Le plus clair du weekend
Trip Start
Jan 17, 2010
1
10
42
Trip End
May 18, 2010
Paris 15 Vaugirard, Île-de-France, France
Sunday, February 7, 2010
10. I became an aunt for the 3rd time!
9. Surviving my first week of all French classes. It is fun to be able to take all French classes and actually sit there and understand the professor. But let me tell you, that after 3 classes in a row (4 hours) the last thing you want to do is continue speaking French! hahaha I was forewarned about the headaches you get from only hearing another language and now I know what everyone was talking about!
8. My friend Jamie and I found the most amazing panini place near the Seine in the 1st/4th arrondissements. I have never enjoyed a sandwich so much in my life, I did not want it to end! haha We've decided to make it our regular dinner spot every Thursday.
7. This past Friday was, by far, the sunniest day in Paris to date! Some friends and I walked along the Seine for a few hours, soaking in every ray possible. It was wonderful. Plus, we found the bridge that Carrie and Big reunite on in the Sex and the City season finale (for those who are Sex and the City fans, you might recall that episode).
6. IES had a wine degustation at the center on Friday afternoon. A culinary adviser came in and talked about how wine is grown, which regions produce which types of wines and how looking at the bottle shape can also hint at where the wine is from. It was very interesting and I was definitely "un peu pompette" after tasting the various types of wines.
5. Saturday for dejeuner (lunch), IES paid for all their students to eat a full 3 course dinner. It was absolutely wonderful to have a traditional French style meal paid for! haha With our budgets, we normally don't choose to eat at restaurants with the full course.
4. Saturday I also went to my first European football match. Paris St. Germain vs. Loraine. Located at Le Parc des Princes, which is right on the city border in the 16th arrondissement, the stadium is newer and absolutely beautiful. We lost horribly 0-3, but it was still fun to sit one section over from the really rowdy fans and listen to their chants. My favorite, "Ou est-il? A Paris!!" "Where are we? In Paris!!" The fans were getting so mad we were losing, that many of them starting booing their own team after a while. And another interesting fact, you know how in the States, there might be cops outside a sports stadium, just in case a fight or something breaks out? Which usually is not very big. Well, upon leaving the stadium, there was cops in full riot gear: shields, helmets, sticks, armour, etc. And they were all over the area and sides streets, waiting for a full riot to break out. Nothing happened, but I can imagine they are there for a reason!
3. Today I visited Versailles and it was absolutely amazing. To be honest, at first I was a little disappointed. I thought it was bigger, but then you get to the back side of the main chateau and you realize how huge the estate of Versailles truly is! At the same time though, I was a little disgusted at how this massive complex was built for such a tiny family. No wonder there was a revolution!
2. Seeing as this is my favorite part of Versailles, it needed its own number. Farther back in the estate, is Marie Antoinette's Estate and Trianon Palaces. By far the most beautiful grounds I have seen to date! She had not only her own "little" mansion, but also her own farms and an area called the "Queen's Hamlet." A tiny little village that looked like it came out of a storybook; little cottages and gardens, a tiny lighthouse and pond. One of the best parts of my weekend was walking around the grounds. I would've loved to have lived there!
1. Friday night, some friends of mine and I went out to the Pigalle area of France. Better known as the "red light district" kinda like the one in Amsterdam. Though I would never want to go there at night by myself, I went in a group of two guys and 6 other girls, therefore we were safe. What made this my number one moment of the weekend, is that we found a karaoke pub and everyone sang karaoke! My first time! hahaha It was so much fun. Two of my MN friends and I sang as a trio to Backstreet Boys "I want it that way." Two other IES students did a duet from Grease. One of the best nights out, to date!
Cultural Insights:
-European fans are COMPLETELY different than American. There is a higher level of respect and admiration for one's team. Another reason why there are riot cops outside the stadium after matches.
-A bad day to visit tourist sites is on Sunday. However, when its free admission, you should probably go anyway.
New Vocabulary:
-food hangover- this is obviously not a French word but rather a new term, my friends and I have created to describe how we feel after eating to many crepes with nutella or cheese sandwiches haha
Comments
OMG! I just finished reading your travel entries. OMG! What an opportunity! Who knew Skippy would be so expensive. Try to remember how the panini was made so you can reproduce it back at the states. I love the insights and new words you're adding. Wish I spoke french, but all the sights you are seeing and sharing, what Great Fun! - Thanks for the memories! - Stay safe and don't forget to study. - Linda Carrillo, The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity.
Hi! You don't know me, but someone at work gave me the link to your blog. My daughter is also studying in France this term in Montpellier and has a blog ("alicia_abroad") on this site, so I get to compare your experiences.
cool! i love hearing about new vistiors to my sight! ill have to check hers out as well!