Well I'm sitting on my bed watching Glee (unfortunately, it kind of turned into a little bit of a habit -- it's something comfortable...). I should head to bed soon because we have a rendez-vous at the Gare Montparnasse at 7:15am to head to the Loire Valley!
As the rhythm of life in Paris has picked up, I've realized how exhausting it is! Yesterday was fairly low key - I got a free lunch after filling out my worksheet from the Journees du Patrimoines (up to 8 euros), so Katie and I went to the same boulangerie that I went to on Tuesday. I got a delicious piece of salmon and spinach quiche (which has become one of my favorite French comfort foods -- but I'm afraid that's it's probably on that 'don't eat too much of it' list)....and then a small salad which was also superb!
The weather has been overly hot -- I'm so over the summer temperatures! It's been really difficult to sleep and I've resorted to wearing my running shorts and sneakers which is ridiculously un-French of me, I know. I'm hoping that by next week, it will start to cool off.
I finally got to sleep in this morning and headed to College Stanislas to "teach" the swim lesson -- some of the kids are really cute, but as one of the teacher's told me last week, the French don't put as much of an emphasis on learning how to swim as we do in the states! So it's pretty different than teaching lessons to the kids in Amherst.
We had a make-up class for theater this afternoon -- luckily, the professor let us meet outside in the courtyard of Reid Hall -- which was still ridiculously warm, but better than the stuffy classroom on the 3rd floor! We discussed the aspects of L'Avare that we saw on Tuesday and compared them to the text -- again, taking a break in the middle so that the professor could have a cigarette! Very different reasons behind the middle of class breaks here....
I've discovered that taking the crowded metro is infinitely better than taking a crowded bus, which I, unfortunately, decided to do this afternoon on the way home from class. It was about 8439204 degrees, and people kept getting on with strollers and other enormous shopping bags. Not cool. After what seemed like hours, I finally got to my stop.
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, the one thing that continues to get me relaxed is....baking! Woo! Tonight I tested out using the real baking soda instead of what I thought was baking soda, which did, indeed, make quite a difference! It's also fun to cut up multiple chocolate bars (all different kinds of course) and add them as I see fit...Tonight's cookies featured chunks of dark, milk, and white chocolate. Probably not the best night to skip swimming! Whoops!
Well I'm off to bed -- I'm sweating through my pajamas which isn't a good indicator, but I figure I'll try none the less.
Hopefully, I'll have some good pictures from a weekend away to post when I get back!
A bientot!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Il fait trop chaud!
So my architecture professor said that we're having an Indian Summer, but Marilu said that it's still too early! It hit 80 degrees today -- too hot in my opinion. I'm sitting in my room with my windows open and still sweating.
I guess I have two days to recount! Yesterday was overly hectic -- over 7 hours of class, and then a 2.5 hour play! I had my first two classes at Institut Catholique, which is actually a real French university! My first class was Economic Thought (rough translation) -- which is taught by a Mexican woman who (I'm pretty sure) has a doctorate. It was a bit hard to follow, and it was really intimidating....and her accent didn't make it any easier!
After that class (from 9-12), I headed back to Reid Hall after finding a great boulangerie for lunch -- I got this delicious salad that had some lettuce, with 4 pieces of juicy cantelope and procuitto on top, and then covered with some pieces of parmesan. So good! And I asked for some wheat bread instead of the baguette, and the lady gave me 4 pieces of delicious multigrain bread!
I had my History of France and Africa class and then rushed to get back to Institut Catholique for my Economics of Development class with Nick and Emily (Heckman). Again, somewhat intimidating! But at least I had some people with me, and we even met some other Americans who were sitting behind us -- they seemed to be even more lost than we were....
From there, we all rushed to La Comedie Francaise (!) to see L'Avare for our theater class. Pretty amazing to have Moliere's old theater right here to go see the play. The actors were great, and if I had had the time to eat dinner, it would have been amazing! But I was pretty hungry, which made it hard to thoroughly enjoy!
I had to wake up early again today to get to La Sorbonne to sign up for courses for next semester (because it's easier to do it now than next semester). I signed up for a class about the religious wars in the 1500s -- which will satisfy the last requirement for my French major!
For my architecture visit today, we went to Le Marais, which I've seen before, but it was still interesting to take another tour and learn some other things about it. It's really quite an incredible neighborhood -- some of the only remaining streets from before the 1800s when everything was 'modernized' by Le baron Haussman.
I had a great swim practice this afternoon -- it's really a nice group of people and we started to really get into a difficult practice today which felt really good. After practice, I headed home for my baking adventure of the week! Drum roll.....triple chocolate cookies! AND, I made a groundbreaking discovery! I finally found out the difference between baking powder (levure) and baking soda (bicarbonate de soude) -- it turns out that I had been using levure for my chocolate chip cookies instead of bicarbonate de soude! Whoops! That would explain why they were so flat...So I'm glad that I figured that out. The only slight difference continues to be using cane sugar instead of brown sugar, which I know are not the same thing, but I used cane sugar for the cookies tonight, and they turned out really really well! Alain gave them the thumbs up!
I decided to take today just a little easier today -- but I should probably get to doing some reading!
Again, sorry no picture, but I'm sure that our weekend in the Loire Valley will provide some good ones!
A bientot!
I guess I have two days to recount! Yesterday was overly hectic -- over 7 hours of class, and then a 2.5 hour play! I had my first two classes at Institut Catholique, which is actually a real French university! My first class was Economic Thought (rough translation) -- which is taught by a Mexican woman who (I'm pretty sure) has a doctorate. It was a bit hard to follow, and it was really intimidating....and her accent didn't make it any easier!
After that class (from 9-12), I headed back to Reid Hall after finding a great boulangerie for lunch -- I got this delicious salad that had some lettuce, with 4 pieces of juicy cantelope and procuitto on top, and then covered with some pieces of parmesan. So good! And I asked for some wheat bread instead of the baguette, and the lady gave me 4 pieces of delicious multigrain bread!
I had my History of France and Africa class and then rushed to get back to Institut Catholique for my Economics of Development class with Nick and Emily (Heckman). Again, somewhat intimidating! But at least I had some people with me, and we even met some other Americans who were sitting behind us -- they seemed to be even more lost than we were....
From there, we all rushed to La Comedie Francaise (!) to see L'Avare for our theater class. Pretty amazing to have Moliere's old theater right here to go see the play. The actors were great, and if I had had the time to eat dinner, it would have been amazing! But I was pretty hungry, which made it hard to thoroughly enjoy!
I had to wake up early again today to get to La Sorbonne to sign up for courses for next semester (because it's easier to do it now than next semester). I signed up for a class about the religious wars in the 1500s -- which will satisfy the last requirement for my French major!
For my architecture visit today, we went to Le Marais, which I've seen before, but it was still interesting to take another tour and learn some other things about it. It's really quite an incredible neighborhood -- some of the only remaining streets from before the 1800s when everything was 'modernized' by Le baron Haussman.
I had a great swim practice this afternoon -- it's really a nice group of people and we started to really get into a difficult practice today which felt really good. After practice, I headed home for my baking adventure of the week! Drum roll.....triple chocolate cookies! AND, I made a groundbreaking discovery! I finally found out the difference between baking powder (levure) and baking soda (bicarbonate de soude) -- it turns out that I had been using levure for my chocolate chip cookies instead of bicarbonate de soude! Whoops! That would explain why they were so flat...So I'm glad that I figured that out. The only slight difference continues to be using cane sugar instead of brown sugar, which I know are not the same thing, but I used cane sugar for the cookies tonight, and they turned out really really well! Alain gave them the thumbs up!
I decided to take today just a little easier today -- but I should probably get to doing some reading!
Again, sorry no picture, but I'm sure that our weekend in the Loire Valley will provide some good ones!
A bientot!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Quatre semaines!
Hard to believe that today marks four weeks since I left the states! Crazy -- seems like forever ago and at the same time, like we just left. So funny how that works. Not too much to tell from today
I made myself get up and out this door this morning and took the bus to Reid Hall -- I sat next to a guy (who barely looked my age) who decided to roll his own cigarette while sitting there. It was quite the little process! I thought he was actually going to light it on the bus, but luckily he didn't. I attempted to study for my architecture quiz and printed all of the various forms that I need to send in to officially join my swim club! Then I had my architecture class where we had our quiz -- which was extremely specific -- and after class, I decided to go try to find a Monoprix to grab some lunch. Fail.
I ended up walking back to my favorite salmon-sandwich place near Reid Hall, but this time got a piece of quiche with some ham! Yum! And I also got a wheat roll with some seeds and raisins in it. Very delicious as well! I ate in the courtyard at Reid Hall -- beautiful day out today. In the 70s and sunny! I decided to stay outside and read the rest of my play for class, L'Avare, on a nearby bench. Very peaceful.
I struggled to stay awake during my theater course -- 2.5 hours is a long time! We discussed the play and prepared to go see it tomorrow at the Comedie-Francaise! Our professor kept us about 10 minutes over, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, but I was trying to get to practice in just 30 minutes, which turned into 20! This time, the public transportation pulled through for me, and I made it on time!
I'm really enjoying swimming with this team -- it's nice to just be training because I want to be, and nothing really "counts" because it's with completely different people and a different sized pool. I came home and found some leftovers waiting for me to "rechauffe" -- chicken and green beans! Yum! And I had some of my favorite bread -- pain de mais, which is a Portugese thing. I finished off my meal with some grapes and some of Marilu's chocolate "sausage" which is this log of chocolate (almost fudge like?) mixed with little pieces of biscuits. So delicious.
Long day tomorrow, so I'm going to head to bed! No picture today, but I'm sure I'll find some later in the week!
A bientot!
I made myself get up and out this door this morning and took the bus to Reid Hall -- I sat next to a guy (who barely looked my age) who decided to roll his own cigarette while sitting there. It was quite the little process! I thought he was actually going to light it on the bus, but luckily he didn't. I attempted to study for my architecture quiz and printed all of the various forms that I need to send in to officially join my swim club! Then I had my architecture class where we had our quiz -- which was extremely specific -- and after class, I decided to go try to find a Monoprix to grab some lunch. Fail.
I ended up walking back to my favorite salmon-sandwich place near Reid Hall, but this time got a piece of quiche with some ham! Yum! And I also got a wheat roll with some seeds and raisins in it. Very delicious as well! I ate in the courtyard at Reid Hall -- beautiful day out today. In the 70s and sunny! I decided to stay outside and read the rest of my play for class, L'Avare, on a nearby bench. Very peaceful.
I struggled to stay awake during my theater course -- 2.5 hours is a long time! We discussed the play and prepared to go see it tomorrow at the Comedie-Francaise! Our professor kept us about 10 minutes over, which normally wouldn't be a big deal, but I was trying to get to practice in just 30 minutes, which turned into 20! This time, the public transportation pulled through for me, and I made it on time!
I'm really enjoying swimming with this team -- it's nice to just be training because I want to be, and nothing really "counts" because it's with completely different people and a different sized pool. I came home and found some leftovers waiting for me to "rechauffe" -- chicken and green beans! Yum! And I had some of my favorite bread -- pain de mais, which is a Portugese thing. I finished off my meal with some grapes and some of Marilu's chocolate "sausage" which is this log of chocolate (almost fudge like?) mixed with little pieces of biscuits. So delicious.
Long day tomorrow, so I'm going to head to bed! No picture today, but I'm sure I'll find some later in the week!
A bientot!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Versailles!
I woke up this morning with the intention of going to the pool and doing a nice little workout -- I accomplished one of those goals! The going to the pool part. The latter was a bit more difficult to achieve...Sunday morning at the pool seems to be a popular thing! So, I unfortunately, had to share a lane with about 12 other people -- and I probably brought the average down to about 68 -- maybe. I struggled to make it to 2800 meters (much of it kicking), and got the sense that people were getting annoyed with me trying to go around them, so I just decided to get out, and had a nice walk home.
I arrived to Marilu and Alain sitting down to breakfast -- they informed me that they had gotten in at 3:30 in the morning from their night of theater and dinner with friends -- they're more social than I am! After eating some breakfast, I got ready for the day and then headed to the RER station up the street. The RER, for those who don't know, is kind of like the metro, but goes out into the suburbs, and looks and feels much more like a real train. Today was my first time taking it....
I luckily caught up with Jennifer, Harry, and Luke who were waiting for the same RER, and we rode to the Versailles Rive Gauche station (where we were about 10 minutes late...). We caught up with the rest of the group and then walked to the chateau. After a bit of back and forth about where we were supposed to check in, we finally found the correct entrance and got ready for our private group tour! Originally, we were going to tour the Grands Apartements, but since they're normally open to the public, we switched and toured the Petits Apartements, which aren't open to the general public. Our guide, who's native language was actually Spanish, was quite interesting, and we learned a lot about the styles of the different "rois" who lived there. For example, Louis XV had a very flamboyant style and everything that he commissioned was extremely elaborate and decorated, where Louis XVI was much more understated and everything that he commissioned was much simpler (which apparently was also because they were having financial difficulties which ultimately, for Louis and Marie-Antoinette, ended with a trip to the guillotine!).
After we finished the tour of the Petits Apartements and the Chapelle (also closed to the general public) -- we were free to roam as we pleased. We walked through the Grands Apartements to see the infamous Hallway of Mirrors -- but it was so crowded that it was difficult to really enjoy it. Lots of tour groups (predominently Asian...).
After that, we headed out into the Jardins, which were absolutely spectacular. Beautiful gardens, fountains, trees, ponds, a Harry-Potter-esque maze of neatly trimmed bushes. All very cool. Katie and I sat down for a bit in the middle of one of the green spaces -- I didn't realize how much I really missed greenery until today! It was so nice to get out of the city for a while.
At 5:30, we made our way to the largest fountain on the property for the "show" which consisted of them turning on all of the fountains and playing a piece of classical music -- impressive, but a bit anticlimatic. At 6, we were to meet at the restaurant "La Flotille" which was just beyond the grand canals on the chateau's property. It was a lovely setting! I don't think I ordered the right thing (the pizzas looked delicious) -- but I got the "plat du jour" which was a roasted chicken quarter (yummy crispy skin, a bit dry on the inside), frites (which were delicious) and a salad on the side. We all ended our meals with a crepe -- mine was au chocolat. Yum!
After dinner, we walked back to the RER station to catch the train back into the city. I'm currently procrastinationg studying for my architecture quiz, which I suppose I should start to do now...And with classes really getting going, I imagine my posts might become a little less frequent -- but I'll write when I can!
Photos of the day: From Versailles (duh)
I arrived to Marilu and Alain sitting down to breakfast -- they informed me that they had gotten in at 3:30 in the morning from their night of theater and dinner with friends -- they're more social than I am! After eating some breakfast, I got ready for the day and then headed to the RER station up the street. The RER, for those who don't know, is kind of like the metro, but goes out into the suburbs, and looks and feels much more like a real train. Today was my first time taking it....
I luckily caught up with Jennifer, Harry, and Luke who were waiting for the same RER, and we rode to the Versailles Rive Gauche station (where we were about 10 minutes late...). We caught up with the rest of the group and then walked to the chateau. After a bit of back and forth about where we were supposed to check in, we finally found the correct entrance and got ready for our private group tour! Originally, we were going to tour the Grands Apartements, but since they're normally open to the public, we switched and toured the Petits Apartements, which aren't open to the general public. Our guide, who's native language was actually Spanish, was quite interesting, and we learned a lot about the styles of the different "rois" who lived there. For example, Louis XV had a very flamboyant style and everything that he commissioned was extremely elaborate and decorated, where Louis XVI was much more understated and everything that he commissioned was much simpler (which apparently was also because they were having financial difficulties which ultimately, for Louis and Marie-Antoinette, ended with a trip to the guillotine!).
After we finished the tour of the Petits Apartements and the Chapelle (also closed to the general public) -- we were free to roam as we pleased. We walked through the Grands Apartements to see the infamous Hallway of Mirrors -- but it was so crowded that it was difficult to really enjoy it. Lots of tour groups (predominently Asian...).
After that, we headed out into the Jardins, which were absolutely spectacular. Beautiful gardens, fountains, trees, ponds, a Harry-Potter-esque maze of neatly trimmed bushes. All very cool. Katie and I sat down for a bit in the middle of one of the green spaces -- I didn't realize how much I really missed greenery until today! It was so nice to get out of the city for a while.
At 5:30, we made our way to the largest fountain on the property for the "show" which consisted of them turning on all of the fountains and playing a piece of classical music -- impressive, but a bit anticlimatic. At 6, we were to meet at the restaurant "La Flotille" which was just beyond the grand canals on the chateau's property. It was a lovely setting! I don't think I ordered the right thing (the pizzas looked delicious) -- but I got the "plat du jour" which was a roasted chicken quarter (yummy crispy skin, a bit dry on the inside), frites (which were delicious) and a salad on the side. We all ended our meals with a crepe -- mine was au chocolat. Yum!
After dinner, we walked back to the RER station to catch the train back into the city. I'm currently procrastinationg studying for my architecture quiz, which I suppose I should start to do now...And with classes really getting going, I imagine my posts might become a little less frequent -- but I'll write when I can!
Photos of the day: From Versailles (duh)
A bientot!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Le Champs de Mars.
Today was somewhat of a lazy Saturday -- I didn't set an alarm, which was wonderful and slept in until about 10. Then I puttered around until I left to go meet Jennifer at her metro stop. We started walking around and then headed over to the Ile-de-Saint-Louis which is just charming. We found this cute little place and decided to eat there -- we were hoping to have the Prix Fixe menu, but then found out that it was only on weekdays. Oh well. I decided to have a piece of quiche with bacon, ham, and cheese, with some mixed greens! Absolutely delicious! And then Jennifer and I both split a crepe with Nutella -- yum!
After that, we mostly just wandered around. We found this organic cafe where they have a vegetable basket or fruit basket each week that you can buy and pick up (reminded me of AJP's in Athens!), and some other cute shops that we stopped in.
On my way home, I stopped in Monoprix and got some stuff to make penne carbonara for my dinner and some wine (!). Crazy that I can buy that here. It felt very odd -- I didn't even get asked for ID! I headed home after that and attempted to do some reading and got ready for practice.
I'm really enjoying this swim team -- all of the people are really nice, even though a lot of them are clearly like, "who is this girl??". We actually did 5300 (long course meters) today! And I'm actually sore! Afterwards, I walked to the metro station with some of the kids from the team and talked to them, which was pretty awesome! I can tell that this is really going to help my French. After 4 practices, I'm already getting to know a lot more of the swim lingo and understand what's going on, which is very exciting!
Marilu and Alain went to the theater tonight, so I made myself some penne carbonara with some asparagus and broccolini on top! Delicious! And I also had a piece of bread and watched Glee....whoops.
After that, I went over to the Champs de Mars to meet a few people and we sat on the lawn and had some wine and just chatted! It was really nice and relaxing, and there were a bunch of creepers there....I won't go into details....but overall, it was nice!
Heading to bed now to rest up for Versailles tomorrow! No picture for today -- but plenty tomorrow to make up for it!
A demain!
After that, we mostly just wandered around. We found this organic cafe where they have a vegetable basket or fruit basket each week that you can buy and pick up (reminded me of AJP's in Athens!), and some other cute shops that we stopped in.
On my way home, I stopped in Monoprix and got some stuff to make penne carbonara for my dinner and some wine (!). Crazy that I can buy that here. It felt very odd -- I didn't even get asked for ID! I headed home after that and attempted to do some reading and got ready for practice.
I'm really enjoying this swim team -- all of the people are really nice, even though a lot of them are clearly like, "who is this girl??". We actually did 5300 (long course meters) today! And I'm actually sore! Afterwards, I walked to the metro station with some of the kids from the team and talked to them, which was pretty awesome! I can tell that this is really going to help my French. After 4 practices, I'm already getting to know a lot more of the swim lingo and understand what's going on, which is very exciting!
Marilu and Alain went to the theater tonight, so I made myself some penne carbonara with some asparagus and broccolini on top! Delicious! And I also had a piece of bread and watched Glee....whoops.
After that, I went over to the Champs de Mars to meet a few people and we sat on the lawn and had some wine and just chatted! It was really nice and relaxing, and there were a bunch of creepers there....I won't go into details....but overall, it was nice!
Heading to bed now to rest up for Versailles tomorrow! No picture for today -- but plenty tomorrow to make up for it!
A demain!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Les bisous!
So I'm writing while watching "Cupcake Wars" with has been dubbed in French, but I can still hear the English behind it -- it's very odd.
I decided to sleep in this morning -- I think that the entire week caught up with me today because I just felt exhausted. I took my time and leisurely ate breakfast with Marilu, and then attempted to do some reading...and also cleaned up my room! Which is always my favorite way to feel productive without actually doing much....
Around noon, I left to go to the "Ecole Aujourd'hui" where I had volunteered to help teach swim "lessons" to elementary school kids. I stopped by Simply (one of the grocery stores near my apartment) and grabbed a sandwhich -- which are pretty cheap -- which was actually on multigrain bread (yum!) and had chicken pieces, hard boiled eggs, a little cheese, and some lettuce! They called it their "Chicken Ceasar". It actually wasn't bad at all!
I took the metro to the Edgar Quinet stop and then the school was just about a block away. There I met Cara Colker-Eybel who is a swimmer at Wesleyan and is here for the semester! As soon as she said her name, I knew who she was -- she's really good (a Wesleyan record-holder in several events). But how crazy that we're both from NESCAC schools and actually compete against each other, and we both happened to end up volunteering at the same school teaching swim lessons. So odd!
But we accompanied the kids (about 60 of them?) to a pool at a private school, and discovered that the lessons were more like play time in the water. I had been given the more advanced kids (about 7), and although I've taught swim lessons before -- 7 kids is a LOT to teach. Not to mention that they are bouncing off the walls with energy, are alternating between speaking English and French, and just kept jumping in the water! So I attempted to do some things with them, but it was rather difficult to organize and get there attention! I'll try again next week.
From there I headed to Reid Hall to talk to Martine who helped me "inscrire" pour the swim team! And then took the metro home to make cookies (chocolate chip, and yes, I know I have a baking problem -- Marilu says I can bake as I please, but for my own health's sake, I should probably stop) with the intention of bringing them on our group trip to Versailles on Sunday! I thought it would be nice to have some for the ride there. They seemed to be less spread out than usual -- I think it's because I added more flour (which is basically what I do at home anyways). I also chopped up a bunch of chocolate bars (milk and dark), which makes them delicious!
Around 6:30, I started my walk to swim practice! It's really a pleasant walk, and the weather was beautiful today, so I figure I may as well walk while I still can! There was an hour of "PPG" (or drylands) tonight, so we did about 30 minutes of abs, and then about 15-20 minutes of whatever we wanted. Then we swam from 8 to 9:30. Lots of butterfly! And luckily, I'm getting used to swimming long course -- it really doesn't seem like the pool goes on forever, which is really nice!
BUT, the really exciting part, was that I was greeted by some of the girls with les bisous! (aka the French greeting kisses -- which I don't really understand) Les bisous seem to be exchanged between girls and between a girl and boy, but the boys just shake hands with each other. It's very odd. And then some of the swimmers were greeting the coach that way -- which I also found bizarre. Anyways, it was exciting none the less. And then I talked with Marie-Sophie, who's been there every day with me. She's 15 and really sweet -- and everyone kept asking me if I was from England! I guess it's not obvious by the way I speak? Who knows.
I took the metro home from practice and ate some fresh green beans and marinated chicken that Marilu had left me and then had some grapes! The grapes here are delicious -- even with the little seeds inside! Then we watched cupcake wars, where the vegan girl won. I still think that vegan cupcakes (or vegan dessert in general) is a complete oxymoron. How can you have good desserts without butter or eggs or milk or chocolate that has milk or anything?! I don't get it.
But today, the picture of the day is of Pastel, who decided this morning to hide underneath the couch under my bed. He's really quite silly, but it works out because then it reminds me of Riley...Note his tail in the first picture....
I decided to sleep in this morning -- I think that the entire week caught up with me today because I just felt exhausted. I took my time and leisurely ate breakfast with Marilu, and then attempted to do some reading...and also cleaned up my room! Which is always my favorite way to feel productive without actually doing much....
Around noon, I left to go to the "Ecole Aujourd'hui" where I had volunteered to help teach swim "lessons" to elementary school kids. I stopped by Simply (one of the grocery stores near my apartment) and grabbed a sandwhich -- which are pretty cheap -- which was actually on multigrain bread (yum!) and had chicken pieces, hard boiled eggs, a little cheese, and some lettuce! They called it their "Chicken Ceasar". It actually wasn't bad at all!
I took the metro to the Edgar Quinet stop and then the school was just about a block away. There I met Cara Colker-Eybel who is a swimmer at Wesleyan and is here for the semester! As soon as she said her name, I knew who she was -- she's really good (a Wesleyan record-holder in several events). But how crazy that we're both from NESCAC schools and actually compete against each other, and we both happened to end up volunteering at the same school teaching swim lessons. So odd!
But we accompanied the kids (about 60 of them?) to a pool at a private school, and discovered that the lessons were more like play time in the water. I had been given the more advanced kids (about 7), and although I've taught swim lessons before -- 7 kids is a LOT to teach. Not to mention that they are bouncing off the walls with energy, are alternating between speaking English and French, and just kept jumping in the water! So I attempted to do some things with them, but it was rather difficult to organize and get there attention! I'll try again next week.
From there I headed to Reid Hall to talk to Martine who helped me "inscrire" pour the swim team! And then took the metro home to make cookies (chocolate chip, and yes, I know I have a baking problem -- Marilu says I can bake as I please, but for my own health's sake, I should probably stop) with the intention of bringing them on our group trip to Versailles on Sunday! I thought it would be nice to have some for the ride there. They seemed to be less spread out than usual -- I think it's because I added more flour (which is basically what I do at home anyways). I also chopped up a bunch of chocolate bars (milk and dark), which makes them delicious!
Around 6:30, I started my walk to swim practice! It's really a pleasant walk, and the weather was beautiful today, so I figure I may as well walk while I still can! There was an hour of "PPG" (or drylands) tonight, so we did about 30 minutes of abs, and then about 15-20 minutes of whatever we wanted. Then we swam from 8 to 9:30. Lots of butterfly! And luckily, I'm getting used to swimming long course -- it really doesn't seem like the pool goes on forever, which is really nice!
BUT, the really exciting part, was that I was greeted by some of the girls with les bisous! (aka the French greeting kisses -- which I don't really understand) Les bisous seem to be exchanged between girls and between a girl and boy, but the boys just shake hands with each other. It's very odd. And then some of the swimmers were greeting the coach that way -- which I also found bizarre. Anyways, it was exciting none the less. And then I talked with Marie-Sophie, who's been there every day with me. She's 15 and really sweet -- and everyone kept asking me if I was from England! I guess it's not obvious by the way I speak? Who knows.
I took the metro home from practice and ate some fresh green beans and marinated chicken that Marilu had left me and then had some grapes! The grapes here are delicious -- even with the little seeds inside! Then we watched cupcake wars, where the vegan girl won. I still think that vegan cupcakes (or vegan dessert in general) is a complete oxymoron. How can you have good desserts without butter or eggs or milk or chocolate that has milk or anything?! I don't get it.
But today, the picture of the day is of Pastel, who decided this morning to hide underneath the couch under my bed. He's really quite silly, but it works out because then it reminds me of Riley...Note his tail in the first picture....
A demain!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Un peu "overwhelmed"!
Now that things are really getting going -- it's getting a little overwhelming! I started today with a little run, which turned more into a walk at the end because my legs were tired...I went to the Parc Andre Citroen by running along the river -- and the park is really very cool! Kind of oddly modern, but it was nice to be in a greener space. I made my way home eventually (walking).
I was slow to get out the door today -- I didn't have anywhere to be, so I ended up just taking the bus to Reid Hall to do my architecture reading. I walked down the street to grab some lunch -- I was kind of sick of sandwiches, so I splurged and got a salad! Which was delicious -- lettuce, tomatoes, some bacon, and goat cheese! And the best part, is that the dressing is the little tiny bottle of olive oil and vinegar! Yum! And also a piece of bread. I ate at Reid Hall, and then discovered that my economics class doesn't have enough hours in the semester to make a full credit, so in order to fix it, I'm adding another course to my schedule! So now I'll have 7.25 hours of class on Tuesday -- in French. And 6/7.25 is about economics.
I headed to the Middlebury building with Jennifer (from Hamilton), and then after the professor showed up 20 minutes late -- we had class! He is really enthusiastic about the subject - which is great, except that that means he talks really really quickly and is often pretty difficult to understand! So it was a bit overwhelming today.
After class, I took the metro home and hung out for a bit before getting my stuff and heading to practice! Many more people there today -- I did about a half an hour of abs with a few of the guys, and then we swam for an hour and a half! Not too hard, but still a good workout. And everything feels a bit harder because I'm not always entirely what's going on....But the really cool part was that the coach used his iPad to take a video of my stroke and then showed it to me at the end of the lane between sets so that I could see what I needed to fix with my stroke. Pretty awesome!
I headed home around 9:15, and fixed myself some steak and eggs because Marilu and Alain are at their son's house to celebrate his birthday! Skyped with Katie Jagel to finalize her visit to Paris in 2 weeks (yay!) -- and now attempting to watch the season premiere of Glee on a random website which doesn't seem to want to work....
Unfortunately, no picture of the day today (well, not actually from today) -- I'll include one that I've taken since I've been here though...it's the view from the kitchen window!
I was slow to get out the door today -- I didn't have anywhere to be, so I ended up just taking the bus to Reid Hall to do my architecture reading. I walked down the street to grab some lunch -- I was kind of sick of sandwiches, so I splurged and got a salad! Which was delicious -- lettuce, tomatoes, some bacon, and goat cheese! And the best part, is that the dressing is the little tiny bottle of olive oil and vinegar! Yum! And also a piece of bread. I ate at Reid Hall, and then discovered that my economics class doesn't have enough hours in the semester to make a full credit, so in order to fix it, I'm adding another course to my schedule! So now I'll have 7.25 hours of class on Tuesday -- in French. And 6/7.25 is about economics.
I headed to the Middlebury building with Jennifer (from Hamilton), and then after the professor showed up 20 minutes late -- we had class! He is really enthusiastic about the subject - which is great, except that that means he talks really really quickly and is often pretty difficult to understand! So it was a bit overwhelming today.
After class, I took the metro home and hung out for a bit before getting my stuff and heading to practice! Many more people there today -- I did about a half an hour of abs with a few of the guys, and then we swam for an hour and a half! Not too hard, but still a good workout. And everything feels a bit harder because I'm not always entirely what's going on....But the really cool part was that the coach used his iPad to take a video of my stroke and then showed it to me at the end of the lane between sets so that I could see what I needed to fix with my stroke. Pretty awesome!
I headed home around 9:15, and fixed myself some steak and eggs because Marilu and Alain are at their son's house to celebrate his birthday! Skyped with Katie Jagel to finalize her visit to Paris in 2 weeks (yay!) -- and now attempting to watch the season premiere of Glee on a random website which doesn't seem to want to work....
Unfortunately, no picture of the day today (well, not actually from today) -- I'll include one that I've taken since I've been here though...it's the view from the kitchen window!
A tout a l'heure!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Il faut que j'apprenne les temps pour la metro.
I am writing at the kitchen table (alone) while having a small cup of hot chocolate before heading to bed! Had a lovely run this morning (I'm not really sure where -- I kind of just decide what street to turn on and then eventually look for the Eiffel Tower and head towards it to find home again -- how cool is that?!).
I headed off to my architecture class pretty early today because we were meeting up by the Gare du Nord in the 10th arr. We spent our class predominantly in the "Eglise de Saint Vincent de Paul" which is quite incredible (like most all the churches here). Then when they kicked us out, we went to look at the Gare du Nord, which is quite striking on the outside, but then very different (mostly metal) on the inside. We all found it rather disturbing that the man that was locking up the church came down onto the church steps and started kicking the dead pigeons (of which there were two or three) off the steps (somewhat violently...). Very odd.
I took the metro (I keep wanting to call it the subway, but I feel like that is entirely incorrect -- c'est toujours le metro) to Vavin where I got the same delicious salmon sandwich that I had last week and then took it to Reid Hall and ate in the courtyard! Quite a lovely setting. I also brought in a good portion of the cookies I baked last night, which were devoured quite quickly... I had a "langue orale" course for an hour at 1:30, during which we did this questionnaire by Proust (or selected questions from it) -- one of the preferred questions was "how would you like to die". We also looked at some famous photographs and then tried to describe them en francais!
Martine then wanted to show us the Paris III (or La Sorbonne) campus, so we took the bus over and then eventually found the campus....unfortunately, I had to leave early to get to swim practice! I foolishly thought that leaving there at 3:15 for a 4pm practice would give me enough time to get there, but how mistaken I was. I've learned that the wonderful thing about the metro is that it's rarely late and there's no traffic. The downside? It's never really early, and it can't really speed up at all either. So I didn't get home until about 3:50 to get my stuff and then I had to make my way back to the metro, and got off a few stops down, but then was disoriented, and went entirely the wrong way, and so I didn't get to the pool until about 4:25...whoops. So I was able to swim for an hour or so -- I don't even know exactly what all we did because I was too distracted by trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing! There were about 7 people in the competition group with me and then the rest of the pool was open to the public. But overall, it went well! I'll get to learn a bunch of French, and it's exciting to have something else to do besides go to class and wander around, and it's with REAL FRENCH PEOPLE.
I walked home after that (after finding my way back to the metro station so I would know where to go), and attempted to do some reading! But now that I have internet back, it was easy to distract myself....
Dinner this evening was leftover risotto along with these little half crescent pastry-type things filled with shrimp and other stuff! Quite good -- a Portuguese speciality! And even though I said I didn't like shrimp, I tried one and it didn't taste very "shrimpy"...
It's nice to finally (practically) have my schedule set now. The swimming hours are a little funky, but I think it will be nice to be with a team and a coach who yells out times (in French!) and the like.
Photo of the day: Eglise de Saint Vincent de Paul (with the bird-kicker)
I headed off to my architecture class pretty early today because we were meeting up by the Gare du Nord in the 10th arr. We spent our class predominantly in the "Eglise de Saint Vincent de Paul" which is quite incredible (like most all the churches here). Then when they kicked us out, we went to look at the Gare du Nord, which is quite striking on the outside, but then very different (mostly metal) on the inside. We all found it rather disturbing that the man that was locking up the church came down onto the church steps and started kicking the dead pigeons (of which there were two or three) off the steps (somewhat violently...). Very odd.
I took the metro (I keep wanting to call it the subway, but I feel like that is entirely incorrect -- c'est toujours le metro) to Vavin where I got the same delicious salmon sandwich that I had last week and then took it to Reid Hall and ate in the courtyard! Quite a lovely setting. I also brought in a good portion of the cookies I baked last night, which were devoured quite quickly... I had a "langue orale" course for an hour at 1:30, during which we did this questionnaire by Proust (or selected questions from it) -- one of the preferred questions was "how would you like to die". We also looked at some famous photographs and then tried to describe them en francais!
Martine then wanted to show us the Paris III (or La Sorbonne) campus, so we took the bus over and then eventually found the campus....unfortunately, I had to leave early to get to swim practice! I foolishly thought that leaving there at 3:15 for a 4pm practice would give me enough time to get there, but how mistaken I was. I've learned that the wonderful thing about the metro is that it's rarely late and there's no traffic. The downside? It's never really early, and it can't really speed up at all either. So I didn't get home until about 3:50 to get my stuff and then I had to make my way back to the metro, and got off a few stops down, but then was disoriented, and went entirely the wrong way, and so I didn't get to the pool until about 4:25...whoops. So I was able to swim for an hour or so -- I don't even know exactly what all we did because I was too distracted by trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing! There were about 7 people in the competition group with me and then the rest of the pool was open to the public. But overall, it went well! I'll get to learn a bunch of French, and it's exciting to have something else to do besides go to class and wander around, and it's with REAL FRENCH PEOPLE.
I walked home after that (after finding my way back to the metro station so I would know where to go), and attempted to do some reading! But now that I have internet back, it was easy to distract myself....
Dinner this evening was leftover risotto along with these little half crescent pastry-type things filled with shrimp and other stuff! Quite good -- a Portuguese speciality! And even though I said I didn't like shrimp, I tried one and it didn't taste very "shrimpy"...
It's nice to finally (practically) have my schedule set now. The swimming hours are a little funky, but I think it will be nice to be with a team and a coach who yells out times (in French!) and the like.
Photo of the day: Eglise de Saint Vincent de Paul (with the bird-kicker)
A tout a l'heure!
Hier, Parce-que j'ai l'internet encore!
Finalement, une équipe de la natation!
Sorry, still without internet today (Tuesday), so I’m writing with the anticipation of posting this tomorrow. Again, started my day off with a nice run – went across the river and ran along side on the “rive droite” for a while and then ended up getting a little lost and so I ran a little farther than anticipated. Oh well!
I got ready for the day, and then around noon, I headed off to the St. Germain des Pres metro station to meet Mimi Bell (Amherst ’11) for lunch! We found a crèperie that she had eaten at before, and they had a reasonable prix fixe menu, so we decided to eat there! We both started with a “Salade Parisienne” which was lettuce, tomatoes, and then chopped up ham and cheese on top with a light dressing! Pretty delicious. For my “plat” course (here, “entrée” is what we call an appetizer, and “plat” is what we call an “entrée” – gets kind of confusing), I had a crêpe with chicken and cheese (tasted like gruyère). Very yummy! Crispy on the outside, and a sweet and salty combination. Delicious.
From there, I started on my trek to find the building for my Middlebury class on the history of the relations between France and Africa. I finally found it – kind of a tucked away building in a neat part of the 8th arrondissement. The class was all girls (many from Smith) and one guy (from Hamilton), and the professor seems really eager and interested in the subject, which is always a good sign. It sounds like it’s going to be a really interesting course!
After class, I spotted a church that I wanted to go look at down the street. So I wandered down and looked around – as always, extremely incredible. The only issue was finding my way back to a metro station…which after crossing about 39485 different streets, I did. And I took the metro back home to get ready for SWIMMING.
The Piscine Bromet is only about a 20 minute walk from my house. I showed up around 6 along with all of these kids with their parents. In order to join the team, one has to pass a “swim test”. I clarified that I was hoping to be in the group de “competition”, and did my swim test with a guy (who was about my age) named Jean-Bernard. He said that he would follow me for the first 100 free and he basically caught me, and then I told him to go for the 100 IM and then I caught him in the backstroke. The instructor said that we were both more than okay in the competition group. So I’m going tomorrow for my first practice! Yay! I’m very much looking forward to it.
I walked home after my “test” and had dinner with Marilu and Alain. We had seasoned pork chops (yum!) and green beans, and then cheese and some dessert! They were both headed out to a meeting, so I went and bought butter and made some cookies…last time for a while (so I told myself) with classes getting going and such! I’m planning on bringing them into class tomorrow.
Glad to find out that I do indeed have a break at the end of October for about 10 days which is very exciting! So I’m go ing to try and figure out what to do for that….
Photo of Monday: Cluny/La Sorbonne Metro Station
Photo of Yesterday: The random church I wandered in after class....
A Tout a L’heure!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Les claviers des français sont plus difficiles.
This is going to be a quick one because I am using Alain's computer and the keyboard is all different and so it's taking me much longer to type....
Started my day off with a run and then got ready and went to my architecture class at Reid Hall. The professor is pretty funny -- he's really into punk rock and going to clubs and dancing and he asked us all if we went to see the gay pride events this weekend...none of us did. But we spent the class going over the generic history of architecture in France and the syllabus.
I then went to lunch with the girls from the class -- I brought my leftover salad from yesterday and some leftover pasta from last night's dinner -- actually pretty good! We ate in the Jardin du Luxembourg, which isn't too shabby...
I did some work in Reid Hal while waiting for my next class at 4,my Théatre class! The professor also teaches at Paris III, and he's very enthusiastic which is pretty great. We did some basic first-day-of-class stuff and went over all the plays we'll be going to throughout the semester! (more about that later) The only difficult thing is that the class is two and a half hours long...
After class let out, a few of us went on a hunt to buy the first play (L'Avare by Molière) which proved harder than expected. Some how we were able to find 4 used copies at this bookstore that were 50 centimes each! crazy.
I was on my own for dinner because Alain and Marilu were at his mother's t celebrate her birthday! But they left me a steak to cook and I had some cheese and green beans! Very good! tried to finally get my schedule down on paper after dinner....hopefully it won't change much!
photo of the day -- coming tomorrow, but it's of one of the coolest metro stations in the city! i don't have access to internet at the moment on my computer.
Alors, à tout à l'heure!
Started my day off with a run and then got ready and went to my architecture class at Reid Hall. The professor is pretty funny -- he's really into punk rock and going to clubs and dancing and he asked us all if we went to see the gay pride events this weekend...none of us did. But we spent the class going over the generic history of architecture in France and the syllabus.
I then went to lunch with the girls from the class -- I brought my leftover salad from yesterday and some leftover pasta from last night's dinner -- actually pretty good! We ate in the Jardin du Luxembourg, which isn't too shabby...
I did some work in Reid Hal while waiting for my next class at 4,my Théatre class! The professor also teaches at Paris III, and he's very enthusiastic which is pretty great. We did some basic first-day-of-class stuff and went over all the plays we'll be going to throughout the semester! (more about that later) The only difficult thing is that the class is two and a half hours long...
After class let out, a few of us went on a hunt to buy the first play (L'Avare by Molière) which proved harder than expected. Some how we were able to find 4 used copies at this bookstore that were 50 centimes each! crazy.
I was on my own for dinner because Alain and Marilu were at his mother's t celebrate her birthday! But they left me a steak to cook and I had some cheese and green beans! Very good! tried to finally get my schedule down on paper after dinner....hopefully it won't change much!
photo of the day -- coming tomorrow, but it's of one of the coolest metro stations in the city! i don't have access to internet at the moment on my computer.
Alors, à tout à l'heure!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Attendre.
So today was all about waiting. For the second day of "Les journees du patrimoines", Katie and I decided to visit the "Palais de l'Elysee", also known as where Sarkozy lives, which is only open to the public these two days out of the year. Well, we weren't alone, at all. We both got there around 8:30, which is when it opened, and the line already went down the entire street, and wrapped around the park at the other end. Since we didn't really have anything we were going to do, we decided to wait. And wait. And wait some more. And finally, after SIX HOURS (or 360 minutes, or 21,600 seconds -- choose whichever sounds most painful), we entered the Palais.
It was indeed pretty amazing! I don't know about 6-hours-of-waiting amazing, but at least now I can say that I've been there, and never have to go again. They had a tour set up through about 4 rooms on the first floor -- mostly "salons" and a few "salles a manger" -- one which Pompidou had completely redone to be all white and modern. Very odd. Then we had to go outside over to another part, which was the grand ballroom. They had the whole table set like it was for a formal dinner which was pretty neat -- incredible ceiling! We then continued on to more "salons" and offices, and got to go upstairs where "salon vert" was, which was set up for a conference. The tour concluded with the president's (and former presidents') cars in the front courtyard which were very cool!
Anyways, overall, I'm glad we went. It was, I think, the longest I have ever waited for something. The security and logistics for the entire thing were amazing -- apparently, Sarkozy and Carla were there yesterday morning to great people, but not today. Oh well. Maybe another time!
When we finally left, it was about 4pm and we hadn't eaten lunch (and we all know that I'm a delight to be around when I have low blood sugar...). So we looked around for some place to grab lunch, which because it was a Sunday afternoon, was not easy at all. We ALMOST (I repeat, almost) resorted to going to Starbucks, but then found a boulangerie that had sandwiches and the like, so we decided to go there. I got a salad which had tomatoes, corn, carrots, turkey, and some cheese, and Heinz "Salad Sauce" in the little packets. Yum! At least it came with a piece of bread...
We headed home after that and I watched some French TV (which was actually some terrible American teen show dubbed over in French) and waited for Alain and Marilu to return home. Simple but delicious dinner of pasta with tomatoes and olive oil! Yum! And grated gruyere on top. And the pasta was in shapes! I was suprised that that wasn't just an American thing...
Long day, so it's time to head to bed! (They make it pretty easy when they start watching tv in Portuguese...)
Photos of the day: Me and Katie in front of the Palais/Fountain and the Grand Salle in the Palais
A tout a l'heure!
It was indeed pretty amazing! I don't know about 6-hours-of-waiting amazing, but at least now I can say that I've been there, and never have to go again. They had a tour set up through about 4 rooms on the first floor -- mostly "salons" and a few "salles a manger" -- one which Pompidou had completely redone to be all white and modern. Very odd. Then we had to go outside over to another part, which was the grand ballroom. They had the whole table set like it was for a formal dinner which was pretty neat -- incredible ceiling! We then continued on to more "salons" and offices, and got to go upstairs where "salon vert" was, which was set up for a conference. The tour concluded with the president's (and former presidents') cars in the front courtyard which were very cool!
Anyways, overall, I'm glad we went. It was, I think, the longest I have ever waited for something. The security and logistics for the entire thing were amazing -- apparently, Sarkozy and Carla were there yesterday morning to great people, but not today. Oh well. Maybe another time!
When we finally left, it was about 4pm and we hadn't eaten lunch (and we all know that I'm a delight to be around when I have low blood sugar...). So we looked around for some place to grab lunch, which because it was a Sunday afternoon, was not easy at all. We ALMOST (I repeat, almost) resorted to going to Starbucks, but then found a boulangerie that had sandwiches and the like, so we decided to go there. I got a salad which had tomatoes, corn, carrots, turkey, and some cheese, and Heinz "Salad Sauce" in the little packets. Yum! At least it came with a piece of bread...
We headed home after that and I watched some French TV (which was actually some terrible American teen show dubbed over in French) and waited for Alain and Marilu to return home. Simple but delicious dinner of pasta with tomatoes and olive oil! Yum! And grated gruyere on top. And the pasta was in shapes! I was suprised that that wasn't just an American thing...
Long day, so it's time to head to bed! (They make it pretty easy when they start watching tv in Portuguese...)
Photos of the day: Me and Katie in front of the Palais/Fountain and the Grand Salle in the Palais
Saturday, September 17, 2011
La premiere Journee du Patrimoine!
I decided to sleep in this morning, and so I woke up around 10, and leisurely had my usual breakfast of cereal and yogurt. I finally put up a few pictures on my walls -- well, on the metal bars of my loft bed, but basically the same. And after puttering around for a bit, I decided to make another attempt on the shortbread front...which proved to be successful! Or more so than the first time. I decreased the proportion of cake flour to regular flour, and I also spread the dough out more so that the pieces would be thinner! Much better -- very flaky, melt in your mouth shortbread (coated in superfine sugar of course).
After my baking, I headed out with Katie to find some lunch, which we did not far from chez moi at a cafe/restaurant. I finally found whole wheat bread! Which here, is called "cereale" bread. Inside my "cereale" bread, I had some chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and a cream cheese type spread -- we tried to figure out what it was, but it was difficult to tell....
From lunch, we took the metro to the 12ieme arr. to the Cinamatheque Francaise which is one of the largest film archives in the world and also has a museum in it as well. It was an odd place -- about 5 or 6 rooms total, filled with old film equipment, costumes, posters, photos, etc. It was also clear upon arriving in this arr., that we were in a very different place than what we were used to...lots of Asian food restaurants, newer buildings, dirtier streets -- probably not my preferred arrondissement.
We decided to visit one more thing today, and after seeing the massive line at the Assemblee Nationale (which is only open to the public today and tomorrow), we tried the L'Hotel des Invalides. Much less crowded -- and really incredible place! Not only is the building amazing (and enormous), it also holds ancient armor, canons, Napoleon's tomb, etc. It was busy, but not overwhelmingly so, which was nice!
I saw Katie's apartment after that (which is incredible), and we searched for a dinner spot! We ended up chosing "Cesare Pizzaria" (or something very similar to that), which wasn't far from her place -- just off of Blvd. St. Germain. The menu was in Italian and English which seemed interesting, but the food did not disappoint for our first meal out in Paris! I ordered the Trio di Pates which included a little bit of each of the following: fresh linguine in a delicious red sauce with tomatoes, homemade raviolis in a pesto & cream sauce, and incredible gnocchi (which were like little pillows) in a gorgonzola cream sauce. Absolutely delicious. And of course the bread was pretty darn good, too! Anyone looking for good Italian food (and generous portions), should give this place a try!
Not too much after that -- we picked up a little dessert on our way back in the pouring down rain. I got a little chocolate cake that had a gooey (kind of like a molten chocolate cake, but not warm) center, which was heavenly. And I successfully made it home on the subway all by myself! The subway at night is NOT my favorite thing in the world...but I suppose it's better than walking!
Photos of the day:
After my baking, I headed out with Katie to find some lunch, which we did not far from chez moi at a cafe/restaurant. I finally found whole wheat bread! Which here, is called "cereale" bread. Inside my "cereale" bread, I had some chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and a cream cheese type spread -- we tried to figure out what it was, but it was difficult to tell....
From lunch, we took the metro to the 12ieme arr. to the Cinamatheque Francaise which is one of the largest film archives in the world and also has a museum in it as well. It was an odd place -- about 5 or 6 rooms total, filled with old film equipment, costumes, posters, photos, etc. It was also clear upon arriving in this arr., that we were in a very different place than what we were used to...lots of Asian food restaurants, newer buildings, dirtier streets -- probably not my preferred arrondissement.
We decided to visit one more thing today, and after seeing the massive line at the Assemblee Nationale (which is only open to the public today and tomorrow), we tried the L'Hotel des Invalides. Much less crowded -- and really incredible place! Not only is the building amazing (and enormous), it also holds ancient armor, canons, Napoleon's tomb, etc. It was busy, but not overwhelmingly so, which was nice!
I saw Katie's apartment after that (which is incredible), and we searched for a dinner spot! We ended up chosing "Cesare Pizzaria" (or something very similar to that), which wasn't far from her place -- just off of Blvd. St. Germain. The menu was in Italian and English which seemed interesting, but the food did not disappoint for our first meal out in Paris! I ordered the Trio di Pates which included a little bit of each of the following: fresh linguine in a delicious red sauce with tomatoes, homemade raviolis in a pesto & cream sauce, and incredible gnocchi (which were like little pillows) in a gorgonzola cream sauce. Absolutely delicious. And of course the bread was pretty darn good, too! Anyone looking for good Italian food (and generous portions), should give this place a try!
Not too much after that -- we picked up a little dessert on our way back in the pouring down rain. I got a little chocolate cake that had a gooey (kind of like a molten chocolate cake, but not warm) center, which was heavenly. And I successfully made it home on the subway all by myself! The subway at night is NOT my favorite thing in the world...but I suppose it's better than walking!
Photos of the day:
A tout a l'heure!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Parce-que je ne veux pas sortir.
Once again started my day off with a run -- this time going all the way around the "Grand Palais" on the "rive droite". Quite a lovely run, but it continues to be difficult to weave in and out of people going to school, work, etc. And then also being distracted by the wafting scents of the boulangeries as they bake their baguettes/croissants/pain au chocolat/etc. Not very considerate of them.
I again ran into frustrations with the Parisian bus system when I waited a good 15 minutes for a bus line that's supposed to come 9 times an hour (you do the math). So I ended up being a bit late for my "langue orale" class where we listened to Jacques Brel's "Le plat pays" to practice our listening skills.
I waited for Alex to finish his "langue orale" class which was after mine, and then we headed off to lunch. I had seen a few girls get this delicious salmon sandwich from the boulangerie down the street -- and so I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed -- the bread was thicker than a baguette, but had a hard crust, almost like it had been toast, and was covered in sesame seeds. The inside was filled with slices of salmon, lettuce, tomato, and what tasted like a cream cheese spread. Extremely delicious, and all for a mere 4,30 euros. Not too shabby!
We ate in the Jardin du Luxembourg before making our way to the 4e arr. for the group tour of the "Marais quartier". There were about 15 of us who joined Martine and Mme Palmer (who will be teaching an art history class this semester -- I'm not taking it though). It's a beautiful older neighborhood with many churches, restaurants, cafes, and cool shops. We went through the "Eglise Saint Jean Saint Louis" (I think that was the name), and walked through the streets to get to another church which was in the gothique style. All very pretty.
After the tour finished (which had been advertized as lasting 1h30, but ended up being over 2 hours), Katie and I walked to the Ile-Saint-Louis -- which is a tiny island in the middle of the Seine (only about 3 or 4 roads), but Katie had heard they have the best ice cream. So clearly, we had to check it out. I got "un boule" de "chocolat noir" -- and unlike the US, French ice cream scoops are indeed the size of the scoop. Not a lick more. But to my delight, the ice cream was about as thick as fudge, and had a rich dark chocolate flavor. And as much as I wanted more, un boule was probably enough.
On my way home, I had my first experience with a completely packed subway car -- I literally stepped on, and could go no further. Luckily, I only had to wait two stops before switching lines to one that was much emptier -- I'm very proud that I no longer have to look at the map every time I get on a new subway line and that I actually appear to know what I'm doing.
Dinner! Yum yum. Just about my favorite part of the day! Marilu asked if I liked risotto, and I answered "bien sur!". So after an appetizer of chopped fresh tomatoes in olive oil, she presented a bowl of steaming risotto, which was a bit different than I expected, but delicious none the less. There was still broth around the outside of the rice (I'm not sure what she used as broth), and then there were mushrooms, dried tomatos, and lemon zest in it! Very interesting combo, but it really was yummy! Dinner was followed by a piece of my preferred Portugese cheese and bread, and a small pear. And one (or two? They were all in pieces so it was hard to count...of my chocolate chip cookies. Which I'm going to have to start taking to my classmates if there's any chance of me still fitting into my pants at Christmas).
Marilu invited me for an after-dinner promenade around the Champs de Mars which was delightful, and now I'm watching NCIS which is dubbed in French -- the voices are not at all the same which is a bit disconcerting.
Things that still cause me to reflicher: French lack of concern about refridgeration. For example, the leftover quiche remains in the oven (which is off of course), milk isn't put in the fridge until it's about to be consumed, etc. I have yet to get sick, so I'm going to pretend that I don't see it happening....Also, how French kids/teenagers are always better dressed than I am, and I don't think I've seen a single overweight child my entire time here. I think there are more, but I can't remember them right now.
I'm preparing a list of things to do over the weekend which is the "journees du patrimonie" where the government opens up a bunch of their buildings to the public, and visiting everything (those plus the places that are normally open) is free! Pretty cool!
As for the picture(s) of the day -- again, one more serious than the other....I'm convinced that when the French write their signs in English, they never know exactly what they're saying....
I again ran into frustrations with the Parisian bus system when I waited a good 15 minutes for a bus line that's supposed to come 9 times an hour (you do the math). So I ended up being a bit late for my "langue orale" class where we listened to Jacques Brel's "Le plat pays" to practice our listening skills.
I waited for Alex to finish his "langue orale" class which was after mine, and then we headed off to lunch. I had seen a few girls get this delicious salmon sandwich from the boulangerie down the street -- and so I knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed -- the bread was thicker than a baguette, but had a hard crust, almost like it had been toast, and was covered in sesame seeds. The inside was filled with slices of salmon, lettuce, tomato, and what tasted like a cream cheese spread. Extremely delicious, and all for a mere 4,30 euros. Not too shabby!
We ate in the Jardin du Luxembourg before making our way to the 4e arr. for the group tour of the "Marais quartier". There were about 15 of us who joined Martine and Mme Palmer (who will be teaching an art history class this semester -- I'm not taking it though). It's a beautiful older neighborhood with many churches, restaurants, cafes, and cool shops. We went through the "Eglise Saint Jean Saint Louis" (I think that was the name), and walked through the streets to get to another church which was in the gothique style. All very pretty.
After the tour finished (which had been advertized as lasting 1h30, but ended up being over 2 hours), Katie and I walked to the Ile-Saint-Louis -- which is a tiny island in the middle of the Seine (only about 3 or 4 roads), but Katie had heard they have the best ice cream. So clearly, we had to check it out. I got "un boule" de "chocolat noir" -- and unlike the US, French ice cream scoops are indeed the size of the scoop. Not a lick more. But to my delight, the ice cream was about as thick as fudge, and had a rich dark chocolate flavor. And as much as I wanted more, un boule was probably enough.
On my way home, I had my first experience with a completely packed subway car -- I literally stepped on, and could go no further. Luckily, I only had to wait two stops before switching lines to one that was much emptier -- I'm very proud that I no longer have to look at the map every time I get on a new subway line and that I actually appear to know what I'm doing.
Dinner! Yum yum. Just about my favorite part of the day! Marilu asked if I liked risotto, and I answered "bien sur!". So after an appetizer of chopped fresh tomatoes in olive oil, she presented a bowl of steaming risotto, which was a bit different than I expected, but delicious none the less. There was still broth around the outside of the rice (I'm not sure what she used as broth), and then there were mushrooms, dried tomatos, and lemon zest in it! Very interesting combo, but it really was yummy! Dinner was followed by a piece of my preferred Portugese cheese and bread, and a small pear. And one (or two? They were all in pieces so it was hard to count...of my chocolate chip cookies. Which I'm going to have to start taking to my classmates if there's any chance of me still fitting into my pants at Christmas).
Marilu invited me for an after-dinner promenade around the Champs de Mars which was delightful, and now I'm watching NCIS which is dubbed in French -- the voices are not at all the same which is a bit disconcerting.
Things that still cause me to reflicher: French lack of concern about refridgeration. For example, the leftover quiche remains in the oven (which is off of course), milk isn't put in the fridge until it's about to be consumed, etc. I have yet to get sick, so I'm going to pretend that I don't see it happening....Also, how French kids/teenagers are always better dressed than I am, and I don't think I've seen a single overweight child my entire time here. I think there are more, but I can't remember them right now.
I'm preparing a list of things to do over the weekend which is the "journees du patrimonie" where the government opens up a bunch of their buildings to the public, and visiting everything (those plus the places that are normally open) is free! Pretty cool!
As for the picture(s) of the day -- again, one more serious than the other....I'm convinced that when the French write their signs in English, they never know exactly what they're saying....
A tout a l'heure!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Plus fatiguee.
I think that everything caught up with me today! I started with a 40 minute run again -- this time I crossed the Seine to the "Rive Droit" -- first time to the other side! And also past the "Hotel des Invalides" (again, hotel meaning mansion, not a Marriott).
I had my meeting with our director Martine this morning to finalize my classes -- in addition to the architecture course, I'm taking a Theater course (as my literature course), a class in the history of the relations between France and Africa, and a course in the Economics of Development which is at the Institute Catholique. So hopefully that will be a pretty balanced course load!
I then headed to lunch with Alex and Justin (Alex is from Amherst, Justin from Hamilton) and they introduced me to a place that has "Pates a emporter" -- so for 4,50 euros, I got a little(ish) carton (think Chinese food) of pasta shells with my choice of sauce -- I chose pesto vert with parmesan on top. It wasn't amazing, but not bad at all! I also brought some of the chocolate chip cookies that I made last night...needless to say, they held up pretty well.
Because Justin had class, Alex and I continued to wander around the area by ourselves. Very interesting to see the differences in the neighborhoods. We decided on trying to make our way to the cemetery near Montparnasse. Morbid, I know. But very cool. Filled with beautiful stone work and tombs -- it's really just incredible.
After meandering, we headed back to Reid Hall (Hamilton's home base along with many other schools), for a presentation with Katia (our student assistant) who presented on how to find activities in Paris. There's SO much to do -- hard to know where to start. After that, I accompagnied Katie to her class at SciencesPo so that I could see the buildings -- unfortunately, I got somewhat lost trying to find a useful bus stop, and ended up missing the group tour down the Seine on the Bateau Mouche -- I was not happy about it.
So I decided to just walk home, since I wasn't too far, and I was tired from walking all day long. I actually ran into Marilu in the street while she was going to the grocery store to pick up some pie crust, and so we walked home together.
Dinner! Which was delicious. Appetizer of canteloupe and then a quiche with creme fraiche, eggs, cheese and ham. Yum. Yum. Yum. Followed by a small cheese course -- my favorite cheese is the Portugese cheese that's about as hard as a rock, but has a nice flavor (almost like parmesan) and is also delicious when eaten with Portugese bread (which is extremely dense, and has almost a sweet taste to it -- so so good).
That's about it for today! I'm currently sitting in the living while Alain watches the debate among the Socialist candidates for the French election. Exciting! (not really). The unfortunate/fortunate thing is that I've found it rather easy to tune out French when I don't feel like listening (but the flip side is that when I do listen, I can almost understand everything I hear now).
Picture(s) of the day! I couldn't decide, so I thought I'd pick one from each side of the spectrum:
I had my meeting with our director Martine this morning to finalize my classes -- in addition to the architecture course, I'm taking a Theater course (as my literature course), a class in the history of the relations between France and Africa, and a course in the Economics of Development which is at the Institute Catholique. So hopefully that will be a pretty balanced course load!
I then headed to lunch with Alex and Justin (Alex is from Amherst, Justin from Hamilton) and they introduced me to a place that has "Pates a emporter" -- so for 4,50 euros, I got a little(ish) carton (think Chinese food) of pasta shells with my choice of sauce -- I chose pesto vert with parmesan on top. It wasn't amazing, but not bad at all! I also brought some of the chocolate chip cookies that I made last night...needless to say, they held up pretty well.
Because Justin had class, Alex and I continued to wander around the area by ourselves. Very interesting to see the differences in the neighborhoods. We decided on trying to make our way to the cemetery near Montparnasse. Morbid, I know. But very cool. Filled with beautiful stone work and tombs -- it's really just incredible.
After meandering, we headed back to Reid Hall (Hamilton's home base along with many other schools), for a presentation with Katia (our student assistant) who presented on how to find activities in Paris. There's SO much to do -- hard to know where to start. After that, I accompagnied Katie to her class at SciencesPo so that I could see the buildings -- unfortunately, I got somewhat lost trying to find a useful bus stop, and ended up missing the group tour down the Seine on the Bateau Mouche -- I was not happy about it.
So I decided to just walk home, since I wasn't too far, and I was tired from walking all day long. I actually ran into Marilu in the street while she was going to the grocery store to pick up some pie crust, and so we walked home together.
Dinner! Which was delicious. Appetizer of canteloupe and then a quiche with creme fraiche, eggs, cheese and ham. Yum. Yum. Yum. Followed by a small cheese course -- my favorite cheese is the Portugese cheese that's about as hard as a rock, but has a nice flavor (almost like parmesan) and is also delicious when eaten with Portugese bread (which is extremely dense, and has almost a sweet taste to it -- so so good).
That's about it for today! I'm currently sitting in the living while Alain watches the debate among the Socialist candidates for the French election. Exciting! (not really). The unfortunate/fortunate thing is that I've found it rather easy to tune out French when I don't feel like listening (but the flip side is that when I do listen, I can almost understand everything I hear now).
Picture(s) of the day! I couldn't decide, so I thought I'd pick one from each side of the spectrum:
A tout a l'heure!
And Jen -- I'll try to get a picture of the building soon! It's not super exciting, but I'll post one at some point.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Avec les jambes fatiguees.
I worried that I would soon run out of things to write about, but I'm not sure if that's really going to be true. I began my day with a run, like Monday, but this time prepared myself for the fact that I'd be running with half the population of Paris. Suggestion to those ever thinking of running in Paris: avoid "les trottoirs" -- also known as the sidewalk. Especially at 8:30am, when everyone is going to work. Very overwhelming. Stick to the Champs de Mars (comme moi), or les Jardins du Luxembourg, etc. Much better.
I then prepared myself for my FIRST CLASS which I expected to be terrifying, but was actually anything but. I'm taking an architecture course with Hollins College, which turns out is composed of 5 girls (including me), and the professor who is maybe 35 and was dressed in somewhat of a "punk" style. I expected a man of no less than 70 wearing a suit. We met at the metro station "Cluny" in the Latin Quartier (5th arr.), and after talking for a bit, we went to see the "Thermes de Cluny" and the "L'hotel de Cluny" -- and also learned that "L'hotel" is NOT anything like a Marriott, but a word used to describe a mansion. Also, that the abbee de Cluny was just as powerful as the pope during that time. Pretty interesting. We also walked to the Eglise de Saint Severin -- very beautiful.
I was invited to dine with the Hollins girls for lunch which I took them up on -- I immediately saw the difference between the programs we're in (not to be haughty), but as soon as we were done with class, we only spoke English. Absolutely no attempt to speak French. (Our director made us sign another contract upon arriving in Paris to assure we would only speak French). But we got paninis at a little shop that was flooded with high schoolers -- I got "Le Special" which consisted of chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and some basil. Delicieux! We took out sandwiches to the Jardins du Luxembourg and sat on the lawn until we were chased off by a security guard...
After that, I decided to take a bit of a stoll by myself to see Notre Dame. Well I was clearly not alone...incredible place, but too crowded. Too hot. So I didn't stay long, and figured I have just a few more months to go see it. I then visited the Monoprix to get some school supplies and other stuff. Everything is really expensive.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with Marilu going grocery shopping which turned out to be quite the exercise...She took me to "Dio" which is a discount grocery store -- everything was pretty cheap, but I soon realized why when I saw yogurt that expires tomorrow, and older vegetables in the aisles, and only two employees at the cash registers...Then, she took me to the American grocery store called "The Real McCoy" which was quite the place. In my attempts to find the materials for chocolate chip cookies, I had wanted to check this place out. Well, guess how much a bag of Nestle Semisweet Chocolate Chips cost? 7,50 euros. Let me repeat that, 7,50 euros. Which according the xe.com, is equal to $10.32. For a bag of chocolate chips. So clearly, we left those there, and got some bars of chocolate at the Franprix which I chopped up -- the cookies actually turned out pretty well! I'd say that they were more of a success than the shortbread. The only other thing that was different, was that there's not really "brown sugar" in France, so I had to use pure cane sugar. But it seemed to work okay.
Soooo, dinner wasn't super interesting tonight -- cauliflower and pork chops with a cheese course after! We had gouda, chevre, and two other types that I can't remember the names of...but that's about it! Lots of time spent playing with Pastel (the cat) who likes to sit next to Alain at dinner and reach his paw up to the table to ask for food -- he loves meat. It's pretty hysterical.
Photo of the day aujourd'hui is Notre Dame! Not super exciting, but it's quite striking!
I then prepared myself for my FIRST CLASS which I expected to be terrifying, but was actually anything but. I'm taking an architecture course with Hollins College, which turns out is composed of 5 girls (including me), and the professor who is maybe 35 and was dressed in somewhat of a "punk" style. I expected a man of no less than 70 wearing a suit. We met at the metro station "Cluny" in the Latin Quartier (5th arr.), and after talking for a bit, we went to see the "Thermes de Cluny" and the "L'hotel de Cluny" -- and also learned that "L'hotel" is NOT anything like a Marriott, but a word used to describe a mansion. Also, that the abbee de Cluny was just as powerful as the pope during that time. Pretty interesting. We also walked to the Eglise de Saint Severin -- very beautiful.
I was invited to dine with the Hollins girls for lunch which I took them up on -- I immediately saw the difference between the programs we're in (not to be haughty), but as soon as we were done with class, we only spoke English. Absolutely no attempt to speak French. (Our director made us sign another contract upon arriving in Paris to assure we would only speak French). But we got paninis at a little shop that was flooded with high schoolers -- I got "Le Special" which consisted of chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and some basil. Delicieux! We took out sandwiches to the Jardins du Luxembourg and sat on the lawn until we were chased off by a security guard...
After that, I decided to take a bit of a stoll by myself to see Notre Dame. Well I was clearly not alone...incredible place, but too crowded. Too hot. So I didn't stay long, and figured I have just a few more months to go see it. I then visited the Monoprix to get some school supplies and other stuff. Everything is really expensive.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with Marilu going grocery shopping which turned out to be quite the exercise...She took me to "Dio" which is a discount grocery store -- everything was pretty cheap, but I soon realized why when I saw yogurt that expires tomorrow, and older vegetables in the aisles, and only two employees at the cash registers...Then, she took me to the American grocery store called "The Real McCoy" which was quite the place. In my attempts to find the materials for chocolate chip cookies, I had wanted to check this place out. Well, guess how much a bag of Nestle Semisweet Chocolate Chips cost? 7,50 euros. Let me repeat that, 7,50 euros. Which according the xe.com, is equal to $10.32. For a bag of chocolate chips. So clearly, we left those there, and got some bars of chocolate at the Franprix which I chopped up -- the cookies actually turned out pretty well! I'd say that they were more of a success than the shortbread. The only other thing that was different, was that there's not really "brown sugar" in France, so I had to use pure cane sugar. But it seemed to work okay.
Soooo, dinner wasn't super interesting tonight -- cauliflower and pork chops with a cheese course after! We had gouda, chevre, and two other types that I can't remember the names of...but that's about it! Lots of time spent playing with Pastel (the cat) who likes to sit next to Alain at dinner and reach his paw up to the table to ask for food -- he loves meat. It's pretty hysterical.
Photo of the day aujourd'hui is Notre Dame! Not super exciting, but it's quite striking!
A tout a l'heure!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Un peu plus stresse
Today was a bit more hectic. Marilu and I went walking around this morning so that she could show me all of the "hot spots" for shopping, etc. Great to find so many places close by! I believe that Monoprix will be my new go-to place for just about everything -- think Target? Plus a grocery store upstairs. But they have everything from clothes, to make up, to back-to-school supplies.
The goal was to get to "Piscine Keller" which opened around noon. We finally found it, and waited for the doors to open (along with about 60 others). I wasn't exactly sure what all was going on, but we got to the front of the line after about 10 minutes and Marilu asked about signing up for a club/group. The woman responded by saying that I could come back around 5pm to do a "niveau test" and then I would be assigned a group that would practice once a week. Yes, une fois par semaine. I believe when I first started swimming at the age of 6, I was at least going twice a week (right, Mom?). Anyways, it will stay on the list for open swim possibilities, but that's about it.
Marilu was then nice enough to treat me to lunch! We stopped by a Lebanese restaurant that made sandwiches (chicken or beef) with meet that was rotating on an enormous skewer. We watched them make our "poulet" sandwiches by taking a pita, lining it with a white-ish sauce (almost like hummus?), then adding lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and then shaving chicken into the middle and pressing it like a panini! Pretty darn good.
I then had my "langue orale" class for about an hour -- nothing too excited. I left there with the intentions of finding another piscine on my list -- Piscine Saint Germain. After not at all following the directions I had written down (not intentionally not following them), I eventually found it, and looked at the pool -- 5 lanes, 25m. Definitely another open swim option. THEN, (a highlight of the day?) successfully used the Metro BY MYSELF to get home. Quite an accomplishment.
I then had my first baking adventure....I decided, since no one was home, to go down to "Simply" which is the larger grocery store nearby -- only about 5 minute walk. I had intended to try chocolate chip cookies, but after being unsuccessful in a hunt for brown sugar, I changed courses: shortbread. And sure enough, I could find butter, flour, cake flour, and superfine sugar. So I returned home, not knowing where anything was, and proceded to make shortbread dough by hand (literally). Since I wasn't sure how to use the oven, I waited for Alain to return home who thankfully said "biensur" I could use the oven, and gave me a thorough instruction on how to work it (this was after he looked terrified thinking that I was going to put the plastic glad-ware bowls in the oven....I know I'm American, but come on). So I transferred the dough into a METAL pan and baked it at what I thought the corresponding Celsius temperature was....Anyways, all in all, it didn't turn out too badly. A little doughy and thick, but with those incredients, which are then coated in sugar, how bad could it be?
Not much to say on dinner -- sauteed chicken with pureed broccoli (that was a new one) that she melted in the microwave (think frozen pesto cubes), and some of the couscous from day one. Not bad at all, but not very exciting. And can you tell that I'm a bit food centered? I guess I find it one of the most interesting ways to see differences (and there's so much crazy food here) and similarities.
Had a lovely finish to the day with a walk around the Champs de Mars with Katie which is where I took my picture of the day (which is another part of this I'd like to continue). Pretty spectacular, huh? I think it's infinitely more impressive at night.
A tout a l'heure!
The goal was to get to "Piscine Keller" which opened around noon. We finally found it, and waited for the doors to open (along with about 60 others). I wasn't exactly sure what all was going on, but we got to the front of the line after about 10 minutes and Marilu asked about signing up for a club/group. The woman responded by saying that I could come back around 5pm to do a "niveau test" and then I would be assigned a group that would practice once a week. Yes, une fois par semaine. I believe when I first started swimming at the age of 6, I was at least going twice a week (right, Mom?). Anyways, it will stay on the list for open swim possibilities, but that's about it.
Marilu was then nice enough to treat me to lunch! We stopped by a Lebanese restaurant that made sandwiches (chicken or beef) with meet that was rotating on an enormous skewer. We watched them make our "poulet" sandwiches by taking a pita, lining it with a white-ish sauce (almost like hummus?), then adding lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and then shaving chicken into the middle and pressing it like a panini! Pretty darn good.
I then had my "langue orale" class for about an hour -- nothing too excited. I left there with the intentions of finding another piscine on my list -- Piscine Saint Germain. After not at all following the directions I had written down (not intentionally not following them), I eventually found it, and looked at the pool -- 5 lanes, 25m. Definitely another open swim option. THEN, (a highlight of the day?) successfully used the Metro BY MYSELF to get home. Quite an accomplishment.
I then had my first baking adventure....I decided, since no one was home, to go down to "Simply" which is the larger grocery store nearby -- only about 5 minute walk. I had intended to try chocolate chip cookies, but after being unsuccessful in a hunt for brown sugar, I changed courses: shortbread. And sure enough, I could find butter, flour, cake flour, and superfine sugar. So I returned home, not knowing where anything was, and proceded to make shortbread dough by hand (literally). Since I wasn't sure how to use the oven, I waited for Alain to return home who thankfully said "biensur" I could use the oven, and gave me a thorough instruction on how to work it (this was after he looked terrified thinking that I was going to put the plastic glad-ware bowls in the oven....I know I'm American, but come on). So I transferred the dough into a METAL pan and baked it at what I thought the corresponding Celsius temperature was....Anyways, all in all, it didn't turn out too badly. A little doughy and thick, but with those incredients, which are then coated in sugar, how bad could it be?
Not much to say on dinner -- sauteed chicken with pureed broccoli (that was a new one) that she melted in the microwave (think frozen pesto cubes), and some of the couscous from day one. Not bad at all, but not very exciting. And can you tell that I'm a bit food centered? I guess I find it one of the most interesting ways to see differences (and there's so much crazy food here) and similarities.
A tout a l'heure!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Le Premier Jour
I guess I should begin by saying that I'm still alive?
I started my day off with a somewhat brief run -- it was a bit overwhelming. I began with a loop around the Champs de Mars, passing by the Eiffel Tower, and then continued on through the roads (I don't know exactly where). I think I almost was run over at least twice, but luckily survived each time....
I finally had my first breakfast that wasn't toasted baguette with jam which was nice, and prepared to leave the apartment after a long-winded explanation about how it would be better to take the bus than the metro because it's closer, etc. And indeed, the bus stop about a 2 minute walk down the street. There's also a bank (the one that I need!) right across the street, a cafe that serves brunch and lunch called "Aux 3 Cheries", and the little grocery store, too. All very convenient.
Let's just say that I successfully made it on to the bus, off of the bus, and to Reid Hall where we were all meeting at 12:30. Martine provided an absolutely delicious lunch of quiche (or a "tarte") either with spinach and cheese, or spinach and salmon -- I tried both, and they were both to die for. At LEAST an inch, probably more like 1.5" deep. Incredible. After going though quite the plethora of things to know in Paris, we were treated to eclaires. Silly me for thinking they were going to be the size of my thumb like in the US. It was as least 6 to 8 inches long, and completely filled with a thick chocolate mousse-type filling. Again, incredible.
I spent the afternoon with a Miss Kristine Leary (from BHS '09) who's studying this semester in Copenhagen and was here for the weekend with a few friends. We just walked around for a while -- we got coffee -- meaning I got the most expensive cup of tea ever. And she introduced me to the metro system! Glad I didn't have to do it by myself.
I FINALLY met my host "mother" who was here upon my return. She is incredible. I love her already. She had just returned from Portugal where she was visiting her mother (who I'm told is coming for Christmas), and brought with her all sorts of delectables. So for dinner this evening, we had a tomato "salad", followed by these Portuguese pastries which were very flaky and filled with a meat paste. Very interesting -- not bad at all, but probably not my favorite food in the world. I preferred the dessert which were these small doughnut looking pastries (also with flaky layers -- surprise!), but covered with a sugar glaze with some coconut flavor? Again, interesting. I suppose that they really like flaky pastries in Portugal.
I suppose that's about it for today! Paris is quite an incredible city (both gastronomically and otherwise..).
A tout a l'heure!
I started my day off with a somewhat brief run -- it was a bit overwhelming. I began with a loop around the Champs de Mars, passing by the Eiffel Tower, and then continued on through the roads (I don't know exactly where). I think I almost was run over at least twice, but luckily survived each time....
I finally had my first breakfast that wasn't toasted baguette with jam which was nice, and prepared to leave the apartment after a long-winded explanation about how it would be better to take the bus than the metro because it's closer, etc. And indeed, the bus stop about a 2 minute walk down the street. There's also a bank (the one that I need!) right across the street, a cafe that serves brunch and lunch called "Aux 3 Cheries", and the little grocery store, too. All very convenient.
Let's just say that I successfully made it on to the bus, off of the bus, and to Reid Hall where we were all meeting at 12:30. Martine provided an absolutely delicious lunch of quiche (or a "tarte") either with spinach and cheese, or spinach and salmon -- I tried both, and they were both to die for. At LEAST an inch, probably more like 1.5" deep. Incredible. After going though quite the plethora of things to know in Paris, we were treated to eclaires. Silly me for thinking they were going to be the size of my thumb like in the US. It was as least 6 to 8 inches long, and completely filled with a thick chocolate mousse-type filling. Again, incredible.
I spent the afternoon with a Miss Kristine Leary (from BHS '09) who's studying this semester in Copenhagen and was here for the weekend with a few friends. We just walked around for a while -- we got coffee -- meaning I got the most expensive cup of tea ever. And she introduced me to the metro system! Glad I didn't have to do it by myself.
I FINALLY met my host "mother" who was here upon my return. She is incredible. I love her already. She had just returned from Portugal where she was visiting her mother (who I'm told is coming for Christmas), and brought with her all sorts of delectables. So for dinner this evening, we had a tomato "salad", followed by these Portuguese pastries which were very flaky and filled with a meat paste. Very interesting -- not bad at all, but probably not my favorite food in the world. I preferred the dessert which were these small doughnut looking pastries (also with flaky layers -- surprise!), but covered with a sugar glaze with some coconut flavor? Again, interesting. I suppose that they really like flaky pastries in Portugal.
I suppose that's about it for today! Paris is quite an incredible city (both gastronomically and otherwise..).
A tout a l'heure!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
First Dinner in Paris.
Brief addition...so Monsieur LG took me to the "Petite Casino" to get some groceries before dinner and to get dinner itself. We walked in and he goes up to the first refrigerator (keep in mind that this entire store is maybe the size of two Wegman's aisles. And I mean only the 'A' section of those two aisles, not A & B)., and says "do you like this?" picking up a thing of carrots. I said sure, and he said "great", and moved on to the stand alone freezer filled with frozen dinners. He asked me, "What kind of frozen pizza do you want?" I decided against the salmon or tuna ones, and went for ham, mushrooms, and cheese....
Let's just say that my first "Parisian dinner" wasn't exactly what I had been hoping for. It certainly wasn't terrible, but I wasn't really expecting something reheated from a box...Bienvenue a Paris! Oh, but we had vanilla ice cream with pecan pieces and caramel in it. Which was fantastic. And when I told him I had a sweet tooth (which is NOT the same expression in French), he told me that clearly he did too, because it wasn't like he was skinny...I think I'm going to fit in rather well around here.
Let's just say that my first "Parisian dinner" wasn't exactly what I had been hoping for. It certainly wasn't terrible, but I wasn't really expecting something reheated from a box...Bienvenue a Paris! Oh, but we had vanilla ice cream with pecan pieces and caramel in it. Which was fantastic. And when I told him I had a sweet tooth (which is NOT the same expression in French), he told me that clearly he did too, because it wasn't like he was skinny...I think I'm going to fit in rather well around here.
Finally in Paris.
So I'm going to use the excuse that I had no internet connection chez moi in Biarritz, alas, it would have been very difficult to update a blog while there. SO, now that I'm FINALLY in Paris, I'll begin!
First I'll start with some highlights of Biarritz:
1. Living in the "Chalet de Calme" -- where I shared a room with Katie Joyce who's wonderful -- lots of fun trying to figure out what was going on with M. et Mme La Houze, watching Arrested Development (malheursement, en anglais), trying to find the toilet downstairs with no lights on, having toast everyday for breakfast and the same sandwich everyday for lunch, etc.
2. Excursions! St. Jean Pied-de-Port was pretty incredible. Much older than Biarritz -- very cool Citadelle at the top, very picturesque. After that, we went to "Le cave Irouleguy" where we watched a few videos en francais about how they make their wine, and then proceeded to have a tasting afterwards! We got to try each a blanc, rose, et rouge. The blanc was my favorite. After that, we went to a "fromagerie" aka, some guy's farm. There were sheep, pigs, goats, kittens, and even a puppy! We got to see how he makes the cheese (not nearly as glamorous as the wine making), walk through the cheese cooler, and then also finished that visit with a tasting. This past week, we visited Bayonne -- not too far from Biarritz, but much bigger and older. Known for their CHOCOLATE, they also have a beautiful cathedral, and the whole town is just beautiful. After that, we made our way into Espagne, where we spent a few hours in San Sebastien! Very pretty place also -- we mostly just walked around, had tapas, saw the cathedral, and that was about it!
3. Hiking La Rhune (well, up La Rhune...) La Rhune lies right on the border between France and Spain, and so as we climbed, we crossed over into Spain. Extremely beautiful 2 hour hike up -- the only downside was that it started to POUR when we got to the top. And it was cold. Luckily, there's a restaurant/shop at the top of the mountain so we could go in and dry off a bit and eat. Well, we weren't techically allowed to "picnic" there, but we did discreetly, and then were yelled at (or Martine was yelled at) by the owner, who was quite frightening, and ended up bullying Martine into paying more, even after she had bought 30 hot chocolates and about 8 plates of french fries from the restaurant....Even more lucky, was that we were able to take the train down the mountain, as while we were eating, it began to rain sideways. And it was still doing so when we reached the bottom.
4. Omelette avec les pommes de terres: winner of best meal chez LaHouze. Note, that in France, omelettes are never, EVER for breakfast. Seulement, pour le diner. So Monday night, she sauteed sliced potatoes, and then poured eggs all over them. Absolutely delicious. She also made some pretty mean french fries.
I think that was about it for Biarritz -- we did have to go to class, not everyday, but enough. And we got to finish our stay with writing a 4-5 page analytical paper! Which, is completely different than those done in the states.
Now, PARIS! Finally!
We arrived at the Orly airport around 12:30pm today, and after retrieving our luggage, we split up into several vans, each with a driver who took us to our houses. I was "delivered" first from my van, and after entering the apartment building, we saw no apartment with the name of my host family, and none of them could be reached by phone! What a way to start!
We finally did reach Monsieur who came down to meet me, and we (thankfully) took the elevator up to the 6th floor. Madame is still on "les vacances" visiting her mother in Portugal (as she is Portuguese), but I talked to her on the phone, and she is very excited to see me tomorrow when she returns.
It became evident that Monsieur is NOT the chef in the family -- he was very sweet though to make me lunch which consisted of prepackaged couscous with vegetables, and then three mini frozen pizzas with ham (think bagel bites, but slightly larger). And "les raisins" pour le dessert. (Grapes, not raisins).
I am unpacked, after much doubt that all of my clothes would indeed fit into my room, which is about half the size of my room at home? I have a loft bed-- which I'm convinced that at some point, I will fall and crack my head open, and then there's a couch underneath (perhaps for a spend the night guest?). And then I have a floor to ceiling window that opens on to a little balcony that wraps all the way around the apartment. Not too shabby. Oh. And I can see the top of the Eiffel Tower from the kitchen window.
I think that's about it for now! I'm going grocery shopping to get things that I like to eat. And there IS a kitty who's name is Pastel. And he's pretty adorable, and apparently already likes me because he's been rubbing up against my legs non-stop....
A toute a l'heure!
First I'll start with some highlights of Biarritz:
1. Living in the "Chalet de Calme" -- where I shared a room with Katie Joyce who's wonderful -- lots of fun trying to figure out what was going on with M. et Mme La Houze, watching Arrested Development (malheursement, en anglais), trying to find the toilet downstairs with no lights on, having toast everyday for breakfast and the same sandwich everyday for lunch, etc.
2. Excursions! St. Jean Pied-de-Port was pretty incredible. Much older than Biarritz -- very cool Citadelle at the top, very picturesque. After that, we went to "Le cave Irouleguy" where we watched a few videos en francais about how they make their wine, and then proceeded to have a tasting afterwards! We got to try each a blanc, rose, et rouge. The blanc was my favorite. After that, we went to a "fromagerie" aka, some guy's farm. There were sheep, pigs, goats, kittens, and even a puppy! We got to see how he makes the cheese (not nearly as glamorous as the wine making), walk through the cheese cooler, and then also finished that visit with a tasting. This past week, we visited Bayonne -- not too far from Biarritz, but much bigger and older. Known for their CHOCOLATE, they also have a beautiful cathedral, and the whole town is just beautiful. After that, we made our way into Espagne, where we spent a few hours in San Sebastien! Very pretty place also -- we mostly just walked around, had tapas, saw the cathedral, and that was about it!
3. Hiking La Rhune (well, up La Rhune...) La Rhune lies right on the border between France and Spain, and so as we climbed, we crossed over into Spain. Extremely beautiful 2 hour hike up -- the only downside was that it started to POUR when we got to the top. And it was cold. Luckily, there's a restaurant/shop at the top of the mountain so we could go in and dry off a bit and eat. Well, we weren't techically allowed to "picnic" there, but we did discreetly, and then were yelled at (or Martine was yelled at) by the owner, who was quite frightening, and ended up bullying Martine into paying more, even after she had bought 30 hot chocolates and about 8 plates of french fries from the restaurant....Even more lucky, was that we were able to take the train down the mountain, as while we were eating, it began to rain sideways. And it was still doing so when we reached the bottom.
4. Omelette avec les pommes de terres: winner of best meal chez LaHouze. Note, that in France, omelettes are never, EVER for breakfast. Seulement, pour le diner. So Monday night, she sauteed sliced potatoes, and then poured eggs all over them. Absolutely delicious. She also made some pretty mean french fries.
I think that was about it for Biarritz -- we did have to go to class, not everyday, but enough. And we got to finish our stay with writing a 4-5 page analytical paper! Which, is completely different than those done in the states.
Now, PARIS! Finally!
We arrived at the Orly airport around 12:30pm today, and after retrieving our luggage, we split up into several vans, each with a driver who took us to our houses. I was "delivered" first from my van, and after entering the apartment building, we saw no apartment with the name of my host family, and none of them could be reached by phone! What a way to start!
We finally did reach Monsieur who came down to meet me, and we (thankfully) took the elevator up to the 6th floor. Madame is still on "les vacances" visiting her mother in Portugal (as she is Portuguese), but I talked to her on the phone, and she is very excited to see me tomorrow when she returns.
It became evident that Monsieur is NOT the chef in the family -- he was very sweet though to make me lunch which consisted of prepackaged couscous with vegetables, and then three mini frozen pizzas with ham (think bagel bites, but slightly larger). And "les raisins" pour le dessert. (Grapes, not raisins).
I am unpacked, after much doubt that all of my clothes would indeed fit into my room, which is about half the size of my room at home? I have a loft bed-- which I'm convinced that at some point, I will fall and crack my head open, and then there's a couch underneath (perhaps for a spend the night guest?). And then I have a floor to ceiling window that opens on to a little balcony that wraps all the way around the apartment. Not too shabby. Oh. And I can see the top of the Eiffel Tower from the kitchen window.
I think that's about it for now! I'm going grocery shopping to get things that I like to eat. And there IS a kitty who's name is Pastel. And he's pretty adorable, and apparently already likes me because he's been rubbing up against my legs non-stop....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)