I am now on my flight back to Paris and am deeply disheartened. I wasn’t ready for it to end at all. While I am ready for some of the comforts of back home, I’m also not done with my adventure in Europe. I spent so long planning and anticipating this trip; I can’t believe that it is over.
A bunch of us were talking this last week, and it is impossible that this experience was 4 weeks long; it seems like half the time. We all recall the first and last weeks, but the middle just seems to blend together. I had such an amazing time and met some really amazing people that I don’t want it to be over! I’ll miss my little flat that Tessa and I squished into. I’ll miss seeing Mon Petite Chou ever day, what will I do without him bugging me for Pringles every day and “booping” me? How will it feel to completely understand all of the conversations that are going on around me? What will it be like to drive again and not take the Metro for every little thing? Paris held so many wonderful things that I can’t imagine being without it.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Parisian Chow
So, when I first thought of my time in Paris I didn’t really consider what I’d be eating. The only thing I really thought about was how I was I was going to get by being a vegetarian because I was told often that it would be difficult (however, everyone on the trip can verify that it is actually quite hard to get meat in your meals). I did get by just fine, but I ended up eating quite a few of the same things over and over; which is exactly what I end up doing at home. Plus, whenever something said “vegetarianne” on the menu I ordered that to be safe (and it was usually a salad or a cheese sandwich). So, here are a few of the things I ate quite typically (some of which are not very exciting at all).
1) Coca Cola: While not a “food” it was a very big staple in my diet. I probably drank at least 2 a day every day. They don’t really carry very many different sodas, so whenever we grabbed a bite to eat, a Coca would be included. I don’t even like Coke, but it was a very large part of my trip.
2) Pringles: I know, the list thus far is very foreign to all of you. I was just really hungry for chips, and they don’t carry the same kinds we have here, unless you get Pringles. I did try to venture off and try some different flavors, but the Pringles always came back. However, I didn’t eat as many as I bought because David probably consumed about ¾ of my Pringle purchases.
3) Onion Soup (the “French” is implied): Onion soup is by far my favorite food I ate in Paris. They make it so unbelievably well. Every restaurant makes it a little bit differently, but most all are really good. I did have some at one restaurant that was tangy instead of salty that didn’t please my palate, but other than that I gobbled up everything else. My favorite Onion Soup was at the Acropolis, it was perfectly salty and cheesy and we always had extra bread to dip into it.
4) Crème Brulee: I spent many meal times searching for a restaurant that had crème brulee as a dessert option. I had only had it once before I came to Paris, but now I’m an addict. The best brulee I had was at this small café on the corner of the Latin Quarter that we just so happened to stop at on our way home one night. There was a bunch of sugar on top of it (not all of it was burned which made it even better) and the crème was actually warm. The worst by far was at a restaurant that specialized in mussels. I and a student from Florida ventured there after a meal of onion soup (as the onion soup restaurant didn’t have crème brulee). It took a really long time to receive our dessert and it was grainy and cold. It almost turned me off from the dessert forever, but I gave it another chance the next day and indeed fell back in love!
5) Twix Bars: Again, not very adventurous, but I ate a Twix bar about every day we had school. We’d go out someplace for lunch and then come back and I’d feel like a little snack before class began, so a run to the vending machine would always result in a Twix. I did try some of the Europe-only candy bars (i.e. Lion) which are pretty good, but that cookie-caramel mix can’t be beat.
6) Cheese Panini: Hot sandwiches don’t allow for many choices when you are a vegetarian, so I ate an abundance of cheese paninis. The first couple of times it was okay, but after a while it just gets too bland. The Tunisian restaurant by our school put peppers in their vegetarian cheese sandwiches, which proved to be a very welcome change of pace.
7) Frites (aka French Fries): With this one you might charge me as not being adventurous, but pretty much everything over here comes with frites. I really love fries, but I love mine salty, which doesn’t happen often in Paris. Their fries are far less salty than ours, I even considered carrying around a salt shaker with me to solve this problem. But then, once again, the Tunisian restaurant saved me with some incredibly salty, delicious frites.
While I did try some other things, those were pretty much my staples. I blame my unadventurous food choices on being a vegetarian, but I am actually just a very unadventurous person when it comes to food. But I enjoyed what I did eat and would happily return to eat the same things once again.
1) Coca Cola: While not a “food” it was a very big staple in my diet. I probably drank at least 2 a day every day. They don’t really carry very many different sodas, so whenever we grabbed a bite to eat, a Coca would be included. I don’t even like Coke, but it was a very large part of my trip.
2) Pringles: I know, the list thus far is very foreign to all of you. I was just really hungry for chips, and they don’t carry the same kinds we have here, unless you get Pringles. I did try to venture off and try some different flavors, but the Pringles always came back. However, I didn’t eat as many as I bought because David probably consumed about ¾ of my Pringle purchases.
3) Onion Soup (the “French” is implied): Onion soup is by far my favorite food I ate in Paris. They make it so unbelievably well. Every restaurant makes it a little bit differently, but most all are really good. I did have some at one restaurant that was tangy instead of salty that didn’t please my palate, but other than that I gobbled up everything else. My favorite Onion Soup was at the Acropolis, it was perfectly salty and cheesy and we always had extra bread to dip into it.
4) Crème Brulee: I spent many meal times searching for a restaurant that had crème brulee as a dessert option. I had only had it once before I came to Paris, but now I’m an addict. The best brulee I had was at this small café on the corner of the Latin Quarter that we just so happened to stop at on our way home one night. There was a bunch of sugar on top of it (not all of it was burned which made it even better) and the crème was actually warm. The worst by far was at a restaurant that specialized in mussels. I and a student from Florida ventured there after a meal of onion soup (as the onion soup restaurant didn’t have crème brulee). It took a really long time to receive our dessert and it was grainy and cold. It almost turned me off from the dessert forever, but I gave it another chance the next day and indeed fell back in love!
5) Twix Bars: Again, not very adventurous, but I ate a Twix bar about every day we had school. We’d go out someplace for lunch and then come back and I’d feel like a little snack before class began, so a run to the vending machine would always result in a Twix. I did try some of the Europe-only candy bars (i.e. Lion) which are pretty good, but that cookie-caramel mix can’t be beat.
6) Cheese Panini: Hot sandwiches don’t allow for many choices when you are a vegetarian, so I ate an abundance of cheese paninis. The first couple of times it was okay, but after a while it just gets too bland. The Tunisian restaurant by our school put peppers in their vegetarian cheese sandwiches, which proved to be a very welcome change of pace.
7) Frites (aka French Fries): With this one you might charge me as not being adventurous, but pretty much everything over here comes with frites. I really love fries, but I love mine salty, which doesn’t happen often in Paris. Their fries are far less salty than ours, I even considered carrying around a salt shaker with me to solve this problem. But then, once again, the Tunisian restaurant saved me with some incredibly salty, delicious frites.
While I did try some other things, those were pretty much my staples. I blame my unadventurous food choices on being a vegetarian, but I am actually just a very unadventurous person when it comes to food. But I enjoyed what I did eat and would happily return to eat the same things once again.
Normandy: 2nd Try
Yesterday we took a second chance at taking a look at the D-Day Beaches of Normandy. We did in fact get to the right town this time and it was well worth the second trip. We ended up spending the afternoon at the American Monument, which is located at the Omaha landing site.
When you first get there, it doesn’t really hit you as a memorial site because it is so absolutely beautiful. The grass is so lush and the sounds of the ocean are so peaceful. It is still hard to understand how such bloodshed occurred at such a beautiful spot. We first just went to a couple of the lookout sites that they have set up for people to look over the beach. Next, we went to the gravesite, which is when it really hit me. You walk past some trees and all of the sudden you are looking at thousands of white crosses (in some cases Stars of David). There are over 9,000 soldiers buried there. It is just aisle after aisle of people who gave their life. The front of the cross bears each soldier’s name, rank, and when they passed. Each one is sad and hits you, but the absolute hardest ones to see are the Unknown Soldier crosses.
After a very depressing time in the memorial site, we decided to walk down to the beach. It was quite a walk down, but well worth it once we reached the sand. Again, it’s so hard to even comprehend what happened, it looks like any other beach. Trying to put myself in the soldiers place, seeing the exact beach that they saw when they were landing, I know I don’t even fully get it. We spent a while down there, but you feel bad relaxing there so it’s kind of an uncomfortable spot.
After the beach we went into the Tourist office/Museum. The first thing you see when you go downstairs is a movie that is playing. The movie talks about 3 different soldiers who were involved in D-Day who eventually pass away. All of them are undoubtedly heroes, the movie really made the whole experience hit home.
We were lucky enough to have actually chosen the weekend of the 65th anniversary of D-Day (the exact date was actually the day before we went). But there were a lot of veterans there, which made the experience that much more real.
When you first get there, it doesn’t really hit you as a memorial site because it is so absolutely beautiful. The grass is so lush and the sounds of the ocean are so peaceful. It is still hard to understand how such bloodshed occurred at such a beautiful spot. We first just went to a couple of the lookout sites that they have set up for people to look over the beach. Next, we went to the gravesite, which is when it really hit me. You walk past some trees and all of the sudden you are looking at thousands of white crosses (in some cases Stars of David). There are over 9,000 soldiers buried there. It is just aisle after aisle of people who gave their life. The front of the cross bears each soldier’s name, rank, and when they passed. Each one is sad and hits you, but the absolute hardest ones to see are the Unknown Soldier crosses.
After a very depressing time in the memorial site, we decided to walk down to the beach. It was quite a walk down, but well worth it once we reached the sand. Again, it’s so hard to even comprehend what happened, it looks like any other beach. Trying to put myself in the soldiers place, seeing the exact beach that they saw when they were landing, I know I don’t even fully get it. We spent a while down there, but you feel bad relaxing there so it’s kind of an uncomfortable spot.
After the beach we went into the Tourist office/Museum. The first thing you see when you go downstairs is a movie that is playing. The movie talks about 3 different soldiers who were involved in D-Day who eventually pass away. All of them are undoubtedly heroes, the movie really made the whole experience hit home.
We were lucky enough to have actually chosen the weekend of the 65th anniversary of D-Day (the exact date was actually the day before we went). But there were a lot of veterans there, which made the experience that much more real.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
How could they not love us?
Europeans have a distaste for Americans, this is what we often hear, but why? I think I may have the answer. It's because of MTV.
We don't get very many channels in our apartments, and we get even fewer that are in English. We get EuroNews, which repeats the same news over and over (seriously, same clips and everything) and MTV, so we spend some of our free time watching both channels. The American shows that are chosen for the MTV station are terrible. They include: The Ex Effect, My Super Sweet Sixteen, and Parental Control. Let me give you a brief synopsis on each, and you will get a clue into why we may be viewed the way we are.
The Ex Effect is (aside from one of the stupidest shows ever created) a show that takes a couple that has broken up and puts the in a hotel room together for the weekend. As if that doesn't sound bad enough, both of the ex's are currently in a relationship. So MTV takes the new partners and puts them in a hotel room together to spy on the ex's as the spend the weekend together. The ex's are put into different situations (usually involving a hot tub) as their new partners look on. MTV provides a bunch of "technology" and "spy devices" to help them spy (such as a red light that illuminates each time the ex's touch, or detectors that tell the parters where the ex's are in the room). At the end it is revealed to the ex's that their partners have been looking on the entire weekend and they must decide if they want to get back with their ex or stay with their current partner. So, you can tell that this show is not worth the air time, but it plays over and over here.
Next is My Super Sweet Sixteen. This show follows a soon-to-be sixteen year old as she (or sometimes he) plans out her sixteenth birthday party. Of course, these are not typical sixteen year olds, but are absolutely spoiled rotten ones. Each episode includes at least 2 hissy fits and many tears because something has gone wrong. A shiny new car is always involved (though all of them comment "Now I just have to learn how to drive...") and diamonds are usually presented.
Last, and certainly least, is Parental Control. In this show parents of an always "amazing" child disapprove of their child's current girlfriend/boyfriend, so they set their kid up on a blind date to try to lure them away from their current relationship. It's just a terrible show, and whoever thought of it is probably laughing all the way to the bank.
So, if someone was just exposed to MTV for their impressions of the United States, could you blame them for not thinking too highly of us?
We don't get very many channels in our apartments, and we get even fewer that are in English. We get EuroNews, which repeats the same news over and over (seriously, same clips and everything) and MTV, so we spend some of our free time watching both channels. The American shows that are chosen for the MTV station are terrible. They include: The Ex Effect, My Super Sweet Sixteen, and Parental Control. Let me give you a brief synopsis on each, and you will get a clue into why we may be viewed the way we are.
The Ex Effect is (aside from one of the stupidest shows ever created) a show that takes a couple that has broken up and puts the in a hotel room together for the weekend. As if that doesn't sound bad enough, both of the ex's are currently in a relationship. So MTV takes the new partners and puts them in a hotel room together to spy on the ex's as the spend the weekend together. The ex's are put into different situations (usually involving a hot tub) as their new partners look on. MTV provides a bunch of "technology" and "spy devices" to help them spy (such as a red light that illuminates each time the ex's touch, or detectors that tell the parters where the ex's are in the room). At the end it is revealed to the ex's that their partners have been looking on the entire weekend and they must decide if they want to get back with their ex or stay with their current partner. So, you can tell that this show is not worth the air time, but it plays over and over here.
Next is My Super Sweet Sixteen. This show follows a soon-to-be sixteen year old as she (or sometimes he) plans out her sixteenth birthday party. Of course, these are not typical sixteen year olds, but are absolutely spoiled rotten ones. Each episode includes at least 2 hissy fits and many tears because something has gone wrong. A shiny new car is always involved (though all of them comment "Now I just have to learn how to drive...") and diamonds are usually presented.
Last, and certainly least, is Parental Control. In this show parents of an always "amazing" child disapprove of their child's current girlfriend/boyfriend, so they set their kid up on a blind date to try to lure them away from their current relationship. It's just a terrible show, and whoever thought of it is probably laughing all the way to the bank.
So, if someone was just exposed to MTV for their impressions of the United States, could you blame them for not thinking too highly of us?
May I take you on a Metro ride?
One of the most interesting experiences of the trip has been our time on the Metro. I've never lived in a big city, and have thus never really experienced public transportation before. I'm surprised to find it is much like I've always imagined, TV actually serves this one up correctly.
I've come across many interesting people on the metro, whether it be the creeper that sat way to close to Emma, or the old lady lost in her book on the way to her stop. The very first day when we took the Metro a few of us were pleasantly surprised to hear music, which we assumed was coming from some sort of radio system they had set up in the rail car. We soon found out that it was actually a gentleman playing the saxophone a little way down the car. We have seen him a couple of times since then, and his music always makes me smile.
When walking to the different Metro stops through the tunnels, one is also up for an experience. Many performers set up in the tunnels to catch people as they rush through, most often we've run across accordion players. They are typically dancing to and fro as they play an upbeat tune. The coolest music we've come by is a group of about 5 people who each play a different instrument and sing as they do so. There's a violin and an upright bass, the others I can't recall. They are very good and I am always cheered up when I hear them playing around the corner. The least favorite performer is a gentleman who plays the accordion who apparently has a thing for Emma. Each time we pass him he either jumps forward and plays a note on his accordion for her or chases her a little bit. She always turns bright red and scurries away as quickly as she can.
I'm slowly learning the rules of the Metro, as there is definitely a way of doing things. First off, you can't be too kind when getting on the Metro or you're bound to be left behind. When the rail car pulls in, you best get moving towards the door. If you hang back too long you'll hear the buzzer and know you should hold back. When the buzzer sounds the doors are soon to close, and those doors stop for no one. I'm quite sure someone has lost a limb due to those things. I think that the conductors can stop their closing, but I wouldn't want a limb dependent on it. Next, if you want a seat, you better be even faster getting on the train. We get on at La Defense, which is the first stop on the line. In the mornings it is pretty crowded, so if you want a seat you best push your way through everyone else trying to get a seat. We have quite a long way (10 minutes) before our next stop, so all of us headed to the school are vying for a spot to sit. But not only do we want seats, everyone else does to. If you don't get a spot right away you can wait to grab one when someone gets up, but realize that everyone around you is waiting for the same thing. Finally, I've realized that the Metro is quiet time for many people. Later in the evening you can be a little louder, but the mornings are typically quite quiet (except for the sound of the Metro lines, of course). Hardly anyone talks and I'm trying hard to get used to that.
The best way to start your day, Is with a beigne!
In the two weeks we've been here I've definitely found my favorite little places to grab a bite to eat.
My first favorite place to eat is this little bakery about 2 blocks from our apartments. It is conveniently located on our way to the Metro, so we often stop there on our way to class. Professor Reardon first told us of its deliciousness, but words do not do this bakery justice, it is so good. I always get something called a "beigne" which is much like a donut, but a thousand times better. It is much fluffier and dense (I know that sounds contradictory!) than a donut from America. I get the "beigne naturalle" which means it doesn't have any filling, it is just covered in delicious sugar (it is that delicious looking thing in the picture). It is so good and I will miss having my morning beigne when I leave.
Another favorite food joint is the Monoprix. While this is not a restaurant, it is a grocery store that has a branch right near our house. It is kind of like a mini-WalMart in the fact that it has clothing and food, but it is much tinier than any WalMart. It has fruit that will knock your socks off and has pretty much what you'd imagine a grocery store would. It is still a little nerve racking going in, because we're figuring out what everything is and where our necessities are located, but it has served us well.
The last of my favorites of the moment is this little cafe we happened to go to yesterday that is right by our apartments. There is a corner where about 5 restaurants are located that we go by every day but never eat at, so yesterday Nicole, Emma and I decided to just chill at one of them and see what they had. After playing "choose a number" to decide which restaurant to go into, we landed in Day's Cafe. It's this ingenious restaurant where they have a cooler full of plan salads, sandwiches with just meat or cheese on them and about 10 different desserts. So, you pick up a salad or sandwich (or their noodle of the day, which we all got and it was amazing) and take it to the counter and tell them what ingredients you want to have added to the salad or sandwich. That way you get exactly what you want without having to tell them what you don't want. You can also get an incredible variety of things, so one could eat there many times without every having the same thing.
I'm sure Paris has many more amazing little places to eat, and we still have 2 weeks to find them!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Adventure (aka being lost)
Many times throughout our two weeks here we have found ourselves lost. Sure, someone leading the group is sure that the Latin Quarter is just around this block, but it usually ends up being about an hour from that point. However, being lost in Paris has lead to some very amazing times. For example:
After finishing our Cultural Outing at the Musee D'Orsay, Claude let us on our own to find some food. A few of us decided that the Latin Quarter was pretty close and we would be able to find some good stuff there. So, we proceeded. I was really hungry for some spaghetti so we decided we should find an Italian place to dine. We walked and walked and walked. After being assured the Latin Quarter was right behind a couple of buildings I began to lose hope. By this point I was extremely hungry (as we'd been walking for over a half hour). However, we came across our first restaurant, and it just happened to be Italian! Not only was it Italian, but it was delicious Italian. Austin got this cheese and noodle dish that was so good. I got a pizza (not spaghetti because someone at a different table had pizza and it looked so good) and it was delicious. Everyone was pleased with their food, even happy for being lost since we'd found such a place by chance.
The other night a few of us decided to go out to the Latin Quarter and grab some dinner and go to a British Pub we had come across the night before. We walked around for a while before finding the Latin Quarter (again), and when we found it could not decide on a place to eat. The Latin Quarter is pretty much the place in Paris where all of the young people hang out. There are alleys full of restaurants and clubs that wind this way and that. After walking around for a while we were approached by a guy to come into his restaurant. He offered us "the best table in the house and a free glass of wine!". We were quite weary, as you are approached all of the time and very rarely does it turn out well. Chase asked for me if they had something vegetarian, and he assured us he did, so we decided to go in. The six of us where treated like royalty! It was a Greek restaurant that is owned by a gentleman from Boston (so he and Chase got along quite well). We did indeed get the best table in the house (it looked right out into the street) and our wine was brought promptly to us (it was the best wine I've had here yet). The chef came out to talk to us and our host explained that I was a vegetarian, so the chef made a plate especially for me, eggplant, which was not on the menu. Everyone's food turned out to be extremely delicious! The chef came out to make sure everything was good and asked us where we were from. When we told him we were from the United States he started quizzing us on our state capitals (good thing we had geography bee champ Keri with us!).
On Friday a bunch of us ended up going out, and we decided to try the Bastille stop instead of the Latin Quarter (we were told the Bastille was more posh). However, immediately after exiting the Metro we could tell we were in trouble. There were a few cafes, but nothing too great. Chase and Austin had been hanging out there for a while and told us there was nothing much to see. So Emma, Austin and I decided we would head over to the Latin Quarter and find a dance club there. We again got lost looking for it (you'd think we'd know where it is by now). We were quite frustrated and time was running out before the Metro closed. However, after asking a few people for directions, we found it! We walked around trying to find a fun dance club, but everything was either full or looked shady. About to give up we came across a random bar and decided to go in. I was so happy we did because the bar had live music. The band was really good and played all American songs so we could sing along.
So being lost can be very frustrating, but in Paris it has always had a good outcome.
After finishing our Cultural Outing at the Musee D'Orsay, Claude let us on our own to find some food. A few of us decided that the Latin Quarter was pretty close and we would be able to find some good stuff there. So, we proceeded. I was really hungry for some spaghetti so we decided we should find an Italian place to dine. We walked and walked and walked. After being assured the Latin Quarter was right behind a couple of buildings I began to lose hope. By this point I was extremely hungry (as we'd been walking for over a half hour). However, we came across our first restaurant, and it just happened to be Italian! Not only was it Italian, but it was delicious Italian. Austin got this cheese and noodle dish that was so good. I got a pizza (not spaghetti because someone at a different table had pizza and it looked so good) and it was delicious. Everyone was pleased with their food, even happy for being lost since we'd found such a place by chance.
The other night a few of us decided to go out to the Latin Quarter and grab some dinner and go to a British Pub we had come across the night before. We walked around for a while before finding the Latin Quarter (again), and when we found it could not decide on a place to eat. The Latin Quarter is pretty much the place in Paris where all of the young people hang out. There are alleys full of restaurants and clubs that wind this way and that. After walking around for a while we were approached by a guy to come into his restaurant. He offered us "the best table in the house and a free glass of wine!". We were quite weary, as you are approached all of the time and very rarely does it turn out well. Chase asked for me if they had something vegetarian, and he assured us he did, so we decided to go in. The six of us where treated like royalty! It was a Greek restaurant that is owned by a gentleman from Boston (so he and Chase got along quite well). We did indeed get the best table in the house (it looked right out into the street) and our wine was brought promptly to us (it was the best wine I've had here yet). The chef came out to talk to us and our host explained that I was a vegetarian, so the chef made a plate especially for me, eggplant, which was not on the menu. Everyone's food turned out to be extremely delicious! The chef came out to make sure everything was good and asked us where we were from. When we told him we were from the United States he started quizzing us on our state capitals (good thing we had geography bee champ Keri with us!).
On Friday a bunch of us ended up going out, and we decided to try the Bastille stop instead of the Latin Quarter (we were told the Bastille was more posh). However, immediately after exiting the Metro we could tell we were in trouble. There were a few cafes, but nothing too great. Chase and Austin had been hanging out there for a while and told us there was nothing much to see. So Emma, Austin and I decided we would head over to the Latin Quarter and find a dance club there. We again got lost looking for it (you'd think we'd know where it is by now). We were quite frustrated and time was running out before the Metro closed. However, after asking a few people for directions, we found it! We walked around trying to find a fun dance club, but everything was either full or looked shady. About to give up we came across a random bar and decided to go in. I was so happy we did because the bar had live music. The band was really good and played all American songs so we could sing along.
So being lost can be very frustrating, but in Paris it has always had a good outcome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
