The Magnificant Mont Saint-Michel!

And the traveling has begun! A week ago Monday we were lucky enough to have the day off from class so we took advantage of it to book a trip to the amazing island of Mont Saint-Michel. This was by far one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen in my entire life. So many people said this was a must see while in France, so we sat down and tried to make it happen! After some scheduling setbacks we finally were able to figure out a way to make it work for today, so at 6am we departed the hotel for the train station. (Needless to say I was not a happy camper, and when the man at the front desk told me breakfast wasn't open until 7 and scolded me for taking a croissant he got to experience the wrath of early AM Courtney.). We got to the Montparnasse Train Station, which was surprisingly easy, very clean AND they had fresh smoothies so I knew the day was off to a good start. We boarded the train and it was as we left Paris and started passing through the small towns of France it hit me I'm in France. This week has been the week of "wow I'm  really in Paris" moments, and this was just as impressive. The old fashion little farm towns are honestly straight out of a movie, and I can't help but wonder what life in a small French town really is like. We got to Rennes, the last stop of the train and took a bus to Mont Saint-Michel. We learned a few life lessons about busses In France. 1) You do not eat or drink on the bus. 2) You have a seatbelt that needs to be fastened. 3) Bus drivers will roll down their windows and yell to passing bus drivers a "Bonjour! Ça va?" And then the most down to earth lesson of them all...4) If someone isn't feeling well the bus will pull over for them and wait until they are ready to get back on. As someone whose had her fair share of carsick experiences I was shocked at this common courtesy that would never occur in America.

We got to the Mont and had to take one more shuttle to the castle. The rain was coming down, and we were a little bummed, but as soon as we got off the bus the sky cleared and blue sky started peeking through the clouds! The sight was breathtaking, here in the middle of the water was an Abbey built in 708! We HIKED and I mean hiked up to the entrance of the Abbey and I have to say I was thoroughly impressed by the number of elderly people who were climbing right alongside us. We got our audio guides and set off! The Abbey was built by Aubert, Bishop of Avranches in honor of the Archangel. The idea came to him in a dream and it was set in motion. The Benedictines came and settled into the Abbey in the 10th Century and helped turn it into what it is today. The structure continued expanding, and even served as a stronghold during the Hundred Years War.  Next the abbey moved into the prison phase, and starting during The Revolution until 1863 it was actually used as a prison! Needless to say the history was almost as incredible as the architecture and the view which we were lucky enough to see before the rain! After the tour of the abbey we went looking for a place to have an omelette. The omelette was created by Madame Poulard on this island to feed the large number of Christian pilgrims that ended up at her inn. We went to Madame Poulard's cafe and I was able to try the tradional dish. I was warned by our waiter it would be a little strange, and he was right. Fish soup, potatoes with mushrooms and onions and then this whipped almost so airy it was nonexistent egg. I also tried raspberry cider, another local treat and I have to say that was the best part of the meal. I can say I miss my bacon and egg omelette back home, but hey it's all part of the experience! We explored other shops on the island, before heading back to catch our bus. My friends and I have adopted the saying, "nothing's easy in France," and this was one of those moments! The last shuttle off the island to the train station was overbooked and the driver didn't speak one word of English! She just kept saying "no panic no panic," which we clearly were and then Patrick came to save the day! They brought in another coach bus just for us which certainly provided the laugh of the afternoon. 

Exhausted and finally back to the hotel I was uploading pictures when I realized how truly breathtaking this little island gem was. It's not a place you would make it to if you only had a few days vacation in Paris and was one of the little treasures I will be able to see since I am here so long! 

Until nextime,

XOXOX 

A New Spin on Syllabus Week!

Time has flown this past week, but at the same time I struggle to remember what I did on Monday!  I cannot believe the number of things we have managed to see and do on top of going to the first week of classes! Definitely not like syllabus week in America!  First off, our professors are incredible people. Every single day I left class in complete shock at the things they have managed to accomplish and the lessons they are going to be able to bestow on us. Our Product Development class is taught by two extremely funny, very passionate men who have not only created their own men's high end lingerie line, but also help to create textile trends for Texworld.  We have a trend forecasting professor who runs his own business, a Visual Merchandising woman who has not only created her own company, but also worked for Gucci, The Monet- Hennessy Louis-Vitton Group, and Hermes, as well as a French History of Costume professor who is requiring us to go to so many exhibits around Paris and explore.  It was definitely a shock to have homework again, and with this beautiful city out my window it's going to be a challenge to sit inside and do research and reports, but so far a lot of assignments seem like they will involve going out and studying trends, people, stores and visiting exhibits so that's great news! 

Luxembourg Gardens

One day after class we ventured off to the Latin Quarter of Paris which is on the other side of the Seine.  This area was by far my favorite part of Paris so far, I would do anything to spend afternoons in the park doing homework by the fountains! There are dangerously cute shops, and then the Luxembourg Gardens! The gardens are breath taking, with flowers, fountains, sail boats kids can rent and push around the water, playgrounds, tennis courts, and even palm trees!! We met an artist, Henry who was sketching the most amazing little picture of the palace by the water. He turned out to be a French student who was dying to go study in New York. Funny how that works, people from Paris die to travel to NY and people from NY die to travel to Paris. We stopped to get dinner before returning home, and I treated myself to a nice BIG warm meal.  French onion soup, bread, and beef bourguignon with pasta which amazing!!! Not as good as Nanny's Christmas dinner, but for someone who has been eating lots of to go sandwiches and salads it hit the spot. 

The other day we planned to sit and eat lunch down by the Seine, but when the weather got cloudy we decided to explore some thrift shops near us and learned a very valuable lesson about the metro line we live on...don't head East.  After stepping off the Metro and realizing we weren't in Kansas anymore we decided to head down to the Islands in between the left and right banks and check out Notre Dame. The sun came out and we made our way over the Seine. The bells were chiming as we stood outside the Cathedral, and it was amazing to think how old the building really was. 

I plan on coming back someday soon to tour the inside, but we took a seat in the gardens near it and people watched for a while.  We even saw two brides! Then we carried on towards The Lock Bridge.  For those who don't know, this is a bridge where couples come and place a lock to represent their unbreakable love for each other, then throw the key into the water.  For a hopeless romantic like myself this was so cool to see, and definitely something to add to my bucket list! We then walked to the smaller Ile St. Louis which was so quaint and just very "Parisian."  The stores are super cute, and we got sandwiches and sat on the river looking at Notre Dame and watching boats go by. There is honestly one ice cream shop every three stores here, so naturally we got ice cream and walked around a little more. I have my eye on a plum suede jacket in one store here, so it's safe to say I will be returning soon :) XOXO from Paris

View of Notre Dame from  Ile Saint Louis

La Bonne Vie

Well my luggage and I made it!  The plane ride was amazing with great movies, good food, and super comfy seats. A few hiccups at the airport with the flight, and a little miscommunication at the airport, but thanks to the woman from CT sitting next to me I was able to find my group from Marist and off I went to our hotel.  It took a little while to get over the time change, but we pushed through to go on a walking tour of Montmartre, the district my hotel is located in.  We saw the Sacre Coeur, which means Sacred Heart in French, a large church we can see from the roof of our hotel.  We also saw a smaller and less publicized church which was the first convent in the area.  A long time ago, before Moulin Rouge took over, Montmartre was actually a district filled with convents, and a place of pilgrimage for religious people.  This changed after the French Revolution! 

We saw a small local cabaret where Picasso and Renoir used

Rowing down the Grand Canal at Versailles

to pay their bar tabs with paintings, and a corner building that used to be Picasso's studio! Later that evening we were finally fed.  If one thing has become clear it is the reason why French women are so skinny...THEY NEVER EAT! Famished and exhausted we showed the restaurant how American students can eat.  I tried my first pate and escargot, and I surprisingly loved the snails! We sampled many kinds of delicious French wine and I had duck with a red fruit sauce and vegetable flan.  Full and happy we went back to the hotel for a much needed 13 hours of sleep!

Versailles

The next day we headed off to see our school and get to know our way around.  That afternoon we went on a bus tour of the major sites in Paris.  It was surreal to be casually driving by the Eiffel Tower and the Arc De Triomphe, I cannot wait to go back on foot and explore those places more! We got off the bus and that's when we had our first lesson in navigating Paris! We had to find our way home! Surprisingly, this went without a hitch and we were even able to find a nice cafe to have dinner at.  We learned our first lesson in French dining that night, still water does not mean tap water and after paying 13.50 euro for water we learned the word for tap water, "carafe." Live and learn as they say! Then we headed off the following morning bright and early for the amazing palace of Versailles! I think this was one of the moments it finally hit me I was in Paris, sort of a "We're not in Kansas anymore," realization.  The Palace was as gorgeous as anyone could have imagined. It was shocking to learn that the Palace was only occupied from 1862-1878.  In 1878 King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were forced to evacuate because of the French Revolution.  As great as the Palace was, my favorite part had to be the gardens.  You could spend days wandering in and out of them, at one point there were over 1,500 fountains in these gardens, and 300 remain today! (guidebook fun fact) We got a picnic lunch and ate by the Grand Canal, and were even daring enough to rent row boats and attempt to go down the Canal!  Took a little time, but we got the hang of it.

Besides that we have explored the Pompidou Museum and got to see amazing works by Picasso and Matisse, walked around the area surrounding the Louvre, had lunch on the Seine and ate traditional food picked out for us by local kids our age.  I tried goat cheese with figs inside (not my favorite), duck pate which was delicious, and an olives and olive oil spread.  We also stumbled upon the Palace of the President, and witnessed the changing of the guards outside the Palace doors.  Around the Louvre are beautiful boutiques, and we got our first dose of high end French fashion when we walked through Hermes and admired the gorgeous scarves I know at least I would die to have.  Classes start this week so we shall see where that takes us! Cannot wait to meet all the professors, but definitely could live without the homework. 

Parisian lunch

Life Lessons Learned So Far


*The metro doors will shut on you

*Grocery shopping is a daily occurrence in this country and extremely stressful if you don't speak French

*Pick pockets come in all shapes and sizes..(we watched a man get his wallet stolen on the subway)

*French People do not eat...small meals hours and hours apart, very challenging for myself

*Iced coffee can only be found in Starbucks...and I think I mastered my order in French

XOXOX from Paris!