Paris week 2

Here's an overview of my second week in Paris!

Sunday

My friend Elana and I met up and went on a nice walk around the popular parts of Paris, including the Tuileries, which is a famous garden in Paris filled with statues. I caught my first glimpse of blue skies in Paris and it was absolutely beautiful. We had lunch at a small café and ended the day at Laudrée, which is famous for their macaroons and other pastries. We walked back towards the big feris wheel in Paris and ran into our friend Sam. Even though Paris is a big town, it's still common to bump into people. We ate our treats with a spectacular view of the sun setting over Paris. We then walked to the Eiffel Tower and had a late night bottle of wine under the tower. It definitely didn't feel like real life. 

Monday
Even though classes don't start until next week my program had us do a week of french grammer classes as a little refresher before courses started. After my class ended I walked around the area where my program is with my friends Elana, Jackie and Deanna. It was cold and rainy so we didn't last long and ended up getting a coffee and a crêpe.


Tuesday
My friends Kevin and Jackie and I went to the Grand Lafayette which is the mega mega mega retail store in Paris. I say mega because it's the biggest thing I've ever seen and this is coming from an American! The quality of retail there was insane. Unlike the US, where big department stores offer lower cost options, Grand Lafayette only had designer brands. Prada, Dior and Chanel dominated the store, not to mention the two floors of shoes and another floor of only make up. We instantly became overwhelmed and choose to duck out and into a small café. That night my roommate Chelsea and I met up with a friend of mine from Michigan who lived close by to do some exploring of the Oberkaumpf district of Paris.


Wednesday
I went to the Musée d'Orsay with a group of students from my program and we got a guided tour completely in french. While I couldn't understand everything, I was definitely able to follow along. It was so amazing getting to see the works of Manet, Cézanne and the other impressionists in person. My favorite painting that we saw was definitely Manet's Olympia. Especially considering that picture was the topic of a paper for one of my previous art history classes, seeing it person was truly breath taking.

Thursday
My friends and I went and walked around Montmartre and I had my first Croque Monsieur, which is a popular french dish of ham and melted cheese with a side of salad. After that, we walked through the Red Light district and saw the Moulin Rouge. It's a lot smaller than I expected and it was odd seeing an old building in the midst of modern looking ones. I also went to a McDonald's (called MacDo here). The menu features totally different things than the US and includes french foods like baguettes and macaroons. It's also a lot more expensive than in the states but the food is much better quality.



On Friday I got my hair done, which was the perfect way to end the week. That night, I was treated to a magnificent dinner by Michele and Hubert Varlet, who are the most wonderful couple and have been such a great help to me as I get used to living in Paris.



Overall, things have been really great and I'm very happy with what my life is becoming here. I've made a great group of friends and I'm working on planning some trips with them. As far as classes go, they're listed below and officially start Monday.
-Art and Architecture in France from the Late Gothic to Baroque Period
-Advanced French Grammer
-Paris Museums: History of Art
-History of France
-Two drawing classes at a local university called Académie de la Croix Nivert