Champagne!

So, picking up where I left off...

After the ceremony and festivities at Belleau Wood, we left Château Thierry and headed for Reims, the capital of Champagne! I had been before, but Aunt Maureen and her friend who was with us had not! Sunday night, we just checked in to our hotel and then explored the center of the town. We found and went in to Notre Dame de Reims Cathedral. It was evening, so it was pretty quiet inside. I always like visiting old Cathedrals and this one is particularly cool from a historical perspective; It is the place where the monarchs of France were traditionally crowned. The first to be made king there was Charles, who was able to get to Reims after the city had been re-taken from the English by Joan of Arc. What I didn't know was that it was also home to stained glass windows by Marc Chagall! Very cool stuff! 

Chagall's Windows!

Monday, we did the typical Champagne tourism thing! We wanted to go to one of the Grands Maisons de Champagne (the traditional, well-known houses) for a tour of the cellars and to learn about how it is made. We went to Pommery. The tour was very interesting. In addition to learning (well, re-learning for me) about the techniques for making Champagne, we learned a history of the house. The owners have traditionally been very into art, and the ELEVEN MILES of cellars (mostly full, by the way) featured subterranean art exhibits as well. 

Our tour was, of course, followed by a tasting. We had decided to get the tour that let each visitor try two of four champagnes, the Brut Apanage , the Rosé, the Brut Royale, and the Springtime. Since there were three of us, we decided to have everyone get the Brut Apanage (a good baseline) and then we each got one of the other three so that we could all try. It has been a while so I can't actually remember who liked what, but I DO know that it was a really fun morning!! 

Note the 3 different kinds in the photo!

For the afternoon, we went to Épernay, which is where a lot of the vineyards are for some of the houses! Since we were there on a Monday, and the tourism there is biggest on the weekends, we didn't get to go in many places. However, it did leave us driving around the vineyards. It was so fun to pass a field and see a little stone plaque, almost like a grave stone, that labelled the field with the name of the house that was going to use the grapes for champagne. We passed Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Taittenger, and many others, and the fields were breathtaking! 

Pretty views of Champagne vineyards!

My personal favorite stop of the day was a little town that we ended up in at the top of a hill, called Hautvilliers. This is the "cradle of Champagne," apparently. We would never have known that unless we had gone! It was home to Dom Perignon, the benedictine monk known as the father of Champagne, and after whom a "Grande Maison" is still named! 

Hautvilliers!!

We had a nice last dinner in Champagne on Monday and then left to go back to Germany on Tuesday. It was a great trip!! Not many people can say that they celebrated the end of their 1L year with Champagne... in Champagne! Many, many thanks to my Aunt Mo for having me, Abe for driving, and to the Marines for such an awesome ceremony! 

GO USA!!!* 

SKS

*As a reminder to my future self, this is included in reference to the Germany-US soccer match in the World Cup; both teams advance to the round of 16. 

Getting There...

     To put my arrival in Germany in context, I should say that I was busy for about a month straight right before I left. From May 1st to May 22nd, I prepared for and took 5 final exams (worth 100% of my grade), packed up and moved out of my apartment at school, unpacked and saw family in a whirlwind at home, packed for school (since it is a tight turnaround when I get back) and for Germany, wrote a law review write-on note and did a bluebook quiz (if you don't know what that is, be glad). So when I say that I was exhausted, it wasn't just from the flight; it was weeks of long days and short nights and stress and detail-oriented focus coming to a head.

Still, even in my sleep-deprived state, I was PUMPED to arrive in Germany. I knew that we would be leaving that day for a long weekend in France, which may seem like a lot, but I like to hit the ground running and I wasn't driving so I knew I could sleep in the car. The weekend, and GETTING TO Germany, had been my "light at the end of the tunnel" as I was heading into finals and dealing with other stress. I was glad to be there, to see my aunt, and to start the adventures. I showered, we packed quickly, and off we went. We were headed to Château Thierry, France, which is a larger town near Belleau Wood, where we would attend services and ceremonies commemorating the WWI Battle of Belleau Wood over Memorial Day. 

I got my nap in the car and we arrived in Château-Thierry to a hotel full of Marines -- literally, the Marines had booked the whole hotel for those attending and participating in the ceremonies (we'd probably never stay in a safer place!)! We explored the town a bit, at dinner, and hit the hay. I slept for 12 hours! We got up and headed to Belgium (about 2 hours away) the next day. We ended up only about 15 minutes from the dig site where I had spend summer 2010, and we went to Chimay, known for their beer and cheese. We tried the sampler platter of each and had trouble choosing a favorite! It was a relaxing and fun day, and when we returned to Château Thierry, we shared dinner with some friends of my Aunt in a local restaurant. There were lots of Americans -- and American Marines -- in town, and the locals all knew why! It was pretty cool to see, actually! After dinner at the hotel, we sat in the hotel bar and socialized; talking to Marine Corps Generals and young enlisted guys in the same place. It was pretty cool to be a part of, and to see how important the tradition of recognizing this battle, and this place, was to all of them, from different backgrounds, young and old. I had been excited before but my excitement was growing! 

If you don't know a lot about the Battle of Belleau Wood, I suggest you check it out. It is a very important battle for the Marines, as it was Marines who were at the tip of the German offensive and lost many young men over the course of the three week battle. There were French Soldiers and U.S. Army troops there, too, but for the Marines this is particularly special. It is also where they earned their nickname, the Bulldogs, since they were so tenacious in repeatedly retaking the strategically placed Wood. In holding the line here, the Allied forces kept the Germans from marching on Paris, merely 50 miles away, and it is said that it is the battle that turned the tide. 

21 Gun Salute!

Sunday morning was the day of the ceremony. We came down to the lobby for breakfast to find dozens of Marines milling about in their dress blues. It was quite a sight! The weather had been drizzly and chilly Friday and Saturday, but Sunday morning was the kind of morning that you could tell the weather would be perfect. As nice as the weather was for those of us that had driven over, it also meant that the Marines were neither sweating nor rained-on when they were doing the ceremony, and that hundreds of local French people were able/ willing to come to the ceremony as well. I had not expected the level of involvement the French would have, but it was really cool. 

We had about an hour after arriving at the cemetery before the ceremony started. It was gorgeous. The sun was just right and the grass was cut perfectly. The French stood flag on one side and the American flag on the other; the chapel in the middle, and thousands of white stone crosses and stars marked the graves of the brave soldiers who fought for their country. A solemn scene, but beautiful, too. It was beautiful that the Marines have so many traditions attached to this place, that the Commandant of the Marine Corps, French Senators and dignitaries, and other important people spoke at the ceremony and laid wreaths on graves. It was beautiful that the Marine Band was there, with the French band. It was beautiful that everyone was well dressed and the grounds were well kept. But it was also, maybe even more, beautiful that the French attendees brought their kids, and explained that each grave had a French and American flag that day because they had fought together; it was beautiful that Marines brought their kids and families to learn about the battle and learn to be grateful for and respectful of those men who have fought for our freedom; it was beautiful that young soldiers laid wreaths, too, and that the local high schoolers had done research projects about family members in the battle or the surrounding town, and wrote poems about the Great War. It was so apparent that it was important to recognize the history of this horrific and important site. It was only slightly less apparent how much effort was put in to carrying this memory forward. It was a very cool day. 

At the ceremony, I was impressed by the dedication of the French soldiers who had fought to defend their home and country for nearly 4 years by the time of the Battle of Belleau Wood, and by the American Soldiers who had left their families to cross the Atlantic and assist our French Allies in the defense of their homeland when they needed it most. Both groups fought to defend freedom and democracy that our two nations share. 

I did not know, during the ceremony, that my own Great Grandfather Frank Ransford had fought on that battlefield 96 years earlier. I learned that when I was talking to my grandfather later in the week. My great Grandfather had been an ammunition truck driver for the U.S. Army. I knew that he was in France in WWI, but it was only later that I had been standing on the same ground he fought for 96 years ago, delivering ammunition to the troops on the front lines. I never knew my Great Grandfather, but I hope that somehow he was able to look in on me at that moment; to see his Great Granddaughter stand on land that was still free and democratic, thanks to his efforts and those of his fellow soldiers. Frank Ransford made it home to the United States, but many of his friends and countrymen did not. The Memorial Day ceremony at Belleau Wood was beautiful, and it made me think, just like a memorial service probably should. 

After the ceremony, we made our way on foot to the TINY town of Belle Eau. There, we would find the famous Bulldog Fountain, and would share a more upbeat reception with refreshments and treats for all. We were lucky to be some of the first people there, so we got to take our picture with the fountain before the sea of White-hat-wearing Marines descended on it to take vials of water, wash their hands, and even dunk their faces in it. 

On the whole, it was a really great few days and it was wonderful to see and be a part of something that is so steeped in tradition and historical significance. Plus, it was REALLY cool for me to find out later that my Great Grandfather had actually been there! 

Next post (hopefully in the next few days) will cover the rest of our long weekend in France! 

~SKS~ 

It's Been a While...

So the last time I posted was in December of 2011. Well, a lot has happened since then.  I returned to Tufts to finish out my Junior year, then I worked as a tour guide on a teen tour of Europe in the summer of 2012. My senior year at Tufts was an absolute whirlwind that I got to experience with the best, most fun, passionate people I could have ever been around. Looking back over a year later I know that I am only starting to realize the lasting impact that some of these people made on me and realizing how blessed I was to have had my wonderful experience at Tufts. I could go on for several pages (okay, several dozen pages) about the friends, housemates, and teammates that made my Tufts experience so unbelievably special and left me with a million beautiful memories, but I digress.

I got to spend an AMAZING summer of 2013 living with my Aunt Maureen in Germany. We had so much fun with setting up the house and garden (Ikea anyone??)! It was a wonderful summer with a wonderful woman -- one of the best role models I know, who gets my list-making, random-thought having, travel-loving brain so well because she has one just like it (or I guess mine is like hers). I realized yet again how blessed I am to have a supportive family around me and how special it is to have relationships with so many who form my support network (you know who you are, all of you 'pseudo-parents,' family, and friends).

After a summer of fun with family and friends, new and old, I returned to the Midwest to take on law school at Notre Dame. What a year it was! Yes, law school is as much work as they say... but what they don't tell you is that you will be surrounded by awesome professors and some really cool classmates as you go through the rite of passage that is 1L year. I have formed some of the best friendships and made some awesome memories this year, and I know that the next two have even more to offer! They also don't tell you how interesting and engaging your coursework will be. There were some days when I felt like I couldn't read another word without collapsing, but I truly feel like this is work that I will love doing, and I enjoyed each of my classes in their own light (yes, I really mean that).

There is definitely something special about Notre Dame, and while it is VERY different from Tufts, I know that I have once again found the place that is so perfectly "right" for me and feels like home. Campus was beautiful in all seasons, and I loved walking or running around the peaceful lakes... so much so that I even completed my first half marathon, the Holy Half Marathon at ND, this March! While we are on sports... I should add that, after 4 years at a school with no real spectator sports, my first season of Notre Dame football was quite the experience for me. Maybe it is Mr. Roederer's attempts to brainwash me from a young age, or maybe at orientation they really did give us that "Kool-Aid" my dad seems to think I drank, but I am now wholly converted into a Notre Dame fan (GO IRISH!!)!

After finishing my first year, I find myself back in Germany with Aunt Maureen, interning with the ECJA at HQUSEUCOM. It is a great experience for me, both in my career and my personal life. After sitting down to plan my summer with Aunt Mo, I realized that I will be doing A LOT of travel this summer (and have already done some) so now is as good a time as any to re-boot this blog!

I don't know if I will maintain the same structure as I had before, and I am not sure when/ how regularly or how often I will post, but I am excited to be coming back to this! Thanks for bearing with my long-winded, short recap of the last 2.5 years!

Tschüss!

SKS

The Magic of Paris

We are in the Christmas season, and one of my favorite Christmas tales is The Polar Express.  My first memory of the story is from my first grade class, when Mrs. Shubat read the book to us, but I also enjoyed the movie.  For some reason, that story always warms my heart.  I especially love the last lines: "At one time, most of my friends could hear the bell, but as the years passed, it fell silent for all of them.  Even [his sister] Sarah found one Christmas that she could no longer hear its' sweet sound.  Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me, as it does for all who truly believe." 

In a way, Paris is a little bit like that bell.  The city really is magical in its' beauty and its' unique charm.  When we first arrived, everyone was simply thrilled to be in Paris.  We were excited about the museums, monuments, cafés, and culture that we would have access to, and about the freedom and independence that our NaviGo cards (metro passes) gave us.  Everything was new and exciting and beautiful, and we all truly believed in the magic of Paris.  I remember waking up and looking out my window at the very top of the Eiffel Tower (the only part that I could see when the leaves were still on the trees) every morning, and then looking at it every night before bed.  I loved to look out and see it - just a little reminder that I was in fact in Paris, like pinching myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming, but without the annoying little pain on my forearm.  Looking out my window at the tower was for me what ringing the bell was for the little boy from The Polar Express: a little gesture to be sure that I still believed in the magic. 

In a city as amazing as Paris, I thought the magic would always be there.  I really didn't think that looking out the window for the top of the Eiffel Tower would ever get old, and it didn't exactly, but at some point, I somehow stopped noticing.  When I got up in the morning, I still looked out the window, but rather than looking towards the Tower, I would look down at the street, checking the weather by looking to see whether people had coats on or umbrellas with them.  Then, I looked out my window one night this week and saw almost the whole Eiffel Tower, which was sparkling since it was 9:00 PM, that I realized I had stopped looking at it daily, and hadn't even noticed when the leaves had fallen, leaving much more of it exposed.  

At first, I was disappointed, thinking that I had stopped seeing the magic. The times when I had gotten upset at the crowds, or the metro, or little cultural differences rushed into my head. I thought about how, throughout the semester, more and more American students seemed to have stopped believing in the magic of Paris, just like the boy's friends who stopped hearing the bell. But when I looked out my window and saw the Eiffel Tower sparkling, even on a cloudy night, it brought a smile to my face, and I slowed down to watch it for a few more seconds.  It was then that I realized that just because I had stopped looking for the magic every day didn't mean I was no longer capable of seeing it.  After all, the little boy still hears his magic bell as he grows old, even though he probably doesn't ring it every day. By stopping to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle that night, I proved to myself that I still believe in the magic of Paris, and in my last week here, I intend to look for that magic every single day!

On Tuesday, I went with my friend Anna to Café de Flore.  Those who are interested in the impressionist movement or early 20th century thinkers (or those of you who have seen Midnight in Paris), may recognize the name.  This café, along with it's neighbor and biggest rival Les Deux Magots, became a popular meeting place for authors, painters, and celebrities alike in the 1920's and 30's, and still draws tourists today! Plus, the hot chocolate was amazing (though admittedly not as good as Angelina's). 

Fun Fact #36: The Prix de Flore, a literary prize which was founded in 1994 by Frédéric Beigbeder, is awarded each year in a ceremony in the Café.  The prize celebrates young authors of works in French and is awarded by a panel of journalists. 

Friday, I went to visit Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, which are both HUGE, famous department stores on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris' 8th arrondissement.  Both stores have really cool architecture, and since both stores have impressive Christmas decorations, it is the perfect season to visit.  The 5 story (fake) tree in Galeries Lafayette is probably the most impressive display. This year's theme is Rock'n Mode (Rockin' Fashion).  Besides the beautiful decorations and architecture, the many designer store displays added to the beauty... who wouldn't want Chanel under their tree? 

Fun Fact #37:  The food in these places was actual, quality food... I guess I should have anticipated.  They each had their own restaurant, and as of December 1st, Galeries Lafayette even boasts a branch of Angelina café!  

I took this photo when I looked out my window to see the Eiffel Tower sparkling! It does this for five minutes on the hour at 20h, 21h, 22h, 23h, 0h and 1h every night! 

Saturday night, I went to Le Relais de Venise with my friends.  We got there at 19h and waited in line to eat until about 20h.  It was chilly, but with good conversation the time passed quickly, and in any case the food was so worth it! My friend Sarah and I had been before, but Adrian and Matthias were first-time visitors! Everyone agreed that it was delicious, and it was a really great night! 

Sorry there weren't too many interesting pics this week... I could have showed you pictures of what I have been up to, but I didn't think photos of me preparing for a lit paper, history essay test, art history paper, art history test, grammar test, or a grammar writing test (last Tuesday, last Wednesday, tomorrow, also tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday, respectively) would be of much interest! Luckily I finish on Wednesday and will have Thursday - Saturday to soak up as much of Paris as possible before I head home!!! 

Make it a great week! 

~SKS~

Family

When I was in high school, I had a wonderful opportunity to study abroad in St. Brieuc, Bretagne, France with the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages.  The experience is one that I will not forget.  It changed my perspective on so many things and forced me to grow.  It is thanks in large part to that program that I am still taking French and studying abroad now.  A major factor in why I loved my summer in St. Brieuc so much was my host family.  They were a real blessing, and an answer to my mother's prayers for a welcoming family into which I fit perfectly!  Leaving their driveway in 2008, even when I was in the car with my parents (who had come to visit after the program ended and were able to meet my family), I still cried; I was worried that I would never see these people with whom I had been so close for 8 weeks again.  

Happily, this fear was unwarranted.  I kept contact with them after I left, was able to visit them last summer for a few days, and have been planning to spend a weekend with them during this semester.  This weekend I (finally) had the opportunity to visit them!  As everyone is older now, the family is a bit more spread out, with the oldest, my brother Yoann, teaching in a high school and middle school in Brest, my sister Klervi in her first year of college preparing to be a doctor in Rennes, and the youngest, my sister Sterenn, at a boarding high school for the week and only home on the weekends.  I was really lucky as, for the first time in several months, ALL of my former host siblings were home! I really felt like little had changed.  As soon as I walked in the door, it was just like I was home.  (Only one slight difference - when I was there before, I was actually staying in Yoann's room, and going up the stairs and turning directly into his bedroom proved to be a hard habit to break.  I never actually went in, but it did cause some laughs when it took me a few seconds to realize what I had done!) 

This weekend was really relaxing and great fun.  It was so good to see everyone again!  It had been a year and a half since I had seen any of them, and since Klervi was in Florida studying abroad when I was there last summer, it had been 3 and a half years since I had seen her!  Our time together felt exactly the same as spending time with family that you haven't seen in a while.  In fact, my host mom introduced me to a friend of hers in saying, "This is an American host student that lived with us three years ago and now she is part of our family."  I loved that this weekend gave me the opportunity to reconnect with them, and, furthermore, to be reminded that 'family' doesn't always have to mean the people that you are actually related to!  I am really blessed to have great family on both sides of the Atlantic!! 

On Friday, I met with some friends to experience Angelina, which is a café that is best known for it's hot chocolate and delectable desserts.  You may be able to see how thick the hot chocolate is... it tasted DELICIOUS, just like melted chocolate.  We actually think it may be that, as it became solid as it cooled.  The Dessert was a chocolate cake covered with chocolate mousse, which was then covered in chocolate fondant-y covering (the square part) and then that was topped with chocolate ganache.  My Ransford side definitely came through as I powered through the chocolate!  

It was a great day for a walk around the city afterwards (especially since we had so much chocolate to work off!) so we wandered to Place Vendôme.  This square is now known for the luxury shops that are there, and for the Ritz hotel.  

Fun Fact #34: The column in Place Vendôme was erected by Naploéon to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz but was torn down in May of 1861.  It has (obviously) since been re-erected.  I wonder where they kept it when it wasn't on display! 

As we wandered further, this statue of Jeanne d'Arc caught my eye as it glowed in the sun! This is directly across from the Tuileries Gardens, which are in front of the Louvre.  

On the first Friday of every month, the Cathedral of Notre Dame holds an elaborate service for the adoration of some of its' most precious relics, which include bits of the cross that Jesus died on and the crown of thorns that he wore.  My friend and I went to check it out.  While I am not convinced that the relics are really what they claim to be, it was still impressive to see so many people in the church and to see the elaborate ceremony.  Regardless of whether or not they are real, they are pretty strong symbol of faith. In this picture, people are lining up to kiss the crown of thorns.  Imagine it with incense everywhere and hymns, sung by nuns and monks and accompanied by the organ, with sunlight coming in through stained glass windows. 

Fun Fact #35: The Catholic Church, despite 'numerous studies and historical and scientific research efforts' has been unable to prove the authenticity of the Crown, but still continues the services since the crown has been an object of adoration and a symbol of Christian theology for 16 centuries.  

A picture to end the wonderful weekend reconnecting with family! Left to right, my mom, Marie-Helène, Maeve (Yoann's girlfriend), Klervi, Yoann, Me, and Sterenn! It was so great to see them!! 

Remember to be thankful for your family this week! 

~SKS~ 

Tick Tock

In theory, time should be pretty easy to keep track of.  Between watches, clocks, microwaves, computers, and cellphones, we are basically surrounded with timekeepers all the time.  It moves forward at a constant rate, so it should be easy to keep track of, and one would think that after 20 years of life, I would be able to tell how much time has passed in any given interval.  In reality, this skill evades me.  For something that is supposed to be so stable, time is actually really volatile.  At least my perception of it is.  


I remember that one time, in preschool, we had to be quiet for a whole minute and it felt so long! Then we were allowed to talk for a minute and it passed quickly.  Nothing has really changed since then! I may know now that my perception of time changes based on what I am doing, but I still have no control over what a given increment of time feels like.  My guess is that I probably won't be able to any time soon, either. A class always seems to pass much more quickly during a test than during a lecture. The time I spend waiting for something always seems to go faster than the time I spend actually doing that thing. Four months seems like a huge amount of time before it starts, but as I approach the end, it seems like four months may as well have been four days! 


This week, it seems like somebody hit the accelerator on time! On one hand, last Sunday night seems ages away because I have been so busy since then, but on the other hand, I feel like this week passed in the blink of an eye.  They say that time flies when you are having fun, and I guess that must be what is happening here!!  This week, I have discovered new monuments and sites in Paris, explored new areas, and come to love this city even more!!  I have three weeks left here, but if they pass as quickly as this past one did, I feel like I will be back stateside in no time flat! 

This church is less than 5 minutes' walk from my school, but I hadn't been yet, so I stopped in on my way to class! Tuesday, I visited Saint Sulpice, which is the second largest church in Paris (after Notre Dame Cathedral).  It is known for it's uneven towers, which were not actually a design, but happened because they were only able to finish one of the towers before the French Revolution.

On Thursday (aka Thanksgiving), our program organized a dinner for us at a restaurant.  We had pumpkin soup, green beans, potatoes au gratin, turkey, and a chestnut mousse-ish pie with chocolate for dessert.  The french take on Thanksgiving proved to be delicious! After dinner, we headed to Moose, a Canadian bar, so that we could watch the Cowboys play the Dolphins.  It was good to spend Thanksgiving with friends and fellow Americans! 

On Friday, I went to Les Invalides, which is where Napoléon is buried. This is his tomb.  It is kind of hard to tell in this picture, but his tomb is HUGE!!! It is visible from the main floor even though it is on the basement level.  He definitely wanted to make an impression.  

The Invalides are best known for the golden dome.  They served as a hospital for wounded soldiers under Napoléon, and now there are several museums, including his tomb, there.  

Fun Fact #31: There is still a working hospital on the grounds of Les Invalides.  

Saturday, I had work to do.  Fortunately, this meant meeting my friends at the Louvre so that we could each describe and take notes on the painting that we had chosen to write a paper on for art history class.  I surprised myself because I enjoyed sitting and looking at one painting for two hours! A relaxing morning!

My friend Anna and I left the Louvre to go meet two other friends at the Comédie Française to see Molière's "École des femmes."  Three of us are reading it for a literature class we are in, so it was really cool to see how it was acted on stage! Plus the inside of Salle Richelieu (the theater) was beautiful!!

Fun Fact #32: The Comédie Française is one of only a few state-run theaters in France, and it is the only one to have its' own troupe of actors. 

After the play, I went to dinner with Anna and her friend Sarah and then met up with some others to see a movie.  We saw Les Adoptés, directed by Mélanie Laurent, and we all loved it! It was really sad but so well acted! This picture was taken as I walked back to the metro from the theater, after Anna pointed out how cool it looked with the leaves there! 

Fun Fact #33: The water fountain in this picture is one of 67 "Wallace fountains" in Paris.  These fountains were designed by Charles Auguste Lebourg and paid for by Sir Richard Wallace, a philanthropist who wanted Parisians, even poor Parisians, to have access to clean drinking water. 

This morning I got up early to go to Mass at Notre Dame for the first Sunday in Advent! The service was really cool, and the church was as beautiful as ever! 

After church, we explored the various christmas markets in Paris. My personal favorite was the market at La Défense, which is not technically in Paris but is accessible by metro and only 4 stops from my house. It was all decorated and had a definitely "Christmas" feel despite the leaves that are still falling and 50 degree cloudy weather! This is the Christmas Tree in the plaza in front of Notre Dame.  It is huge! 

This week has been super busy but totally wonderful!! I can only hope that the next three pass in a similar fashion!! 


May your week be filled with fun and holiday cheer! 


~SKS~

The Best Laid Plans

Plans are great.  They are excellent organizational tools, helping make sure that everything gets done, ensuring that members of a group are on the same page, and allowing us to make good use of our time.  It is always great when a plan comes together, and even better when a well-laid plan works out. Generally speaking, not having a plan stresses me out, so I generally plan everything.  That being said, I have come to realize that plans are not always better than spontaneity. Sometimes, it can be even more gratifying to live in the present, eschewing planning and choosing instead to do what feels right in the moment.  This does not come easily to me, but I have decided to give it a try.  

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here.  I know myself too well to say that I would be able to go the entire month I have left here (a little less, actually... time FLIES) without planning ANYTHING, and that is not my idea.  Like I said before, sometimes plans are useful and helpful, and I don't think that a plan is ever exactly a negative thing.  When I first arrived in Paris, I made a list of around a hundred things that I wanted to do in the city before the end of the semester.  I still have about 20 of those things left, and I can just about guarantee that I will be making and executing plans in order to make sure that I am able to do and see everything on my list.  Still, I think that there is something to be said for the surprise and satisfaction that comes from having a really great time doing something you never expected to do, or from doing something when you anticipated doing something different. It is not a feeling I afford myself very often, because I usually don't do things without a plan, but I do actually really enjoy just going through a day, or an evening, with no agenda.  

I was reminded of this over the weekend, when plans fell through but I still ended up having a great time with my friends.  In fact, I got to see and do some things that I may not have known existed otherwise.  This weekend, it was definitely worth it for me to 'go with the flow' and it made me realized that it could be worth it other times too.  As awesome as it will be to check off that last box on the to-do-in-Paris list, it would be a shame to live here for four months without letting myself stumble upon unknown restaurants, cute little stores, or uniquely Parisian experiences.  So for the next 28 days, in addition to outlining and carrying out plans, I will also be making an effort not to come home as soon as that day's last task has been completed, to say yes to friends even when I am tired or not sure exactly what to expect, and essentially just to give myself the opportunity to really get to know Paris in a different way, a way that doesn't (always) include a notecard with a checklist. 

This week, I found out that for my art history class, I will be required to write a paper about a work that is found in the Louvre.  This is the painting that I chose.  It is called "Louis XIII Courroné par la Victoire" or Louis XIII Crowned by Victory.  I'm looking forward to spending time in the Louvre analyzing this piece! For a first art history paper, I guess this situation isn't too shabby! 

Friday, I went to visit the Mémorial de la Shoah, which is the Holocaust memorial in Paris.  One of the more moving features is right at the entrance: walls covered in names of French Jews who were persecuted by the occupying Nazis and Vichy government and either killed or never returned. The understated simplicity of these walls really serves to exaggerate the atrocity that was committed.  The museum focuses on education and factual presentation of these  seemingly unimaginable events.  While it is smaller and less image - based than the Holocaust Museum in D.C., it's message is the same: educate people, spread the word, and make sure people never forget.   

Fun Fact #29: In France, they do not use the word 'Holocaust,' which has roots in the Greek for 'consumed by fire' or 'total destruction.' Instead, they employ the Hebrew word 'Shoah,' which means calamity or catastrophe. 

After visiting the memorial, I wanted to do something a little more lighthearted to end my day.  Since the Centre Pompidou, which is home to the museum of modern and contemporary art, was close by and had yet to be crossed off my list, I decided it was time visited.  This is the view from the staircase of the museum, which is essentially a gerbil-tube like glass structure from which you can see many different great views of Paris! 

This was one of my favorite pieces in the museum.  While there were some that I didn't understand (like the solid black canvas, or the string of christmas lights on a wall, for instance), I thought this was cool, and while I guess I still didn't get why it was "art" I did appreciate the creative thought that went into its' design. It is basically the tape from an old cassette tape over a cube.  A fan blows air onto the cube, and the force of that air then holds up the tape. I think the fact that I was fascinated by this speaks to the fact that I think more like my mother than either of us might care to admit.  :)

On Saturday, I met up with a friend to see some of the things we had yet to do around Paris.  First up was a visit to La Défense, a business district that is only about 4 metro stops from my house and 3 from his. Somehow, neither of us had managed to make it here in the 3 months we have lived in Paris! The most famous building here is La Grande Arche, from the steps of which you can see the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées in the distance.  

Next, we headed to the Musée Rodin.  The museum boasts a fairly large garden in which many of Rodin's original works are displayed.  This sculpture, Le Penseur, is among his most famous works at the museum.  In the background is the dome of the Invalides. 

Saturday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day! Given that we can't expect many more like it, we decided to take advantage of the warm weather and clear skies to go climb the Bell Towers of Notre Dame Cathedral.  We had to wait in line for about an hour, but it was a great day so it wasn't bad.  The views, both of Paris and of parts of the cathedral that are not visible from below, were definitely worth it! 

Fun Fact #30: Quasimodo, who we all know from the Disney film Notre Dame, was actually a character in Victor Hugo's novel "Notre Dame de Paris."

Saturday night, my friends and I wanted to go see a play at La Comédie Française.  They set aside 65 tickets each night and sell them for 5.50 euro starting one hour before the show.  Unfortunately, we were not among the first 65 to arrive.  Our plans fell though, but we had a great night! It was a beautiful night in Paris, and the city is all decorated for Christmas (I know... without Thanksgiving they start even earlier here!).  After dinner, we went to look at the windows of the department stores, which have all been specially decorated for the holidays.  I guess this is a tradition, because the street was packed with people wanting to look at the displays.  This was my personal favorite, at a department store called Printemps. All of the windows for that store were done by Chanel! 

We wanted to look at the lights on the Champs-Élysées, so we made our way to Place de la Concorde so that we could walk all the way up it. In Place de La Concorde, they just put up "La Grande Roue" which is a ferris wheel.  Since it was such a nice night, we went up.  Awesome views of the city!!! This one looks past Place de la Concorde up the Champs Élysées, and off to the left you can see the Grand Palais. 

La Grande Roue itself! 

After getting off the ferris wheel, we walked all the way up the Champs Élysées though one of the biggest Christmas Markets in Paris.  Even though it was almost midnight, there were still lots of people out and about and all the makeshift stores were still open.  While some were cheap touristy shops, some are just temporary extensions of stores that already exist in Paris. 

Finally, we ended up at the Arc De Triomphe, which I had not yet seen at night. Gorgeous! 

All in all, even though some of my plans this weekend didn't work out, it was a pretty great week! I hope that this coming week brings more of the same! 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Eat lots of pumpkin pie for me!! 

~SKS~