Guggenheim

I had a little more French exploring to do once I returned to Les Etats-Unis. I learned while studying Daniel Buren, that he had once done a display in the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. His display featured a large suspended poster, classically striped in black &white. It hung from the dome ceiling straight through the center of the museum. The Guggenheim interior is built with spiraling floors around the exterior. The viewer must face away from the open center to view the art. When Daniel Buren’s piece was hung, visitors didn’t know which way to turn to view the art. The vertical stripes played a contrast to the circular floors and when standing perpendicular to the striped piece, it seemed to disappear entirely.

When we visited the Guggenheim, we jumped onto a free tour of the museum. Our guide was a animated high school art history teacher and told us the secrets behind the exterior of the Guggenheim and the featured exhibit. I’d recommend the tour—it’s a little over an hour and you learn a ton about the museum!

Réflexion

I learned a lot from studying abroad; a new language, a new confidence, and a new sense of adventure. I also made a lot of new friends along the way. Sometimes I think it takes leaving your comfort zone and your home to realize what you’ve been missing all along. I pledge to continue exploring new places, meeting new people, and learning about new cultures. It’s more than just pictures or stories; for me, it’s about a new way of seeing the world and appreciating it for all its worth.

Where to next?

Post Paris: Texas Toast for French Toast?

A week after a landed from the 9 hour trip home, I was back on an airplane. This time my destination was in the country—thank goodness—to see Matt in Houston, TX. He was working and I was exploring a new city! We learned in L’Histoire d’Art that the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston housed some famous paintings.

I took the one and only metro line to the Museum district and found the MFA. It’s a two part building which connects by an underground tunnel. It went to meet up with my old friends; Renoir, Cezanne, Monet, Degas, and Picasso. I was most excited to see Andre Derain’s, L’Estaque (The Turning Road). The museum featured Impressionism through Modernism and a special exhibit by John Singer Sargent. He was an American painter that visited the beaches of France for inspiration for his art. I was transported to the beaches of Normandy, Capri, Brittany, and even the “make shift” beach in Paris. (They fill the banks of the Seine with sand to create a summer spot for Parisians and tourists to lounge). Across in the other building was more modern/contemporary art with an entire exhibit of portraits. It was a little over my head so I made my way over to Matt’s office. I rested from the exhausting humidity in a nearby park with sprouting water fountains. After baking in the sun for a bit, I headed to meet Matt and his co-workers and then out to dinner.

Saturday we took a trip to The Woodlands, Matt’s home town…And I attempted to cook some fresh fish that Matt got from someone at work—we had chicken parmesan instead. Sunday I went to my first Astro’s game in Minute Maid Park. I thought that I was their good luck charm for the first few innings, but that wore off soon. I couldn’t—and still can’t—believe that the game is indoors. Baseball is supposed to be played in the hot sunshine with blue skies and green monster seats. It took me all nine inning to get used to the fact that there was a ceiling over the baseball field. Early Monday, I flew back home on a quest to continue to discover more adventures in les Etats-Unis.

American things in Paris

Amongst all of the French things, sights, smells, and language; I was able to sneak in a few tributes to America-

Canada vs. USA: Olympic Hockey Game

For the final Olympic hockey game, my friend and I pushed our way into a famous Canadian bar, The Moose to watch Canada and US battle it out on the ice. It was my first packed sports bar experience and first taste of hockey since I had left my Terrier boys in Boston. My friend and I were so excited to hear English chants and cheers- until we realized that we were surrounded by Canadian hockey fans! We meet some friendly French fans- rooting for the “OO S A” but I felt more outnumbered than I do as an English-speaker in France! The game was intense, the crowd and a lot of fun-- loud, and the beer was good. Unfortunately Team USA was trying to catch up most of the game and didn’t come out with gold medal, but it was worth being a proud American fan IN a Canadian bar IN France.


St. Patrick's Day

It’s funny when a holiday like, St. Patricks day rolls around and you’re stuck with a cross cultural dilemma. In Boston- it’s an all out Irish Fest. At home it’s a meal of corn beef and cabbage. But what do you do in France? Do I go to Ireland to celebrate? (Oh yes, Ireland. Why not? I’m already in Europe) Or completely ignore it because hardly anyone is French/Irish? No- you do what any American would do in France- find an Irish pub, filled with other Americans and seek out green beer. I ended up somewhere in the middle- packed in BU’s favorite local bar with most of the program, drinking regular beer, and wearing everything green in my wardrobe. It seemed perfectly logical for all the Americans in the bar, but the French bartenders seemed completely confused as to why it was so crowded on a random Wednesday night and why everyone wanted green syrup in their beer.

Cupcakes

In a land of perfect pastries- I thought that it was weird that I was craving cupcakes- all the time! I became obsessed with pretty, yummy, decorated cupcakes. Cupcakes are not an easy dessert to find in Paris and most of the shops are run by American or Canadian pastry chefs- but I was able to stumble across a few:

Berko
23 rue Rambateau 75004 (near Centre Pompideau)
http://www.cupcakesberko.com/
*I had two amazingly, delicious- and American cupcakes: chocolate health bar crunch and chocolate peanut butter m&m. They also sell cheesecake by the slice- if you’re missing New York desserts.

Cupcakes and co.
25 rue dela forge royale 75011 (near Bastille)
http://cupcakesandco.fr/
*I had Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing- a little less cupcake and a little more “tiny” cake, but so moist and decadent.

Cupcakes places are popping up all over Paris now but will they ever be regarded as highly as the croissant?! Probably not.

L'Espagne: Echapper au volcan

Au Revoir Paris! Hola L'Espagne! It's been a long semester of exploring Paris, taking classes, learning a new culture etc...but now its time for vacation! So here I go--on vacation! Me and two friends are heading to the coast of Spain, Barcelona for some warmer weather and Sangria! That is until we get to the airport-- the volcano in Iceland is acting up again and all flights are CANCELLED!...Did you think that would stop us? Not a chance!! We ran to the train station below the airport and got on the first train to the border of France/Spain-- I mean RAN because with tickets in hand, we had approximately 5 minutes to find the train and board. Let the adventure begin!

Spending a Night in Saint Sébastien (France)/San Sebastian(Spain)


Welcome to Barcelona!


Gaudi Walking Tour




Fruit Market




Street Fair in Madrid


Rowing across the lake in Parque del Buen Retiro

Chocolat: Jean-Charles Rochoux

Although this stop was only minutes after my previous chocolate shop, I felt that it should have it's own post since it is the LAST CHOCOLATIER THAT I WILL VISIT IN PARIS!

Jean-Charles Rochoux has an incredible, edible window display of dozens of chocolate statues. They also had the picture below in the window display but not in the store, which looked insanely good. On a fruit kick- I tried cherry, citron (lemon), raspberry, and honey. They were delicious as they melted in my mouth revealing their fruity bite. Shout out to the honey one, which technically isn't a fruit, but equally as delicious.

Sigh. Adieu mes chocolatiers! Au Revoir Paris! We've shared so many licks, bites, and smiles. Until we meet again- Chocolate, je t'aime.

Chocolat: Christian Constant

Two more chocolate shops left and they coincidentally are located on the same street! (37,16 Rue d'Assas) I started at Christain Constant's small shop and sampled four exotic floral chocolates: jasmine, cardamom,Frangipanier, and Youzou. Not that I had any idea what those were, BUT they were recommended by Christian himself so I couldn't say no! I enjoyed them in the courtyard of a nearby Institut Catholic de Paris, which had a beautiful garden and tons of young Parisians.

Yes, my Parisian celeb-siting was a chocolatier!! Other celebrities caught in Paris by BU students; Harrison Ford at the Museum D'Orsay, Stevie Wonder at the phone store, lots of fashionistas, fashion journalists, and magazine editors spotted by my friend studying fashion journalism.

Le Bon Marche

Mon Dieu! Its part department store, part food store, and probably the most amazing place on earth: Le Bon Marche. The new Whole Foods back in US definitely was inspired by the French. The department store part, like all department stores in Paris (Printemps and Galaries Lafayette) make Neiman Marcus look like K-Mart. They have everything to decorate yourself, your home, and your lover--Parisian style which is, of course, dripping with elegance. But honestly, La Grande Epicerie is the reason to go to Le Bon Marche. The food store, connected to the department store, has everything...from everywhere. The outer circle of the layout is cases of prepared food-- prepared by Master Chefs, naturally. They are so beautiful that they could pass as display cases.

Next, there is a gateway of specialty aisles surrounding the store. Everything is organized under headings such as; olive oil, pasta, crackers, sauce, etc. Additionally, they have aisles for each country, carrying authentic products from each region. The American aisle was well represented with peanut butter, peanut butter cups, marshmallows, popcorn, croutons and salad dressing. I didn't know that salad dressing was an American thing, but they had my favorite poppyseed dressing! The America aisle is in between Canada (maple syrup, pancakes) and Tex-Mex (they don't have Mexican food here, so they consider Tex-Mex its own region).

The wine cave is enormous! It was practically 4 rooms of wine; white, red, aperitif, and champagne. Then, at the center of the store is the butcher, bakery, and candle stick maker--actually the produce man.

Oh, yes—there is a chocolate aisle. It quite beautiful and luscious, but I was a little disappointing to see Crunch bars again. I've become quite a chocolate boutique snob, so I passed on the chocolates here.

*Figured out the salad dressing connection: Parisians make their own salad dressing. Fresh ingredients, a dash of mustard, olive oil, and some vinegar so they have no need to buy bottled dressing. Oh France.

Chocolat: Michel Chaudun

I visited this tiny shop after my final presentation. I was already on cloud nine when I arrived to this Asian-inspired Chocolate shop. There were trinkets lined up all along the walls and it took me a minute to realize that they were all made out of chocolate! As instructed by the New York Times, I ordered a small box of 6 paves. The man pulled out a tiny gold box, wrapped it up, and sent me on my way with a smile. It was like receiving jewelry. Inside the box was 6 neatly packed dice-sized chocolates and a toothpick. The first one I poked and popped in my mouth and chewed it like fudge. It was good but there was something in the NYT article that I was supposed to remember about how to eat them. OH! You're supposed to let them melt on your tongue-

OOOOMMMMMMMGGGGGGG. I don't even think that this was really chocolate!! Can chocolate just disappear on your tongue and infuse your entire month with a silky, rich flavor like this? It was magical chocolate. Amazing, delicious magical chocolate. AND it was so magical because I managed only eat the 2 and then I SAVED the rest for later! I've never done that with chocolate before. Then I SHARED some with my friend! And now I'm sitting here blogging with the last 2 sitting in the box next to me. I'm saving them, for what? I have no idea. The right chocolate moment?!

Cocktail Adieu

C'est le fin. The four months are winding down, wrapping up and I'm caught somewhere in the midst of it all. I stuck with this pit in my stomach of all the different directions that I'm longing to go and all the places I have been.

Wednesday: Last day at my internship. I exchanged gifts with my boss and said goodbye to the office. She gave me this French hair oil, which I have no idea how to use but I'm hoping that it works it's French miracles on my- now very long- hair. Then I headed home for the last supper with my host mom. I bought her some craft materials, her favorite hobby, and we had a long dinner together.

Thursday: Presentation and Report in the early afternoon, which I was strangely calm about. The presentation was a fumbling mess of French, as expected, and my question-and-answer period turned into a hearty french debate- between the teachers. I snuck out of there and took Paris by storm. It was beautiful and sunny so I walked around and stopped at a chocolate shop (See: Michel Claudon) and had lunch in Rose Bakery. Then I met up with a friend to walk around the Marais and pick up salted caramels by Jacques Genin. At 6 we headed to our cocktail party at school. All of the teachers, host families, and students were invited. The had a comedian who taught us all "how to become Parisian". It's amazing all of the little stereotypes and "trucs" as they say that you learn about Parisians. Some are true of any city, but others are uniquely Parisian. After the cocktail adieu party at school, we stopped by the "Crepe Man" for a final Nutella-Banane. This man is the funniest toothless Parisian in France. He always says American phrases and asks us to teach him our Boston accents. He also has the amazing talent of turning out 4 crepes with only 2 pans. We headed off to our own soiree at our favorite local bar as well. We pretty much packed the place with BU kids, but managed to meet some official Parisians.

Friday (Today): Stopping by an art exhibit, two chocolate shops (my final 2 on the NYT list) and out to a French dinner by the Eiffel Tower. Au Revoir Paris!!

Saturday (Tomorrow): I'm heading off the airport- assuming that I actually fit time in to pack... but honestly, as imagine myself on the runway, I will be equally happy to fly home, fly off the Spain for vacation or hear news of another volcano and get stranded in Paris for a week. It's really quite a predicament, three amazing destinations. However if all goes according to plan: I will be flying to Barcelona for 4 days, taking a train to Madrid for 2 and flying from Madrid-Paris to Paris-New York on Friday, May 14th.

A plus!! Bisou!

Caramel: Jacques Genin

Jacques Genin is a chocolatier know for his "salted caramels". Slightly ironic, yet absolutely delicious! They have the right hint of salt that makes them perfectly sweet and chewy. Find his little Paris shop in the Marais and make sure to bring some back for me!

Jacques Genin
133 Rue de Turenne
75003 Paris, France

Croissant au beurre/Pain au chocolat

I have been holding out on buying a pain au chocolat (basically a chocolate filled croissant) in fear of becoming addicted to their soft, flaky, buttery texture. But after 10 weeks and after reading one too many food blogs, my willpower collapsed and I walked across the street to the Boulangerie to pick one pastry up- which turned into two. Since the pain au choclat was 1.05 Euro, I thought that I’d make it an even 2Euro with a croissant au beurre, this was breakfast after all- the most important meal of the day. Pastries gourmands agree that croissants are only truly fresh if eaten before 11am, so luckily I was in time for that mark. Next, they say skip the croissant natur since it can be dry and splurge for the butter topped one. So with the rules in mind, 2 Euro in hand, I made it to the boulangerie. BUT before I could even cross the street back to my apartment, I took a huge bite of the croissant au beurre and I literally melted on the sidewalk. The croissant was the most amazing pastry that I’ve had so far in France! The extra butter (and I think a little sugar) created a crunchy, delicious crunch to the outside of the croissant. Of course the middle was perfectly flakey and chewy. On a scale of 1-10; probably a 50. Next I bit into the pain au chocolat, expecting to be transported back to my high school exchange trip here where we were so addicted that we hoarded them in our bags at breakfast. Eh- it was good but the croissant made such an amazing first impression on my tongue that the pain au chocolat tasted like filler.

So- luckily, I’m not addicted to pain au chocolats and I won’t come home with them stuffed into my pockets- but I can’t really say the same about croissant au beurres!

Un Jour avec Ina Garten

Ina Garten, FoodNetwork chef and my idol hostess, bought an apartment in Paris around the time that she came out with her Parisian cookbook. Apparently she spent some time here throughout the year, and was even here in February! So I looked up some of her favorite places in Paris and followed a little Ina-inspired walking tour through Paris. (I was hoping she’d be wandering around Paris at the same time- but no such luck.)

I started on her street at the Sunday Organic Market at Metro Rennes (Boulevard Raspail between Chercher Midi and Rue de Rennes). She recommends visiting the pancake man and the American bakers for American treats.

I stopped and bought a slice of organic nut bread with whole figs. It was delicious! I also bought some handmade soaps for my boss, who only shops "bio".
Next, she says to stop by Polaine (8 rue Cherche-Midi), which is a famous boulangerie in Paris. It was closed because it was Sunday, but the neighborhood was so cute! I heard someone hosting a party through an open balcony window and I dreamed that it must be Ina’s apartment.

I visited her suggestions for gifts, dishware, and flowers.

Barthelemy (51 rue Grenelle)
Marianne Robic (39 rue de Babylone)
Muriel Grateau (37 rue de Beaune)

She also suggests going to Bon Marche (38 rue des Sevres). It’s the biggest home appliance store in Paris. I need to go back, because I hear that it’s incredible- think Williams and Sonoma + French style and Chef Central Sized. After walking for a while, I found a cute little private park and sat and read for a while in the sun. It was quite a lovely Sunday- Ina would approve.

Bien Couru

Paris is known for it's five-star restaurants, amazing hotels, and fashion, fashion, fashion- but not it's five-star gyms. Parisians DON'T exercise. They smoke, drink, and eat- all in moderation- and they walk, a lot. But I'm a gym-buff, exercise junkie to to core and throwing my sneakers out of the airplane window for 4 months just wasn't an option. One friend warned me that she signed up for a gym on her Paris summer program and it was a disaster. Smelly, sweaty, and spandex. Another friend who had done the Paris program told me that she just ran outside, because the climate was much less harsh than in Boston. She gave me some warning too, though:

Notice these are Parisian rules to exercise;I, the American, broke every single one.

Parisian Running Etiquette

Sidewalks are not for runners.
Sidewalks have lanes for bikers, but the rest of the sidewalk is a free-for-all. First, cafe seating or markets. Next, extra parking. Third, walkers at their own pace. Fourth, dogs. I dodged as many of these obstacles as possible- but I was always being yelled at in the end.

Streets are not for runners.
J-walking doesn't exist in French. No one does it. No one goes in the street unless they are crossing in a crosswalk. Had a few close calls there too.

Parks are for runners!
...after 10am and before 7pm. I worked 9:30-6:30.

Parisian shuffle.
They don't exactly pick up their feet- I don't understand it at all but since I would run around the International Dorms park, you could easily pick out Parisians (shufflers) and Americans (full blown horse legged runners).

Fashion for Runners (c'est Paris)

No t-shirts!
I stuck to this one!! I had my classy outdoor running gear.

Converse are sneakers.
No wonder no one runs here! They wear converse to run- I get shin splits just thinking about it.

No sneakers, unless you are actively running.
As for real sneakers, if you are caught dead in sneakers/trainers/whatever- you might as well be wearing a neon hat the says "I'm a Tourist". But I am a tourist- and if I'm walking around for 6 hours- you'd better bet that I'm breaking out the sneakers.

Squishy pants or shorts and high socks- acceptable.
Apparently good fashion doesn't apply to runners. I didn't even know that they still sold some of the "gym attire" that I saw in the parks. Vintage, maybe?

NO SWEATING!
You can run, but you can't sweat. It's pretty fascinating to watch people run, come to a complete halt at the park exit, brush their fingers through their hair and continue walking home- as if they never ran. Me- my host mom used to ask "Bien Couru?" and then giggle and tell me that my face was red like an apple.

Overall- I successful ran about 3-4 times a week, outside. I ran in rain, wind, and sunshine. I dragged myself out in the mornings or after work, whether it was cold or warm. I never went inside a gym, or a yoga studio (unfortunately). I was chased a few times but always ran faster than the dog or person. I also found a free podcast on iTunes, that I practiced 1-2 a week.

So gym-guru survives Paris- still in shape, but in desperate need of some weight training.

Le Vin Sur La Seine

Once springtime hits and the sun beats down on the weekends, tons of Parisian teens and young adults pour onto the banks of the rivers and canals with bottles of wine and platters of food. The first night, we chose a quiet spot on the Canal Saint Martin, a secret Parisian nook reserved for after work cocktails and meeting friends. We dangled our feet over the side of the Canal and hung out until the wine disappeared. Then we headed over to lively Republique and lingered until the metro threathened to close its doors.

Another night, we chose our spot on the Seine at the tip of the Ile off of Pont Neuf. We had a view of the Pont des Arts with the students at Institut Francais and the Bateaux Mouches with tons of waving tourists. We brought bags of snacks, cartons of fresh strawberries, and more wine. This was a rowdy spot and we ended up packing up earlier as the other drunken Parisian became rowdy. We walked over to the Latin Quarter for our favorite late night crepes and lingered in the shadows of Notre Dame until the last metro.

Giverny

The Parisians say to wait, wait until May until you go see Monet’s gardens. The flowers are in full bloom in May- so I made a rapid dash on May 2nd to see Monet’s gardens. This trip is best described in pictures, but just to set the scene: 6 girls took the train from Gare Saint Lazare (sight of a famous Monet painting), on a partly sunny-partly rainy cool spring day to a little town called Vernon. We got on a bus and took it to a smaller town called Giverny. Giverny is one road, two museums, and the plushest, greenest gardens that I’ve ever seen. Enjoy- it was absolutely amazing.

Mai 1: Fete du travaille

May 1st in France is Labor Day!! No one works, museums and restaurants close and Parisians stroll around and enjoy the day. Unfortunately, this year was on a Saturday (so I didn't get off from work) and it was cool and threatening rain, but a pleasant change of pace for Paris. Traditionally little vendors sell small bouquets of flowers which everyone carries around- I even received a small bunch from my host mom.

An American Girl in Paris; Season 6, Episode 19-20

Sex and the City lovers, you know when Carrie goes to Paris- well that was filmed in PARIS. So my friend and I spent the afternoon being Carrie and visiting the most fantastic places in Paris. We hopped off the metro on the Champs Elysees at Metro Franklin Roosevelt. First we started at Dior, where Carrie trips and spills her purse- the store was massive, amazing, beautiful, but closed. It was neighbors with Versace, Chanel, Harry Winston, and Pucci. Then we popped across the street to Hôtel Plaza Athénée, the hotel where Carrie stays in Paris. I didn’t head up to her room but I did take a quick tour of the lobby, very classy. (They have a Sex and the City hotel package though, if you’d like to. http://www.plaza-athenee-paris.com/hotel-special-offers/sex-and-the-city). It has an amazing view of the Tour Eiffel! Then we strolled along the Seine to the Pont des Arts, or the bridge that Carrie and Big make their first Parisian appearance together at. The bridge is really cool and since it’s across from the French Institute it’s a popular place for students to hang out. There are also hundreds of “love locks” attached to the bridge by lovers of Paris and Parisian lovers. Finally over to Le Kong, the sushi restaurant where Carrie has lunch with Aleksandr's ex-wife. It is on top a department store and next to Louis Vinton, and has an amazing view of the Seine.

And now, of course I’m re-watching the episodes…Bonne Nuit

Tour Guide a Paris!

My friend from London planned to visit me in late April. It was the perfect weekend because I finally felt comfortable with the city and knew I could show her the highlights of the city during the three days that she was there.

Friday: Kirsty and her friends took a guided tour of the heart of Paris and I met up with them afterward. They taught me about the tiny Space Invaders that were hidden all over Europe. Some video gamer felt so guilty after killing so many space invaders that he started permanently adhering them to building walls throughout major European cities. (Fun scavenger hunt for all across Europe!) I took Kirsty through the 1st Arrondisement, we window shopped at some of the most expensive boutiques in Paris and stopped for Laduree macarons and Jean Paul Levin chocolats. She headed back early to meet her friends at the Eiffel Tower for a picnic dinner.

Saturday: We started the morning at Musee Rodin. It was beautiful, sunny and the flowers in the gardens were beginning to bloom. Since the volcano had just hit that weekend—they arrived by train—the city was empty but the weather was perfect! We hopped over to Musee d’Orsay and I gave her and her friends a personal tour of the major artworks- thanks to my Art History lectures! Next, we took the subway to Rue de Mouffetard are lunch. We ate at the battling crepe places. I ordered the specialty crepe at Au P’tit Grec with eggplant, feta, mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, onions- you get the idea! Delicious! We walked back through Luxemburg Gardens and found a nearby café to rest at while her friends visited Bastille. Then we all met at Abbesse, the metro stop. This metro, most frequently used to get to Sacre Coeur, is a gem by itself. Behind the metro, next to the small park is the “Wall of Love.” Here, “I love you” is written in every language- cute!

Also, at 38 rue Abbesse is Paris’ Best Baguette. It comes steaming hot, freshly baked. We all tour into it before heading over to Sacre Coeur. Since it was such a beautiful day- the lawns at Sacre Coeur were packed, performers were everywhere- and pickpockets. We walked around the artist’s square and Kirsty and I climbed to the top of Sacre Coeur. The view of Paris was beautiful—

We all met up with Kirsty’s friend who was also living in Paris. We took us down the side of Sacre Coeur and we sat in an outdoor café and ate delicious quiches. Fun quirk- there are dozens of cats lurking in the bushes of Sacre Coeur; people come visit them and feed them scraps of baguettes. As the sun set, we made our way through the streets to the Moulin Rouge. After a quick photo shoot on the grates in front of the red windmill, we hightailed it out of the area- it’s not a fun place at night. We made our way to Notre Dame to watch the night performers.

This was INCREDIBLE! Not only did we see the flame throwers- but they were shooting a fashion shoot in the middle of the square with the flame throwers and fire dancers all around. We sat mesmerized for a long time before heading home and crashing after a big day of site seeing.

Sunday: Kirsty went to Versailles and I spent some time in the Marais.

It was an extremely busy weekend, but I would really recommend it as the best way to see Paris in only 3 days.

Chocolat: Pierre Marcolini

I found Belgium’s Best Chocolatier…in Paris. Pierre Marcolini has a giant sign hanging from the side of the scaffolding-covered building that says “Pierre Marcolini, c’est ici!” so I followed.
The interior is much more serious than the Parisian boutiques. The sales woman approached me before I made it through the doorway. I told her I wanted to look at some chocolate before I decided, and I wandered around the store. The walls hold hundreds of bars of chocolate, or Carré2Chocolat (chocolate squares). He is very serious about his ingredients because each bar comes with a booklet of the origins of the ingredients—some are even “special editions” as if Africa is really going to run out of cocoa beans. I decided that instead of committing to one bar, I’d try some smaller Palet Fins and Pralines; Pierre Marcolini (yes, it was named after himself- he’s the best, he can do whatever he wants), Chocolat Noir (from somewhere in Latin America), The Citron (Infused with Lemon Tea), and Violet. I ate them in that order too from the front steps of the Opera Garnier- because that’s just the most natural place to sit and enjoy chocolates in Paris. The first two were delicious; perfect texture, meltiness, and smooth- you come to expect that here. I was excited about the Lemon since I developed a new love for lemon and chocolate, but it was a little disappointing in the fact that you could taste the tea- which is probably a good quality in a chocolatier’s mind. En fin, Violet. Skeptical? No, drop dead AMAZING. It tasted like Paris springtime on my tongue. I might start dipping all the beautiful springtime flowers here in chocolate and become a chocolatier myself.

Opera Garnier

It’s the one, the famous phantom of the Opera building, sitting in the midst of Printemps and Galaries Laffayette (department stores). We stayed nearby in high school and I remember longing to dress up for a ballet and stand on the front steps of the Opera Garnier.

Well, fast forward to today and I’m sitting in the back entrance waiting for student rush tickets to the ballet. The Opera is only a ten minute walk from work, so I happily go sit outside on show days and wait for student rush tickets (10 Euros). It was my second time waiting- I was NEXT the time before- in my black, three dot dress with my lucky pearl earrings on. I could feel it this time, I was going to the ballet.

Student rush isn’t allowed to enter until after the last person sits, so the doors closed with everyone inside except 12 of us (I was 3rd.). The usher calls the first 2 over, they get tickets. I’m next! I’m next!! I’m called over! I’m handed a ticket! I’m rushed inside! Lead up the stairs! OMG! I’m inside!
The ballet was Hommage a Jerome Robbins, 4 dances from Jerome Robbin’s most well known ballets. Each quarter was about 20-30 minutes and I was seated in the upper balcony after the first dance. They were beautiful! Everything- the ballerinas, the Opera, the lobby, the chairs, the bathrooms- everything. It was magical, perfect, my moment in a Parisian movie!
Oh, go right now! Go to Paris and see a ballet. And eat an Opera pastry- just because!

Dejeuner aux Halles

Often I take my lunch to the park next to Les Halles, an underground shopping mall. It’s quite the center of lunchtime activity and I am often joined by munching working-Parisians and famished tourists. There are cafes, lunch carts, shops, boutiques, and boulangeries. Today I brought a ripe pear, some cheese, and a salad and sat in the grass. I also stopped at Boulangerie Julien (boulangeriejulien.com) which has the best Croissant aux almandes. She woman behind the counter handed me my sac and I thought that I had accidently purchased a brick! The croissant was laden with extra almond butter, paste, and sliced almonds on top- not a light snack, but delicious all the same.

Parc de Villette, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, et Canal St. Martin

More beautiful, sunny days in Paris = more parks. Danielle and I decided to visit two huge parks in the north-east corner of Paris. We started at Parc de Villette, which houses the science museum, 360º Movie Theater, and huge industrial modern statues. When we got off of the metro, we walked straight into a “Cow Party” (Fete des Vaches). It was an organization trying to teach kids to eat three servings of dairy a day. They had a pen of cows, a stage of cows, and free samples of milk and cheese. We got on line twice for all of the samples, they were delicious! Plus- we’re college students and can’t turn down free food. Then we walked around the parc, which was mostly giant lawns filled with Parisians sunbathing and huge metal statues. Check out the picture carefully because it looks like a giant clear bubble, but is actually the 360° movie theater made out of reflective metal.

After frying in the sun, we headed to another shadier park, known for its cliffs and rolling hills. It’s hard to imagine but Parc des Buttes Chaumont actually has a giant man-made cliff in the center and tons of steep hills. Everyone was sunbathing here too. We climbed to the top of the cliff and peered out on to the Paris skyline. It was cool being so close to Sacre Coeur and getting to see it up close. We descended and headed to find some dinner and wine for our evening plans on Canal Saint Martin.

Once again, as college students, we were jumping for joy when we found a Leader Price grocery store on our way to the canal. Leader Price supplies food to regular grocery stores at highly discounted prices. But a Leader Price store is the cheapest way to buy food in Paris- and they are really hard to find. We stocked up on sandwiches, cheese, pretzels, cookies, wine, and fruit for under 5 Euro each. It was literally insane. We bought a .34 box of cookies and a .29 bag of mixed nuts.

With a stuffed shopping bag in hand- we headed to Canal St. Martin for a girls night picnic on the water. Canal St. Martin is in a cute neighborhood with little boutiques and restaurants, but once the sun sets, the banks of the canal fill up with picnicking Parisians and the wine starts flowing. We stayed until people started packing up and heading off to the clubs and it was a great night!

*We walked by another canal, Bassin de la Villette. This canal has two movie theaters that face each other and 1 movie ticket will also get you a boat ride to the other side of the canal. Cool concept!

Spotted: Les Trucs

A "truc" is a quirk, a thingy-m-bobber, an oblong object, a silly person-- anything. And Paris has a lot of "trucs":

IKEA couches in the subway. Best marketing stunt that I've ever seen!!


A tree on the subway



"Pari Roller." Rollerskating through the center of Paris

Plat de souvenir

I would try and get off the metro a few stops from my apartment and walk myself home through the winding streets on the 14th Arrondisement. Some of the things I found along the way:

Rue de Guerre: A small street with restaurants and outdoor food stands. I shopped in a few boutiques, boulangeries, and a hot chocolate shop- the same concept as a tea shop except exclusively hot chocolate. I loved the pace and atmosphere in the street. It’s difficult to explain but every time of day that I would pass through on my way felt like the true Paris.

Cimitaire Montparnasse: I noticed this giant gated square while running one day and I made it my goal to find the entrance and sneak a peak inside. It ended up being a cemetery, much like Piere Lachaise however there were no tourists but tons of famous French graves. I only recognized Serge Gainsbourg from a movie that we had seen with class. He was a French singer, songwriter, actor, director and musical genius in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The French adore him. We watched a film about his life for class-- maybe it was the cultural difference between me and the French or the fact that I understand about 20% of the language in the movie, but I never understood their fascination with the man. He was not a hero nor a role model; maybe a genius that got thrown into a terrible life of fame, abandonment, drugs, and alcohol. But, like I said, the French adore him and the tributes on his grave show that he is truly loved, at his tucked away grave in Paris.

Life as a marketiere was exciting. I got to try new fruits, vegetables, and cheeses. I picked up some street lingo and learned the Parisian pace. I learned new neighborhoods and smelled some mouth-watering freshly baked breads and some eye-watering scaly fish--but my best market purchase was a plate. Plat? Yes, I bought a giant ceramic serving platter, hand crafted and painted by a wonderful market vendor just outside of Paris. I fell in love with French dishware at home with my mom’s gorgeous yellow and red hand-painted serving platters. They make the dinner table come alive and the food look beautiful, so it didn’t matter to me how I was supposed to carry a giant, breakable platter through the airport- I was bringing home my plate!

Les Arts Decoratifs: Mode et Textile

So my boss sent me back to Les Arts Decoratifs to see the Mode et Textile exhibit and the Galarie des bijoux. She claimed that I missed the magic of the museum- SHE WAS SO RIGHT!

First, I found myself back in Yves dressing room! They had his stuff first on account of his exposition across the Tuileries. The rest of exhibit spanned from 1960s to 1980s in haute-couture. Each designer had a display, presentation of their runway shows, and a storyboard. The haute-couture designs were incroyable! A little costume-y, a lot over the top, but seamlessly fanatastic. Well, except for the fur coat made out of stuffed animals- that was just weird. Some of the big names:

Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Chloé par Karl Lagerfeld, Kenzo, Thierry Mugler, Comme des Garçons, Chanel par Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier

My favorite part was the dozens of Parisian fashion students sitting around sketching all of the outfits. They were amazing! I also noticed that the museum holds classes for kids, ages 4-18, to learn about the designers- no wonder everyone here is a fashionista! I read some of the signs and learned that the designers in the 60s wanted to break the traditional molds of fashion for women, in the 70s shake away the barriers between masculine clothes and powerful feminine clothes, and then they just went nuts in the 80s and designed to shock.

After, I headed to the Galarie des Bijoux, Jewelry Gallery, to check out some sparkle. The jewelry is displayed in a completely dark room and is mounted to appear to be floating and glistening in the light. One wall has boxes of jewelry grouped by material such as; plastic, gold, pearl, coral, etc. I left thinking how absolutely fabulous it would be to adorned in haute-couture, lavish diamonds, and walking down Rue de Rivoli.

L'Orangerie et Mariage Freres

One sunny afternoon, Danielle met me in the Tuileries to go see the L’Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, and the Louvre. The Tuileries and the Louvre courtyard actually houses 5 museums; Louvre, L’Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, Les Arts Decoratifs, and Musée de la Mode et du Textile. We started at L’Orangerie, which is a small building with two viewing rooms of Monets. There are four Monet paintings in each viewing room that are stretched out along the walls, making them giant panoramic paintings. They were absolutely gorgeous! Downstairs housed another exhibit of famous artists during the same movement as Monet.

We headed to Jeu de Paume, museums of photography and contemporary art, but ultimately had no interest to go in. So instead we walked over to Mariage Freres, a famous tea shop in the Marias (new site: in the carousel de Louvre!). We sat for tea and ordered a pot of peach/apricot tea and a tray of desserts. The waiters flirted with us a little as they poured our tea. We were hugely outnumbered by Parisian business people and bridge clubs, so it was probably nice to see some younger girls. The dessert tray was a few mini classically French desserts: chocolat-framboise mousse, violet macaron, Madeline, gateau pistache, and crème brule. Delicious! The Mariage Freres shop also has a store in the front, which smells absolutely amazing. Even as we walked out, I could smell the herbal and fruit teas all the way down the street.

We headed back to the Louvre for my final visit! We walked through the statue courtyards and viewed all of the Italian, French, and Greek statues. Now, I haven’t seen ALL of the Louvre, but I saw what I was interested in and can honestly can that I’m satisfied with the completion of the Louvre Challenge.

Chantilly

We took a day trip out to see Chantilly- another chateau in France AND home of whipped cream (“Chantilly” in French). It was sunny, 70+ degrees (20 Celsius) and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We took the train 25mintues outside of the city and took a short walk through a forest to arrive at a gorgeous chateau, Horse Park, and gardens. There was a horse show in the afternoon so we started with the chateau and the gardens. It was far too nice to go inside and stare at stuffy furniture so we walked through the gardens, forests, and fountains. We visited the Austrialian gardens with kangaroos (I’m not kidding) and the English gardens with the island of love (Ile d’Amour). After an afternoon of walking, we sat in the grass and enjoyed ice cream topped with whipped cream, of course!

It was a pleasant break from Paris and I was amazed at how easy it was to get there! 25 minutes on the train and we spent an entire afternoon at a beautiful chateau! –the whipped cream wasn’t bad either-