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Published: January 28th 2008
I finally have my class schedule figured out, with classes starting this week. Last week I did attend a sociology class at Paris 7, but I'm dropping it in favor of another sociology class (Cities and Social Spaces). We had our first session of the course today and it was really interesting! I was excited because I actually understood pretty much everything. And I really like urban sociology. The coffee I had before might have helped too. The university has these fantastic little coffee machines that produce a pretty good cup for 0.50 euro. That might be the only fantastic thing about the french university itself--the fact that French university education is free is pretty evident in the decidedly low-tech buildings (and I think mine is one of the nicer, newer ones). My other two classes are a French writing workshop at Sweet Briar and a class called History of Paris through its Monuments (we listen to lecture for an hour, then go out and have the rest of class at the actual monument's location).
I spent a lot of time last weekend sightseeing. On Friday, Sweet Briar took us on a fabulous trip to Versailles. The chateau itself was nice,
but I enjoyed the gardens the most. We didn't have a map, so I just wandered around the estate with a few friends for the whole afternoon. We kept stumbling upon all of the buildings and gazebos--that place is unbelievably huge. Marie Antoinette's Hameaux were pretty funny. No wonder they hated her. Sunset was the best part of the day--I think the chateau and all the little palaces must have been designed for that time of day.
Saturday was marked by first real shopping experience (actually buying something) and eating at McDonald's (not my idea). I don't recommend McDonald's, although the burgers are better than they are in the US. On Sunday, I wandered around the 4th arrondissement to the Rue de Rosiers (Jewish quarter) and to the Centre Pompidou. There were tons of people out, but I had a good time. I ate some excellent falafel and gelato for lunch! Disappointing meals in Paris are the worst, especially when there nutella crepes to be had on every corner. I am getting sick of eating ham and cheese sandwiches at boulangeries, so I've been trying to seek out the best places with ethnic cuisine. My friends are not as adventurous
as I am in terms of types of cuisines (I know, hard to believe) so I have been having to grab stuff on my own for lunch, but I refuse to eat a nasty croque monsieur (I haven't had a really good one yet) just because everyone else wants one.
I have my first trip planned and booked! I am going to Barcelona with my friend Celina in March, right before my family comes to visit. Can't wait! It was really stressful to book the tickets because it was on a budget airline, and those tend to have so many hidden costs, but I think we finally found a good deal. After the hours and days I have spent looking at train schedules, hostels, and flights, I have a newfound respect for travel agents. I never knew it could be so difficult to figure out what to do. Not to mention that everyone I want to travel with has different priorities in terms of places to visit. I think we've basically agreed on going to Greece, Croatia and Italy, so now it's just a matter of figuring out the best way to get there. I am hoping to hit Rome,
The Royal Chapel
The Royal Chapel in Versailles, viewed from where Louis XIV sat. There was an organ recital while we were there. Still sounds great.Naples, and Pompeii in Italy, Athens and some isles in Greece, and Dubrovnik in Croatia. If anyone has heard of good ways to do that, please let me know!
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