As I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of...Chateaux!

This weekend I went on an excursion to the Loire Valley of France.  Walt Disney himself couldn't have written a more perfect, whimsical weekend.  The Loire Valley is home to some of France's largest and oldest chateaux.  Some of them dated as far back as the 13th century! It was so surreal to walk through the halls that the royalty once did, to cross drawbridges, and to see our reflection in real moats! We saw a total of four chateaux. Equally as important, however, was the tour of the wine production site and caves at Vouvray. We even got to taste three of their wines at the end of the tour! So frustrating to not be able to bring any bottles back to the US! If only my birthday was a month sooner... The winery is famous for making sparkling wine (can't call it Champagne though, since it is not from the Champagne region).  It was delicious! It was so nice to get out of the city for a couple of days and be out in nature. Being out in the actual country definitely put my french to the test! Almost everyone in Paris knows a little bit of english so if communication starts to break down, they usually just switch over.  In the country however, that is not really the case.  It was great practice.  It was so nice to be out in nature for awhile instead of the urban jungle.  The weather even cooperated! The rain finally stopped on Friday and today the sun even made an appearance! However, I was quickly pulled out of my castle-filled fairy tale by reality this afternoon. I was in the chateau gift shop and I picked up an angel figurine. I was halfway to the cash register to pay for "grandma's souvenir," before the harsh reality caught up with me. I stopped dead in my tracks. The grieving process is such a strange one. Somedays I can think fondly of good times had with grandma and smile, without any tears.  Other days, all it takes is a few seconds of a song on my iPod and it is full on waterworks.  Then there are days like today, when I manage to escape the unpleasant reality for a bit, only to come crashing down again. The worst part is the guilt that comes afterwards. I forgot grandma was gone, even if only for a few minutes. How could I have forgotten? Definitely a roller coaster of emotions. Phonetics class is over now so I get to sleep in for an extra hour and a half every day before class! I am very excited about that (naturally). This week is bittersweet because all of my friends that are in the 4 week program are leaving this weekend. I have met some incredible people over here and I am sad to see some of them go already.  Thank goodness for facebook and skype! Even when we are back home, spread out all over the United States (and Canada) we will still be able to keep in touch. As always, I would like to end this post with a quote that has helped me today. "I've realized that in the end, it takes more bravery to find out who you are beyond your pain, than to merely survive it."-Anonymous

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!

The bad news is that it has been raining in Paris for the last 6 days straight (every once in awhile there will be an hour or so break, but that is it).  The good news is that  it's still Paris! There is plenty to do even when the weather is not cooperating.  Museums are still open and so are the stores (who end their semi-annual sales next week so shopping must be done now).  Last Friday (before the flood began) I went with our group on a walking tour of the Marais area in Paris.  This area was once a swamp but is now home to both the Jewish and homosexual communities of Paris. There are a lot of small, trendy, boutiques in this neighborhood as well as some of the only remaining wood-framed Medieval houses in Paris, and the Holocaust Museum. We got to see the oldest square in all of Paris as well as the home of the famous, french, author Victor Hugo (author of Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame).  Then on Sunday I saw some truly amazing sights! Our group had a bus trip to the palace of Versailles and to the village of Giverny.  Giverny is where Claude Monet lived for the last 40 years of his life.  This is also home to the water gardens where he painted his famous water lilies.

     Versailles was the most extravagant building I have ever seen. When I walked into a room I'd think "This is the most detailed, ornate thing I have ever seen,"...and then I would enter the next room and be proven wrong. It was very surreal to walk the length of The Hall of Mirrors where so much history has taken place. Definitely one of those experiences that sends chills up your spine. The palace itself was only the beginning. The gardens at Versailles were absolute perfection. The tall hedges with winding paths reminded me of the maze in the Tri-Wizard cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (yeah, I am that big of a nerd lol). On weekends during the summer, the palace coordinates their fountains with classical music.  It was very neat to see the fountain shows.  The rain even held off until right before we boarded the bus to leave. 

    After Versailles, we headed to the small village of Giverny. It was so peaceful! I completely understand why Monet picked this village to live.  The water gardens were incredible! It was so picturesque.  Although, it was a lot smaller than I imagined it being. It was simply a small pond with a lot of water lillies (obviously) and two very small, ornate japanese bridges.  It was so beautiful though and it felt incredible to be surrounded by nature after being in the city for so long.  I saw flowers that I had never seen before and it was very neat to imagine Monet sitting on a stool on the banks of the pond painting what would later become some of the most famous paintings of the Impressionist movement! We also got to go inside his house where almost everything is preserved as it was when Monet and his family lived there. We were not allowed to take pictures inside of the house.  This was a let down but understandable since the living room housed some of his private collection.  

       This week has been filled with rain and tests.  Not a very fun combination.  The rain always seems to bum me out and the fact that I haven't been feeling well the last couple of days is certainly not helping the situation.  I woke up this morning with a very severe migraine that kept me in bed until around 3pm. What a waste of a day! Very frustrating.  However, many doses of Excedrin later, I am feeling better and greatly looking forward to this weekend! Tomorrow is my last day of Phonetics class. I have learned a lot and greatly improved my accent thanks to this course, but being able to sleep in an extra hour every morning will be wonderful! Tomorrow afternoon I plan on going to the Cluny which is the museum of Medieval Paris. Then on Saturday we leave for a weekend in the Loire Valley of France! We will be seeing multiple chateaus as well as stopping at a wine cellar for a tour and tasting. I am excited to put my newfound wine appreciation class to the test.  It is crazy to think that I only have one free weekend left here in Paris! This weekend will be spent in the Loire Valley and next weekend will be spent in Marseilles. I am crossing things off of my Paris Bucketlist like crazy but I still have a lot to accomplish! As far as the rain goes, I just have to remember "Weather is a great metaphor for life-sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella." -Terri Guillemets

I Could Have Danced All Night

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted but things have been very busy over here!  I have class for three hours a day and in the afternoons our group usually offers at least 2 excursions a week. I have had many life altering moments since my last post.  Last Friday we went on a walking tour of Montmartre.  This area of Paris used to be a separate village that had cheaper wine than Paris, therefore all of the citizens of Paris would go to Montmartre on the weekends for their night life.  This reputation has stayed with Montmartre as it now houses the red light district of Paris, including the famous Moulin Rouge.  However, on the other end of the spectrum, Montmartre is also home to many artists of Paris as well as the beautiful church Sacre Coeur.

Montmartre is a giant hill, so the hike to the top to see Sacre Coeur was no joke.  As we all rounded the corner at the top of the climb, gasping for breath, we were faced with the awe inspiring Sacre Coeur. As we absorbed this sight and the best view of Paris, a street performer was singing "Hey Jude." Seeing this view while hearing the chorus of many visitors joining in to sing "nah nah nah nah Hey Jude," was enough to give anyone goosebumps.  Just when I thought the moment could not get any more powerful, the street performer began to play a very familiar riff. He was playing one of my favorite songs of all time, "Wish You Were Here," by Pink Floyd. This song has definitely taken on a whole new meaning for me these past couple of months.  As I stood there with a group of my amazing new friends, staring at a view of Paris that was better than any postcard I had ever seen, with the sun warming my skin, listening to those lyrics, it felt like time stood still. The line "How I wish...how I wish you were here," may or may not have caused a couple of involuntary tears to fall. Although I have never been more certain that grandma WAS with me as I was in that single moment.
         Last Sunday I had the afternoon to myself so I decided to visit the Pompidou Center of Modern Art. The building itself is unique because all of the pipes are on the exterior of the building.  It was a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Some of the art I found fascinating while others left me puzzled. Each one did, however, evoke an emotion of some kind, even if that emotion was confusion or disgust, and I suppose that is the overall purpose of art; to cause you to FEEL something. Monday evening some friends and I had a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower.  It was a very relaxing, surreal evening.  Just eating some baguettes, cheese and sipping some wine in front of the glittering Eiffel Tower, you know, just another Monday night :) Then on Wednesday of this week our group went to the Rodin Museum.  I got to see the famous sculpture, The Thinker.  That was really neat to see. There were also some very unique roses in the garden surrounding the sculptures that were absolutely stunning! This garden was so quiet and serene, which is a miracle since it is located right in the heart of the city. It was like a mini escape from all of the hustle and bustle of city life. It was wonderful.
     That evening a group of us went and saw the final Harry Potter movie! It was a very bittersweet experience. The movie was very well done. However, the idea that I have no more Harry Potter book releases or movie premieres to look forward to was devastating.  The fact that I was seeing the film without mom (who usually comes to the premieres with me), in a foreign country, with french subtitles scrolling across the bottom of the screen seemed to make the transition all the more apparent.  My childhood, c'est fini.
      Yesterday, Thursday, was the French Independence Day, otherwise known as Bastille Day.  A bunch of us got to the Champs de Mars around 1pm to claim our spot for the 11pm fireworks display by the Eiffel Tower.  We spent an amazing day in the sun full of snacks, live music (a free concert for equality started around 5pm), and making a lot of new friends. The people behind me in the crepe line turned out to be from Belleville, IL which is only 20 minutes away from SIUE! The daughter was actually taking summer classes at SIUE this summer. It seemed surreal to be discussing things like the MUC and Dunham hall with the Eiffel Tower right behind us.  It really is a small world. Once the concert was over and the sun finally set, the fireworks display began. It was the most incredible show I have ever seen! We def. need to take some notes from the French in this regard.  The fireworks were set to songs from famous musicals.  It was really cool to sing along to "All That Jazz," "New York, New York," (interesting choice for a french independence celebration) "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," and my personal favorite "I Could Have Danced All Night."  Hearing one of my favorite songs from my favorite musical of all time, starring my favorite actress of all time (Audrey Hepburn), in my favorite city of all time, with fireworks surrounding the Eiffel Tower seemed too good to be true.  That is probably the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.  It was a once in a lifetime experience.  I did have to laugh  when the finale was the song about wanting to live in America from West Side Story, it just seemed a little out of place. My time here is flying by. I have mixed feelings about this because I am having the time of my life on this trip and still have so much I want to do and see. However, I do miss my friends and family back home and miss some of the conveniences of the States (such as ice and ranch).  So, for the next 28 days I am going to fill each day to the brim with activities and experiences to ensure I get everything accomplished that I want to. After all, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone."

  

Retourner à l'Ecole

Ou, en anglais, "Back to school." The honeymoon phase of the trip where I had all day to do and see whatever my heart desired has come to a close.  It was wonderful while it lasted. Last week I went on a bus tour of Paris with the group, came down with a cold for a couple of days (I was not pleased!), then on Friday we went to Chartres Cathedral about an hour outside of Paris.  The cathedral was incredible, there were stained glass windows in the church that were made in the 1100's.  They were all removed during times of war to ensure that they were not destroyed.  Unfortunately for us, they were renovating parts of the Cathedral so we did not get to see it all, but what they have finished already looks beautiful! The difference between the cleaned portion and the dirty was night and day. It will be absolutely breath-taking in a few years when the cleaning is finished (not that it isn't beautiful now).  The cathedral owns a piece of material that is said to be from the garment Mary was wearing when she gave birth to Jesus. The town of Chartres was so adorable! It was straight out of a fairy tale.

On Saturday night we went to Vaux Le Vicomte which is the chateau that inspired Versailles.  King Louis XIV's financial administrator built it and invited the king to a dinner party once the chateau was completed.  Louis XIV became extremely jealous, he had the man thrown in jail and eventually killed. Then, naturally, shortly after all of this, Versailles was built (using all of the same designers and artists).  It was amazing to walk through the room where the king danced and ate. Once the sun went down, the staff lit candles on the chateau's stairs, windowsills, and throughout the garden.  It was the most beautiful, picturesque moment.  After everyone had been given time to enjoy the candles, a fireworks display took place (rather lack luster by American standards, I must say).  It was an amazing evening.
    However, Monday morning brought with it the official business that brought me to Paris in the first place: class.  Finding out our class placement was a nightmare, it was a very stressful, disorganized process.  Once I was finally given my schedule, I had 20 minutes to venture out into the Latin Quarter and figure out where the building was that my class is held in.  I placed at the second level of French class. The professor came in and announced that she did not speak any English nor could she understand English. She then went on to give us a "review" exercise that I bombed.  I understood about half of what she said during the two hour class period. When she called on me, I answered with a blank stare and a "Je ne comprends pas." (I don't understand).  I was FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!! This class effects my GPA and I was going to be so stressed out for the next six weeks! I would have no time for sightseeing because I would be constantly trying to play catch-up to get on the same level as the other students in my class. After class, I thought my head was going to explode. So I allowed myself some retail therapy (got some really cute shoes and some jewelry!) and a good, old, American Starbucks Frappacino.  I took about 6 steps out of the door of Starbucks before my Frappacino tumbled to the ground, exploding upon hitting the pavement. It went all over my friend Jordan's leg. I felt terrible, and was dangerously close to just sitting down, right there on the sidewalk of Blvd. Saint Michel and crying. Instead, I laughed. During times like that, on days like that, all you can do is take a step back and laugh.
        Luckily, I was able to drop down to a lower level french class (beginner in fact, after 4 years of French, I am still in Beginner).  However, I would much rather have a six week review and fully be able to immerse myself in the French culture and see all of the sights than be stressed out with my nose stuck in a book (After all, I could have done that back in Edwardsville, no need to travel half way across the world just for that). I also have a phonetics class that accompanies my french course.  This class is especially interesting to me (Speech Path. nerd alert!) since I will be taking a Phonetics SPPA class this fall at SIUE.  I have already improved my accent! However, lets get real for a minute, yesterday I had the most important of all my classes, WINE APPRECIATION! It was amazing.  We had a three hour session yesterday and have another three hour session next Tuesday. I feel like that is simply not enough! I might have to take some more wine classes when I get back to the states :) We learned how to do a proper tasting and a little bit about the wine making process yesterday.  Next week we will focus on food/wine pairings.  I am so excited!
       Last night I had the amazing chance to meet up with an old friend from back home, Kate McCormick.  She was traveling abroad with a group from school and was in Paris for a couple of days.  Going to dinner and visiting with her was so nice. It was nice to have a little piece of home, especially after the homesickness that came with missing the Fourth of July.
     This trip has been such an emotional roller-coaster.  I am so grateful and happy to be seeing all of these amazing, awe-inspiring places and buildings and I have made some incredible new friends! However, all it takes is a song on my iPod, or an advertisement in the metro station that reminds me of grandma and suddenly I feel like my legs have been knocked out from beneath me. It is hard being halfway across the world from the people that I lean on during these difficult times. Thank goodness for the internet! Skype has been a lifesaver.  However, I know that grandma is here with me.  I can feel her when Im looking at the sunlight streaming through a stained glass window, when I look up and see the Eiffel Tower, and even when I'm on my morning commute on the metro. It's better explained by a quote I found "Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever."