The land of Amelie and 8 Women

Pretty much the second I landed in Paris I was raring to go. I did not have one second to waste because I was not going to let a silly little thing like lack of time stop me from really seeing the city. And boy did I get around.
I jumped on the metro to discover the people of Paris really do want me to fulfill all my fantasies, as a musician instantly made accordion music the background soundtrack to my life. Feeling very Parisian, I met my roommate from Emory, my new tour guide, and one of her Parisian friends, making for a very interesting translated conversation. My roommate kept telling me that her friend knew English and he clearly understood me better than I could understand him, so at first I was confused why he didn't take this opportunity to practice his English. Then I realized, that's how I feel every day in Italy. I want so badly to be able to communicate, but often end up getting embarrassed and resorting to English unless I have about 10 minutes to prepare and memorize exactly what I want to say. This exchange not only reminded me how normal it is to pass up opportunities to practice a language out of sheer panic, but also that I need to try. The best way to learn is to interact with native speakers and at least try your damndest to use all the vocabulary you have in your pocket.
Anyway, my lovely friends showed me Notre Dame, the Seine, the Latin Quarter, and The Luxemburg gardens all before I could figure out where I was. And in turn, I showed a native how to be a tourist by whipping out my camera as often as he would let me.
It was then time for wine in gnome cups, my first crepe, and WILCO. In that order. Which probably explains why the gnome cup ended in my purse (come on, it was clearly made for me personally)

and why I couldn't resist the urge to ask Jeff Tweety to dance. He didn't hear me, but it was certainly worth a try. Apparently Europeans really like to watch concerts sitting, but fortunately Jeff got them all up and dancing. While a seated crowd might not have much energy, at least I got a perfect view of the band. Wilco didnt say as much as I expected them to, but that was probably because the crowd wouldn't have understood much anyway. What mattered was that the music was fantastic. I love legitimately talented musicians. After watching bobos in action (Parisian, hipster bourgeois teenagers), it was time for some beauty rest.

For my first full day in Paris I think I walked from 8 AM until 11 PM with about an hour break. The things I do for love. Once again, I was up before most of the city, so I got to see the streets of Paris. I wandered in and out of side streets, ending up in the Jewish Quarter. This section is filled with pastry shops, falafel stands, and Judaica stores. Food, shopping, and synagogues. My kind of place. I then met up with my roommate so she could show me her favorite pastry shop on our way to the Arc De Triomphe and Champs Elysees. I think my favorite part of the Arc De Triomphe is the traffic that surrounds it. The fact that people drive past it every day shows how intrinsic art and history are to the city, and Europe in general.
We walked down the Champs Elysees, moving quickly past the overly expensive shops toward the Rodin Museum and Musee D'Orsay. The main exhibit in the Rodin Museum was close, but, being an art student (tee hee) I saw the special exhibit for free. It consisted of his beautiful sketches, which really are rough sketches that somehow capture the movement and beauty of naked women. I was most drawn to the ones that involved color, as they were often soft and bright. This exbihit demonstrates his understanding of the human body and energy.
I emerged just in time for the rain to stop, so I could wander in the garden and see The Thinker, among other famous statues. I made his art my own too:

To round off the day I went to Musee D'Orsay. Many people I've talked to prefer this to the Louvre, and I understand why. The collection is extensive without feeling like it is TOO much. There are Van Goghs, and Toulouse-Latrecs, and a great room of all paintings that are only related in that they are all night scenes. There is also an entire hallway of statues. My only problem was that it is not organized for people in a rush (aka me) because the museum isn't really structured in a way that guides you through it.
So, I saw as much as I could manage before the guards kicked me out.
On my return home I passed a beautiful shop with macaroons in the window and decided the long line was a sign that it was time for a treat. Apparently I had stumbled into one of the most famous macaroon stores, Laduree where I enjoyed salted caramel. Excellent choice. And always buy it when you see it.

 The next morning, after a lovely walk around Marais, I got more pastries and headed with my roommate up to Montmartre. I have decided that should I move to Paris, this is where I would live. It's close enough to the city and the perfect amount of quirky. It has smaller, windier, streets, colorful buildings and artists everywhere. And it's on a hill. And I completely forgot until a day ago that Amelie called it her home, which explains my instant comfort.

 Afterwards we got falafel at Paris's most famous falafel stand (random, i know, but surprisingly great)

 and I went to the Centre Pompidou. I am in love with this museum. It's modern art, with beautiful pieces like this:

 This work tells a story with words suspended above the ground, and all the lines create a web. It was difficult to read the entire story/read between the lines (blech, that just happened) but I loved it. There is also a great exhibit on vintage television, which shows the art work on old television sets in vintage living rooms. Finally, the museum has a lovely view of the city. If you have any interest in modern art, GO HERE.
Finally, it was time for the Louvre. I absolutely understand why everyone leaves feeling disappointed. I made a point to at least enter every wing, but did not feel like I saw much because there was too much to see. Also, I hate how all the signs point to the Mona Lisa, as if to say, "yeah, we all know that's why you're here." With every sign I saw for it, I wandered in the opposite direction, determined to see other parts of the museum too. When I finally made it to the Mona Lisa, I was not disappointed because everyone had warned me that I would be disappointed. So, I am here to tell you that it sucks so that when you see the Mona Lisa, hopefully you will like it too.
I did like the energy in the Louvre. It was great to see how many people had devoted their entire afternoons to viewing art. Yes, a lot of people had to relax on couches but what is usual laziness seems far more cultural when it's done in front of Renaissance masterpieces. And I'm a little jealous that French students can take class trips to the Louvre.

 Instead of just telling you how I summed up my Paris excursion, I'm going to make some recommendations. First of all, take the time to walk up the Eiffel Tower. And then keep on going up to the top. It's worth it. On my next visit I hope to do it right before sunset so I can see the views during the day and at night, but the shining lights were spectacular.
And finally, if you get on the metro and there's an accordion player, a violinist, and a lovely man who asks you to dance, take him up on the offer.

Mmmmm thinking about my trip still kind of makes me bubble inside.

Spring Break part un: Nice (too many bad jokes to make with the name so I'll spare you)

My spring break began with an all-nighter in Rome because, really, why would you go to sleep when you have to be at the airport at 6:45 AM? My Rome experience started the way all trips should, with dinner with a friend from Emory and her roommate. This place sparkled with gnomes (literally, there was glitter everywhere in addition to gnome statues) and had is one of a few restaurants in Rome that have a student menu offering an appetizer, meal, dessert, and vino for 10 euro. A good deal that shows there are some benefits to having a large American student population in a foreign city. After an Italian style extended dinner, we passed ancient ruins while looking for open bars, but settled on a crepe stand instead. While I was only there for a short time, Rome certainly intrigued me more than I expected it to. Fortunately I'll get to see it in the day light very soon.
After a series of bizarre events, I finally made it to the airport to meet up with my ADA travel buddies and we boarded the plane to Nice, France.
We landed in Nice, a popular beach vacation spot in southern France, to find sun. So, the first thing we did was run onto the rocky beaches, play in the cold water, and search for sea glass. It was absolutely too cold for a beach day, but this was the closest we've come to spring in a long time.

First of all, I bought my first ever macaroon, which I have been impatiently waiting for. I got speculoos, which in real life is some cinnamon spread that's vaguely peanut buttery in texture, and everyone should try. The macaroon was perfect, as were all the other desserts.

We then went to the local market to buy excellent French cheese, baguettes, and produce, making a picnic on the beach. After stuffing my belly, I hiked up some interesting looking stairs to find a maze-like castle with the most beautiful view of Nice and Monaco. Finishing my walk, I saw some of the last weekend of Carnival with a flower parade (picture floats made of flowers with acrobats that were throwing even more flowers), rides and moonbounces. The day ended with a lovely home-cooked meal of bruschetta, sweet potato fries, and an assortment of sauteed vegetables in brie coated pasta. It was incredible to be able to cook again.

Since I woke up the next morning a solid 4 hours before anyone else even considered getting out of bed, I went exploring. The more I saw of Nice, the more I liked it. The first day I had been a little thrown off by how commercial everything felt. Upon first view, all I had seen were the blinking lights of stores, so it all felt a little fake, and as my friend said, "confectionary." When everything was closed, I realized the buildings themselves were lovely. The town is mostly painted in pastels with beautiful balconies. It certainly feels like a vacation town, which is not exactly my style, but it is a beautiful place to be.

Once everyone got out of bed we boarded a bus to Menton, searching for the Citrus Festival. First of all, the bus ride was possibly the best hour and a half I have ever spent in transit. We drove up and down the mountains of Nice, Monaco, and Menton, getting a view of the beaches and towns. Once in Menton, we saw a parade of floats made entirely of oranges and lemons. The parade also had dancers from different countries and more confetti than I've ever seen in my life. This was only one event of an entire week of citrus. Europe will find any reason to celebrate. And I like it.

We ended the evening with Carnival fireworks and the famous fishy meal necessary in a seaside town. Granted, I did not partake in the all you can eat moule e frite (mussels and fries) but I did have a real nicoise salad and the best creme brulee I've ever tasted. Talk about a successful meal.

For my last morning in Nice I ran to grab breakfast at the market to discover my fresh produce had been replaced with antiques. Talk about a nice discovery. The streets were suddenly lined with old cameras, hermes scarves, and some random useless crap. My kind of place, thought it did not satisfy my hunger. I ran to find the strongest smelling bakery around and purchased my new favorite meal, quiche. I couldn't resist the selection so I ended up with a tomato and tuna one in addition to a leek one. The crust was perfectly flaky and the flavors worked quite nicely. Yep, apparently I'm eating fish now. Europe's changing me.