All posts filed under: Study Abroad

ONE MONTHIVERSARY!

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That’s right, gang. It’s June 15 which marks exactly one month since I arrived (May 15) and one month until I return (July 15). Pretty crazy, right?! Since I now have lived in two of the greatest nations’ capital cities, I present to you the following lists to commemorate this momentously bittersweet occasion. Top Things Paris is doing better than DC 1) Bread. Step into any boulangerie and you’ll smell what I mean. Unless you go for the artesanal Harris Teeter Bakery loaves, most of the bread we eat in the States is square and comes in a colorful bag. Which is not to say that stuff doesn’t exist here because I guess some people make sandwiches out of it. The last bag of “pain de mie” we bought was actually called “American Sandwich” I kid you not. But that’s because the French have even perfected the sandwich beyond what we can handle in America. Take a look at the popular baguette sandwich. Compact, flavorful, hearty, everything I love in a sandwich plus the added benefit of …

Delusions of grandeur

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Visiting the Chateau de Versailles can feel daunting. There’s a lot of pressure to “do it right” and “avoid the crowds” and “avoid weekends”  and “go early”…….oops. Our attempt to mix these words of tour guide advice with our college student sleeping habits led to rolling out of bed and to the train station by 10:45 and arriving in the quaint city of Versailles around 11:30. It’s so interesting, because as Americans, our history was founded in small wooden town halls by farmers and business men. Our concept of “American royalty” lies somewhere between George Washington and Beyoncé. And our most extravagant palaces are the big white marble buildings of DC or privately owned celebrity mansions. The Chateau of Versailles is completely foreign territory, and not just because it’s in another country. I struggle to think of a way to describe it other than enormous and sparkly. No seriously. Everything is covered in gold. And that’s just the outside.

Take a ride on the Paris Métro!

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Bonjour Westgate!! Today I want to tell you about something important to the life of every single Parisian: Public Transportation!! In big cities like Paris, Washington DC, and New York it’s very important to have an effective system of public transportation  so that people don’t have to drive everywhere. More than 2.2 million people live in Paris; can you imagine if all of them drove to work every single day?! Luckily, Paris has one of the best Metro systems in the world!

Le week-end de royauté

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This past weekend was many things. Exhausting. Delicious. Shiny. Charming. Vast. Ridiculous… I spent a very large part of Saturday in VERSAILLES, touring the Chateau and Jardins there. I have overall a Ridiculous amount of information and pictures to share with you all, so I’m saving that particular journey for a future post. Here’s a little teaser, to whet your appetite. After a very tiring Saturday, I decided to take a rest day…I met some friends at the beautiful Places des Vosges, thanks to Saida Dagata and my host mother for the recommendation!! La Place des Vosges (pronounced sort of like voj) is the oldest planned square in Paris, built in 1612. It’s a perfectly symmetrical plaza, completely surrounded by identical buildings (called pavilions) and a big arcade walkway. Some really famous tenants have occupied the pavilions, including Victor Hugo (his building is now a museum), Cardinal Richelieu, and the seat of the Academy of Architecture! It’s such a lovely and private square. I would love to go back to study or picnic or just hang …

Q auick note on French Keyboqrds:

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For stqrters; they look like thisM Thqtùs right: So,e keys hqve THREE different letters=sy,bols qssociqted zith the,: Try figuring out hoz to use the %qt% key 920 to type in your e,qil qddress:::itùs bqsicqlly i,possible: *Here’s what this entire post says typed on an American keyboard vs a French one… A quick note on French Keyboards. For starters, they look like this: Is this some kind of horrible joke?! That’s right. Some keys have THREE different letters/symbols associated with them. Try figuring out how to use the “at” key (@) to type in your email address… It’s basically impossible.