Busy girl!

I sure know how to keep myself busy.  It really seems like there is not a spare minute in my day, but that's okay! Yesterday was a beautiful day.  After class I went to a coffee shop with an upstairs seating area and started studying for my test that's tomorrow.  Then, met up with some friends for lunch at one of the student restaurants (only 2.85 euro for a pretty decent lunch!).  

We decided that since it was a gorgeous day we wanted to do something outside, and ended up heading to Père Lachaise, which is a giant cemetery in the 20th arrondissement (east Paris) and is also supposedly the most visited cemetery in the world.  Everyone buried here has a tomb- it's a huge contrast from cemeteries in the U.S.  

There are a ton of famous people buried there, including Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Eugene Delacroix, and Heloise & Abelard.  There's lots of normal people too- apparently you can still purchase plots here but they are very expensive.  I forgot to bring my camera but here is a picture I found online of Heloise & Abelard's tomb:

Even though it seems creepy to go to a cemetery (it kind of is...), it was very peaceful and beautiful- the cemetery is massive and full of hills, staircases, and tons of different tomb varieties.  Afterwards a few of us just sat in a cafe talking for a few hours, then headed home and I studied some more.

Today after class I went to the apartment of the other American girl in my class (she has her own apartment here for the semester), had lunch and studied some more.  It was beautiful and in a great location, but it also made me glad to be in a homestay because I am much more immersed in the culture and the language.  

Then my Paris Civilization & Culture class met at the Cluny Museum.  Some of the walls are restored from the Roman baths present there when Paris was Lutetia- part of the Roman Empire.  Then, other parts are from the medieval castle built on the grounds in the 1500's.

The main focus of the visit was seeing the Unicorn Tapestries, as we just read a novel about them.  The intricate detail is amazing but it was very challenging to capture it in a photo, because the rooms are dimly lit and no flash is allowed in order to preserve them.

 It also featured the original heads of the Kings of Judah which are some of the sculptures on the outside of Notre Dame.  During the French Revolution,  all of the statues were beheaded and the original heads were found only a few decades ago.  

Now I am off to study a bit more before meeting friends for happy hour and to go out to fondue for dinner!  I've only had 'real' fondue once in the states but I am interested to see what it's like here.  

Random, but one of the little things I've noticed is that in the U.S. "bonjour" is taught to mean "Hello."  It does mean that, but if it could technically be considered evening and you say "bonjour" it's like saying "good morning" (means good day) and you are supposed to say "bonsoir" instead.  All of us Americans are struggling with remembering to switch over to bonsoir.

Bonne Soirée! (Have a good night!)  

I am on a mission...

A mission to conquer the Louvre!  How many people can say they've literally been to every room of the Louvre?  I'm guessing not many but hoping to join their ranks!  

Some interesting facts about the Louvre:

-Almost 35,000 objects are on display, while the collection includes 380,000 pieces.

-Total exhibition area is over 652,000 square feet.

-It has been a museum of some sort since 1793, before that it was a royal palace.  

-Last year, 8.5 million people visited it!

Anyway, I kicked things off yesterday.  I got my student card last week which gives me unlimited access.  That means that I was able to spend just two hours there without feeling guilty about getting my money's worth: the perfect amount of time to not feel too "museumed out" in my opinion.  

So far, I've only conquered about half of the Egyptian Antiquities section.  When I was ready to go, it took me about a half hour to get out!  Anyway, I grabbed a map and I'll be checking off rooms and sections as I complete them, wish me luck.  I'll keep you all updated! 

More Strasbourg pictures

Here's two more pictures I'd like to share...

All six of us on top of the cathedral

Then we decided to get a little higher...

Strasbourg is gorgeous!

I returned late last night from my adventure in Strasbourg. We arrived late Friday night, checked into our hostel, and found a restaurant that was open to grab some dinner. Then we wandered around a bit and first encountered the beautiful, massive cathedral. It was incredible at night and we couldn't wait to check it out the next day.

Saturday morning, the two groups (of three girls each, staying in different hostels) met up at the cathedral. We went inside and watched an interesting presentation on its giant astronomical clock and, at 12:30, watched it come to life. I've never seen anything like it in person!

Then we went on a boat cruise in Strasbourg's Ill river and canals which was fun and gave us a good idea of the layout of the city. We also spotted the buildings of the European Union Parliament.

With 6 girls on the trip, when we heard there was a chocolate museum we knew we couldn't pass it up. It was a trek to get there and kind of cheesy, but still fun and tantalizing to the senses! Afterwards we went to dinner where we all split dishes of spaetzle and tartes. Since Strasbourg has been part of both Germany and France throughout history, (currently French), there is a huge German influence in the food, the architecture, and the people. Spaetzle is kind of like a mix between mac & cheese and gnocchi, and tarte is like a thin crusted pizza.

After dinner we walked around the tourist district which is called Le Petite France and boasts some very cute half-timbered houses. Strasbourg doesn't quite boast the nightlife that Paris does, but we managed to find a fun bar to chit chat, dance, and people watch.

Sunday morning, we all met up at the cathedral again with lots of energy to climb to the top tower. Keep in mind, this was the world's tallest building from when it was finished in 1439 until 1874. Add that to a miniscule spiral staircase and you are really in for a treat. Luckily, it was totally worth it, we had the top to ourselves and it was a great view. We could even see Germany's black forest, which the Hansel & Gretel story is based on.

Then we headed to two mediocre museums, the Musee de l’Oeuvre Notre-Dame and Musee des Arts Decoratifs. They were interesting at first but you can only look at so much medieval stonework and 18th century porcelain before things get redundant. By then it was about time to head out so we grabbed some hot chocolate and pretzels, took the tram to the train station and in two hours flat we were back in Paris.

Overall, it was a fun trip and a great start to my travels. Now I have a busy week ahead of me including French class, Paris Civilization class at the Cluny Museum, a visit to the Picasso museum, and a fondue party!  I have a few more great Strasbourg pictures that another girl took which I will post when she emails them to me!

Notre Dame

Today, my Paris Civilization & Culture Class met at Notre Dame.  We lucked out with a sunny day and learned about the three rose stained glass windows and the biblical stories told in the carvings surrounding each of the doors.  Unfortunately my attention wore out and I thought about Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame when it got time to discuss Victor Hugo's novel.  Oh well!  

After the class I wandered around a little bit and checked out the Holocaust memorial that is near Notre Dame.  

I ended up by the Hôtel de Ville (city hall).  Then because I had to study, pack, pick up some food for lunch tomorrow, and maybe indulge in une petite sieste, I skipped happy hour with friends and headed home.  

This paid off because a woman who lives on the third floor of my apartment building was visiting with my host madame.  We chatted for a few minutes before they headed out to go for a walk-- when they came back my host madame said the lady wanted to know if I could babysit for her four year old son on Monday afternoons!  They are from Montreal so he speaks English-- babysitting a four year old who is better at his second language than I am is going to be depressing, but being paid in Euros is going to be fabulous! 

I'm off to study for my test tomorrow and pack for Strasbourg.  I still have the sniffles but thankfully don't feel as awful.