Latin Quarter, Posh Parties, Eiffel Tower, Les Puces

Hello, everyone! I had a wonderful weekend, and I'm gearing up for an even better week. Here is a photo update from my most recent adventures.

This is a photo from Saint-Severin, a gothic church that was built in the eleventh century and rebuilt in 1495. It is located in the Latin Quarter of Paris, so named for the Latin students from the Sorbonne who would frequent the area, off of rue du Petit Pont. Unlike the larger cathedrals in Paris, this church was practically empty when I stepped inside. The stained glass is very unique and, in a sense, progressive. It was stunning.

While in the Latin Quarter, I met up with two greats: Louis Armstrong, a hero of jazz, and Albert Einstein, holding a sign that read "Love is the answer." Unique graffiti is always popping up all over Paris. Next week, these two men will be gone... but somewhere else, I may find Audrey Hepburn pasted to a wall. When you see something cool in Paris, you have to take a photo of it immediately. The city changes so quickly, and you never know when a whole store will disappear, let alone a piece of sidewalk art.


I particularly love the Latin Quarter due to its proximity to the Seine. Here, Ashley and I are standing under Pont Neuf, a bridge that was completed under the rule of Henry IV in 1606. It also happens to be the oldest bridge in Paris. Parts of the bridge were recast in 1818, using the metal from two statues of Napoleon that were melted down for the project. Poor Napoleon... he could never be a man like Henry IV, obviously.


Acrobatics are not advised near the Seine... but I had to get a picture of me on the wall!



Ashley and I discovered a fantastic gelato shop in the Latin Quarter, as well. Not only was it delicious, but they shaped the ice cream over my cone so that it would look like a flower. That alone was exciting. In case you're curious, I got coconut and raspberry gelato. I've had some good gelato in my days, but I might sell my family to get another lick of that raspberry. Or just pay three euros for a big ol' cone.


On Friday, our host parents invited us to a to a party, celebrating the new works of an up-and-coming photographer. A studio apartment on the Seine was transformed into a private gallery, accented by tea light candles and a view of the Eiffel Tower from the open windows. There was an open bar and free champagne. Ashley and I enjoyed drinking Diet Coke from wine glasses. Cheers!



On our way home from the party, our host mother wanted to get a picture of us by the river.

On Saturday, I met up with Isabelle, a dear friend from Switzerland. I met Isabelle's family when I was six years old, when they came to the Bay Area for employment. Isabelle's older sister, Nicole, was in my first grade class.

Isabelle and I had fun backpacking in the Swiss Alps together four years ago... and we decided to relive our hiking experience by climbing the stairs to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was exhausting, but the view was worth all of the effort!


Look at the sky! Look at the Seine! Absolutely incredible.


The view below (under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower) shows Trocadero, and the Palais de Chaillot. The green 'lawn' above the Seine is actually my favorite fountain in Paris. It has to be larger than a football field. However, they turned the fountain off a week ago... and since then, it's been overtaken by algae. At the very top of the photo is 'La Defense,' the business district of Paris. Because inner Paris has been carved out to create the metro, it's not practical or safe to build skyscrapers in the city. Plus, the Parisians insist on preserving the beautiful skyline. So, all of the skyscrapers are being built in the district of La Defense. I visited the area several weeks ago, and I was delighted by its modern touches... but I'm still very glad that Paris is maintaining its historic charm by developing industry elsewhere.


This is one of the many quirky fountains in La Defense, to give you an idea.


And this is the best view of all! Count four bridges back... and see that circular shadow? That's approximately where I live. If you zoom in on this photo, you can also see Parc des Princes. Don't mistake La Maison Radio for the stadium, though.

The large green space is partially les Bois de Boulougne, the largest and most exciting park in Paris. And it's a few blocks from my apartment!


The Eiffel Tower was everything I hoped it would be. Crowded, expensive, and oh-so-classy (as proved by the champage stand on the very top of the tower).


Saturday afternoon, Ashley and I visited Les Puces de Saint Ouen, the largest flea market in the world. Imagine streets lined with furniture and paintings from the time of Henry IV. It was so cool. I was also pleased to see that a British phone booth had made its way to Les Puces... Because I was sick during my trip to London, I was not able to take a stereotypical "red phone booth" photo. Oddly enough, I was able to do so in Paris. We can all pretend it's a photo from London.


My favorite part of Les Puces (which translates to "The Fleas") were the alleys lined with old books. For those of you who are unaware, I love old books. I am working on a little collection of my own (and contributions are welcome). Anyway, I stepped into one particular book shop, and I was quickly glancing at the titles on the shelves... when I saw... "History of Contra Costa County California, Illustrated, Slocum & Co, 1882." You're really not allowed to take pictures while you're in Les Puces, because the store owners are very finicky. They consider photos an invasion of privacy. But, risking the wrath of a portly Frenchman, I snuck a photo of the book. I couldn't believe it-- a book about my home county, in Paris? And what are the odds I'd peruse that particular store? I needed some proof to share with you!


Last but not least... some of my friends back home do not believe that I'm doing homework. In an effort to prove that I'm being studious (in addition to having fun), I took a few photos of my art journal. These sketches represent hours spent in various museums across Paris, contemplating symbolism and writing essays about the mixture of paint. I'm teaching myself how to use oil pastels. These sketches are attempts one, two and three. I have a lot to learn about art...



Claude Monet, "Nympheas" (Water Lillies). Musee Marmatton.



"Bottega" de Donato di Niccolo Bardi dit Donatello. "La Vierge et L'Enfant." Louvre.



Toulouse Lautrec, "Jane Avril and Toulouse Lautrec." Musee Montmartre.

Well, everybody... That's all I have for you. My next post will include soccer, Disney (if all goes according to plan), and a video tour of my apartment. Stay tuned!

The latest and greatest...

Hi friends! My host family does not have internet, but the restaurant below our place offers free and unlimited Wifi. It's a cute little cafe, but it would be a drag to go order food every time I want to get online. So, whenever I'm able to check my email or post a blog update, it's because I've managed to hack into the restaurant's internet. But that is the "French way." If there is Wifi available, you use it! Anyway, my internet has been awful this week. If I start seeing a stronger connection, I'm going to download some new videos for you.

This is another café down the street from our apartment. Ashley and I went there for dinner on Wednesday of last week, and we ended up staying there for over two hours, eating and talking. We're so French. Well, I convinced Ashley to get pâté. I told her, "It's so good. You'll love it." However, I refused to tell her what it was. It wasn't until after she had cleaned her plate that I said, "You ate liver!"


On Friday night, I saw the Eiffel Tower all lit up. Even though we arrived around 10 pm, Trocadero was swarming with cute couples, souvenir vendors, and eager tourists. Every hour, the Eiffel Tower sparkles like a diamond for five minutes. I imagined tacky carnival lights when I heard about the Eiffel Tower light show, but it's far more tasteful and elegant. You'll see it when I post my videos.


The Eiffel Tower reflecting off the Seine. Isn't it beautiful? You can see a boat tour passing under the bridge. I think that a night-time boat ride on the Seine would be spectacular. Maybe one of these days...


The following picture has not been photo-shopped or digitally altered in any way. I changed some night settings on my camera, and I took some cool photos of Ashley in front of the Eiffel Tower. She returned the favor and snapped this one of me. It almost looks like I'm in front of a green-screen image... but it's the real deal!


On Saturday 9/19, I went to the Louvre to sketch a Donatello statue for my art history class. It was so fun. And... well, this is amusing... I wore my cute black and white dress. I was entering the Italian Renaissance wing, which was rather crowded. As I side-stepped a man who was rushing past, I stepped on an air vent. My dress came up around my waist, a la Marilyn Monroe, and I shared my pink underwear with a gallery of tourists. I heard several people clap. My little flashing act definitely did not go unnoticed. 1) Why was there an air vent in the middle of the floor? And, 2) What if I'm in some tourist's photos?!

Here is the infamous dress at the Louvre.


Last night, Ashley and I were supposed to meet some friends for dinner. We were standing around in front of Hotel de Ville (our designated meeting spot), and she took this picture. Our plans fell through, so she and I took off to the Latin Quarter and ate some fantastic Indian food. I love the Latin Quarter-- there is a large variety of restaurants, they are all affordable and delicious, the streets are always active, and it's not swarming with too many tourists at night.


We found this cute little bookstore in the Latin Quarter called "Shakespeare and Company." It's a tiny little shop with rows upon rows of old books. There's a "reading room" that consists of two old velvet theatre chairs, a shelf ladder, and a gaudy bohemian lamp. The ceilings have old wood beams. I might go live in this store.


On Sunday, our church was relocated to Versailles, where we were supposed to have Stake Conference (a larger church meeting with several congregations). However, the ward neglected to make that information clear to us... so a large portion of our group did not make it to church. Since we had no religious meetings to attend, Ashley and I decided to go on a Sunday walk by Sacre Coeur. To get to the cathedral, which is set on the top of a hill, one must climb a large number of stone steps (or take the funicular, which is pretty lazy). This is a picture at the halfway point, where we stopped to enjoy the view.



Behind me is the Sacre Coeur cathedral, crawling with visitors and thieves. Once inside, Ashley and I enjoyed part of a worship service where nuns sang verses of scripture. It was very peaceful and reverent. What a contrast to the outside of the cathedral!


Well, it's long past my bedtime... but I wanted to share these pictures with you while the internet is working! Tomorrow, my art history class will be visiting the Louvre (or "Loov-ruh," as my teacher pronounces it) together. It should be a wonderful day!