Leah and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

.... Leah et la semaine terrible, horrible, pas bonne, et méchant.

• My friends left their coat and scarf at the bar Thursday night (luckily they were retrieved)
• Saturday night, my friend lost her phone in a bar (turns out it was stolen we think now)
• Failed 2 exams
• Another friend had her credit card eaten by the ATM
• I didn't get the summer internships I applied too
• This week, I am faire-ing le défi, where I only talk in French and it's very frustrating to have such limited communication skills in these times of trouble. 

Paris isn't all roses and crepes, y'all! We were talking and the lows are very low here. This week was a struggle, to say the least. Paris can't get us down - especially when we all have each other to lean on <3 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some good things ... 

• did get to see the Chainsmokers right after London! (tbt)
• celebrated my friend's 21st bday!
• Palais de Tokyo is a cool museum 
• made it to Ober Momma which is bomb Italian food and literally stuffed ourselves silly
• had a free mid-semester Skidmore dinner with crepes

Bises, 

XXX

L

Across the Pond

It was finally our first travel weekend and we were kicking things off to London! It was definitely needed after my crazy week which culminated in 2 exams on Thursday. 

Thursday night we met at a bar for a quick drink before hopping on our overnight FlixBus to Londres! I supplied my friends with Benadryl and we all knocked out (with some interruptions for customs). Highlight of the night was the Chunnel because I just thought it was going to be a tunnel-like thing. It was wild - in fact you drive into a train and it takes you across ... uh under ... the English Channel.

Sunrise in London

Next thing I knew, I was waking up in London! Our bus got into Victoria Coach Station, but our first stop was some coffee and bathrooms at a Starbucks down the street. How nice it is to order in English! Us Parisians were meeting my friend from Skid who is studying in Madrid in another part of town about an hour later so we decided to walk there and explore the city! 

(Bucking)ham-ming it up!

We managed to meet up and the first stop was obviously food! We had gotten a suggestion about this cool Indian-fusion restaurant with unlimited chai tea! It was amazing. 

Bottomless ... Chai think yes!

Naan could have predicted how BOMB-bay this bruch was

We then had some time to kill before we could check into our Air BnB at 4 pm so we decided to haul our bags to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London since we knew it would be close by.  

I see London ...

After we had some more free time, so we adventured to Borough Market which had a bunch of little vendors selling all sorts of food. I got some fresh goat's milk ice cream - salted caramel which was perfect since the sun was out in London!

Finally - the clock struck 4 pm (or 16h) and we headed to the Air BnB to re-charge our dead phones and tired bodies. There was 5 of us sharing a room so it was super cozy but basically a 2-night sleepover! 

We only walked a little ... 

Dinner was at The Stable which is a little pizza/bar place near our Air BnB in Whitechapel. (It's quite funny because Skidmore's mascot is the Thoroughbred!) My friend and I split dinner which was a pizza with pulled beef, bacon, caramelized onions, roasted red pepper and sour cream; and a classic British pie which had lamb, garlic potatoes, rosemary and honey. It was so delish, but my fave part was the cider - Bee Sting, which after some stalking turned out to be made from pears. 

This meal was bae

We came back to our room after stopping for some snacks to watch the latest episode of Riverdale on Netflix after I did some Media Services-work and rebooted the wifi. 

~~~~~~

Day 2: 

We woke up on the earlier side, but not too early because we were all exhausted from our long day yesterday. Our first stop was breakfast so we went back to Shoreditch where we had brunch the morning before. We found a little donut shop that was recommended by Buzzfeed so we knew we had to try it. My donut was heaven - a chai filling with pistachios on top (anyone who knows me knows it is everything I love). Then we popped next door for some bagels because we needed a little bit more substance (items in us?) than just a donut. 

Donuts and compliments - what isn't to love!

Rainbow bae-gel

We then braved the bus (!!!) and took it to the British Museum. It was so much fun and the true London experience on the double decker red bus - plus it was a great way to see the city. 

The British Museum was free which was a plus and we got to see some cool historical artifacts - not just from Britain, but from around the world. It was nice to be in a museum that didn't just have art (this one had mummies, tombs, jewelry and even clocks!) 

Hey there Cleopatra

We had a very busy day planned out so our next walk was to Kings Cross Station. London seems to be more spread out that Paris but it was still quite walkable especially when you got more towards the center of the city. I braved my blisters and we set off. 

Kings Cross was exciting but once we realized we were gonna walk to Camden Market, it was imperative to get some bandaids for me. So I had a nice little First-Aid pow-wow sitting outside King's Cross station putting at least 8 bandaids on... 

Camden Market was also so cool - there were so many different vendors with so many different types of food! We got Poppies (fish & chips) but a chicken pie and chips for me. Not to worry - I did try a little piece of the fish - because why not when in the land of fish & chips! 

Fish-in' for compliments

We bussed it over to Big Ben and the London Eye and the timing was perfect because it was golden hour so we got to take pictures right as the sun was setting. London is magical at all hours, but the sunset was amazing. 

Eye am in love!!

Big Ben? More like Big Bae

We walked (I limped) halfway back to the Air BnB before one of my blisters popped and then we took a bus the rest of the way. Dinner was small and unhealthy but very much needed (sometimes you just need a taste of home!). We then got some drinks to start out night out before we walked the 30 minutes back to Shoreditch to go out!

[sorry mom]

At this point, my feet were completely dead but you are only in London once! We found a club and it was a success* - the music was poppin'! I was blessed with a (second) piggy back ride part-ways home <3 

*success mostly, my foot was stepped on and I got a pint of beer poured down my back. Also when we were walking home, some guy attemped to grab me, but he was too drunk so it was mostly my arm. 

Sunday morning, my Madrid amiga left early so I woke up to send her off and then woke up for real a few hours after that. The bus ride home was long but I slept for a while which made the time pass. 

It was strangely comforting to be back in Paris -  we just hopped on the Metro like pros. Transitioning back to speaking French all the time (especially host fam dinner) was a struggle but I think I mostly got my adventures in London across to the fam. 

London was an adventure for sure and I think I can safely say I've been bitten by the travel bug (a phrase I tried to explain to the host fam over dinner) which is going to be a blessing but also maybe a curse. 

Cheerio! xxx

L

A Quick Update

This week has had its ups and downs in Paris - Saturday night was our friend's birthday so we went out for that but I really wasn't feeling it ... Sunday was also a meh day and I was def in a funk. The weekends are hard here because we don't have any solid plans because we want to relax.

Monday however, was beautiful! After class, a few of us walked around the Luxembourg Gardens and then got a crepe and some cider at St. Michel! The weather was amazing and the sun was shining - the perfect thing to start the week off right.

Tuesday was Valentine's Day which normally is not my fave holiday, but it's hard to be grumpy in Paris. I treated myself to a pastry after class and then a group of us got vegan burgers for dinner and ate and drank wine by the Seine. So perfect! We hit up a bar and I pushed through the severe heartburn with a mojito! (Don't try this at home kids ... )

Thursday my homestay sis came back from Belgium so we caught up and had a fancy dinner in the dining room with host-fam's family friend!

Lessons learned - can't have good days everyday here in Paris because as amazing as it is - this is still real life and I am living here for 4 months.

Bises xxx,
L

A Tourists Guide to Paris (in 2 days)

A very exciting weekend! My best friend from Skidmore was coming to Paris with her friends from Florence, Italy and I couldn't be happier. Friday morning a few Paris friends planned to meet up before the Italy girls got in. We (finally) made it to Du Pain et Des Idées and let me tell you, it was worth the wait.

love at first sight!

My pastry was an escargot but not the kind you are thinking of in Paris. It was a pastry with pistachio and some chocolate and I think I honestly could eat one every day without getting tired of it. We were in Du Pain et Des Idées when IES alerted us of the Louvre attack.

everyone has escar-got to try one in Paris!

We popped into a Kilo Shop (where you pay for the weight of your clothing) and I learned that I had goofed and the Italy gals weren't getting to Paris until Saturday ... so the rest of the afternoon opened up and we had a nice dinner at Tuk Tuk Thai which was delish.

don't Thai to take this delish meal away from me!

I said Nut-hell ya to this egg rolls!

We went out without our fearless leader (our Paud pal had been in Paris last semester too so she always takes us to the best spots) and attempted to hit up a few bars.

Saturday came and it was (finally!) the day that all the pals came! I got the text that they got to their hotel around noon and then we were off! I think that has been my favorite Paris moment by far - seeing my batch walk through the Metro gates! We went to the Tour Eiffel first and lots of pictures were taken. It was a little misty but the umbrellas came out for the perfect Parisian picture. The Italy girls are all art major or minors so the pictures had to be perfection.

I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing this

We walked around and then attempted to find a café that wasn't severely overpriced. I ended up ordering for everyone (there was a lot of French spoken this weekend and even more translating!) and we all got Croque Monsieurs/Madames.

Croque Monsieur? Yes sir!

Then it was a quick hop over to the Arc de Triomphe which was also really cool to see for the first time.

Back to the Eiffel Tower for more pictures, when the rain really came down! In true French fashion, it did not disappoint. We decided to walk and try to find a cafe to have a drink and warm up in, but ended up just getting macaroons!

Pistachio Macaroon!

The rain let up, so it was back to the tower to try to find a crêpe - and thank goodness we did because the sun came out and it was beautiful!!

Dinner was fondue again and then showed the Italy girls how we party in France by drinking by Notre Dame and the Seine.

Sunday we woke up very early to tackle the Louvre - another first for me. We only waited in line for a half hour and the museum was free because it was the first Sunday of the month. It is no understatement that the Louvre is massive.

Smile!

We popped into another café for lunch and then went to Angelinas which is a famous tea salon in Paris for their famous chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). It was rich and thick and creamy and perfect to warm up after the drizzly morning. We walked around the Tuileries Gardens for a little and then it was back to the hotel to say goodbye to my pals :(

Hot chocolate as thick as brownie batter - Oui, s'il vous plaît!

Went to my first yoga class tonight (ooh la la - I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow) and had some falafel for dinner. Missing America and Skid a little bit extra this weekend because of Chowderfest and the 100 Days dance and the Superbowl.

I was fala-full after this meal ... 

Bises,

L

FWOTD - la pluie (n) - rain. La pluie était forte et froide quand nous avons vu la Tour Eiffel. The rain was strong and cold when we saw the Eiffel Tower. 

Pluie en Paris

(or my rainy week in Paris)

Last weekend after the Loire Valley we tried to go to Du Pain et Des Idées - a pretty famous boulangerie, but unfortunately, it is closed on the weekends. Quelle horreur! We were hungry after getting lost trying to find the bakery, so we walked a little down the street and found te cutest little crêperie! I got my first nutella crepe of Paris and it was worth every bite.

nut-hell-ya!

After that, the Paris Squad or Paud was meeting to go over travel plans so we met at a coffee place that has wifi. Ended up figuring out a weekend for Madrid, Florence and London! That night was full of fondue and fun times and (of course) a night drinking wine by the Seine. Paris definitely has my heart!

Sunday was pretty lowkey and I met up with some friends in the Tuileries Gardens for a petit promenade (a little walk).

Monday was the first day of classes and boy did they kick my butt! First of all, I am already very outside my normal class schedule of science and education classes so that is a bit of a shock. Second, taking notes in a different language is quite hard - it will take some getting used too. Host mom is away this week, so my home-stay sister, my friend from Skid and I all went for some noodles for dinner. I had a bit of an aha moment after dinner when we were walking back to the apartment. I looked up and saw the Eiffel Tower sparkling! I always thought I couldn't see it from my neighborhood.

Tuesday we had our last painting class before a 2-week February break and the nude model painting went as smoothly as it could. We get a break in the 3-hour class and this week they had some wine!

my professor said I am getting better!

Wednesday was laundry day and I psyched myself up big time for that. The washer did a pretty good job of wringing out my clothes and I didn't feel like walking down the stairs and figuring out how to use the expensive laundromat, so I hung the still damp clothes on my balcony. I think it worked pretty well! Lunch was crepes at La Belle Ronde which is my fave lunch deal.

Thursday came pretty quick and it was Chandeleur - which is France's national crepe day! So after classes, I grabbed a crepe for a petit goûter (snack). Dinner was a crêpe complète à la Hostdad. We ended up going out for some wine by the Seine and a quick trip to a bar before crawling back into bed.

Bon weekend!
Bises,
L

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quick and serious note - it is Friday afternoon as I write this and we've had our first real life moment here. There was an attack at the Louvre this morning. IES sent out an alert as soon as it happened and we were nowhere near the 1st arr. We went about with the rest of our morning, but I did notice more police officers.

Scary things can happen anywhere, but you can't let fear ruin your life. Paris and France have been the site of some very terrible recent attacks but this city will always have my heart. Me and my friends in Paris are all safe and will continue to be wary this weekend.

Loire we there yet??

Lemme just say, Thursday morning at 7:00 am came very early! But lots of excitement because we were off to the Loire Valley for some sightseeing and wine-tasting. The 3-hour bus ride to the valley was pretty uneventful - most people just napped or listened to music, but it was a pretty drive getting out of Paris.

Our first stop was lunch, thank goodness! It was at this little restaurant and we had some assorted meat and bread for our first course, chicken with potatoes for the entrée and an apple tart (tart aux pommes) for dessert. I was separated from the Skid pack, or PAUD (Paris + squad) as we call ourselves affectionately, but I ended up talking and eating with some other people on the program. 

A little ride later, and we were at our first castle or château - Château de Chenonceau. It was a pretty castle with some gardens and even a labyrinth. Some famous Frenchmen lived there including Henry and Francis who we caught a glimpse of their chambre de lit - or bedrooms. 

We then walked around the gardens and took some pictures of the castle (living out the princess dream!) and then tackled the labyrinth. 

Next stop was a cave for a wine tasting! We tried all white wines, which was perfectly fine by me. We had a nice bubbly wine, another white wine paired with some chèvre, goat's cheese, and then a 35 year old wine!

We got to the hotel we were staying at a little before dinner and got our random room assignments (it's feeling a little like Lizzie McGuire over here lol). The hotel had these little buildings out back divided into apartments which were really nice. Dinner was also a little separated from the Paud, but sat with some people in our grammar class and had a nice meal. The salad we had first had some little bacon pieces and also pieces of (what I later learned were) pig heart!! There's a first time for everything I guess ... 

Dinner for me was polenta with veggies since I don't eat fish and dessert was another crème brulée. Back to the apartments for an early night in.

yes mom, peep the wine with every meal ... when in France!

We had an early start Friday morning again with a nice big breakfast in the hotel. Then it was off to Leonardo da Vinci's studio and workshop where he worked until he died in France. Sidenote- da Vinci died in the Loire Valley and that's why the Louvre has some of his most famous paintings like the Mona Lisa! It was a long tour, but the fact that lunch was next was v promising for all of us. 

Lunch was also in a cave (with wine too). We were very confused by this lunch which started with a salad and then some naan-like bread pockets with pulled fatty pork. We all weren't feeling it, but were stressed that this would be the only lunch food. Luckily, the main course was delicious pork with some veggies and there was even another apple tart for dessert. We were all feeling the wine, which made for a fun visit too ... 

... Chateau Amboise! They really did save the best for last as it was so beautiful! We took lots and lots of pictures and even got to explore the town. Fun fact, this is where Leonardo da Vinci was buried which was cool (and a little creepy) to see!

Then had a nice 3-hour bus ride back and were dropped off at the literal southern gate of Paris, which was a long haul to go get pho for dinner. Now I'm back in the homestay (I've never been so happy to walk up 5 flights of stairs in my life) and am listening to my host mom's friends son (attempt to) play the piano! Good night from Paris!

Bises,

L

FWOTD - vin - wine. Le vin dont nous avons bû, était délicieux. The wine that we drank was delicious!

Weekday Thoughts

Some things that have crossed my mind over the past few days of this last week of orientation ...

• explaining how to use a smartphone to an older French man (photography teacher) in French is very difficile (difficult)
• thanking my lucky stars I had a nice night bonding with my homestay sister and that dinner (French samosas? and mushroom risotto) was delish
• everyone is struggling in the grammar classes which makes me feel a little better 
• wine tasting was amazing and the cheese ... even better!

ooh la la!

• went to my first painting class and painted nude (NUDE!) women
  
  
• walking in on the host fam when they are in the middle of a dinner party is pretty awkward
• French wine is a little stronger than American wine (I was feeling it after one glass during our pre-dinner drink)
• thank goodness for Google maps and its ability to help me whenever I take the wrong Metro exit and end up on the other side of the Tour Montparnasse ... it has only happened once so far