Springtime is blooming in Paris!

Paris has officially transformed into springtime (printemps-in french) this past week! Yay! The weather has been 60 and above everyday with the sun shining down all day long. Yesterday, I didn't have to wear a jacket to class since it was so warm out, it was great. The weather perked up just in time for my first visitor in Paris-Zach. It was unbelievable how lucky he was because the day that he came was most likely the nicest day thus far in Paris. It was about 65 degrees and sunny the entire day. Determined to show him all that Paris has to offer in just his two day visit, we started the morning bright and early with crepes and coffee at a cafe by the Notre Dame.

delicious banana and chocolate crepes!

After our huge breakfast, we headed over to the Notre Dame to take some pictures. The cathedral wasn't that crowded and I've learned that going early in the morning to the Notre Dame is the best time. If you go any later, there are too many tourists and too many gypsies surrounding the square. After walking around Notre Dame for a bit, we walked back towards my school for some lunch. I made Zach get my favorite panini from my favorite panini stand (they're only 2,90 euro!) and we ate lunch in the Luxembourg gardens. The Eiffel Tower was next on the agenda so we made our way over there. It was pretty crowded, as always, so we waited for about an hour before we made it onto the lift to go up. We got to the second floor and took in the amazing few of Paris. It was a clear day out so we could literally see the entire city. After snapping some pictures, we got in line for the lift to take us to the top of the tower. However, as we were about to get on the lift.....all panic broke out. The security guards starting saying "on font evacuer"...meaning "we must evacuate". So instead of getting on the lift, we were hustled towards the stairs to walk all the way down the Eiffel Tower. The security guards wouldn't say what the problem was but they made it sound extremely urgent that everyone got out of the Tower. On our way to the stairs, Zach and I ran into a group of Americans who were extremely confused. Everyone was ignoring them and their questions of "Where is everyone going?"(in the southern accents) so I stopped and told them we had to evacuate. BIG Mistake. In All American fashion, they started screaming, pushing people, and sprinting towards the stairs. You would've thought we were on the Titanic seeing the way that they responded. We tried to tell them to calm down, but it was no use. For the most part, Zach and I were probably two of the calmest people out of hundreds on the Eiffel Tower that day. We casually walked down the stairs, took some pictures, and made a safe calm exit out of the Eiffel Tower. By the time we got to the ground, the French Army was already there blockading the Tower. We learned that someone had called in a bomb threat to the Eiffel Tower and that's why we all had to evacuate. It was somewhat frightening thinking that we were in the Eiffel Tower at the time the threat was made but thankfully everyone made it out just fine. Later, we saw the Americans (who I have a feeling were from Mississippi) still running away from the Tower, doing a headcount of their group, calling everyone they knew on their cellphones to tell them what just happened, and whining about a refund. Zach and I obviously went as far away from them as possible.

View of Paris from the 2nd story

us "evacuating" aka walking casually down the stairs while most panicked

After the Eiffel Tower ordeal, Zach's friend, Robbie, (who is studying Architecture at Versailles for the year) was in Paris for a sketching class and met up with us to go to the Louvre. I was more than happy to show Zach the Louvre (I've now been there 9 times) and of course we went straight for the touristy work of art -The Mona Lisa (or La Jaconde in french). As Robbie and I explained to Zach ahead of time, it was not going to be as cool as he imagined, and we were right. There is so many cool things in the Louvre that people miss because they're so focused on seeing only the well-known pieces of art. After some walking around the Louvre and mostly looking at the Italian Renaissance works, we went to the Napoleon Apartments in one of the upper wings of the Louvre. The Louvre was a palace before it was a museum and still has the bedrooms, dining halls, sitting rooms and everything in the same fashion as it was when it was a palace. Not many people know about the apartments, so it was very cool and empty, and we got to take our time looking within every room. 

After a few hours at the Louvre, we went to Montmarte for dinner. Robbie had gone to a really good restaurant with this brother the week before and we decided to go for it again. We walked most of the way to Montmarte (which is on a hill, so therefore a tiring workout) and Robbie found the restaurant with ease. The waiter recognized him and was nice enough to explain the menu to us in English since there were mostly meats and since I don't eat them, I don't know that vocabulary too well. For an appetizer, the boys got Foie Gras, also known as, duck liver. They forced me to try a little bit because of its "authentic frenchness" and for once I gave in. I had less than a quarter of a teaspoon on a piece of bread, but I have to say it was not bad. I, of course, would never order it for myself, but I'm happy I tired it. The boys then got suckled pig and leg of lamb for dinner (which I did not try ANY of) and I stuck with the fish and vegetables. It was extremely good though and we got ice cream and chocolate cake for desserts which was also extremely scrumptious. 

After a long and delicious dinner, we went to Sacre Coeur (a famous church on the top of Montmarte) to take in the view of the whole city and get a few pictures. It was very beautiful and there were many street artists painting along the walk to the church. I definitely am going to go back later in my semester here to buy some street art. Montmarte is famous for being home to Moulin Rouge as well as many famous artists. We made it to the top of the Sacre Coeur and to our relief, the Eiffel Tower was all lit up-and most importantly- still standing!

Some Paris Fashion trends that I've been noticing: BOYS

1)letterman jackets. I know.... a bit strange but they are a huge trend here. 

2) skinny ties are very in and I hadn't noticed so many boys wearing them until recently. 

And for the ladies- 

1)This pains me to say it, but..... jean skirts are a huge trend here right now. I am not a fan of jean skirts whatsoever, and I will NOT be participating in this trend, but they are everywhere lately! 

2)khaki/gray colored trench coats are really in. Long ones and short ones alike. H&M sells them for pretty cheap so I'm considering getting one as my springtime jacket. 

I'm now off to go see if I can find the great weekend vintage flea markets that everyone has been raving about! Au Revoir!

-Paige 

When in Rome!

This weekend, I ventured out of Paris and off to Rome for the weekend! It was my first trip here so naturally I was worried about getting completely lost and it going horrible wrong. However, with some planning, my friend Alyssa and I were able to successfully make it to Rome and back without any kinks or mishaps! The adventure began on Friday at 5:30 AM. We woke up and ran to the metro to make it there by 5:55. After a 20 minute Metro ride, we got to the RyanAir bus that took us out of Paris and into the South of France to get to the Beauvais Airport. The bus trip took around an hour and a half, which was nice since we needed the extra sleep. After making it to the airport, we waited for about an hour (had some cafe) and ventured onto our first RyanAir flight to Rome. We were unsure if the plane was going to make it at points (it is probably the cheapest airline in the world) but after at 11:20 we landed on time in Rome! Then we waited jumped on another 45 minute bus to the metro stop to meet up with my friend Gina! She meet us around 1:00 and we took the Rome Tram back to her apartment. Let's just say it was a lot of traveling and transferring for one morning but also so worth it!

Rome is in one word....Amazing. The food was incredible, the people were warm and friendly, the weather was gorgeous, and the historical landmarks were super interesting. First-FOOD. Gina took us to one of her favorite Italian restaurants for lunch. She speaks Italian so having her as our seasoned tour guide made it all the better! We went to an amazing outdoor restaurant not far from her apartment. I got bruschetta, salmon, salad, and of course....wine. (picture above)

After lunch, we meet up with my friend Andrea (visiting Italy on her spring break from Iowa) Colleen and her friend Kara (both studying abroad in Milan) and went to the Spanish Steps. Although it was drizzling, they were still very cool. Gina also introduced me to my new obsession...GELATO. It was so delicious. I got a 3 flavor cone with tiramusu, banana, and chocolate chip with whipped cream on top of it all. It was one of the best things that I have ever eaten in my life.

That night we walked around and took in all of the sights of Rome. Alot of aspects of the city reminded me of Paris, wxcept for the part that I couldn't understand what anyone was saying. After a break at Gina's apartment to change we went to her favorite restaurant. It's called Carreta di Tradaverre and it was very unique. On the inside, the ceilings were very high with clothes hanging from clothespin lines. The atmosphere was casual and authentic with not badly priced food and LOTS of it. I got fetticini al funghi (mushrooms) and it was very very very good. After dinner (which ended at midnight) we went to a bar called DJ Bar. It was pretty small, but the basement was spacious and was decorated very cool with leopard print walls, framed mirrors, fashion shows playing on big screens, and velvet booths. Swanky. Gina ordered us a "spaceship" was was the largest and most complicated drink that I've ever seen made. It consisted of a giant bucket filled with an assortment of vodka and blue juice with 4 cups resting on the top with 3 shot glasses within each. It definitely was unique and looked like a spaceship and took two of us to carry it down the stairs!

The next day, Andrea, Colleen, Kara, and Gina all had to go to the airport for early flights so Alyssa and I took off on our own Roman adventure. We went to our hostel to drop off our bags (we each only took a VERY small bag. I somehow fit everything into the 5 euro thrift store backpack) and went out do see the rest of the sights. We started with the Coliseum which wasn't complicated to get to but entailed waiting in a 2 hour line just to get in. The line (plus the 12 euro ticket) was worth the experience though. It was such an amazing sight to see with an unbelievable history.

 

 

After the many hours it took us to conquer the Coliseum, we headed off on foot to the Trevi Fountain. We hadn't quit figured out the Rome Tram system and how we would get to the Trevi but we knew it wasn't more than a mile away. So we took off in the right direction and luckily stumbled upon the signs pointing us to the fountain. We were already starving so we stopped at a little restaurant down an alley leading to the Trevi. The waiter, Lodovico, decided that Alyssa and I were his two new best friends so we got free Heinekens, free appetizers, free desserts, and free coffee. A meal that should have been 40 euro a person, turned into a 10 euro a person meal after Lodovico decided he loved us! Also, I of course got lasagna! When in Rome!

 

After our ENORMOUS lunch, we ventured off to the Trevi Fountain. It was very crowded, but with some maneuvering skills (which we've learned since living in Paris) we made our way to the front within minutes so we could toss our coins in and make a wish! It was something that I have always wanted to do and am so happy that we were able to do it.

 

After we made our wishes at the Trevi Fountain, we took off on our long adventure to the Vatican. The Vatican is on the other side of the river and everyone just kept on telling us to go there and we'd see it. However, this was our first time in Rome and neither of us had any clue as to how to get to the river. So instead, we resorted to our (now) Parisian ways and went looking for some public transportation. After checking out 5 different tram stops within a mile, we chased down a bus that was going back to the main terminal station (Stazione Termini) to catch another bus that said St. Pietro (St. Peters) which we assumed meant the Vatican. And, luckily, we were right! It took us over an hour or so to make it there so we weren't able to go inside the chapel but just being at the Vatican was a once in a lifetime experience. Also, a fun fact, is that there is a dress code at the Vatican. We met a girl who had gotten kicked out earlier that day because she was wearing shorts. Maybe that's where all of the Catholic schools get their strict uniform regulations. 

 

After the Vatican, I decided that one more gelato was a must and got my last gelato of the trip! I was sad to say goodbye to something so delicious! Alyssa and I jumped back on the tram and off to our hostel. It was my first hostel experience and to my surprise, it was actually a great one. We stayed at Yellow Hostel which was right by Stazione Termini so we didn't have a far walk to get anywhere. There were Americans working at the front desk which was comforting because that meant I didn't have to stumble through the Italian language barrier once again. We stayed in a dorm of 4 (Alyssa and I, a girl from Argentina, and a boy from Montreal) which actually had very comfortable bunk beds and a short walk to the communal bathroom. The hostel was clean and (seemingly) safe and had an attached bar with an excellent happy hour deal (and free drink with check in :)) that Alyssa and I took advantage of. While at happy hour, we ran into a girl from Alyssa's high school that was staying at the hostel too. So we quickly made a group (including some US military boys from Nebraska who were in Italy because they're based a few hours away from Rome) and hit the town. We went to a bar called the "Drunken Ship" and then caught a night tram back near the hostel! 

In the morning, we got up and checked out at 10:00 AM and walked for a few miles down a main street to get some exercise before our long journey of sitting on buses, planes, and trains ahead of us. It was another beautiful day and it was great to be out in the Italian sun! We then hopped on our bus to the airport and made it successfully and safely back to Paris by 7:00 PM. It was an amazing first trip and I definitely enjoyed my time in Rome! Alyssa and I are now busy planning our next trip as well as our 2 week long spring break. Another Euro trip? I think yes! 

A fashion fun day in Paris

Today, Paris was even nicer than it was yesterday! It was about 70 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky. To take advantage of the nice weather, Alyssa and I went on a thrift shopping adventure on the streets by Bazaar Hotel de la Ville. Although EVERY vintage thrift store is packed to the max (even on a Wednesday afternoon) we managed to have a very successful shopping day. I was able to get a backpack, a scarf, a skirt, cut off shorts, a red striped shirt, and a romper all for just 29 Euro! (picture below) In Paris, this is what we call a steal. If we go to regular stores here (even H&M) the prices are much much more expensive and you probably could get a single romper for 29 euro, so thrifting is definitely the best way to get great (vintage-which is always cool) clothes without maxing out your credit card here in Paris!

Also, since we were already at Bazaar Hotel de la Ville, we decided to walk around Centre Pompidou which is a modern art museum. I've already been to this museum once before and it is super cool. The outside of the museum is also really modern and cool and definitely sticks out with all of the older classic buildings surrounding it.  (picture of me infront of the entrance below)

Also, notice that I am wearing my mom's old DKNY jean jacket. I've seen about a dozen or so people wearing jean jackets in Paris and I've decided that it's making a comeback. It was the perfect jacket for the beautiful weather today and I'm happy that I got to wear it out on the streets of Paris. Who knows, maybe it will be the next big trend?

Bisous, Bisous (kisses)
-Paige

A Beautiful day in Paris!

Today was a great day to be in Paris! The weather was about 65 (Fahrenheit) and beautifully sunny. Since we only had one class that went until 1:30, a few of us decided to go on a Parisian adventure. We walked from our school through the gardens of Luxembourg, through the 6th arrondissement and then the 7th (wandering somewhat) for a few hours until we could see that the Eiffel Tower was within 45 minutes of a walk. So we decided to go for it since none of us had really gone to the Eiffel Tower yet. We walked through the gardens around there and decided that since it was such a nice day, we would sit down on a bench for another few hours, drink a bit, and just bask in the sun(finally!).

It was a lot of fun, very relaxing, and was a great spot to people watch. After living in Paris, I don't think that I will ever look at fashion the same way again. EVERYONE here is dressed impeccably at ALL times. Just riding the metro in the morning, I see more fashion trends and styles in one train ride than I see in months in Chicago. Everyone has their own take on style and "what's in" and it's all super unique. Almost every girl on the metro (besides myself) are wearing heels at all times. Even after riding the metro everyday for a month, I don't think I have the confidence yet to brave it in heels. It is hard to balance among the hundreds of people already and I don't think that I've built up the core power yet to be able to balance in heels. But possibly one day soon, I'll try to the commute in heels!

Well, tomorrow I don't have any class because my one was cancelled. I think that it is going to be BEAUTIFUL (fingers crossed) again and we are going to hit up some thrift stores by Bazaar Hotel de la Ville. I also have many papers/tests/projects coming up so I need to get a jumpstart on that too!

Bonsoir! (goodnight)!

A Month in Paris Already!

Yes, I have finally returned to my blogging! Where I live does not believe in working internet so I have been living without internet for the past two weeks. I can find some internet from time to time when I'm lucky, and today is one of those days!

Well since a month has FLOWN by there  is a lot to report. First, my classes have been going well. In France, there is a lot more reading required but a lot less daily homework. The grades consist of a few papers, a few projects and an expose (an oral presentation) for all of my classes. It hasn't been too difficult yet, but since all of my classes are in French it has been very different. Teachers here basically just speak straight for the three hours without passing out outlines or anything, so being able to understand and write it down in French quickly is a must. It was hard at first (since it requires thinking only in French for three hours) but I think that I'm getting better at it.

The nightlife in Paris is amazing, but you have to get familiar with the clubs. As in know: when cover starts, if coat check and/or purse check is necessary and how much it is, drink prices, if there's a guest list, dress code, etc. If you're not prepared, you may end up spending 25 Euro to get into a club when it was free entrance just 10 minutes before or may not be able to get in because you hadn't registered on the guest list ahead of time. The clubs (boites de nuit) are always PACKED and the drinks are always super expensive, but they're always a good time too!

Since I have a class once a week at the Louvre, I've been there 5 times already. I love it and I hope to make it there over 20 times while I'm here. I haven't seen even half of the Louvre yet so this week I'm hoping to go early in the morning (to beat the crowds) and spend a few hours wandering about. Museums here are free with a Student ID card, so it is definitely worth it (and inexpensive) to go see as many museums as possible. I've been to the Centre Pompidou also, and am planning on going to Musee D'Orsay this week for a class.

On Ash Wednesday, I went to Notre Dame to get ashes. However, I quickly found out that Ash Wednesday in Paris is very different from Ash Wednesday in Chicago. Notre Dame only had 2 services offered that included l'imposition des cindres (giving of the ashes) and I did NOT see a single person all day who had ashes. A lot of the culture, especially religious culture, is different here and I don't think it's custom to get ashes and such. So, instead I spent a few hours before my class hanging out at the Notre Dame taking pictures and taking it all in. It's extremely beautiful and HUGE. (picture above is the Ash Wednesday sign in Notre Dame!)

After staying the entire month in Paris, we have decided that we are ready to travel and explore the rest (hopefully) of Europe. Next weekend, I'll be going to Rome to celebrate Ms. Gina Jenero's 21st birthday Italian style with Andrea and Colleen as visitors too! Very excited!

That's all for now. I'll be sure to keep blogging on much of a daily basis (internet permitting) as possible! Salud!

A week in Paris already!

After orientation week, we finally got to move into our permanent foyers. Mine definitely takes some getting used to because it is not similar at all to dorms/life in the U.S. The foyer is pretty old fashioned without an elevator-which meant me lugging my 50 pound suitcases up 4 flights of stairs. Also, ALL of the lights are on timers so that if you want a light to stay on for more than 2 minutes, you have to press it constantly (the same goes for the showers here). This is a definite change from the U.S. where we indulge in lights whenever we want them and forever how long we want them. I'm adjusting though and I'm realized how much electricity/water is saved by these European methods. Also, no one in my dorm (besides Alyssa and I) speak English. It's actually not common for a lot of people to know/speak English here so we've been practicing our French quite a lot. But sometimes there's definite language barriers that are hard to get around. 

This past weekend, a group of us went out to check out the night life. VERY FUN. The clubs are all massive and there are always lines to get in. However, at most places, girls don't have to pay cover, which is nice but drinks are EXPENSIVE. Vodka & anything runs around 10 euro here so it's not a great idea to go out looking to buy a lot of drinks. We've also been going to a lot of smaller cafes and hanging out for awhile and then jumping on the last metro home.

Yesterday, was the FIRST day that I didn't get lost on the metro or take a wrong train. It's been a struggle but I'm close to conquering the extremely confusing Paris metro system. To get to school, it's only about a 25 minute trek but it includes 3 different metro stations and 2 transfers. We've learned to hustle through the metro in order to catch all of the trains at the right times and also that French people do not like lines, so if you want on the metro, you just have to push your way through like everyone else. 

Classes began yesterday and my first class was a 3 hour long French History class.....taught ALL in French. It was a bit hard at first but I think that I'll get used to it in time. Today I had "Romanticisme" which is all about the European Romanticisme period and includes a trip to a different museum (except we go to the Louvre about 10 times) once a week. It seems really interesting and I'm excited to learn some Art History while here. 

I am also taking French Theatre, Phonetics, and Panorama of French Literature. All are taught in French so we shall see how easy/hard those are later this week. 

I'm going to attempt to use the very old washing machines here to do laundry tonight and then wake up early for class and a few metro rides to explore Paris more! Today was beautiful out and we bought paninis and ate in Les Jardins Luxembourg for an hour or so and then ventured over to the Pantheon. There is definitely A LOT to see and do in Paris at all times! 

Alyssa and I with our new French boyfriend. 

2nd-4th day in Paris

Well, a lot has already been seen and done in Paris although it is only my 4th day here. On Monday, all of us had orientation meetings and then a nice boat ride on the Seine. Although it was a bit windy and not the warmest, it was still cool that we got to see all of the sights in Paris. I even got my first pic of the Eiffel Tower this trip (see above). And Happy Valentine's Day from the Seine River.

We then continued to go out at night and explore a few of the local cafes and bars. Had a great time and lots of bottles of wine were shared! On Tuesday, we just had orientation meetings all day and then walked around the neighborhood.

Today, Wednesday, we had an Oral Exam bright and early (9:00 a.m.) at Institut Catholique and then went exploring on the metro. We bought our Pass Navigues (metro pass) for the week and went to L'arc de Triomphe and the Louvre!