Wknd happenings

Holidays are in like 4 days! I can’t wait for Amsterdam. The Netherlands seem like a great country from all Paige has said (she studied abroad there). I am couch surfing, and have since switched hosts to someone who gets back to my emails, so that is all set. It should be a good time. Meghan gave me an orange scarf and shirt to have for Queen’s Day in exchange for an adapter because she is going to London. All in all, I am getting excited for it. Especially the tulips! All the tulips are blooming there right now, and I googled it, and it looks so pretty.

This weekend was pretty packed with stuff. A French friend has a bday party at a bar Friday night. And then Saturday, I went to Versailles with Jerome. It iswas sunny weather, so it was a good day to go. Since we are under 26, the Chateau was free. We quickly went through the Chateau and then explored the gardens. It was so massive! We ended up taking a boat on the canals, which was cool and then getting some ice cream sitting by the canals. We attempted to find Marie Antoinette’s house, but we couldn’t find it and were tired.  We both really enjoyed it; it was a nice day.

We didn’t do too much that night because we were tired and had a big day the next day. We went to Vincent’s village he grew up in, which was like an hour by train outside Paris. It was very small. Smaller than my little town, but quaint and cute of course. We just meandered around and Vincent ran into some old friends, and then we had a nice picnic by this pretty river. We then walked forever down a road to some Stone Henge-like rocks, but never found them. We took back trails to get back. At one point we crossed this muddy river and had to take off our shoes. It was a painful experience because there were briers  but it is funny to think about now.

When we got back to Paris, Air de Paris was open, so me and Jerome b-lined there. This is a hot air balloon I saw in November randomly, and I was like I HAVE TO GO. And every wknd it has been closed until this past Sunday, so we went! It was great. It is just this massive air balloon anchored by this metal (idk the word) rope, so it doesn’t sway off into the wind. And the conductor just releases this rope to go up in the air. So you just get to see a great view of Paris. Pretty legit!

Today I met up with Meghan at Printemps near the Opéra to buy a baby present. Then we sat on top of the café and soaked in the view. After, I headed to have lunch with Nico. We picnicked near his work by this cool looking manmade water full that was actually very pretty. Then I headed home.

Nico gave me a French show recently called Les Revenants (translated They came back), and it is so good. It is a sci-fi show kinda, so it is right up my alley. I am also addicted to Game of Thrones. On book 3! So good!

Better Weather

So tomorrow marks 3 months until I am done au pairing. Woooooo. Counting down the days.

Last weekend I went to Lyon with Paige, Meghan, and Lindsey. It was a really good trip! Especially to discover a new city in France. It was sunny and in the 60’s, which was very nice, so we just walked all over on Saturday hitting up all the sites. The main part of town was between 2 rivers, so there were a lot of bridges. The city itself was very colorful, which made it beautiful. My favorite part was the Basilica with an awesome city view with the Alps in the background. The church was so gorgeous with mosaics and such. We climbed like a thousand steps to get there, though, so it was a workout!

Next weekend marks the beginning of holidays! My last holidays til I am done. I am going to Amsterdam and Lille with Paige, and then Nice to join Jerome. So I am excited about that. Visiting a new country plus re-visiting two cities. It will be nostalgic being in Lille again!!

The weather is nicer now. Such a relief!! It was in the mid 70’s Sunday and Wednesday. I laid out yesterday and today to get some color. The girl thought I was so weird haha. This weekend, I want to go to Versailles with Jerome to visit the gardens. I have never been to the gardens, and it is supposed to be nice, so I want an outside activity. We also want to do the Balloon de Paris; a hot air balloon in Paris. It is always closed though because it is sensitive to the weather, so maybe this weekend. 

Updates

I think I am officially blogged out at this point, so I will just update periodically and randomly from now on. I have been consumed with working on my grad school applications, so I haven’t had a lot of free time. Right now, I have done as much as I can do before I meet up with Jerome tomorrow to work on it, so I am free!

As for random updates…

I am in a new French class now and LOVE it. I have this older man as a teacher, and he is so funny and sweet. I love him, and I understand everything he says, which is cool. Also it is weird, but even though I am in an upper level of class, the people are generally worse than the people in my last class, so I feel at ease because everyone is at my level. I am just comfortable in there. I haven’t skipped yet because I’ve enjoyed myself.

On Monday, I went to an Australian café with Meghan. Most of the workers were Australian, so we got to speak English! I ordered this almond, pear bread, which was uber yummy too.

I am going to Lyon this weekend with Paige, Lindsey, and Meghan! American girls’ weekend wooo! We found a bus for 5 euro to Lyon, but going back, I am taking a train earlier than the girls because the bus comes back too late for me to catch my last train. But it’ll be a good weekend. A SKEMA friend from Raleigh was in Paris a few wknds ago, and he told me all the places to go, so that’s cool to have a local’s point of view on things.

Overall the weather has generally been better. Other than today and yesterday, it has not rained for what seems like 2 weeks. It has been sunnier! And I have gone on two picnics to enjoy the sun, even when it is chilly. Once under the Eiffel Tower and once at Parc Belleville, which has a good view of the city.

On Saturday, me and Jerome just walked around Paris, but it was really fun. There was a parade right outside his apartment, which we followed, and we think it was a teacher strike, but it was Saturday, so who knows. Then we went to Pont Neuf, which is right on the Seine where you just sit by the water. There was this cute, manicured garden with flowers, so it was pretty. We meandered our way to the Pont des Arts, which is covered in locks that represent lovers. We then continued upon the Louvre, and we found this pigeon man, who was feeding and holding pigeons, and he helped tourists do it to. So I did it! The pigeons were fighting on my arms, so it was kinda scary but cool. They didn’t poop on me either! We were cold at that point, and walked by the Opera and found a brasserie for some vin chaud and this tuna stuff, and then we went home. It was a full day just enjoying the city.

We went out to eat that night too. I wanted to go to a Japanese Steakhouse, and Jerome said they had them here, but it wasn’t the same (not surprising). It was a good meal, but we didn’t get mountains of food with shrimp sauce (so good, I miss that stuff). We did get 30% off though from a restaurant website, so we are gonna use that site from now on for sure!

The Saturday before that, I went to Jerome’s gym with him where he goes rock climbing. I attempted it, but it was scary, so after one try, I stopped and just worked out with treadmills and stuff. We then went to a show called How to be Parisian in One Hour discussing French and American stereotypes. It was hilarious! I’ve been hearing about the show everywhere, so I am glad I finally went.

We also booked a trip to Nice during the second week of my next vacation, so that’s cool! I am going to Amsterdam and Lille the first week, then Nice. I can go visit IAE Nice while I am there too to check out one the schools I will (by then) have applied for. I need to go visit the one in Paris too… haven’t done that yet. Maybe next weekend I will go with Jerome.And then the one in Bordeaux... I just won’t see it until (if) I go there.

Ants have been invading my room. They are so annoying. I just kill each one I see, which is constantly. They don’t really get into food though surprisingly. Although, last wknd they did get into my Mentos when I came back Sunday night. I made brownies today, and I have wrapped them up in multiple layers and in a zipped duffle bag, so hopefully they are safe until tomorrow when I bring them to Jerome as a thank you gift because he has been helping me a lot with my applications.

Well I want to a watch a show, so goodbye until I right here again!