PARIS
Day 4

I was a wreck the first two days. Letters from home made me cry. Seeing couples by the Seine made me sad. And I felt lonely without all my amazing American friends.

But. I’ve pushed through, slept off the jet lag with generous naps and 10pm bedtimes (that’s 1pm for you, friends), and finally figured out how to work the coffee machine in our hotel. And by hotel, I mean the tiny room with the pretty view of the cobbled streets, brimming with piles of my and my roommate’s clothes and suitcases and books and bags. We can’t see the floor. And… although I promised myself I would forget it and never speak of it again --until we had it fixed this morning-- our bathroom sink was clogged and sprinkled with tiny black worms.

La belle Paris.

But it really is a beautiful city. People honestly walk down the streets carry baguettes, and there actually are cafes with outdoor patios on every corner. Like people say, the French don’t really smile or make eye contact on the street, but I’ve noticed that the people sitting in cafes feel like they have the right to blatantly stare at you as you walk by, people watching, not expecting to get caught. Oh, but I catch them!

One of the first days we went on a Bateux-Mouche cruise on the Seine, surprisingly not as visually interesting as I thought it would be, the green water around you, the flashing cameras of other tourists, and the best monuments covered in trees. But it made me want to explore everything on foot. I think tomorrow, my free day, I’m going to explore the banks around the Louvre and Jardin Tulleries, and then check out the infamous studenty Left Bank and “Shakespeare and Co,” an Anglophone bookstore that purportedly lets you read in the store for hours. (On the right you can see me and Notre-Dame from the boat!)

And since my school trickily put “Art Student” on my student ID, I can sign up for a pass that allows me to get into any art museum (like the Louvre and Orly) for free all year. Devious, devious people. I love it.

I think I really started to love the city when I walked around by myself one lunch break, and suddenly ran into the beautiful Church Saint-Euguene, just casually tucked around a corner and hidden between street buildings. Here is me finally happy!

We walked around the Ile de la Cite a bit yesterday (on the most boring 2 hour tour imaginable), but Notre Dame is amazing to see up close. (Left)

Today we had a day trip to Vaux de Vicomte, a beautiful very French looking castle, and then rambled around the back 33 acre sculpted gardens for a few hours.

That is how I like France.

So probably going out tonight, and rambling around the city tomorrow. Intensive language course next week (I’m in the more advanced half of the program and considering taking a course or two in French), and then we move in soon to our apartments.

LOVE YOU EVERYONE!