B.2: Mon Galette et Moi

Hier, nous allons à un crêperie en Rennes après le voyage à Le Mont Saint Michele. Je n’ai pas un crêpe avant, et j’ai voulu avoir une. Mme Sclay a dit â côte de galettes. Elle a dit qu’ils ont été comme des crêpes, mais ils ont fait avec le farine de buckwheat au lieu de farine normale. Ils ont pour dîner et ne pour le dessert pas. Mme a dit aussi que ils ont de le région. Tellement, j’ai eu un vrai galette! J’ai mange un “Galette de Mois” avec raclette (un fromage qu’est normalement fondu) avec des pommes de terres et jambon.) Oh! Il a été delicieux!!!!! Il a fondu dans ma bouche et il a été merveilleux. Je ne voulu pas finir.

Mon Galette et Moi

Pour boir, nous avait un cidre. Il a éte gazeifié tellement je ne l’aime pas beaucoup.

Et alors, pour les desserts, mon amie Elizabeth et moi avons mangé un crêpe avec banane et chocolat. Parle avec succulent! Il a été très riche. Je ne sais pas que j’ai aimé le galette ou le crêpe le plus.

Roomie Dessert Crêpe!

J’ai appris le texte d’un chanson chanter après je mange:

J'ai bien mangé, j'ai bien bu

J'ai la peau du ventre bien tendue

Merci petit Jésus

:)

L'ambiance de Ma Bouche

Today was, well, an adventure, to say the least. It was, by far, the best day of the trip, but this morning was also the worst.

As we were preparing to check out of the hostel this morning, we learned that the hostel couldn’t hold our luggage for the weekend, as we’d originally planned. We tried to store our luggage in lockers at the hostel and pay for the long-term storage, but there weren’t enough lockers, so that didn’t work either. So, with only an hour until the train for le Mont Saint Michel via Rennes was to leave, we rushed from the hostel to la maison chez Mme Clay to store our luggage there for the weekend instead.

Getting our luggage through the subway was an absolute nightmare.

We had one-time use passes for the metro this morning because our metro cards don’t start working until Monday. Well, when some people tried to drag their suitcases through the entry gate (you know, the three-armed when you have to walk through), they got stuck, so the doors closed on them and wouldn’t let them through. Of course, all of this was happening in the midst of the morning rush hour. Luckily, Elizabeth (my roommate) figured out how to slide the suitcases beneath the arm so that we could crawl beneath the entry gate and through the little automatic doors at each entry point. With her help, I got through the gate and started helping other people slide their suitcases through. (This was while my purse was unzipped from getting my subway card out with my wallet sitting on top because it wouldn’t fit, with my camera, a jacket, a scarf, and 2 water bottles in one hand.) So here I am trying to keep the full hand on my bag so my wallet or camera  wouldn’t get stolen, while dragging others’ suitcases and bags through the gate. Stressful? You betcha!) Meanwhile, Elizabeth and another girl Alex were trying to get Alex’s suitcase through the gate. I missed what happened exactly, but the next thing I know, Alex is bench-pressing her 50-something pound suitcase over a 7 foot security gate between the subway exit and entry points. Elizabeth caught it on the other side and Alex jumped over the security gate, ninja-chopping her way through. They both deserve an Olympic gold medal.

(In hind-sight, I’m sure our antics were hilarious to any onlooker, and while we could laugh about it later that morning, it was quite an experience at the time. At least now I know that I can keep my cool under pressure while traveling!)

We finally made it to Mme’s apartment and carried our luggage up 4 flights of very narrow, very curvy stairs, only to rush back across Paris (in another direction) to miss the train to Rennes by about 3 minutes.

Luckily, we were able to get “seats” on another train, although we ended up stealing vacant seats because the area where our little flip-down seats were was consumed with a string bass (I know, right?) and two huge duffle bags.

THEN (oh, it gets better!) we had to franticly take our bookbags to the hotel in Rennes and buy bus tickets to le Mont Saint Michele. We had to delay the bus because we lost Mme, but we finally made it all on the bus and le Mont Saint Michele. (I’d picked up a quick lunch for Elizabeth and I at the gâre in Renens, and while I thought I’d ordered an olive, feta, and tomato sandwich, I got a tomato and bell pepper sandwish instead. Luckily, Elizabeth used to be Vegan, so she traded sandwiches with me. So thank you for saving me from a vegetarian sandwich, Elizabeth!)

Once we got to le Mont Saint Michele, the day got immensely better! (Well, the abbey workers were on strike—c’est France—so we couldn’t tour the actual abbey, but we enjoyed casually walking around le mont and taking fun pictures. Alex found a lizard and named it Robértt! He hung out with us for awhile, but we eventually put him back so he could continue his normal life as a dragon. (Yes, the French word for lizard is dragon!)

Elizabeth and Robért

Because the abbey was closed, we had some extra time to explore, so Alex, another girl named Keller Anne, and I split some sorbet gelato. We got one scoop of passion fruit and one scoop of raspeberry. YUM! The passion fruit was to die for, but when you mixed it with the raspberry, it was heaven. My mouth was super happy. (Thank you, Michael, for coining the phrase “mouth moods.")

Michael "Planking" in front of Le Mont Saint Michele

Alex, myself, and Keller Anne having fun at le mont

When we got back to Rennes, we ate dinner at a little crêperie. Instead of having a crêpe for dinner, though, I ordered a gallette, which is like a crêpe, but it is made with buckwheat flour instead of normal flour. My Gallette de Mois had this super-yummy melted cheese on it with potato chunks. IT WAS TO DIE FOR! (I’ll write a separate post about my gallette experience soon because I simply must tell you all of the yummy details.) Then, for dessert, Elizabeth and I split a banana and chocolât crêpe, which was also to die for! I’m not sure if it melted in my mouth or if my mouth melted. I think both. (Mme ordered a lemon juice, butter, and sugar, crêpe that was also very good. It wasn’t too sour, but it had a refreshing flavor.

After dinner, we went to Darling’s little Irish pub down the road from our hotel. It was there that I ordered my first Guinness!!!! Yes, it was worth the 6 euro because it was SUPER exciting :) (Yes, Daddy, you can still buy my first Guinness in the U.S.) We chatted in the pub for a while savoring our drinks, (yay!) and it was the perfect ending to what turned out to be a wonderful day.

Off to Tours tomorrow! Au Revoir!

Le Deuxième Jour

Today during mon deuxième jour à Paris, we toured the Crypte Archeologique beneath Notre Dame, a museum of the remnants of medieval Paris. Archaeologists had uncovered the walls of Paris during the time of the Roman Empire. They even had remains of a port from 100 BC! That’s 100 years before Chrsit! Anyways, it was really neat to be able to travel back in time to Medieval Paris and walk along the original streets like the Parisians of old.

The Crypte Archeologique under Notre Dame

Later in the morning, we took a walking tour of the Latin Quarter with Madame Clay to see all of the Sarbonne buildings and to familiarize ourselves with the area. Not only did we see the oldest church in Paris, but we also saw the oldest tree in Paris, which is partially supported by a cement cradle because some of the brances are so thick. Can you imagine how old that tree must be? Watch out Rip Van Winkle!

We ate lunch in les Jardins du Luxembourg, one of Hemingway’s old haunts! Now I see why! The gardin is beautiful! There are rows of evergreens, statues, a magnificent fountain, a gorgeous building that reminds me of the Biltmore Estate, not to mention the flowerbeds! Note to self: this would be a fantastic place to come running! Unfortunately, it’s all of the way across Paris from my the house where I will be living.

We actually found all of our homestays after lunch! While my homestay is not the most charming, it is certainly very cultural. The apartment is very simple, with white stucco walls, and there is a petit jardin across the street where a lot of families were eating lunch. While it will be nice to live in a quiter, more residential part of Paris, I hope I will still be able to experience the nightlife of the grand city. It is also in a predominantly Muslim and Jewish part of town. I am right down the street from a very large synagogue and only a few blocks away from the only mosque in Paris. The mosque has Turkish Baths, a tea room, and is open to tours on several days of the week. Add this to my “Must-See” list. Living there will give me an exposure to a culture to which I wouldn’t have otherwise been exposed, and it will give me insight to how average Parisians (people who can’t afford to live in a Latin Quarter apartment with a wrought iron balcony) live. So, in a sense, I’m getting a true Parisian experience, n’est pas? Who knows? Maybe I’ll come home speaking a little Farsi, too!

Afterwards, we went to a Roman sporting arena that is still in use. There were a lot of boys playing “football” and a lot of older men playing Pétanque. (Thank you, Ryan, for figuring out what it was called!)

For dinner, my roommate for next year and I ate bacon and cheese quiche at the hostel. It was only 3 euros, and it was delicious!

Off to bed now! Bon nuit!

Mon Première Jour à Paris!

Today was my first day in Paris!!! And it was wonderful! Exhausting, but wonderful! When we first left the airport, we took a shuttle to the hostel. Unfortunately, there was a taxi strike that day, so the traffic was AWFUL! It seems like they were protesting on the interstates because the traffic was backed up for miles! We tried to skirt around the strike traffic, but we ended up running into construction traffic. C'est la vie. 

Construction Traffic en Route to the Hostel

One we (finally) got to the hostel, we dropped off our luggage and got lunch at a little café. I ordered a sandwich de rosette et fromage (super yummy, super fresh salami with cheese and butter). 

Our hostel

My first French sandwich!

After lunch, we went downtown to Montparnasse and l’île de cité to explore. Much to my excitement, Notre Dame is on l’île de cite! We weren’t there for very long, but still. I can’t wait to go back and tour the cathedral (I’m hoping to take a belfry tour!). Be prepared for a lot of pictures on that day! But even just being in the presence of such a magnificent structure was incredible. I don’t think I’ll like Notre Dame as much as Cantebury Cathedral (which is almost 1,000 years older than Notre Dame), but it’s still Notre Dame. Yes, Jane Wiggin, be very jealous.

We ate lunch at Le Notre Dame, a café where my parents ate on their honeymoon. As one might guess, it’s just across the bridge from Notre Dame. I ordered steak frites, just like my mom did so many years ago. The steak came with a béarnaise sauce, but I preferred to savor the steak flavor without it.

After dinner, we walked along the Seine amongst the lovers and the liberal youth of Paris. (I was so surprised at the number of people eating picnic dinners and drinking right on the riverbanks!) I watched the sun set again, but this time over the Seine and the rooftops in Paris.

Needless to say, I am exhausted and can’t wait to turn in, but I can’t for another day à Paris!

On the Plane to Paris!

Bonjour! I’m on the plane to Paris! As I write this, I’m watching the sun set beneath the edge of the earth after having finished my first French meal! And guess what?!?! I even ordered in French :)

My first French meal! Pretty good for plane food, huh?!

When I first boarded the plane, I was originally assigned to seat 20C, an aisle seat next to a pleasant older couple. Soon after takeoff, however, the flight attendant asked me if I wanted to move to a row of seats that only had one other person! So, not only did I get a bit of extra leg room, but I also lucked out with a window seat! So here I am, full of super delicious food, compliments of Air France, gazing out over the sunset :)

I’m off to listed to a little bit of la musique de francais before I try to get some rest. Tomorrow is my first day in Paris!

Au Revoir Myrtle Beach! See you in July!

A.2: Ce Que Je M'attendre

         Sur mon première journée en France, je m’attends à noter est la différence dans le langues. Je me attends à noter le francais le plus. Ce sera différent parce que je ne vais savoir pas ce que le gens parlent. Je vais comprendre un peu, mais ne trop pas. Je veux s’améliorer mon français, mais il vas prendre le temps.

         Une autre chose que je m’attends à noter est le grand population de Paris. En Clemson, il n’y a pas beaucoup personnes. Paris est une grande ville, n’est pas le petit ville de Clemson. Myrtle Beach n’est pas trop grand, non plus. Mais Paris est énorme avec beaucoup personnes. Pour ca, il est similaire à autre grandes villes comme New York, mais je n’ai jamais habité dans un grande ville avant, si il vas être different. Je sais je m’attends l’attitude de les gents de Paris et les differences culturelle, aussi.

Je ne sais pas que me attends à noter le moins. Il sera difficile à noter ce qui n’a pas mon attention. Peut-être il sera le trafic parce que nous l’avons en Clemson. Ou peut-être il sera le nourriture. Je ne sais pas. Nous devons attendre et voir pour mon première journée en France!

A.1: C'est Si Bon!

         The other day, I received the most wonderful package from my friend, Julie, who lived in France for a year as an exchange student. In the package was a Paris travel book (en francais!) and a copy of Le Petit Prince en francais aussi! It is one of my most favorite books, and I’d been planning on getting a copy in French while in Paris, but Julie beat me to it! With it was a note that said that when her host mom, who was from Germany, first moved to France, her would-be host dad gave her French copy of Le Petit Prince, along with a train ticket to visit Paris for the first time. When Julie first visited Paris, her host mom also presented her with a copy of Exupery’s beloved novel. Now, Julie has kept the tradition alive, and so, not only do I have a ticket to Paris, but I have my very own copy of Le Petit Prince! Needless to say, I absolutely adore it and Julie :)

         I’ve spent some time looking through the travel book she gave to me, in addition to a few others, and I’ve found a few more places to add to my must-see list, after Cupid and Psyche, of course! :)

         One spot I’m dying to see is Monet’s house. Elle est très charmante! It appears to be the cutest little cottage covered in vines, surrounded by a quintessential French garden. It literally looks like it’s straight out of one of Monet’s paintings! All it needs now is a white picket fence! Luckily, we have a day-trip planned to Giverny to see the house after our day at the Louvre! I can't wait!

         Another spot I want to go visit is the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. It is where Chopin is buried, as well as Jim Morrison, and numerous other famous people. Also, according to the pictures I’ve seen, there are really pretty avenues going throughout the cemetery. I’m not sure a cemetery is somewhere I’d want to eat lunch everyday, but still. It’s a must-visit!

I simply must add this second picture. I can't resist! Maybe I will eat lunch in the cemetery after all! :D

Bon Chic Bon Genre

        Although sightseeing is a huge part of visiting any foreign country, so is experiencing the culture and the people. And for many Parisians, fashion is the name of the game. It is for a good reason that Paris is one, if not the, major fashion capitols of the world. Luckily for us Americans who can only dream of such fashion, there is hope.

         The innate sense of chic fashion French women seem to embody is commonly dubbed as "Bon chic, bon genre", which roughly translates to "Good style, good attitude." (It is also where the designer BCBG got it's name!) Women seem to be able to combine any piece of clothing and make it just, well, work. So what is the secret of french girls? (I'll bet this is one secret Victoria doesn't have.) 

        In a 1980's Cosmopolitan article, Ellen Wallace writes that "Elegance is different than chic; elegance has to do with money, with leisure time, with upbringing, and education. The chic woman looks natural, not dressed up. Chic is not a matter of money. Chic means that, from head to toe, there is a sense of proportion.” She also says that the main difference between the way American women and French women dress is that when American get dressed up, it looks like they've made an effort. With French women, they get dressed up everyday, so that it becomes a natural, effortless habit. This is reflected in their style.


        According to Wallace, girls are taught by their mothers what works and what doesn't. They learn which colors work well together, which fabrics work well together, and which types of garment work with their body type. They then embellish their wardrobe with accessories to create an individual sense of style.


       Thanks to Ellen's article and Dead Fleurette, here are some basic French fashion tips:


Think Neutrals: Navy, Black, White, Cream, and Beige. Oh, and the occasional blue button-down and navy & white striped shirt are permissible. (This is going to be especially hard for me! I love color!)

Think Simplicity: The more, the less. Make an outfit pop with accessories, not with individual pieces of clothing. Avoid donning too many accessories, though.

Think Quality--Not Quantity: Try to buy classic pieces that will last at least 5 years of wear and tear. Don't try to follow current fashion trends. Buy only things that you love 100%. If you don't love it, it's a waste of money and closet space.

In keeping with my immersion as a Parisian, I am going to try to dress like one. Tonight, I peeked through my mom's closet and found some wonderful pieces to borrow for my trip! (Thank you, Mommy! Happy Mothers' Day!)

 A round-faced watch with a leather wristband. Très classique.

 A feminine grey blazer from Ann Taylor. Très chic.

 A black floral skirt that coordinates with a purple top she gave to me. Très femme.

 A brown floral skirt, although I'm not sure I'm bringing this yet.) Très jolie.

 Three scarves to accessorize my outfits. Très pratique.

 A pair of black ballet flats almost exactly like the one in this picture she got in Paris aved my Dad.  Très magnifique!

These items will definitely be in my suitcase, in addition to my dark wash skinny jeans, black and white basic tops, a pink floral scarf from New York & Company, a black jersey skirt that I can either dress up or dress down, black capris, a khaki skirt, a denim jacket, a dark brown leather cross-body bag for evenings, and a taupe-with-brown-accents messenger bag for everyday use for class. (I'm not sure if my sorority's knock-off Ray Ban sunglasses are on the list yet. Just kidding. While I love my sorority and the plastic sunglasses with our letters on them, I'm not sure Paris is the right place for them. I think I'll stick with ye old black "bug eyes" sunglasses. Be sure to look at my future pictures to see what creative combinations I come up with during the course of my stay! On my bucket shopping list for Paris: comfortable ballet flats a.k.a. "fun shoes" and a floral dress like the one Carey Mulligan wears in Paris in An Education. After all, that's what summer jobs are for, right?

         From what I've read, French fashion reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in her classic wardrobe and her innate ability to create outfits. Her performance in Funny Face (or any movie, song, or book involving Paris)makes me excited to see and experience Paris. Just over two weeks!

         Speaking of Audrey, like many American girls re-create the infamous breakfast scene in front of Tiffany's store windows (yes, I have done this), perhaps the next Hepburn reenactment should be that of her in a LBD (Little Black Dress) with a bouquet of colorful baloons on the streets of Paris. (What do you think, Clemmy Paris Ladies? Should this be on our liste de godet (Bucket List) pour Paris? Sorry, Michael. It's a girl thing. We might have to recruit you to buy baloons . . . or take a group jump shot with the baloons!) But seriously. How much fun would this be?!?!

So for a few weeks I can pretend to be a French fashionista while I meander around the streets of Paris, learning the way to a better fashion sense and finding the way to a better me.

Ohé Paris!

In only 21 days, I will be bound for Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. 21 days! I can't believe the trip is this close, and I don't think it's hit me yet that I'm even going. But nevertheless, I can't wait! My first trip to Paris!

Paris! The city of love. Of art. Of history. Not to mention the food, the culture, and the fashion! And I'm going to be there! For five weeks!

Over Spring Break, I spontaneously decided to apply for a summer study abroad program with Clemson's French department. (Go Tigers!) I'd always wanted to study abroad and this program seemed to fit the bill. Much to my delight, I was accepted into the program and started preparing for the trip right away.

Now, as final exams draw to a close, my first trip to France seems just around the corner. It's so close I can almost taste the cheeses, the wine, and the desserts. Yes, this most certainly will be a wonderful summer!

Did I mention that I will be taking classes at the Sarbonne? Mais oui! As I am a French minor, I will be taking the equivalent of a fourth-semester French course at the Sarbonne in addition to a French immersion course with my Clemson instructor. Elle est très amusant! Needless to say, I am looking forward to improving my French speaking skills.

One of our first assignments is to read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, his memoirs from a writing apprenticeship in Paris in the 1920s. In it he states,

"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 moveable feast."


Like Hemingway, I know that my memories of Pairs will most certainly be with me for the rest of my life.

The thing I am most excited to visit is not the Eiffel Tower. Nor is it l'Arc de Triomphe. I've been dreaming--and at this point, dying--to see Canov's marble masterpiece of Cupid and Psyche, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, which was first commissioned in 1787. The love story surrounding this work is my favorite mythology story of all time. I simply can't wait to see the statue in person; it's just so elegant and graceful! I might even try my hand at sketching! (After all, who isn't an artiste when they're in Paris?!)


But, alas, finals are not yet over and I must return to leave my Parisian dream world until next time. Let the countdown to Paris begin! Bonne nuit!