Les Vacances de Toussaints--Partie 2 A Paris

Mercredi le 26 octobre :

Today I got up to go to the Louvre with Kacey and her friend that was visiting.  I did not want to get up and considered just staying in bed but I did get up and got ready to go.  I got to the Louvre bright and early and there was a long line of course so I jumped in line.  It was rather chilly out this morning but it was pretty to see the sun rising.

The sun coming up at the Louvre

Kacey found me in line and then we went in and got our tickets and found her friend that was in town.  We looked around and that was fun but then Kacey and I went to the CROUs for lunch.  We got on to the RER B and were heading the wrong direction so when we heard the name of the first stop we jumped off and got on going the right direction.  We finally got to the CROUs and had some lunch and just chatted for a really long time.  It was such a nice day out that I convinced Kacey to go for a walk with me.  She suggested that we go to the boulangerie where we have gotten other yummy pastries.  It was delicious!  I got a tarte aux framboises that was to die for!  We got our pastries and then went to the Catho to eat there and stop at a bathroom.  Since it was break there was no one at the school so we took the opportunity to take pictures.

The path that I walk down to get to the buildings where foreigners like myself take classes.

The forbidden garden that I have to walk past every day.  Only residents can use it and since I don’t live there I can’t go in.

Where some of my classes are, this is the courtyard.

After hanging out at the Catho, we walked to the métro and went our separate ways to go home.  I went back to my foyer and got to talk with my Dad and Maissie on facebook because my internet was actually working so that was super exciting!  I then just hung out for the rest of the evening at my foyer.

Jeudi le 27 octobre:

Well today wasn’t that exciting of a day.  I got up and got ready for the day.  At lunch time I went to the CROUs like usual and then after lunch I went over to the Sacré-Coeur area to find the hostel that Maissie made a reservation at and to find some of these cheap stores that my Mom was telling me about.  Well I found one of the stores and bought a plate (since I accidentally broke my only plate, I really need a plastic one but they don’t seem to believe in plastic plates over here) and some dish towels.  I then was searching and searching for the hostel that Maissie made a reservation at and could not find it!  I was starting to freak out thinking the worst.  I finally realized that I was looking on the wrong side of the street and just crossed the street and found it right away.  It was definitely a blond moment for me, which I seem to have those often.  Anyways after walking around for a while I went to the métro station and sat down waiting for the next train to arrive.  This lady that was sitting next to me started asking if I could read French, of course she asked me in French.  I said yes (in French of course) and so the lady asked me (in French) if I could read her text message aloud to her since she doesn’t have very good eye sight.  So I read it aloud to her in French and she was very thankful and when the métro arrived we said goodbye and went our separate ways.  It was interesting to say the least, I have never had to do that for anyone before but I didn’t mind.  I then went back home and just hung out there for the rest of the day.  I did do some much needed grocery shopping though so that was good.

Vendredi le 28 octobre:

Not too much to report from today.  It was a rather boring kind of lonely kind of day.  I realized how lonely studying abroad can be.  I did work on some homework but still had a bunch more to do.  I ate another tarte aux framboises and it was delicious!  Other than that nothing too exciting.

Samedi le 29 octobre:

Today I hung out with Fabrice.  It is always fun hanging out with him and always an adventure!  We met up over by St. Michel and just hung out.  We did some shopping and by we, I mean he did some shopping.  It was fun though.  We eventually ended up over by Chatlet les Halles and he showed me the indoor pool there and we then went to this church called St. Eustache.  It was really big and pretty yet very eerie at the same time.

Me and Fabrice (not one of our better pictures but this was the best one from that day)

St. Eustache--cool yet creepy.

We just hung out and had fun.  After we walked around some more we went over to Hôtel de Ville and then walked around some more and eventually jumped onto the métro and said goodbye because he had to head back home.  I went back to my foyer and then just hung out for the rest of the evening working on homework and whatnot.

Dimanche le 30 octobre:

So last night we fell back an hour and I was so confused when I got up because my phone didn’t automatically change so I thought maybe I misunderstood and it would be a different weekend.  But no, it was this weekend that we fell back an hour.  I guess with my cheapo phone you have to change it manually.  Life in Paris, always an adventure.  I just hung out around my foyer in the morning and in the afternoon I went to the American Church in Paris to check it out because the contemporary service is in the afternoon at 1:30pm.  It was interesting/good.  It wasn’t the regular band so it was a bunch of gospel music which was kind of weird but that is alright.  I then hung out after the service at the coffee time but nobody talked to me and so I was rather discouraged by that.  When I went home I talked with my parents since I was really homesick.  Seeing all those families at church really made me miss mine.  I then just worked on homework and had dinner.  Nothing too exciting.

Lundi le 31 octobre:

Well today I got up and had a rather normal day.  I worked on homework and went to the CROUs with Kacey for lunch.  After lunch I went back to my foyer and worked on some more homework and did some laundry which was good because I had nothing clean to wear!  I don’t know how other people in my program go so long without doing laundry!  It is kind of gross when you think about it.  But it isn’t my problem.  There was a Halloween party in the foyer but it was rather lame and so I went back to my room and just hung out before going to bed.