Some final thoughts

Two days from now I'll actually be on a plane crossing the Atlantic, so I just wanted to wrap up some of my thoughts about this extraordinary year.

(here begins the emotional reflection):

The night before I left for Paris I cried myself to sleep in my mom's bed. I was nervous. At the time I did not have plans to go home for 9 months, and that was a terrifying thought. Though I'll never talk about my first 20 minutes in the hell-hole that is Charles de Gaule airport, if I had been able to get a hold of my mother I would have told her to book me the first plane back home. And (those that follow me on twitter know) then I cried myself to sleep for about the first week and a half I was here. It's not that I wasn't having fun - I was, and I was meeting a lot of great people - I just saw 9 long months ahead of me and I was scared to death.

But, it turns out that 9 months isn't all that long after all, and here I am at the end of it. Despite an emotional start, I am not at all prepared to leave this place that I now call home. This may not be true, but I feel as though I have had a unique experience during my study abroad. First of all, I am fortunate enough to have studied here for a year. I did not just live the party/travel experience that I see so often either. I found a job, a routine, people that have looked out for me, making sure I wasn't really alone. I fell completely in love with this city, despite the rain and the everlasting winter. I was enchanted by it, as they say here.

Last night was my send-off party from work and it was amazing, and touching, to see how important I was to others. I wasn't just a passerby, I became a part of people's lives. Even one of the parents yesterday gave me an enormous hug and told me I would be missed.

Despite all that, though, I have not yet had an emotional breakdown about leaving. Besides the fact that leaving doesn't actually feel real, I am absolutely positive that I'll come back. There's also that fact that I'm pretty excited to have my senior year at Ohio State. After that, though, I know I'll be ready to start the life that I have come to love. I'm not sure I'm going to do it yet, but one way or another, I'll make my way back to the city that has stolen my heart.

Thanks for listening this year, everyone. It has been an absolutely pleasure getting to share my extraordinary time in Paris with you. I'll try to get some of my pictures edited (on my 9.5 hours flight) and I'll put them up as soon as I can.

And for now I'll say à bientôt to you and my beautiful Paris.
Gabs


"America is my country, and Paris is my hometown" - Gertrude Stein.

The Countdown

Alright, here we are. Because it is still really early in the States, I've got 11 days to go, but in my mind I've already flipped down to 10.

I've started to pack up the room that I've called home for the past 9 months. When I first got here in September one of the first things I did was put up pictures of family and friends to make it feel more like home, and that is actually what I just took down. Now my room feels empty and like I'm actually preparing to leave.

Things are wrapping up everywhere. Tomorrow, Thursday and Friday I have work and then one more day next week and I'll be finished. We had our farewell for the program and I said goodbye to a lot of friends. Also I need to cancel my phone service and close out my bank account. And pack. Yikes, lots to do.

Luckily enough though, my brother came to visit me this past weekend for 4 days. We did all of Paris in just those days and I am exhausted. So here is a quick run down:

Day 1: Danny got in mid-day and then we headed out to explore the Latin Quarter, do a little Midnight in Paris tour. We walked from Cardinal Lemoine to the Luxembourg Gardens to Montparnasse, hopped the metro to Saint Germain-des-Pres and then again to Cité where we saw the Notre Dame then Ile Saint Louis. (phew) Then we got some Chinese (of course) and went to the Mazet (also of course).

Probably the best part was heading to the Eiffel Tower at midnight to surprise him with how it lights up. Always a winning moment

Day 2: Musées D'Orsay and De l'Orangerie to check out some of my favorite pieces including Monet's Water Lilies. Between these were a walk to the Louvre and through the Tuileries. We then hopped down to Ecole Militaire where we grabbed lunch in a tabac (Danny had a croque madame). Then we climbed the Eiffel Tower (something I hadn't done before, oops). Dinner was at this amazing place called Relais de L'Entrecote - all they serve is Steak Frites. Steak and fries. and they keep coming back with more.

Too. Good.

Day 3: We started with a walk around Montmartre, followed by some lunch and wine on the Seine under the Notre Dame. We did some great souvenir shopping on the Seine and around Saint Michel as well. Then we hit up the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Dinner was at this cute little bar café where we had the most filling and amazing dinner. I also introduced him to kir, an amazing french aperatif. Afterwards we went back to the apartment and watched some Scrubs and ate some cheese and drank some wine.

Day 4: Relaxing day. We went to Chez Ladurée for some macarons, went to Saint Michel again had coffee at a cafe, and went to Shakespeare and Company again.

*The most amazing thing happened in Shakespeare & Co. We were up in the reading room and someone started to play the piano - beautifully. Then Danny nudges me and gestures to the player. She's playing "Let's Fall In Love" by Cole Porter, another Parisian artist of the 20s. I died. It was perfect.*

Our lunch was cheese by the Seine, where we devoured an entire baguette. Afterwards we bought some wine for him to take back and went to the apartment to pack. The last thing we did was head to the Marais, a quarter I'm not in enough and ate falafels and crepes for dinner. We actually ended up stumbling upon the Bastille as well!

All in all it was amazing to share my favorite city with my brother, and a great chance to do all last minute touristy things, that I may have been too lazy to do otherwise.

I'm not going to get all weepy in this post, but expect that next week when the fact that I'm leaving really hits me.

A toute mes amis,

Gabs

The Nerdiest of Trips

Salut!

Two weekends ago I went on the nerdiest trip ever, to Edinburgh, Scotland - UNESCO's First City of Literature. Edinburgh was home to Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, J.K. Rowling (still is), and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle among many many others. So here are some of the English major-y things I did.

1. Did a book lover's tour! We saw the old University of Edinburgh Medical School including the building that houses the old surgery hall (which I totally and most definitely did not fan-girl over...). We saw a pub that was once frequented by RLS and Conan Doyle during their time at the university. We saw the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the first few chapters of Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone. There was a lot more too, those are just some of the highlights for me.

2. The Writer's Museum! It featured exhibitions on Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson and poet Sir Robert Burns. Obviously I went there for RLS. Anyone brave enough to ask me how I feel about Jekyll and Hyde? Because there's a lot of incredible history there.

3. Robert Louis Stevenson's house, 17 Heriot Row! There's a family that lives there now and I was really creepy outside taking pictures. I was also the only person doing so. Seriously, why don't more people go for that?

4. Sir Walter Scott Monument. The largest monument erected to an author, living or dead. Ever. This thing is enormous. I wish I had gone up it, but I was literally broke.

5. Tour of the underground vaults! Not a ghost tour, because I'm scared of my own shadow and I went to Edinburgh by myself. But it was really extraordinarily cool to see the historic vaults - an aspect of the city that likely influenced Robert Louis Stevenson in writing... okay I'm done.

6. Deacon Brodie's Pub! Though I'm positive that Deacon Brodie did not inspire Jekyll and Hyde, it was still really cool to go have drink in the pub. It was really touristy, and I met some cool Canadian girls, but I also started reading Sherlock Holmes (nerdy thing #7).

But all in all Edinburgh is an extraordinary city full of a rich and often dark history - from the witch hunt to the torturing to the body snatching. It's gorgeous as well, even (and maybe more) so in the dense fog that rolls in. Take a look at the pictures and see for yourself!

Edinburgh Castle! 

The View down High Street on the Royal Mile. 9am. 

Sir Walter Scott Monument, 9am.

Prince's Garden

Robert Louis Stevenson's House (squeeeee)

To the Old Surgeon's Hall (which has a bunch of construction around it and isn't pretty)

Still fangirling. 

J.K. Rowling wrote the first several chapters of Harry Potter on the first floor of this building. Unfortunately for Americans, in Europe the 1st floor is what we consider the second. So a lot of people go to the wrong cafe. Womp Womp.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived here once! Near the university.

A mortsafe! What the rich used to buy for their coffins so their bodies weren't snatched! SO Cool.

Amsterdam, Italy, and Barcelona (Oh my)

Salut mes amis!

I've been pretty busy over the last 4 weeks, since I last wrote a post (sorry!).

Immediately following the stomach virus, I went up to Amsterdam for the weekend with Meagan and Delaney. We took the over night bus up on Friday night and got in around 7 am on Saturday. First we crashed at the hostel and then began our touristing. First on the agenda was the Anne Frank House. We waited in line for about an hour, but it was entirely worth it. It was moving and powerful. That afternoon we rented some bikes and attempted to stay alive as we took to the streets. We unfortunately took to the streets during rush hour, but all of us survived.

The next day we went to Keukenhof, which is a tulip farm about half an hour outside of the city. It was amazing! I think we were a week or two too early for all the blooms, but what we saw was incredible! In the afternoon we went to the Heineken experience and got to drink some beer. It was not as cool as Guinness  but it was worth it.

The next weekend Delaney and I went to Italy. First on our agenda was Rome! We saw everything! First we walked to the Spanish Steps, to the Pantheon, to the Old City and saw everything along the way. The second day we went to the Vatican and saw the Sistine Chapel (after cutting in line...) and to Saint Peter's Basilica (where we also cut in the line. oops). We then went into the colosseum which was amazing, and then to the Palatine hills. After that long day we flew to Venice!










Venice day was amazing! We took the time to sleep in because we were exhausted and then we headed over to Murano, a little island that is famous for it's glass blowing! It was extraordinary. That evening we walked around Venice a little. We found a cute little bar and got a drink by the Gran Canal.
Day two we climbed the bell tower in San Marco square. We had an amazing view of Venice and the surrounding islands. Afterwards we walked all the way down to the residential area of Venice. It was probably my favorite city to visit. Also there was a lot of pasta and gelato to be had! So all in all a win.











Finally the next weekend I went to Barcelona with Kenzie. We actually didn't do too many tourist things during the 4 days we were there. We went to the Picasso Museum and walked around the latin quarter. Most we just sat on the beach and drank sangria though. Still overall a successful trip. We got a little burnt, but it was all worth it for some days of sunshine!!!



 



Now though, I've got less than a month until I'm home. I'm starting to freak out a bit. There's a lot of stuff I have left to do- a lot of souvenirs to buy! Today I went to the catacombs, which equally parts awesome and terrifying. I was just casually walking around in between rows and rows of human skeletons.

This weekend I'll be headed over to Edinburgh for a trip I've been wanting to do since...the 10th grade? When we read Jekyll and Hyde. So, it will be a nerd-filled weekend of tours and museums! After that I have one free weekend, then my brother is here, then another free weekend, then I go home. Wow.

Alright, if I keep talking about it I'm gonna start hyperventilating! So ciao for now!

-Gabs

2 Months, Spring, and a Stomach Virus

Monday the 15th marked two months until I go back to the U.S. I mean, how crazy is that? I'm pretty excited to go home, but I think that's mostly because I think going home will be a couple weeks of vacation then I can just pop back over here.

Unfortunately that's not how it works. I'll head back to Virginia on June 15th, spend of a couple of weeks at home, then go to Columbus for the rest of the summer and the start of the school year.

Here are the things I look forward to the most:
- Virginia, beautiful Virginia
- seeing my mom!
- Getting back to Columbus!!!
- Touring again
- My apartment with David!
- Senior year (how ridiculous does that sound?)

I still have two months though, and they're going to be pretty packed months. This weekend I head to Amsterdam with Meagan and Delaney (my Wednesday pub buddies), the following weekend is the start of my break! and I do 4 days in Italy - Rome and Venice - with Delaney, the weekend after is 4 days in Barcelona with housemate Kenzie! That already puts me mid way through May, and I'm also working on doing Berlin for a long weekend (we have a Monday holiday at the end of May). My brother Danny is coming to visit me the first weekend of June for 5 days and then I have one weekend left in Paris. Wow that hurts to write.

*Catch your breath here*

Spring finally showed up here in Paris! Kenzie and I did some park lounging close to the apartment. I tried to go to the Luxembourg Gardens but there were SOOOOOOO many people. I couldn't even handle it. It was way more fun to hang out around the local families. That is really the Paris I love.

Today it's actually 24 degrees C (high 70s-ish). Unfortunately I've had a stomach virus for the past couple of days so I'm confined to the apartment eating bites of rice and drinking powerade. Luckily for you, that means a blog post! Unluckily for me that means fluctuating temperature, chills, throwing up, and zero appetite. Woot woot. Also I may be editing pictures from the last...3 months or so. Trying to get a little ahead of myself before I do all this new traveling.

Alright I'm going to eat some more rice and crash in bed.
À toute!
Gabs

J'aime plus Paris.

Yesterday in class we listened to a song by that title by a Parisien singer named Thomas Dutronc. It means "I don't like Paris anymore". Technically you're supposed to use the negation "ne...plus", but it's often left out in modern everyday language.

J'aime Plus Paris - Thomas Dutronc

So, along the same lines, I thought I would outline some of the things I don't like about this city.

- Le gris: So. Much. Gray. The sky is the gray; the trees are gray; the buildings are gray. Okay the last one is an exaggeration, but I really miss sun and green. I could really use a beach.

- Le metro: The metro smells like pee, and it's always packed with people. You always have be on top of your things, so you don't get pick-pocketed. It's exhausting.

- Dog shit: People don't clean up after their dogs. So the game plan is "eyes to the ground". I've only stepped in it once.

- Pigeons: Wow, I hate pigeons. They're gross and annoying and not afraid of anything. Ugh, also sometime they're gimpy (super not politically correct, but they're pigeons...) and they'll be missing a foot and walking around on a stump. Also TOURISTS LOVE THEM AND FEED THEM.

- Tourists: So many of them, and they walk so absurdly slowly. I have places to go and they take their time walking 4 across down on the tiny sidewalks. So I definitely turn into bitchy Parisienne and push past them, usually while glaring. Sorry that I have places to go and that you're being super inconsiderate. Don't even get me started on giant tour groups.


But J'aime plus Paris, also means "I love Paris more". And, ultimately, you can't help but love this city more and more.

A bientôt mes amis,
Gabs

Family Week

I know it's been a while, but I've been busy (watching Doctor Who...). But this past week I was lucky enough to have my parents, my brother, and my sister-in-law come visit me here in Paris. Here's a quick list of what we did.

Saturday:

     My parents got here! They got here pretty early and we went to the apartment they rented for the week. After some hanging out and getting a bag of clothes from home, we walked from the apartment to the Eiffel tower, around Invalides then popped back to Cambronne on the metro. It was beautiful that day, but pretty chilly. We also got our first round (of many) of bread, wine and cheese. From here on out you can just assume that we ate bread, wine, and cheese at some point in the day.

Sunday:

      Guillermo and Diana got here! The metro passes didn't go online until Monday, so we walked everywhere. From Cambronne we went to Montparnasse, through the Luxembourg Gardens,

Monday:

     We started the day with a makeshift Midnight in Paris tour, going all around the 5th and the 6th arrondissements checking out places used for filming in the movie. We also had some fun stops like Hemingway's apartment at 74 Rue Cardinal Lemoine and Gertrude Stein's apartment (with her partner Alice), which is just around the corner from my school!

     The family got to meet Louise that day too, so they are now aware of how wonderfully crazy she is, and also how incredibly beautiful my apartment is. It's almost unfair that I get to live here, it's so great.

Tuesday:

     Tuesday morning I had to go to class (I do actually go to that sometimes), so my family headed up Tour Montparnasse, which is supposed to have an amazing view of the city. I can only assume so, because there is no Tour Montparnasse to ruin the skyline.

     In the afternoon we went up to Montmartre and I gave a tour of the hill ending at Sacre-Coeur. I forgot how much I love love love going up there and all the history that still exists there. Also, Tuesday night we went to my favorite bar, The Mazet, where I know the bartenders. We had some beers and watched the France-Espagne world cup qualifying match, so you can assume that my dad was pretty happy.

Wednesday:

     Waking up Wednesday morning was hard, but we headed out to Notre Dame, and were able to go inside and climb to to the top. My legs felt like jello afterwards (after 422 stairs). We did a little shopping and had some snacks around Saint Michel as well. And by snacks I mean crêpes.

Wednesday afternoon I had to work, so the family went out to Opéra and did some shopping at Galleries Lafayette. We also did drinks after dinner at the Mazet, again.

Thursday:

    Museum day! we did Musee d'Orsay in the morning, which was pretty packed with people. I always love seeing my favorite Renoir painting though (Moulin de la Gallette). Afterwards we popped over to Café Deux Magot (a favorite haunt of Hemingway) and had some ridiculously incredible hot chocolate.  Longchamp was just down the road and we bought some beautiful bags! I got the bag I wanted in the beautiful beige! Grabbed a cheap lunch at De Pomme Au Pain on Rue de Rennes, and then we went to Musee de l'Orangerie to see Monet's waterlily paintings. After museum number two we did saint michel again and went around to Ile Saint-Louis.

Friday:

     Diana and Guillermo left on Friday morning, and then the parents and I went to Shakespeare and Company. The time to get there is seriously just as it opens. It is so quiet and beautiful inside. I hate that it's getting packed with tourists again. I just want to go sit and read upstairs. We got some adorable little bookshop bags, and mom is making me a list of the things she wants from the store.
     I was also feeling pretty miserable by this point. A week of pure touristing does not sit well with my immune system. So we went back to apartment and I took a nap (and a Zicam). At 4 pm we dropped my bag and home and grabbed a bag to things to send back with my parents. Then we went to Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower and got lunch at this fabulous little greek place on Rue Mouffetard.


Parents left this morning really early and since then I have showered, done some laundry, and pretty much nothing else. Well I took a three hour nap and I started watching Downton Abbey. I am still exhausted and kind of sick. In all honesty, this past week was pretty much what I've done in 5 months. The tourist life is not for me. Time for me to get back to real life, which hopefully means a little more sleep and a lot less walking.

Things I have coming up: the day care I work at is having an eco-friendly fair and inviting all the parents so i'll be there next Saturday, on the 19th I leave for Amsterdam for 2 days and on April 26th I leave for Italy for four days! Oh and hopefully Spring will arrive somewhere in there as well.

Ciao!
Gabs

Shit My Host Mom Says: Volume 3 (NSFW kind of)

So today, my host mom bought a surprise. To preface this, my new housemate comes upstairs and says that Louise brought home a little statue she had bought that was a mans head attached to a penis. I thought that the body just looked like penis, but wasn't.

No, it is actually supposed to be a penis. Now cue the really awkward part when she keeps caressing both the man's head and significantly disproportionate penis...that was attached to his head...

Seeing how vastly uncomfortable we were, did she put it away and move on. Non, bien sûr. She brought out two other little figurines from China that were of little porcelain people having sex. "Look, see"as she made sure we saw the clear sexual contact. "They're so cute"

So that was my night. Luckily we didn't eat cold raw beef or endives. 

It's the little things, really.

Bonne nuit, mes amis,
Gabs

Halfway Point

Today is exactly halfway into my program. Four and a half months behind me, and four and a half months ahead.

I feel like the time has passed so quickly, but looking forward I feel like I still have so much time to do all the things I want to. Even today, I got to cross a few things off my bucket list.

Places I have been in Paris:
- Notre-Dame (climbed to the top!)
- Arc du Triomphe
- Sacre-Coeur
- Musee du Louvre
- Musee d'Orangerie
- Musee d'Orsay
- L'Institute du Monde Arabe
- Champs-Elysees
- Jardins de Luxembourg & Tuileries
- Opera Garnier
- Place de la Bastille

Places I have left to go:
- Catacombs
- Musee de Rodin
- Pantheon
- Picasso Museum (if it's open by June!)
- Grand Palais/Petit Palais
- Climb the Eiffel Tower!

I've also done some traveling, but not as much as I would have like. I've been to Dublin, London, Glasgow, Geneva, Frankfurt, the Loire Valley, and Normandy. I'm hoping I can step up the traveling in the next four months:

- Madrid (next week)
- Brussels
- Amsterdam
- Barcelona
- Rome
 - Venice

I'd also like to hit up some of the beaches in the south of France in the spring. I need a break from all this gray!

Some days I still can't believe I'm here, and other days I take it all for granted. So much is available for me here and I should be soaking it all in though. But sometimes sitting inside watching TV sounds like a really good plan, especially when it's cold and raining. How many more months until the rainy season is over?

LOLJK, it's probably never over.

A toute à l'heure!
Gabs

Très Malade

So I've been sick several times here in France, but I haven't gone to see a doctor because I hate spending money like that. But last night I felt myself getting pink eye, and voila this morning I was so ridiculously sick.

I got in touch with my program and picked up a claims form for a walk-in office. The office is actually right across my school, on Rue d'Assas. It was super simple and very quick. I was in and out within 45 minutes.  Also, the doctor who saw me was really nice. She took one look at me and was like yup, you've got pink eye (but in French). She asked me all about my symptoms and did a short family history, which I have to admit makes me feel pretty good about my fluency in French. All in all, the visit cost me only 23 euros.

The doctor gave me a prescription for 4 different medicines - two for my eyes, one for my nose, and an anti-fever medicine just in case. I was so nervous that I was going to have to pay over 50 euros for this stuff, but it actually came out to 11.50. I'm also pretty positive that French medicine is made with witchcraft, because I took my first dose at 1pm and I already feel way better, but, ya know, that nap helped too. 

Auf wiedersehen!

Gabs

Shit My Host Mom Says: Volume 2

"In Turkey, all I bought was TEQUILA!"

This is a woman after my own heart.

A bientôt,
Gabs

Shit My Host Mom Says: Volume 1

"Pour quoi la vie invente que les femmes doivent travailler"

General translation: "Why is it that women have to work [insert a long sigh]"

BRB while my feminism kicks in.

A bientôt,
Gabs

Real Paris: Showers

One of the biggest stereotypes of the French is that they don't shower. Now, I don't really know if that's true, but I would not blame them in the slightest. Here's my shower: 

Here is my host mom's shower:

French showers do not hook up to the wall, it is basically just a hose with a shower head on the end. There are no curtains either. To shower you need to basically squat/sit in the shower so you don't get water everywhere. Water pressure is pretty bad too.

The only reason that my shower has a semblance of a barrier and hooks up to the wall is because my host mom hosts enough American students. It's probably not even for our benefit, but because I'm sure enough students have made an enormous mess of the bathroom without the glass wall. 

Just don't ask me how often I shower...

Fall Break: Derby, London, Glasgow

So this is a little late in coming, but it has been a crazy week for me. So I'm going to recap a little bit of my journey around the UK with my housemate.

Derby: My housemate's sister was nice enough to invite us to stay with her for a couple of days, so we went there first and got to hang around this beautiful little town in the countryside. We went into town to explore and we saw the Derby Museum, the cathedral and a lot of really cute streets. We ate lunch at the oldest pub in Derby as well! Finally, we stopped by a little tea room!

London Day 1: We spent a quick 36 hours in London, but that was definitely enough to see everything we wanted to very quickly. The first day, we walked all the way up the Thames and back to our hostel (over the course of like 6 hours). Our hostel was on the North bank, close to Buckingham palace. We went there first and stumbled upon the changing of the guard, which was definitely really cool. Then we walked towards the Thames and saw Big Ben, the houses of parliament, The London Eye. We crossed the river and walked along the south bank. Eventually, we walked on the Millenium Bridge, past Shakespeare's Globe, to London Tower Bridge. Then we crossed back over the Thames, walked all the way back to our hostel where we both enjoyed the pub downstairs.

Day 2: After sleeping in for a bit, we went out back to Buckingham Palace and through the park towards Piccadilly Circus, through Trafalgar Square on our way to Leicester Square. There we met up with our Harry Potter Walking Tour of London! We got to see some of the film locations used throughout the movies, and yes I was probably one of the nerdier people there. We were also 1 of 2 groups on the tour that did not have any small children. It completely worth it though! We saw the entrances to the Leaky Cauldron (from movies 1 and 3), the entrance to the Ministry (movies 5 and 7.1), and we even went to King's Cross to see Platform 9 3/4! After the tour we headed down Charing Cross Road and back to Trafalgar Square on our way back to the hostel (where we grabbed a drink before getting on the bus back to Derby).

Back to Derby: Another day in Derby, and we headed out to Chatsworth, which is the estate of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. It was absolutely beautiful, both in the inside and the gardens. Coolest part? That this house is where they filmed Mr. Darcy's home at Pemberley in the new Pride and Prejudice movie (with Keira Knightley). Which we then watched after we got home.

Glasgow: On Wednesday we took the bus to up to Scotland where we were to stay with my housemate's half-sister! She has an adorable little flat in just outside of the city centre. We grabbed some dinner, some drinks (obviously), and went to bed that first night. The next day we did some exploring around the city centre and did some (window) shopping. On Friday we took a hop on-hop off bus tour of the city which was really really cool; we saw the People's Palace museum as well as a lot of the older parts of the city - like where public hangings used to take place.

     Overall, it was really great trip. I can't believe that we hit up so much in just week. I also can't believe how much tea I drank in a week. Some pictures are up on flickr - I couldn't take my really nice camera with me because it would have put my bag over the weight limit, but I did my best with a little Canon Powershot.

A tout a l'heure!

The Loire Valley

This past weekend my program took some of us to the Loire Valley in France, a place famous for its beautiful castles...and its wine!

We toured three castles (of many) in the region and got to see the places that nobles lived from as early as the 11th century. We visited the Chateau du Blois, Chateau Chenonceau, and Chateau Chambord. Take a look at the pictures up on my flickr, because they are quite beautiful.

Saturday night, we went to a wine tasting! We saw how wine is made from the crushing of the grapes to the bottling. There is a long process from start to finish. Most importantly, we tasted seven different wines - reds, whites, rosées, even a sparkling wine! I even bought some and sent them home with my dad, so come Christmas time we'll be able to have a taste of the Loire Valley.

Ciao!
Gabby

One month: an update

Yesterday marked the end of my first month in Paris! I can't believe that I've only been here for a month, I've gotten to see and do so much here already. I'm also completely blown away by the fact that I have 8 more months to go. I have so much time to relax and see everything I want to.

Touristy things I have seen/done so far:

- Notre-Dame (inside)
- Basilica Sacre-Coeur
- The Eiffel Tower (the grounds)
- Musee de Louvre
- Musee d'Orsay
- Musee d'Orangerie
- Boat ride on the Seine
- Walk down the Champs-Elysées
- L'Arc du Triomphe


Touristy things I have yet to do:

- Centre Pompidou
- The Catacombes
- Le Grande Palais
- L'institut du Monde Arabe
- Eiffel Tower (to the top)
- Notre-Dame (to the top)

     There's still so much time for me to do all of those things, and more. There are of, course, all the not-touristy things I want to do as well.

Today I went to the Musée d'Orangerie (in the Jardin Tuileries) and I got to see Water Lilies paintings by Monet, which were (to quote Midnight in Paris) overwhelming. I saw a lot of Picasso, Renoir, and Modigliani as well. Beside Monet's work, I still prefer the Musée d'Orsay and all of Toulouse-Lautrec's work.

That's all for today, this weekend I'll be heading to the Loire Valley so look out for some wine updates next week!

Au revoir!

Normandy/Mont St. Michel

This past weekend my program took us all to Normandy (a region of France) and to Mont St. Michel!

Day 1:

- Museum of the World Wars:

Our first stop was to a museum by the city Caen, in Normandy. It chronicled the events leading up to, during, and between both World Wars (les deux guerres mondiales). Most importantly we watched real footage from the landing at Omaha Beach (on D-day, le 6 juin 1944). It was really interesting because we got to see footage from both sides, the Allies and the Germans on that morning as both prepared for battle. It was also extraordinarily sad, because we watched as the troops stormed the beach and many were simply shot down.

- Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery:

After the museum, we actually went to Omaha Beach, which was absolutely breathtaking, even though it had started to pour down rain. Seeing the beach now, very peaceful, was almost surreal, given the footage we had JUST watched. Just atop the cliff that overlooks the beach we were able to visit the American Cemetery, which was also moving. I really can't describe it in words, you can, however, check out my pictures on flickr (link is at the right).

- Cider Tasting:

After the very sad, reflective visit to Cemetery we went to a cidre (en français) maker that is very famous in Normandie. There, they pick the apples and go through the entire process from apple juice to very hard liqueur. So we tasted everything along the scale. From the apple juice, which was incredible, all the way up to the Calvados. My favorite was the creme Calvados (which was kind of like a Bailey's Irish Cream). So all in all it was a fun (and tipsy) visit.

Day 2:

Mont St. Michel:

After staying the night in the city of Caen, we made the trek to Mont St. Michel. The island of rock sits just inside the Bay that opens to the English Channel. It is famous for the Church and Abbey that sit on top of the rock, dedicated to St. Michael. The original Abbey was built in 708, but much of the church and the tiny tiny village below was built in the 10th century. A lot has happened on the island throughout its long history. It was a fortress during the Hundred Years War that the British simply couldn't seize. After the Revolution it became a prison until it was recognized as a historic site in the later 1800s. Now, about 3 million people a year visit St. Michel. Oddly enough, there are actually only 24 people who live there. Twelve of them are monks and nuns; the other twelve work in the shops, restaurants and hotels.

We actually got a guided tour around the Abbey which was pretty amazing, because we actually got to learn about all of that history. There are some incredible sites in and around the village and church. We got to stand inside a room that is over 1,000 years old.

After our guided tour we had some free time to eat and shop in the village and then we made the 6 hour bus trip back to Paris!

*****

But me describing all of this is pretty boring, so check out my flickr account for some great pictures of both days!

Ciao!

EDIT: I completely forgot to mention how different the view of D-day is here from back in the US. I mean, I knew about D-day and the storming of the beaches and that it was a significant effort in the war. For the French though, this day lives in infamy. It was the day that they had hope of liberation. You may think that all French hate Americans (and after seeing some tourists I understand why), but not in Normandy. They still remember what the American troops did for them that day. It's absolutely incredible.

20 years old!

Yesterday I celebrated my 20th birthday! I can't believe that, first of all, I'm not a teenager any more, and that I got to spend my birthday in this beautiful city!

My dad was here this past weekend (stopping for a few days before he returns to VA) and we got to do some pretty cool things. On Saturday we went and hung out at the Eiffel Tower for a while then walked around the 7th Arrondissement. On Sunday (my birthday!) we walked all around Montmartre and even went into Sacre Coeur during a mass! I still think that Montmartre is the most beautiful part of Paris, but that may be because of all of it's gorgeous history. After walking around the hill we went to the Montmartre Cemetery, which was probably the most terrifying thing I've ever done. We only spent about 10 minutes there because I got really freaked out.

For lunch, we got Chipotle! There is one single Chipotle in the entirety of France, and I had to go there on my birthday, obviously. So I got my usual order, but there was no white rice - I'm pretty sure they only have brown rice. Also the tortillas are very very different. They are much more bread-like than in the US. Overall, it was really good though.

After that, we back to the hotel, but not before wandering aimlessly around the 15th arrondissement. We found some pretty cool restaurants and some big grocery stores and even a movie theater that is a few blocks from my apartment! We hung out at the hotel for the rest of the night and just grabbed some baguette sandwiches and some crepes for dinner and dessert.

Overall, it was a great birthday! I'm so fortunate to get to start my twenties in the city of my dreams. Hopefully, it's a sign of the all the adventures and achievements I'll have over the next decades.

Thank you everybody for your birthday wishes!
A tout a l'heure!

Things I've eaten in Paris

The things you never thought I would ever eat in a million years:
     - Some kind of cheese soup
     - Stuffed mushrooms
     - Stuffed tomatoes
     - Cheese (but to be honest, I'm not being very brave about the cheese I pick).
     - Shrimp
     - Almost bloody meat (This is true. The meat is extraordinarily pink - and delicious)
     - Risotto
     - Melon, topped with mozzarella, and some kind of vinaigrette
     - Pesto and tuna

Things I eat almost daily:
     - Frosted Flakes (aka Frosties here in France because they don't have an -ED past tense ending)
     - Baguettes. All the time.
     - Ham/Butter/Cheese sandwich

Things I should never eat again:
     - That cheese soup
     - Stuffed Tomatoes
     - That awful gyro at St. Michel
     - The pretty gross Chinese I ate for lunch today, also at St. Michel

BONUS - Things I haven't eaten yet:
     - Chocolate croissants (WHERE ARE YOUUU?)
     - An entire baguette, all to myself
     - Nutella. But seriously, how is it so hard to find some damn Nutella.
     - Escargot, but give me some time and I'll get to it.

Bon Appetit!

Two days; still in a whirlwind.

I've been in paris for just about 2 days now, though it feels like more! That's because everything is happening very quickly.

I got to my homestay in the beautiful 15e arrondissement just around noon. My host-mom, Louise, is fantastic. She's so sweet and welcoming! She even took me to the métro to load my Navigo (pass) card and then on the metro to show me where my orientation was to be held! Dinner last night was amazing, and I had my first Paris baguette. I did not completely pass out last night, but thats only because I took a power nap after I unpacked my room.

Today I had my orientation, which was neat because I got to meet the other people in my program. We learned a lot about the city as well as all of the opportunities we have during our stay. The best part: we got an UNLIMITED pass for the Louvre. I can go whenever to just hang out. I can't even believe it!

Then we took a boat ride on the Seine. It was absolutely incredible. We saw everything from the Louvre, Le Musée D'Orsay, le Grand Palais, and most importantly, la Tour Eiffel:

Aprés ça, my friend, Jennifer, and I went shopping! My itty bitty shoulder bag is not enough for touristy things, and I didn't bring another pick-pocket safe bag. So we jumped on the first metro we found (because we got a little lost on the rive droit) and headed to les Halles - which is a big commercial shopping center. They have everything from H&M to Zara and a lot of little shops and cafés outside the centre.

I actually just got finished with dinner, and I'm ready to crawl in bed, but there are some things about the French I should share.

le Métro:

The metro system in France is beautiful. By beautiful I mean really easy to use, because it's actually not that pleasant look at. Probably better than New York, but just about on par with D.C. There are 14 lines (Just metro, there are 5 train lines and many bus lines as well) throughout the city which means there is a metro stop just about every 500 meters. What's also great is that you can buy a metro/RER/bus pass which is called Navigo. Per week is about 20 euro and per month it's just about 62. BUT unlike D.C., with this pass you can ride an unlimited amount on times during that period. With a single fare card being 1,70, I am saving and endless amount of money given how much I've used the metro already.

The other thing is that on some trains, you need to unlock the doors when the train comes to a stop, they don't all open automatically which is a new and scary thing. Also if you're on the kind of train, and you don't open the doors before the train is at a complete stop, people get very impatient. People step off the train before it's stopped all the way. It was a little embarrassing today to stumble off.

le Diner

Dinner in Paris is a production. Today we started dinner at just after 8pm, and did not clean up the table until after 9:30. My host-mom loves loves loves to cook. Yesterday we had beef cooked in onion and some sort of marinade (the French like their beef veryyy raw), and today we had shrimp cooked in olive oil and some kind of vinigrette, salsa, and rice. After we finish with the main part of the meal we talk and talk and talk and thennnn we bring out the cheese and bread. After that we talk and talk and talk more.


Alright, I just ran into a problem with my french phone, so I've got to go!
A bientôt