In today's episode, Andy goes up the Eiffel Tower.
I went up at dusk, which was SUCH a good decision. I caught Paris in the late afternoon light and as night fell (AND tower-on-the-hour happened as I was coming down). It was really windy today, but I think the photos were absolutely worth it. You can find them, along with other older additions to my Paris album, here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=394980&id=734690178&l=429c251b32
Today was rather normal otherwise. Class at Reid Hall, and then I peeked inside St. Sulpice, a very gothic chapel sort of near the Luxembourg Gardens (also near Pierre Herme, of Heath Ledger hallucination fame). Neat, austere old chapel (though its exterior is currently under renovation) that's a good, less-touristy alternative to Notre Dame.*
I then had dinner with my host family, which included friends I'd never met before. I find it interesting that they have friends over for dinner at 9 on Monday night (going until after midnight). I'd also like to translate for you a brief exchange I had with my host mother before the guests arrived. Worth noting that I started said exchange after noting a bottle of champagne chilling on the coffee table:
Me: "Looks like we're not having just anybody over tonight...!"
[My host mother and I then spent a few minutes trying to figure out what phrase I just butchered. Then, after she finally figured it out and told me how to say it correctly...]
H-M: "Oh, well, no... like normal."
Me: "Well, I just asked because of the champagne. Not just anybody..."
H-M: "They're friends. Friends are never just anybody."
While I generally follow the pattern of making fewer friends but keeping them closer, I was happy to be corrected on this score. I like that, while you have friends over for dinner in the States, here in France, you make time for your friends on Monday night and they deserve the champagne as well as any special occasion because friends are a special occasion. I say this is a good philosophy.
-Andy
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Earnotes
...Apparently they go in the same place as footnotes, after all.
* Notre Dame, which, believe it or not, I still haven't been inside in my two months in Paris. It'll happen, though; I was biding my time on the Eiffel Tower, too.
I sincerely hope you know I am living vicariously through your European experiences.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you can find a little church in the vicinity of Le Centre Pompidou that has wooden chairs nailed upside-down to its ceiling, I would be much obliged. It's a really good story, but I have heretofore not been able to corroborate my claims of this place's existence.
Also (again), I am supremely glad you're having such a great time!!
(Fuller)