Bon soir mes amis!
J'ai presque terminé ma première semaine à Paris. Voici quelques réflexions:
*J'adore la famille avec qui j'habite.
*J'adore cette ville. L'histoire, la mode, l'attitude, etc.
*J'ai adoré mon premier cours: La France et La Mode. Aujourd'hui nous avons appris à la mode pendant les règnes Louis XIV, XV and XVI. C'est un équilibre entre les faits et les détails techniques de la mode. J'ai beaucoup de notes!
Demain est Versailles et Giverny. (Look them both up and you'll be so excited!)
When blogger decides to not be difficult, pictures shall be posted.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Au revoir Cannes; bonjour Paris
Well, I've safely settled in Paris, but that'll have to wait.
Leaving Cannes earlier today was bittersweet. I was thrilled to move on to the city where I'll be taking classes and learning about the culture. And I was excited to get out of dorm living. But yet, I'll miss the routine; the beautiful villa that was the campus, and the fact that I was a five minute walk from the Mediterranean.
Honestly, it was like the French Riviera version of Salve. Beautiful old mansion by the water with a wonderful campus. But I think Cannes, France beats out Newport any day.
Cannes reminded me a lot of Newport and Newburyport. Being by an ocean definitely felt like home, although, Paris too is along the Seine, and Newburyport along the Merrimack.
Lucky? Blest? I don't know, but I can't wait to write about Paris tomorrow. Get ready for it.
Leaving Cannes earlier today was bittersweet. I was thrilled to move on to the city where I'll be taking classes and learning about the culture. And I was excited to get out of dorm living. But yet, I'll miss the routine; the beautiful villa that was the campus, and the fact that I was a five minute walk from the Mediterranean.
Honestly, it was like the French Riviera version of Salve. Beautiful old mansion by the water with a wonderful campus. But I think Cannes, France beats out Newport any day.
Cannes reminded me a lot of Newport and Newburyport. Being by an ocean definitely felt like home, although, Paris too is along the Seine, and Newburyport along the Merrimack.
Lucky? Blest? I don't know, but I can't wait to write about Paris tomorrow. Get ready for it.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Une mise à jour.
J'ai deux jours jusqu'à Paris. C'est incroyable!
Aujourd'hui, nous avons rencontré notre coordinatrice des activités culturelles. Elle était très gentille, et anglaise! Je suis très heureux de présenter ce que je vais faire la semaine prochaine.
Le lundi, nous aurons une visite guidée de la ville de Paris à 13h15.
Le jeudi, nous monterons les Tours de Notre-Dame à 13h15.
Le vendredi, nous irons au chateau de Versailles et Giverny, ou nous visiterons la maison de Claude Monet et les jardins.
:-)
J'aime ma vie!!!
Et la semaine prochaine, je vais savoir ma liste des cours!
My photos of the French Riviera shall be posted this weekend as well.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Un week-end à la Côte d'Azur
Bonsoir mes amis!
Ce week-end a été un rêve. I just have to write in English to get this out of my system.
Vendredi: Very chill, I just laid low and enjoyed some time with friends on the beach later that night. The weather has been extension of summer, which is nice... but I really want fall. I want to break out the long sleeve shirts, jeans and sweaters.
Samedi: Saint-Tropez, mon Dieu! We took a lovely boat ride over; it felt being 8 years old on the Erica Lee II in Newburyport. Anywho, Saint-Tropez is wonderful. Another beautiful city on the French Riviera, and a ton of celebrities flock there. And no wonder, the shops are insane. You could easily spend hundreds on a few items, which I did not. I did have a wonderful lunch, tagliaterres au saumon. Basically, pasta with salmon. Success!
Dimanche: Well, unlike the majority of people, I did not rest on the Lord's Day. We hit up Monaco & Monte Carlo. I went to the Cathedral and saw Grace Kelly's tomb but very quickly; the crowds were awful. Basically this sanctuary has become nothing but a tourist attraction, it's kind of sad. Now I know why Westminster Abbey doesn't allow pictures; I mean, I love pictures of church interiors, but the sanctity is a bit sacrificed.
Monaco is another beautiful little country; the Casino was insane. After that we went to the village of Ѐze, where we toured a perfume factory/store, and walked up a hill to a medieval tower to get a 360 view. GORGEOUS. Pics will come up soon.
I purchased a wonderful bottle of cologne from the parfumerie, and I got a few satchels of lavender seeds. Lavender seeds= lovely scented clothes.
Whew. Classes this week, then Wednesday is Nice. Saturday we leave for Paris, and I'm so excited.
Ce week-end a été un rêve. I just have to write in English to get this out of my system.
Vendredi: Very chill, I just laid low and enjoyed some time with friends on the beach later that night. The weather has been extension of summer, which is nice... but I really want fall. I want to break out the long sleeve shirts, jeans and sweaters.
Samedi: Saint-Tropez, mon Dieu! We took a lovely boat ride over; it felt being 8 years old on the Erica Lee II in Newburyport. Anywho, Saint-Tropez is wonderful. Another beautiful city on the French Riviera, and a ton of celebrities flock there. And no wonder, the shops are insane. You could easily spend hundreds on a few items, which I did not. I did have a wonderful lunch, tagliaterres au saumon. Basically, pasta with salmon. Success!
Dimanche: Well, unlike the majority of people, I did not rest on the Lord's Day. We hit up Monaco & Monte Carlo. I went to the Cathedral and saw Grace Kelly's tomb but very quickly; the crowds were awful. Basically this sanctuary has become nothing but a tourist attraction, it's kind of sad. Now I know why Westminster Abbey doesn't allow pictures; I mean, I love pictures of church interiors, but the sanctity is a bit sacrificed.
Monaco is another beautiful little country; the Casino was insane. After that we went to the village of Ѐze, where we toured a perfume factory/store, and walked up a hill to a medieval tower to get a 360 view. GORGEOUS. Pics will come up soon.
I purchased a wonderful bottle of cologne from the parfumerie, and I got a few satchels of lavender seeds. Lavender seeds= lovely scented clothes.
Whew. Classes this week, then Wednesday is Nice. Saturday we leave for Paris, and I'm so excited.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Cannes: Une Réflexion.
Bonjour mes amis, ça va?
Je suis en France, mon Dieu! J'aime la ville de Cannes. Le collège où j'étudie la langue française est très belle. La mer Méditerranée est incroyable! Voici une photo:
Je suis à cinq minutes de la plage; c'est une belle vie, n'est-ce pas? J'aime les autres étudiants AIFS. Nous sommes un bon groupe.
À toute à l'heure!
Je suis en France, mon Dieu! J'aime la ville de Cannes. Le collège où j'étudie la langue française est très belle. La mer Méditerranée est incroyable! Voici une photo:
À toute à l'heure!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Photos de Londres
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
The Tower of London
Gates of Buckingham Palace
Classic Double Decker Bus
Londres: Deuxieme partie
I'm on a roll people, so let's hit it.
Saturday had a nice little breakfast before our sightseeing tour. Our immensely funny Scottish tour guide was wonderful. We saw Harrods, St. Paul's, Trafalgar Square. Oh, and I answered 4 of his questions correct in regards to British history!
We were then dropped off at Covent Gardens, which reminded me a lot of Quincy Market & Faneuil Hall. A few of us decided to head back to Buckingham Palace to tour the State Rooms.
I was dying. Just imagine me, standing in the Throne Room inches from Elizabeth II's throne. The gardens were wonderful too.
Later in the day I went to Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Catholic community in the UK. I wanted to go to Mass to pay my respects and honor the victims of 9/11. This church is so different; the facade is all red stone, the architecture Neo-Byzantine, so a definite change from English Gothic. The music was beautiful; you could smell the gentle aroma of incense, and the priest gave a prayer for the victims of 9/11 as well. I was so touched, I thanked him at the end of Mass. He then proceeded to ask me about the crazy Florida pastor.
Go America.
Dinner was some delicious cheap sushi. Then got up this morning at 3:30 to get in the lobby. Checked out, hopped on a plane, and after a bus ride, I've arrived in Cannes.
Well, time to settle in and hopefully get some pictures up!
Saturday had a nice little breakfast before our sightseeing tour. Our immensely funny Scottish tour guide was wonderful. We saw Harrods, St. Paul's, Trafalgar Square. Oh, and I answered 4 of his questions correct in regards to British history!
We were then dropped off at Covent Gardens, which reminded me a lot of Quincy Market & Faneuil Hall. A few of us decided to head back to Buckingham Palace to tour the State Rooms.
I was dying. Just imagine me, standing in the Throne Room inches from Elizabeth II's throne. The gardens were wonderful too.
Later in the day I went to Westminster Cathedral, the mother church of the Catholic community in the UK. I wanted to go to Mass to pay my respects and honor the victims of 9/11. This church is so different; the facade is all red stone, the architecture Neo-Byzantine, so a definite change from English Gothic. The music was beautiful; you could smell the gentle aroma of incense, and the priest gave a prayer for the victims of 9/11 as well. I was so touched, I thanked him at the end of Mass. He then proceeded to ask me about the crazy Florida pastor.
Go America.
Dinner was some delicious cheap sushi. Then got up this morning at 3:30 to get in the lobby. Checked out, hopped on a plane, and after a bus ride, I've arrived in Cannes.
Well, time to settle in and hopefully get some pictures up!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Londres: Premiere partie
Don't worry folks, this will all be in English.
In a nutshell, London is great. I feel that there is a preconceived notion of how London looks, what London has, etc. But, I've found London to be a present surprise! So, let's begin with Friday.
Saying goodbye to the family wasn't bad. Everyone (including myself) seemed so excited. The flight over was quick and fine; did some napping, had some pretty impressive airline food. *snaps for British Airways* I was finally able to meet some of the other AIFS students; everyone seems chill and excited, but I think I'm finding out who I'll be hanging out with this semester.
The hotel? Fine. Concierge? Not fine; either it's really good or really poor. Oh well. The neighborhood is gorgeous; if I had millions I'd live in Kensington or Chelsea.
I hit the ground running on Friday with the afternoon and evening free. Jetlag? Child, please. I was pumped. My eyes were on the prize, and the prize was:
Westminster Abbey & The Tower of London. I was able to see both and navigate the Underground by myself. I was proud.
Westminster Abbey. How can I describe. It's a shame that they don't let you take pictures inside, but I respect that. You just look around, each corner is a tomb or memorial to either a famous poet, author, soldier,statesman, clergyman, royalty etc. The whole place just has a very British feeling about it, from who's buried there to the Abbey's connections to royalty, you just feel British and want to burst into "God Save the Queen." (I refrained)
I kid you not, when I walked in to view the tomb of Elizabeth I, my eyes welled up. Here I was, standing in the presence of the remains of Good Queen Bess, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and beside her is her sister Mary I. Two women, with such similar yet different stories: both suffered the loss of their mothers at the hands of their father, both had strong convictions, both ruled in their own right. They were victims and yet victors, so complex. And then, I made my way to see the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots. She's just across from her cousin, Elizabeth I, the one who order's Mary's death. Again, the goosebumps and tears formed.
Besides them, I managed to see the tombs of Henry VII & Elizabeth of York, Anne of Cleves a la Henry VIII's wife #4, Margaret Beaufort among others. Perhaps the most moving part of Westminster was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and seeing this giant green plaque reading, "Remember Winston Churchill, by request of the Queen & Parliament, this plaque was installed on the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Britain." (Don't you just feel the chills?)
After that, with plenty of time to kill, I headed to the Tower of London. Palace, prison, fortress, all in one. It's just amazing! All these turrets, all the buildings added on throughout the years, so incredible. The winding staircases, dark rooms, just puts you back in history. Seeing the Scaffold Site was surreal, along with going to the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, which holds the remains of Lady Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn & Katherine Howard. Traitor's Gate was also thrilling, the gate where Anne Boleyn was taken to the Tower, and, allegedly, when Elizabeth I was sent by orders of her sister. How lovely. The views from the complex were wonderful; great view of the River Thames & Tower Bridge.
After that whole day, we gathered for a welcome drink, and then a group of us got some dinner. We headed back and I was in bed by 10:30.
Londres: Deuxieme partie to commence. A few photos to follow; the rest will be on Facebook soon!
In a nutshell, London is great. I feel that there is a preconceived notion of how London looks, what London has, etc. But, I've found London to be a present surprise! So, let's begin with Friday.
Saying goodbye to the family wasn't bad. Everyone (including myself) seemed so excited. The flight over was quick and fine; did some napping, had some pretty impressive airline food. *snaps for British Airways* I was finally able to meet some of the other AIFS students; everyone seems chill and excited, but I think I'm finding out who I'll be hanging out with this semester.
The hotel? Fine. Concierge? Not fine; either it's really good or really poor. Oh well. The neighborhood is gorgeous; if I had millions I'd live in Kensington or Chelsea.
I hit the ground running on Friday with the afternoon and evening free. Jetlag? Child, please. I was pumped. My eyes were on the prize, and the prize was:
Westminster Abbey & The Tower of London. I was able to see both and navigate the Underground by myself. I was proud.
Westminster Abbey. How can I describe. It's a shame that they don't let you take pictures inside, but I respect that. You just look around, each corner is a tomb or memorial to either a famous poet, author, soldier,statesman, clergyman, royalty etc. The whole place just has a very British feeling about it, from who's buried there to the Abbey's connections to royalty, you just feel British and want to burst into "God Save the Queen." (I refrained)
I kid you not, when I walked in to view the tomb of Elizabeth I, my eyes welled up. Here I was, standing in the presence of the remains of Good Queen Bess, daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and beside her is her sister Mary I. Two women, with such similar yet different stories: both suffered the loss of their mothers at the hands of their father, both had strong convictions, both ruled in their own right. They were victims and yet victors, so complex. And then, I made my way to see the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots. She's just across from her cousin, Elizabeth I, the one who order's Mary's death. Again, the goosebumps and tears formed.
Besides them, I managed to see the tombs of Henry VII & Elizabeth of York, Anne of Cleves a la Henry VIII's wife #4, Margaret Beaufort among others. Perhaps the most moving part of Westminster was the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and seeing this giant green plaque reading, "Remember Winston Churchill, by request of the Queen & Parliament, this plaque was installed on the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Britain." (Don't you just feel the chills?)
After that, with plenty of time to kill, I headed to the Tower of London. Palace, prison, fortress, all in one. It's just amazing! All these turrets, all the buildings added on throughout the years, so incredible. The winding staircases, dark rooms, just puts you back in history. Seeing the Scaffold Site was surreal, along with going to the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula, which holds the remains of Lady Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn & Katherine Howard. Traitor's Gate was also thrilling, the gate where Anne Boleyn was taken to the Tower, and, allegedly, when Elizabeth I was sent by orders of her sister. How lovely. The views from the complex were wonderful; great view of the River Thames & Tower Bridge.
After that whole day, we gathered for a welcome drink, and then a group of us got some dinner. We headed back and I was in bed by 10:30.
Londres: Deuxieme partie to commence. A few photos to follow; the rest will be on Facebook soon!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
C'est aujourd'hui!!
Salut!!
C'est aujourd'hui!! Je voyage a l'etranger!! Et la premiere ville?
Londres!!
I can hardly contain my excitement. I'm all packed; in almost 7 hours I will be en route to London. Hello Tower, Westminster Abbey & Big Ben.
A Londres!!
C'est aujourd'hui!! Je voyage a l'etranger!! Et la premiere ville?
Londres!!
I can hardly contain my excitement. I'm all packed; in almost 7 hours I will be en route to London. Hello Tower, Westminster Abbey & Big Ben.
A Londres!!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Vraiment?
So sums up my feelings on waiting for the semester to begin.
Really? I really have to wait a bit longer?
Oh well, I just have to grab some converter plugs, and then, pack.
Here's hoping I make it out alive.
Really? I really have to wait a bit longer?
Oh well, I just have to grab some converter plugs, and then, pack.
Here's hoping I make it out alive.
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