A month in Paris

Painting inside of Palais Luxembourg

View of Luxembourg Gardens

Ceiling inside of Palais de Luxembourg

Ceiling Inside of Palais de Luxembourg

Fountain in Luexmbourg Gardens

French Parliament

Painted ceiling in National Assembly

Orchestra inside of National Assembly

National Assembly

Les Refuges

Les Refuges in Montmarte

This week was very interesting for me. I spent the end of last weekend and most of the week with a cold but drank lots of tea and tried to catch up on sleep and felt much better thankfully! This weekend was probably my favorite that I have had thus far in Paris. Not only did we have a wonderful birthday weekend for one of my good friends here named Juliette, but it was a unique weekend in Paris as many monuments were open to the public. This happens very rarely and they are called special heritage days. The lines are a bit lengthy so we only limited ourselves to two, but it was a treat to go inside some of these buildings.

We do not have classes on Fridays and my last class on Thursday ends at 10:30 in the morning, giving me a very long enjoyable weekend each week. My days are fairly busy Monday through Thursday, but having such a long weekend, is definitely a reward for working hard in classes all week. I am also happy to report that I got an A on my final for our two week practicum last week, which I found out about this week. Although it is just one test, it has motivated me to keep working hard on my French language skills.

A Few Highlights from the weekend: Since my weekend begins on Thursday, two of my friends and I went to a concert at a club inside the Moulin Rouge. As most everyone knows, going to concerts has always been one of my favorite things to do, as music has been a real passion of mine for as long as I can remember. Having said this I have been to many concerts and music festivals and the one on Thursday was one of my absolute favorites! There were tons of DJ's with the headliners being Steve Aoki (from Santa Barbara ironically), A-Trak, and the Toxic Avenger. I had the most amazing time and I think it has been my favorite night in Paris thus far.

Friday evening, we began the night by going to a well known Fondue restaurant in Montmarte called Les Refuges, for my friend Juliette's birthday. I pictured the restaurant to be a quaint, little French restaurant nestled in the charming cobble stone streets lit with tons of candles. Instead, this place was very entertaining and a true dining experience. There is no menu, the waiters were little brash, and everyone at the restaurant sits at long tables together. You are served a large boiling pot of cheese and a dish of meat with an assortment of sauces and tons of goodies to dip. You are also given wine with your meal served out of baby bottles. The walls are covered in signatures and other decorative graffiti-esque art. There is a general jovial atmosphere and you make friends with other people sitting next to you quite easily. Not only was it delicious, but he had so much and will definitely probably go back before the term's end.

This weekend was a special one in Paris as many monuments were open to the public. On Saturday we visited the National Assembly building. This was really special to see and the building was magnificent. We went into the room where the French parliament meets and saw all the buttons for voting. It was very fun to be able to go into. As usual, the architecture and interior of the building was beautiful Much of the painting in the building was done by French artist Eugene Delacroix. My friends and I spent the rest of the day strolling through the streets of Paris and wound up at the Eiffel Tower. Although it is an incredibly touristy area, it still amazes me that I can spend any day I want gazing at on of the most important monuments in the world. (There was also a bomb scare earlier in the week there, but it was a false alarm!) Later in the evening, we decided to get dressed up as the second part of friend's birthday and go to Buddah Bar, a very elegant lounge right next to Hotel de Crillon. We nearly had to pinch ourselves as we got off the metro beforehand. In the near distance we could see the Eiffel Tower sparkling, a large fountain dramatically displaying its water show, all while standing in the beautiful 8th Arrondisement. Juliette said that it was her favorite birthday yet and said her gift from Paris was seeing the Tower sparkle unexpectedly as soon as we exited the metro.

Today, we went the Luxembourg Gardens and then to Palais de Luxembourg, the seat of the French senate, to see another building not normally open to the public. The palace was extravagant, grandiose, and everything a palace should be in terms of luxury. I learned which originally a palace and living quarters for the mother of Louis the X111 of France. It was also used during the German occupation as luxurious apartments and was spared from destruction thankfully during WWII. It was very striking and the art work was extraordinary.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend and everyday I am here I realize how in love with the city I am. My friends and I are already thinking of ways to stay in Paris forever. Before leaving I wondered if packing for Europe for four months, having never been, and going to a place where I didn't speak the language was too ridiculous of an idea. However, I can already say that I believe this is one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. It's safe to say I have already been truly impacted by it and many ways and feel so lucky to have three more months left. I have met so many amazing people here, most who ask, when they learn I am from California, are you from LA or San Francisco? I think its funny, but honestly the French people are probably more geographically knowledgeable than I am. My friends and I really can't believe what we get to do on a weekend. At school or home, weekends are usually limited to hanging out with friends, homework, this and that. Here we are still in awe that we text each other saying, meet me at Fontaine Saint Michel and we'll go to Notre Dame from there. It is so surreal and I am loving every moment of it!

Hope this message finds you all healthy and happy! Bises! xx