The blaaaahg: moulin rouge

The semester is screeching to a halt, and I can barely believe it. I turned in my last paper of spring semester this morning...it hasn't quite hit me yet. I still have two final exams to go, but no more essays! I can't believe how four months have passed already. I feel like I'm just starting to blend into this city. I've had an incredible time here, though. It felt like everything came full-circle today. Early on in the semester, I visited Montmartre with my friend Sarah, and we talked about how we envisioned the semester playing out. I remember commenting about how everything--the weather, the flowers--would be just starting to get nice by the time we had to go. I was right. BUT we are taking advantage of everything by cramming in tons of last minute sightseeing.

Today we squeezed in all the things we missed on that first trip to Montmartre. We had an overpriced tourist snack at Le Café des Deux Moulins, the restaurant in Amélie. It looks the same, just a bit smaller and minus the tabac. The place was packed solely with English-speaking tourists.

I even ordered crème brulée to crack the sugar with my spoon.

Afterwards, we managed to find the Montmartre Cemetery, which we missed the first time around.

I finally saw Degas!

This picture doesn't show it well, but Paris is absolutely packed with tourists now. Huge school groups flood the streets and the métro, and I hear English everywhere. It's good preparation before going home, I guess.

My French, though still far from where I'd like it to be, has improved quite a bit. I laughed at the name of this store: The Monkey who Reads.

Another week of school, and then it's summer! I have a little while in Paris by myself before heading over to London and starting a crazy adventure with my sister.

January 26, 2014

Exploring Paris is entirely different than exploring New York. One major, obvious difference is the lack of grid here. Everything is circular. It takes about 10 minutes to cross the street if there's a roundabout (and there always is). This weekend was filled with lots of walking and wandering. My blurry long-held mental vision of sparkling lights and cobblestones and twisted iron balconies on every tea-stained colored building is developing sharper lines and divisions as the days pass. I went to the market today, but instead of the same sure route that I know pretty well now, I weaved down other winding streets that looked interesting. I managed to find a chapel, a Carrefour (grocery store), the frozen food store, and make it back to the apartment. Since I have the directional sense of a person who was blindfolded and spun around a bunch of times (pin the tail on the donkey?), this was an accomplishment.

My weekend started out with walking along the Seine from school to Le Grand Palais.

Apologies for the abundance of Eiffel Tower pictures to come

My homestay mother/grandma (?) used to work for Chanel. She is probably massively disappointed that I know nothing about fashion. Earlier in the week, she kept raving about the beautiful Cartier exhibition and insisted that I go, though. So I went because who doesn't like shiny things? I was in the company of about 500 little old ladies "oh la la"-ing (yes, people do actually say it, for real) over the encased tiaras and necklaces that must weigh 30 pounds.

I learned the style of jewelry was made to reflect the opulence of Louis XIV's court, but also be "modern."

The ceiling had jewel projections slowly floating downward

Hilariously enough, Cartier also made these funny animals from expensive rocks.

This rhino was not part of the Cartier exhibition, but instead a statue outside of the Musée d'Orsay, which is not like I remembered it

This is the only picture I could take since cameras were banned in all the galleries. I got to hangout with Degas, VanGogh, and Cézanne, though.

Look, Natalie! I am in this picture! I was so excited that the train got here that I moved and that is why the picture is blurry. Oops.

Though I didn't get to spend as much time as I wanted to in the 5th arrondissement, I think it might become a favorite as I learn more about it. I had to go to pick up course readers on the other side of town, and passed the schools (the Sorbonne, prestigious high schools, Collège de France...NYU Paris is moving to the 5th next year) and many, many bookstores.

I also saw this rather creepy doll store. These three were intensely staring out the window with their beady dark eyes. Broken baby dolls rested on the counter inside, and other scary friends looked on from their places on the shelves.

Densely packed graveyard-- some old guys, some new guys

Proof that I actually am here.

Like my hat?

On Saturday, I met up with some friends to explore Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement (Amélie, anyone?). It's a cute area, but very touristy. It also is extremely hilly.