Hey there everyone,
I had promised best and worse before, and here it is. I still have two days here though, so if they change I'll let you know!
Best Art Museum: The Centre Georges Pompidou, the modern art museum in Paris. Everything in here is awesome and lots of my friends who don't like modern art loved this museum. I heard somewhere that this museum is more visited than the Louvre. I went to modern art museums in Vienna, London and Paris, and this was by far the best.
Best Classical Art Museum: The Louvre had better paintings, but the collection at the British Museum was really incredible. They have collections for nearly every civilization in the world, and all of them were interesting. Definitely worth many visits.
The "This is a museum? Please kill me" award: The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Basically filled with dishes, furniture and lamps. Like the largest antiques shop you've ever seen. I was literally panicked when I couldn't find the exit and I had to keep walking by Victorian Era apartments over and over.
Classiest looking city: Vienna, every part of this city was clean and perfect looking, trees everywhere. There were tons of men in suits walking around; it just felt very regal all around.
Biggest let down: Venice, packed with tourists to the gills, seeing the tourists in San Marco piazza made me think of bird flu. When we got out of our dinner late at night, we tried to get back to the train station and it was dark, deserted, and we started to get harrassed by some teenagers. Just not that fun.
Best history lesson, personified: The beaches of Normandy where seeing everything just made you want to learn more about what happened in WWII.
Just like the postcards show: Prague, where every street and vista was beautiful. It hasn't looked like it's changed since the medieval ages.
The most impressive sight: No matter how many places and on how many books and movies you've seen it, the Eiffel Tower is more amazing in real life, by far. From every angle, at every distance, it really takes your breath away. And when it sparkles at night, forget about it.
Most relaxing experience: Relaxing in the thermal baths in Budapest at sundown, then watching the lights around the pools come on and shine on the water with the stars overhead.
The "This can't be happening" award: Any travel experience, basically, from the switching from train to bus six times on the three hour ride to Cesky Krumlov from Prague to the taking of three planes to get to Prague, with eight hour layovers in two different cities.
Most likely to become impoverished: Living in London where you buy a soda for two pounds and are thinking that it is four American dollars.
Worst idea tourist experience: The boat cruise on the Seine with cheesy, loud music, and getting sun burned from going in the middle of the day. If the looks of scorn could kill from Parisians on the shore, then we would be dead many times over.
For when you're nostalgic for America: Buy a three euro glass of Coke. Expensive, but so worth it.
Best reason to never leave Paris: Patisseries on every corner with fresh bread. Two euro bottles of wine. Two euro hunks of Brie. Creperies everywhere. Enough said.
The "Proof that Paris is a small town" award: The fact that I've run into Andrea twice on the metro and bus, accidently. Another time I ran into my friend Lauren on the metro.
Best reason to come back to Europe: Millions of undiscovered restaurants, museums, and pastries!
Love,
Em
Friday, July 27, 2007
Some more pictures
Some more pictures...the first one is from a yummy restaurant in Bayeux, the 2nd to last one is from Le Procope the oldest restaurant in the world (supposedly) and where Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin met, there is a pic on a couch from the French house party we went to, the 2nd pic outside is from Normandy (?), the last one is from Chenonceau. That's about it for now, more pictures later!
Love,
Em
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Themes and a brief talk about the purpose of this blog
Hey there everyone,
So my classes are officially done! It's good times, now I am officially a tourist in Paris and not a student. I have a weekend here, three days, until I leave on Monday and get to Tallahassee on Tuesday.
So I thought I'd get a little philosophical today and talk about some of the overreaching themes that have united my trip. I promise, it's not that boring, and maybe it'll get you thinking a little.
To begin with, my paper that I have been talking a lot about ended up being on Voltaire and Rousseau and their effects on Marx. The thesis had to do with freedom and equality and what precisely the governments of the world should supply their people. I argue that the people of a nation can have freedom or equality and not both.
This is especially evident when looking at the difference between Communist and Capitalist governments. The Communist governments promised their people equality and they delivered on their promise-the people were equally poor and equally oppressed. There wasn't fredom of speech, religion or assembly in their governments.
Capitalist governments, like America, on the other hand, don't have equality among people, but they do have freedom. A lot of people may live in poverty, but at least they can complain about the government and the society that creates it.
Which brings me to my main question, would you rather have equality or freedom? There have been no long term successful governments that have provided both. In my mind, at least, a government that provides freedom is a more stable government where the people experience a better quality of life. But I suppose there are other arguments that would preach equality. Something to think about to be sure. When we presented our topics in class, my paper had the most questions from the class, which I take it to mean that it got people thinking.
In a way too, I never would have thought of this topic if it hadn't been for my travels here. I originally got interested in Communism when I visited the House of Terror in Budapest (check earlier entries for my account of the experience) and talked to Lydia, who lived under Communism in Hungary. My whole idea of there being a choice between freedom and equality was further strengthened after my trip to Normandy and thinking about the different governments that have existed between America and Eastern Europe. And of course, the experience of being an American in a foreign country has forced me to think about the way in which our countries are different in many ways. This has included language, food, and culture which I have already blogged about, and now politics and fundamental value differences, which I'm addressing now.
Another issue that has unified my trip and relates to this, is an issue that I started thinking about after watching a french film in my film class called "Notre Musique." It's a very thought provoking film, but one particulary interesting issue that it raised was the question of military force. We tend to think about American military force as a bad thing at times, invading other countries, and provoking differences that result in terrorist attacks. But what of our safety? Unlike in Israel or other areas in the Middle East, terror attacks don't take place everyday on our streets in America and Europe. Part of this has to do with the fact that the military is a protection for us. In as much as they can sometimes make situtions worse and create and prolong wars, they are also responsible for our happiness and security. Switzerland, a neutral country, and a very safe one, is partly safe because of the military force that protects the country (but doesn't engage in war). When I was in Prague the Czechs there were upset with American plans to build a military base near Prague. They thought it would provoke war with Russia. But the whole point of it was to make the country, America and its allies safe. What can we make of these differing aims, objectives, and consequences?
The more I write this, the more I realize that these theories have a lot to do with war. But war is tied up with peace and cooperation, and so is the last issue I'll talk about: the cultural differences among nations, especially concerning different languages.
Now language is an issue that I talk about a lot on the blog, so it shouldn't be surprising that I'm talking about it now. I find language so interesting, especially in the ways it forces people to interact with one another. At the beginning of my trip I travelled through so many different countries, and I had to switch languages every single day, almost. It was really exhausting. When you think about America in contrast to Europe you can see how lucky we are: if we want to go from the beach, to the mountains, to the big city, the langauge is the same everywhere in America. In Europe, if I want to do this in the same literal area, the language changes. France borders up against six other countries. In three of them a good deal of French is spoken (enough to get by with only knowing French) but in the three others, German, Italian and Spanish are spoken. If we want to include the United Kingdom as a bordering country, then there is also English. So if you want to converse fully with the countries surrounding you in France that's five different languages that you have to learn (more is you consider the regional langauges in Spain and other parts of France, as well). See how exhausting it can get? When you think about it this way, you can see how these world wars can ignite if the people in such a small geographical region don't have something as basic and essential as language in common. Language, and the lack of it provided a lot of interesting experiences for me on my trip and provided me with a bunch of interesting stories, but for most people who struggle with different languages everyday, language has the power to keep them repressed, start conflicts and generally give people a lot of problems.
When you think about life and the continous expanse of time, certain themes that unite it can pop up if you are able to think clearly enough to find them. Undoubtedly, there are a billion more themes that united my trip, but these are just some of the ones that I could find and think clearly enough to write on. From the feedback I've received, I've got a lot of people thinking about things they've never thought of before they've read my blog. It hasn't been my intention to make anyone feel any one emotion after reading it, rather, I just want people to start thinking about issues I've encountered. Hopefully, in most cases, I've given you enough information that you have been able to form your own opinions on issues and experiences I have written about. My viewpoint is my own, and shaped by my own experiences, and there's no doubt that this trip would have been much different if you had gone on this trip instead of me. Seeing as how some readers may never go on a trip of this magnitude, I've wanted to share some of my experiences so you can get as much out of them as I did. I don't really think it's fair that I've spent so much of my and my family's money on something that only I benefitted from. So, through my writing, hopefully more people than me have benefitted from this experience.
Later to come on my blog...my pictures sometime later next week, along with some ending thoughts and more on experiences I've left out because of lack of time on my part. So stay tuned!
Love,
Em
So my classes are officially done! It's good times, now I am officially a tourist in Paris and not a student. I have a weekend here, three days, until I leave on Monday and get to Tallahassee on Tuesday.
So I thought I'd get a little philosophical today and talk about some of the overreaching themes that have united my trip. I promise, it's not that boring, and maybe it'll get you thinking a little.
To begin with, my paper that I have been talking a lot about ended up being on Voltaire and Rousseau and their effects on Marx. The thesis had to do with freedom and equality and what precisely the governments of the world should supply their people. I argue that the people of a nation can have freedom or equality and not both.
This is especially evident when looking at the difference between Communist and Capitalist governments. The Communist governments promised their people equality and they delivered on their promise-the people were equally poor and equally oppressed. There wasn't fredom of speech, religion or assembly in their governments.
Capitalist governments, like America, on the other hand, don't have equality among people, but they do have freedom. A lot of people may live in poverty, but at least they can complain about the government and the society that creates it.
Which brings me to my main question, would you rather have equality or freedom? There have been no long term successful governments that have provided both. In my mind, at least, a government that provides freedom is a more stable government where the people experience a better quality of life. But I suppose there are other arguments that would preach equality. Something to think about to be sure. When we presented our topics in class, my paper had the most questions from the class, which I take it to mean that it got people thinking.
In a way too, I never would have thought of this topic if it hadn't been for my travels here. I originally got interested in Communism when I visited the House of Terror in Budapest (check earlier entries for my account of the experience) and talked to Lydia, who lived under Communism in Hungary. My whole idea of there being a choice between freedom and equality was further strengthened after my trip to Normandy and thinking about the different governments that have existed between America and Eastern Europe. And of course, the experience of being an American in a foreign country has forced me to think about the way in which our countries are different in many ways. This has included language, food, and culture which I have already blogged about, and now politics and fundamental value differences, which I'm addressing now.
Another issue that has unified my trip and relates to this, is an issue that I started thinking about after watching a french film in my film class called "Notre Musique." It's a very thought provoking film, but one particulary interesting issue that it raised was the question of military force. We tend to think about American military force as a bad thing at times, invading other countries, and provoking differences that result in terrorist attacks. But what of our safety? Unlike in Israel or other areas in the Middle East, terror attacks don't take place everyday on our streets in America and Europe. Part of this has to do with the fact that the military is a protection for us. In as much as they can sometimes make situtions worse and create and prolong wars, they are also responsible for our happiness and security. Switzerland, a neutral country, and a very safe one, is partly safe because of the military force that protects the country (but doesn't engage in war). When I was in Prague the Czechs there were upset with American plans to build a military base near Prague. They thought it would provoke war with Russia. But the whole point of it was to make the country, America and its allies safe. What can we make of these differing aims, objectives, and consequences?
The more I write this, the more I realize that these theories have a lot to do with war. But war is tied up with peace and cooperation, and so is the last issue I'll talk about: the cultural differences among nations, especially concerning different languages.
Now language is an issue that I talk about a lot on the blog, so it shouldn't be surprising that I'm talking about it now. I find language so interesting, especially in the ways it forces people to interact with one another. At the beginning of my trip I travelled through so many different countries, and I had to switch languages every single day, almost. It was really exhausting. When you think about America in contrast to Europe you can see how lucky we are: if we want to go from the beach, to the mountains, to the big city, the langauge is the same everywhere in America. In Europe, if I want to do this in the same literal area, the language changes. France borders up against six other countries. In three of them a good deal of French is spoken (enough to get by with only knowing French) but in the three others, German, Italian and Spanish are spoken. If we want to include the United Kingdom as a bordering country, then there is also English. So if you want to converse fully with the countries surrounding you in France that's five different languages that you have to learn (more is you consider the regional langauges in Spain and other parts of France, as well). See how exhausting it can get? When you think about it this way, you can see how these world wars can ignite if the people in such a small geographical region don't have something as basic and essential as language in common. Language, and the lack of it provided a lot of interesting experiences for me on my trip and provided me with a bunch of interesting stories, but for most people who struggle with different languages everyday, language has the power to keep them repressed, start conflicts and generally give people a lot of problems.
When you think about life and the continous expanse of time, certain themes that unite it can pop up if you are able to think clearly enough to find them. Undoubtedly, there are a billion more themes that united my trip, but these are just some of the ones that I could find and think clearly enough to write on. From the feedback I've received, I've got a lot of people thinking about things they've never thought of before they've read my blog. It hasn't been my intention to make anyone feel any one emotion after reading it, rather, I just want people to start thinking about issues I've encountered. Hopefully, in most cases, I've given you enough information that you have been able to form your own opinions on issues and experiences I have written about. My viewpoint is my own, and shaped by my own experiences, and there's no doubt that this trip would have been much different if you had gone on this trip instead of me. Seeing as how some readers may never go on a trip of this magnitude, I've wanted to share some of my experiences so you can get as much out of them as I did. I don't really think it's fair that I've spent so much of my and my family's money on something that only I benefitted from. So, through my writing, hopefully more people than me have benefitted from this experience.
Later to come on my blog...my pictures sometime later next week, along with some ending thoughts and more on experiences I've left out because of lack of time on my part. So stay tuned!
Love,
Em
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
The Eiffel Tower
Hey guys,
Just a quick blog about THE cultural experience in Paris if you are a tourist...that's right, The Eiffel Tower. My friend Jon just finished a study abroad program in Oxford a couple of weeks ago, and on the grand tour of Europe he is going on after it, he stopped in Paris to visit. We took a day trip to Chartres on Sunday to see the Cathedral, and hung out on Sunday and Monday together. He asked me what I hadn't done in Paris that I wanted to do, and I said the Eiffel Tower. Kathy suggested that I go here when the sun was setting because it was super gorgeous then, so Jon and I headed there at around 7:30. You should have seen the lines there! Hundreds of people in every direction. We chose the shortest one, which ominously said stairs on it. After standing in the line for a half an hour or so, we got to the front and found out that the reason that the line was so short was because there was no elevator from this part of the tower. Did I mention that I'm afraid of heights? Well it was completely obvious from the 300 or so stairs (CORRECTION: I just looked it up and turns out there are 647 steps or 115 meters, or 38 stories to the 2nd level) we had to climb to the 2nd landing. Don't know exactly how far up the 2nd landing is, but I would suggest for you to look it up and gape at what we accomplished. There were practically no tourists on the stairs with us, so perhaps they got the memo. Jon was trying to keep me distracted the whole time, but I could only manage one word answers trying not to freak out the higher up and up we kept climbing. When we hit the 1st landing we got a sense of what was to come. It was cold, the wind was whipping across our faces, and there was a light mist hitting us. We forged on, climbed to the 2nd landing which was, thankfully, where we could catch the elevator to the top. Before that occured though, we stood in the line for the elevator for at least half an hour. At this point, the wind was at least 15 or 20 mph, it had started raining (sideways, of course), and the temperature was probably about 60°F. It was basically the moment when both of us would catch pneumonia. FINALLY, we got on the elevator and made it to the top. Fear wise, this was worse then the stairs, and Jon kept saying how great the view was, and I kept peeking my eyes open to see, though the elevator was so crammed I felt claustrophobic on top of acrophobic. The view at the top was amazing though. On a clear day (not this day) you could see all the way to Chartres, 88 km away. The wind was even worse up here, I practically felt like it would knock me over. We found a window in a staircase that still looked out, but protected us from the wind. So we stood there for about an hour, waiting for the sun to go down. It was a comfy spot, not windy or rainy, I think we had the best spot from all of the tourists. Finally, the sun went down, and all of the lights started coming on around the city. We made a final round of the top deck, taking more pictures. At 10 PM, the Eiffel Tower started sparkling, but we couldn't see it very well since we were on it. So we took about a half hour on the elevator getting down (thank goodness, no more stairs), and headed out. We stopped at a cafe, because Jon hadn't seen the Eiffel Tower sparkle, and I told him he had to see it before he left, so we ordered hot chocolate and waited until 11 when it started sparkling again. What a cool sight. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up on the net, there should be a video somewhere. Then he headed back to his hotel (he headed to Brugges the next day) and I went back to my apartment and took a hot bath, trying to warm up. So although I faced one of my only fears, nearly got pneumonia, and nearly got knocked off my feet by the crazy wind, it was a quintessential Paris experience.
Love to all,
Emily
Just a quick blog about THE cultural experience in Paris if you are a tourist...that's right, The Eiffel Tower. My friend Jon just finished a study abroad program in Oxford a couple of weeks ago, and on the grand tour of Europe he is going on after it, he stopped in Paris to visit. We took a day trip to Chartres on Sunday to see the Cathedral, and hung out on Sunday and Monday together. He asked me what I hadn't done in Paris that I wanted to do, and I said the Eiffel Tower. Kathy suggested that I go here when the sun was setting because it was super gorgeous then, so Jon and I headed there at around 7:30. You should have seen the lines there! Hundreds of people in every direction. We chose the shortest one, which ominously said stairs on it. After standing in the line for a half an hour or so, we got to the front and found out that the reason that the line was so short was because there was no elevator from this part of the tower. Did I mention that I'm afraid of heights? Well it was completely obvious from the 300 or so stairs (CORRECTION: I just looked it up and turns out there are 647 steps or 115 meters, or 38 stories to the 2nd level) we had to climb to the 2nd landing. Don't know exactly how far up the 2nd landing is, but I would suggest for you to look it up and gape at what we accomplished. There were practically no tourists on the stairs with us, so perhaps they got the memo. Jon was trying to keep me distracted the whole time, but I could only manage one word answers trying not to freak out the higher up and up we kept climbing. When we hit the 1st landing we got a sense of what was to come. It was cold, the wind was whipping across our faces, and there was a light mist hitting us. We forged on, climbed to the 2nd landing which was, thankfully, where we could catch the elevator to the top. Before that occured though, we stood in the line for the elevator for at least half an hour. At this point, the wind was at least 15 or 20 mph, it had started raining (sideways, of course), and the temperature was probably about 60°F. It was basically the moment when both of us would catch pneumonia. FINALLY, we got on the elevator and made it to the top. Fear wise, this was worse then the stairs, and Jon kept saying how great the view was, and I kept peeking my eyes open to see, though the elevator was so crammed I felt claustrophobic on top of acrophobic. The view at the top was amazing though. On a clear day (not this day) you could see all the way to Chartres, 88 km away. The wind was even worse up here, I practically felt like it would knock me over. We found a window in a staircase that still looked out, but protected us from the wind. So we stood there for about an hour, waiting for the sun to go down. It was a comfy spot, not windy or rainy, I think we had the best spot from all of the tourists. Finally, the sun went down, and all of the lights started coming on around the city. We made a final round of the top deck, taking more pictures. At 10 PM, the Eiffel Tower started sparkling, but we couldn't see it very well since we were on it. So we took about a half hour on the elevator getting down (thank goodness, no more stairs), and headed out. We stopped at a cafe, because Jon hadn't seen the Eiffel Tower sparkle, and I told him he had to see it before he left, so we ordered hot chocolate and waited until 11 when it started sparkling again. What a cool sight. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up on the net, there should be a video somewhere. Then he headed back to his hotel (he headed to Brugges the next day) and I went back to my apartment and took a hot bath, trying to warm up. So although I faced one of my only fears, nearly got pneumonia, and nearly got knocked off my feet by the crazy wind, it was a quintessential Paris experience.
Love to all,
Emily
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Normandy and the D-Day beaches
Just wanted to do my post on Normandy, before I forget everyhitng.
So on Friday we went to Mont St. Michel. Pretty incredible sight from far away. It was full of a lot of tourists though, and not that impressive inside. But it was a sight.
The next day after a fabulous sleep at my hotel (a better bed then the one at my apartment here, and much better pillows) we headed out early to the American Cemetary at Omaha Beach. My grandfather landed on Omaha on the second day, and got a purple heart because he was grazed in the leg by a bullet, so I was excited to go here. I also never knew him, so I really wanted to share in this part of his life.
I am not a very emotional person at things like this, but I was getting teary eyed through most of it. A lot of other people in my group were too. The tour guide was fantastic, you could tell she was really emotionally involved in it. The cemetary is filled with tons of white crosses in perfect lines, and she took us to one that was in the middle of them, and it was the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On it was engraved, "Here lies a comrade only known to God himself." She said that it was horrible that a parent could never lay flowers on a grave with their son's name on it, and people may see the other crosses and relate to them because they have names, but this one no one knows, and may not remember, but by showing it to us, we would remember him, and so through that, no one would forget him. And now from me telling you, you won't forget him either.
Among the crosses were Stars of David here and there, and she said while most Jewish people are buried in exclusively Jewish cemetaries, here, the American government wanted to put them among the other crosses to show that in America, we don't consider Jewish people different, or unequal, from Christians. It was an especially powerful statement considering the Holocaust had just occured.
On the way out you could really see how all of the crosses were lined up in perfect rows. The guide said, not only are they crosses, but they also look like soldiers standing at attention, because when you are a soldier you are a soldier for life.
It was also really surreal, because I learned while I was there that 50% of the men who landed on Omaha on the first day were killed. And just seeing those tombstones, it made me think that it could have been my grandfather just as easily as any of those men, and if it had been I wouldn't be here today. It was upsetting to think about.
We went after this farther down the beach to a place where there are still huge crater holes from bombings, and bunkers where huge machine guns would have gone, with barbed wire in some places still. Right now, it is a beautiful sight, with flowers growing everywhere in a pretty meadow, but, again, these flowers are growing and are fertilized by all the men who died there. Morbid to think of, I know, but true.
This section of France has a lot of American flags hanging everywhere, and is a pretty pro-American place in Europe. A lot of people here remember vividly what happened and are grateful for what we did for them. When you see the cemeteries, I guess you remember how many Americans died to liberate your country, and you are, understandably grateful. In a previous year, one of the tour guides at the cemetary told a story about how there was this woman who carried currency in the bottom of her vegetable basket to give to the Resistance, and if she had been found out she would have been killed. Later, she told a couple of people that that woman was her mother. So it is really real for them here.
Just being there, it made me proud to be an American, and proud to believe that freedom is precious, and that terror is always wrong. We may not always choose our battles wisely, but I think we chose well in this respect.
Just wanted to tell all of you this before I forgot it all. More later.
Love,
Em
So on Friday we went to Mont St. Michel. Pretty incredible sight from far away. It was full of a lot of tourists though, and not that impressive inside. But it was a sight.
The next day after a fabulous sleep at my hotel (a better bed then the one at my apartment here, and much better pillows) we headed out early to the American Cemetary at Omaha Beach. My grandfather landed on Omaha on the second day, and got a purple heart because he was grazed in the leg by a bullet, so I was excited to go here. I also never knew him, so I really wanted to share in this part of his life.
I am not a very emotional person at things like this, but I was getting teary eyed through most of it. A lot of other people in my group were too. The tour guide was fantastic, you could tell she was really emotionally involved in it. The cemetary is filled with tons of white crosses in perfect lines, and she took us to one that was in the middle of them, and it was the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. On it was engraved, "Here lies a comrade only known to God himself." She said that it was horrible that a parent could never lay flowers on a grave with their son's name on it, and people may see the other crosses and relate to them because they have names, but this one no one knows, and may not remember, but by showing it to us, we would remember him, and so through that, no one would forget him. And now from me telling you, you won't forget him either.
Among the crosses were Stars of David here and there, and she said while most Jewish people are buried in exclusively Jewish cemetaries, here, the American government wanted to put them among the other crosses to show that in America, we don't consider Jewish people different, or unequal, from Christians. It was an especially powerful statement considering the Holocaust had just occured.
On the way out you could really see how all of the crosses were lined up in perfect rows. The guide said, not only are they crosses, but they also look like soldiers standing at attention, because when you are a soldier you are a soldier for life.
It was also really surreal, because I learned while I was there that 50% of the men who landed on Omaha on the first day were killed. And just seeing those tombstones, it made me think that it could have been my grandfather just as easily as any of those men, and if it had been I wouldn't be here today. It was upsetting to think about.
We went after this farther down the beach to a place where there are still huge crater holes from bombings, and bunkers where huge machine guns would have gone, with barbed wire in some places still. Right now, it is a beautiful sight, with flowers growing everywhere in a pretty meadow, but, again, these flowers are growing and are fertilized by all the men who died there. Morbid to think of, I know, but true.
This section of France has a lot of American flags hanging everywhere, and is a pretty pro-American place in Europe. A lot of people here remember vividly what happened and are grateful for what we did for them. When you see the cemeteries, I guess you remember how many Americans died to liberate your country, and you are, understandably grateful. In a previous year, one of the tour guides at the cemetary told a story about how there was this woman who carried currency in the bottom of her vegetable basket to give to the Resistance, and if she had been found out she would have been killed. Later, she told a couple of people that that woman was her mother. So it is really real for them here.
Just being there, it made me proud to be an American, and proud to believe that freedom is precious, and that terror is always wrong. We may not always choose our battles wisely, but I think we chose well in this respect.
Just wanted to tell all of you this before I forgot it all. More later.
Love,
Em
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Upcoming Events
Hey everyone,
Just wanted to give everyone an update on what's been going on. This weekend we went to Normandy as a group. We went to Mont St. Michel, then Bayeaux to spend the night, then to Omaha Beach, the American Cemetary at Normandy, the WWII Museum at Bayeaux, and the famous Bayeaux tapestry. It was a fantastic excursion, and the parts at Omaha beach were really moving.
That being said, I have a ton of school work to finish this week, along with a film exam, and two of my friends coming in from UF to visit, so I will probably not be writing on my blog much this week. Maybe if I get finished early, we'll see, but probably not.
But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder! I promise there will be a very moving account of this weekend, that will make you emotional, along with pictures. Gran pointed out that I haven't written on the churches of Europe that much, so I will also be writing a long entry on all of the churches I have visited. There will also be a "Best Of Europe" entry, along with some "Can't miss" places and events, if you are planning on visiting soon yourself. There will also be an amazing album of the hundreds of pictures that I have taken with commentary on them. So, as you can see, there is a lot of stuff coming to the blog. I will probably start with all of this when I return. I fly out of Paris on the 30th, and will start this stuff probably that Wednesday, so even though I will be back in the States, there will be much more to expect and look forward to!
Love to all,
Emily
Just wanted to give everyone an update on what's been going on. This weekend we went to Normandy as a group. We went to Mont St. Michel, then Bayeaux to spend the night, then to Omaha Beach, the American Cemetary at Normandy, the WWII Museum at Bayeaux, and the famous Bayeaux tapestry. It was a fantastic excursion, and the parts at Omaha beach were really moving.
That being said, I have a ton of school work to finish this week, along with a film exam, and two of my friends coming in from UF to visit, so I will probably not be writing on my blog much this week. Maybe if I get finished early, we'll see, but probably not.
But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder! I promise there will be a very moving account of this weekend, that will make you emotional, along with pictures. Gran pointed out that I haven't written on the churches of Europe that much, so I will also be writing a long entry on all of the churches I have visited. There will also be a "Best Of Europe" entry, along with some "Can't miss" places and events, if you are planning on visiting soon yourself. There will also be an amazing album of the hundreds of pictures that I have taken with commentary on them. So, as you can see, there is a lot of stuff coming to the blog. I will probably start with all of this when I return. I fly out of Paris on the 30th, and will start this stuff probably that Wednesday, so even though I will be back in the States, there will be much more to expect and look forward to!
Love to all,
Emily
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Shopping and more langauge stuff
Hey there!
So the past couple of days have been nice and relaxing here. The weather has finally gotten quite nice. No more cardys (Kathy taught me this word, it is the Austrailian word for cardigan) and scarves. Yesterday, I spent the morning writing my paper, and then class which was a visit to the Bibliotheque Nationale, the old one, of Paris. We saw the Cabinet of Medals which was interesting, but for like fifteen minutes. We see a lot of places here that I'm grateful that we are going to see them because they are the path less travelled, but for some of them, they are kind of boring. But the reading room of the library was amazing. It's no longer used, but you can just imagine all the scholars reading important books there.
After that, I took Kathy up to Montmartre because she wanted to see Sacre Couer. I had only seen the outside of it on the longest tour of our trip, earlier in the semester, so it was fun to go in. It was, unfortunately, raining though, so we didn't get to stick around for long.
The language barrier has been interesting this week. I went into a stationary store at around 5 PM and said "Bonjour" and the guy told me, in French, that between 5 and 9 you have to say "Bon soir." Now mostly with this experience, I was just impressed that I understood what he was saying, but still, I thought it was kind of rude. Then later that night in Montmartre I walked into a store and said "Bon soir" and the woman behind the counter said "Bonjour." Basically, I just can't win. That's why I refuse to feel mad. But then today a woman in Petit Bateau asked if I had a Petit Bateau card and I said no, and I was super happy I understood what she was saying. So it's fun to see what I am picking up. Quite a bit, it seems. I would definitely recommend anyone who is studying French to come to France, I'm sure they would learn even more then what I am learning.
So other than this stuff, I went shopping with Kathy today, and sent her on a route that I mapped out, so she could go while I was studying. I swear, I could be a great tour guide. If this school thing doesn't work out, that's next.
Andrea and I are so funny, we are so similiar. Twice during our trip now we have bought the exact same thing without the other knowing that they had it. I bought this nylon shopping bag in this crazy pattern in this tiny shop on Ile St Louis and she went two days later and bought the exact same bag in the same pattern from the same shop. Today I bought the same cardigan in the same color from the same shop that Andrea got hers a couple of days ago. Andrea says we have good taste, I say we are becoming the same person from living together. Just really crazy how we did that.
Tomorrow, the program is taking us to Le Procope the oldest restaurant in Paris. It's pretty expensive, so I'm glad that they are paying for it. It is in the St. Germain de Pres area of town, which is becoming my favorite area of town. I just read that this French movie star lives there, so no wonder I like it.
Tomorrow Kathy leaves, and my friend Natalie comes. There is also another visit to the Centre Georges Pompidou, which I went to alone a couple of weeks ago, and really loved it. So tomorrow we go with the class so I am looking forward to that. Just fun times!
Love to all!
Emily
So the past couple of days have been nice and relaxing here. The weather has finally gotten quite nice. No more cardys (Kathy taught me this word, it is the Austrailian word for cardigan) and scarves. Yesterday, I spent the morning writing my paper, and then class which was a visit to the Bibliotheque Nationale, the old one, of Paris. We saw the Cabinet of Medals which was interesting, but for like fifteen minutes. We see a lot of places here that I'm grateful that we are going to see them because they are the path less travelled, but for some of them, they are kind of boring. But the reading room of the library was amazing. It's no longer used, but you can just imagine all the scholars reading important books there.
After that, I took Kathy up to Montmartre because she wanted to see Sacre Couer. I had only seen the outside of it on the longest tour of our trip, earlier in the semester, so it was fun to go in. It was, unfortunately, raining though, so we didn't get to stick around for long.
The language barrier has been interesting this week. I went into a stationary store at around 5 PM and said "Bonjour" and the guy told me, in French, that between 5 and 9 you have to say "Bon soir." Now mostly with this experience, I was just impressed that I understood what he was saying, but still, I thought it was kind of rude. Then later that night in Montmartre I walked into a store and said "Bon soir" and the woman behind the counter said "Bonjour." Basically, I just can't win. That's why I refuse to feel mad. But then today a woman in Petit Bateau asked if I had a Petit Bateau card and I said no, and I was super happy I understood what she was saying. So it's fun to see what I am picking up. Quite a bit, it seems. I would definitely recommend anyone who is studying French to come to France, I'm sure they would learn even more then what I am learning.
So other than this stuff, I went shopping with Kathy today, and sent her on a route that I mapped out, so she could go while I was studying. I swear, I could be a great tour guide. If this school thing doesn't work out, that's next.
Andrea and I are so funny, we are so similiar. Twice during our trip now we have bought the exact same thing without the other knowing that they had it. I bought this nylon shopping bag in this crazy pattern in this tiny shop on Ile St Louis and she went two days later and bought the exact same bag in the same pattern from the same shop. Today I bought the same cardigan in the same color from the same shop that Andrea got hers a couple of days ago. Andrea says we have good taste, I say we are becoming the same person from living together. Just really crazy how we did that.
Tomorrow, the program is taking us to Le Procope the oldest restaurant in Paris. It's pretty expensive, so I'm glad that they are paying for it. It is in the St. Germain de Pres area of town, which is becoming my favorite area of town. I just read that this French movie star lives there, so no wonder I like it.
Tomorrow Kathy leaves, and my friend Natalie comes. There is also another visit to the Centre Georges Pompidou, which I went to alone a couple of weeks ago, and really loved it. So tomorrow we go with the class so I am looking forward to that. Just fun times!
Love to all!
Emily
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Cafe and steak and frites (a weekend of vices)
So yesterday was Bastille Day! Yea!
I went to the parade on the Champs Elysees. It was pretty cool, the whole military marches in it. There were these fighter jets that spewed red, white and blue smoke behind them so you could see the French flag in the sky. It was pretty cool, just very crowded. Then, I went and got a picnic lunch from a patiserrie and ate on the Champs de Mar, the huge lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. Very cool.
That night, Kathy and I went to this restaurant that was amazing. There is no menu, you just walk in and they ask how you want your meat cooked. Then they bring you unlimted steak and frites in this crazy good sauce. When you're done, they serve you more. I know you would love it, Mom, I thought of you when I went there. I got profiteroles for dessert, they were crazy good, with a hot chocolate sauce, but cold ice cream inside. Talk about a taste sensation.
We tried to go see the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, but once we got there, they were over, and we had to walk home because there was a huge line for the metro that police were regulating. A fun day.
Today Kathy and I walked along the Seine and checked out all the cool booths there. These booths sell maps that are from the 1880s for like 10 euros, along with antique postcards, old books, postcards, art, etc. Just really cool and affordable.
Then we went to Les Deux Magots. This cafe used to have Hemingway, Sartre, Picasso and Camus frequent it. Subsequently, now it is very expensive. We went for drinks, to cut down on the price. I got a cafe creme, which they brought out on a fancy silver platter with little jugs of creme and coffee. I've never drunk coffee before I came here, and now I am always dying to try some coffee everywhere I go. It seems I am picking up all sorts of vices here. It was quite good. As we sat there, a mini parade went by. Basically, there is this car that is called something like a Mini 600 that is an Italian car, and they had new ones and old ones in a long procession going down this street. Some had Italian and French flags on them, some were bright pink or yellow, they were really cute. Everyone was getting a kick out of them. The guy next to us was French and he explained all of this to us. He asked if I was from the States, and I said yes, and he mentioned that he had just gone to Washington to give a lecture on human rights about the Christian minority in Jerusalem, and I thought, "Wow so this guy is someone important!" Then I mentioned that I was big on environmentalism and he talked about the environmental policy in France, and all about the ministers here who do work on the environment. He apologized for his poor English, which was actually fantastic, and I told him that my French was much worse. We talked for a while then he left, and wished us a good time in Paris. I love meeting nice people like this. When people say the French are rude, it is true for some of them, just like how some Americans are rude. In general, they are just more polite than Americans, so like the guide books say, when they're "rude" it is probably because you are doing something rude (which you may not even realize!). He was very nice, so if you want to meet fun new people, go to cafes like this and strike up a conversation!
Love to all!
Emily
I went to the parade on the Champs Elysees. It was pretty cool, the whole military marches in it. There were these fighter jets that spewed red, white and blue smoke behind them so you could see the French flag in the sky. It was pretty cool, just very crowded. Then, I went and got a picnic lunch from a patiserrie and ate on the Champs de Mar, the huge lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. Very cool.
That night, Kathy and I went to this restaurant that was amazing. There is no menu, you just walk in and they ask how you want your meat cooked. Then they bring you unlimted steak and frites in this crazy good sauce. When you're done, they serve you more. I know you would love it, Mom, I thought of you when I went there. I got profiteroles for dessert, they were crazy good, with a hot chocolate sauce, but cold ice cream inside. Talk about a taste sensation.
We tried to go see the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, but once we got there, they were over, and we had to walk home because there was a huge line for the metro that police were regulating. A fun day.
Today Kathy and I walked along the Seine and checked out all the cool booths there. These booths sell maps that are from the 1880s for like 10 euros, along with antique postcards, old books, postcards, art, etc. Just really cool and affordable.
Then we went to Les Deux Magots. This cafe used to have Hemingway, Sartre, Picasso and Camus frequent it. Subsequently, now it is very expensive. We went for drinks, to cut down on the price. I got a cafe creme, which they brought out on a fancy silver platter with little jugs of creme and coffee. I've never drunk coffee before I came here, and now I am always dying to try some coffee everywhere I go. It seems I am picking up all sorts of vices here. It was quite good. As we sat there, a mini parade went by. Basically, there is this car that is called something like a Mini 600 that is an Italian car, and they had new ones and old ones in a long procession going down this street. Some had Italian and French flags on them, some were bright pink or yellow, they were really cute. Everyone was getting a kick out of them. The guy next to us was French and he explained all of this to us. He asked if I was from the States, and I said yes, and he mentioned that he had just gone to Washington to give a lecture on human rights about the Christian minority in Jerusalem, and I thought, "Wow so this guy is someone important!" Then I mentioned that I was big on environmentalism and he talked about the environmental policy in France, and all about the ministers here who do work on the environment. He apologized for his poor English, which was actually fantastic, and I told him that my French was much worse. We talked for a while then he left, and wished us a good time in Paris. I love meeting nice people like this. When people say the French are rude, it is true for some of them, just like how some Americans are rude. In general, they are just more polite than Americans, so like the guide books say, when they're "rude" it is probably because you are doing something rude (which you may not even realize!). He was very nice, so if you want to meet fun new people, go to cafes like this and strike up a conversation!
Love to all!
Emily
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Some more because I can't resist
Let's see...one of these is us lounging on the grass at the gardens of Versailles after a long day of sightseeing, the one where I am sitting on the curb is Kathy and I in Budapest during a LONG tour, another is us on our boat tour on the Seine (where I got sunburned on one of the only sunny days here, this was also the longest day in the program by far) and then there is also a photo of most of our group in front of Versailles.
Love to all!
Some more pictures!!
Thanks go out to everyone who I stole these pictures from: Thanks Andrea, Sean, Emily, Tyler, and MacKenzie. The picture in front of the pyramid is in front of the Louvre, one is of me on the roof of the Observatoire in Paris (see the Eiffel Tower off to the left?), the picture with the rooftops in the background is in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic, with my tour group members, there is a pic of me in front of the Modern Art Museum in Vienna, and one of me next to the Seine!
Love to all, hope you enjoy the photographic evidence that I am indeed in Europe,
Emily
The advent of a new day!
Get excited people, because I just learned how to upload pictures!! Talk about a great day!! Happy Bastille Day!! More to come, just wanted to give you a taste of who i'm hanging out with, the first picture is at Versailles, with Sean, Isabel, Tyler, Me, and Jonathan. The second is Sean, Isabel, my awesome roomie Andrea and of course me.
More to come....
Friday, July 13, 2007
Fountainebleau, reunions and upcoming fun stuff
Hey all!
So Fountainebleau was amazing! It is just as big as Versailles, but with practically no tourists. I also thought it was more beautiful then Versailles and homier, if a chateau as big as 2 street blocks can be homey. The gardens are also really beautiful, and after getting some fabulous sorbet (pineapple and mango, if you're interested) Jonathan and I walked through all of them. In a bunch of them we had the whole garden to ourself, so it felt like we actually lived there and were just taking a nice afternoon stroll. On an interesting historical note, this was the hunting lodge for the aristocracy and Napolean, and Napolean actually signed his abdication here. The table where he signed it is still here, and I took a picture of it. As my history teacher would say, tres cool.
We got back from the trip around 7ish, and I got to see my friend Kathy! It was a fun reunion. She has been in Spain and Greece since I left her, and she just got back from Pamplona where she attended the Running of the Bulls. She didn't actually run, but she attended a lot of festivities there. On a positive note, she said that all of the Americans were well behaved there and actually knew where to go. Apparently the Australians were badly behaved and after awhile she started telling people she was Greek instead (which she is, besides being Australian). I take a perverse pleasure in learning of tourists that are worse behaved than Americans.
So we went out to dinner at this great restaurant in the Marais. I had duck with the most delicious chocolate gateau. Kathy got the creme brulee which was divine. The people there were super friendly and spoke English to us and asked us where we were from. I love hanging out with Kathy because I love to see people's impressions, they are always interested to meet Australians, not really Americans, maybe they see a lot of us.
On a weather related note, today was hot!! The first hot day since I got here. I didn't think it would happen, but there it is. Is there still a drought in Florida? I wish I could send y'all some of our rain.
And yea, tomorrow is Bastille Day!! The parade is going down the Champs Elysees tomorrow, the soldiers march and I think the president or the prime minister is in it. There will be tons of fireworks by the Eiffel Tower at night and partying all day. Celebrate back at home and have an eclair or something. Or head over to Chez Pierre, I bet there will be a fun party there, or, if you are reading this from Louisiana, head to your nearest French restaurant. Trust me, I bet it'll be fun.
Love to everyone, Em
So Fountainebleau was amazing! It is just as big as Versailles, but with practically no tourists. I also thought it was more beautiful then Versailles and homier, if a chateau as big as 2 street blocks can be homey. The gardens are also really beautiful, and after getting some fabulous sorbet (pineapple and mango, if you're interested) Jonathan and I walked through all of them. In a bunch of them we had the whole garden to ourself, so it felt like we actually lived there and were just taking a nice afternoon stroll. On an interesting historical note, this was the hunting lodge for the aristocracy and Napolean, and Napolean actually signed his abdication here. The table where he signed it is still here, and I took a picture of it. As my history teacher would say, tres cool.
We got back from the trip around 7ish, and I got to see my friend Kathy! It was a fun reunion. She has been in Spain and Greece since I left her, and she just got back from Pamplona where she attended the Running of the Bulls. She didn't actually run, but she attended a lot of festivities there. On a positive note, she said that all of the Americans were well behaved there and actually knew where to go. Apparently the Australians were badly behaved and after awhile she started telling people she was Greek instead (which she is, besides being Australian). I take a perverse pleasure in learning of tourists that are worse behaved than Americans.
So we went out to dinner at this great restaurant in the Marais. I had duck with the most delicious chocolate gateau. Kathy got the creme brulee which was divine. The people there were super friendly and spoke English to us and asked us where we were from. I love hanging out with Kathy because I love to see people's impressions, they are always interested to meet Australians, not really Americans, maybe they see a lot of us.
On a weather related note, today was hot!! The first hot day since I got here. I didn't think it would happen, but there it is. Is there still a drought in Florida? I wish I could send y'all some of our rain.
And yea, tomorrow is Bastille Day!! The parade is going down the Champs Elysees tomorrow, the soldiers march and I think the president or the prime minister is in it. There will be tons of fireworks by the Eiffel Tower at night and partying all day. Celebrate back at home and have an eclair or something. Or head over to Chez Pierre, I bet there will be a fun party there, or, if you are reading this from Louisiana, head to your nearest French restaurant. Trust me, I bet it'll be fun.
Love to everyone, Em
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Equality, connection, and quotes
So it is late, and I am researching my history paper, tentatively to be on Equality in the writings of Marx, Voltaire, and Rousseau. Maybe a couple of other French philosophers as well. My history teacher likes to call on me in class and ask me abstract philosophy questions like, "What is a point?" or "What is the difference between honesty and truth?" Yeah, think about those questions. I give the wrong answers, which seems inevitable anytime I am asked a question of that nature. He calls on me a lot when I haven't raised my hand (and to be honest, when I'm not paying that much attention) and I think he expects that I know more than I do. So I am trying to figure out whatever it is that he wants me to know. I have realized that I have a scientific mind and not a philosophical one. So that is why I'm writing my paper on philosophy, maybe I will pick up some new thoughts and a new frame of mind.
The amazing part of being in Paris is how everything is connected. Just a couple of days ago I saw Voltaire and Rousseau's tombs in the Pantheon and now I'm writing about them. Paris is where Marx met Engels. It's very strange being in such a famous city. You can find connections for just about anything that you're reading, history events, literature, etc.
So wish me luck on the paper. Fifteen pages. Tomorrow should be interesting and the start of a fun weekend. Kathy, my friend who I met on my trip in Eastern Europe, is coming to visit and stay for a couple of days. Bastille Day is on Saturday, and from what I've been hearing it's a bit like Mardi Gras, madness, fireworks, parades, parties, etc. It's a great time to be here. Before that though, we visit Fountainebleau tomorrow. This is the chateau (translation: humongously large palace/mansion) that inspired Versailles and was a hunting lodge for the aristocracy.
I'll leave you today with some quotes on Paris that I found online and that I think are great. Each expresses in a small way the way I have felt at some point here. Enjoy.
You can't escape the past in Paris, and yet what's so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn't seem to burden. - Allen Ginsberg
As an artist, a man has no home in Europe save in Paris. - Friedrich Nietzsche
America is my country and Paris is my hometown. - Gertrude Stein
In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their language. - Mark Twain
When good Americans die they go to Paris. - Oscar Wilde
In Paris, one is always reminded of being a foreigner. If you park your car wrong, it is not the fact that it's on the sidewalk that matters, but the fact that you speak with an accent. - Roman Polanski
And my personal favorite, and I think the way we will all feel when we head home...
If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast. - Ernest Hemingway
Love to all, Em
The amazing part of being in Paris is how everything is connected. Just a couple of days ago I saw Voltaire and Rousseau's tombs in the Pantheon and now I'm writing about them. Paris is where Marx met Engels. It's very strange being in such a famous city. You can find connections for just about anything that you're reading, history events, literature, etc.
So wish me luck on the paper. Fifteen pages. Tomorrow should be interesting and the start of a fun weekend. Kathy, my friend who I met on my trip in Eastern Europe, is coming to visit and stay for a couple of days. Bastille Day is on Saturday, and from what I've been hearing it's a bit like Mardi Gras, madness, fireworks, parades, parties, etc. It's a great time to be here. Before that though, we visit Fountainebleau tomorrow. This is the chateau (translation: humongously large palace/mansion) that inspired Versailles and was a hunting lodge for the aristocracy.
I'll leave you today with some quotes on Paris that I found online and that I think are great. Each expresses in a small way the way I have felt at some point here. Enjoy.
You can't escape the past in Paris, and yet what's so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn't seem to burden. - Allen Ginsberg
As an artist, a man has no home in Europe save in Paris. - Friedrich Nietzsche
America is my country and Paris is my hometown. - Gertrude Stein
In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their language. - Mark Twain
When good Americans die they go to Paris. - Oscar Wilde
In Paris, one is always reminded of being a foreigner. If you park your car wrong, it is not the fact that it's on the sidewalk that matters, but the fact that you speak with an accent. - Roman Polanski
And my personal favorite, and I think the way we will all feel when we head home...
If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast. - Ernest Hemingway
Love to all, Em
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Surprises, French, and the French
So just a quick little entry. Not much has been going on in the past couple of days, mostly school, a little bit of sightseeing (Pantheon, the Memorial to the Deported from WWII, St. Etienne du Mont) and a good amount of shopping. Went to the most FABULOUS epicerie (grocery store) here (Le Grande Epicerie of Bon Marche), but that's about it. So I thought this entry could be about things that I didn't expect when I came to Paris.
In general, I consider myself to be a pretty well informed person. Before I came I read tons of guide books, learned a little French, read about proper tourist protocol, and talked to a lot of people about what to expect. I also feel like a blase attitude was essential for surviving. It's summed up in the statement, "What happens, happens." I tried not to expect anything, and in turn, I wasn't too phased when things went wrong.
I think the worse piece of information I recieved was from a friend who said, "Oh don't worry about not speaking French, everyone there speaks English anyways, you'll get by just fine." In his defense, a lot of my friends complain that no one will speak to them in French, they all want to speak English to them. In my case, however, this was very untrue. I can count on one hand the amount of times people have spoken English to me (these being people who aren't in the program and who aren't Americans, British people, etc.). Most of the time, people start speaking French to me, I look confused and say something like "Je ne sais pas" or "Je ne comprar pas" (I don't know, and I don't understand, respectively) and they continue to speak to me in French. Sometimes I even speak English to them, and they continue in French. Maybe I look too French, or more likely, like an idiot French person. On the positive side, I have become an expert at reading what people are telling me from their expressions, hand movements, and tone of voice. Most of the time, I think I'm correct, at least by the fact that whenever I do what they want, they look satisfied.
So yes, the language barrier is an adventure everyday. It's not that bad, as most of the time I can sound out the words of what I want. Everytime I order something in a restaurant in French and the waiter understands is a little triumph. It gets better everyday.
As for the weather, from what I had heard about weather in France, I had only heard about the heat waves that Paris went through a couple of summers ago when everyone died. I was worried about the fact that our apartment had no air conditioner when I arrived. My fears were unjustified though. It is almost unchangeably cold, rainy, and windy. Most days the temperature does not go above 75 degrees F. The temperature today was around 55 as the low. Although it is cold, it wouldn't be so bad if not for the wind. Some days we have 30 mph winds! I was not prepared for that. I had no pants when I got here, only skirts and dresses. Now I have one pair of pants, and a couple of sweaters. I only had one jacket when I arrived, which, luckily, my mom insisted on me taking as I was walking out of the door in Tallahassee. I see it as an excuse to go shopping, if nothing else. At the end of July, the government opens the plages of Paris, where they turn the banks of the Seine into beaches with imported sand and everything. Hopefully, it will be warm by then and I will actually get to take advantage of them!
Not really something I didn't expect, but something that's funny anyways is this special insurance I had to sign up for when I got here. Basically, France has no fault personal insurance. What this means is that if you accidently knock over an old lady when you are running to catch a metro and she breaks a hip, she can't sue you and all of your descendants for all you're worth. As long as it was an accident! This cuts down on a lot of the lawsuits of that kind that we have in America. My friends and I joke that if someone is annoying us, we can "accidently" push them down. Well, that sounds cruel, but you get the point.
That's about all I can think of right now. I think we are all adjusting quite well here. Today my roommate Andrea was excited because someone on the subway thought she was a Parisian today. I am no longer convinced that I will starve on Sundays when everything is closed, and I know how to get around on the Metro or the RER (high speed train) like the back of my hand. In general, things are good!
Thanks for all the emails. Send any questions my way. I will try to respond in a timely fashion!
Love to all, Em
In general, I consider myself to be a pretty well informed person. Before I came I read tons of guide books, learned a little French, read about proper tourist protocol, and talked to a lot of people about what to expect. I also feel like a blase attitude was essential for surviving. It's summed up in the statement, "What happens, happens." I tried not to expect anything, and in turn, I wasn't too phased when things went wrong.
I think the worse piece of information I recieved was from a friend who said, "Oh don't worry about not speaking French, everyone there speaks English anyways, you'll get by just fine." In his defense, a lot of my friends complain that no one will speak to them in French, they all want to speak English to them. In my case, however, this was very untrue. I can count on one hand the amount of times people have spoken English to me (these being people who aren't in the program and who aren't Americans, British people, etc.). Most of the time, people start speaking French to me, I look confused and say something like "Je ne sais pas" or "Je ne comprar pas" (I don't know, and I don't understand, respectively) and they continue to speak to me in French. Sometimes I even speak English to them, and they continue in French. Maybe I look too French, or more likely, like an idiot French person. On the positive side, I have become an expert at reading what people are telling me from their expressions, hand movements, and tone of voice. Most of the time, I think I'm correct, at least by the fact that whenever I do what they want, they look satisfied.
So yes, the language barrier is an adventure everyday. It's not that bad, as most of the time I can sound out the words of what I want. Everytime I order something in a restaurant in French and the waiter understands is a little triumph. It gets better everyday.
As for the weather, from what I had heard about weather in France, I had only heard about the heat waves that Paris went through a couple of summers ago when everyone died. I was worried about the fact that our apartment had no air conditioner when I arrived. My fears were unjustified though. It is almost unchangeably cold, rainy, and windy. Most days the temperature does not go above 75 degrees F. The temperature today was around 55 as the low. Although it is cold, it wouldn't be so bad if not for the wind. Some days we have 30 mph winds! I was not prepared for that. I had no pants when I got here, only skirts and dresses. Now I have one pair of pants, and a couple of sweaters. I only had one jacket when I arrived, which, luckily, my mom insisted on me taking as I was walking out of the door in Tallahassee. I see it as an excuse to go shopping, if nothing else. At the end of July, the government opens the plages of Paris, where they turn the banks of the Seine into beaches with imported sand and everything. Hopefully, it will be warm by then and I will actually get to take advantage of them!
Not really something I didn't expect, but something that's funny anyways is this special insurance I had to sign up for when I got here. Basically, France has no fault personal insurance. What this means is that if you accidently knock over an old lady when you are running to catch a metro and she breaks a hip, she can't sue you and all of your descendants for all you're worth. As long as it was an accident! This cuts down on a lot of the lawsuits of that kind that we have in America. My friends and I joke that if someone is annoying us, we can "accidently" push them down. Well, that sounds cruel, but you get the point.
That's about all I can think of right now. I think we are all adjusting quite well here. Today my roommate Andrea was excited because someone on the subway thought she was a Parisian today. I am no longer convinced that I will starve on Sundays when everything is closed, and I know how to get around on the Metro or the RER (high speed train) like the back of my hand. In general, things are good!
Thanks for all the emails. Send any questions my way. I will try to respond in a timely fashion!
Love to all, Em
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Chateaus, St. Denis, and the American Dream
Hey guys,
I really appreciate all of the nice comments I've been getting. I aim to please, so I hope to keep you entertained.
Yesterday we went to two chateaus in the Loire Valley, Amboise and Chenonceau. It was quite a long day. Amboise was the home of Frances I and his wife. It was pretty cool, though it is a fifth of the size it once was. The best thing about it is that it is where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last days. A couple of us and Dr. Nygren walked down to the house that Leonardo recieved from the king in exchange for his conversation. Pretty great exchange I think! I gave Adriana a bandaid because her shoe was giving her a blister, and I asked for a chateau in return. Alas, no go. Leonardo is also buried in the queen's chapel there. We saw his tomb and it was pretty awesome. He was a cool guy.
Then we took a bus ride to Chenonceau. This chateau was given by Henri II to his mistress Diane de Poitiers. It is notable because it is built on top of the river there, and the water flows under it. Pull up a picture on the web, it is a cool site. Then when the king died, his wife Catherine de Medicis took it from the mistress and gave the mistress a crappy old castle elsewhere. In the Diane de Poitiers room there is a huge portrait of Catherine. What a scandalous time they lived in.
Then there was the three and a half hour bus ride back, which felt like eternity. I was really tired at this point and acting kind of loopy, which made our conversations on the way back memorable. Or not. I think I drove my friend Sean crazy, but hey, that's what I do.
So then when we finally got back Isabel, Mackenzie, Tyler and Jonathan and I headed over to Isabel's. This was not before Tyler and I's epic trip to Pizza Hut.
Not, understand the frame of mind I'm in. I'm starving. Exhausted. Loopy. Emotionally taxed. And in this state of mind, there is only one thing that will do. Greasy, buttery, American pizza.
So we head over there, and I order the Margerita pizza, which is basically just cheese. Now here, they don't have sizes, they just say pizza for one person, or two people. Now, I've been here long enough to not be fooled by this one person business. This is French one person we're talking about. So I say, hell no, and go for the two person.
This was a good idea, or bad idea, depending on what you think about the matter. The pizza was tiny! Even for a two person! It was like an American small. Then we got the large bottle of pepsi which is only a one liter. What's up with this?! So we go to Isabel's, saying things like, well if we don't finish it the others can. I think you can guess what happened. I, inevitably, eat the whole thing. And between Tyler and I we finish this one liter. What do these French expect? We're Americans. God Bless America indeed. This was our own little celebration of the Fourth of July. And then I go home, and feel sick for the rest of the night and remember why I don't eat Pizza Hut in America. So bad, yet so good.
Today was our trip to St. Denis. This was an optional excursion that Dr. Nygren planned. Originally, about 10 people had planned to go, but by today only 4 people actually went. It's times like this I feel depressed with some of the people in our program. I love them and everything, but I don't feel like a lot of them are really taking advantage of everything. I will attempt to see everything and do everything here even if it kills me. Which it may, considering how sick everyone is getting. Anyways, St. Denis is really amazing. It is where all of the kings and queens of France are buried. It is like France's Westminster Abbey minus the bazillions of tourists and people buried in every nook and cranny.
The great thing I found about it is that they have these elaborate tombs carved out everywhere where they say so and so or so and so is buried, then we go down to the crypt, and Dr. Nygren says this is the ossuary, and during the Revolution they dug up all of the kings from their tombs and threw them in a garbage dump. Then after the Revolution, they went back and got all the bones, but they couldn't figure out who they belonged to, so they put them in the ossuary. So basically all of the fancy tombs up top are empty. What a let down. All of the actual bones are buried downstairs behind these walls in a tiny room.
We also saw Marie Antionette's tomb which was cool, and the only one with flowers on it. So all in all, it was a pretty interesting trip.
Oh, and food related, I've discovered my new favorite pastry in Paris. It's a croissant amande, which is like an uncooked, doughy, pastry with almonds and powdered sugar on top, and sometimes chocolate in the middle. Delicious. Thanks to Adriana for introducing me to it.
A warm welcome to new readers of the blog. Please leave comments/questions, and I will do my best to respond.
Love, Em
I really appreciate all of the nice comments I've been getting. I aim to please, so I hope to keep you entertained.
Yesterday we went to two chateaus in the Loire Valley, Amboise and Chenonceau. It was quite a long day. Amboise was the home of Frances I and his wife. It was pretty cool, though it is a fifth of the size it once was. The best thing about it is that it is where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last days. A couple of us and Dr. Nygren walked down to the house that Leonardo recieved from the king in exchange for his conversation. Pretty great exchange I think! I gave Adriana a bandaid because her shoe was giving her a blister, and I asked for a chateau in return. Alas, no go. Leonardo is also buried in the queen's chapel there. We saw his tomb and it was pretty awesome. He was a cool guy.
Then we took a bus ride to Chenonceau. This chateau was given by Henri II to his mistress Diane de Poitiers. It is notable because it is built on top of the river there, and the water flows under it. Pull up a picture on the web, it is a cool site. Then when the king died, his wife Catherine de Medicis took it from the mistress and gave the mistress a crappy old castle elsewhere. In the Diane de Poitiers room there is a huge portrait of Catherine. What a scandalous time they lived in.
Then there was the three and a half hour bus ride back, which felt like eternity. I was really tired at this point and acting kind of loopy, which made our conversations on the way back memorable. Or not. I think I drove my friend Sean crazy, but hey, that's what I do.
So then when we finally got back Isabel, Mackenzie, Tyler and Jonathan and I headed over to Isabel's. This was not before Tyler and I's epic trip to Pizza Hut.
Not, understand the frame of mind I'm in. I'm starving. Exhausted. Loopy. Emotionally taxed. And in this state of mind, there is only one thing that will do. Greasy, buttery, American pizza.
So we head over there, and I order the Margerita pizza, which is basically just cheese. Now here, they don't have sizes, they just say pizza for one person, or two people. Now, I've been here long enough to not be fooled by this one person business. This is French one person we're talking about. So I say, hell no, and go for the two person.
This was a good idea, or bad idea, depending on what you think about the matter. The pizza was tiny! Even for a two person! It was like an American small. Then we got the large bottle of pepsi which is only a one liter. What's up with this?! So we go to Isabel's, saying things like, well if we don't finish it the others can. I think you can guess what happened. I, inevitably, eat the whole thing. And between Tyler and I we finish this one liter. What do these French expect? We're Americans. God Bless America indeed. This was our own little celebration of the Fourth of July. And then I go home, and feel sick for the rest of the night and remember why I don't eat Pizza Hut in America. So bad, yet so good.
Today was our trip to St. Denis. This was an optional excursion that Dr. Nygren planned. Originally, about 10 people had planned to go, but by today only 4 people actually went. It's times like this I feel depressed with some of the people in our program. I love them and everything, but I don't feel like a lot of them are really taking advantage of everything. I will attempt to see everything and do everything here even if it kills me. Which it may, considering how sick everyone is getting. Anyways, St. Denis is really amazing. It is where all of the kings and queens of France are buried. It is like France's Westminster Abbey minus the bazillions of tourists and people buried in every nook and cranny.
The great thing I found about it is that they have these elaborate tombs carved out everywhere where they say so and so or so and so is buried, then we go down to the crypt, and Dr. Nygren says this is the ossuary, and during the Revolution they dug up all of the kings from their tombs and threw them in a garbage dump. Then after the Revolution, they went back and got all the bones, but they couldn't figure out who they belonged to, so they put them in the ossuary. So basically all of the fancy tombs up top are empty. What a let down. All of the actual bones are buried downstairs behind these walls in a tiny room.
We also saw Marie Antionette's tomb which was cool, and the only one with flowers on it. So all in all, it was a pretty interesting trip.
Oh, and food related, I've discovered my new favorite pastry in Paris. It's a croissant amande, which is like an uncooked, doughy, pastry with almonds and powdered sugar on top, and sometimes chocolate in the middle. Delicious. Thanks to Adriana for introducing me to it.
A warm welcome to new readers of the blog. Please leave comments/questions, and I will do my best to respond.
Love, Em
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
A full day of sights, Emily style
So today was event filled to say the least. Where to start....at the beginning, naturally.
So early in the morning, our teacher thought what better to wake us all up then a trip to see dead people. Or dead bones rather. We set out to the catacombs at 10 AM. What a trip. I never really think that I'm going to get queasy and I tend to think of myself as pretty brave, but the beginning of the trip was rough. A long trip down a spiral staircase that I was getting dizzy from, then the thought that I was so far under the ground that if I collapsed they would have a pretty tough time getting me up to light, and then thinking of cave ins...well needless to say, I eventually calmed down. And the tunnels were pretty cool. Lots of bones. It was so strange thinking about who all of the bones belonged to. It felt almost disrespectful walking among them. But it was quite an experience. It also made me think of running around down there and fighting the Nazis which must have been cool. Anyways.
A big group of us then set out to the aquarium. The aquarium, compared to some of the ones in the US is not really anything to write home about, but I really liked seeing all of the coral and algae, since that's what I'm studying. Couldn't identify any though, but maybe next year. It was sad seeing the alligator exhibit with a bunch of coins in it. Really, who thinks it's a good idea to throw a bunch of coins into an exhibit like that? Talk about calling PETA.
The next sight of the day was the Centre George Pompidous. Talk about an amazing museum. I had heard that it was going to be good, but I thought it was really amazing. It's full of modern art, and it's all amazing. I wasn't that impressed with the Tate Modern or even the Modern Art Museum in Vienna, but this one was great. Especially cool was this room that was a piece of art, the walls were covered in felt and were made in response to construction noise next door. Then there was a piano and a thermometer in the middle of the room. That I wasn't sure about. But it really was quiet, and I had the room to myself which was great. I also saw a bunch of Kandinskys and Rothkos which I loved. Towards the end I sorta rushed through it because I was starving, but every room was great.
It's really amazing how seeing a city changes after you study abroad. I see pieces of art that we talked about in class, I see famous names on wings of the Louvre, and I know who the people are and what they did. I'm learning the history of the city, and we stop on our excursions and learn about buildings that look like nothing, but are really houses that housed the most famous artists of the 20th century. It's just strange how in a city like Paris there is history everywhere. You trip over it, practically.
And the day isn't even over! Then came a nice relaxing walk to a cafe to have lunch with Jonathan. It was quite peaceful just sitting there, watching the rain fall outside, and all the Parisians are bustling in and out getting cigarettes at the Tabac.
Then came our tour of the Louvre with Dr. Nygren. Dr. Nygren's tours are distinctive in that he'll go through a museum pick out a bunch of random Greek and Roman sculptures, talk about them, then pick out some Renaissance frescoes, or some 17th century architecture and talk about it then finish with some Delacroixs and link it all to film. You really have to keep up to see all of the links that he is drawing. But it is quite insightful how all of our excursions with him link up to one another. A square called the Place des Voges that we saw last week was designed by the same king that designed the inner coutyard of the Louvre. And I realized that they looked similiar and then we found out why! I felt pretty impressed with myself for figuring that out. I'm learning a lot, so I try not to complain [too much] about how random his tours are.
Then came dinner with a big group of friends at a cafe with steak and pommes frites (french fries). I was so happy to eat red meat. I miss it here! I talk about it here as if I'm a tiger or some other carnivore, but you really start to miss it when there's poulet (chicken) everywhere.
Tomorrow is a day full of classes, then the chateaus of the Loire Valley on Friday, and a trip to St. Denis, the resting place of France's kings, on Saturday. And occasionally, between these activities I sleep and do homework.
Thanks for all the nice comments. I miss talking to a lot of you and I will try to save some of my stories to tell you when I get home. Love to all, Em.
So early in the morning, our teacher thought what better to wake us all up then a trip to see dead people. Or dead bones rather. We set out to the catacombs at 10 AM. What a trip. I never really think that I'm going to get queasy and I tend to think of myself as pretty brave, but the beginning of the trip was rough. A long trip down a spiral staircase that I was getting dizzy from, then the thought that I was so far under the ground that if I collapsed they would have a pretty tough time getting me up to light, and then thinking of cave ins...well needless to say, I eventually calmed down. And the tunnels were pretty cool. Lots of bones. It was so strange thinking about who all of the bones belonged to. It felt almost disrespectful walking among them. But it was quite an experience. It also made me think of running around down there and fighting the Nazis which must have been cool. Anyways.
A big group of us then set out to the aquarium. The aquarium, compared to some of the ones in the US is not really anything to write home about, but I really liked seeing all of the coral and algae, since that's what I'm studying. Couldn't identify any though, but maybe next year. It was sad seeing the alligator exhibit with a bunch of coins in it. Really, who thinks it's a good idea to throw a bunch of coins into an exhibit like that? Talk about calling PETA.
The next sight of the day was the Centre George Pompidous. Talk about an amazing museum. I had heard that it was going to be good, but I thought it was really amazing. It's full of modern art, and it's all amazing. I wasn't that impressed with the Tate Modern or even the Modern Art Museum in Vienna, but this one was great. Especially cool was this room that was a piece of art, the walls were covered in felt and were made in response to construction noise next door. Then there was a piano and a thermometer in the middle of the room. That I wasn't sure about. But it really was quiet, and I had the room to myself which was great. I also saw a bunch of Kandinskys and Rothkos which I loved. Towards the end I sorta rushed through it because I was starving, but every room was great.
It's really amazing how seeing a city changes after you study abroad. I see pieces of art that we talked about in class, I see famous names on wings of the Louvre, and I know who the people are and what they did. I'm learning the history of the city, and we stop on our excursions and learn about buildings that look like nothing, but are really houses that housed the most famous artists of the 20th century. It's just strange how in a city like Paris there is history everywhere. You trip over it, practically.
And the day isn't even over! Then came a nice relaxing walk to a cafe to have lunch with Jonathan. It was quite peaceful just sitting there, watching the rain fall outside, and all the Parisians are bustling in and out getting cigarettes at the Tabac.
Then came our tour of the Louvre with Dr. Nygren. Dr. Nygren's tours are distinctive in that he'll go through a museum pick out a bunch of random Greek and Roman sculptures, talk about them, then pick out some Renaissance frescoes, or some 17th century architecture and talk about it then finish with some Delacroixs and link it all to film. You really have to keep up to see all of the links that he is drawing. But it is quite insightful how all of our excursions with him link up to one another. A square called the Place des Voges that we saw last week was designed by the same king that designed the inner coutyard of the Louvre. And I realized that they looked similiar and then we found out why! I felt pretty impressed with myself for figuring that out. I'm learning a lot, so I try not to complain [too much] about how random his tours are.
Then came dinner with a big group of friends at a cafe with steak and pommes frites (french fries). I was so happy to eat red meat. I miss it here! I talk about it here as if I'm a tiger or some other carnivore, but you really start to miss it when there's poulet (chicken) everywhere.
Tomorrow is a day full of classes, then the chateaus of the Loire Valley on Friday, and a trip to St. Denis, the resting place of France's kings, on Saturday. And occasionally, between these activities I sleep and do homework.
Thanks for all the nice comments. I miss talking to a lot of you and I will try to save some of my stories to tell you when I get home. Love to all, Em.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Absurdities of Life in Paris
So just a quick blurb about some funny incidents in Paris.
To begin with the Brie here is only a euro and thirty cents. I may never go home. Or I'll go home weighing 800 pounds. It has yet to be determined.
My good friends at the PRC saw to it that I completed one of my goals for travelling abroad last Friday night when we waited in the drizzling rain for an hour outside the Hotel de Crillion to see Mariah Carey come out. I don't even particulary like Mariah Carey. But I saw a famous person, so that was the point of the matter. So thanks, Isabel, Mackenzie, Sean, Jonathan, and Tyler.
I went to the Monoprix a couple of weeks ago looking for laundry detergent and found a bottle that, from what I could read, said it was lavender scented, biodegradable and able to use for hand washing. So I thought, fantastic, and have been washing my clothes by hand for the past two weeks. This was going great, until Andrea walked in my room last night and told me that she didn't think it was soap. She took out a French dictionary and figured out that I've actually been washing my clothes with fabric softener. On the plus side, they smell good and are soft. On the down side, I guess none of them are actually clean. The fact that Sean and Jonathan felt sympathetic to this story and not incredulous just goes to show you how in stride we are all taking some of the daily dilemmas we run into over here.
Sean and I also went to the Sewer Museum of Paris yesterday. This museum is actually pretty cool, they tell you about Paris' struggle to keep the Seine clean, and provide clean water to all of Paris. They also tell you where all the floodwater goes in Paris when it rains. You even get to walk down sewer tunnels, and walk over running sewer lines. It only smelled a little bit. I don't quite think that Sean will ever forgive me for taking him there. But I thought it was really interesting and highly educational. But then again, I'm strange.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow; in our history class we are going to the Catacombs. This is one of the sights I've wanted to see the most, and I think it's especially cool since I just went to the Sewer Museum. A week of Underground Paris, so to speak.
Love to all. Thanks for the comments and emails everyone sends.
Emily
P.S. See, that entry wasn't filled with food!
To begin with the Brie here is only a euro and thirty cents. I may never go home. Or I'll go home weighing 800 pounds. It has yet to be determined.
My good friends at the PRC saw to it that I completed one of my goals for travelling abroad last Friday night when we waited in the drizzling rain for an hour outside the Hotel de Crillion to see Mariah Carey come out. I don't even particulary like Mariah Carey. But I saw a famous person, so that was the point of the matter. So thanks, Isabel, Mackenzie, Sean, Jonathan, and Tyler.
I went to the Monoprix a couple of weeks ago looking for laundry detergent and found a bottle that, from what I could read, said it was lavender scented, biodegradable and able to use for hand washing. So I thought, fantastic, and have been washing my clothes by hand for the past two weeks. This was going great, until Andrea walked in my room last night and told me that she didn't think it was soap. She took out a French dictionary and figured out that I've actually been washing my clothes with fabric softener. On the plus side, they smell good and are soft. On the down side, I guess none of them are actually clean. The fact that Sean and Jonathan felt sympathetic to this story and not incredulous just goes to show you how in stride we are all taking some of the daily dilemmas we run into over here.
Sean and I also went to the Sewer Museum of Paris yesterday. This museum is actually pretty cool, they tell you about Paris' struggle to keep the Seine clean, and provide clean water to all of Paris. They also tell you where all the floodwater goes in Paris when it rains. You even get to walk down sewer tunnels, and walk over running sewer lines. It only smelled a little bit. I don't quite think that Sean will ever forgive me for taking him there. But I thought it was really interesting and highly educational. But then again, I'm strange.
I'm really looking forward to tomorrow; in our history class we are going to the Catacombs. This is one of the sights I've wanted to see the most, and I think it's especially cool since I just went to the Sewer Museum. A week of Underground Paris, so to speak.
Love to all. Thanks for the comments and emails everyone sends.
Emily
P.S. See, that entry wasn't filled with food!
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