centre pompidou

The institute building where we meet for class is right across the street from the Pompidou modern art museum. We went for the first time today (free with our student art cards!) and sang the Weepies song while we looked at paintings by Chagall. Very cool museum, and amazing views of Paris.

they're quiet, but pushy: adventures in Chartres

déjeuner

Malcolm, the tour guide!

Yesterday we woke up with the sun, and took a train to Chartres for the day. It was a beautiful train ride with lots of green fields speckled with yellow flowers. We arrived in Chartres and had an hour or so we wandered up and down the quaint little streets and alleys, while people emerged on their way to work and school.

The tour of the cathedral was UNREAL. It is seriously unfathomable to me that something that huge and intricate was made by human hands. Our tour guide was this old British gentleman who has lived in and studied Chartres for over 50 years. As our director puts it, "he is the king of Chartres." Throughout the tour he showed us excerpts from his book, along with helpful facts like "watch out for the Japanese tourists in here--they're quiet, but pushy". We were stifling laughter throughout, but it was so great. He was so knowledgeable (even if he does seem to have a bizarre dislike for the Japanese tourists who, by the way, were as kind as can be:)) and it was so fun learning about the cathedral.

After the tour a group of us ate outside at this adorable café and had a delicious meal. I had this amaazing thin crust vegetarian pizza. And I also knocked a glass off the table and it shattered across the cobblestone. Yep. Classic me moment. My family will be happy to know that Paris has not refined or changed my tendencies to spill things or knock things over on the table.

Chartres is definitely one of my favorite places we have been. It is a nice quiet break from the constant movement and noise of Paris. It has an energy of its own, and I absolutely loved it.

good to remember

"Have compassion for everyone you meet, even if they don't want it. What appears bad manners, an ill temper or cynicism is always a sign of things no ears have heard, no eyes have seen. You do not know what wars are going on down there where the spirit meets the bone."
::: miller williams

Walking in front of me on my way to the Metro tonight.

Donne moi ta main pendant nous traversons la rue.
Non!
Donne moi ta main...
D'accord.

un autre jour

Our Paris Walks class consisted of chocolate tasting today. Prof. Olivier said its our alternative to wine tasting in Paris :) We each unwrapped our little morsel while he read out the earthy tones we were supposed to be tasting. It was incredible--banana, citrus, salted caramel, licorice, volcanic ash (!)--and different and delicious. Then we had our photo class and took the train to Jardin du Luxembourg. I loved how many different pieces of Paris you can see in this parc. People jogging, eating, playing chess, playing boules, soccer, reading--you name it, they had it. (not of course, at the same time. Although that would be pretty impressive.) Then dinner in the garden avec Nannick. The conversation was fun tonight. She pulled out her mothers dictionary. Her mom was born in the 1800's and the dictionary is about that old. So very cool.

Photos du jour:
1. Where I ate lunch today. I can't get over that you can walk down the street and stumble across places comme ça. And then sit there and eat a curry baguette sandwich. After lunch I did my homework and then wandered through the quartier. I found an amazing store that I am so excited to show my mom and sisters.
2. Les Flaneurs. Rainy walk.
3&4. Lunch by the Seine where we saw a frenchman strip down to his underwear and wade into the Seine. You know, just the usual.
5. L'arc de Triomphe

i wish this post was about me meeting jude law in paris, but alas. sorry to get your hopes up.

Today we walked around around paris in the rain, stopping in at random stores to shop. I avoided (nearly) buying way too much at H&M and Zara and only left with one thing. Success! A lot of museums were closed today because it is a holiday, which was a bummer but I figure there is plenty of time for that! Then we wandered across bridges over the Seine and through different neighborhoods. After a stop at a Pâtisserie and a very confusing Chatelet metro station (that place is a mad house i tell you!), we made it back to Le Vésinet.

Claire, Holly and I made salad and roasted tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and ate an entire baguette for dinner and sat at the table talking and laughing for an hour or two. It was absolument parfait! Then we watched The Holiday. Jude Law with adorable little British children? Oui. And now it is one a.m. and I have my first day of class tomorrow. Bonnuit!

dimanche

This morning we ate our breakfast, walked across the street and around the corner, hopped on the RER and headed for church in Paris. Church was absolutely great and I really enjoyed the testimonies/what I could understand. There is always something so comforting about going to church somewhere in a foreign country. It is so familiar. After church we walked through paris for hours, just taking everything in. We were so excited to go to the Louvre (it is free on the first sunday of every month) but guess what? Today is a national holiday! Donc, it was closed. So we wandered and wandered and I ate my first crepe--noix de coco avec sucre--and washed it down with some Orangina. Yum. C'est tout for today!