Home Away from Home (Away from Home)

I had a breakthrough moment on Friday when my host mother pointed out that I seemed to have adapted perfectly to life in her household.  This was a big compliment for me, and I think it was largely a reflection of truth. I tend to adapt relatively quickly to feeling at home no matter where I go.  This is a HUGE blessing and a testament to my friends and family, who have always made sure that I know that they are always just a phone call, skype call, or facebook message away if I need them, no matter where I go.  It is because I have such a great support network behind me that I have been able to go forward. (This is the part where all of you reading this can pat yourselves on the back).  

I have said since I have been in school that Tufts is my 'home away from home' and it truly feels like that - I am equally comfortable in both places. This poses an interesting dilemma, though, because now that I am settling in to life in Paris, I am starting to feel at home here too.  I'll say for now that it feels like a 'home away from home away from home,' but I'm looking for a better  word, mostly because that sounds way too repetitive, but also because 'away' grabs your attention almost as much as 'home' does, and that is not quite right, because feelings of 'home' are far more frequent for me these days than feelings of foreign-ness.  (okay so this is not the best post for vocabulary)

I am definitely starting to feel at home here, and my daily life has settled more or less into a routine, sometimes I will see a skyline or even just a store front and once again be awestruck by the simple fact that I am really here!! While I do hope that more and more feels comfortable to me, I hope that the feeling of amazement at my surroundings doesn't fade.  It reminds me to be thankful for every day, and not to waste a second! I also got another reminder today when I glanced at my watch and saw the date, 9/25, and realized that I have been here for exactly one month today. Time has FLOWN! Still, one month down means only three more left and, like I said last post, there is SO much to do!!! 

This week was the start of my classes (half of them anyway), but I still found plenty of time to amuse myself, explore Paris, and continue getting to know my host mother better! In fact, even my classes helped me do that, as one of them actually meets in the Louvre! I never saw myself as someone to sit down on the floor of a world-famous art museum and describe a middle age painting out-loud for a group, but I did! Our teacher said that, by the end of the course, most students truly feel connected to the museum, or at least one piece of art.  I must say, I expected to eventually feel at home in my family, even with the city, but never in a million years did I imagine that by the end of the semester I would feel perfectly at home inside the Louvre of all places! While I do not have any photos of that event, I did take LOTS of pictures of other things I did this week. Hope you enjoy them! 

So those of you who know me know that I like to have a plan.  Well, given that there is so much to do in so little time in Paris, I made a list of all the things I want to do (which keeps growing) and then I wrote down where those things are.  Then, I started grouping them together by what was feasible to do in the same day.  The above photo was the first stop on my my first master plan.  (Thanks to Adrian and Craig for executing the plan with me!) It was great fun, but also tiring! This is the Jardin du Luxembourg, where we ate our picnic (it was perfect weather)! In the background is the Grand Panthéon, which is based off of the architecture of the Roman one. 

The next stop was the Église de la Madeleine, a church built in Neo-classical style and dedicated to Mary Magdalene.   

Fun Fact # 5: Despite being started in 1757, L'Église de la Madeleine was not consecrated as a church until 1842.  

After touring the inside of the church, we stepped out to the Place de La Madeleine, where we visited Fauchon, a chocolate shop that smelled so good I almost drooled upon entering it. Even their window display looks elaborate!  

Next stop after that was Place de La Concorde, where we were more or less (read less) successful at interpreting the hieroglyphics on the Obelisk that Napoleon brought to France from Egypt.  This is the famous location of the guillotine that killed Louis XIV, but now it is just a large, very busy intersection with an obelisk in the middle of it.

The Champs-Elysées, named for the Elysian Fields where good souls went in Greek mythology, leads from Place de La Concorde to L'Arc de Triomphe, and it is supposed to be the prettiest avenue in France (and so the French say it is the prettiest avenue in the world).  We had some cloud cover as we walked just over a mile from one end to the other, but it was beautiful nonetheless. 

We stopped along the way at Ladurée to get some of their famous macaroons! I tried the green apple, the raspberry, and chocolate and all were delicious! It is quite an impressive shop!

Finally, we ended up at the Arc de Triomphe! 

Which we climbed to get views like this one of the city! Astounding. 

The next day, rather than building a master plan, I decided to wander before my class started (I didn't have class until the afternoon).  I found myself in Parc Monceau, an english style park.  English style parks are less symmetrical and formal than their french cousins.  

From there I went to L'Église Saint Augustin, which was gorgeous! 

Later in the week, I had my first ever falafel on the steps of this church with Tufts friends! After that, we headed to Centre Pompidou to enjoy our Kouign Amann (Breton butter and sugar pastry deliciousness) for dessert! 

Then, we headed to Place des Vosges, where we visited Victor Hugo's house. 

Finally, we checked out the Place de La Bastille, where the French Revolution started, before heading home.  

Friday was a spectacular day to just wander!  A friend and I spent the afternoon meandering through central Paris, discovering tiny side streets and beautiful monuments alike! Eventually, we went in the Cathédrale de Notre Dame (and were even able to refrain from singing Disney songs).    

Fun fact #6: When it gets too loud in Notre Dame Cathedral, someone comes on the loudspeaker and says "Shhhhhhhhh!" And then, about 30 seconds later when it is still too loud: "Please remember that you are in a place of worship. Thank you." in French, English, Spanish and German.  Let me just say that the acoustics in the Cathedral really do resonate, and that, given such resonance, such loud speaker announcements can make you feel like you are hearing the voice of God. 

Saturday led two of my friends and I to Giverney, where Claude Monet lived and painted some of his most famous works! Despite a slow start due to a suspicious package on the metro (which caused all lines to stop running and made us miss our train out of the city), we still made it and enjoyed a beautiful day! 

Today, I went to the Musée Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle (the french equivalent of where I worked this summer). While their elephant does not quite compare to ours, there were still some pretty cool specimens inside. 

We then took advantage of our continued beautiful weather to explore the Jardin des Plantes, another exhibit of the museum.  

Fun Fact #7: The French also use the term "Indian Summer" to describe temperatures that are unseasonably warm in the fall.  

I ended a great weekend with a great ice cream cone (Green Apple and Salted Butter Caramel... I thought it was appropriate for fall since I don't really thing that french people do caramel apples) from Glacier Berthillon while enjoying this view! This is in the park behind Notre Dame.   

While this week has been a super busy one, it has been good, too! I have had enough downtime to realize that I am comfortable enough here that it really is starting to feel like my home (away from home away from home).  I can only hope that continues!  Have a great week! 

~SKS

  

Falling in Love

I came into this semester expecting to do many wonderful things, have many awesome experiences, meet new friends, and leave with memories to last a lifetime.  I even expected to love my homestay, to learn a lot and be challenged by classes, and to eat too many crêpes to count.  I expected to visit many museums and monuments in a city where there seems to be something celebrated or significant on every corner. What I did not expect, however, was to fall in love with the city itself, and that is what has happened this week. 

I imagined Paris as a busy city that, like most big cities, had great things to offer, but was not so great itself. I was wrong. I expected that I would love this semester for the experience, not the location. Wrong again. I watched Paris, Je t'aime videos and thought they were cheesy and exaggerated. Now it is entirely possible that my next skype conversation would fit right into the film. It turns out I love Paris, not just for the thousands of cultural, academic, and amusing things it has to offer, but also because of the atmosphere of the city itself.  The fact that I absolutely LOVE Paris may not be a surprise to some of you (Mom is the first of many names that comes to mind), but it did surprise me. I never expected that I would feel this at home in or invigorated by a city, but here I am. 

If my first realization this week is that I am completely and totally falling for this city, the second realization is that I only have 13 weeks left here.  People say that it would take more than one lifetime to discover Paris -- how am I supposed  to fit it all in one semester!?!? Needless to say, I have been very busy this week.   My classes do not start until tomorrow (and even then half don't start until next week), so I have been trying to take advantage of all of this free time to explore the city.  I have gotten lost, both accidentally and on purpose, seen monuments, discovered beautifully tranquil parks, and the more I do, the more I realize that this is barely the tip of the iceberg.  

My activities this week included: 

Exploring the area around Sweet Briar's offices and classrooms. Just around the corner is "Indiana" restaurant.  Too funny!

A visit to Versailles, home to Louis XIV (The Sun King).  The palace was gorgeous, as were the gardens and the Grand and Petit Trianons, which were the famous residences of Marie Antoinette. The weather was perfect and we spent all day here! (Not hard to do - you could probably spend a week in the gardens alone).  

Fun Fact #3 - If you have a student card marked "Histoire de l'art" (art history), you have free admission to most museums in Paris. This meant that instead of paying to visit the Château, the Trianons, and the famous gardens, we only had to pay for the gardens!  I have also used my student card several other places since then! It certainly makes seeing Paris much more affordable! 

Visiting the Panthéon, where I was able to see the tombs of Voltaire, Russeau, and Marie Curie, among others. 

Spending time with friends from the program and reuniting with old friends (sorry no picture) like my friend Fanny, who I met in Belgium last year.  

Getting to see the Catacombes de Paris, where it is estimated that over 6 million people are 'buried.' The bones are stacked in rows and line the walls of what was once a quarry. This was SO cool to see, but stay away if you aren't a fan of bones! My friend and I think that we might go back on Halloween if we need to get in the spirit (aren't I punny). This was another place that was free to us because we are students!

Sweet Briar organized a trip in a Bateau Mouche along the Seine.  Since the city is pretty much organized around the river, we could see many of the major monuments from the boat.  Plus, it was a gorgeous day to enjoy the fresh air! 

After said tour, some friends and I wandered along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower.  We also rode the carousel at the base of the tower (Why, yes! We are 20 years old, why? Did you think we had outgrown children's activities?).  Such a fun afternoon!

Visiting (the outside of) the famous Notre Dame Cathedral.  Very impressive architecture and construction, especially considering the available technologies when it was built.  

Stuck in the rain after Notre Dame, we tried to take shelter here, in Tour St. Jacques, but it turns out there is a fence around it.  We decided to take the first bus we saw instead, and ended up wandering around the 6th arrondissement for awhile before getting lunch and then going to a meeting at school. 

After starting off by seeing part of TechnoParade, my friend and I wandered through the 3rd arrondissement, getting THE BEST sandwiches at this little café, finding a park to eat them in, stumbling across the Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest market in Paris (above), finding a Lutheran Church, and then ending up at BHV, a HUGE department store that has everything under the sun, including free bathrooms and a great view of the Mayor's offices if you go all the way up to the 6th floor.  

Getting to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up... the city is SO gorgeous at night! 

In case the last picture didn't prove that to you... this city is breathtaking at night! This is a picture taken from the balcony of the apartment in the 5th arrondissement where my new friend Marcie gets to live for the semester! She was kind enough to invite us over after we all went out for fondue and share her (host mother's) view with us! Isn't it incredible!?! This picture does not even come close to doing it justice, but hopefully you can see a little of why I am falling in love with Paris! 

Wandering aimlessly and getting lost has occupied much of my time this week, especially this weekend. I have learned that it is actually a very good way to familiarize myself with the area, and I am never really 'lost,' as I only attempt this when I don't have a specific destination.  Today's mission was to explore the Bois de Boulogne, a HUGE park not far from my house. It is so peaceful there that I might not have believed I was in Paris. (Notice that the picture I shared shows the "Lac Inferior" or little lake, with the Eiffel Tower just visible on the skyline... I just wanted to be sure people knew it was still really Paris!)

So overall this has been a phenomenal week! I am so excited to see what the rest of the semester brings! 

Fun Fact #4: Every night at 10, 11, and Midnight the Eiffel Tower is lit up for five minutes with extra lights.  It looks like it is sparkling and it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!  

Sorry this post has been so long! If you can't tell, I am slightly infatuated with Paris at the moment, and am therefore more apt than I already would have been to ramble about it for hours.  

A special birthday shout out to my MOM! You're the best and I love you! I wish I could give you a hug across the ocean... know that I am thinking it at least! 

~SKS

On to PARIS!!

So much has happened since my last post!! The most obvious thing is that I MOVED TO PARIS! Orientation in Tours was great, but I was really excited to get to Paris by the end of it! My second week in Tours was slightly less busy than the first week, as I had less excursions.  That left me with more free time to go explore Tours and the surrounding areas in the afternoons.  

Pont Wilson across the Loire River in Tours. 

On Monday afternoon, some friends and I visited the Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray, a wine cave that is only about a 20 minute bus ride outside of Tours.  We took a tour and got to taste a few at the end! 

Sarah, Natalia and I had to get a picture next to Fritz, an elephant who comes from the same circus as our beloved Jumbo.  

After another great week in Tours, we were off to Paris on Friday.  We left in busses from Tours and arrived about 4 hours later.  We were greeted by our host families and spent the weekend settling in to our new homes! I live in the 17th Arrondissement of Paris (Paris is split into 20 arrondissements), but I am across the street from 2 suburbs, Neuilly-sur-Seine, and Levallois-Perret.  I love being here and I am so excited to explore more and get to know the city! 

My new room in Paris! There is a little screened-in balcony off my room, too!

In addition to being able to see the lights of Paris and even the top of the Eiffel Tower from the balcony at night, I look over a track, which is literally right across the street! Perfect!

Saturday afternoon, Adrian, Yahaira, Sarah and I met at the Eiffel Tower to enjoy a picnic on an absolutely perfect day! 

We walked along the Seine River, which cuts through Paris, and had beautiful views the whole way! 

We continued along the river until we ended up at the Louvre, which used to be a palace, but is now an art museum.  

Then we turned and headed towards the Opéra Garnier, stopping in a café to get a refreshing drink before parting ways. 

The next day was September 11th.  It was rather odd to be an American abroad  on that day.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were lots of commemorative ceremonies going on all over the city.  The biggest one was at Place du Trocadero.  The location was symbolic because this is where Paris has its' own "twin" buildings.  A foundation called The French Will Never Forget put on a great ceremony that included model towers with the names of the victims on them.  Between the towers, you could see the Eiffel Tower, which was meant to show solidarity.  Going into it, I was unsure what to expect, but it was a really touching ceremony, and it made me proud to be an American, even though I was not in the states.  

The model towers between Paris' Twin buildings, with the Eiffel Tower visible behind them. 

Tons of people came to the ceremony, even though it was pouring rain through part of it. It was touching to see, especially during moments of silence.  The ceremony started with a moment of silence at the exact moment the first plane hit, and then we had a moment of silence when the second tower was hit, when the Pentagon was hit, when the plane crashed in Pennsylvania, and when each of the towers came down.  The ceremony ended when the second tower fell.  It was all really well thought out and, like I said, very touching. 

So far, so good for my stay in Paris! I am loving it here, and my host mother is awesome.  I don't know the city well yet, obviously, but I know it a little better every day and I am loving the explorations! Such a wonderful experienced, and I think often of how blessed I am.  

And now for the fun fact! 

Fun Fact 2: The french really need to come up with more vocab words.  Turns out, they use Baguette not only to mean the kind of bread that we all love, but also to mean a wand, as in Harry Potter, and even just your average stick.  Somebody should really get on that.  

~SKS

First Impressions

I have been in France for 10 days now.  I still have trouble remembering that I am here sometimes, because it is just SO COOL to be studying abroad.  This is a phenomenal opportunity, and I am very lucky to have it.  I am settled in to my orientation and homestay in Tours, France, where I will be until Friday (the 9th), when I go to Paris.  It has been nice to get to know everyone in our group before we all move to Paris and are much more spread out in a big city.  


My days in Tours are filled with class in the morning and sightseeing and excursions on the weekends and in afternoons.  I have loved every minute of it! Below are photos of the more memorable moments. 

Settling in and getting a good night's sleep to recover from jet lag
Orientation meetings and basic French classes with other Sweet Briar Students at the Institute de Touraine  

Visit to Amboise, a château of François I and his wife Claude de Bretagne, and Clos-Lucé, where François I paid Leonardo di Vinci to live so that he could enjoy good company and good conversation.  

Leonardo died at Clos Lucé and is buried in the chapel at Amboise. 

Da Vinci's residence has beautiful gardens, the town is charming, and the château has an amazing view of the Loire river and surrounding countryside.

Enjoying EXCELLENT French cuisine with my great host family in Tours, and even trying new foods (I know, shocking).

Bike rental and ride to see Villandry, a château with BEAUTIFUL gardens that is 21km from Tours by bike path.  

Our Loire-à-Vélo trip took us on a scenic path with a view of the Cher river and beautiful countryside on a gorgeous day!

We saw "Tu Seras Mon Fils", a french drama about a family vineyard and the inheritance of the business. French cinema is much different from American cinema, it turns out. 

Cooking class... followed by apple-pie-eating :) 

Wine and cheese tasting at the Institute, organized by the program.  We learned how to taste wines and sampled cheeses from regions of France while learning a bit of the history of both industries in France. 

Excursion to Chenonceau, which was my favorite of the châteaux that we saw. It had beautiful grounds and was furnished fully, so it was easy to imagine how life there may have been! 

Trip to Chambord and Blois, both royal châteaux.  Chambord was built by François I as a hunting lodge and has pristine grounds and an impressive exterior.

Blois, unlike other châteaux of the region, is in the center of a city. It also has a unique story, with many rulers leaving their marks, as shown by the four completely distinct architectural styles in the building (only 3 are visible here, though).

Shopping at the "Braderie de Tours," a street sale where individuals, street vendors, and retail stores alike set up shop on the main streets of the city and put items for sale.  It was rainy at first, but turned out to be a great day! 

Spending time around Tours, enjoying time with new friends and acquaintances while exploring the city and enjoying the generally good weather that we have had!

I will try to keep the posts fairly regular, but no guarantees!  I am also going to try to include a fun fact or anecdote about France, french culture, or my experiences in each post.  Here goes!


Fun Fact 1: Franklin & Marshall may just be the best known American college in France.  Or so it would seem, judging by the number of "Franklin and Marshall" sweatshirts, t-shirts, letter jackets, hats, bags, etc. one might see on a daily basis.  Turns out, a designer here saw the school and decided to turn it into a clothing line.  None of the items are actually associated with the school, but it is a huge fad at the moment.  It is presumably this fad that led street vendors to market items like the one below. We are still trying to figure out what kind of school could have no name, yet be called both a college and a university! 
                            

Anyway, it is late here and I have class in the morning! I will write again soon! ~SKS