A Tale of Two Cities Part I: Paris

Hello all. Shame on me for not updating this for about 2 weeks. So much has been happening and I have intentions of writing but then something always seems to come up. I know, not a great excuse but c'est la vie!



Here's a continuation of what I love about France:

8. French baguette. There is nothing like it in the world. I love that I can run downstairs to the grocery store below our apartment, and pick up a baguette for 90 cents. It's almost a fashion statement to carry one around.
9. Laughing about French antics. They just give us so much ammo. Everything from strikes, to creepy men, inefficency, and how they never seem to care about much but always move like it's a life or death situation to get out of the metro, only to be seen moments later standing on the middle of the steps out of the metro texting and in everyones way.
10. French cafes. I love going into one (they all have their own personality) and getting a warm beverage and then sitting and engaging in conversation for excessive amounts of time. When you buy something at a cafe you are renting real-estate.



So now on to the main event. The last 2 weeks of my life.

I'll start with the week of Febuary 2nd-8th.

-Becky and I decided to dig deeper into Paris and it's dark side. Our visit to Pere Lachaise cemetery, which opened in 1804 to accomodate Paris' expansion has 70,000 graves! Our Rick Steves guided tour included the grave sites of some of the most famous residents including Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Haussmann just to name a few. We actually did the tour in 2 days because the first day we went we had to leave because it closes at "dusk" which is a very inaccuate time, but since it's France thats to be expected. At this point in my time here I have learned to accept the fact that there is often no rhyme or reason to things and just because it would make more sense to do something a certain way doesn't mean thats the way its going to be done.

-To continue our morbid adventures we headed to the Catacombs which are conveiently located near our school. The catacombs are underground tunnels that contain bones of six million Parisians. In 1746 the governement of Paris decided to relieve congestion and improve sanitation it would be a good idea to empty the cities cemeteries. The perfect location were the miles of underground tunnels from limestone quarries. The bones are piled in stacks about 5 feet high (often arranged into shapes or patterns). I have to admit I got a little closterphobic being 60ft. underground in low ceilinged tunnels. I told Becky afterwards that I had to talk myself through the first 5 minutes so I wouldn't have a mini panic attack.

-On saturday Feb 7th we headed to Reims (pronounced "rance") for a daytrip out of the city. Reims is famous for its Gothic cathedral where 26 French kings were crowned, it's WWII history (the Germans offically surrendered there in 1945) and its champagne caves.
We arrived in Reims before lunch and wanted to visit the Museum of the Surrender, the location where the Germans signed the document to end the war. Of course, in true French fashion, the museum was closed for construction. So, in the rain with our one umbrella we decided to sit down for a relaxing lunch. Rick never lets us down and led us to a fun brasserie where we had the plat du jour and enjoyed the ambiance.
After lunch we headed to the cathedral where construction begun in 1211. During WWI it was devestated by severe bombing but completely rebuilt just in time for the start of WWII.
Our day ended with a tour and tasting at Martel champagne caves. When I was a senior in H.S. we came to Reims when we were on spring break in Paris and I visited the Taittinger caves which are just down the road from Martel. We got to taste 3 different champagnes and the tour was very relaxed and personal. It was a true French experience. Becky bought a bottle and we plan to celebrate with it at the end of the semester.

- The next day found me on the way to Tours with Marie. Tours is her hometown and it is about a 2.5 hour train ride SW of Paris in the Loire valley which is well known for it's castles. We arrived in Tours just after lunchtime where Marie's mom picked us up at the train station and we headed back to their house where I got to catch up with her family who I haven't seen in 7 years. Marie's mom is a high school social studies teacher so when we went on a walking tour of the city I was with the right person. Tours is a middle-sized city and is divided into north and south areas by the Loire river which I came to find out is the most dangerous river in France. After seeing all the historic sites and churches we returned to their house for a dinner that started with appetizers and champagne just before 8pm and finished with dessert around 11pm. It was a great experience to spend time with her whole family, and I got to meet her two older brothers who I'd never met yet. It was an intense day since I was completely immersed in French but I'm lucky to have those kinds of priceless experiences.

-Monday the 9th was my first day of classes and I'll have to say I was pretty overwhelmed the first week. I have 5 classes and since they are all taught in French they actually require focus. I also have to get used to the fact that they last for an hour and a half. I miss 50min Gustavus classes. I do enjoy the topics of most of my classes and the profs seem to be competant. I guess I'm just a little bitter they're interfering with my sweet life.

Paris continues to have much to offer and I'm really looking forward to Kelly coming (just about 3 weeks now!) I'll finally get around to some more touristy activities. Hope everyone is doing well and hopefully I'll hear from you all soon.

Salut et bisous,
Katie