It's actually nice outside today
I just came back to an empty apartment. Contrary to what I used to believe, I'm not sure that I'll ever really like living alone. It's nice to know that someone will be there with you at the end of the day.
I didn't end up going to the Fashion and textile museum. Charlie said that it was an hour and a half of torture, so that seems to have been a good choice.
Instead, Christie and I started planning the rest of our European adventures. Our April break starts on the 7th. Both of our families will be in Paris sometime between the 9th and the 18th. On the 18th we leave for six days in Barcelona! The weekend after we get back, we're headed for Ireland for a long weekend. Then we're tentatively buying 10 day Eurail passes to travel to Germany, Austria (?), Hungary (?), Greece, Switzerland (?), and the south of France. We'll be back in Paris in time to celebrate Christie's birthday on May 24th and have a few days left over to finish up any undone Paris business and get ready to leave. Going home doesn't seem that far away. I've got mixed feelings about this.
This afternoon I went for a walk. I'm determined to see as much of Paris as I can while I'm here plus walking around the city is fun, cheap, and very welcome exercise (my eating habits here have been taxing on my waistline). My aunt gave me a pack of 50 "city walks" cards and I chose the Bastille area today. Although I only made it through one of three cards, it was a good choice.
Once I left the metro, I walked a little and stopped in a few shoe stores. I'm on a hunt for cute springtime flats and the Bastille area seems to be the only place where shops are open on Sundays. I also found a gourmet coffee shop. Unfortunately it was closed, but I'd be willing to buy some nice coffee there in the future. My taste in coffee has matured a lot here. That may not be a good thing.
Next, my little card lead me to place des Vosges, one of the oldest and loveliest squares in the city. The square is surrounded by identical 17th-century apartment buildings where the French noble families and Victor Hugo once lived. The square also used to be home to "royal pageants" (think a major parade when the king got married), but today hosted pre-teen soccer players and a SpongeBob Squarepants show.
I left the square, turned onto Rue des Francs Bourgeois and window shopped with hordes of other people. I reached the Musee Carnavlet, a free museum of French history housed in a 16th century "hotel." It was by far my favorite part of the trip. I spent several hours wandering around the three-story, 100+ room mansion and its beautiful gardens. At first I admired all the paintings in a room before moving on, reading each description (which I'm much better equipped to do than speak French). That became tiring very quickly, so I stuck to reading about the interesting ones and checking out the little replicas of Paris. I would love to build those little replicas with the perfect little buildings and little people with facial features. It would take me a million years and tons of frustration to finish one, but I would love it. It was also amazing to walk around the mansion and look at the gorgeous wallpapers, moldings, and floors. A few of the rooms were filled with furniture and even though furniture as art doesn't interest me that much, it was cool to imagine people living there. The last part that I really spent my time in before leaving was the "Belle Epoque" section (which I believe was the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century). It was fun to recognize bits and pieces of modern Paris in the old paintings, especially since many of them were set in Montmartre and around le Moulin Rouge. They also had a very cool stained glass pink-green-medium brown wood peacock-inspired room. Perhaps a good period to reference in future decorating?
For the rest of the day I'll probably study, plan my trips a little more, and clean. Nothing horribly exciting, but a good Sunday night.
I didn't end up going to the Fashion and textile museum. Charlie said that it was an hour and a half of torture, so that seems to have been a good choice.
Instead, Christie and I started planning the rest of our European adventures. Our April break starts on the 7th. Both of our families will be in Paris sometime between the 9th and the 18th. On the 18th we leave for six days in Barcelona! The weekend after we get back, we're headed for Ireland for a long weekend. Then we're tentatively buying 10 day Eurail passes to travel to Germany, Austria (?), Hungary (?), Greece, Switzerland (?), and the south of France. We'll be back in Paris in time to celebrate Christie's birthday on May 24th and have a few days left over to finish up any undone Paris business and get ready to leave. Going home doesn't seem that far away. I've got mixed feelings about this.
This afternoon I went for a walk. I'm determined to see as much of Paris as I can while I'm here plus walking around the city is fun, cheap, and very welcome exercise (my eating habits here have been taxing on my waistline). My aunt gave me a pack of 50 "city walks" cards and I chose the Bastille area today. Although I only made it through one of three cards, it was a good choice.
Once I left the metro, I walked a little and stopped in a few shoe stores. I'm on a hunt for cute springtime flats and the Bastille area seems to be the only place where shops are open on Sundays. I also found a gourmet coffee shop. Unfortunately it was closed, but I'd be willing to buy some nice coffee there in the future. My taste in coffee has matured a lot here. That may not be a good thing.
Next, my little card lead me to place des Vosges, one of the oldest and loveliest squares in the city. The square is surrounded by identical 17th-century apartment buildings where the French noble families and Victor Hugo once lived. The square also used to be home to "royal pageants" (think a major parade when the king got married), but today hosted pre-teen soccer players and a SpongeBob Squarepants show.
I left the square, turned onto Rue des Francs Bourgeois and window shopped with hordes of other people. I reached the Musee Carnavlet, a free museum of French history housed in a 16th century "hotel." It was by far my favorite part of the trip. I spent several hours wandering around the three-story, 100+ room mansion and its beautiful gardens. At first I admired all the paintings in a room before moving on, reading each description (which I'm much better equipped to do than speak French). That became tiring very quickly, so I stuck to reading about the interesting ones and checking out the little replicas of Paris. I would love to build those little replicas with the perfect little buildings and little people with facial features. It would take me a million years and tons of frustration to finish one, but I would love it. It was also amazing to walk around the mansion and look at the gorgeous wallpapers, moldings, and floors. A few of the rooms were filled with furniture and even though furniture as art doesn't interest me that much, it was cool to imagine people living there. The last part that I really spent my time in before leaving was the "Belle Epoque" section (which I believe was the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century). It was fun to recognize bits and pieces of modern Paris in the old paintings, especially since many of them were set in Montmartre and around le Moulin Rouge. They also had a very cool stained glass pink-green-medium brown wood peacock-inspired room. Perhaps a good period to reference in future decorating?
For the rest of the day I'll probably study, plan my trips a little more, and clean. Nothing horribly exciting, but a good Sunday night.