Second and Third Months in France
- Madison Ross
- Apr 28, 2018
- 3 min read
I have been running a bit behind on writing logs on life in Paris. Between classes and exploration, there wasn’t much time to sit down to write and reflect. So here is what I have to present to you. During the second and third months, I got more situated, enjoying the food, jazz, and external scenery.
24-25 February 2018. Playing Hostess with Brittany and Annie. When you friends visit from the UK, and you have to show them around. Where do you take them especially in freezing cold weather? Well, we walked along La Seine, thrifted in Monmarte, climbed the stairs to Sacré Cœur, and joked around Notre-Dame. Later that night, we went to Le Caveau de la Huchette which is a very fun jazz club in the middle of Paris. This was late February at the time, which made it gratifying for me to be able to show friends around confidently (or to the best of my ability) a place I was so new to.
4 March 2018. This was a jam-packed day. What was thought to be a day spent only at the Louis Vuitton Foundation turned into a metro ride to the Panthéon after finding out you had to buy your admissions ticket in advance to enter LVF. Whoops. Panthéon was just as good, especially when seeing Victor Hugo's grave site. Following that, it was mainly walking around and stumbling upon Notre-Dame, Pont des Arts, and Louvre Palace--you know, as you do. It was then, I relished the time when it would warmer out in order to properly enjoy these evenings out in Paris. Thank you, Joseph and Rafa, for the great day.
10-13 March 2018. Barcelona. It was nice to hop over to Spain to celebrate a good friend, Danyell and her birthday. Lowkey (high key), I was reliving a Cheetah Girls 2 fantasy, walking the streets de Barcelone. From exploring Park Güell and Sagrada Familia to roaming the beaches of Nova Icaria and streets of Catalonia, it was an experience I can never forget. I even went to the Picasso Museum which was such an amazing experience I highly recommend to check out. One aspect just as memorable was the food. Empanadas. Paella. Tortilla Española.
21-23 March 2018. Art and Ballet. I went to Musée d'Orsay to reaffirm my love for art, especially impressionist art. I saw work of Manet, van Gogh, and Auguste Renoir. It was a place I could spend hours in. Later that week, I was invited to attend the pre-opening night of the Orpheus and Euridyce Ballet at Opera Garnier. The opera house, itself, was breathtaking, let alone the outstanding performance, being so passionate and moving. It made the night all the more cherishable.
April. Spring in Paris. After endless weeks of freezing temperatures in Paris, the weather finally lightened up, so much that winter skipped spring and went straight to summer. Yeah. There was a week when I wore a heavy winter coat on Monday followed by a tank top that later Friday. But, it was nice. Blossom flowers began to bloom. People began picnic-ing at the parks. And the sun lingered longer throughout the day. It would still be daylight around 21h00 / 9:00 pm which was crazy to me. It meant you could stay out longer, and not since it's warm enough, there's not much stopping you to do so. I wouldn't mind sitting alongside La Seine.
I have definitely gotten more comfortable here in my second and third months here, but there is still so much more to learn I feel. Overall, I already know it will be hard to leave, much more than it was first adapting to the French environment. There were a lot of memorable experiences here.
-Madison
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