Paris stretch

With my host parents in the salon

I love Paris. I’m glad I’ve gotten to spend the whole week here (gasp!) without traveling for once. It’s a real shame that the quarter is so short, because it’s very difficult to balance taking advantage of being in Europe while still getting to spend a significant amount of time in one place. I think I’m mostly happy with the way I’ve divided my time here, but it has been really nice staying in Paris for the past week or so and I don’t want the quarter to end.

Wednesday, for Estelle’s class, we met at Musée Marmottan, conveniently located within walking distance of my host family’s apartment. It’s small museum, but has the largest collection of Monet’s works in the world. I really liked it. Also, they had an exhibition that was shown in the Stanford Medical School library about Monet’s vision and what his paintings likely looked like to him. It was great to see the modified print (Monet’s vision) directly next to the original work. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing errands, stopping by Fnac to get a memory card and Shakespeare & Co. to pick up a book for Emilie. I chose Of Mice and Men; I hope she likes it! When I was walking back to the metro, I found the cheapest crepes in Paris (informal comparison), and walked by a bar where a girl was leaning back over a candle and her hair caught on fire! It was literally all aflame. I was waving my hands trying to get her attention and eventually she realized her head was on fire.

Thursday I had Practicum presentations until 2pm, after which I grabbed lunch and met Heimunn at the Conciergerie to see the temporary exhibit on World’s Fair architecture. It was extremely interesting, but the entire hall was filled with 80-something women. Very specific demographic landscape. Anyway, the Conciergerie was the first home to the French kings starting in the 6th century until the 11th, then the seat of Parliament, and then was a prison. The main hall is enormous with absolutely gigantic fireplaces. The exhibit on the architecture was cool and I learned a lot about the World Fairs in Paris that I didn’t know before. They built and destroyed elaborate buildings like it was nothing!

Thursday night was the Host Family Cocktail at ISEP. I went with my host parents and introduced them to my friends, and I met their host parents. It was a successful event overall, although the hors d’oeuvres that were meant to replace dinner were not sufficient.

Friday I had my final exam for Comparative Health Systems. After getting that out of the way, I met up with Heimunn for lunch and then we went to the Louvre to meet up with Michael and his friend Zane, visiting from Edinburgh. Heimunn and I showed off a little of our 19th century French painting knowledge before walking through the Tuileries to the Orangerie. Before we left the Louvre, however, how small the world is became very apparent in two ways: first, Zane is friends with Alex who knows my friend Julie at Penn, and also knows Emma who is in Edinburgh who went to my high school; second, I saw and talked to Michigan people I had met two years ago when I visited Allyson outside the Louvre near the pyramid. Small world!

On the way over to the Orangerie, Heimunn and I walked by the Dior prêt-à-porter show as it was ending, and we saw some models and very fashionable people walking by. It was cool. Then in the museum, we saw panoramic water lilies by Monet, displayed in circular rooms so you feel as though you’re in an aquarium. They were beautiful.

Panoramic Monet

Friday night was a Bing event: ballet at Opera Garnier! It was stunning. Everything. Opera Garnier is unbelievably beautiful and the ballet itself was wonderful. We saw Le Parc by Angelin Preljocaj, a modern ballet exploring the timeless concepts of love and pursuit. It was an interesting mix of modern and traditional choreography set to Mozart. The sets were spectacular and the dancing as well. I’m glad we got to see it. We had amazing seats, too; right in the orchestra!

Chagall ceiling in Opéra Garnier

Heimunn, Michael, Zane and I had dinner in St. Michel and then got a drink in the 6th at a bar the boys had discovered earlier that week. We got the last Metro home, except by the time I got to my connection to the nine off of the ten the metro had stopped running, which meant I had to walk from Michel-Ange Auteuil. It could have been worse.

Saturday was largely unproductive. I slept late and looked at spring classes on Courserank, went running, then hung out at a café near my house to have some food and to read. I still have a ton left to do! I met Michael and Zane for dinner in Montmartre and then stopped by the birthday bash celebration of Kerstin and Aleema at a bar right near Pigalle. A couple of us migrated up the hill to a hole-in-the-wall bar Michael and Zane had been at before dinner that had a great atmosphere. Funky art was on the walls and the artist was milling around, socializing; some guy from Madagascar who plays jazz was talking to everyone; the one guy working there made super strong drinks with a big smile; all drinks cost only 3.50! We’ll definitely be going back. I took the last metro back again, except guess what happened? I missed my connection. I love the 16th but it is freaking hard to get to! I was stranded near the Arc de Triomphe, a half-hour walk at least. I had run out of cash and didn’t really want to spend a ton of money on a cab, so I started to wander. The problem was I forgot my map (which I never forget!), and wasn’t feeling too good about walking. Luckily I found a stop for my Noctilien line, the night bus that runs after the Metro stops running, and took that home.

Today I have too much work that I am clearly avoiding by writing this. I’m going to hole myself up in a café.