London: Mind the Gap

I've been meaning to write about my amazing trip to England, but I've been so busy trying to see everything in Paris!  Last weekend, I spent 5 days in London, where I stayed with Becky, a friend/roommate from Madison.  We took the Eurostar train from Paris on Thursday night, dropped our bags off at Becky's flat, and then went to a fun Irish bar in the Soho district.  Being in London was like a huge breath of fresh air.. in addition to seeing a familiar face and speaking English, I noticed the city has a much different atmosphere than here in Paris.  The people are a bit more considerate and friendly.  For example if someone bumps into you on the metro in Paris, he or she will usually glare at you.. in London, such person would turn around and say "Pardon me, I'm sorry!"

On Friday, while Becky was in class and most of my roommates from Paris went to the town of Bath, I got a feel for the city myself by walking through Hyde Park and shopping on Oxford Street.  Two of my favorite stores are River Island and Topshop, both of which I believe are only located in England and Ireland.  I spent a little time in the British Library, which houses original written Beatles lyrics, original compositions from Mozart, Purcell, and Mendelssohn, the Magna Carta, and rough drafts of Oscar Wilde's work.  In the afternoon, Becky and I walked to Trafalgar Square and spent time pondering the works of Monet and Van Gogh in the National Gallery.  We then wandered down towards Big Ben and the London Eye, both of which were gorgeously lit up at night.  The night ended in true British fashion: we ate a traditional English dinner at a pub, and then went out once again in the Soho area, which is always bustling with nightlife.

We started out Saturday with a quick trip to Buckingham Palace, and then rode the tube to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and the Tate Modern art museum.  Some of the art here was quite questionable (examples: a mirror, some random sticks, and a piece of paper glued on the wall) but there were some pieces by Picasso and Liechtenstein that I really enjoyed.  We sampled food at the nearby Borough Market, and then walked along the river to the Tower Bridge- one of London's prettiest sites, in my opinion.  We then met up with Megan, Greg, and Natalie and saw a matinee West End (Broadway) performance of Chicago.. it was amazing!  Just yesterday, I found out that the same time we were at the show, Prince Harry was eating dinner TWO BLOCKS away from us... I was freaking out!  Later, Becky and I went out to a posh bar near Liverpool Station for her friend's birthday.

On Sunday we started by taking the tube to Kensington Palace, right in the middle of Hyde Park.  I then did a hop-on hop-off bus tour, which I really enjoyed because the guide told us lots of interesting facts about all the famous places around town.  I got off at Tower of London, and was the only one of my roommates willing to pay 15 pounds to go inside the tower- SO worth it.  The tower has so much history, and I was able to see the royal crowns and dresses, such as the what Queen Elizabeth wore for her coronation.  They also showed the armor and swords of past Kings.  The entire tower has so much history, and once you pass inside the gates, it's basically a city of it's own (with it's own post office).  I next ventured over to Westminster Abbey, the site of the future royal wedding.  I didn't want to pay a ridiculous amount of money to go inside, but if you go for a service or mass, it's free- so that's what I did.. I went to an Evensong service, which they invite people from all countries and religions to participate in mass.  It was amazing, hearing the choir and organ echo off the walls of the greatest church in the English-speaking world.  Sunday night, we went to a bar to watch the Packers win the Superbowl! Everything about that night was great- watching the game, eating great food, and meeting lots of people from Madison studying in London.  Two of the guys I met were originally from Oconomowoc, which was interesting and fun.  After lots of craziness and celebration, we returned back to Becky's flat around 3 or 4am.

Even after the late night, I was up and out the door at 9am to get in some last sight-seeing.  I went back on the hop-on/off bus to Picadilly Circus and then walked to Buckingham Palace for the changing of the guard ceremony.  After watching the guards march and the band play, I went to one of the greatest stores in the world- Harrods.  I spent some time in there, and then went across the street to TopShop, a famous London store owned by Kate Moss.  Then it was time to catch the Eurostar back "home" to Paris.  The weekend was a much-needed break.. it was great to see Becky, and I loved being able to speak English! Not that I can complain about living in Paris...

Can we just eat our way down the street?

This past Tuesday, we started classes at ESCP.  If we thought the 75 minute "power-lectures" at Madison were long, it's nothing compared to the 3 hour classes here.  Luckily I know a few people in each class, so I can talk to them during our (much need) breaks.  We will have much less work for these classes, which is a refreshing change of pace from last semester!

On Thursday, we went to Club Mix, one of the nicest nightclub in Paris.  The doormen are very selective about who is let into the club, so you have to be young and dressed up.  The club is huge, and exactly what one would expect when picturing a European rave: lights flashing everywhere, bars, loud techno music, and everyone dancing.  The best part is this club is free on Thursday nights for international students, so we didn't have to pay anything to have an amazing night!  We will definitely be back soon..

None of my roommates nor I have classes on Fridays, so a few of us went inside Notre Dame.. the last time I went there was with my Aunt Jane, so re-visiting it brought back a lot of fun memories.  We then met up with Greg and Natalie for coffee/hot chocolate and walked over to Ile Saint-Louis, one of two islands in the middle of the Seine river.  This area is so cute, and for numerous reasons.  First of all, very few tourists know about the island's charm, and there are no busses or metro stops.  The best part of Ile Saint-Louis, however, is all the tiny specialty shops.  We searched for an ice cream shop recommended by travel guru Rick Steves, and instead found tiny shops that only sell chocolate, toy puppets, scarves, stationary, and candy.  It seemed like the closest one could get to shopping down Harry Potter's Diagon Alley.  Natalie asked if we could just eat our way down the street; every shop sold delicious food.  We then headed over to the Odeon area in the 6th arrondissement to an Italian restaurant also recommended by Rick Steve's, and then across the street to an American bar, The Frog and Princess.  That really is the bar's name..

Saturday, we met some friends in the Latin Quarter and walked through the Luxembourg Gardens to Luxembourg Palace.. it was gorgeous even with the fountains iced over, but I can't even imagine how beautiful it will be in a few months when it is warmer and the flowers start blooming.  We then headed towards the Eiffel Tower and ate lunch at the cutest bakery/cafe with a mural painted on the ceiling.  Our next stop was the Hotel des Invalides and the Army Museum, where we saw Napoleon's tomb.  I have seen his tomb before, but I had forgotten how beautiful the whole building is.  Napoleon's tomb is basically a 2-story high wooden coffin, and there are apparently 5 coffins inside it.

It was warm and sunny on Sunday, so I walked along the Seine for a good two hours.. it was so relaxing! I then went to le Musee d'Orsay, a museum that was closed due to a worker's strike the last time we were in Paris.  I had been wanting to visit this museum for weeks, and finally decided to go by myself as my friends were busy.  Personally, I liked this museum better than the Louvre, simply because it houses the impressionist pieces (my favorite type of art).  I spent 2 hours walking around viewing art by Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, and sculptures by Rodin (one of my favorite sculptors).  My roommate Jen turned 21 the next day, so we all went out for dinner, dessert, and then to a karaoke bar next to Notre Dame (until 4am).  All in all, a very fun day and night!

On Monday, (Jen's birthday) everyone else had class, so the two of us wandered to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.  We followed Rick Steve's detailed walking tour and spent a good hour finding the graves of Jim Morrison, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Gertrude Stein.  It was a very tranquil walk, and many of the cemetery's graves are more like tiny chapels dedicated to a single family.  Visiting the cemetery isn't a must-see for visitors, but it's an interesting place for someone living in Paris for 5 months (aka me).

One who wanders isn't necessarily lost

This past week, we started orientation at ESCP.  I met lots of people from various countries, including a couple girls from Argentina, a guy from Germany, and another from Belgium.  There are also a number of people from Illinois and Texas taking classes at ESCP this semester.  In the basement of our school there is a cute (and cheap) bar, and there was a party there last Tuesday night.. it was really fun and we met a lot of nice French guys.

On Wednesday, my roommates and I went ice skating at Hotel de Ville, the city hall, which was lit up with sparkling lights and Christmas trees.  The weather has been perfect the past two weeks, so I've just been wearing a fleece jacket most days.  It was raining all day today, but then again I'll take Paris in any weather!

One of my favorite things to do, and in my opinions one of the best ways to explore a city, is to just walk around and take everything in: the buildings, the cafes, the people... I walked to Notre Dame, down Rue de Rivoli, and around le Marais neighborhood.  (It is probably a good thing I am walking so much, as most of my meals consist of chocolate croissants, baguettes, and pasta!)

Speaking of food, I have yet to have a bad meal in Paris.  Whether it's cooked by my roommates or a meal at a cafe or brasserie, everything is superb.  One of my favorite menu items is the "croque madame," which is similar to a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a poached egg on top.  When grocery shopping, you often have to go to a few different places: a boulangerie for bread, a delicatessen for meat, an epicerie for spices, and a patisserie for desserts.  (Or you could be lazy and go to the nearby Monoprix supermarket).  About every other day we walk to a nearby boulangerie and buy huge baguettes (for 90 cents).. even the bread at a mediocre or below-par boulangerie is better than you will find anywhere in the States.

My roommates and I spent a few hours at the Louvre the other day.  I will probably return many more times over the semester- both when I have visitors and even just on my own.  In three hours, I explored the Egyptian wing and saw the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory (my favorite).  We walked through the Grand Gallery and saw many of the Italian and Spanish paintings.  On my next visit, I want to spend time in the Richelieu wing, which houses everything from crowns, jewels, and furniture of Napoleon and many French kings/queens.

I engaged in some shopping over the past few days and bought some European clothing essentials: leather boots, a brown leather jacket, leggings, and a spring scarf.  On a similar note, I just bought a Eurostar ticket to visit my friend Becky in London!

Le Tour Eiffel, Montmartre, and the Packer's most dedicated fans?

Now that we are (somewhat) unpacked and settled into our apartment, we've taken time to be touristy and visit some of Paris' most famous sites.  On Friday, a few of us woke up early and ventured to the Eiffel Tower.  We walked around and saw it from many different views, including from the Trocadero, where you almost look down onto it.  We then walked over to l'Arc de Triomphe and down the famous Champs Elysees- I will need to come back here to do some shopping, as the semi-annual government-regulated French sales have just started.  We walked Champs Elysees in its entirety, and ended at the Place de Concorde.  Natalie really had to use the bathroom and after an hour of searching for one, she decided to just walk into the Hotel de Crillon as though she owned the place.  This hotel is one of the fanciest in the world, and many celebrities including Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr frequent it.  (As in, I heard they were at the hotel the same day that Natalie snuck in).. we also walked past the US Embassy which was highly guarded with security.

Last night, we decided to watch the Packer game, which was playing at 2am.  My roommates and I all dressed up in skirts/dresses, and Greg was so confused why we would be so dressy simply for a football game- we didn't have an answer.  Leaving the apartment at 11, we started at the Bastille area (sooo gorgeous) and then walked to an American bar in the Latin Quarter.  We crossed two bridges over the Seine River, and had a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame lit up at night.  At the bar, we met many English-speaking people including a large group of girls from Milwaukee.  It was just like being back in a bar in Madison- everyone was cheering on the Packers, and I mean everyone.. even the bartenders!  They were dressed in Packers jerseys and gave us free drinks after they won.  By the time the game was over it was 5:30am, and the metro was just re-opening for the day.  We walked into the empty metro station and were coincidentally followed by 4 French policemen and their drug dog, and they laughed as Ali struggled majorly to make it through the turnstiles to get to the trains haha (eventually they just let her in free).  Also, why do French guys always sit on the railings of moving walkways? It's quite hilarious- nearly every other guy!

Today, we slept in after our late night/early morning adventure and then walked to Montmartre at dusk- it is definitely my favorite area of the city so far.  The Sacre-Coeur Basilica sits on top of the highest hill in Paris, and you have a gorgeous view of the entire city.  It was so relaxing, and people were playing music and painting pictures.  This area is where many famous artists including Van Gogh, Picasso, and Renoir used to live and paint.  It really seems as though you are stepping back in time, and there are so many cute cafes that are perfect for people-watching.  The streets are tiny and steep, and the Christmas decorations are still up.  We walked a little and randomly ended up at Moulin Rouge and the red light district.  The whole area has so much history and character; I really want to go back with my Rick Steves book (haha) and go inside the basilica, find Van Gogh's studio, and simply eat a crepe at a nearby cafe.  For my friends and family that will be visiting me: I will drag you up there, whether you want to or not!  It was absolutely charming and breathtaking.

Arriving in the City of Light

On Tuesday, we arrived in Paris after an 8 hour flight from O'Hare.  We met a few other friends at the Charles de Gaulle airport and took a shuttle van to our apartment.  Driving into the city, we dropped off an older couple in the 1st arrondissement, and thus drove past le Tour Eiffel, l'Arc de Triomphe, le Museé d'Orsey, and down the famous Champs Elysees.  Although many of us have been to Paris before, we were all glued to the window in awe- I don't think visiting Paris could ever get old.  Upon arriving at our apartment, we met our landlord, Phillipe.  He was very kind and showed us around.  Even though our apartment is centrally located in Paris, it is literally an oasis from the craziness of the city.  There is a gated entrance, and our apartment has large windows overlooking gorgeous gardens.  The apartment itself is quite large, except we have all had trouble adjusting to the miniscule bathroom.

We walked around a bit and ate lunch at le Plein Soleil, a cute cafe about a block away from our school.  It has been raining on and off the past few days, but it was warm enough to sit outside at the cafe.  Greg and Meghan cooked a delicious pasta dinner, and we celebrated with no less than 6 bottles of wine!  It was a fun bonding night.

On Wednesday, Chelsea and I ventured to a nearby market, which sold everything from cheese to octopus to eight different types of olives.  Our two final roommates arrived, and we spent the majority of the day settling into the apartment.  For dinner, a group of us went out to a great Italian restaurant, where we had the BEST margharita pizza.

Today, we slept in and had lunch at a nearby brasserie, or restaurant/bar, called Chez Gudule.  It was a typical Parisian restaurant, but was really cute with bikes and tables hanging from the ceiling.  We initially stood outside the restaurant for a good minute trying to figure out where the door was/ how in the world we get in.. and we almost left because we didn't want to make a fool of ourselves.  Eventually Ali mustered up the courage and pushed this thing that looked more like a wall than a door, and we were in.. there is never a dull moment with our group.


Our apartment is ironically on the edge of Paris' Chinatown, and we ventured around for a while looking for a store to buy European phones… we were unsuccessful.  We decided to take the metro to Rue de Rivoli, a ritzy street near the Louvre with lots of shopping.  Two minutes after getting off the metro, a twelve-car motorcade passed us, and we're 99% sure it was Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President.  We later passed the Hotel de Ville, the city hall, which was lit up gorgeously for the holidays- there was an ice rink, carousel, and lots of glittering lights. After twenty minutes of walking, we finally reached the Orange store, where we were able to buy phones to talk to our fellow Europeans without breaking the bank.  Note: I don't plan on using my US phone here, so I would advise against texting me!

At 9pm, our landlord held a party for us 6 girls to meet the rest of the residents of our apartment complex.  It started off with awkward conversation and us all huddling near each other, but by the end of the night we were all speaking French and sharing interesting stories with the residents.  I’ve found that I can understand much of what people say, but sometimes it takes a moment to gather my thoughts and correctly respond.  Natalie tried to compliment Phillipe on the wine, but it came out “I like your belly” instead of “I like the wine” haha.  In fact, one of the ladies we met used to be a professor at Princeton.  Everyone was very welcoming and gave us recommendations for nearby restaurants and markets.

Now that we’re settled into the apartment, I’m excited to do some exploring around the city.  I would love to leave in May knowing Paris like the back of my hand.

Preparations

In 3 days, I will be boarding a transatlantic flight to Paris... it never seemed like the day would come!  I will be studying at ESCP-Europe, one of the top European business schools.  The school is located in the heart of the city, and has about 2,000 students. Interesting fact: former Prime Minister of France Jean-Pierre Raffarin graduated from ESCP.  I will be taking 4 classes this semester, which translates back to 12 credits at UW- this is actually the recommended amount by UW for a semester abroad.  Each class is held only once a week, for 3 hours with a small break halfway through.  Supposedly the Americans spend this break downing coffee, and the French spend the break smoking in the courtyard haha. typical.  Also, I only have classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which leaves me nice long weekends for exploring Paris and traveling around Europe!

I will be staying in an apartment on the border of the 10th/11th arrondissements with 5 other girls from Madison.  All the girls are extremely nice and outgoing, so I'm positive it's going to be a fun semester!  A few other people from Madison stayed in the same apartment a year ago and really recommended the place and the landlord, Phillipe.  One of our roommates, Meghan, has been emailing back and forth with Phillipe, and he wished us all a "glittering" New Year! haha.  The apartment is luckily fully furnished, so basically all I need to bring is myself, my two suitcases filled to the brim with clothes and other essentials, and a thirst for adventure.

The past few months, and especially the past week, have been full of preparations for the trip.  I first had to apply for a visa, which was a confusing 2-month process that included a trip to the French Consulate in Chicago.  I also had to sign up for classes at ESCP- this was not nearly as easy as at UW.  Additionally, all students studying abroad through the business school had to take the prep class International Business 399, which to say the least was a waste of time if you've traveled abroad a lot.

In these last 3 days, I will be attempting to finish packing and squeeze in time to say goodbye to my friends.  I have also been reading a few Paris guidebooks to better understand the history and meaning behind some of the city's famous architecture and monuments.  Although I've been to Paris a few times before, there is obviously a huge difference between visiting a place for a couple days and living there for 5 months.  I'm not quite sure what to expect actually living in a foreign country, but I am leaving the States with an open mind- I am soooo excited to see what crazy adventures I have! Au revoir.