Yesterday I experienced a little bit of travelers chaos again. I had planned on picking up a friend from the airport and taking a train out to Mont Saint Michel and Saint Malo this weekend. Well, her flight was delayed because it was overbooked by forty people, and then the trains were somewhat slower than usual into the city (is the strike in Paris over yet?) so needless to say, we did not make our train. All the other trains were full to get out there, so I decided after a little bit of parental counsel, to abandon the trip entirely and go next weekend. While it did cost me an arm and a leg to cancel my train tickets because I didn't cancel them early enough, the good news is that I was able to change my hotel reservation from this Friday to next Saturday. This makes it easier too, because I can stay in one city for the weekend if I want, not have to worry about trains once I'm there.
Class yesterday was pretty fun. We had a walking tour with a guest lecturer around the various squares and gardens and bridges near the Seine. It was really interesting to learn about the monarchy demands on architecture in the city, and how that created a unified mindset as well as facade for the Parisian citizens. What was even more fun, though, was that our tour guide looked scarily similar to Noah Wyle, the actor who played Dr. John Carter on ER. I've been watching this show through Netflix straight through the seasons, so I've seen a lot of Noah Wyle, and this man had the same features, movements, etc. Except he spoke english with a french accent. Anyways, I got a lot of amusement out of the doppelganger effect. And thankfully, the last three days we've had perfect weather!
Not sure what we'll do today. I guess play it by ear, and enjoy the lack of planning...I'll let you know!
6.26.2010
6.24.2010
Here is the promised tale of yesterday and today:
Yesterday was the first day that we got to visit the Louvre! I had been before ten years ago, and still had an impression of what it would be like, and of course, like most things in France, outdid my memory of it. Besides the photo-shoots we just HAD to have, as we are wild young adults and American tourists, it was especially fun to enter through this more private entrance to the side. Our program buys us Louvre passes that allow us unlimited entrance for a year. I think this means I have to come back before next July! :)
Anyways, after a long tackle with the Metro and getting everyone in the group to the desired meeting spot, we saw the fountain of the innocents, the several facades of the Louvre, and then Medieval "decorative arts" (so awesome!) and some of the French Renaissance collection with a tour by a curator of Renaissance painting for the Louvre. How cool?!
After class I, as is becoming typical, took leave from the big group scene, and explored by myself. After exiting the Louvre the wrong way, I stumbled upon the Tuileries garden complex that was stunning! So far, Paris is definitely the best city in which to get lost! Once I figured out where I was, I strolled along the Seine, and over this wonderful bridge, until I got to the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore. It was the first day that has been truly summer-y, so I took my time.
For anyone who doesn't know, Shakespeare and Co. opened in 1919 as an English language bookstore, and was the hangout of many famous writers, and famous for the publishing of books that neither the UK or US will publish for censorship reasons, the most famous being Ulysses by James Joyce. It was closed during the German occupation, and then re-opened in its current location, and continued to be a famous hangout of intellectuals since. This is just the cutest bookstore! It's cramped, with books EVERYWHERE. I didn't believe the reviews. Haven't checked out the library on the second floor yet, but when we go to the Louvre again on Monday, I am definitely going to stop by again. Maybe bring a book to sit and read. Later yesterday I actually went back again because there was a book-signing by Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi. Got my signed copy, my Shakespeare and Co. famous, Zero Kilometer stamp, and got to hear Yann Martel speak. Great day yesterday! On the walk home in the afternoon, I passed another cool market that went on for blocks and blocks!
Ok, on to today. Today we took a field trip out of the city to Chateau de Chantilly. It was breathtaking. We had two tours that went through the house and explained each room, which were fine. The place was amazing, and I felt a terrible urge to look around myself and open all the locked doors. The chateau looked just like what I imagine the scenery of a Jane Austen novel to look like. There was a moat around the place and gardens behind. There was even a little hamlet behind the gardens with little cottages as a garden for the rich residents to play at farming. There was also a "cottage" for a poet who hid there while in trouble with the French government. The place was definitely larger than my entire house. Today felt like a grown-up field trip. We spent all day wandering this place, walking the gardens, and laying out on the grass. There was also an incredible collection of prints and paintings we were able to study.
Still, what made today especially fun was that I got to spend a significant length of time with our TA, who is a grad student at the University of Picardie in Paris. He's explained to me his thesis, and has since pointed out every piece he's been studying. He's better than any tour guide. And it's exciting to listen to because you can see what joy he gets out of seeing something and explaining it. Plus, he's insanely cute. :) Unlike most of the kids on the trip, who consider themselves on vacation and therefore "checked-out", our TA seems to really enjoy having interesting, intellectual discussions. Because of this, I find myself sticking closer to him during class, as he will point out extra stuff my professor doesn't mention. I'm definitely going to have to keep in touch with him after the program!
After Chantilly, which was already about 6 pm, I decided to go for a taste of home, and made what I like to call GGC. It stands for Grandma Grilled Cheese, and it's grilled cheese made perfectly, with lots of butter! Learned it from one of my Grandmas, and it has taken me a lot of tries to even come close. I cooked it perfectly, but unfortunately I couldn't find American cheese (obviously. who else would eat that stuff?) but I substituted Holland cheese and it was still pretty amazing. Felt good after a long day of walking.
Tomorrow I leave for Mont-Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo. The best friend is flying in from NY tomorrow, and we're going to spend the weekend together on vacation. Should be really fun, and peaceful without my roommates! I may or may not be able to post on here, but if I don't, I'll try to catch up during the week. Sorry for the insanely long post! Hope it hasn't been too hard to get through. Writing journals, and off for a new adventure tomorrow!
Bon soir!
Yesterday was the first day that we got to visit the Louvre! I had been before ten years ago, and still had an impression of what it would be like, and of course, like most things in France, outdid my memory of it. Besides the photo-shoots we just HAD to have, as we are wild young adults and American tourists, it was especially fun to enter through this more private entrance to the side. Our program buys us Louvre passes that allow us unlimited entrance for a year. I think this means I have to come back before next July! :)
Anyways, after a long tackle with the Metro and getting everyone in the group to the desired meeting spot, we saw the fountain of the innocents, the several facades of the Louvre, and then Medieval "decorative arts" (so awesome!) and some of the French Renaissance collection with a tour by a curator of Renaissance painting for the Louvre. How cool?!
After class I, as is becoming typical, took leave from the big group scene, and explored by myself. After exiting the Louvre the wrong way, I stumbled upon the Tuileries garden complex that was stunning! So far, Paris is definitely the best city in which to get lost! Once I figured out where I was, I strolled along the Seine, and over this wonderful bridge, until I got to the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore. It was the first day that has been truly summer-y, so I took my time.
For anyone who doesn't know, Shakespeare and Co. opened in 1919 as an English language bookstore, and was the hangout of many famous writers, and famous for the publishing of books that neither the UK or US will publish for censorship reasons, the most famous being Ulysses by James Joyce. It was closed during the German occupation, and then re-opened in its current location, and continued to be a famous hangout of intellectuals since. This is just the cutest bookstore! It's cramped, with books EVERYWHERE. I didn't believe the reviews. Haven't checked out the library on the second floor yet, but when we go to the Louvre again on Monday, I am definitely going to stop by again. Maybe bring a book to sit and read. Later yesterday I actually went back again because there was a book-signing by Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi. Got my signed copy, my Shakespeare and Co. famous, Zero Kilometer stamp, and got to hear Yann Martel speak. Great day yesterday! On the walk home in the afternoon, I passed another cool market that went on for blocks and blocks!
Ok, on to today. Today we took a field trip out of the city to Chateau de Chantilly. It was breathtaking. We had two tours that went through the house and explained each room, which were fine. The place was amazing, and I felt a terrible urge to look around myself and open all the locked doors. The chateau looked just like what I imagine the scenery of a Jane Austen novel to look like. There was a moat around the place and gardens behind. There was even a little hamlet behind the gardens with little cottages as a garden for the rich residents to play at farming. There was also a "cottage" for a poet who hid there while in trouble with the French government. The place was definitely larger than my entire house. Today felt like a grown-up field trip. We spent all day wandering this place, walking the gardens, and laying out on the grass. There was also an incredible collection of prints and paintings we were able to study.
Still, what made today especially fun was that I got to spend a significant length of time with our TA, who is a grad student at the University of Picardie in Paris. He's explained to me his thesis, and has since pointed out every piece he's been studying. He's better than any tour guide. And it's exciting to listen to because you can see what joy he gets out of seeing something and explaining it. Plus, he's insanely cute. :) Unlike most of the kids on the trip, who consider themselves on vacation and therefore "checked-out", our TA seems to really enjoy having interesting, intellectual discussions. Because of this, I find myself sticking closer to him during class, as he will point out extra stuff my professor doesn't mention. I'm definitely going to have to keep in touch with him after the program!
After Chantilly, which was already about 6 pm, I decided to go for a taste of home, and made what I like to call GGC. It stands for Grandma Grilled Cheese, and it's grilled cheese made perfectly, with lots of butter! Learned it from one of my Grandmas, and it has taken me a lot of tries to even come close. I cooked it perfectly, but unfortunately I couldn't find American cheese (obviously. who else would eat that stuff?) but I substituted Holland cheese and it was still pretty amazing. Felt good after a long day of walking.
Tomorrow I leave for Mont-Saint-Michel and Saint-Malo. The best friend is flying in from NY tomorrow, and we're going to spend the weekend together on vacation. Should be really fun, and peaceful without my roommates! I may or may not be able to post on here, but if I don't, I'll try to catch up during the week. Sorry for the insanely long post! Hope it hasn't been too hard to get through. Writing journals, and off for a new adventure tomorrow!
Bon soir!
6.23.2010
6.22.2010
Today we visited the factory that for the last four-hundred years has produced all the tapestries, carpeting, and furniture for the royalty of France and, after the revolution, the senate and such. We got a tour of the rooms working on tapestry restoration and carpet restoration, and surprising to me, the carpets were the most fascinating! The men working in there were really very nice to us and show us how everything worked, and even showed us what they were working on. Spectacular creations, but it's hard to believe the tediousness of the work! Some of the works, we were told, took four people 2 full years to finish, and that was repairing, not creating a new piece.
The other cool thing I did today was explore this market with fruits and crepes and sandwiches. It was a narrow charming little street going up hill, and there was about any kind of food you could want to buy! It just seems so quintessentially French. Had a really good fresh peach!
No idea what I'm doing tomorrow. Have to go do tomorrow's reading! Here's a photo I caught in the Gobelins Tapestry Manufacturing workshop:
The other cool thing I did today was explore this market with fruits and crepes and sandwiches. It was a narrow charming little street going up hill, and there was about any kind of food you could want to buy! It just seems so quintessentially French. Had a really good fresh peach!
No idea what I'm doing tomorrow. Have to go do tomorrow's reading! Here's a photo I caught in the Gobelins Tapestry Manufacturing workshop:
6.21.2010
Chartres
Today was the big day: Chartres cathedral! Despite the rather miserable weather (cold and rainy) the church was very impressive! We took a tour bus from the hotel and, still twenty minutes away from Chartres itself, our professor alerted us to the fact that you can see the spires of the cathedral from the highway. When approaching the main facade of the church, it was really obvious how much more huge Chartres is than either St. Denis or Notre Dame. Unfortunately, there was construction being done on the front (West) facade, but the North and South portals were visible, and one was just recently cleaned. The choir of the church had also just finished being cleaned and looked astonishingly different than the rest of the church! If I hadn't known it was Chartres, it would have been easy to say that the stone belonged to a modern-built church. The stained-glass windows were also dramatically brighter when cleaned. They made the other windows look downright dim.
After our lecture at the cathedral and a formal lunch with the entire group, we had a demonstration with some professional (didn't catch the title) at the International Center for Stained Glass. Beyond just the temporary exhibit they happened to have up this month, we were shown exactly how they make stained glass today and how it was made in the Middle Ages, when the windows of the church were created. Both the history and the production seemed really cool! I think all of us exited saying to one another that we want to go home and make stained glass. During the tour I was even picking up some of the French that our tour guide was speaking. Who knows, in four more weeks, I might not even need a translator! :)
Goodnight all! Another early morning tomorrow for the Royal Tapestries Museum!
Here are photos of the cleaned and uncleaned sections of the church, and the stained-glass demonstration work table.
After our lecture at the cathedral and a formal lunch with the entire group, we had a demonstration with some professional (didn't catch the title) at the International Center for Stained Glass. Beyond just the temporary exhibit they happened to have up this month, we were shown exactly how they make stained glass today and how it was made in the Middle Ages, when the windows of the church were created. Both the history and the production seemed really cool! I think all of us exited saying to one another that we want to go home and make stained glass. During the tour I was even picking up some of the French that our tour guide was speaking. Who knows, in four more weeks, I might not even need a translator! :)
Here are photos of the cleaned and uncleaned sections of the church, and the stained-glass demonstration work table.
6.20.2010
With the bad weather, today was especially slow. For most of the people in the class, the week finally caught up with them. I was the first one up (by about 4 hours) and when I discovered that it was cold, raining, and that very little was open, decided this morning would be a good time to continue reading Pillars of the Earth. For anyone who hasn't read it, it's a novel about the building of a medieval cathedral in England. It's based on a real cathedral, but I don't remember which. Still, I though it was relevant to my studies and figured a little extra excitement about what I'm seeing couldn't hurt.
Tomorrow I'm off to Chartres cathedral all day. We're taking a bus pretty early, so that we'll be there in time to really see it before our tours for the day. I know we are also getting a stained-glass demonstration, which sounds like it will be absolutely amazing! Even the journals for the class, which are assigned everyday on various subjects, are actually interesting to write. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a class, and not just a vacation of a lifetime. It's insane that my university will be giving me credits toward my degree for taking field trips to cathedrals and living in Paris for five weeks!
Well, tomorrow is an early morning, so I'll be getting to bed shortly. Since most people have stopped eating dinner out because it's expensive, we have many more dishes to do this weekend! I think we get new towels and linens tomorrow. Not sure yet what the situation is. It's all very exciting though! Today was the first day we sort of lounged. We had a great time sitting at a cafe for a late lunch today and watching the Italy and New Zealand World Cup game. The excitement from every goal, no matter which team's, is such that even the waiters stop and watch!
Anyways, I'm sure I will have a lot to say about Chartres tomorrow, if I'm not too tired when I get back, so bonsoir for today! I'm glad so many people are enjoying reading about my adventures! It's fun to share them!
Tomorrow I'm off to Chartres cathedral all day. We're taking a bus pretty early, so that we'll be there in time to really see it before our tours for the day. I know we are also getting a stained-glass demonstration, which sounds like it will be absolutely amazing! Even the journals for the class, which are assigned everyday on various subjects, are actually interesting to write. I have to keep reminding myself that this is a class, and not just a vacation of a lifetime. It's insane that my university will be giving me credits toward my degree for taking field trips to cathedrals and living in Paris for five weeks!
Well, tomorrow is an early morning, so I'll be getting to bed shortly. Since most people have stopped eating dinner out because it's expensive, we have many more dishes to do this weekend! I think we get new towels and linens tomorrow. Not sure yet what the situation is. It's all very exciting though! Today was the first day we sort of lounged. We had a great time sitting at a cafe for a late lunch today and watching the Italy and New Zealand World Cup game. The excitement from every goal, no matter which team's, is such that even the waiters stop and watch!
Anyways, I'm sure I will have a lot to say about Chartres tomorrow, if I'm not too tired when I get back, so bonsoir for today! I'm glad so many people are enjoying reading about my adventures! It's fun to share them!
Yesterday was a slower day. Looked up trains to Aachen and Rouen, but finding no luck, decided on visiting St. Denis Basilica instead. I took the metro up there (long ride!) and it wasn't as crowded as I had expected for a Saturday. Sat on the steps to the altar and sketched for a bit. Three separate times I was approached by someone who attempted to converse with me and look at what I was drawing. It's really quite embarrassing to have to admit that you're a foreigner who doesn't speak the language. And I got asked directions again on the metro. Twice. Wasn't a good day for interactions...
St. Denis, however was beautiful, with the light shining through the stained glass. There was a concert going on right outside, so I could hear the music too. After the church, I caught a bite to eat in a boulangerie (is that how you spell it?) and ordered some really amazing olive bread! It was rather intimidating ordering though, because it was the middle of the after-work rush hour and I was terrified I would freeze and order the wrong thing and end up getting toast with salmon or something. I did get two extra chocolate croissants, but I think that was just because they were closing soon. I didn't mind. :)
No plans yet for today. Below are the photos for yesterday. I attempted to morph two photos to get the stained glass and church together, but it looked rather quasi, and was too big to upload, so maybe I'll put it up another time. I also let myself do some precision, obsessive sketching, and then once seeing how little I had gotten done, did a much looser sketch of some of the vaulting. Another drawing is from the other day, drawn from memory on the train back from the church, so it's rough. Getting better at loosening up, though. I'll definitely have to keep at that this week! The other photo is really amazing wood work from the choir seats.
St. Denis, however was beautiful, with the light shining through the stained glass. There was a concert going on right outside, so I could hear the music too. After the church, I caught a bite to eat in a boulangerie (is that how you spell it?) and ordered some really amazing olive bread! It was rather intimidating ordering though, because it was the middle of the after-work rush hour and I was terrified I would freeze and order the wrong thing and end up getting toast with salmon or something. I did get two extra chocolate croissants, but I think that was just because they were closing soon. I didn't mind. :)
No plans yet for today. Below are the photos for yesterday. I attempted to morph two photos to get the stained glass and church together, but it looked rather quasi, and was too big to upload, so maybe I'll put it up another time. I also let myself do some precision, obsessive sketching, and then once seeing how little I had gotten done, did a much looser sketch of some of the vaulting. Another drawing is from the other day, drawn from memory on the train back from the church, so it's rough. Getting better at loosening up, though. I'll definitely have to keep at that this week! The other photo is really amazing wood work from the choir seats.
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