perhaps it was just as extraordinary or tragic like Jim Morrison's or Edith Piaf's.
I plan on going to Mass Monday morning for All Saints, and then to another church for prayer on All Souls. It's always nice to take some time away from the busy world and reflect.
Friday: I had my first French test; I thought it wasn't terrible but that will depend on my grade come Tuesday. And since I got out of class early, I got an early start on my visit to St. Denis! My overall impression of St. Denis is that it's more authentically Gothic than Notre-Dame. Don't get me wrong, Notre-Dame is impressive, but St. Denis has a certain flavor to it.
Abbot Suger, who was a 12th century statesman & abbot, rebuilt major portions of the Basilica when it was just an abbey church. It's thanks to him that Gothic became known and spread throughout Europe. Plus, unlike Notre-Dame, St. Denis didn't suffer the massive destruction of statues and damage of it's facade like Notre-Dame did. But St. Denis did end up with some desecration; some of the tombs were opened and the bodies scattered, but many remains were later found and returned.
The basilica is quite impressive, beautiful windows and a very beautiful altar. Not only that, Joan of Arc came to the basilica in 1429, and in a symbolic gesture, offered her armor to St. Denis. But the real prize is that St. Denis is the Royal Necropolis of France. All but 3 French kings are buried here. So seeing their tombs was so surreal. Some of them, like Henry II and Catherine de Medici's are quite impressive. I plan on putting some photo links up soon.
In the crypt of the church are more tombs of famous monarchs: Louis XIV, Louis XV, and yes, Louis XVI. In black marble tombs are the remains of Marie Antoinette and her husband. I was freaking out!!
Today was equally as great. I met up with Kirstie and Mandi to go to Louis Vuitton. Now, it wasn't to shop there. But if I were to have endless amounts of money, I would spend it on luggage. That's what got the original Louis V. going: luggage and trunks. Needless to say, these are still made beautifully, definitely pieces that will last a lifetime. And you can get them without the annoying LV logo; I think so much of what LV now makes is too loud or gaudy. A nice handsome piece of luggage never goes out of style.
But I digress.
The LV store has a museum on the top floor. No joke. The exhibition changes, and the one we saw was called "Who are you Peter?" in reference to Peter Pan. The exhibit was modern art, playing around the idea of Peter Pan, Neverland and not growing up. Getting to the top is the best. They explain to you that when you up the elevator, it's done in complete silence and in pitch black dark. This is supposed to clear your mind and prepare you for the exhibit.
Needless to say, I loved it! It was eerie, creepy, and haunting. Which is a lot like Peter Pan; Disney makes the story so sweet, but Peter Pan isn't all rainbows and gumdrops. Neverland is quite wild, remember how the mermaids try to drown Wendy?
After the museum we got a fantastic lunch at Les Deux Magots, a very famous cafe that was frequented by Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Paul Sartre and other members of the intelligentsia. We ate outside because it was so beautiful. My meal consisted of:
*Cup of hot wine. YUM.
*Omelette with cheese, ham & herbs.
*Roll.
*Chocolate cake from heaven. It was covered in chocolate ganache. It melted in my mouth. And I melted with it.
To finish off the day we explored Montparnasse Cemetery. There we saw the graves of:
*Simone de Beauvoir & Jean Paul Sartre
*Serge Gainsbourg, singer-songwriter & once had an affair with Brigitte Bardot
*Alfred Dreyfus (remember the Dreyfus Affair and J'accuse?)
But what really struck me was the grave of a family we saw. Three family members aren't buried there; instead the sign read "To the memory of... deported and died at Auschwitz."
I gasped when I read that. Many other tombs in this cemetery mentioned "Lost to the German Barbary," namely the German invasion and/or deportation. There was a much more feeling of sadness to this cemetery vs. Pere Lachaise. This cemetery seems to be much more active, and seeing all the flowers on graves in preparation for Toussaint, or All Saint's Day, definitely gave the place a more somber feeling.
I mistakenly thought All Souls came before All Saints, but that's not the case. All Saints is Monday and All Souls Tuesday, but it looks like the French combine the too, for on Toussaint the graves are decorated with flowers. I saw some older couples placing flowers on graves, and I just felt so sad. For though we tourists come to graveyards to look up famous people, right next to them is someone's husband or wife, brother or sister. And who knows what their life was like. Perhaps it was just as extraordinary or tragic like Jim Morrison's or Edith Piaf's.
I plan on going to Mass Monday morning for All Saints, and then to another church for prayer on All Souls. It's always nice to take some time away from the busy world and reflect.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Ma semaine!
That, mes beaux amis, was taken on Wednesday. We've been having absolutely GORGEOUS fall weather. I can't praise the weather enough. So, I think I need to fill you in on this week.
Tuesday was special. We saw the Claude Monet exhibit at the Grand Palais, the building you see in this photos. The exhibition, titled "Claude Monet 1840-1926" is probably one of the most talked about art exhibitions going on. And it's a hard one to get into; people were buying tickets months in advance. Why? Well, because this is a retrospective exhibit of Monet's work.
The last time a full retrospective Monet exhibit was held?
1980. 30 YEARS! And I was there.
Our guide, the dapper and fabulous Julien with his wonderful suit and green scarf, gave us commentary. This made the exhibit more special. We learned so much about each painting or group of paintings. And it made me sympathize Monet. For such a talented artist, he had an incredibly tough and tragic life. But what amazed me were Monet's sunset paintings. I swear to God these paintings were glowing with the light of the sun, I wanted the lights to turn off and I bet these paintings would glow.
Wednesday, that gorgeous fall day, I went to the church of St. Germain des Pres, founded in the 6th century. It's quite cool. Just a different interior, and home to the grave of Rene Descartes, who knew? I didn't! I then met up with Natalie, a Salve alumna ('08) who's teaching English in a school outside of Paris. We had some classic cafe fare for dinner and just walked around the St. Germain des Pres area. It's wicked nice, very quaint. Very much enjoyed that day.
Today, for my fashion class we went to the Invalides, specifically the Musee de l'Armee, and saw this incredible exhibit of military uniforms, regalia, weapons and art. It was just impressive, everything is laid out so nicely and there was so much. It just kept going and going and going.
Now I'm here, trying not to study. And this weekend I'm very excited. Since the French don't celebrate Halloween, I'm doing my own Halloween weekend!
Friday:
St. Denis Basilica after class.
Satuday:
Montparnasse Cemetery, Les Deux Magots & Louis Vuitton store! Not related but it'll be fun to window shop.
Sunday:
Catacombs and the Pantheon.
Monday: Mass at some point, Salon du Chocolat & Pere Lachaise.
And I leave you with a photo of one of my all time favorite historical figures!
Entrez Jeanne d'Arc!
Monday, October 25, 2010
An evening at the Garnier
First off, pictures will be up soon, and I never made it to the Pantheon today. C'est la vie.
But, to sum up my evening, it shall be in 3 words:
Magnificent
Beautiful
Wonderful
The Opera Garnier is just breathtaking. Picture the Boston Opera House, but older and steeped in more history. And a much more prestigious stage. The ballet tonight was Paquita by Joseph Mazilier and Paul Foucher. This wasn't a ballet I was familiar with, but I enjoyed it immensely. Here are the following reasons:
*Costumes. So beautiful, especially the women's. I recognized some pieces from my Fashion class, and since the ballet is set in Spain, the Spanish women's black and gold costumes were stunning. Those and Paquita's white sequined tutu were just mesmerizing under the lights.
*Speaking of mesmerizing, the dancers were in top form. The two main characters, Paquita & Lucien, were phenomenal. Their leaps, pirouettes, just beautifully done. Imagine these two gorgeous amazingly in-shape dancers who move like feathers. I always smiled when he lifted her. For some reason, during any ballet, when the man lifts up the women and she glides through the air, *ah* I just melt.
*Music! The music had that Spanish influence which was lovely, and even the dancers partook in the effort. I've never seen a ballet with so much input from the dancers; they clapped, played tambourines, stomped their feet, snapped. The orchestra (which I'm always partial to more than the dancers) and dancers blended so well together.
So yes, my glamorous evening at the opera was a success. It makes me want to see The Nutcracker when I get home!
But, to sum up my evening, it shall be in 3 words:
Magnificent
Beautiful
Wonderful
The Opera Garnier is just breathtaking. Picture the Boston Opera House, but older and steeped in more history. And a much more prestigious stage. The ballet tonight was Paquita by Joseph Mazilier and Paul Foucher. This wasn't a ballet I was familiar with, but I enjoyed it immensely. Here are the following reasons:
*Costumes. So beautiful, especially the women's. I recognized some pieces from my Fashion class, and since the ballet is set in Spain, the Spanish women's black and gold costumes were stunning. Those and Paquita's white sequined tutu were just mesmerizing under the lights.
*Speaking of mesmerizing, the dancers were in top form. The two main characters, Paquita & Lucien, were phenomenal. Their leaps, pirouettes, just beautifully done. Imagine these two gorgeous amazingly in-shape dancers who move like feathers. I always smiled when he lifted her. For some reason, during any ballet, when the man lifts up the women and she glides through the air, *ah* I just melt.
*Music! The music had that Spanish influence which was lovely, and even the dancers partook in the effort. I've never seen a ballet with so much input from the dancers; they clapped, played tambourines, stomped their feet, snapped. The orchestra (which I'm always partial to more than the dancers) and dancers blended so well together.
So yes, my glamorous evening at the opera was a success. It makes me want to see The Nutcracker when I get home!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Mon dimanche à Paris
Ce dimanche, était très calme.
Ce matin, je suis allé à la messe à Notre-Dame. J'étais un petit émotionnel. La musique d'orgue était lancinant. Pour être dans cette cathédrale est d'être dans un autre monde.
Après la messe, je suis allé au jardin du Palais-Royal. Ce jardin est un joyau caché. Derrière le Palais-Royal et des échafaudages, il est silencieux et tranquille. C'est un endroit idéale pour lire, faire les dévoirs, écrire, etc.
J'ai parlé avec mon père; c'était une bonne conversation. J'adore parler avec lui.
Overall, it's been a very lazy Sunday, something I haven't had yet. It's been nice to email and talk with people, get homework done, just take a break from the hustle and bustle of life. And I'm going to need to be ready for this week.
Mon: Pantheon & Ballet.
Tues: Grand Palais
Wed: St. Germain des Pres
Thurs: Invalides
Fri: St. Denis Basilica
Honestly people, I SWEAR I'm taking classes.
Ce matin, je suis allé à la messe à Notre-Dame. J'étais un petit émotionnel. La musique d'orgue était lancinant. Pour être dans cette cathédrale est d'être dans un autre monde.
Après la messe, je suis allé au jardin du Palais-Royal. Ce jardin est un joyau caché. Derrière le Palais-Royal et des échafaudages, il est silencieux et tranquille. C'est un endroit idéale pour lire, faire les dévoirs, écrire, etc.
J'ai parlé avec mon père; c'était une bonne conversation. J'adore parler avec lui.
Overall, it's been a very lazy Sunday, something I haven't had yet. It's been nice to email and talk with people, get homework done, just take a break from the hustle and bustle of life. And I'm going to need to be ready for this week.
Mon: Pantheon & Ballet.
Tues: Grand Palais
Wed: St. Germain des Pres
Thurs: Invalides
Fri: St. Denis Basilica
Honestly people, I SWEAR I'm taking classes.
Ma semaine avec les deux M's
Before I even get to my leisurely Sunday, here is the chronicle of my week with Mom & Mary. For the record, Mary has been a dear friend of my Mom's since their good old days at Haverhill High. Go Hillies! Okay, let's begin.
This week involved a lot of laughter, fun, and free meals for myself. I easily saved money on dinner, so points for me.
Sunday & Monday we had dinner; Monday I showed them the Latin Quarter, they met the ladies at the AIFS office plus a bunch of the other students. We had the BEST lunch at Le Soufflot Café, and my meal of a croque -madame was divine.
Tuesday was very special. My dear host family had the two of them over for drinks, and we had a ball. Before I showed the two the view of Paris from the park, and they fell in love with the house I'm living in! My host dad, my God he is a Renaissance man: He knows multiple languages, plays piano, is incredibly intelligent, descended from aristocracy and conductors. And this is all 1 person! We had a delicious bottle of wine and snacks, plus he let me play their piano and I gave a little concert for all. My song of choice? Someone To Watch Over Me. Gershwin never goes out of style folks. That evening remains as perhaps the best night I've had here.
Wednesday & Thursday we only chatted; those were my busiest days, so the two M's explored more of Paris. Friday night we met for dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant near their hotel. We had planned for Saturday, we would go to Versailles!! Again!
Now, what I loved was that we went this company that picks you up from your hotels; the driving fee plus tickets are included. This included a ticket for the Fountain Show; basically the Fountains of Versailles are turned out for 2.5 hours, and you listen to classical music as they go. Not bad.
Now, I had already seen the chateau; my goal was to visit Le Hameau de la Reine, The Queen's Hamlet. The queen in question? Miss Marie Antoinette herself. She had constructed a makeshift country village complete with farm animals. She and her ladies played dress-up while French people starved. Yes, not the most smart thing.
So, in order to get there, I *shudder* power-walked through the chateau. I can't believe it either. And then I power-walked to the grounds. First off, the grounds of Versailles are breathtaking, I think more impressive than the chateau.
As I was walking the driveway to the Petit Trianon (on the grounds), tall trees in shades of yellow lined the walkway. I somehow felt a peace and relaxation, I felt miles away from Versailles and the crowds. Soon I found myself getting into the psychology of Marie Antoinette. Once I got through the PT (for free with my student ID, YES!) I came upon these grounds of twisting paths and lovely plants.
And then, after some twists and turns, I came upon the Queen's Hamlet. And no wonder she had this built. It's one of the most adorable places I've ever seen. Little thatched cottages, vine covered archways, little vineyards. Plus, crows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, swans, all just having a blast. And I had a giant smile on my face the whole time. I was having so much fun, and you could imagine Marie Antoinette playing milkmaid on a sunny day, thrilled to be away from the intrigue of Versailles, along with the many people who really disliked her and borderline hated her. And that's just from the French aristocracy.
I felt so sorry for her. A bride before she was 16, motherhood soon after. And then, dead at 37. Yikes.
Saturday night we were looking for a special restaurant that does chicken apparently very well. But, due to the freak thunderstorm, we ate at Le Notre Dame. My roasted chicken was heavenly, and the crème brûlée was the perfect finish.
After a little shopping on the Champs-Élysées, we had to say our goodbyes. Those are never fun. But I'm just so happy they came. We were able to catch up, and I got share Paris with them! They had such fun; and why shouldn't they? How you not have fun with one of your best friends in Paris, France?
This week involved a lot of laughter, fun, and free meals for myself. I easily saved money on dinner, so points for me.
Sunday & Monday we had dinner; Monday I showed them the Latin Quarter, they met the ladies at the AIFS office plus a bunch of the other students. We had the BEST lunch at Le Soufflot Café, and my meal of a croque -madame was divine.
Tuesday was very special. My dear host family had the two of them over for drinks, and we had a ball. Before I showed the two the view of Paris from the park, and they fell in love with the house I'm living in! My host dad, my God he is a Renaissance man: He knows multiple languages, plays piano, is incredibly intelligent, descended from aristocracy and conductors. And this is all 1 person! We had a delicious bottle of wine and snacks, plus he let me play their piano and I gave a little concert for all. My song of choice? Someone To Watch Over Me. Gershwin never goes out of style folks. That evening remains as perhaps the best night I've had here.
Wednesday & Thursday we only chatted; those were my busiest days, so the two M's explored more of Paris. Friday night we met for dinner at a delicious Italian restaurant near their hotel. We had planned for Saturday, we would go to Versailles!! Again!
Now, what I loved was that we went this company that picks you up from your hotels; the driving fee plus tickets are included. This included a ticket for the Fountain Show; basically the Fountains of Versailles are turned out for 2.5 hours, and you listen to classical music as they go. Not bad.
Now, I had already seen the chateau; my goal was to visit Le Hameau de la Reine, The Queen's Hamlet. The queen in question? Miss Marie Antoinette herself. She had constructed a makeshift country village complete with farm animals. She and her ladies played dress-up while French people starved. Yes, not the most smart thing.
So, in order to get there, I *shudder* power-walked through the chateau. I can't believe it either. And then I power-walked to the grounds. First off, the grounds of Versailles are breathtaking, I think more impressive than the chateau.
As I was walking the driveway to the Petit Trianon (on the grounds), tall trees in shades of yellow lined the walkway. I somehow felt a peace and relaxation, I felt miles away from Versailles and the crowds. Soon I found myself getting into the psychology of Marie Antoinette. Once I got through the PT (for free with my student ID, YES!) I came upon these grounds of twisting paths and lovely plants.
And then, after some twists and turns, I came upon the Queen's Hamlet. And no wonder she had this built. It's one of the most adorable places I've ever seen. Little thatched cottages, vine covered archways, little vineyards. Plus, crows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, swans, all just having a blast. And I had a giant smile on my face the whole time. I was having so much fun, and you could imagine Marie Antoinette playing milkmaid on a sunny day, thrilled to be away from the intrigue of Versailles, along with the many people who really disliked her and borderline hated her. And that's just from the French aristocracy.
I felt so sorry for her. A bride before she was 16, motherhood soon after. And then, dead at 37. Yikes.
Saturday night we were looking for a special restaurant that does chicken apparently very well. But, due to the freak thunderstorm, we ate at Le Notre Dame. My roasted chicken was heavenly, and the crème brûlée was the perfect finish.
After a little shopping on the Champs-Élysées, we had to say our goodbyes. Those are never fun. But I'm just so happy they came. We were able to catch up, and I got share Paris with them! They had such fun; and why shouldn't they? How you not have fun with one of your best friends in Paris, France?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Normandie et Bretagne
Here we finish off the weekend!
Saturday morning, I got up extremely early for the trip to Normandy & Brittany! We were lead by our fearless leader, the always nicely dressed British delight that is Jane, our cultural coordinator. (I hope you're reading!)
We left and headed first to Caen, spending too little time at the Memorial de Caen, which is dedicated to peace. Don't let that last cheesy sentence fool you. This place is SO COOL. It chronicles WWII, the Cold War, the War in the Pacific, using an amazing amount of secondary sources. Unfortunately, due to time constraints (and some late-comers), we didn't spend too much time.
But, what we saw was jaw-dropping. We watched a film of the D-Day Invasion. It was a split-screen, showing the Allies on one side, and the Germans on the other. I'm sorry, but "Saving Private Ryan" can't compare to the real thing. I thought it was a good preparation for what we were to then see.
We visited the American Cemetery & Omaha Beach. Everyone, I will write very little, but what I will say is this: Like visiting Arlington National Cemetery, Pearl Harbor or Ground Zero, it's heavy. I was extremely emotional; I had tears going down my face the entire time, my bottom lip couldn't stay still and my nose ran. You are just overwhelmed by the beach, the white crosses, the names and lack of names on graves. Goosebumps take hold of you and you become so humbled.
After we went to the Point du Hoc, a high point on the cliffs were the Germans were stationed. Well, I had a blast! Suddenly I turned 6 years old, and I looked at the holes left by Allied bombing and destroyed bunkers with the eyes of a child. We ran around, explored, played soldier, honestly we had a ball! After this moment of merriment, we drove to our hotel in the charming city of St. Malo.
And let me tell you, I want to live here. Seriously.
For dinner that night, me and the always wonderful travel companion Kirstie had the following meal:
Galette (savory buckwheat pancake) with cheese and an egg.
Cider to drink.
Apple pie for dessert with ice cream & whipped cream.
Jealous? I thought so.
Sunday my travel companion and I walked along the ramparts of the city. Isn't that the coolest sentence? It was such a nice morning, no wind. We then had a wicked awesome breakfast, and then left St. Malo for.. Mont St. Michel!
Just imagine this little village, with an abbey dating from the 9th century, and during the day it's like a little mountain, surrounded by quicksand and mud. But when the tide comes in, it's an island! We got to explore the abbey which was beautiful; Mass was being said and I wish we had gotten their earlier so I could participate. After that we got lunch, I purchased a wonderful poster listing the genealogy of the French kings, and some butter biscuits.
We then drove home, getting back early enough where I met my mom and Mary!! They arrived on Saturday, and are staying until Sunday. We've had a lovely time. Expect a blog update soon. And pictures, be patient!
I realize I haven't said this often, but I miss and love you all.
Saturday morning, I got up extremely early for the trip to Normandy & Brittany! We were lead by our fearless leader, the always nicely dressed British delight that is Jane, our cultural coordinator. (I hope you're reading!)
We left and headed first to Caen, spending too little time at the Memorial de Caen, which is dedicated to peace. Don't let that last cheesy sentence fool you. This place is SO COOL. It chronicles WWII, the Cold War, the War in the Pacific, using an amazing amount of secondary sources. Unfortunately, due to time constraints (and some late-comers), we didn't spend too much time.
But, what we saw was jaw-dropping. We watched a film of the D-Day Invasion. It was a split-screen, showing the Allies on one side, and the Germans on the other. I'm sorry, but "Saving Private Ryan" can't compare to the real thing. I thought it was a good preparation for what we were to then see.
We visited the American Cemetery & Omaha Beach. Everyone, I will write very little, but what I will say is this: Like visiting Arlington National Cemetery, Pearl Harbor or Ground Zero, it's heavy. I was extremely emotional; I had tears going down my face the entire time, my bottom lip couldn't stay still and my nose ran. You are just overwhelmed by the beach, the white crosses, the names and lack of names on graves. Goosebumps take hold of you and you become so humbled.
After we went to the Point du Hoc, a high point on the cliffs were the Germans were stationed. Well, I had a blast! Suddenly I turned 6 years old, and I looked at the holes left by Allied bombing and destroyed bunkers with the eyes of a child. We ran around, explored, played soldier, honestly we had a ball! After this moment of merriment, we drove to our hotel in the charming city of St. Malo.
And let me tell you, I want to live here. Seriously.
For dinner that night, me and the always wonderful travel companion Kirstie had the following meal:
Galette (savory buckwheat pancake) with cheese and an egg.
Cider to drink.
Apple pie for dessert with ice cream & whipped cream.
Jealous? I thought so.
Sunday my travel companion and I walked along the ramparts of the city. Isn't that the coolest sentence? It was such a nice morning, no wind. We then had a wicked awesome breakfast, and then left St. Malo for.. Mont St. Michel!
Just imagine this little village, with an abbey dating from the 9th century, and during the day it's like a little mountain, surrounded by quicksand and mud. But when the tide comes in, it's an island! We got to explore the abbey which was beautiful; Mass was being said and I wish we had gotten their earlier so I could participate. After that we got lunch, I purchased a wonderful poster listing the genealogy of the French kings, and some butter biscuits.
We then drove home, getting back early enough where I met my mom and Mary!! They arrived on Saturday, and are staying until Sunday. We've had a lovely time. Expect a blog update soon. And pictures, be patient!
I realize I haven't said this often, but I miss and love you all.
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