Another week has come and gone! Time is slipping away like summer. I spent last week in Paris and it was more incredible that I could ever have imagined. The city is absolutely beautiful and there is so much to see. I did all I could but I will have to go back because there is so much that I missed.
The transportation system in France began a strike on Tuesday night and while it has become less intense it is still going on. Worried that we might not be able to get to Paris on Wednesday, our professors arranged another mode of transportation. We ended up flying there which worked out well because we ended up with more time in the city than we had initially planned.
Wednesday we had a free afternoon and so a few of us decided to go to le Centre Pompidou, which is a modern art museum. There was a large Giacommeti exhibit with some early portraits and tons of sketches and sculptures. So talented. We also checked out the modern works on the floors below his exhibit, which always confuse me but were fun to look at. I’ve decided, for my own sanity, not to take modern art too seriously.
Thursday morning our group met up after breakfast and walked to Le Louvre. It was a beautiful clear day out, though it was pretty cold. The walk took about an hour and we actually walked along the Seine! It was so unreal for me to walk along that famous river and see Notre Dame just a couple blocks away. We arrived at le Louvre to discover that it would be opening an hour late because there weren’t enough personnel at work due to the strike. Eventually we went in, via the famous pyramid and began looking at art. We spent every day at the museums from about 9-5 looking at only a small handful of paintings. We sat in front of each painting for about an hour and drinking it in and discussing the work. It was such an incredible experience. I have never seen art in such a way. We were separated into two groups throughout the week excluding when we talked about the first and last paintings.
After we finished Thursday evening Libby, Mandy and I took a stroll down the Champs-Elysees and saw the Arc de Triomphe. We walked around Place de Concorde and Les Tuileries then headed home. We ate at a tiny falafel place and ordered a bottle of the 2007 Boujelais. The release of this wine is a huge event in France and everyone goes out the night it is released and drinks a glass. It was released Thursday so we felt it was our duty as cultural conessieurs to have a glass.
Friday we walked through the city to the Musee d’Orsay. It was another amazing day of discussions and that afternoon they finally had enough staff to open up the Impressioniste floor, which is our class’ focus. After the museum we walk to Notre Dame and around Hotel de Ville. Then Libby and I bought some wine, cheese, baguettes, fruit and chips for dinner and lunch the next day. We were supposed to have free dinner at the hostel but it was nearly unedible so after the first night we didn’t go back. Our homemade dinner was cheap, french and delicious! After dinner Libby, Mike, Becca and I went out in search of a bar. Our hostel had a 1 am curfew so we went to the first bar we saw and after about 5 minutes of sitting inside we realized it was a gay bar. We saw a series of Britney Spears videos followed by J. Lo and watched the bartenders in tight shirts dance behind the bar. It was pretty entertaining.
Saturday we returned to the Musee d’Orsay for the morning and then went to the Orangerie in the afternoon. The Orangerie is a museum designed by Monet to house 8 of his waterlillies series. Downstairs they have works by other artists like Renoir. The Monet’s were so impressive. The building is two ovals that connect through two hallways so the paintings are on giant curved canvases which really connect you to the painting.
Saturday night the strike was beginning to ease up a little and about 1 out of 3 trains were running on the metro so Libby headed out to Sacre Coeur. Libby’s friend from high school is a student in Paris and she has the most incredible flat I have ever seen. She literally lives across the street from Sacre Coeur. It’s on the 5 floor so the living room doors and windows give a perfect view of the old church. Outside her kitchen window you can see the Eiffel Tower sparkling. Julia and her flatmate invited Libby and one lucky friend (me) to their dinner party that night. There were 10 people there in total. Libby and I represented Texas and NY, there were a couple people there from Italy, a girl from Finland/Russia, and the remaining 5 were from different parts of England and Scotland. We had drinks and appetizers like olives, artichoke hearts and mushrooms. Then we sat down and had warm goat cheese wrapped in thinly sliced ham over salade fraiche. Our main course was a Moraccan dish with couscous, chicken, chick peas? and a delicious sauce. For dessert we had macaroons, hagaandaz ice cream, fruit salad and warm apple tart. Great food, great wine, an incredible view and good conversation topped off with a cab ride home and a mad dash to the hostel to beat curfew. This night goes in my top ten for the semester.
Sunday we headed to our last museum but unfortunately I cannot remember the name of this one. We spent some time walking around on our own then we all met back up as one group, like we did for the first painting we looked at, in front of a Monet painting. We spent probably an hour and a half sitting together talking about the painting. I can’t describe the feeling I had that afternoon but it was so powerful. This trip was such an amazing experience for me and I couldn’t be happier about it all.
Over the course of the week we examined works by Gorgioni, Titian, Van Gogh, Renoir, Daubigny, Daumier, Monet, Cezanne and Toulouse-Lautrec. They gave us time to walk around the museums before each session and look at other works too. It’s such an overwhelming feeling to be surrounded by such amazing talent. I saw a beautiful portrait by Van Gogh that he completed in 45 minutes! I’ve never felt such awe and incompetance at the same time. I will never look at art the same way again. I am so thankful for the past 5 days.
This week I am back in the swing again in Aix. Thanksgiving is coming Thursday and I can’t help being sad that I can’t spend it with my family. I realized when I was in Paris talking to my friends about the holidays that I will not be cuddled up on a couch wrapped in a blanket watching It’s a Wonderful Life with you all on Thursday night and it brought me to tears. I love you family and I wish more than anything that I could be with you on Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving and remember…
Every time a bell rings an angel gets it’s wings.
Gros Bisous
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