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Published: October 25th 2005
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Tuileries
I love these boats! Tuesday is a good day. For the first time in the history of my education I regularly have a day off on a designated school day, and today, Tuesday, is that lucky day. So, naturally, that means that I woke up today at about 5 AM. This always happens to me; on days when I have nothing planned to do I always get so excited about the possible things I COULD do that I wake up way to early. Now that I am in Paris and my possibilities for the day are so exciting I have to force myself to sleep longer than 5 AM because that is just a ridiculous hour to wake up when you go to bed regularly at 2 AM.
So, today I got up around 9 after some fitful turning about in bed made myself a breakfast of baguette, butter, jam, and orange pieces. My big plans for the day off are to read about 100 pages of my Zola book « Germinal » which in reality is never going to happen because I also have plans to have a « Fall Fun Festival » with my friend Katie. We are going to go on
Tuileries
Andrew, Me, and Ryan an adventure to find Pumpkin in cans and baking soda - both very difficult to find here, so we can make Pumpkin Bread. We tried last week but were unsuccessful because baking soda doesn’t exist in the normal grocery stores or we just had the wrong word for it. There are a few signs here of Halloween, a jack-o-lantern here and I little cat poster there, but it is not like in the States where everyone gets into it. I miss Halloween! It is one of my absolute favorite holidays!
Speaking of « States » related things, the Andrew and Ryan Kerns, two of my favorite friends from Berkeley, came to Paris recently. They lucked out with an absolutely beautiful weekend here in Paris; crisp, mostly sunny, and the few leaves that are here in Paris where just starting to change colors ! It is so much fun to have visitors because I get to have an excuse to go to all the big sites of Paris like Notre Dame and the Louvre and just spend the weekend enjoying Paris. I loved seeing the Kerns and didn’t realize how incredibly nice it is to see old friends who
Kerns in the Tuileries
Here was our 2 hours of stormy skies before it cleared up again. know you really well. They were really good guests, especially because they really seemed to love Paris. One of my favorite things was watching Andrew RUN out from under the Eiffel Tower which we had just gone up to get a glimpse of it sparkling (it was night). Downside of having friends here in Paris is that they leave!! It was a little sad the days after they came because for the first time people I really like left me! That probably only makes the second time I have been lonely here in Paris. Guess I am going to have to toughen up when more friends and family start coming and leaving.
My «coloc » Denis, the man I live with, left for Turkey Sunday and so for the very first time in my life I am living alone for a week. I have to say I could get use to this! One of the things I miss the most about living at my parents house is how loud I can play my music in my room. Sharing space with people in college who are studious really takes the wind out of being able to play music out loud,
KT
Katie came with the Kerns and I to explore some of Paris. The Kerns also had friends from Italy with them and we all stopped to enjoy some quality lawn time in the sun. and especially if you are someone like me who likes to listen to the same song about 500X. Usually even very close friends can’t quite enjoy my song of the moment on the 400th time. So this week I am enjoying playing my music really loud (I have my own room here but the walls aren’t too thick so I have to be mindful of Denis right next door) as well as leaving my belongings all over the place and suddenly deciding in the middle of the hallway that my pants are really uncomfortable and that they need to come off NOW!! Ha ha! I can see how living alone promotes really weird behavior, but it is just so enjoyable to be able to do whatever you want whenever you want without worrying what someone else thinks. But in reality, I am glad Denis is sometimes here to help liven up the place! And living with him really spoils me, I have all modern conveniences and any possible cooking machine or utensil at my disposal; this is NOT the rough college life experience by any means.
Last weekend I went to Poitiers, a small village that was very important
SKULLS!
This is a piece in the foyer of the Louvre - very cool with black and gold skulls and a large skeleton relaxing on a hammock ... very halloweeny! during the Middle Ages that is 2 hours to the south-west on the TGV, which is the Train Grand Vitesse. It is a beautiful town, though to be honest I spent most of my time in a restaurant eating one of the best meals I have had here. I didn’t really understand the menu so just ordered away with a sense of adventure. I ended up with Pâté as my appetizer and although it was good I couldn’t quite get over the thought that it was LIVER. I don’t think I am a liver person. But the rest of the meal which included steak, a round of cheeses, and an absolutely incredible crumble with cherries and pistachios and raspberry ice cream. I just about rolled out of there I was so full! Next we took a bus ride out to a vineyard to do a little wine tasting. The man who started the vineyard about 10 years ago gave us a little tour of the place and then taught us how to taste wine like a professional. The experience was completely enjoyable because it was so « homey. » His house was the only house you could see and it
was surrounded by the vineyards and to use the restroom you had to go into his house. While we tasted wine he brought out plates of bread with cheese, spreads, and cookies that looked like he had just made them before we got there. The experience of the endless vineyards, men chopping wood, and lots of cats and dogs running about made me realize how starved for nature I am. I was totally spoiled at Waldorf with the river and fields so near by and I don’t think I will ever get used to a world full of concrete. I always think I am used to the city and then I go to the country and can’t believe I have survived for so long without seeing real nature! I need to find a friend here whose parents live outside of the city and who want to have an American join them every few weekends!
Signing off for the day!
Grands-bisous !
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