Although I am living in Paris for the next five months, I will be a happy tourist for my whole visit. I am so interested in learning about French culture and history.
With my program, Academic Programs International, me and 14 other girls mostly from UMass and other colleges have visited quiet an array of tourist havens.
Our first day in Paris, January 4, was spent on le Bateau Mouche Tour or an hour-long boat ride on the Seine. I loved seeing the Parisian architecture and the striking view of La Tour Eiffel, which for me initially felt like seeing a long admired celebrity for the first time. Having la Seine flowing in the middle of la ville adds a natural component to an otherwise urban environment.
Je l’aime!
After moving into our dorms, studettes, or housing with host families, on January 6 we did a walking tour of le Marais, a very scenic area known for its architecture (mansions where the rich and famous of the Renaissance era lived), the Picasso Museum, and small shops and restaurants. Since our walk through the Marais was in a chilling 30 degrees, it made me long for the perfect spring day, which I would spend exploring the small stoned streets and settling in an outdoor café.
On January 7, we visited the Musée d’Orsay, which I already discussed, so no déjà vous pour toi. Then on January 8th, we began our first intensive French session at Université de Paris VII- Denis Diderot. I really like my professor Madame Martin, unlike most French people she speaks slowly and clearly.
On le vendredi 9 janvier, we visited la Louvre, the largest museum in all of Paris. It is free to students every Friday night after 6 p.m., which made our visit crowded but nevertheless spectacular. The Louvre’s entrance with the pyramid and waterfalls makes any visitor know that they are about to embark in a special adventure. We had a guided tour that lasted two hours (I still have much to see). The highlights included a grand Sphinx from Ancient Egypt, Greek and Roman statues from the third millennium BC up to the 6th century AD (my favorite being La Venus de Milo whose arms were never located during the excavation), and paintings from l’école français et espagnole.
The Louvre is most known for having the Mona Lisa or La Jaconde. As I first entered the exhibit, I didn’t even see the Mona Lisa because the painting is much smaller than expected and a large crowd was huddled in front of her. Sometimes I wonder why the Mona Lisa is so famous? But I instantly answered my own question with just a glimpse. There is something so peculiar about those eyes—that watch you as you walk past her (trust me I tried it a couple times and it’s true).
This weekend we visited the Chateau de Chantilly—yes my tourism continues! Chantilly is about an hour trip from Paris. The castle has lavish rooms with garnished golden walls and murals painted on the ceilings. The last inhabitant of the castle was le duc d’Aumale. There are grand halls with furniture that is more than antique, and smells like French bureaucrats…I might of imagined this. There are many paintings and my favorite was a portrait of Marie Antoinette painted by Fraçois Hubert in 1727 because it confirms that she looks nothing like Kirsten Dunst.
I said that I will be a tourist for the extent of my visit—but now I would like to distinguish that there are different degrees of being a “tourist”. For instance I don’t wear Hawaiian shirts and binoculars. In Paris fashion that would be a no-no, les Parisians est très chic.
