Listen to this song while reading this blog post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcJ3L6EOUWQ
Today was wonderful. We rented a car and Aunt Jen drove us out of Paris, which was slightly terrifying but she is a very talented driver so we made it to the city of Reims. After stopping at the Office of Tourism and getting an expensive lunch recommendation, we ate lunch at Paul (Ellie's new favorite). We then drove to the winery of Gardet where we got a private tour of the entire Champagne-making process from start to finish and then got to try some of the champagne! It was excellent.We then drove along the scenic Route Touristique du Champagne which led us through many little villages and past some of the bigger wineries. Eventually this route led us to the Avenue du Champagne which has all of the major Champagne houses on one street. The houses were massive and absolutely gorgeous!! We were too late to partake in any tastings there, so we got ice cream, walked down the Champagne Street, ate dinner and then headed out! Typing this blog right now, it doesn't seem like anything we did was that exciting or fun, but all four of us are beat right now and today was one of my favorite days of this past month! While I don't find the countryside as breathtaking as others do, if you have the chance and are willing to face the crazy, aggressive, mistake-prone drivers of France, I highly recommend making the trip out there!
Friday, July 10, 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Paris is AWESOME when you're not with the tourists
Today began with a market at Aligre, where I was prepared to buy Kangaroo saucisson (in honor of Zippy) but Mom wouldn't let me. So instead we got camembert and goat cheese. Also there, we got my beloved Prosciutto di Parma (jambon de Parme, en Français) which is my absolute favorite thing in the whole wide world I think. I felt like the market was about the same size as the Le Mans market, food-wise, but there were a lot more scarves and jewelry and other vendors. People there were super patient as I attempted to speak French to order food! We then went to Holy Belly, recommended by Tony Bourdain himself, which was like a little slice of Chicago tucked away in a side street of Paris. I got skate (the fish) and some cidre and I was content.
We stopped at one of the best boulangeries in the city, Des Idees, where a beautiful apricot tart was purchased and later smushed into my bag. However, it was still salvageable and totally delicious. While walking down the Saint Martin Canal, we got to watch a boat really, really slowly pass through the locks of the canal and then we went to a second, atelier chocolat. Except this time, this one had a tea room. Jacques Genin is where I'm going to work when I refuse to leave France at the end of the week. The had chocolate, caramels, chocolate covered caramels, and these Pâtes des fruits which were like eating little cubes of different flavored fruit jelly covered in sugar. It sounds kind of weird, and some of them were, but they were also super delicious. Rhubarb was the personal favorite.
Before returning home, we stopped at another boulangerie, a fromagerie, and multiple cooking stores. The cooking stores were like "Sur la Table" but for real chefs and we just looked there. The boulangerie and fromagerie were to pick up more food for the smorgasbord that was our dinner. Back at the apartment, we ate ate saucisson (3 kinds), cheese (3 kinds also), baguette, prosciutto, butter (amazing), and then random pastries that we'd picked up throughout the day for dessert. It was a wonderful meal and also great to have a chill evening because we will be up early for our adventure with French driving (they're crazy) and Champagne! A demain !
We stopped at one of the best boulangeries in the city, Des Idees, where a beautiful apricot tart was purchased and later smushed into my bag. However, it was still salvageable and totally delicious. While walking down the Saint Martin Canal, we got to watch a boat really, really slowly pass through the locks of the canal and then we went to a second, atelier chocolat. Except this time, this one had a tea room. Jacques Genin is where I'm going to work when I refuse to leave France at the end of the week. The had chocolate, caramels, chocolate covered caramels, and these Pâtes des fruits which were like eating little cubes of different flavored fruit jelly covered in sugar. It sounds kind of weird, and some of them were, but they were also super delicious. Rhubarb was the personal favorite.
Before returning home, we stopped at another boulangerie, a fromagerie, and multiple cooking stores. The cooking stores were like "Sur la Table" but for real chefs and we just looked there. The boulangerie and fromagerie were to pick up more food for the smorgasbord that was our dinner. Back at the apartment, we ate ate saucisson (3 kinds), cheese (3 kinds also), baguette, prosciutto, butter (amazing), and then random pastries that we'd picked up throughout the day for dessert. It was a wonderful meal and also great to have a chill evening because we will be up early for our adventure with French driving (they're crazy) and Champagne! A demain !
Everyone has at least 3 blisters on their feet
Our first full day in Paris together!!!! Our day started by taking the metro to the Louvre, where we just visited the outside of the giant pyramid. Then after a quick walk through the Tuileries Garden, we went into the Musée d'Orsay where we saw Degas's, Monet's, Manet's, and Van Gogh (even though "Starry Night Over the Rhone" wasn't there???). After a quick coffee and a walk back to the opposite side of the Louvre, we went to "l'As du Fallafel" and ate the best falafel ever. It was in this super cool Jewish neighborhood, which we got to walk around a little bit after and then, hopefully, we'll continue to walk around today There was a line out the door for the place we went to where as for the poor falafel place across the street, it was absolute desolate. No one was there which seemed very sad, but also everyone seemed used to it. At 2 pm, the restaurant was packed and we were whisked from waiting to moving to a different place to wait and then again to a table that was pointed out to us. The service was super fast, the menu was in at least five languages, and the falafel was fantastic! Highly recommend it if anyone's in the mood for falafel in Paris.
After exploring the neighborhood a little more, we walked back toward Notre Dame and passed the outside of the Centre Pompidou (I had no idea that all these museums were so close!). We waited in the super long line for about 15 minutes before he got into the cathedral and got a look inside. Ellie picked to visit the Musée de l'Orangerie, even though we knew nothing about it, so after walking back through the Tuilleries and passing a guy who loved playing with/feeding pigeons, we made it to the museum. Little did we know that "Nymphaes" means "Waterlilies" and that the main exhibit in the tiny museum was Monet's waterlilies! The museum was tiny, but the two, cavernous rooms on the main floor were covered on all four sides by his ginormous canvases of waterlilies. It was a spectacular surprise so Ellie is now picking everywhere else we go.
As we started to walk to dinner, we passed Place de la Concorde where the center of it is closed off because they've set up grand stands for the Tour de France which will end in Paris in about a month. We also got to pass the heavily guarded US Consolate, located right next to Place de la Concorde. Then we found the most expensive street in Paris with all the designers you love to look at but from whom you couldn't even afford a t-shirt. We stopped at an upscale chocolate atelier and window shopped everywhere else, until we got to Spring, back on the other side of the Louvre (with a point of reference of the Louvre, we walked passed it four times). The restaurant, Spring, was phenomenal. The chef is from Chicago and what he makes, is what is served. So we had mushrooms as an apertif, lobster and tomato salad and a white fish with potatoes in a broth as our two starters, quail for dinner, and then a trio of peach cobbler, rosemary sorbet, and lemon curd for dinner and as a final bite, a chocolate-filled raspberry in a little brownie coating. It was absolutely fabulous and one of the nicest restaurants I have ever been too.
But before the night was over, we took a cab over to Trocadéro to take pictures with the Eiffel Tower and we got to watch it sparkle at 10 pm! While walking under the Eiffel Tower, we realized how short the lines were so I had the brilliant idea that we should go up! After waiting in the first line for 30 minutes, we bought our tickets and went up to the second floor to wait there to go to the very top. And the top is cool when the city's dark and everything's lit up, but there's glare on the glass and if you go up further, there's no glass so there's no glare but it was so cold!! Ellie and I ran up, did a lap, and then ran straight back down to wait in another line to get to the second floor and then in another line to get back to the ground. All-in-all, it took about two hours and the majority of that time was spent in line. But it was still cool to see Paris all lit up and we were on the Eiffel Tower when it was sparkling! However it feels less like magic and more like lightning when you're actually on the tower instead of looking at it from a distance.
We got home and were absolutely exhausted so planning for today/blogging had to wait for this morning. But just from yesterday, I've realized how much better Paris is when you're not hitting every tourist shop and you have money to buy delicious food. And while we did hit a lot our touristy things, we also saw a lot of new things and super cool neighborhoods!
After exploring the neighborhood a little more, we walked back toward Notre Dame and passed the outside of the Centre Pompidou (I had no idea that all these museums were so close!). We waited in the super long line for about 15 minutes before he got into the cathedral and got a look inside. Ellie picked to visit the Musée de l'Orangerie, even though we knew nothing about it, so after walking back through the Tuilleries and passing a guy who loved playing with/feeding pigeons, we made it to the museum. Little did we know that "Nymphaes" means "Waterlilies" and that the main exhibit in the tiny museum was Monet's waterlilies! The museum was tiny, but the two, cavernous rooms on the main floor were covered on all four sides by his ginormous canvases of waterlilies. It was a spectacular surprise so Ellie is now picking everywhere else we go.
As we started to walk to dinner, we passed Place de la Concorde where the center of it is closed off because they've set up grand stands for the Tour de France which will end in Paris in about a month. We also got to pass the heavily guarded US Consolate, located right next to Place de la Concorde. Then we found the most expensive street in Paris with all the designers you love to look at but from whom you couldn't even afford a t-shirt. We stopped at an upscale chocolate atelier and window shopped everywhere else, until we got to Spring, back on the other side of the Louvre (with a point of reference of the Louvre, we walked passed it four times). The restaurant, Spring, was phenomenal. The chef is from Chicago and what he makes, is what is served. So we had mushrooms as an apertif, lobster and tomato salad and a white fish with potatoes in a broth as our two starters, quail for dinner, and then a trio of peach cobbler, rosemary sorbet, and lemon curd for dinner and as a final bite, a chocolate-filled raspberry in a little brownie coating. It was absolutely fabulous and one of the nicest restaurants I have ever been too.
But before the night was over, we took a cab over to Trocadéro to take pictures with the Eiffel Tower and we got to watch it sparkle at 10 pm! While walking under the Eiffel Tower, we realized how short the lines were so I had the brilliant idea that we should go up! After waiting in the first line for 30 minutes, we bought our tickets and went up to the second floor to wait there to go to the very top. And the top is cool when the city's dark and everything's lit up, but there's glare on the glass and if you go up further, there's no glass so there's no glare but it was so cold!! Ellie and I ran up, did a lap, and then ran straight back down to wait in another line to get to the second floor and then in another line to get back to the ground. All-in-all, it took about two hours and the majority of that time was spent in line. But it was still cool to see Paris all lit up and we were on the Eiffel Tower when it was sparkling! However it feels less like magic and more like lightning when you're actually on the tower instead of looking at it from a distance.
We got home and were absolutely exhausted so planning for today/blogging had to wait for this morning. But just from yesterday, I've realized how much better Paris is when you're not hitting every tourist shop and you have money to buy delicious food. And while we did hit a lot our touristy things, we also saw a lot of new things and super cool neighborhoods!
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Graduation and Reuniation (not a word?) !!
Yesterday was the official last day of l'Université d'été, which was sad. It started with final presentations of the internships in the morning, then a quick trip to the 24 Hour Race museum, just because we'd never been. And then there was the graduation reception! It was no caps-and-gowns affair, but all of our names were called to accept our diplomas. The French don't do graduation ceremonies - when they're ready to graduate, they go to a secretary's office, ask for their diploma, and she prints it out so they can both sign it. That's it. So the fact that Akron has approximately 5 different graduation ceremonies, for each college, is a very weird concept to the French.
To celebrate our last evening together before everyone left, we went to dinner where I ate my first vegetable of the entire trip - a salad with avocado, egg, and mozzarella (and tomatoes which were eaten by Esther because I could only go so far) !! A picture will be uploaded soon so that I can prove that I did indeed eat it! The 20 of us then watched La Nuit des Chimières which is very similar to when the animations are projected on to Cinderella's Castle in Disney, but instead of a castle, it's a cathedral and Roman wall (cathedral from the 12th-ish century, Roman wall from 200BC-ish). France and it's history is crazy. Every time I saw the cathedral, I was temporarily in shock because this monstrous cathedral was in the town, and none of the locals even batted an eye.
This morning, I was up at 7 to clean my room, room inspection was at 10, then there was shopping, lunch, and eventual, tearful goodbyes with the French students. Overall, I believe that I gained a lot from this five week program. First of all, my French improved! I'm not fluent, but I'm on my way! Additionally, I have become more tolerant, patient, and open-minded as a whole. This was the first class I've taken that wasn't America-centric. I also have a new empathy for what foreigners go through when entering a new country - learning a new language and culture by just being thrown into it is hard! I loved this entire program and I have made friendships that will last well beyond this trip. I can't wait to study abroad again! And for the French students to come visit Akron next time.
This afternoon I took a train from Le Mans to Paris-Montparnesse and then a taxi past EVERY TOURIST SITE IN PARIS to eventually get to the apartment where I was reunited with Mom, Ellie, and Aunt Jen!!! They're all tired, since they got into Paris this morning and jet lag is hard, but they were able to walk around the neighborhood a little this afternoon and then we all went to dinner at this wonderful restaurant that Aunt Jen knew of from a blog. It's an early night for us all, since they're jetlagged and I woke up so early this morning. Tomorrow, however, will be a day of much walking and seeing all of the sites! Can't wait to explore the city with them!!
To celebrate our last evening together before everyone left, we went to dinner where I ate my first vegetable of the entire trip - a salad with avocado, egg, and mozzarella (and tomatoes which were eaten by Esther because I could only go so far) !! A picture will be uploaded soon so that I can prove that I did indeed eat it! The 20 of us then watched La Nuit des Chimières which is very similar to when the animations are projected on to Cinderella's Castle in Disney, but instead of a castle, it's a cathedral and Roman wall (cathedral from the 12th-ish century, Roman wall from 200BC-ish). France and it's history is crazy. Every time I saw the cathedral, I was temporarily in shock because this monstrous cathedral was in the town, and none of the locals even batted an eye.
The salad (before and after, to show that it was all eaten)
The sundae I got post-salad (Foret-Noire) because all of the salad was eaten
La Nuit des Chimières at the Cathedral of Le Mans
This morning, I was up at 7 to clean my room, room inspection was at 10, then there was shopping, lunch, and eventual, tearful goodbyes with the French students. Overall, I believe that I gained a lot from this five week program. First of all, my French improved! I'm not fluent, but I'm on my way! Additionally, I have become more tolerant, patient, and open-minded as a whole. This was the first class I've taken that wasn't America-centric. I also have a new empathy for what foreigners go through when entering a new country - learning a new language and culture by just being thrown into it is hard! I loved this entire program and I have made friendships that will last well beyond this trip. I can't wait to study abroad again! And for the French students to come visit Akron next time.
This afternoon I took a train from Le Mans to Paris-Montparnesse and then a taxi past EVERY TOURIST SITE IN PARIS to eventually get to the apartment where I was reunited with Mom, Ellie, and Aunt Jen!!! They're all tired, since they got into Paris this morning and jet lag is hard, but they were able to walk around the neighborhood a little this afternoon and then we all went to dinner at this wonderful restaurant that Aunt Jen knew of from a blog. It's an early night for us all, since they're jetlagged and I woke up so early this morning. Tomorrow, however, will be a day of much walking and seeing all of the sites! Can't wait to explore the city with them!!
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Calm before the Storm
Today's been a super chill, watch-movies-and-nap-and-finish-up-homework day. I was able to go to the Le Mans market for the final time on this trip this morning and I got some delicious, late-season strawberries, along with a Tartlette Normandie (mini apple tart) and a baguette. I also watched "Skeleton Twins" with Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader - super good. I highly recommend it although it is not funny, as one would expect with those two as the leads. It is a very good movie though.
Today I finished up some of the last homework I had for the classes and I'm currently in the process of working on the final presentation of my internship for tomorrow! I've had a week+ to work on this so naturally, I am working on it tonight.
Everyone's getting ready to go home - we leave Le Mans the day after tomorrow! It's very sad, but a lot of us are ready to get going. Personally, I would love to spend another month or two in Le Mans, taking different trips every weekend but all good things must come to an end (or something like that). From France, I'm really going to miss the French students and the seemingly constant supply of baguette, butter, and prosciutto di Parma (which combined, makes a fabulous sandwich). But also, I'm missing ice and air conditioning in America. I have enjoyed this trip immensely but also family is flying out in two days and I cannot wait to see them!!!! I have the address of the apartment we're staying in and a game plan of how I'll get there so I am ready to go!
Today I finished up some of the last homework I had for the classes and I'm currently in the process of working on the final presentation of my internship for tomorrow! I've had a week+ to work on this so naturally, I am working on it tonight.
Everyone's getting ready to go home - we leave Le Mans the day after tomorrow! It's very sad, but a lot of us are ready to get going. Personally, I would love to spend another month or two in Le Mans, taking different trips every weekend but all good things must come to an end (or something like that). From France, I'm really going to miss the French students and the seemingly constant supply of baguette, butter, and prosciutto di Parma (which combined, makes a fabulous sandwich). But also, I'm missing ice and air conditioning in America. I have enjoyed this trip immensely but also family is flying out in two days and I cannot wait to see them!!!! I have the address of the apartment we're staying in and a game plan of how I'll get there so I am ready to go!
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Le Mans likes their 24-Hour events I guess
Today was the end of what began at 2 pm yesterday. Opening with a musical performance, the 24-Hours of History, leading up to America's Independence Day, began! After the introduction and music, we went on a history-themed scavenger hunt all around campus. There were French and American students on each team so it was helpful because the French students knew campus much better than us! The only problem with the scavenger hunt was that it was two million degrees outside (but actually, at least 97. And the running around campus did not help). We then took a break and learned about different speeches in American history before the Renaissance dancing!! People came dressed in Renaissance garb, played Renaissance music on Renaissance instruments, and others taught us Renaissance dances. Most of the dances were in one big circle moving back and forth. It was so much fun. But also, it was so sweaty. In addition to skipping in circles, the room we were in was also so hot. It felt as how I'd imaging hot yoga would feel. After dancing, there was a sampling of drinks through the ages, which unfortunately I left early from because I was dehydrated (I think) and had a killer headache. I was asleep around 11.
While I was asleep, they sang America's national anthem at midnight with champagne, watched clips from patriotic American movies, learned about a contemporary art movement in France (it involved covering naked bodies in paint and then pressing them against canvas), going on a run (at 6 am after no sleep!!!), and then playing more games outside. By then, it was 9 am and that's when I came back.
When I got back, I got to participate in a Franco-American quiz about crossovers in music and famous people. To finish out the whole event however, five people in the Université d'été got up and read a poem about liberty from their country (Korea, Yemen, Poland, China, and Spain). It was incredibly touching to have the poems read in their native languages with the translations right next to them in either English or French. It was a very powerful way to end the 24-hour event and it made me so grateful for all the opportunities and privilege I've received in my life, just because I was born in America. Very proud to be American today.
So then tonight, a group of French and American students went over to a French students' house and her family hosted us to celebrate her birthday/the Fourth! It was such a melange of cultures - we had burgers and sausages but also vin petillant, rillette, and multiple tarts. This past month has been an absolute blast and I'm very sad that I'll be leaving in just three days!
While I was asleep, they sang America's national anthem at midnight with champagne, watched clips from patriotic American movies, learned about a contemporary art movement in France (it involved covering naked bodies in paint and then pressing them against canvas), going on a run (at 6 am after no sleep!!!), and then playing more games outside. By then, it was 9 am and that's when I came back.
When I got back, I got to participate in a Franco-American quiz about crossovers in music and famous people. To finish out the whole event however, five people in the Université d'été got up and read a poem about liberty from their country (Korea, Yemen, Poland, China, and Spain). It was incredibly touching to have the poems read in their native languages with the translations right next to them in either English or French. It was a very powerful way to end the 24-hour event and it made me so grateful for all the opportunities and privilege I've received in my life, just because I was born in America. Very proud to be American today.
So then tonight, a group of French and American students went over to a French students' house and her family hosted us to celebrate her birthday/the Fourth! It was such a melange of cultures - we had burgers and sausages but also vin petillant, rillette, and multiple tarts. This past month has been an absolute blast and I'm very sad that I'll be leaving in just three days!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
LE FIN DU STAGE
Today was the last day of the internship!!! Also I realized this morning that I forgot to post anything last night!
Yesterday was hot. I felt as though I was standing on the sun in 12 different sweaters. I also didn't eat anything but croissants and nutella until 3 pm, so that didn't help at all. Yesterday was also the final for the history class so that is officially done! It was a three hour final paper, but I would like to thank AP English for coming in clutch and helping me get through that. After the exam however, I did nothing except try not to die and run to the grocery store for baguette and water.
Today was great though because the high was only 87 Farenheit! Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 39 Celcius which I believe, if I calculated right, is approximately the temperature of the sun at its surface. So if I never blog again, it's because I melted.
But this morning I got to sleep in for the first time, possibly since arriving in Europe, so sleeping until 9:30 am was super cool. And then it was the last day of stage!! Ben and I spent the first couple hours looking at the website of the site to finish up our paragraph of our opinions on the site for the school. Then our advisor/professor Maria made her was over to ISIALM because everyone in the office made a little reception for us in the break room with all these local foods like rillette (delicious, you'll just have to take my word for it because if I describe it to you, you'll think it's gross), cidre, wine, cookies, and cider jam - all from the region! It was so sweet of them to do and it was fun to get to chat with them! Everyone there was so kind and especially patient with Ben and I, so overall it was a wonderful experience and I am so thankful for it!
Going to our stage everyday was very similar to how I feel when I ride the Millenium Force. I am always freaking out while waiting in line and thinking about the hill one rides up before the first hill makes me nervous but then I go down the first hill and the ride is over before I know it and I'm ready to get straight back in line, just to feel nervous all over again. On the tram and bus ride to ISIALM (we had about a 50 minute commute each way), I was always nervous because we never really knew what was going to happen that day, but then we got there and got started and it was really fun. But then I was nervous again the next day. Thank you to everyone at ISIALM who made the experience so enjoyable! And I think Ben and I are going to be on their facebook again, so that's super exciting!
Yesterday was hot. I felt as though I was standing on the sun in 12 different sweaters. I also didn't eat anything but croissants and nutella until 3 pm, so that didn't help at all. Yesterday was also the final for the history class so that is officially done! It was a three hour final paper, but I would like to thank AP English for coming in clutch and helping me get through that. After the exam however, I did nothing except try not to die and run to the grocery store for baguette and water.
Today was great though because the high was only 87 Farenheit! Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 39 Celcius which I believe, if I calculated right, is approximately the temperature of the sun at its surface. So if I never blog again, it's because I melted.
But this morning I got to sleep in for the first time, possibly since arriving in Europe, so sleeping until 9:30 am was super cool. And then it was the last day of stage!! Ben and I spent the first couple hours looking at the website of the site to finish up our paragraph of our opinions on the site for the school. Then our advisor/professor Maria made her was over to ISIALM because everyone in the office made a little reception for us in the break room with all these local foods like rillette (delicious, you'll just have to take my word for it because if I describe it to you, you'll think it's gross), cidre, wine, cookies, and cider jam - all from the region! It was so sweet of them to do and it was fun to get to chat with them! Everyone there was so kind and especially patient with Ben and I, so overall it was a wonderful experience and I am so thankful for it!
The little reception! With everything from either Le Mans or the region of Sarthe, where Le Mans is located (I don't know what happened to the right side of the picture)
Going to our stage everyday was very similar to how I feel when I ride the Millenium Force. I am always freaking out while waiting in line and thinking about the hill one rides up before the first hill makes me nervous but then I go down the first hill and the ride is over before I know it and I'm ready to get straight back in line, just to feel nervous all over again. On the tram and bus ride to ISIALM (we had about a 50 minute commute each way), I was always nervous because we never really knew what was going to happen that day, but then we got there and got started and it was really fun. But then I was nervous again the next day. Thank you to everyone at ISIALM who made the experience so enjoyable! And I think Ben and I are going to be on their facebook again, so that's super exciting!
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