I absolutely adored these exquisitely pampered gardens with their climbing ivy, strategically placed bits of old gothic architecture, archways, and of course, a menagerie of flowering plants humming with the sound of bees. Surprisingly there were very few people in them, and because they were surrounded by large architecture, everything was noticeably still and quiet. I guess I got used to the city noise faster than I thought because it was a shock to be in a space where I couldn't hear sirens or cars or the busy life on le trottoir (sidewalk). I marked these little sanctuaries down as a place that I will definitely have to seek out for some zen outdoor reading space.
Le Marais is now the home to a large Jewish community, numerous art galleries, tailors, clothing stores for rich people, and my favorite, the Marche des Enfants Rouges. Oh my goodness! No one warned me that such wonderful places existed! The Marche is basically a large covered market and collection of food stalls that sells everything from Fire and Ice radishes to falafel to roast lamb to fresh sushi rolled by an ancient, blind Asian man. The smells and colors and textures of all of the fresh produce and fresh food was like nothing I had seen before. We didn't have time to stop and pick something to eat, but when you guys come to visit we will go for lunch and fancy ourselves gourmands for a day. Since it is so close to all of those gardens I just talked about, my plan is to wander around the Marche for a bit to pick out which 3-4 foods we want to try, and then take them to a garden for a private feast in the sun. Well...I may not be able to wait for spring to do that, so in the name of research, I'll sacrifice myself and go try it out first.
When the tour was over I hurried home to change and grab a bite to eat before hopping back on the Metro and going back up to the other island for the Four Seasons concert at Sainte-Chapelle. Let's just say, the concert was pure magic. Rapturous extacy in stone, glass, light, and music. I walked into the church and was suddenly reminded why I am an art history major. The intricate tracery of the rose window, the sunlight illuminating the stained glass walls, and the dizzying height of the rib vaults were just phenomenal. I'm running out of adjectives to describe the wonder of that place, and if I keep praising all of the things that I love about Paris this blog will become more of a flowery travel brochure than an account of the city.
The music was also very good. There was the violin soloist, a first and a second violin, a viola, a cello, and a harpsichord. The soloist was obviously the spice in the four seasonings! He was so incredibly energetic and animated and used just about every fancy bow technique in the book. At one point he literally jumped into his entrance and the sound echoed down the nave like a drum; different, but good. At the end of the concert, we stood out in the cold for a bit shivering until we realized that we had no obligation to still be there, so I headed off to the Metro. One of the other guys in the group takes the same line as me until just a few stops before I get off, so it was nice not to have walk to the Metro and ride alone at night.
The next day started off early with French class at the APA office, or so I thought. It was actually at the FIE and I had to run to the 38 line bus stop to make it there only slightly late. The nice lady who I sat next to at the restaurant our second night here is our teacher, and she is very good at what she does. She takes her job seriously, but isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to make you remember something even if it involves looking quite silly. The great thing about taking French classes here is that the moment you learn something, there is an opportunity to practice it in real life. For instance, we learned that the moment you walk into someone's personal space, it is proper etiquette to introduce your presence with a simple "bonjour". A quick hello to the busdriver, shopkeeper, person in the elevator, or restaurant hostess will do. Simple right? Well, the moment I left class I started noticing a whole host of bonjour's being said around me and got approving looks from the shopkeepers and folks on the elevator the moment I started saying it as well, even thought they knew immediately that I was not French. The things they just don't put in textbooks!
When we broke for lunch, I went out on the balcony (nine stories up!) to eat my lunch of couscous tabbouleh, granny smith apple, carrot, and some Gouda. The view plus the good eats made my lunch break go way too fast. I even saw one of those old fashioned looking hot air balloons with all of the ropes and rounder balloon going over the city, and every time the wind would pick up a bit I could smell a mixture of the lavender plants on the roof and the boulangerie below us. Yeah, it was just one of those really good moments.
The afternoon classes finished around 16h15, but by then it was pouring down rain. My original plan was to go to the museum at Luxembourg and wait for the rain to stop since it is basically across the street, but the cost for a non-weekend day was a bit steep for me, so for three euros less I bought an umbrella and decided to walk home. I would highly suggest this approach to rain, because there is something very refreshing about wandering around in the rain instead of joining the masses on the buses or in the underground. Best 4€ I've spent yet!
B was a jaunt up to see the Pantheon, C-D was actually a walk through the Jardin du Luxembourg but Google wouldn't let me show it as such, and near E is where I might be taking a few classes. I was planning on going straight home, but a pence to the person who can spot where I took the wrong road :) Yeah, that bit out to point G was a bit long and led me up and down one the few hills in Paris. It ended up taking me about 1h45 to get home, and I was literally dripping from the shins down and my shoes were squeaking with each step because of all the water in them. Needless to say they are now drying on the windowsill. My lesson learned is that when you are on vacation, don't be afraid to buy something quotidian like an umbrella and skip the fancy paintings in favor of a real taste of the city.
When I returned home, I had a simple dinner with the host parents in which we discussed Woodstock and the difference between what is considered "patriotic" in the U.S. and France. Quite interesting. After we cleaned up, we watched an Agatha Christie movie on TV, and the great thing about French TV is that there are absolutely no commercials during a program. I have seen maybe 10-15 commercials since I have been here and that is after watching about an hour every evening! It is so awesome.
On that profound statement, I'll close out. I love yall all much and wish I could be there.
Much love,
Kate Alice
No comments:
Post a Comment