1 month mark in Paris

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It has been almost a month since my last post, and I've been up to all kinds of exciting things. All of my classes are off to a start, and I've finally begun to establish a routine here in Paris. I've been able to do a lot of great exploring and site-seeing, including Versailles, the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, Monmartre, Sacré Coeur, and Notre Dame. This weekend will be our second group excursion through CEA, which I am really looking forward too. The first trip we took was to Bruges, Belgium--a beautiful, historic village with incredible chocolate! This time we will be going to Provence on an overnight trip, in which we will get to explore several different areas and villages. I am definitely looking forward to doing some more exploring outside of Paris.

Last week, we had our first real glimpse of Spring, and Saturday the temperatures were almost in the 60's! Unfortunately, Paris seems to be taking its cues from Madison this winter. We just got some of the most snow the city has had since 1970, and altogether this has been the coldest winter on record since 1911! Everyone is hoping this week will be the end of all the cold and we will finally break into the beautiful Springtime weather we've all been waiting for. Even on Saturday, when the sun finally came out and the temperatures rose, it seemed like the city had multiplied there were so many people out enjoying the beauty. I went to Monmartre and Sacre Coeur with my friend, Shannon, and we spent almost an hour sitting out on the grass in front of the basilica with hundreds of other Parisians. It was an exciting preview for what the Spring will bring!

In other exciting news, I have now successfully given directions to a French person twice (and I've been asked several times!) which means I must finally be looking confident enough to be mistaken as a Parisian! My friends and I have also done enough exploring and experimenting around town to know the cheapest crepe places, the best wines, and best restaurants for student budgets. It is pretty amazing how fast this month has gone, and how much I've already had a chance to do! I've also tried all kinds of foods I normally wouldn't, including rabbit, pork terrine (like paté but grosser texture--not to be repeated), salami, and even a bite of a hamburger! Tomorrow we are celebrating my friend Shannon's birthday, and there is a good chance we will try some escargot! It never ceases to be exciting here 😊

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