Paris, Je t'aime et Paris m'aime!

So I have officially decided that I am going to live in Paris as soon as possible- or as soon as I can afford it. I had the most incredible experience ever. I am in love! Now, let me start from the very beginning...

Friday the 13th was the most beautiful day Nantes that we've had so far. The sun was shining, the flowers were beginning to make an appearance, all of the fountains were turned on, and people were laying in the grass in the parks like it was summer. The water was gorgeous- did I mention that there is a river that runs alongside the tram line. I wanted to stay outside forever- but of course I had a date with Paris. I was worried because my friend Alvaro, whom I was meeting in Paris, had failed to give me his mobile phone number and I had no idea how he was going to find me at the train station. Madame Rouchet, the director of my program, gave me some hostel information in case we couldn't find each other. The train ride was pretty smooth, the only glitch was that I forgot to stick my ticket in the ticket thingy that stamps it before you leave, but luckily I ran out of the train and found a conductor to help me out. When I arrived in Paris, I took 3 steps out of the train and saw a blur of my Spanish friend running towards we calling my name. He gave me the biggest hug ever and kept on regarding my face with incredulity, "Oh my, you are a woman now!" he said. Let me explain: I met Alvaro at my high school in the first few weeks of my senior year when he and 3 other students from Barcelona made an exchange and took classes at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School (Go Braves!). I became close friends with them very quickly and we've kept in touch ever since. It's been nearly 4 years since we last met, but nothing about our relationship has changed. We hugged each other for a long time and starred at each other as if one of us could disappear at any moment. He told me he hadn't practiced his English very much since his last visit to the states and he apologized profusely in advanced for his terrible English. He took my bags, and as we walked to the metro he kept grabbing my hand and saying, "I just want to make sure that you're really here." We had so much to catch up on! He took me to the dormitory where he is living this year- he is studying abroad like me but for both semester. We dropped my stuff off and went for a magical walk through Paris talking about anything and everything. Paris is gorgeous at night. Alvaro took me by the Seine and through the courtyards of the Louvre. From the far side of the Louvre I could see le Tour Eiffel and Notre Dame! I had no idea how huge the Louvre is! It goes on for days! The clear pyramids that everyone is familiar with are really amazing, and there are fountains all over the main courtyard. The architecture is so epic. We walked past le Jardin des Tuileries as well. Along the Seine, there are many boat houses and as we walked along the path by the Seine, we peeked in certain boat homes and were astonished by the luxury of each home. They had big flat screen tvs, computers, and big kitchen tables just like any normal home. They looked like normal houses on the inside except for the lack of privacy. I mean we could see almost everything! So we spent most of the night walking along the river talking and looking at all of the splendid french architecture. We could see the Hotel des Invalides from the Seine and it was crazy huge! Finally we ended the night off with an up close and personal view of the the Tour Eiffel. It was unbelievable! I had to pinch myself to make sure I was awake. The lights and the splendor of it all was breathtaking. I was so happy in that moment. I had finally made it!!! Not to the Tour Eiffel but to Paris. It didn't seem officially real until then. So a few small yet interesting facts: 1) The Tour Eiffel stays illuminated all night, 2) a search light spins around the top of the Tour for most of the night, and 3) at each hour, the Tour Eiffel sparkles with white lights that flash all along the Tour (Alvaro says its very kitsch). So after taking many photos and gazing endlessly into the proverbial eyes of Paris, we went back to Alvaro's room. The dorm he's staying in is pretty cool. They don't have the best communal bathrooms and it use to be an abbey and later a nut house or an infirmary so it was kind of creepy, but they have a decent kitchen and the place is filled with students from all over. I was the only American in the whole building, and I met people from Moldavia , Algeria, Spain, England, Germany, Italy, etc. They were all very nice, and they all wanted to practice their English with me. It was like heaven to me because I love being surrounded by people from different cultures. You can learn so much from them! We went to bed pretty late Friday night. Alvaro gave me his bed and he slept in a friends room. He was so hospitable, it made my experience even better!

On Saturday, we woke up at 10 AM, showered, and had breakfast (tea and french biscuits with Emmenthal and Breton cookies). We both didn't sleep very well, but we decided to make the most of the day. We started off by heading to Montmare. For those of you who are Paris challenged, Montmare is the area where all the artists and bohemians work/live. For those who appreciate good French film, Montmare is the arrondissement where most of Amelie takes place. Our first stop was Le Sacre Cœur - a grand and very famous church on a hill. It was incredible! There were many stairs to climb but it was well worth it! The view from the top was...WOW! It was a great view of Paris and we could see almost everything. For Amelie fans, Sacre Cœur is the place where Amelie left all those arrows for Nino Quincampoix which led to the top where he watched her leave his photo album in his motorcycle. If you don't know what I'm talking about, as soon as you finish reading my blog go straight to the video store or straight to your netflix (netflix is the best) and rent Amelie. It is a must-see before you die! No, a must see before tomorrow!!!. Anyway we entered the church and looked at all the beautiful stained glass windows and saintly sculptures. We saw many French nuns in action! Alvaro, who has a crazy obsession with Whoppie Goldberg, said it reminded him of The Sister Act. Believe me when I say that the French nuns look nothing like Whoppie! After Le Sacre Cœur, we went to the square where all the artists work. It was amazing! There were many painters displaying there work on easels and working on new canvases. I had never seen painters in action before. It was really interesting. We walked all through the squares as artists offered to sketch my picture and others tried to sell me their landscapes. I wish I had the money to buy something. It was a really special experience. We saw street performers down the road singing great french music and trying to sell cds. As Alvaro continued our exploration of Montmare, we sang french songs as well- mainly by Edith Piaf. (In fact we sang everywhere we went the entire weekend!)We also saw the Lapin Agile, the bar/cafe where Picasso and other well known artists frequented. For the théâtre aficionados reading, you might recognize that this is the same Lapin Agile from Steve Martin's "Picasso at the Lapin Agile"- a great play that my readers should check out after they've watched Amelie. Speaking of which, Alvaro took me by the bar from the film! Unfortunately it was under construction at the time, but we peeked in anyway and it looks exactly like it does in the movie! Well, at least the parts that were still on the wall and the bar look the same. The rest of the place was vacant. Finally, we made it to the place I had been waiting to see for some time: The Moulin Rouge!! I'm in love with the film, so I was excited to see that it really exists even if it is nothing like the movie, but there really is a windmill on top! And the women actually do the can-can and get naked! I only read the information about the history of the place and viewed the pictures in the lobby. Tickets are around 127 euro or more. We walked along the main road and saw an assortment of seedy shops and theatres. I won't go into too many details about what I saw in case the young are reading, but if you really want to know ask and I will give you the deets because it was crazy! (5 clues: humongous video collection, toys not made for children, booths not made for telephones, "massages" and debauchery- ok so they are pretty big clues). Anyway Montmarte isn't what you'd call the chapel district if you catch my drift. So, after Montmarte, we headed to the Opera Garnier aka the opera house where The Phantom made his home. Yes, I saw box 5. Yes, I saw the Chandelier. Yes, I'm listening to Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera non-stop now. The Opera Garnier is unbelievable! The beauty of all the decor was wonderful! How amazing would it be to perform in such a theatre! All of the seats and walls were red and all of the boxes were magnificent. There was a long hall filled with windows and mirrors on the second floor, and you could go out onto the balcony and see the district of the bourgeoise. I can't even begin to imagine how expensive it must be to live there. Anyway the opera house was beautiful, but I was surprised by how small the infamous chandelier was. I guess I was expecting something epic beyond belief, but when I first saw it I was like "That's it?" The one in the movie seemed enormous! Alvaro explained to me that it probably looked so small because the theatre was dark. They were in the middle of working on stage construction or rehearsing something. Our next stop was the Place Vendôme where Princess Diana breathed her last breath. It was so pristine and lavish! All of the buildings were very posh, and it looked like the perfect place to house a royal on holiday. There were many famous perfumeries and shops along the way. We went back to the dorm for a nap to catch up on the sleep we missed the night before and then headed out very quickly to see if we could get 10 euro tickets to see Le Roi Lion (The Lion King). Unfortunately they only do the cheap tickets on weekdays, so we checked out some more sights. First, we went to the Galerie Lafayette which I have to say is the most intense department store I've ever seen! The architecture was so extravagant and I didn't even bother to check out the prices for things. We just walked straight through and kept our poor college student eyes away from things we couldn't even afford to look at. We promenaded around Paris and I got excited at every Gap (my favorite clothing store) I saw. We saw La Madeleine (a big church) and headed towards the one... the only...Champs-Élysées!!!!!! It was so INTENSE! There had to be 8 different movie theaters, loads of stores, cafes, and off shoot mini malls! The street was illuminated with many glowing signs luring people in like weak little moths. I got so excited when I saw a Virgin Megastore- they got rid of the one in Chicago- so we went to check it out. There was a ridiculous amount of American cinema there. American cinema pretty much dominates France. After strolling down the entire 1.25 miles of the Champs-Élysées we headed back home for dinner. Alvaro made me a good meal and we talked with many of his friends. This guy from Manchester, England actually studied in Nantes last September. We are going to meet up at the end of April when he comes back to visit his host family! That night I watched Ladies in Lavander on Alvaro's computer and had a good night's rest.

On Sunday, we spent a wonderful, no, incomparable morning at the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was the most beautiful garden I've ever seen, not to mention the biggest. There was this awesome playground that rivals all others with the coolest things to play on! I totally wanted to join the hundreds of kids playing with there parents. Seriously every parent brought there kids out to play and spend time together in the park. It was totally adorable. Now I know why France has everything closed on the weekends. I saw something there that I don't often see in America: beautiful families devoting 100% of their time together, enjoying each others company and in no rush to go any where else. They were totally free and easy and happy. Happiness filled the air and I absorbed it like a starving woman. There was a grand fountain in front of the Palais du Luxembourg where children pushed big model boats around with long sticks with the help of their parents. It had to be the cutest thing ever. Alvaro and I spent around 30 minutes just watching the children play with the boats, with their parents, and with each other. It was innocence and pure bliss. Others were spread out on the grass and on benches reading or just spending time with each other. It was like something out of a Manet painting. It was magnificent day with the sun shining and the weather too perfect to be considered a part of March. We visited L'Eglise Saint-Severin and the Sorbonne before heading through the Latin Quarter which was quite the cultural experience. There were stores playing latin music, so Alvaro and I danced in the street! He took me to this really cool English book store called Shakespeare and Company. It was amazing, like one of those odd bookshops you read about in fiction that are awkwardly overflowing with books but it works perfectly. You can just sit in the book shop and read or do homework or play the piano! The owners sleep in the shop, and you can chill on there beds during the day, and there's a little reading desk hidden on the second floor which could almost be called a crawl space if it were a bit smaller. Just imagine books stacked everywhere in organized chaos! Surprisingly it wasn't very difficult to find specific books. I never wanted to leave, but of course I had to. Next we went to Notre Dame- which is quite the church, let me tell ya. We arrived just as the bells tolled 2:00- Thanks Quasimodo! Notre Dame is immense and covered with gargoyles just like in the Disney movie. The inside is monstrously huge and full of tourists (there is also a gift shop-eck!) The stained glass was beautiful and the architecture was very impressive for having been made ages ago- construction began in 1163 AD. I spent a lot of time walking around and regarding this massive piece of French history. After leaving Notre Dame, we walked through a flower market filled with many different colors and different kinds of plants. The air smelled sinfully good, I almost wanted to taste the flowers. There were also many colorful birds and bunnies for sale. They were so cute! We grabbed a galette for lunch and checked out L'eglise de St. Eustache and the Bourse du Commerce. Alvaro went back to the dorm to study for an exam (he doesn't have class either because of the greve, so he has to learn everything on his own) while I headed to Pere Lachaise Cemetery- from Paris, Je t'aime for French film lovers ( the scene with Rufus Sewell and Emily Mortimer) . It was the most immense and elaborate cemetery I've ever seen- but then again I haven't seen too many thankfully. The graves weren't of your garden variety tombstones. They had hardcore statues and columns and sculptures and small rooms or towers. All of the graves were practically on top of each other. The dead were crowding in, but so were the living. There were many tourists promenading down the many cobblestone paths and resting on tombs or benches or in the grass in the few free spaces that could be found. You're probably wondering why I would visit this cemetery. Well, there are many, many famous people buried there whose graves I wanted to see. For example: Moliere, Jim Morrison, Balzac, Proust, Chopin, Gericault, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, Sarah Bernhardt, Salvador to name a few. It was amazing! Its hard for me to put into words how I felt and what exactly I saw, but it was incredible. The sun shined, the crows cawed, and I explored the graves of the known and the unknown. The cemetery is over flowing with more than a million bodies buried there, and the government digs up any grave unvisited in 10 years and moves the remains to another cemetery- how sad is that! Its quite the contest to get your body laid to rest there, and the dead have to compete for importance in order to keep there place. Some of the tombstones I saw were covered in moss and totally illegible. Its sad to think that those few will be replaced because they aren't "important" enough. I gave a few of the neglected graves a good long look in the hopes that maybe they could remain another good 10 years where they belong. So there are 44 hectares in this cemetery, and I didn't have the chance to see everything- but its a good excuse to return. If anything, it really is peaceful not to mention a good place to write. After nearly being chased out of the cemetery at closing time (I sneaked around to see a few important graves before I left- who knew monstrous tombstones would make excellent hiding places), I scrambled over to the Centre George Pompidou which is a modern art museum that offers a great view of the city. You have to pay to get in, so I just looked around the free areas and watched a bit of a comedic show happening in the square by the entrance. Finally, I checked out the Hotel de Ville which is basically a huge, extravagant building. Then I returned to the dorm- navigating the metro all by my self- and Alvaro and I wrote postcards to our other 3 free friends in Spain about our weekend. It was so sweet and I love Alvaro for thinking of it. Afterward, we said our sad farewells at the train station and promised to see each other soon. My parting was like something out of a black and white Hollywood film (Casablanca comes to mind). It all happened so quickly in yet I saw so much. I can't believe how much I walked. If you look on a map and see all of the ground I covered based on all the sites I visited you wouldn't believe it! I had a blast, and I'm truly lucky. I got to catch up with a friend I haven't seen in years, I got to explore a beautiful city that I've always dreamed of visiting, and I also fell in love... with Paris. There's nothing in the world that can match it, I'm sure of it it. Paris, Je t'aime. Nous serons ensemble très bientôt.

Bisous(kisses) my readers and Happy Saint Patrick's day!

Update:
March 10th I met my host family's grand parents on my host mom's side. They were so cute and really nice. We all at shrimp and had a good chat. The boys all shared their stories about pranks students have pulled on teachers at school, and my faux mom talked about how she didn't like one of the teachers because of a bad encounter. It was pretty funny hearing them joke around about stuff like that. The shrimps we ate were massive and they had their whole bodies intact. It was intense, but luckily I like shrimp. Thibaud likes to eat their brains- Yuck!!!!!!