Reflections on Returning

Oh, Paris, you've been so good to me these past 4 months. I can't believe I'm leaving tomorrow. I am prepared to throw a fit and cause a scene on the airplane, all the way home. The sunglasses will be worn, at the very least.

I've been running around and doing things right up until the end. I had class this morning, in which I gave my oral presentation that basically counted as my final grade in a class we did NOTHING in all semester. I think it went well, though. Our huge end-of-internship papers were due on Wednesday so I turned that it and feel good about getting a 16-page paper off my chest! I didn't mind writing it because it was just all about my internship--what I did, and a it about the website; not hard at all.

Yesterday Em and I went back to the Musee d'Orsay, because I have not been there since the second week of the semester. I had wanted to see it one last time. It's so weird to think about seeing things for "one last time." I wanted to go back to the gardens, like Luxembourg and the Tuileries, but it is just too cold outside, and.....it's snowing! Not at this moment, but it snowed for the first time of the season yesterday :) It doesn't usually snow here in December so it was a big deal for the French people. So it would be a little too freezing to take a stroll outside. Oh well, guess I'll just have to come back sometime when it's spring time! Michelle left for Denmark for break yesterday so I helped her pack and we said our goodbyes. They were quick and (theoretically) painless. It's better when it just happens so one is running to get off the metro before the doors close; little time to really stop and think, Wow, I will not see you for 9 months. Needless to say, I am going to miss everyone here like CRAZY. I am going to miss every little minute detail of this city and of my semester here. I'm also going to miss Europe in general, and I have such great memories of the trips and traveling I've been able to do.

Yesterday when Em and I were walking around a town just outside Paris, where we decided to explore for lunch, we both got pelted with snowballs that a French boy was throwing as unassuming pedestrians from his second-story window! I wasn't even upset, I could only laugh! I think it's hysterical, except for when he dumped a HUGE amount of snow on the heads of some other people. The little punk. Today I also went to Rue Denoyez in Belleville, which is pretty well-known for its graffiti all up and down the buildings and walls. It was SO COOL. And guys who were tagging were there, dressed in some weird costumes. They were being filmed, maybe for a movie! It was so cool. Did I already mention that? :) The street is so creative and beautiful and artful.

I already have a list of things that I have to do the next time I get back here, whenever that is. You know what? I am at peace. I have done and seen so much this semester. I have learned so much about myself and have gained a lot of independence. I hope I can hold onto it while I'm back home and not feel stunted. I'm sure it will be nice to be home and there are so many things and people I look forward to seeing!

I love Paris. It is my city. And I will be back one day. (expect a post-return entry soon!)

Ireland in Photos

The stunning Cliffs of Moher!
Sunset in the countryside on the way back from the Cliffs of Moher

The River Liffey that runs through Dublin
lively street!
Michelle and me on the tour bus!
THE PADDY WAGON, in the flesh (?)
Our first view of Ireland from the plane. It really is that green!

Dublin: III

December 14, 2009, Monday

Michelle and I really booked this trip well, time-wise. We had the full day in Dublin on Saturday and today our flight didn't leave until night, so we had all day, until 5 p.m., in the city. That makes 3 full days in this beautiful country! We woke up early because when you stay in a hostel room with other people, when they get up early in the morning, you're pretty much up early in the morning, too. We had breakfast and were ready for the day by 8:30, which was a little ridiculous because nothing was really open and we had alllll day to do stuff. We made great friends with Stephen, a worker at Paddy's Palace. He told us that if you work for the company for 3 or 6 months, you get free lodging and you can go on tours for free! What a deal! We watched a little Irish morning news and some crappy tv to kill some time.

Finally, we left to see some sights, the first being Trinity College. It was a little colder today, so we bundled up even though it was a pretty short walk. The campus is absolutely gorgeous with huge stone buildings and a great courtyard. I'm sure I looked like a little tourist, taking photos while all the students were walking to and from class. We went there to see the Book of Kells, which is an illuminated manuscript from the 800s, containing the four gospels of the New Testament, written in Latin by Celtic monks. It was a really interesting exhibition, though I'm not sure it was worth 8 euros. I did get a coupon for a free postcard! Haha. After, we took a stroll down Grafton Street, which is the equivalent of; Rue de Rivoli (Paris), Regent Street (London), even Newbury Street (Boston); Basically, all sopping. We peeked in a few stores and bought gloves, but that's it; I behaved! We exited right next to Saint Stephen's Green, a wonderful, beautiful park in the city, and strolled all around it. It reminded me of being in Parc Monceau in Paris...just like home! As it started to get colder, we returned to Paddy's and had some time to warm up and relax before taking the 5 p.m. Bus to the airport. Our driver was the same one who had taken us from the airport to the hostel a couple days earlier, and he was so nice, too! Really, everyone there was so nice. I think we formed some pretty good bonds to be honest.

The flight home was flawless, it just took a long time. By the time I got back to the foyer it was after midnight. I got to sleep a little on the bus ride back to Paris, but I had to stay up a little later to finish working in my final paper due Wednesday.

So, to sum it all up: This weekend was definitely one of the best ones of my life! I'm so happy Michelle and I went together because we had so much fun and were silly, so that aspect was definitely fun. Plus, we got to spend a lot of time in a truly breathtaking country—one that I would love to revisit someday. I'm very fortunate to have been able to do so much traveling this semester. It really does feel like all of Europe is at your fingertips once you're over here, and it is pretty easy to get around. Even better when you can find cheap flights. Now I have to enjoy the last few days left in Paris before I head back home. What a whirlwind!

Bisous mes amis!

Dublin: II

December 13, 2009, Sunday

I forgot to mention that the reason we decided to voyage Saturday-Monday is that we would not have to miss our Friday class with Thierry, which I have already missed a lot of times. Also, our flights were SO cheap—5 euros for the flight to Dublin and 3 euros for the return trip!! I kid you not. I love RyanAir.

Anyway, we woke up today around 6 (woo hoo, got to sleep late! Haha) and had breakfast in the hostel before meeting in the lobby around 7. The Paddy Wagon had a full bus today and we got good seats near the front. The Cliffs of Moher are on the west coast of Ireland, and you can cross the whole country in about 3-4 hours, which I think is pretty cool. Still;, this means it was a long trip in the bus. Mike, our driver, was hysterical, though I don't know if he meant to be. He told us no less than 50 times how lucky we were because of the weather. It was true, even in Summer you might not get clear skies and sun like we did today. It would have been a shame to go all the way to the Cliffs and not be able to see them because of fog. And Mike made sure to repeat himself...again...and again...We passed by the field where the battle scene in Braveheart was filmed! The sun did not rise for a while, but it was beautiful when it did. It was amazing to speed by the rolling green countryside of Ireland. And speed by we did, because Mike was a maniac driver. Safe, but so fast! I wore my seatbelt. We stopped at King John's Castle on the River Shannon. There were a lot of medieval castles around, the ruins just scattered all over the countryside. It was kind of like how the ancient ruins were scattered in Athens. We were on a very strict schedule, as Mike also kept reminding us; so we did not have a ton of time for photo opportunities, though we got to take some. Luckily, we stayed on schedule all day. We drove through the parts of the country that were devastated by the Potato Famine, which the Irish call the Great Hunger because the rest of the country was well-fed, just not the peasants in the countryside who were so poor they could only live off potatoes. When they were allowed to work for their food, the government in the east made them build stone walls to literally nowhere, all day, for just one penny a day's worth of food for their family. During the time of the famine, Ireland's population decreased by 3 million, from 8 million to 5 million—1 million died and the rest fled. Today, the population is not as high as it used to be. Seeing the walls was very striking and a sad reminder of the atrocities the Irish had to endure.

We stopped for lunch in a very small village named Doolin, at an Irish pub that had SUCH good food for a great price—and lots of it! It was so picturesque and quiet and beautiful, especially at this time of year when there are not a lot of people around. Things are so remote that people in Doolin have to drive over an hour to get to the closest grocery store. I wonder how long it takes to get to school? Doolin is only 5 minutes from the Cliffs of Moher, which is the most-visited sight in the whole country. Of course, my camera stopped working right as we got there, to the most important part of the whole trip! I was furious. Luckily I can rely on Michelle's camera, but it was still a huge bummer. The cliffs are simply stunning, especially when you get up close and see just how high they are—440 meters or something like that. The water was a sparkling blue and it matched the sky and we had warm sun-it was perfect! There were almost no other tourists there too, which made it even more serene. In the summer I think it would be too hot and too crowded. We seem to get very lucky on trips like this. :) It was so nice also to just be silent and listen to the murmur of the waves as they hit the rocks. It's very magnetizing, and I forgot how much I missed things like this while being in Paris. We stayed for an hour and a half and got to climb both sides of the cliffs, even passing a point that is interdit (sometimes I honestly can't remember some words in English). Everyone went beyond that point, you just have to be careful. Great photos!

We made a similar to stop to another castle on the drive home, but Miche and I slept more on this trip. Since it gets dark so early, we were not missing much of the scenery outside the bus. We got back to the hostel a little after 7, a little tired but so happy that we decided to take the day trip. It was getting the best of both worlds, to be able to profit from the city and to see the famed, incredible countryside. We found an Italian place for dinner and both ordered the same dish, which Miche and I noticed we are very good at doing, haha. It was in the Temple Car area, a lively stretch full of bars and pubs with live Irish music, but it was a little pricey for us. We were really tired again so we retired to the hostel, watched more X Factor, since it was the final vote night (oh, please, just listen to me now). Went to bed early again :)

Dublin: I

This entry is all about my fabulous weekend in Ireland with Michelle! Wow. As I write this, I've been back in Paris for a couple days and I still can't get over how amazing my weekend was and how much I want to go back. I hope the following entries are not too boring for you, because I wanted to record every detail I could remember. Here goes nothing...

December 12, 2009, Saturday

Today started really early—I woke up at 3:45 so I could shower before leaving the foyer. Unfortunately I did not get a lot of sleep mast night because there was a huge party a couple doors down from me in the foyer, and people were being so loud. Luckily I am a morning person and can get by with little sleep. We had to leave so early because RyanAir likes to fly out of very remote airports and it was flying out of Beauvais, over an hour outside of Paris. I got all my stuff together, packed into the now-infamous brown Weekend Trip Bag, and left the foyer around 5 a.m. In order to catch the first metro at 5:30, I got to Nation around 5:20. I really don't like the walk from my foyer to that metro station early in the morning or late at night, even though it's only about 10 minutes. It's probably safe, I just get a weird feeling. I took the metro all the way to the western periphery, to Porte Maillot, and met Michelle there at the bus terminal. We were both so excited we were so talkative and giddy on the bus ride, though I think we tried to sleep a little. Beauvais is a very small airport, almost not even real in my opinion. It took us not long at all to go through security and we had some time to relax before getting on board. It's free seating, just like EasyJet, so we found a nice part on the left side and I got the window—nice! I have a baseless fear of the right side of planes so it was perfect. The flight was only an hour and a half, too! Good thing Michelle was there for me to squeeze the daylights out of her hand during take-off. She's a good sport. :)

Seeing the green fields from the airplane made Ireland really come alive. It's just like it looks in the pictures! Though during the Spring the green is more vibrant and lush, for the middle of December, we were really surprised at how much greenery there was. We booked a hostel named—wait for it—Paddy's Palace! It has such a funny name, how could we not? Actually, it is the only hostel in Europe (or the world, as Stephen, our Paddy's Palace employee friend, would tell us) that has free shuttle service to and from the airport. I can't get over the accents! And I thought it was great in England. Actually, sometimes when the Irish pilots spoke on the plane, it was as if they were speaking another language entirely. Also, did you know the language can be called Irish, too, not Garlic? I thought that was interesting because it sounds a little incorrect, like saying people speak American or Mexican, but it is correct. Everyone was so, so friendly and helpful and just generally very...cheery. What a pleasant change! The Paddy Wagon picked us up at 12; Yes...the Paddy Wagon, a bright green bus with a sheep and leprechaun on it, that says PADDY WAGON TOURS across it. We must have been quite a sight. It was hard to get used to the fact that the Irish drive on the other side of the road, too. I could already tell it was going to be a fantastic weekend! The bus took us right to the hostel, in the center of Dublin. We really picked the hostel well—great location close to the River Liffey that runs through the city. Our driver told us all about the area on the way there. This hostel really should have been considered a palace! It had great couches in the lobby, a huge flat screen tv and a computer with free internet for anyone who wanted to use it! And books and brochures...it really felt like a little hotel. If anyone is ever looking for a hostel in Dublin, I demand you stay at Paddy's Palace. We got checked into our 10-person female dorm room right downstairs, but we only ever had a couple roommates at a time. I got the top bunk. :) It was still rally early at that point so we got settled and then walked around the city to a place where we could get on a hop-on hop-off tour bus.

Dublin is even smaller than Paris, and seems to be very accessible from anywhere. There is a pretty lively population and a lot of people. It was really interesting to see the stark differences between Dublin and Paris. Dublin is not as pretty, architecturally, I would say. The buildings are nondescript brick ones, not too high, with no embellishments at all. I prefer the wrought iron balconies, flower boxes, and window shutters of Parisian apartments much more. People seem more relaxed and not as consumed with image. I think I can say in a sociological, observational way, that Dubliners are not as rigid as Parisians with self-image and clothing and looking good, and Dubliners have a more alternative style, whereas Parisians don't take as many risks and wear a lot of dark colors. We found the bus station and paid our 13 euros to get on. It was a little cold but we had sun and clear weather so Michelle and I sat on the top of the uncovered double-decker bus to get the best view. The tour was an hour and a half long, and it took us by beautiful parks, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church, the Guinness Factory, and all sorts of historical sights. We took so many photos! Phoenix Park in Dublin is the largest enclosed park in all of Europe! It was really beautiful. The whole area around the Guinness Factory smelled like barley, thought I really thought it smelled like horse manure, haha. I think it's the number one tourist attraction the city and the beer is sold literally everywhere.

When we got off the bus around 3:15, we wandered around to some Christmas markets we had passed on the Paddy Wagon. After being to the markets along the Champs Elysées, no other markets seem as impressive, but it was still so nice! I didn't buy anything but some scones and fudge...mmm! It was so festive and it was right on the water, which was nice. That killed some time before we headed back to the hostel for a little because it was so cold out. I will admit it...we may have taken an hour nap in our beds, haha. Hey, we had been up for so long and were really tired. We got some dinner recommendations from people who worked at the hostel and tried to get into a really popular pub called the Cilt (pronounced “kilt”) but it was full until 10 p.m. We still found another Irish pub and Michelle and I both ordered Shepherd's Pie! That was one of my goals for the weekend. She had a Guinness because, well, When in Rome, and I had a coke. Even though I was in Dublin, I could not bring myself to drink the stuff. Dinner was so yummy. I had wanted to check out the temple Bar area after dinner but we were so tired that we just went back to the hostel and watched a little tv in the lobby before going to bed. The show The X-Factor was on and people are pretty nuts about it, so we got in on the fun for a little. It's like American Idol but with better accents.

So, Paddy Wagon Tours is a touring company that also has several hostels all around Ireland, not just in Dublin. They run 1-, 2-, 4-, 6-, and 10-day tours all over the country, too. Miche and I decided to pay a little more to take a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher on the west coast. I think staying in the city all weekend would have been a little suffocating; plus we really wanted to see the countryside. Most people who stay in the hostels go on tours, or they stay in the hostel BECAUSE they went on a tour. We went to bed satisfied with our plan and still so ecstatic to be in Dublin!

Comment dit-on "hodgepodge" en francais?

Part of the medievel wall that circled Paris...this bad boy is from the 1100s!
Empty nutella jars are a good measure for a successful semester.
The ferris wheel at one end of the Champs Elysees for the Christmas markets
Parc Monceau!
I saw this beautiful sunrise from my room window one morning :)
Overlooking Paris from the Centre Pompidou
Galeries Lafayette decorated for the holidays!
La Seine
The beautiful domed ceiling inside l'Hotel des Invalides

La vie continue

Ok a rapid-fire run-down of some things that have been going on lately:

1. Went to the outdoor Christmas markets along the Champs Elysees last weekend....it was lovely! White booths line the avenue and they sell everything you can imagine--food, tea, jewelry, handmade scrapbooks, ornaments, and all sorts of knick knacks. I walked up and down it twice with Emily and Michelle and bought some gifts for the holiday :) There was also a ton of vin chaud (hot wine) which smelled almost too good to resist. Alas, I did, and went for the chocolate-covered bananas instead. Mmm!

2. I've been working on my 15-page paper allllll the time lately. I go to IFE in the morning for my internship and still wind up staying there all day to work on it. It's due Wednesday and since I'm not going to be around this weekend, it has to get done SOON. I don't think I'll have a problem getting it done, I just might have to commit a late night or two.

3. Monday night I went out to dinner with a bunch of friends from my class, which was so nice! We went to Louise's, which is the place my friend Megan discovered and told me about (I had already been there twice). It was Megan, her boyfriend, Luci, her cousin and brother, Max, and myself. I had the lasagna like I had the first time and it was delicious! I had wanted to go home and work on my paper--this should really come before "2."--but I was persuaded to go out to Stolly's, the bar where my friend Vanessa works. I'd been there before too. I'm glad I went! It was really nice and not as crowded this time as it was last time, probably because it was a Monday night and not a Friday night, haha. It was great to see Vanessa again too, because it will probably be the last time. :-/ I had a White Russian (3rd in a week---what!) and I inspired others to get it too. So, ha! Not just an old man/Big Lebowski drink. :)

well I guess that's all I really have....The past week has not been the MOST adventurous. Did I mention I took my final last weekend? Parts of it were kind of hard, but I get the results today, for better or for worse. We'll see.....! Off to Dublin tomorrow with Michelle and couldn't be more excited!

The Frog and Rosbif

This post doesn't have a lot of really important updates or information; it's just a sneak-peek into my weekend, which was very nice! I figure a few "normal" (meaning, what day spending a semester abroad in Paris is "normal"?!) day-in-the-life entries are good to have, too. Also, please ignore my horrendous spelling and typing issues! I didn't realize it was so bad...

Friday I had class from 9-12 in the morning. I haven’t been in this class in forever, for various reasons (oooh does that sound mysterious? It’s really not; more of a combination of Theirry being sick and weekend trips!). But luckily we had a "field trip" day around Paris, so it was better than sitting in a classroom for 3 straight hours. Though it was cold, we had blue skies and sun so I enjoyed being outside! We walked around Belleville, which is an area not too far from where I live, in the 19th/20th arrondissements. Parts of the area are a little more run-down, and it's very working-class, but it's also the most originally "French" area in the whole city. Plus, the park at Belleville is the highest point, land-wise, in the whole city! (Walking up the steps of Sacre Coeur is technically higher, but as for landmass, Belleville wins). The view of Paris was so gorgeous, but what was the most striking was that it made the city look so close! The Eiffel Tower looked like it was two feet away when it is really on the other side of the city. We had the park to ourselves with no other tourists, which was a plus. Thierry even took us out to get tea and hot chocolate, which was really nice on a cold, autumn morning.

After class I went out to Chinese food with Max, Michelle, and John, which was nice though I am a sesfood-phobe and the presence of shrimp in my wonton soup rendered it inedible to me. Then we parted ways and I got to see some things that I’d had on my list, like Parc Monceau. Some of my friends in the foyer had gone and they said they loved it and it was beautiful. I took the metro there and decided to see for myself. It’s too small to be even compared to the iconic gardens like Luxembourg or to the Tuileries, but it was gorgeous! I was there as the sun was starting to set too, which made it even more beautiful and calming. I sat on a bench by the water and wrote in my journal. I went home after to study a little before my study date with Megan, because we had a final the next day for our Sorbonne class. I also did some more back at the foyer with Emily and John since their advanced-level class notes are very helpful. It didn't feel like a Friday night at all, more like a Tuesday, because of all the studying we were doing.

Saturday I got to sleep a little later, until 8:30! I did some studying with John and Emily when I got back to the foyer, before we headed off to the final around 12:30 (the final was at 2). Of course we were there early but it was good to have some last-minute studying time. It was also nice to be reunited with my class friends...I'm actually going to miss a lot of them! Julia, Monica and I all went in together and we sat in the front row of the cold auditorium. The final was HARD. Some parts weren't too bad, maybe a little tricky, but the listening comprehension was so hard, and everyone agreed afterwards. So we're all in the same boat. I think I did ok, but I know I just had no idea for some questions. It took about 2 hours, though we were given 3. I checked my answers over a bunch of times, but then just wanted to get out of there! It’s really weird to know that I am now officially done with the Sorbonne. It’s kind of sad, actually. Though I wasn’t wild about my class, it was still a great experience, and I met some great people. We all congregated after the test and talked about it. Some people are leaving in a couple days since their program is over, so when they left it was kind of like, "ok, bye, I’ll probably never see you again." :( I hate change and I hate when good things come to an end.

Monica, Julia and I had plans to meet up with Courtney and Leanne at Patrick’s, an Irish pub, for dinner. Yes, another Greece reunion! I really love this group of the 5 of us :) As we were walking by Saint Michel there was a man playing guitar and singing songs on the street and he attracted huge group of people. He was really good! I love street performers; I find them so endearing. Even if someone can’t sing very well, I think it’s so sweet that they want to share their music with others. I feel the same way about the performers in the subway…if they’re really good, then I might give them some money. Once, Emily and I started singing with a woman on the metro who sang, “Killing me Softly” almost as well as Lauryn Hill herself! Anyway, the man was singing some Beatles songs and Sting and Stand By Me! The whole crowd was singing and clapping along and it was just so nice. I loved looking around the crowd and seeing all of the people joining in together, whether they knew the music or not. People from all different backgrounds could come together and express themselves and have fun and it was really something to see music b ringing everyone together. It was one of those “Wow, I’m going to miss this place” moments. :)

Dinner was really nice! There was a football (erm, soccer) game on the big TV in the pub and a lot of people came in to watch it. I think the business was really good for Patrick’s, which has been hitting hard times. It was so nice to have everyone together again, even if only for a little. We parted ways after dinner and I went back to the foyer where Emily, Natalia, and Kat were all in Em's room. We hung out for a little, then decided to go out and try to find dessert. We went to a cafe near our foyer but it wasn't very good because they ran out of the dessert I wanted and the guy was kind of mean. I don’t think we’ll be going back there any time soon. O[Oh, well...Kat and Natalia left after that, and Em and I were in my room. We had run into our friend Philippe earlier and he wanted to go out, so we met up with him and his friend (I don't remember his name, but he lives in the foyer, too) and we went to a pretty popular bar called the Frog and Princess. there were sooo many people in there and it was so hot. I was pretty tired before we went out so I hadn’t wanted to stay out late or go far from the foyer, but we did both those things! haha. I had a coke! One drink a night is good enough for me, and I had a White Russian at dinner. Ok, keep all jokes to yourself, please! Haha. We left a little after 1 to come back home. I’m glad I went out for a little…it was a good way to end the academic semester!

My Life in Ruins: Greece in Photos

The girls with Jimmy, our favorite waiter! "Yogurt is yogurt and life is life"
Some beautiful ruins that were near us
THE PARTHENON
Me, posing with the Parthenon, what a celebrity it is
Ancient stadium
The incredible view of Athens from the top of the Acropolis
oh hey!
Before we walked to the top of the ruins
Our first night at dinner!
This is what I saw as soon as we got off the metro...palm trees!
Tango dancing in the airplane aisle. No big deal.

Athens: Part II

(Sorry for the small font size in the previous post!) Aaaaaaand we're back!

Saturday

Saturday I woke up a little later than I wanted to but still made it to breakfast before it closed at 9:30. Breakfast included bread and some fruit. I could already tell it was going to be a hot day. We got all our things together and set out a little after 10 to....go to the Acropolis! How cool; I was so excited, especially because it's such a short walk. It was so hot, too, about 70 degrees. I was loving every minute of it, and I had even brought my sunglasses from Paris. Good thing! We did a lot of climbing, and each view of the city was more breathtaking than the one before. We kept climbing higher and higher. I had no idea how spread out the city was—it expands for several miles and you can see endless mountains and even the sea in one direction! We all would have loved to go to the beach if we had had more time. The ruins themselves were incredible. It's hard ti imagine that things can endure so long, and that we were in the very place that so many historical things happened. It's the beginning of civilization! Ah, so wonderful. And to see the Parthenon was amazing. These are the sorts of things you see pictures of in history textbooks and can't imagine actually visiting. There was sufficient construction, which was a bummer, but I was still so ecstatic to just be there. I don't think it really sunk in until after I got back to Paris.

We took a lot of photos and enjoyed the sun and the scenery and eventually had to come back down. There is simply too much to see all at once because the ruins are scattered all over the city. Get this: my art history student card from the Sorbonne got me into the Acropolis for free! Who knew that it could work internationally?! :) It all really felt like a dream and the whole time, none of us could believe were in Greece.

We spent the rest of the afternoon doing a lot of souvenir shopping. I got lots of things that I needed for people at home—surprisingly, no souvenirs from Paris yet, oops!--and some things for myself like rings and a air of sandals. I couldn't leave Athens without a pair of Grecian sandals. It was productive. We walked around the same streets so many times that the restaurant workers and shop owners began to recognize us! We were like local friendly faces that everyone recognized, haha. It was kind of funny, but I loved it. The shop keepers are a very persistent bunch and you are almost harassed into going into people's stores, sometimes. That I didn't like as much. We headed back to the hostel to relax for a little since we had done a lot of walking during the morning and afternoon. We had also gone to a field where athletes were practicing shot put and the discus—the real roots of the Greek Olympics! Haha. It was cool to see not only the touristy sights but also some small local things like that.

This time we had the intention of going to the first restaurant but we got intercepted by Jimmy, who told us he wouldn't be able to sleep that night if we didn't eat at his place. We didn't want to eat at the same restaurant two nights in a row, so we said we had to shop first. It was hard to say no to Jimmy because he is so funny and crazy and we loved him, so we promised to come back for dessert. We ate at the place where we had intended to the night before, and it was good, but the experience at Estia, “our” place, was a little better. I ate a lot of veal that was so yummy, but my chicken kabob at lunch was not as good as those that I have had in Paris, surprisingly. We went back to Estia for dessert and it was divine. :) The night was more or less the same, with us walking around and peeking into shops before heading back to the hostel. We had tried to see some more ruins that were closed off behind a gate. I wish we could have gotten closer to them, but they were still beautiful, especially the way the light from the sunset was hitting them. Le sigh....

Sunday

And on Sunday we woke up, had breakfast, and checked out of the hostel by 10 am. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to fit everything into my back! It was quite a feat for all of us. We had some time to explore more of Athens before we had to leave for the airport so we wandered and I found us a beautiful park. There were orange trees everywhere! Also, there are a lot of dogs in Athens, laying everywhere, in the middle of the sidewalk. Though they have collars, I don't think they all have owners. All they do is sleep. Anyway, there were gorgeous trees in the park and we took photos and enjoyed nature for a bit before heading back to the metro.

The next time I come to Greece, I'm definitely going to go to the islands. There is still so much more to see in Athens, too, and I want to see it all. We had an almost-incident on the metro when we thought we were on a direct ride to the airport when it stopped at a station. The lights went out and we didn't realize that all the other passengers had gotten off. Once we did, we scrambled to get our things together and get off the train. Julia, Courtney, and I made it but the alarm beeped and the doors shut before Monica and Leanne could get off! It started to pull away and all 5 of us were speechless and motionless until a guy banged on the door to stop the metro so they could get off. Hahaha, it was hysterical! That WOULD happen to us, right? On every trip, there's always something. :) We luckily made it to the airport very early and you can believe we went right through security and got to our gate. No taking any risks this time, though Leanne's water bottle made it through security when it definitely shouldn't have...this flight was better—aka, normal—without problems. The flight is about 3 hours but we occupied ourselves and talked the whole time; it was nice. And I have to admit; seeing the Eiffel Tower lit up from a distance as you fly into Orly—the night view really makes Paris seem like the City of Lights—is pretty cool.

I have just returned from one of the best weekends of my life. The trip was so much fun and I made new friends and became closer with others, and I couldn't be happier about it. My only regret is that we didn't do this sooner! All 5 of us traveled so well together and everyone is so sweet and fun. And to have been in Athens is just indescribable: everything about it is beautiful. I didn't want to return to Paris, especially to the freezing cold! There are some things I realized I preferred about Athens to Paris, and some things I prefer about Paris to Athens. I know that if I really want to return to Greece later in life, then I will. The photos don't do it justice. And seeing the huge Christmas tree in front of Notre Dame with its ornaments and lights was so beautiful (how many times can I use that word here?) that it made me happy to be back in my city. All in all, I had a wonderful, amazing trip! :)

(In fact, Leanne, Courtney and I all got kabobs for dinner in the Latin Quarter upon arriving back in Paris, haha! How fitting, to bring the weekend full-circle)

Athens, Part I

This weekend: ATHENS 2009! I took a trip to Greece for the weekend with two girls from my class, Julia and Monica, and two of Julia's friends from another program, Leanne and Courtney. I didn't know the other two girls before but I was confident that we would all get along and have the best time, and we did! In fact, words can't even describe how amazing it was so I will attempt to start from the beginning:

Friday

Friday began early for me, around 6 a.m. I got up early so I could shower and pack—again, just my brown bag—for a weekend away. Monica told me that she learned to always pack very lightly and not fill her bag up because she always leaves room for the things she buys on the way home. I attempted to save some room in my bag. We all planned to meet at the metro at 8:30 to catch the bus to the airport, but we arrived at slightly different times so Julia, Leanne, and Courtney went ahead on one bus and Monica and I took the next one. The airport, Orly, is only about a half hour away from Paris so the ride was quick and easy and the airport itself is much more enjoyable than Charles de Gaulle and easier to navigate. We all met up and since we had time, we got a little breakfast at a café. We were flying EasyJet, too, and we had all checked in online and already had our boarding passes. Let me tell you, that was the last time any of us will relax when we think we have a lot of time before we board. We went through security and Monica realized she didn't have her boarding pass. We think the man whom we allowed to go ahead of us in line accidentally took the container that already had her boarding pass sheet in it, so it was nowhere to be found. We started to freak out a little because our gate was all the way at the end and we were starting to board soon. While Monica went down to the desk to reprint it, we all talked to the woman at the gate. She and the others there were very rude and didn't care about our problem and really wouldn't help us. One in particular was really mean. Eventually I told the other girls to get on the plane while I waited, and time was passing. The woman kept yelling at me, “If your friend isn't here in 10 minutes/5 minutes/30 seconds/5 seconds, the plane is leaving!” Ugh, what stress! I was the only one waiting by the gate so I reluctantly got on the plane and gave the other girls the “I don't know” look when they saw me. Each subsequent person who got on the plane (the liar, the plane was NOT ready to leave!) was not Monica and I was having a heart attack. I'd been talking with her back and forth and they wouldn't let her go ahead in security. Finally, she got on the plane! She had run all the way from security, in her socks, carrying her boots, after telling the guy forcefully that she needed to get on the plane NOW. I've never been so happy to see someone! She and I sat on the right side of the plane with another woman in the window seat, with the other girls on the other side.

But the fun did not end there, no way: Apparently there was a Spanish tango/salsa/sole sort of dance team on the flight so while we were delayed 30 minutes to have a wheel changed, they put their music on their speakers and danced in the aisles! It was pretty entertaining and very different; except that the flight attendants were getting in on it and taking pictures with their iphones...I don't know, it was all kind of bizarre. The whole time I was thinking, Is this a real flight? Is this happening? Is this professional?! I was a little nervous to get in the air in case the pilot was playing tetris at the command. Oof! So finally we et in the air and this becomes the worst flight of my life. Not because it was turbulent or scary—I was fine in that sense—but there were a bunch of Greek men in the row in front of us, which happened to be the exit row. They were loud the whole flight and many would just stand in the aisle during the whole flight! The (French) flight attendants would apologize for having to pass them in the aisle, as if they were disturbing them, instead of telling them that they had to, oh, I don't know, SIT. When is it ever ok to stand in the aisle during the flight? And there were couples sitting in each other's laps making out everywhere. But the worst part was that the guys in front of us were smoking weed (!!!) I kid you not. It's a hard smell to miss, especially when it's right in front of you, and I could see them through the seats. All the guys knew we were talking about them, but I didn't care, and I gave them dirty looks. The flight attendants knew it too, because one came over to them and said, while smiling, “You don't want the other passengers to see that.” WHAT IS GOING ON? I was like, this is not real. It can't be. The only possible explanation we all arrived at: they had knives. We didn't want to get involved because we had no idea who these guys were or what they could do, but it is outrageous for that activity to be permitted—to smoke anything—on a plane. Needless to say, we were all so happy to land in Athens. Anyway, onto better things...

We took the metro from the airport to our stop, Syntagma. It was a kind of long ride, but the metro is so much cleaner than in Paris, and the view outside was gorgeous. I couldn't get over the beautiful scenes of mountains! The landscape is so picturesque. I'm proud of us for figuring out how to get into the city. When we gout out of the metro station, the first thing I saw was a palm tree. It was warm and mild and it really felt like being on a tropical vacation! It was already 5 pm so we just found the hostel and checked in. Julia, Leanne, and Courtney were in a private room together but Monica and I had gotten a 3-bed dorm, which we found out translates to 2 bunk beds and one bes, equaling 5 people. Two girls had already arrived in our room but were not there when we dropped our things off. It was my first hostel experience and I have to say, it wasn't too bad! Maybe a little cold at night. We reconvened and walked to the downtown center to find a place for dinner. April; the girl who checked us in at the hostel, gave us the name f a restaurant to go to to eat. Athens is incredible because there are ruins literally all over—the city is covered in them, laying or standing wherever they originally were. So in the middle of streets, there were ruins. Our hostel also had the prime location of being 1 or 2 blocks from the Acropolis! Does it get better than that? We found the lively streets with shops and restaurants and got intercepted by two lively hosts at one place. They had us hooked—was it that they were friendly? Exciting? Spoke English? (Everyone spoke English there) Offered to buy our wine? Whatever the case, we sat down. And so a 3 ½ hour dinner commenced. It was so nice to relax and talk and have fun with the girls. We all get along really well! Jimmy, our waiter, was hilarious! We kept asking him about the Greek meals, like souvlaki and mousaka and when we asked about the yogurt and honey dessert, he said, “Yogurt is yogurt and life is life!” It quickly became the phrase of the weekend. Dessert was delicious and we left, full, around 10:30. We walked around the streets a little bit but were so tired we came back to the hostel. We could see the Acropolis from where we lived, but the real trip to the ruins was to happen the next day. After talking a bit in the girls' room, Monica and I headed over to our dorm. It's actually behind a small courtyard and garden area. I felt badly knocking and having one of the girls let us in, but the key has to stay at the front desk when people are in the hostel, so it wasn't our fault. I climbed into bed and tried to ignore the snoring from another girl.

All in all, it was a fantastic day and I was so happy to be in Greece!

M and G come to town!

Last week was a pretty busy week because Mumsy and Grumsy came to visit! I will attempt to fit a lot of information into this post in a short amount of time because I am at my internship and should really be doing other work.

They arrived on Tuesday morning, the 16th, and went straight to their apartment in the Marais. I had an interview with an author in the morning so I could not see them right away. I headed over to their place after (the interview went really well, too, which was great!) It was so nice to see them both after 3 months! Wow, what a long time. The apartment itself is quite nice, too, with lots of space. It was my first time ever in a Parisian apartment, and it didn't seem to be as small as they supposedly are. I had to get to class so we had a quick lunch in a nearby café before I jetted off. During their trip, I fortunately had a lot of time to spend with them because I didn't have class Friday morning, nor my internship on Thursday.

It was a week filled with fine dining, which was delicious. I can never allow myself to eat out so much on a normal basis! We went to one fancy restaurant whose pickings were a little too slim for me: out of 5 choices for entrées, there was seafood, seafood, seafood, rabbit, and deer. For a girl who does not like seafood, it was a little unnerving. Michelle had joined us, which was so nice, and she helped me through it, though I will not tell you which one I chose. We went out to lunch during the days before i had to get to my afternoon class. And i got to spend most nights sleeping over in the apartment, which made it really feel like a real vacation. It was a little nicer than my foyer, haha.

We did a little shopping (HA how many of you believe we just did a "little"?) and it was nice to walk along Boulevard St. Germain, and we even visited Galleries LaFayette. I got a new umbrella, as my last one died in the Oxford Wind Storm of 2009 last weekend. This one is cute and promises to never flip inside out. The weather was so nice and unseasonably mild the whole week, which made it pleasant to be outside. We went ot the Eiffel Tower at night, which really never gets old. It was glittering and flashing multicolors, which was pretty cool. One day we went to the Louvre, and I saw some French paintings I've wanted to see for a while. I got to cross a lot of thigns off my To See list, like the Centre Pompidou, though I did not enjoy it at all. We saw a lot of modern and contemporary art, which I have probably mentioned before that I do not like. Did you know it's the second-most visited attraction in the city, after the Eiffel Tower?

Emily came with us to dinner one night, too, to Café Louise where I had been a few weekends ago with friends from my class. I loved it! And Iliana came with us to another restaurant another night. I hadn't seen her since the first week in Paris, so it was so nice to catch up and see how her semester has been going. We also dined at Le Grand Colbert, a place popular with Parisians that was also made more famous by the movie "Something's Gotta Give." There is even a poster of the movie in the window, haha.

We went to Victor Hugo's house, which I had wanted to see, too. And I turned M and G into bus experts! Haha. They were able to go around the city and do their own thing while I was in class, too, which was nice. I took their guide book which is a gift and a curse because now there are so many more things I have to see in Paris before I leave! Ah, never enough time. All in all, it was a really nice visit and I'm glad I got to see them both, and I'm glad we got to spend so much time together. Now it's time to get back to work and focus on finals...well, after this weekend in Greece :)

Bisous!

London and Oxford: Part II

Sophia and me :)
Goucher crew!
Once I got this photo, I could finally shut up about it :)
The London Eye. It takes 30 minutes to make one rotation.
Big Ben!
Pretty London!

Ok, and we're back for Saturday:

Today was Explore Oxford Day, meaning Ben got to play the role of tour guide. Sophia, one of Ben's friends, came along and it was so nice! She is coincidentally the first cousin of a guy I went to high school with! I love small-world connections like that :) And she's so sweet and fun and we get along really well...I love new friends. SHe benefited from the tour, too, haha. We went to the Botanic Garden and though the glass houses were starting to close due to the winds, we saw a lot and it was very pretty. We walked around the city and I bought an Oxford University sweatshirt. I didn't bring one with me to Paris, so it's functional. I bought some postcards too because I'm going to make a scrapbook over break of my semester. We went to locally-famous Ben's Cookies, mmmm. It was inside a covered market that had everything you could imagine! And some Christmas decorations were up which just made me so excited for the holiday season, and yes, to be home for it. We met up with Matt after drinking tea and warming up in Ben's room. Tonight for dinner we went out to Italian. The restaurant is owned by a renowned British chef of Emiril status in the UK but the food was really well-priced. I think Paris is more expensive, but then again, I'm sure London is very expensive too. It was really nice to have dinner out, just the 4 of us.

After, we went to a place called the House Bar. It's a very classy establishment and drinks were half off so I had a white russian and remembered how much I like them! We sat in a cozy corner by the window and played dominos games. The lighting was nice and the music was too, and there was a pool table. It was still early so there weren't a lot of people there. After leaving, we went back to Teddy Hall (where Ben lives) and sort of snuck into the rest of the talent show, "Teddy Hall's Got Talent." The winners from each school go on to compete against one another for the title of "Oxford's Got Talent," haha. I'm glad we went because everyone was there and we saw a lot of friends and the acts themselves were really great! The winner was hysterical, and I'm glad we got to see it. :) It ended around 11:30 and a lot of people were really tired so we had a quiet night in and watched Scrubs with Sophia before going to bed. It was supposed to be another early night but we didn't go to bed until 2. I guess this is because we ran into a lot of people on the walk home. But I can't complain about anything!

And SUnday, poor Ben woke up at 8 so he could help me get to the train station. And of course, the day was warmer with blue skies and no sign at all of rain! That would happen the day I leave, haha. I got myself to St. Pancras and on the Eurostar back to Paris, again sleeping a bit on the way back.

So all in all, I had an AWESOME weekend! I'm so thankful to Ben and Matt for making me feel welcome and entertaining me during my trip. It was great to see them and I loved being in London and Oxford. I finished the weekend off with a very French dinner out with Emily and Natalia, so it was great :) More soon, my friends!

London and Oxford: Part I

As you can tell by the caps in the title, I was just a little excited for my UK weekend :)

But before I go on to that, I must mention briefly my Thursday: I went into my internship like I always do at 9, and after telling Thomas about my lovely day off, I mentioned that I wanted to revisit Grand Palais between my internship and class to see the Renoir exposition. He told me that the expositions can get really crowded and that to make sure I saw it, I should leave earlier. So he let me leave at 11:30 instead of 12! Isn't that so nice? What a great guy. I worked hard for the time I was at IFE and then I left right at 11:30. It's a good thing I left early because I still had to wait in line for a full hour outside at the Palais. There was a man there playing clarinet, as sort of a serenade for the people in line, and it was so nice. It was worth the wait and even though I couldn't get in for free, I was so excited to see the paintings. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but sometimes art from more recently is much more striking to me. When I see an Ancient Egypt exhibit, I already know the artifacts are going to be older than what I can imagine. "This pot is from 475492857485742087044754 b.c.? neat." But art from the early 20th century touches me more because the time period is more tangible and I can imagine what life was like during that time. I saw paintings that I just did not want to walk away from, such as "Jeunes filles au piano." I'm so glad I went :)

After, I strolled around Place Vendome, which is where all the fancy jewelers are. I just liked to window shop and imagine what I would own in another life, haha. It was lovely! Class was ok, and I had a class with Isabelle since we missed last night's. It was ok, and after I just packed for my trip and ate with friends in the foyer. Ok, on to bigger and better things.....

FRIDAY

Friday morning I woke p early and got all ready for my trip, managing to pack all my things into my brown bag again. The Eurostar train leaves from Gare du Nord so I took the metro there and of course arrives ridiculously early. You know how I am. I exchanged some euros into pounds which was downright painful (and don't think it was any better on the way back; it's all around bad). When I went through customs I encountered a small problem on the questionnaire that asks for your address in the UK. I never thought to ask Ben what his address in Oxford was, I'd just thought everything would work itself out, no problems. That's my fault, and the guy in customs was basically like, "Have you ever travelled before?" They need to know where I am, and just for myself, I need to know where I am. Oops! I still got to go through, though. I got a window seat on the train and loved watching the green rolling hills speed by until I fell asleep while in the chunnel. Alors, it was not as exciting as I was expecting. When the train got out of the chunnel, the sky was dark and gray and it was raining. Nothing says "Welcome to England" like that weather! Even more, that was the weather for my entire weekend. It's normally not as bad as it was, but there were damaging, gale-force winds, too.

Anyway, I was so excited to be in another country. The people were so much nicer and more helpful there, and I had to ask a million different people to help me get to where I needed to be. What a change from Paris! Everyone sounds so polite and proper with their accents, it's too much. And OH to speak English and not feel badly about it! I took a small detour on the tube--which I do not prefer to the Paris metro--to a stop that claimed to be the exit for Buckingham Palace. I walked around in the rain and saw no such palace. What I did find was a big red tour guide bus. Being the sucker that I am, I put down 25 pounds for a 2 1/2 hour bus tour of the city. But really, it makes sense because I was only in London for a few hours and this way I got to see as much of the city as possible in a small amount of time. I would love to go back and do a more in-depth visit, but this was great to see all the sights, even though from a distance. I saw Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, the London Eye, and lots of things. My guide's name was Nobby--does it get cuter than that? I also learned a lot about the history of London, which was pretty fascinating. I had bought two macaroons from Paris as small gifts for Ben and Matt, as something from Paris. One was vanilla and one was chocolate and both were giant. I thought it was a nice gesture...until I ate them both on the bus tour. Is that like me, or what? :( Sorry, guys, I got a little hungry. I have concluded that London is beautiful in its own way, though I prefer Paris.

I got myself to Paddington station to take the train to Oxford, all with the help of a guy about my age because I was very confused about the trains. He happened to attend Oxford and was going back for the weekend so he helped me get to where I needed to be to meet Ben. I saw a lot of red telephone booths along the way and vowed to have my photo taken with one before the weekend was up! I was so happy to meet Ben, especially after we had both been standing in the rain and wind, not knowing the other was already where we were supposed to meet, haha. We walked back to his dorm (which, to me, is a luxury palace. Carpeting, there is carpeting!). He has a lot of friends and it was easy to get in touch with them to get together for the night. I love that you can walk anywhere on campus or in the town and run into someone you know. Oxford is a really cool, fun town (city?) with a lot of college students and lively pubs. And of course, it's breathtakingly beautiful.

We called Matt and met up with him for dinner at a pub. It was so great to see him, too! We went to a place called The Eagle and Child, which was frequented by C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. No Shepard's pie for me, as it was not on the menu, but I had another yummy chicken pie instead. Everyone drinks there, too, so I had a glass of red wine and of course could only finish 1/4 of the glass. We went to the University bar after, and were joined by some of Matt's friends. Matt and Ben go to different colleges within the university and so don't live too near to one another. A lot of people showed up at the bar and I met a lot of really great people! It was just so easy to talk and it was comfortable, and everyone was so nice. Really lovely. :) We stayed there for a couple hours until the bar closed and then went back to Ben's room, and a big group of us just hung out and talked for a while. I don't know where the time went, but I didn't go to bed until 3! It was the most comfortable floor I've ever slept on, haha.

Ok, this is a lot of information all at once so I'm going to make another post for the rest of the weekend. Cheers!

Jour Férier

Bonjour à tous! Today was another glorious day. Really, it should be illegal to have so many perfect days like this. Well, not really because that would be tragic, but it's just a way to say that I'm having the most wonderful time, better than I could have imagined. :) Happy Armistice Day! All the buses had little French flags on them, and it was so cute! Just to see these big, lumbering vehicles driving around with French flags attached to them was so adorable for some reason. I love the patriotism! There was a huge parade down the Champs Elysées of course to celebrate the anniversary of the end of WWI, but we missed it, unfortunately. Since today is a national holiday, no internship or school! I was more than happy to take advantage of a day off and see more of the city. Em and I hit the road at 9:45 a.m. I saw SO many people around the city wearing berets, so I felt like one of the group with my black one :)

First we took the bus all the way to the other side of the city and the river to go to L'Hotel des Invalides. It was built to be a hospital for wounded soldiers. Today it still serves the same purpose today, although it also houses several exhibits and a museum. What better day to visit it than today? And we got into it for free because of our Sorbonne student cards! I really have to shoot IFE and IOU one of these days. First we saw Napoleon's tomb in the crypt in the part of the building under the huge gold dome. The ceiling was absolutely incredible with ethereal pastel-colored scenes and gold trimming. It was so huge and impressive. Napoleon's tomb is really big and it was so cool to see. We also went into the WWI/WWII exhibit. It was so big and it took so much time to move through it that we couldn't see it all. We got through all of WWI but I'd have to come back to see the rest. It was really moving and I just realized how much war and military history fascinates me. For as much as I hate war, it's so interesting. We left after a couple hours and found a nice bench to sit on outside. We lucked out again with blue skies and sunshine and I didn't even feel the cold. There was a man playing the flute nearby so we were delightfully serenaded during our semi-picnic lunch (peanut butter sandwich, anyone?). It was lovely.

We next walked along the Seine in a green, grassy park to get to Pont de l'Alma. The leaves are still changing and it's very beautiful--not a lot of reds though, mostly yellows. We crossed the river and walked down Avenue Montagne, which is where all the major fashion designer have their stores. Surprisingly, not on the Champs Elysées. I've decided that I don't care very much for the Champs Elysées because it's a little too in-your-face. I prefer quieter roads. We saw Gucci and Prada and Dior and countless others...I just wanted to see them and get my window-shopping full, haha. We walked from there over to Le Grand Palais because there was a Renoir exhibit I'd wanted to see, but the line was too long and it looked to be too expensive so we just left. Maybe I'll get back there again before I leave.

From there (I know, a lot of walking, but it's good!) we went to the area around La Madeleine. I'd wanted to explore some of the area around there too, so we did and found a small alley with red fake christmas trees and ornaments and it made me so excited for Christmas! I can't wait to be home for it because I really love the holiday spirit. First comes Thanksgiving, which will be interesting since it's not celebrated in France. Anyway, we took the metro up to the 18th and got out at Abesses. It's a really cool metro station because it has pretty wall art along the stairs. I do have a list of specific metro stops (on certain lines) I want to see. Does that make me a huge nerd? Maybe. We went to the Montmartre cemetery. I've been to Père Lachaise a few times but I'd wanted to see others, too. This one is a lot smaller and easier to get a handle on than Père Lachaise. Edgar Degas and Foucault are buried in Montmartre, but we didn't get to see their tombs. We did see those of Emile Zola and Alexandre Dumas, the latter after walking around in circles for a while, haha. It was very nice.

OH also on our walk before, we saw the American embassy! It's right in Place de la Concorde. We've gotten so used to not wanting people to know we're American so we can git in and not be judged and try to be as French as possible, that it was one of the first times it made us proud to see our flag and be proud. Why not feel that way? Je ne sais pas.

I knew of a really great place to eat in the 18th that is famous for their salads so we went there for dinner. Em was craving a salad, and the French really know how to make salads, so we ate there. I also had my first bowl of onion soup since I've been here! I can cross that off my list, too. Yes, I have a Things to Eat list. Next up: Mexican food. :) We came home and I've been doing "work" ever since. I got a lot done at my internship this week so I feel good about it, and I think I will get a lot done tomorrow. I've been working straight from 9-2 so I can get a lot of work done, even though my hours are only 9-12. Tomorrow I might actually leave at 12 and try to get some things done before class.

And then...London/Oxford for the weekend! AHH so excited! I'm seeing Ben and Matt, and it's going to be fantastic. Expect a blog post after that. Bonne soirée mes amis!

Bisous!