On Friday morning I got a call at 8:20 a.m. from the professor of my 9 a.m. morning class, saying class was cancelled. I was elated! As I cross things off my "List of Things to Do and See," it has a curious habit of getting longer. Needless to say, I had a lot of things I wanted to see, so today was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of more time. I was already ready for the day so I still left the foyer at 9. First I walked over to Place des Vosges, which is about a 25-minute walk from the foyer. I had blue, clear skies and thought it was a little crisp, it wasn't too cold. I decided that my day would improve even more if I just smiled at strangers. There's no reason to make eye contact with someone on the street and not give a little smile or head nod. People just need acknowledgment. Everyone in this city wears dark colors and looks miserable a lot of the time anyway, so I did it. I think it mostly caught people off guard, but I was happy to do it, walking along in my bright pink peacoat. Place des Vosges is a square/park surrounded on all 4 sides by beautiful buildings with arches--lots of brick and beauty. It was still early enough that the way the sun hit the side of the buildings was gorgeous. There are some cafes and a lot of art galleries there. Almost everything was closed since it was still so early, but I walked around anyway, then read my book on a bench in the middle for a little. There is a fountain and the leaves are finally at that point where they're changing into beautiful yellows and golds. It was, in one word, [absolutely] lovely.
Ok, time out for some shopping BUT I NEEDED THAT BLACK TRENCH COAT, I PROMISE. I even put it on then and wore it for the rest of the day! After dropping things off in my room I took the metro to the 18th arrondissement to revisit the Marmottan museum. Michelle and I tried to go a couple months ago but we didn't feel like paying to get in (normally we get in for free to museums). I still wanted to go back and see more of Monet's paintings, and I really enjoy going to museums by myself. I like to take my time and move at my own pace. I think museum-going is really a personal experience. I'd been there 4 years earlier but it's always new and exciting. It's not that Monet's paintings are any less impressive there, but the effect is different than at l'Orangerie. There, you are just surrounded by his panels and it's very profound. I was caught with that aforementioned of personal elation as I was walking along the sidewalk under a canopy of trees, almost alone. It was just so serene--the feeling is rather indescribable. I used to think that I wanted to live in Paris, but I'm starting to think that I don't want to, not because I don't love it, but because I love it too much. I want to make sure that it is always special to me and never becomes old or stale (not that I think it ever could, but you know). I never want to get so used to being here that I take anything for granted.
I also stopped at La Madeleine on my way back from the west of Paris. Napoleon had it built as a church but it looks nothing like a traditional cathedral; in fact, it looks like the Pantheon. I'd been curious so I went inside. SUrprisingly, it's my least favorite of all the churches I've seen so far. It's so dark and though there are lamps and chandeliers, there is almost no natural light. It feels very somber an closed in. Also, there were gift shops inside, and those just do not belong in a church, no matter how much of a tourist attraction it is. (Don't get me started on the monkey business inside Notre Dame.) I'm still glad I saw it, because I like to see different styles and architecture.
Finally, I stopped by a kiosque jeune in the 4th to get free theater tickets! If you're under 25, you can go to one of these kiosks--there are only 3 in Paris--and you can get up to two free tickets for shows (either theater, comedy shows, or concerts) for up to the next three consecutive nights. John goes often so I decided to check it out. I got to read the press reviews of all the shows beforehand in order to decide what I wanted to see. I settled on two comedy theater pieces and got two tickets for Saturday night and two for the other on Sunday night. They're not just random, obscure shows, but also well-known pieces. What a cool service, right? France actually treats its youth crowd pretty well, especially if you're European. Lots of chances for free/reduced tickets to things.
Class was ok and I learned two interesting things: French never have 13 people sit at a table to eat. It is just bad, bad luck. There is usually at least one superstitious person in a group of 13 anyway. I thought it was solely because of superstition, but it is because 13 was the number of attendees at The Last Supper...alors, bad news bears. A host(ess) will often invite another couple or person just to keep things even and keep the number from being 13. Crazy, right? Also, you can take seconds or thirds of anything at a meal except the cheese. When the cheese plate comes around, you better take a large helping because it's the only one you're going to get.
After class I hung out with Meg, a friend in my class. I've never hung out with friends outside of class yet, and it was really nice! We went to a cafe first and got hot chocolate because it was way too early to eat dinner. Then she took me to a thrift store in the 18th and it was my first real thrifting experience. Don't worry, I didn't buy anything, but it was fun to dig around. She took me to Louise's, a small restaurant she and her friends discovered a while ago and frequent often. It's authentic French food but not expensive! I had amazing lasagna that was very well priced. Halfway through the meal, 3 other girls from our class showed up, with another girl from their program. They also really love Louise's, and are all practically regulars. I think I might become one, too. Quel coincidence! We all talked and it was really nice :) We decided after dinner to go to the bar that another girl in our class works at, in the Marais. It was really fun! It's a small bar and either English/American, but I really liked it. I got a small glass of red wine, which was more than enough for me, haha. There were a lot of people in a small space but we snagged a table, and the music was pretty funny. I had a great time, and it was fun to hang out with some new faces for a change.
Summary: Great day, great night. I'm seeing a lot and doing fun things and it's just lovely.
Keep up the posts Sam, I'm really enjoying them.
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