Post #6: Weekend Adventures and Classes

Now that I am finally settled in, I have actually been able to see some sites (and not feel guilty about it.) On Friday, I went to the Louvre, because is it free after 6 if you are under 26. It was nice to just wander around and look at what I wanted to look at, instead of feeling the pressure to see everything in one outing. I had forgotten how big the museum is. I read that there are allegedly 5 miles of exhibits. It was also neat to be in the museum at night and see the outside and the pyramid all lit up. Saturday, I went a bazaar to pick up some essentials (bathrobe, hamper, conditioner) on the cheap. It was very different from the Paris, or anything else I have ever experienced: crowds, chaos, people trying to talk to you on the street. Not something I would want to deal with everyday, but fun to visit occasionally.
On Saturday I also tried to visit the Jardin des Plantes, but it was closed, so I ended up wandering around the Latin Quarter for a while. I also caught the metro to Ile de la Cite and saw Notre Dame. I feel like I keep repeating words like big, huge, and enormous…but it is! There were a lot of crowds of tourists, so I liked it better from afar, particularly from any of the bridges.
On Sunday I went on a highly unsuccessful wild goose chase looking for a library. I ended up back in the Latin Quarter, this time looking for the Arènes de Lutèce. It is a 2nd century Roman amphitheatre that wasn’t uncovered until the late 1800’s when the road next to it was being expanded. I then took the metro by the Hôtel de Ville, just because it is so beautiful and I had never seen it before. It is actually a replica, since the original building was torched. It is the home of the city hall today. I couldn’t get too close to the building though—what I thought at first was a concert is actually a very crowded ice rink on the plaza in front of it.
Yesterday was the first day of class. I usually have two classes on Mondays, but yesterday I just had one, because one of my teachers is out of town. My elective is about the Christian Church and European Politics. The class wasn’t very interesting yesterday, but I think that is because it is at 8 am and we spent the vast majority of the two hours going over the syllabus in detail. Today I had one of my journalism classes, although I believe other students can take it as well. It is called “Media and Politics.” Something that is very different from American classes is that here, class only meets once a week. However, if a class is ever cancelled, the teachers will either re-schedule it for another time (so that you meet twice in one week- my Media & Politics class has a time built into our scheldues that serves as office hours/tutorial but can double as a make up class) or they will add on time to several classes. In the US, if class is cancelled, it mean sleeping in and maybe some notes emailed to you.
I have been on the hunt for a pair of boots, but I have been unsuccessful so far. I didn’t think I would wear boots here, but the constant rain makes them very necessary. I also have been doing a little cooking, but it is difficult because I have very limited storage space and no freezer, I just have 2 lockered “cubbies”—one refrigerated, one pantry. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!


Hotel de Ville- All the people crowded around the bottom of the picture are the ice skaters.

Picture of the Arenes de Lutece. In the middle, toward the back is a group of men playing a game called petanque- a cross between horsehoes and bowling.

This is my room. My bed is the one with the (ugly) gold and black banket. There is also a sink area with hooks, a wardrobe, closet, and tiny dresser.