It was even cooler for me this week that I got to show off a bit on Monday, when my first cousin once removed (yeah, I had to look it up to be sure), Greg came to town with two of his friends! I was successful not only in navigating the Metro to make sure we got where we needed to go while we were together, but also in answering questions about much of what we saw, giving advice about what they should do with their short time in Paris, and giving them directions on how to get to the sites that they were set to see after I parted ways with them. I was excited to be able to help, but more importantly, I was thrilled to see him and meet his friends.
Greg and I figured out this week that it has probably been 12 years since we have seen each other! Since we are family, we had heard basic news about each other, obviously - graduations, jobs, and changing cities - but nothing more, so it was great to have a face-to-face conversation! It was clear to me why Greg had always been a favorite of my brother and I when we visited relatives as children. Growing up, I was always more attached to Greg's sisters (hey, they were really good at coloring and trampoline-jumping, from what I remember), but after spending some time with him, I will admit that he seems pretty cool, too :) I was grateful for the opportunity to get to know Greg as an adult, rather than a 16 year old boy (I'm also pretty certain he was glad that a 20 year old, rather than an 8 year old girl, was showing him around Paris).
I am so lucky that I get to spend time getting to know Paris, and that, since I was in Paris when he visited, I was able to spend time getting to know a member of my family better! A great opportunity on both counts! I am so blessed with the ability to travel and especially with a great family! Alright - picture time!
Greg isn't a fan of traditional souvenirs, so after we visited the Basilique du Sacré Coeur at Montmartre and before we went to see Notre Dame and Shakespeare and Company (a famous bookstore where a scene from one of his favorite movies was shot), we stopped in Place du Tertre so that he could have his portrait done. A great idea to remember the trip! He even wore (one of) his Chicago Bears shirts, since it was the Bears' Buccaneers' Game in London that brought him to Europe in the first place.
Fun Fact #20: The artists who work in the square have been regulated by the Mayor of the 18th Arrondissement (administrative area of Paris) since 1980, and there are 298 artists who are authorized to work there!
After seeing Greg on Monday, the rest of my week was pretty calm. I went to class, ran, and did my work. That would be pretty boring if this weren't the view from one of my school buildings. That is the Pantheon in the background.
Remember when I said that I have 400 people in a classroom build for far less, and that some people have to sit on the floor? Well, this is the line to get into that class. I was a half hour early. I guess desks are preferable to the floor for note-taking... who knew?
Friday, I went with a friend to see the Château de Fontainebleau, which was built by François I and was home to the "École de Fontainebleau," a school of art that came in the late French Renaissance and was known for its Mannerism. It was also where Napoleon lived before he was exiled to Elbe. The horseshoe - shaped staircase in the above picture is where he gave his goodbye speech to the French people.
The gardens at the chateau are gorgeous and quite large! It was the first time I had seen fall colors since being in France, and we had a gorgeous afternoon to take it in!
Saturday, I went wandering in the Marais with some friends and we stumbled upon this chocolate shop, Maison George Larnicol. The smell and the fact that he had won a "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" award were enough to convince us to buy some chocolate (like we needed a reason). Everything in the picture is real chocolate and 100% edible!
After indulging our chocolate craving, we went to the Centre Pompidou to meet some friends and then checked out St. Merry's Church (in the background), which was like a hidden gem in the area- nobody had heard of it, but the architecture was pretty cool!
Next we walked a little to find the Fontaine des Innocents.
Finally, we ended up in the Église St. Eustache. The Church is reputed for it's huge organ, which is bigger than that of Notre Dame de Paris and boasts over 8000 pipes!
Fun Fact #21: This is the church where Louis XIV received his first communion!
Thanks for reading, everyone. Happy Halloween! Or, Happy All Saint's Day
Fun Fact #22: In France, only little kids celebrate Halloween. Adults don't really do anything. This is unfortunate, because everybody in the whole country has the day off on November 1st to celebrate All Saint's Day. On the other hand, Americans throw parties on Halloween and DON'T get the next day off. I think we should arrange some kind of compromise.
~SKS
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