The last post...very late.

This is specifically written for Danielle, Jenny, and Mike G. I hate you all.

Giverny was very pretty. Danielle was a total dork; so excited about those flowers. Then we went to where Van Gogh went completely nutso. Prof Lynn bought me lunch and Jenny was jealous. Way to go, top 5.

On Friday we did the whole Americans in Paris thing. It was not what I expected, but it was still cool. Most importantly, though, I bought a pair of really cute flats. For dinner we went to one of Hemmingway's favorite restaurants. It had a Turkish toilet. Dinner took over three hours, and not once did I attempt to go the bathroom. We finished the night with a boat cruise on the Seine. I finally got to see where Carla lives. About freaking time.

I left the next morning, And was back stateside like 14 hours later. It was weird. It is still weird to be back, but looking at pics keeps me happy.

So this is the last post and I never plan to blog again. I am back in the US and my life is not interesting enough to post about it on the internet.

Au revoir!

the Chagall windows at Reims
the poppies at Valmy
Me on some artillery at Verdun

Winding down :(

Yesterday I went to Reims, the church where French kings used to be crowned. The coolest part was definitely the three stained glass windows in the back of the church that Chagall did after the bombings of WW1. Then we headed over to Valmy to see a WW1 battle site. There are fields and fields of poppy flowers covering the area now. For dinner we had a four course meal, and everything was delicious except for the cheese which seemed like it should be hazardous to your health. We went out that night and two French men got into a fist fight over one of the girls on our trip. It was so funny because after one of the guys finally “won”, the girl decided she was just going to go back to our hotel and go to sleep. I also had a cherry beer and it was extremely delicious. So I highly recommend, yo.
Today, in Verdun, we saw the ossuary which houses the bones of 130,000 men. Over a million men died in that battle, however. We also went to 2 forts and saw where the men fought and the remnants of the battle. It was kind of a heavy day, but surprisingly interesting.
Tomorrow I am off to Giverny; the place where Monet painted the water lilies, bridge, and all that other pretty stuff. I will be so sad if it rains and ruins the picturesque view.

This past week

Sorry I have not updated in so long – I have been crazy busy, and when I finally get back to my flat, I just want to sleep. After I got back from Barcelona, I went to Versailles – home of Louis XIV, Louis XVI, and most importantly, Marie Antoinette. It was absolutely beautiful, grand and luxurious, and totally ostentatious. The fountains and gardens were very cool too. All geometric and whatnot. We also saw the “peasant village” that Marie Antoinette built, and if that is how peasants lived, I could do poverty in the 1700s. On Thursday, we focused on the French Revolution and saw the Bastille, the Palais Royal, and the Arc du Triumph. On Friday, we went to a museum about the history of Paris, and we went to the Conciergerie where prisoners were held during the revolution. We finished the day at Sacre Coeur, the big white temple on the hill in Montmarte. It was definitely one of the coolest things I have seen, and of course, they did not allow photography. That night I went to the river where all the cool young Parisians go on the weekend. They have dance clubs on boats and that night there was an 80s theme happening, so I enjoyed the Eurhythmics and Blondie. We had class on Saturday and we went to all the army museums. It was the most boring day ever. Ever. But we were in a place where Bob and Elizabeth Dole were the day before and Obama was going to be there later that day. Saturday night I went to a Canadian Bar (Caity – I had strongbow). It was called the Moose and it was a great time. On Sunday I went to see dem skullz (aka the Catacombes). It was oh so very creepy. There is also an Andy Warhol exhibit going on in Paris so I checked that out. There were so many amazing pieces there that I had not seen before. I went a lil crazy in the gift shop. Sorry mom and dad. Then I saw Angels and Demons (in English with French subtitles). Man, that movie is very suspenseful. All in all, it was a very successful week.
Today I went back to the Louvre and saw art from the 1600s-1900s. Then I went and toured the Garnier Opera house and got a non-abridged history of it from our tour guide. It was interesting, but wowza, could that man talk. Tomorrow I am off to Reims (where the kings were crowned), Valmy, and Verdun. I will be there for a few days, and then I will almost be done in France. Boo.
Additional fun facts about my life in France: I have eaten at McDonalds twice. Once I ordered a McFlurry and it turns out that in France you must “flur” it yourself. Toilet seats are hard to come by in France. Ice does not exist. Ice cream exists in abundance. If I eat another sandwich I think I might die. French people appear to be really into Taylor Swift for some reason. Bosnian women try to get you to give them money; even when they are wearing a Lacoste sweater.

some more pics!

Pictures include Gaudi's Sagrada Familia (inside and outside), the hospital Saint Pao, an elephant next to the Barcelona zoo, the fountains, and my feet (just to prove I am at a beach).

Barcelona!!!

So this weekend i headed on over to Spain! It was a very short, but totally awesome trip. We flew in very late at night, so we just went to bed immediately. The next morning I had tiramisu gelato and saw the Sagrada Familia by Gaudi. It was sooo cool. The church looks like it is melting. We had tapas for lunch. And then lemon sorbet (I thought of you, Mom). Then I went on a bike tour all around Barcelona. Man do I need to work on my bicycling skills. I do not know where the phrase "it's just like riding a bike" comes from. It was four hours and we saw everything. For dinner we went to the closest restaurant we could find because we were all starving. Later I saw the "Magic fountains" and drank Sangria. It was a grand old time.
On Monday I spent the day at the beach. I did not even get a sunburn, but almost everyone else did. It was nice to relax and chill in the sun and water. Though there were people trying to get us to buy drinks and massages like every 5 minutes. Also- side note- there are a lot of naked women at Spanish beaches. For dinner we had paella and sangria. then we had gelato for dessert (hazelnut this time). I got absolutely no sleep last night and get back to Paris and class today was awful. We had a quiz and I think that lots of people just wrote "I went to Barcelona" on it. So I at least did better than that.
Now I must take a nap. A long nap.

soooo tired

Yesterday i had class which was a minor inconvenience cause i wanted to go shopping. then i did and it was good! today, i went to fountainbleau and saw tons of cool stuff. lots of that castle was redecorated by marie antoinette so i was really really excited. then we went to lunch at some family friends of our prof. it was amazing. there was this one man that kept wanting me to drink and i kept saying sais tout but he would not take no for an answer. our entire group, including the prof and his wife were pretty tipsy by 2 pm. then we walked around their peasant village and it was awesome. we saw spots that looked like they were from the 1200s. very nice. tonight i went on a new europe pubcrawl. very fun. 4 bar and 1 club for 12 euros. twas great fun but now i must bid you adieu because i am leaving for barcelona tomorrow.

now sure how the world wide web will work there this weekend. while barcelona is certainly part of this world, i just do not know how the internets is there. anyhoo, i plan to do all the tourist stuff and go to the beach!

see y'all on the flip side.

ttyl!

Je suis desole.

here is me at the eiffel tower.

Louvre - Caesar's helper.
Eiffel Tower.
Chateau du Vincennes.
The Seine River.
The Cryptes.
Shakespeare and Co. Very very cool.
Louxemboug garden - big head?
Some pretty sweet stained glass at Notre Dame.

On the Omaha beach of Normandie, near Pointe du Hoc.
The American cemetery.
The Bayeux tapestry commissioned by Matilde and Otto.
Mont Saint Michel.
The cloister at Mont Saint Michel.

Normandy

In the town I stayed in last night they have the famous Bayeux tapestry that was made just after William the Conqueror fought the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The tapestry was so intricate and we got to have a headset with a delightful French man speaking in English to us about the tapestry. It was great; he talked about the soldiers’ hair blowing in the wind, how William ran out of time to put on his shoes, and about how priests weren’t allowed to draw blood, so they just beat people with clubs instead. Then we hopped back on the bus where I took a pretty great nap. Later, we went to Mont Saint Michel monastery and it was really beautiful! It is situated on an island that in the 900s could only be gotten to during low tide. We climbed all the way to the top (3000+ stairs!) and the view was amazing! I have a quiz tomorrow that I actually already did the reading for while on the bus. Amazing! Now I must upload some pics.
Layahs!

Churches and graves.

Man there is a lot of religion and death here. On Monday, I started out at the St. Denis Basilica. It is located where it is because rumor has it that St. Denis was beheaded and then ran all around Paris and finally stopped and died in that spot. Good story. Anyhoo, it is the church where all the French kings are buried. Later I went to St. Chapelle, the church built by Louis IX to house all his reliquaries. I saw the heart of Louis XV. It looked like a prune. Finally we went to Cluny. I thought it was the monastery and I was super excited because I am a history nerd, but it turns out it was just the Cluny Museum. Still interesting, but not the same level. At the end of the night a group of us decided to watch Mounlin Rouge because we were so excited about just having seen the thing in person.

I left for Normandy this morning at 7:30. I took three naps on the bus; good times. We went to the Normandy history museum, but had to leave because they had no power. The electric workers were on strike today. Haha, we also saw student protesters today that were blocking the street, and the RER workers did not come in today. Basically, Parisians take two hour lunches and then complain when they do not get more breaks during the day. We went and got lunch and then went back to the museum when power had been restored. After, we drove to Pointe du Hoc where the US, under the strong guidance of good ole general Ike, overtook the German forces. It was pretty cool. Then we went to Omaha beach (very very pretty), and the American cemetary filled with 10,000 graves of soldiers. kind of a downer.

Tonight we are staying at a Best Western in Bayeux and it is better than our dorm. We had crepes for dinner and ice cream for dessert. We tried to go see Angels and Demons, but it was in French. Boo. So instead I am writing this blog, and about to go drink wine and play cards.

I will post pictures tomorrow. And for those of you with Facebook, I will organize an entire album. Get excited!

Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge!...will post pic later.

Today I finally slept in, and it was amazing. When I finally got ready for the day, I found a little fruit and vegetable stand to buy groceries at and grabbed a baguette for breakfast/lunch. Then I went to the Pantheon and saw some cool art and the crypts where Moliere, Rousseau, and Victor Hugo are buried. I also had my first sorbet experience. Citron and passion fruit! It will probably happen again real soon. Then I went to the Jardin de Luxembourg. It was a beautiful park with lots of sculptures and a huge fountain. It was situated right next to the French Senate building, and being the poli sci nerd that I am, I was pretty excited about that. Around 10 pm, when it finally gets dark around here, I went to go see the Moulin Rouge all lit up! I loved it!!!! Very majestic. It look like an hour to get there, and I only stayed for about 20 minutes, but it was soooo worth it! I am off to bed now because I have to be on the other side of the city very early tomorrow.

Au revoir!

Salut!

It has been an eventful few days. Friday we had a tour of the ancient/medieval section of the Louvre. The Louvre, people. Got to walk in through the pyramid and everything. While there we saw the very famous Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa. Kinda overrated, but still cool. Then we went to the Chateau de Vincennes and I realized that I had no idea how I had made it through 20 years without ever being in a castle before (Cinderella’s castle aside). The chateau was pretty cool. We saw the doors that locked Marie Antoinette in her dungeon before she was beheaded. We also saw the spot on the floor where people boiled and skinned King Henry V body. Um, ew. There were lots of spirally staircases that made me feel all spinny. At night, a group of us decided to buy bottles of wine and head over to the Eiffel Tower. It is all lit up at night and very very pretty. At the beginning of the hour, it sparkles for ten minutes. Very majestic. There is also a carousel across from it. Whimsical, non?

Saturday we went back to the Eiffel Tower so we could see it during the day. Definitely not as cool as at night. Then we walked over to see the small Statue of Liberty. I was pretty impressed, given that I have never been to see the Ellis Island one. Later we headed to Notre Dame and went up to the top for some breathtaking views. Then we went to the Crypts. Dark, dank, a lil smelly, but, all in all, pretty cool. After that I went to the Shakespeare and Co bookstore, one of only 4 English bookstores in all of France. It is also known for letting poor traveling artists and writers sleep overnight in the shop for free. I bought a second hand copy of Jane Austen’s last and final novel. Tres tres excited. The last thing I did was go to the Pompidou – the colorful building that looks like it is inside out. I went to dinner at like 9:30 pm, so I was starved, but I had a chocolate banana crepe so it was okay! I stayed on campus Saturday night because there was a rugby match that apparently our team won. There were kids everywhere, playing music and hanging outside, so I enjoyed that scene.

Sorry for the obnoxiously long update. I will be sure to do it again real soon. If anyone wants a specific picture of something, let me know and I will post it. And if anyone has recommendations for what I should do or where I should go while in Paris, let me know!

And this video I posted is sideways, but you should still check it out.

<3

Just another day...in Paris!

So, enjoy this post because it is the first that I was able to make from my dorm. Last night I enjoyed delicious French ice cream. Man have we got to get some of that stateside. I was able to get about 7 hours of sleep last night so I can sorta kinda function today and everything. This morning we had orientation at ACCENT where we learned how to function and not get mugged or die while in Paris. Then we had a short break for lunch: lunch in a park! Sidenote: Dad, they have Foosball tables in the park. Then we went to Notre Dame again, but we got to see the inside. Before we entered, my prof told us he was just pickpocketed on the Metro. I felt bad, but had to enjoy the irony of it. Notre Dame was AMAZING! I also took a picture of a guy dressed up as Quasimodo. Then we saw the Martyrs Francais de la Deportation, a monument/memorial in remembrance of the French Jews killed during WW2. After, we went to the Baths. Then the Sorbonne. Then the ancient Roman stadium discovered under Paris. Little boys were playing soccer so well that I am pretty sure David Beckham would bow down. The whole day was fun. I just came back from trying to find a grocery store that is 20 minutes away. We got there finally but it was closed because today is a national French holiday. I am going out with some people tonight to the restaurant on campus. Then we are reading 200 pages tonight for a quiz tomorrow. The prof forgot to assign the readings. He apologized and then promptly told us that we will still have the quiz. C'est la vie!

I made it to Paris alive!

My flight got in at around 9:30 am Paris time. I got very little sleep but it was alright. Took a bus tour all around the city basically and then made it to the dorms. They are very efficient (read: small). Then I took my first try on the Metro and the RER (let me tell you, it is all in French. all of it). Saw the Bastille. Now I am headed to buy a cell phone and take a walking tour around part of the city. Having dinner tonight outside of Saint-Michel's, near the river Seine. Then I think I must shower and sleep because it has been a long time (gross, I know). Anyhoo, talk to all you crazy kids later!


xoxo

Prepaing to Invade

Hello All,

I am leaving for Paris on Tuesday, and I am sooo excited (except for the face that I haven't packed anything ye!)! I will try to update this regularly and post some pictures. Keep in mind that France is 7 hours ahead, so yeah, jet lag will suck. I will post again when I get there and have one free minute. I have a feeling that they will be somewhat hard to come by.

Wish y'all could come too. <3