Week one in Paris

La Seine

Le parc Montsouris

 The first week in Paris has gone very well and has been very overwhelming but great. I had orientation for my study abroad program this week and my first objective when I arrived was to figure out the Metro station to traverse the grand city of Paris. After my brief orientation meeting on monday I got dropped off at my living situation which as I mentioned before at Cite U. Since I was quite nervous with my french, Alex and I only ended up eating a baguette for dinner on that monday but I am getting more confident with my french so I have ordered much more then that by now. I've even sat down at a restaurant! That's a big step for me and was a little nerve racking but it was a success. But let's see so monday was basically a day of trying to change my biological clock and resting. Then the rest of the week we had orientation meetings where we learned about safety, traveling, metro, and academic stuff. Bah academic stuff... I'm here to travel. But I'm actually very excited for my classes to begin which is Monday. Before and after the orientation meetings I managed to eat some croissants, sandwiches avec fromage, quiche, pizza, crepes, salads, wine, and eclairs! So, I'm definitely getting a good taste of Paris so far going about 800 miles an hour. Oh yeah I also went on a bus tour my second day here and hit just about all of the major attractions in Paris. I saw the Bastille, Le Tour Eiffel, Le Louvre, Opera House, Champs-Elysees, arc de triomphe, Notre Dame, and more. (See pictures).

Le parc Montsouris

I have also explored Le parc Montsouris which was the best park i've ever been to in my life until another garden I just explored today which I will mention soon. But this park has ups and downs and a lake with a waterfall and great views and walks lined with benches. It has giant statues and a cafe, a restaurant, and a new park concept that was unfamiliar to me. There are these two person swings like a seesaw where children swing back and forth. They are quite the attraction for them. Oh and there is also a merry-go-round type ride for kids that have the indy style cars that they sit in. The parks here are very involved and much more lively then any American park that I've been to. I love it!

rue de ?

But going to boulangeries and patisseries is what I've been doing for food mostly which is incredible. I definitely won't have a problem eating baguettes avec fromage toute le jour while I'm here. One night Alex and I went to an Italian restaurant called Casanova (the name was so compelling) ((and for sure had vegetarian options)) and had a pizza with Gorgonzola and a few other cheeses that was tres bonne.

Yesterday Alex and I went out to look for a school bag and adapter and came back with nothing while spending four hours looking and wondering around. Not that that was a bad thing, it's just easy to get overwhelmed and distracted in this city. Regardless, we went to BHV, a mega department store, as well as Printemps, an equally mega department store with high end designers and found nothing we wanted to throw 200 euro+ down for. After that experience of wandering around endless streets we decided to head back to Cite U and get some groceries.

The grocery store we chose was called Franprix and we probably bought too much stuff and didn't realize how heavy it would be on our walk home. But we made it back and got some essentials and learned that people bag their own groceries in Paris and the cashiers sit opposed to the American cashiers standing. I was super excited to find that a large bag of pistachios was only 1 euro and a liter of orange juice for 59 cents. Pas mal, pas mal.

Luxembourg

Today, Saturday, Alex and I wanted to get out of our survival mode and do something leisurely so we went to the Luxembourg gardens and had a picnic. These are the best gardens (so far) that I've ever seen. The alles of trees, the hedged trees, the water with mini sailboats, the walkways, the lawns, the statues, the flowers, the grids, the axis! It was truly amazing. I wanted to take a picture everywhere. I couldn't stop. We strolled through the park with our jaws to the floor (well mine anyway) and took everything in. After sitting and strolling for a while we went to get lunch to bring back from a local boulangerie. It was an excellent time and surly unforgettable.

tour eiffel

Next on the agenda,
-get a sketchbook
-draw with my sketchbook
-go to school on monday
-explore


*throughout my blog I will give links to places I visit or see for you to explore more if you so chose to

 

à bientôt!

Ma Maison et Mes Cours

So after a long and anxious wait I finally found out what my classes are going to be and where I'm going to live in Paris last week! I'm going to be living in the 14th arrondissement on the left bank which is a 10 minute metro ride to the heart of Paris. I'll be on the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris campus which houses over 2000 students from around the world situated in different 'houses' or dorms designed by the countries native architects. The American house is right across the street from Parc Montsouris! I will be spending a lot of time there. The campus looks beautiful and is designed in a very french manner which is awesome and one of my favorite styles. 

I will be learning the strengths of the Parisian culture in Oenology: The History, Culture and Business of Wine, Haute Couture in Paris: History of Style and Fashion, History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective, and the french language itself. So by the time I'm done with my courses I hope to know how to read the wine bible at Piero Selvaggio Valentino's restaurant in Vegas at the Venetian (and actually understand what I want and why) and know how to make wine, and how to sell and market it. I also hope to learn the process of design from the french fashion designers and attempt to apply that to the landscape. While roaming the streets of Paris I can point out architectural elements and know the reason for the design and know the time period of when it was built. I hope to advance my sketching abilities while sketching architectural and landscape pieces in Paris and abroad. And finally, I hope by the end of my stay that I can speak with the natives without major difficulty. 


I am very excited for this experience and can't wait to see how it will unravel. I pre-packed last night and am pushing 50 pounds in my suitcase but I think I'll manage and put some things in my carry on. I'm actually thrilled about living out of just a suitcase. The only thing left to do now is wait, play some golf, and do as many American things I can think of until Sunday.

test pack

Avant Paris

Preparing for Paris is quite exciting for me and as I continue to prepare the reality that I'm actually going to be there in 11 days is sinking in further and further. Getting to where I am now has been quite a journey from driving through the desert to swimming in the Pacific. To apply for my visa I traveled with my girlfriend Alex (whom is also going to Paris with me) to Los Angeles to the consulate of France. We decided to make it a small vacation as well (why not?) and stopped in Vegas after our drive through the desert. We saw Le Reve which was an amazing show that was the best entertainment I've ever experienced. We also got to experience the 2010 World Series of Poker and we saw Scotty Nguyen (if you know poker players) at a feature table. 

It was very interesting to discover that the event was being filmed with actual rolls of film. After melting away in Vegas we continued our journey to LA which was new to me considering I had never been to California. After the traffic and Consulate visit we walked around Rodeo drive jammed with the common car, Bentley's. Next, we decided to head west because we figured we would hit the ocean eventually and ended up at Santa Monica Pier. After swimming in the waves and relaxing on the beach we headed back to Vegas and then the next day back to Colorado. 

Oh and don't forget to fill up your gas tank every chance you get in Utah which is like twice. If you forget and you're lucky enough to find the smallest gas station sign a mile off the interstate you'll be okay 10 miles later at a tiny "gas station" that sells t-shirts that say, "Ran out of gas in Utah". I got a laugh out of that... after trying to stay calm for 40 miles.