The Time I Had My First Real Crepe

Yesterday we finished the afternoon with a trip to two markets, Franprix and Monoprix, the latter of which is like the French Target. Franprix is smaller, like a tiny grocery store, where we purchased eggs, butter, jam, and cheese for breakfasts though there was no fresh bread. So we went to Monoprix which is across from our hotel to get bread because it's made every day. I bought a croissant du amande to eat for late lunch - a deliciously soft pastry filled with almond paste.

At 7 p.m. we met in the courtyard outside the hotel for our introduction, where Professor Teo distributed our guide books and metro navigo passes. He then led us on a walk around our neighborhood, showing us his favorite places to eat on the side streets. We strolled down a road, Avenue de la Motte-Picquet, with many cafes - which are like bars, restaurants and coffeeshops all in one. He pointed out a French military school that was a gorgeous old columned building.

Afterward, some of us went to a cafe to eat a dish that Teo recommended (I'll try to find the name) but it's a platter of meats with bread - he spoke to the waitress in French to order for us. The sausage slices were delicious, as were the thinly sliced meats; however some had more unfamiliar textures, like a meat loaf and one that we jokingly referred to as "tuna" because of the texture.

I can already tell that the French people love to eat slowly - I think we were the last to arrive and first to leave even though we stayed about an hour. They all look at us because we're American, especially when we take pictures - so we try to do it discreetly or not at all.

This morning, there was a farmers market across the hotel under the metro bridge. It was like something out of a movie, like the French version of Pike Place Market in Seattle. Stations with butchers with raw meats and seafoods, and rows of vegetables and fruits with weights measured in kg, and prepared items like breads and jared olives, and accessories like silk scarves and purses. I bought a briochette bun that I have yet to try (though I'm sure it's better fresh). The smell of olives wafted through the market, which went on for blocks and blocks.

We didn't walk to the end of the market, so we missed the pastry booth apparently, and went to a cafe for a croissant and chocolat instead. At 10:30 a.m. we began our class for the day. Today the walk went through the neighborhood further, where Teo said tourists never go, as we stopped in a French playground park to hear the lecture about early France with influences from the Roman empire. There were three little Parisian girls who crept up behind Teo and would giggle and try to spy on our lesson, and several French families that asked Teo what this program was.  

The group proceeded along the Seine banks through a path down the middle of the river where joggers passed. We saw a smaller replica of the Statue of Liberty and the Bir-Hakeim Bridge, which is in the movie Inception. 

The path led up towards the Tour Eiffel, where a band played music because today is a feasting holiday. A woman also gave all of us Yoplait yogurt ;) I enjoy the walks because Teo points out a lot of minuscule details, like the gold top of a building where Napoleon was buried. 

Though there are about 40 students total, about eight of us went to a crepe place on the way back (it's across from our hotel), which Teo has been telling us will transform our lives. It was operated by one man, who made the crepe after you ordered it, and then took your euros. It took probably 30 minutes for us to all get our crepes, but they were indeed life changing - I have never had a real crepe. It was savory, with Indian chicken, eggs, tomates, and fromage (cheese) with a special "spicy" sauce that was more seasoning than spice. 

This crepe was so soft and hot and tasty and cheesy and wonderful. Also, the employee was super friendly even though we pronounced everything wrong. He gave us a French lesson and asked us why we were in Paris - so nice! It was a filling dejeuner. 

The Time I Was Jet Lagged

I am exhausted. I've been awake for 26 hours now, and it's 2:45 p.m. in Paris so I still have another 9 hours to survive and beat this jet lag. I woke up at 3:45 a.m. west coast time, and it is now 5:45 a.m. the next day at home.
The layer in Vancouver, BC was horrible, as I had to maneuver through the maze of halls from the international terminal to the domestic terminal because apparently you can't stay in the terminal if your connecting flight to Paris goes through Toronto. So I had to go through baggage claim, customs (even though I'd only be in Canada a few hours), and then back through security to the domestic terminal on the other side of the airport. I arrived at the gate as it was boarding, despite a two hour layover.
I was very impressed by the Toronto airport, however - the gates had counters with iPads everywhere.
The flight to Paris was seven hours long, but because we were flying ahead in time, we witnessed the sunset, nighttime, and sunrise by leaving at 8 p.m. and arriving at 8 a.m. The flight attendant even said we would be chasing the sunset and the sunrise, which sounded very poetic.

Once we were soaring above France, I could see the patches of green all around - I didn't know it was rural.
After I landed, I met up with another girl on my program. We'd decided to split a taxi fare to our hotel, and after we jumped in we asked, "Parlez-vous Anglais?" and of course he said, "No." Not sure if that was a ruse or serious, but we showed him the address of the hotel and went along our way.
I love riding in cars, so it was neat to see the different buildings - worn down, classic and some modern with US electronic company logos like Samsung and Toshiba. The absolute best part was when I happened to look out my window and was startled to find my view filled with criss-crossing
medal - the immediately recognizable bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Shocking - it made me smile. The taxi driver uttered the only word he said during the ride, "Eiffel!" and we laughed.

Fun fact: In Paris, they drive on the right side of the road - I thought it would be left, as I've seen in European films but I was foolishly wrong.

The hotel employees said our room wasn't ready yet, so we left our luggage and decided to walk around Paris with another girl from our program.
The first quest: food. We wandered around the streets, underneath a kind of rail platform, looking at various cafes. They're everywhere! Every city block has like three, with wicker chairs pouring onto the sidewalk, filled with people smoking or drinking cappuccinos. While some parts of Paris do remind me of America (it's not as big of a culture shock as I'd imagined), there are many parts that are so typically French. I literally saw a little child wearing a navy blue barret hat. A lot of the people are clearly tourists, though.
Anyway, we chose a cafe near the hotel that was serving breakfast, but we also asked for lunch menus. My first French meal: "petit dejeuner Francais" which included iced orange juice, chocolat, and bread with jam. It normally also includes a croissant but the employee said "croissant fini," so I just enjoyed the huge chewy baguette that was sliced, lathered with butter and then my added jam.

From there, we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower since it's close to our hotel. We just followed its giant tip poking above the buildings until we reached the area packed with tourists and pickpockets and salesmen pushing metallic Eiffel Tower trinkets. The tower is beautiful from the ground - so tall when you look up to see it. But I like the view from the end of the park, at a distance, more.

Our last stop on this self-guided tour, if you will, was the Seine. We walked along a path and across a bridge that perfectly displayed the boats sailing below, a view of the tower, and palace-like buildings, all with window shutters and iron balconies, on the other side.

Even though I'm tired, I can't handle picturesque the city is.

The Time I Was Counting Down

This time tomorrow, I think I will be somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. I'm leaving tomorrow morning and will endure two layovers in Canada before touching down in France. I can now say I'm ready to begin this Travel Study Program.

I already experienced some mishaps, however. When I left UCLA, I shipped a huge box of clothing and items back to my house. It's been 10 days and I still haven't received the box, so I've been desperately trying to shop for some new outfits for my abroad journey. Many girls would love an excuse to shop, but it's been a bit stressful for me. It was a nightmare having nothing I needed, but hopefully I'm packed up and ready to go. 12 hours more.