Elizabeth Goes to Paris

My Final Week in Paris

Now that I no longer had classes (with the exception of my final at the Sorbonne), I was ready to make the most of my last week in Paris! On Monday, a special visitor arrived at my host family’s for two days-one of their old host students! Her name was Katherine, and she had stayed with my host parents three years ago and was back in Paris on a program with her graduate school. She arrived Monday morning and invited me to go sightseeing with her for the day. The first thing she wanted to go to was the Eiffel Tower, so we went there and had a picnic lunch. The more I got to know her the more I liked her-she could not have been nicer! It was fun comparing our experiences of living with the Ducoin family, and we found out that we both took the same literature class at the Sorbonne with the same professor! After lunch, we took the metro over to the Montparnasse area of Paris and went up the Tour Montparnasse. It gave us an incredible 360 degree view of the city-I could see all of the major monuments so clearly. After going up the Tour Montparnasse we walked through the Montparnasse Cemetery, where many famous Parisians are buried. To top off the day, Katherine and I went to her favorite place in Paris-the Jardin de Luxembourg. We spent a few hours there just relaxing and people watching before going home and having dinner with my host family. I really enjoyed my day with Katherine.

On Tuesday, I met up with a group of my friends in the St. Michel quartier of Paris. We got crepes for lunch, then went to Amarino’s for gelato.

After lunch, Liz and I decided to visit the Opera Garnier, which is a place I really wanted to visit before leaving. Unfortunately, after arriving, we found out that it was closed to tourists for the afternoon because of a rehearsal in the auditorium. Since we had a free afternoon, we decided to visit the Musee d’Art Moderne instead. It was a modern art museum, and we saw some really interesting and unique works of art. After visiting the Museum, we walked along the Seine River all the way to the Statue of Liberty in Paris. We also saw the monument dedicated to Princess Diana. I went back to have dinner with my host family and Katherine to top off another great day.

On Wednesday, I decided to try visiting the Opera Garnier again. This time I was able to enter, and as I walked up the grand staircase, I was blown away by the Opera’s beauty and opulence. I spent an hour touring the Opera house, seeing the Grand Foyer, the Salon du Glacier, and the auditorium. I loved walking out on the balcony of the Opera House-it gave me a great view of the city.

I had heard from some of my friends that you could go to the top floor of the Gallerie Lafayette for a great view of the city. Since it was right by the Opera House, I figured why not! I went up to the roof top of the Gallerie Lafayette and enjoyed the amazing view I had of the Eiffel Tower.

That afternoon, I stopped by Sweet Briar headquarters to pick up my plane ticket and say goodbye to my directors. Then I went to my favorite boulangerie for the last time and spent the rest of my afternoon relaxing in the Jardin de Luxembourg.

Thursday, after finishing our three hour final at the Sorbonne, my friend Catherine and I went out to lunch at a cafe to celebrate. I met up with some friends after lunch at the Parc Monceau for a few hours, then took the metro to visit another museum I had been wanting to see: the Musee de l’Orangerie! It is an impressionist art museum with Monet’s famous water lily paintings, called the Nypheas. I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the museum.

On Friday I went on a day trip to Giverny with Colleen and Helen! We caught an early train to Vernon, and after about 45 minutes on the train we had arrived in Vernon. In Vernon, we went to the local supermarket to buy food for a picnic lunch, then took it with us on the 20 minute bus ride to Giverny. Once we arrived, we enjoyed our picnic lunch, then bought our tickets to tour the gardens. They were absolutely magnificent-I felt as if I was in a fairy tale! We also toured the inside of Monet’s House and visited the Giverny Museum of Impressionism. We really had a fun day at Giverny-I enjoyed seeing the place that inspired so many of Monet’s paintings.

On Saturday, Mary and I spent the day together at Montmartre. We got crepes for lunch and spent a few hours relaxing on the hill leading up to Sacre Coeur. On our way up the hill, we saw an amazing group of breakdancers perform. After they finished their performance we got a picture with the star breakdancer! While walking around Montmartre, I decided to get my picture done by one of the artists. It took about 45 minutes, and the end result amazed me-the picture really looked like me!

That evening, Colleen and I decided to go back to one of the first restaurants we ate at in Paris in the Marais quarter. We enjoyed a nice long dinner, then met some of our friends to see the Eiffel Tower light up at night one last time. It hit me then  how much I would miss this amazing place.

Sunday, my last day in Paris, was also Mother’s Day in France. My host family hosted a Mother’s Day lunch at their house and also celebrated their grandson’s 4th birthday and invited me to come. It was the perfect chance to spend time with my host family and their children and grandchildren, and it was so wonderful that they included me in their special day. I also spent a good portion of the afternoon packing up my room. Since this is my last blog entry, I decided to include some pictures of the street I lived on, what my host family’s apartment looks like, and my room.

That evening I had my last dinner with my host family. My host family, for our last dinner, asked me to prepare a “trois-trois-trois” list-or three lists of three: three things I liked, three things I didn’t like, and three things I would change or wish I had done. Here was my list:

Three things I liked: My day of surprises with my host dad, Colleen, and Mary; the friends that I made this semester; spending time in all of the beautiful parks in Paris, particularly Parc Monceau

Three things I didn’t like: My literature class at the Sorbonne (so boring/not a great professor); all of the smoking in Paris; eating at 8 pm every night

Three things that I wish I had done/would have changed: Seeing a play or opera in Paris; visiting the Chambord chateau in the Loire Valley; wish that my program would have had more activities for students in the beginning of the semester

After dinner, I got some pictures with my host family and gave them a letter I wrote thanking them for all they have done for me this semester (as well as some flowers for my host mom for Mother’s Day).

I had my last breakfast with my host family Monday morning and packed up all of my luggage into my host dad’s car-he was nice enough to drive me to the airport! At 7 am, I had to say goodbye to Eleonore and my host mom. My host dad took me to the airport and made sure I was settled before leaving. Saying goodbye to my host family was really hard. I know I will keep in touch with them, but I will really miss them! They were such an influential part of my abroad experience. Before I knew it I was on a plane heading back to the USA! As sad as I was to leave Paris, there was nothing better than seeing my parents waiting for me at the airport with flowers and balloons.

Thank you for following my blog this semester-it has been a joy sharing my adventures and experiences with you! My semester in Paris has been such a life changing experience. I feel so blessed to have met so many incredible people, to have visited such amazing places, and to have lived in the most beautiful city in the world. I will miss Paris so much, but I know in my heart that I will be back again someday.

The Musee Rodin, Two Incredible Views of Paris, and a Girls Night with Eleonore

The next week was finals week, so I spent most of that week studying for exams. On Wednesday, as a study break, I went in the afternoon to visit the Musee Rodin. The Musee Rodin hosts Rodin’s entire art collection, including some of his most famous statues such as The Kiss, The Gates of Hell, and The Thinker. It is a beautiful museum with incredible outdoor gardens. I spent hours touring the museum and walking through the gardens. The museum is designed like an old home and was so different from any other art museum I had visited in Paris. I had a wonderful afternoon there-what a perfect study break!

After surviving four days of finals, I was looking forward to a fun weekend! On Friday Mary and I decided to do two things we had not done yet in Paris-to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and to go up the bell tower of the Notre Dame Cathedral! On my first day in Paris I went up the Eiffel Tower with my host parent’s daughter Eloise and her family; however, we only went up to the second floor since the third floor was under construction. How could I leave Paris without going all the way to the top? Mary and I met at the Eiffel Tower before it opened at 9 am Friday morning to beat the crowds. After spending an hour in line we were in the elevator and on our way up! We first stopped on the second floor. I have to say, it was completely different going up in the spring than in the winter. It was a sunny day and I had a much clearer view of the city. Next stop-top floor! Mary and I took the elevator up to the very top, and the view of Paris took my breath away. I have never been up so high in my entire life-I could see all of the other monuments in Paris! As cliche as it is, going up the Eiffel Tower was one of the best things I did during my semester in Paris.

After a great morning going up the Eiffel Tower, Mary and I went to the boulangerie that I took my family to and had a picnic by the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing looking up at the Eiffel Tower and thinking I had gone to the very top that morning!

After a great picnic lunch, we took the metro over to Notre Dame to go up the bell tower! After waiting in line for about an hour, we climbed up all of the stairs to get to the very top. From the top of the bell tower I had another great view of Paris-I even got to touch the Notre Dame bell!

On Saturday I met friends for a picnic at Parc Bellevue. It was a park I had not visited before, and I always love trying out new parks in Paris!

That evening I had a really special night planned with Eleonore-we had a one-on-one girls night! We went to the movie theater in Neuilly to see the movie Midnight in Paris (Minuit à Paris), and then after the movie we went to dinner at her favorite pizza shop in Neuilly. We spent hours just talking and having fun-she has really become such a great friend.

On Sunday I went for the last time to the American Church of Paris. There is a wagon stand by Les Invalides where I get lunch every Sunday, right on my way to the American Church. I love that church, that wagon stand, and that part of the city where I spent so many of my Sundays this semester-I will really miss it!

At dinner that night my host family and I somehow got onto the topic of marriage. I learned that marriage proposals and weddings are very different in France. Each wedding is composed of two parts-the required civil ceremony and the optional religious ceremony. And marriage proposal is nothing like here in the United States-the fathers of both parents discuss marriage with each other and then the man proposes to the woman in front of the family, and they all celebrate together afterward! It is fascinating to learn how things like marriage are so different in French culture.

After going up the Eiffel Tower and the bell tower of Notre Dame, and having a girls night with Eleonore, my second to last weekend in Paris was truly spectacular. Only one week left in Paris!

A Sweet Briar Party, A Tour of Montparnasse, and A Surprise Excursion with my Host Dad

The week after my trip to Versailles was filled with classes, shopping, sightseeing, a Sweet Briar Party, and a surprise excursion with my host dad! It was also a week without my host mom-she was away on a church retreat, so it was just my host dad, Eleonore, and I for the week.

Monday was a busy day of shopping and classes-I successfully found a Paris Univeristy Sorbonne sweatshirt that I had been looking for! On Tuesday evening we had our end of the year party for Sweet Briar for all students and faculty. It was hosted at Reid Hall, located not far from our school campus. It was a nice facility with an outdoor patio, and they served hors d’oeuvres and wine. After the party, my friends and I were really hungry and went to St. Michel to get pizza. We ate along the Seine and watched the sun set and the boats go by. It was the perfect ending to a great evening.

On Wednesday I went on my last field trip with my Paris Monuments class. We did a tour of the Montparnasse area of Paris and saw the famous Tour Montparnasse and the Lion de Belfort. After our field trip was over I found some great shopping stands in Montparnasse and bought some beautiful scarves.

Thursday was a busy day with classes and homework. On Friday, I met up with a group of girls from my Catholic Institute class at a cafe to study for our final Monday. That evening at dinner my host dad told me we were having a special meal-he said I could not be a real Parisian until I had tried escargot! So that evening for dinner we had escargot-and I have to say, it was not too bad. I guess I can say that I am a true Parisian now!

Saturday was a day I had been looking forward to for weeks-my surprise excursion with my host dad! My host dad let me invite two friends over for lunch and then had a day planned for us where he would take us to three surprise places in Paris. I invited Colleen and Mary, and my host dad made us a wonderful three course lunch. Eleonore joined us, and it was so much fun for my friends to see where I live and to get to know my host family. After a delicious lunch, Colleen, Mary, and I got into my host dad’s car, and we were off on our adventure!

Our first surprise visit was to the sewers of Paris-or in French, les egouttes de Paris! The Paris sewers is a tourist site underground-we got a guided tour and learned all about the history of the Paris sewer system.  My host dad said he always chooses this spot because it is a tourist site that many people, especially American students, don’t know about. The tour was so interesting and it was great to see a tourist site in Paris that I had not visited yet!

Our second surprise visit was to, according to my host dad, the best chocolate shop in Paris-Michel Chaudun! We stopped there, and my host dad bought us a bag of chocolate almonds to share-they were absolutely delicious.

Our third and final visit was to a church that is not very well known by tourists-the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, or La Chapelle Notre Dame de la Médaille Miraculeuse. My host dad told us the story of St. Catherine, who saw the Virgin Mary and was told by her to create the miraculous medal. Any person who wore this medal would be protected by the Virgin Mary. It was a beautiful church created in honor of St. Catherine. After visiting the church, my host dad took us to the gift shop and bought us each a book telling the story of St. Catherine and a packet of the medallions. We then went to a nun, who blessed the medallions for us in English. My friends and I had such a wonderful day of surprise adventures with my host dad. He planned such a fun day for us-he is so kind and thoughtful!

My Sunday was very low-key, spent going to the American Church and doing work on the lawn in front of Les Invalides. The upcoming week was finals week, so I had quite a bit of studying to do! My day of surprise visits with Colleen, Mary, and my host dad was definitely one of the highlights of my semester. I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am with my host family and friends that I have met this semester!

An Afternoon Stroll in the 16th Arrondissement and A Day Trip to Versailles

The week after my parents left was busy with getting back into the routine of classes and schoolwork. On Wednesday I went on an hour and a half walking tour of the 16th arrondissement, or district, of Paris with my Paris Monuments class. We saw the Eglise d’Auteuil (Auteuil Church), the Castel Beranger designed by Guimard, and the Villa la Roche designed by Corbusier. These buildings, as well as various apartment buildings we saw on our tour, were influenced by the Art Nouveau movement. One of the streets we spent the most time on was the Rue Mallet-Stevens, with apartments very much reflecting the Art Nouveau era. It was a beautiful and sunny day-a spectacular day for an afternoon stroll in Paris!

On Friday I went with four of my friends-Colleen, Mary, Liz, and Karmen-to Versailles for the day! The last time I had been to Versailles was in February, and I had only visited the gardens and did not go inside the castle. I was so excited to see the gardens in the spring time and to go inside the palace for the first time! We all took an early RER to Versailles, and in about 40 minutes we were there! We first spent time walking around the gardens and seeing the fountains surrounding the palace, then took a walk to visit Marie Antoinette’s estate and the surrounding gardens. As I was walking through the gardens I felt as if I was in a fairy tale. Marie Antoinette really created her own getaway, and I loved walking through the gardens and seeing the ponds and swans, the adorable cottages and windmills, and the famous Temple of Love! After finishing our tour of Marie Antoinette’s estate we stopped to get lunch at the Angelina’s Cafe at Versailles. We found a beautiful spot in an open field to have a picnic.

After lunch we left Marie Antoinette’s estate to tour the Versailles palace for the afternoon! The opulence of the palace blew me away-there are no words to describe Versailles but immaculate! The ornate details, the paintings, the furniture, the chandeliers, the bright colors-truly incredible. I especially loved the Hall of Mirrors.

I spent the rest of the weekend relaxing in parks, meeting up with friends for lunch, doing some homework, and going to the American Church on Sunday. Needless to say, it was another wonderful weekend in Paris.

Week with my Family in Paris!

The week after spring break was one I had been looking forward to all semester-the week when my parents and grandparents were coming to visit me in Paris! I could not wait for them to arrive-it had been almost 4 months since I had seen them, and I really missed them and was looking forward to an awesome week together. I met them at their hotel The Waldorf Madeleine around 10 am Tuesday morning, and after they were settled and unpacked we went to visit the Eglise de la Madeleine. It is a beautiful church that I visited with my Paris Monuments class that was right down the street from the hotel. After that we were on the metro to go to see the Eiffel Tower!

Tuesday was sunny and warm-the perfect day to visit the Eiffel Tower! My family could not get over how large it was in person-I remember thinking the same thing when I saw it for the first time! We then took a bus tour around the entire city, and it was beautiful seeing all of the monuments on such a spectacular day. That evening we had dinner at a brasserie, or French brewery, by the hotel. All in all a great start to our week in Paris together!

On Wednesday we started our day by taking a boat tour along the Seine River-it was my first time doing this and was something I had really wanted to do. It was so breathtaking and relaxing-it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful Paris is. After our hour long boat tour, I took my family to an authentic Parisian boulangerie for sandwiches and pastries by the Eiffel Tower. They could not get over how amazing the baguette sandwiches are (they really are so good), and my dad still talks about the delicious jelly donut he had there! We had a picnic lunch with an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower. It was so much fun showing them the type of place where I get lunch everyday and having them to try authentic French cuisine. There is nothing like it!

After a delicious picnic lunch with a picturesque view, we spent the afternoon touring the Musee d’Orsay, which is probably my favorite museum in Paris. We happened to visit when the Manet exhibit was being shown, which was really spectacular. We toured the museum for several hours, then ended our day with dinner at a wonderful restaurant we found by our hotel.

While I went to class on Thursday morning, my family went to visit the Louvre, and I met up with them early in the afternoon after they had finished touring the museum. My parents and I went from there to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral-my parents were blown away by the beauty of the church. Each time I visit Notre Dame I am completely captivated by its beauty-it is truly an architectural wonder.

That evening we met up with my grandparents to get ready for our dinner with my host family! When my host parents found out that my family was coming to visit me, they told me they wanted to have them over for dinner one night! I loved being able to show my family my neighborhood and where I live, and to meet the family that I have become so close to here. It was wonderful for my host family-both my host parents and Eleanore-to meet my family in person because I have talked about them so much at dinners. It was also a great chance to use my translating skills! My host mom served a four course French dinner-a delicious vegetable appetizer, chicken and potatoes, cheese, and fresh strawberries for dessert. The dinner was so much fun-we spent hours just talking and having a great time. Despite the language barrier, my family and my host family were really able to get to know each other (with a little translating on my part!). It was an evening that I will cherish forever-I know my family felt the same way. Both my family and my host family talked for weeks after about how wonderful that dinner was! Our dinner together that evening was so special and one of the highlights of my semester. 

On Friday morning we stayed in the hotel for a few hours to watch the Royal Wedding on television. Afterwards, I took Pop Pop and my parents to visit the Sacre Coeur church and Montmartre. The view of Paris from Sacre Coeur is truly spectacular. We toured the church and spent time walking through Montmartre, one of my favorite parts of Paris. We went into some of the shops and watched the artists paint people’s pictures and sell their artwork in the streets. We each bought some beautiful prints of paintings of different Paris monuments.

That evening we spent time wandering around the neighborhood surrounding our hotel, and we stumbled upon an adorable creperie where we had dinner. While walking we saw the British Embassy and the Palais de L’Elysee, where the French president Nicolas Sarkozy lives!

On Saturday, I went with my parents to Disneyland Paris for the day, while my grandparents went on a guided bus tour of Normandy. We got there early and spent the entire day visiting both parks-Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. We spent the morning in Disneyland Park and went on lots of great rides, like the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Pirates of the Caribbean, then had lunch on Main Street USA. One thing I learned about Disneyland Paris-it is Sleeping Beauty’s castle, not Cinderella’s castle like it is in the United States!

In the afternoon we headed over to Walt Disney Studios Park, where we saw some great shows and Mom went on the Rock n Roller Coaster! One show we saw was an amazing hour long stunt show. It was interesting how the commentators switched between French and English. At the end of the day, we went back to Main Street USA in Disneyland Park to watch the parade and get dinner and ice cream. Our day in Disneyland Paris was an absolute blast!

Sunday was May 1, or Labor Day in France-all museums and monuments were closed! So we decided to go back to Notre Dame since my grandparents hadn’t seen it yet. We happened to be there during the mass commemorating Pope John Paul’s beatification. The church was packed! We then went to the afternoon service at the American Church of Paris that I go to each Sunday. We spent the rest of the afternoon on park benches by Les Invalides, and I took them to the sandwich stand I go to every Sunday after church. It was a wonderful and relaxing day, and we ended our day with a great dinner at a restaurant by our hotel.

Monday was a wonderful day because we got to meet up with two of my dear friends and sorority sisters from Lafayette, Katie and Carolyn! They are studying abroad in Florence for the semester and were visiting Paris for a few days. My family and I went to the Arc de Triomphe and went to the very top-what an amazing view of the city! We then met Katie and Carolyn there and spent the rest of the day together. I took them to Angelina’s, Paris’s famous cafe and pastry shop. We all got lunch and delicious pastries for dessert!

That afternoon, Katie and Carolyn did some shopping and sightseeing with my family while I went to class. I met up with them in the evening and we went to a great Chinese restaurant for dinner. Then, after dinner, Katie and Carolyn joined my parents and I for a late night bus tour of Paris-it was so magnificent to see the monuments and the city lit up at night. At 11 pm exactly we got to see the Eiffel Tower light up. A perfect ending to a perfect day!

The next day my family left in the morning to fly back to Philadelphia. I was sad to see them go but so grateful to have been able to spend a week with them showing them around Paris!