Weekend in Paris (lots of pictures, WATCH OUT!)

Middle of March I got the opportunity to play tour guide in Paris to some friends. Not that I could tell you about the good restaurants or cafés- my qualifications are that I have been there a few times already, I can speak French (and therefore try to avoid tourist treatment), and I know how to open the metro doors. It was cold and overcast, but despite the weather it was a blast, really. Every time I go I feel like I get to know the city a tiny bit more, and I am always struck with how beautiful it is.








Tintin! :D




One of my favorite bands- there were posters up all over the metro :)




Europeans really love their Swatches


Expensive but warm coffee break- totally worth it






Two happy lil travelers ^_^








Some awesome sculpture near the Louvre


















This really tickled me... Parisians... at work.


Notre Dame




















Our hostel


Sacré Coeur

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I do apologize if that was a picture overload, but it's kind of impossible to go to Paris and not be inspired to shoot everything you see!

Next stop, Madrid and then London! Two weeks of spring break is perfect for us exchange students :)

A la prochaine...

I know absolutely nothing about sports. In fact, when friends try to talk to me about teams or events, they know by now that they have to specify which sport it is. But it is so easy and so fun to get into football (soccer!) matches here. I feel like what's going on is pretty straightforward, it's fast paced, and if all else fails, just yell when everyone else does. A couple of weeks ago I found myself in the Solferino Bar in downtown Lille, cheering on LOSC with my friends and all of the Lillois that could fit into the place. It was packed wall to wall and the last 8 or so minutes Lille turned it around and won. I think that is what they call a good game, the more exciting ones. Either way, it was a great night. And if I am not mistaken, that game set them up to play Liverpool sometime in the next few weeks.


I don't think I ever listed my class schedule:

Monday:
Geography of the Countryside
Geography of Deserts

Tuesday:
Lit- Racine and Molière

Wednesday:
Translation- French to English
Irish Literature

Thursday:
Translation- English to French
Francophone Literature

Having no classes on Friday is pretty awesome. I decided to watch Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis. It is really funny, but I am glad I waited to watch it until I'd been here for awhile, because now I actually understand it (for the most part) and the jokes. I know so many people who could very well be in the movie. In particular, when my neighbor's boyfriend doesn't understand something he'll do the "HEIN?!" thing.

I feel like there have been more sunny days in March than in January and February put together. It's awesome! In celebration of this I went out and got myself a monthly pass for the metro. It was 30 euros with my young person discount card (carte viva), but I really think it will be worth it. I won't find myself thinking at any point "Well I WOULD like to go downtown and just walk around, but I don't really wanna spend the three euros for the metro ticket".

Time for food, more to come later!

Need your input!

*view from my room*

As it gets warmer, I really want to start making some day trips in France. I've spent the past week of Carnival vacation here in Lille, which has been nice and restful and it saved me a bundle of traveling money. Dear professors, friends, random internet readers- where would you suggest? What are your favorite places in France? Leave me comments, please :)

Getting lost in Lille...

Holidays

The holidays were kind of bittersweet. I got to spend a really nice Christmas at home with my family and I came back just in time to spend New Years Eve here in Lille. I got lucky- the morning I left for Charles de Gaulle airport it was snowing, thick gorgeous flakes, and people were stranded everywhere, for days at a time, but I made all of my flights. And there is something really nice about speeding through northern France on a TGV when all you see around you is blustery white. Anyway, after a week or so of recharging, sleeping, eating a lot and spending time with my mama, I was looking forward to going back to Lille.

One of the best things about the fall semester was the close group of friends I made. So it was kind of sad to say goodbye to everyone as they left, slipping away one by one over the first weeks of January. I returned to Lille on New Years Eve, and contrary to what we might have thought at the time, I think we spent a rather satisfactory night. We made it downtown just a little too late and found that the usual clubs were charging amounts that nobody had in cash. As midnight approached we found ourselves standing on a busy street next to some trash cans, watching the revelers pass and replying to everyone who wished us "Bonne année les filles!". I rang in the new year laughing in the heart of Lille with friends I love. I am definitely okay with how the evening worked out. I don't have pictures to share, but you will just have to imagine the streets full of young French people setting off firecrackers and brandishing silly string.

Décembre

December in Lille started out with a bang, followed by a groan and a very loud sigh all coming from my direction. I remember specifically having a great first couple of days of the month, until Friday came, and I got what I can only describe as the flu. I was completely down all weekend, and when Monday afternoon rolled around, realizing I needed a note for my grammar class or I would be out, I dragged myself over to campus to see the nurse, not knowing where to find a real doctor. I feel like this was my fatal mistake. She proceeded to ignore everything I told her except that I had a cough, gave me some lozenges to suck on, a pat on the head, and sent me on my way. I feebly mentioned that I needed a note for a class I had missed in the morning and her response was "I can't prove you were sick this morning, you should have come earlier". And just like that, a semester's worth of work, good grades, and the $500 I paid to change my plane ticket were for nothing. Six credits out the window on the last day of class. I wasn't alone, though. Lorenzo, a very smart Italian kid in my class (who knows as much as I do after having studied French for only 7 months!), found himself in the same situation. That same weekend he contracted chicken pox, and was just as surprised as I was to find that he wasn't allowed to take the exam either, having missed one too many classes.

However, the incident led to my very first visit to a French doctor, which was really interesting. By Thursday my flu symptoms were gone but the cough had gotten really bad, to the point where I couldn't settle down and sleep. Asking around, I found out there was actually a doctor within a 5 minute walk from the residence, next to our metro stop. Who'da thunk it? Not knowing hours and having nothing on me but a little bit of cash, I made my way in that general direction. The building was very plain. I walked in and almost thought I had it wrong- there was a bare table, no secretary, just a plain waiting hall in front of individual office doors, and a few posters. A very friendly female doctor waved me in to her office and saw me right away. She showed an interest where I was from and how I was liking my studies, and made sure that I understood everything she was saying. She handled everything, appointments and money, and when she didn't have correct change for my 25 euros, she just took my 20 and told me to come back later with the two! It was pretty neat to have that direct contact with the doctor, instead of going through secretaries and nurses- very different from how things are handled in the States.

Being down for the first half of December meant I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked downtown. Lille was absolutely lovely decked out for the holidays. Not only in the main parts of town, but there seemed to be something no matter where you were. There were trees and lights strung up everywhere, a huge Ferris wheel in the Grande Place, roasted chestnuts, hot, spiced wine and cider, rides for children, food vendors with hot waffles, crepes and beignets (donuts), and of course the Marché de Noël.

Here it is on the first day it opened:



And here are some pictures I took the last Saturday before Christmas:

















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