Le Soleil!

The past few days have been miraculous because THE SUN has finally decided to come and stay a while in Paris!  This is great not only because it's been cheering us up, but also because it means that in order to enjoy the afternoon, we don't have to pay 3+ euro to get a cup of coffee just so we have somewhere inside to sit, or go to museum upon museum upon museum.  

Yesterday after class and lunch, a few of us lounged in front of L'Hôtel de Ville to do some reading.  Our professor for the Paris Civilization & Culture class has a PhD in French literature, so the class is extremely reading intensive.  When mixed with the sun and people watching, the reading didn't seem so bad.  It was hard to believe that just 3 days before we'd been ice skating in that very spot: they were taking down the ice rink before our eyes.   

This week we have a class field trip on Wednesday instead of Thursday because the rooms we are visiting (French painters) are closed on Thursdays.  Thursday's tasks are to study for Friday's test, pack for Madrid, and book spring break stuff!  

Speaking of tests, I have finally gotten comfortable in my French class.  The first few weeks were challenging for me because the tests were full of surprises but I think I've figured out how to successfully prepare for them.  Also, we've been warned that professors in France are notoriously quite hard for the first few weeks as a way to motivate students.  I suppose one of the drawbacks of attending such a prestigious school is that the classes are HARD!  

Yesterday marked four weeks of being here.  I can't believe it.  There are still SO many things on my mental 'to-do list' which I haven't even begun to do, but I guess that is the beauty of being here for four months rather than a week-- you can do things as you please rather than cramming it all in.  Also, I've done a lot already that I never would have expected to do, and I'm sure there will be more of that in the weeks to come...