parisian travels

The last few days have been full of Parisian culture! On Sunday I walked to the Champs de Mars (the park in front of the Eiffel Tower that goes all the way back to the Ecole Militaire) and sat on a bench there to do homework. I was surprised at how busy it was - tons of families sitting out on the grass, a lot of elderly couples taking walks, even a band playing classical music in the pavilion...and of course there were tons of tourists. Luckily, I was able to get a lot of work done as well as enjoy the beautiful weather! I also rewarded myself with a nutella crepe on the way home.


On Monday after class, BU took us all to see an Ionesco play: La Cantatrice Chauve. It was in very small theater near Notre Dame and I got to sit on the front row. The whole play was in French, so at times it was a little difficult to understand, but overall I enjoyed it very much and even laughed at most of the jokes. On the way home I stopped by my favorite crepe stand and got an egg and cheese crepe (very good for breakfast or dinner), I talked to Harry (the owner) in French while he was making the crepe, and afterwards he gave me a free coke...I love Paris!


Tuesday was a little more low key. I have class all day on Tuesdays and Thursday, but after class I walked around for a bit with my friend John, from Wake, who is visiting Paris for a few days before he settles in south of the city to teach English for a year. Esther and I also treated ourselves to Moroccan food and sweet mint again for dinner, which is actually very economical because we always get half of the meal free!


This morning I visited the Basilique in Saint-Denis with my friend Lauren. Saint Denis is a suburb of the city and about an hour metro ride away. We didn't realize what an important church the Bastilique of Saint-Denis is until after we got there - it is the resting place of many French kings, queens, and their children . We were even able to visit the crypt was was an amazing experience. The only two "people" not there were Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette who are buried in the Cimetiere Madeline - another potential field trip for us. It was also very interesting to see the city of Saint-Denis; it was a lot more laid back and spread out than Paris, also notably less chic and more diverse!

I have yet to go to class today...so looking forward to Econ and dinner with Mme Boudet!