A long lost cousin and charity: water.

"I'm not really sure how we're related. Just that we're distant cousins. Distant enough that it would probably be legal for us to get married. Well, in some states. And if I wasn't already married to you."

When you move to New York, you find out about everyone's friends who also live in NYC. Everyone either offers advice, or offers someone who could offer advice. Matchmaking of different sorts occurs-- this person can help you find an apartment, this person knows how to find a job, this person could give you a backstage tour to a Broadway show... It might get old some day, but for now, I am enjoying hearing about how people are connected to this city!

The most recent connection was found through my mother. She and a co-worker recently found out that they are very distantly related and both have daughters in NYC. So, they played matchmaker, and last night Daniel and I found ourselves in Brooklyn to meet Laurel.

First of all, I love Brooklyn. It's like a larger Lawrence, Kansas. It has a lot of character, and a lot of characters, and it's just fun to walk around. When we stepped out of the metro station, we felt like we were in a completely different place and immediately began to feel sorry that the commute time to Brooklyn would most likely be too far for Daniel for us to live there. We met Laurel and her wonderful friends at the Roebling Tea Room, and settled down for a wonderful evening. Daniel and I haven't met many people yet, and so it was great just to be able to hang out with interesting people in a place where we could actually talk above the music. I hope we'll be seeing more of them!

While I'm blogging I should probably talk about my new internship! I am a part-time Special Events Intern at charity: water, a nonprofit which provides clean, safe drinking water to those who need it around the world. This organization is so incredible, so groundbreaking and innovative. I feel so honored to be a part of it for a short time!

I work on the Production Team, which is quite busy with preparations for the charity: ball, a fundraiser held every December. Click on the link to find out more about it. I can already tell I will be very sad when my internship ends in December. A fellow intern said that the more she works for the organization, the more she loves it, and I am inclined to agree. Everyone there is so interesting, friendly, and a pleasure to work with!

My search for a paying job continues. Sigh. Hopefully our apartment search will terminate this week as we've applied for a teeny tiny apartment in a great neighborhood on the Upper East. Also hopefully said apartment won't be swept away by a hurricane. Crossing fingers & toes!

My City

When reading a good book, I get this feeling that swells in the back of my head and settles in my core... that is similar to the feeling I have when I listen to something like Mozart's Serenade No. 10 in B Flat Major (Adagio)... similar to how I feel when Daniel and I are laughing over a meal we've prepared together... this feeling of utter peace and contentment. The world can't be so bad if things like this exist. New York made me feel that way this week. 

I was lonely this week because of Daniel's absence, especially not knowing anyone else in the city, and on top of that feeling altogether discouraged as my job search seems to be going nowhere. But there's too much to do in New York, even for the solitary and broke, that there was absolutely no excuse to wallow and watch French movies on Netflix all week! 

So, other than filling out a zillion job applications per day, I've just been enjoying the sensation of living in New York. This means going to Central Park or Bryant Park with a good book, taking a leisurely stroll through gardens, indulging in enormous slices of pizza, and finding ways to make myself part of this community. Yesterday I went to a French conversation class in Bryant Park where I was joined by an actress, a model, an art dealer, and a hostage negotiator, among other interesting people! In the evening I volunteered at a charity:water event, writing thank you notes to their contributors. The other volunteers were just as interesting and sweet as the people I met in Bryant Park. 

And even though the most important element of my life here is missing this week, I was still able to feel that peace and contentment in knowing that living here will be everything we hoped it would be. It hits me when I am people-watching in Bryant Park, when I am giving people directions in a subway station, when I am running errands through bustling streets, when I am listening to those absurd moments when Times Square is quiet enough to hear a NYPD horse clopping down the street, that I belong here, that Daniel and I belong here, and that we're very, very happy. I'm so thankful that I was able to let go of the anxiety about my job situation and loneliness long enough to feel that. 

Roses in Brooklyn

I suppose that if I had to be anywhere by myself for a week, New York is a wonderful place to be, especially on a day like this. The perfect weather continues (until tomorrow, probably), so I hopped on a train to Brooklyn and explored the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. On the train was a very nice French girl who asked for directions (and I was able to give them to her!), and in return she let me practice French. One of my favorite things about living here is hearing French spoken as often as I heard Spanish in Texas.

It felt a bit strange exiting the station onto Washington Street in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. There were only a handful of people in sight, and none of them were attempting to hand me a flyer! The tree-lined streets seemed so empty. Quite a nice change. I do love living in Manhattan, but being half a block from Times Square is just a bit too much. Anyway. After marveling at this sight, I wandered into the garden.

If these gardens are striking in the autumn, imagine how beautiful they would be in the spring and summer! If we lived closer it would be well worth the price of membership to be able to go all the time. They have hundreds of varieties of roses, each with their own fragrance, water lily ponds, and a Japanese Hill-and-Pond garden. The Shakespeare Garden contains plants mentioned in his works, but unfortunately I wasn't able to explore much as a powerful, long-ranged sprinkler was set up right in the middle... 

No trip to Brooklyn would be complete without pizza, so I followed my stomach to Gino's before heading home.

Autumn crocus

Varieties of water lilies outside of the conservatory

In the rose garden

The Shakespeare Garden

Daniel's a big kid now and I'm... eating cookies!

Yesterday was Daniel's first day of school work at Deloitte. Some of you are familiar with this picture:

Daniel's first and last days of school.

Well, we decided to continue the tradition and take a first day of work picture:

I suppose we'll have to wait a few decades for the next picture in the series! 

I've missed Daniel terribly, especially as I am still unemployed. This leaves me with little to do until I find a job or volunteer opportunity. I can't play the doting housewife without my beloved baking supplies, and anyway the apartment only takes about five minutes to tidy! So, other than working on job applications, I explore the city alone. Yesterday I relaxed at Bryant Park and read, then visited the beautiful, marble public library. There, I enjoyed the an exhibit on the history of New York's favorite lunch foods, Then, I visited their exhibit on Charles Dickens which included an intricate gown inspired by the ethereal character of Mrs. Havisham, designed by a student at Parsons. 

Bryant Park may become my favorite place in the city. There are free classes and events going on all the time. Business men are often seen on their lunch break playing ping pong in their suits. It is surrounded by particularly beautiful skyscrapers. 

The view from my table in Bryant Park

Today I woke up without much of a plan, except to visit Dorie Greenspan's cookie shop, Beurre & Sel, which opened this morning in the Essex Market. It broke my heart that I could not come to the opening of my dearest Heidi's North Lime Coffee & Doughnuts, but cookies are a perfect cure for heartbreak, especially when baked by Dorie!

Like the awkward kid who shows up early to the birthday party, I arrived fifteen minutes prior to opening time. Though I still feel a bit sheepish, I can hardly regret it. This afforded me the opportunity of speaking to my favorite cookbook author and her son, Josh, and being the first customer earned me a free cookie! It was a jammer-- melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dolloped with the perfect amount of blueberry preserves. Cookies are my favorite dessert-- more than ice-cream, more than cake, more than pie-- and these cookies are the very best. I ordered a blondie and a World Peace cookie to share with Daniel, but was accidentally given another jammer instead of the WPC. No worries, Greenspan family! This only ensures my imminent return, and I am actually glad of the mistake because I've made WPC's for Daniel before, so now he can try something new. If he gets home from work before I've eaten it. 

Dorie is as perfectly lovely in person as she is in her cookbooks. A couple of years ago, I heard about Around My French Table on NPR, was enchanted by her description of hachis parmentier, and asked for the book for Christmas. This five pound volume changed my cooking and baking life, and brings a little bit of France back into my life every time I use it. I especially love her anecdotes about cooking in France, because I can relate!  

Here's a link to the picture her son took of us. 

I'll be back soon, Beurre & Sel! 

Well, I have found this fantastic list of Free Things to Do in NYC and am off to plan the rest of my week! 

New New New New New York

Daniel and I arrived at our studio on 47th & 8th Av about a week ago. Normally, new couples in their first apartment have unpacking and nesting to do, but when all you bring is your clothes, unpacking takes all of thirty minutes! Daniel didn't start his job until yesterday, so until then, we explored the city. Fortunately, the rain didn't come until today-- we had perfect weather all week!

View of Times Square from our apartment.

Highlights included:

+ Chelsea Market: The Ronnybrook Dairy has the best paninis & chocolate milk, Sarabeth's Bakery transports you to France, Anthropologie is what I wish my closet (or, heck, whole home) looked like, and we bought some Brie at an awesome price at a very cute store whose name I can't remember. I do remember they also sold chocolate. I must take time to thank Daniel for patiently waiting in a $1,500 armchair while I scoured Anthropologie for things I could afford.

 + Crumbs: Enormous cupcakes. Some say $4.50 for a cupcake is overpriced; I disagree. When it comes to these cupcakes. I'm sure all New Yorkers have their opinions on which cupcakery is the best, but I suppose one has to try them all oneself to know for sure!

 + Central Park: Absolutely beautiful. We spoke with some charming Quebecois at Belvedere Castle, and found their accents to be adorable! And now I must bow at the feet of the Eiffel Tower for speaking such blasphemy!

 + Stiles Market: Cheap cheap cheap delicious produce. Hey, that's exciting for me!

 + Little Italy: We had an authentic, relaxing Italian meal in the midst of the Festival of Saint Gennaro.

+ Eating lunch while watching the Julliard Ballet practice.

+ Picking up our season Metropolitan Opera tickets!!!!!!!! One of our favorite wedding gifts, for sure!

+ Walking an average of six miles a day. Yes, we know about subways!

 Not-so-great elements of our life here:

 + This is what our kitchen is stocked with: A dull knife, a small skillet, a small saucepan, a medium saucepan, and a cookie sheet. Not so great for someone who loves to cook and bake as much as I do! I can't wait until we have our things here in November.

 + Living so close to Times Square. This requires walking through it every day, which involves being harassed every five feet by someone aggressively trying to sell something.

 Overall, life is fantastic and I'm so happy to be here, especially with someone as hungry for adventure as I am! Being married to Daniel gets better every day.

America!

So many times I will accept an invitation to something in France and then have no idea what I am getting into. It always ends up being just fine-- I'm usually just extremely under-dressed-- but then I comfort myself with the reminder that because I'm American the French have verrrry low expectations for how I look.

Yesterday the French-American Alliance of Caen took me, Daniel, Megan, Rachel, and Ashley to a Memorial Day service at the American Military Cemetery. We didn't know we were going to a ceremony, first of all, and second of all, I had completely forgotten that it was Memorial Day Weekend, but it was a pleasant surprise. The service was very beautiful. A few senators, representatives, and troops from the United States were there (one of our soldiers fainted-- it was pretty hot outside!), as were various leaders from around France.

One veteran who actually fought in D-Day told his story. That was my favorite part, because somehow he managed to be lighthearted in spite of all of the tragedy he was recounting, and it was just an incredible story. I felt awful because it was not translated into French and so the French speakers in the audience must have been bored out of their minds. The old French couple sitting next to Daniel revealed what they had really been paying attention to while he spoke; at the end of the story as we were clapping, they turned to Daniel and said, "Ecoutez les grenouilles!" (Listen to the frogs!) and pointed out the frogs in the lily pond next to them that they had been watching.

After that there was a cocktail reception attended by many of the US and French officers and perhaps even a senator or two, though I'm not sure, and then the French-American Alliance took us out to dinner at this fantastic and very expensive buffet of the best French food... YUM. After a promenade on the beach we went home, collapsed, and nursed our sunburns.

The American Military Cemetery is an incredibly powerful sight to see. Omaha Beach, which is in view as you walk around is so peaceful and beautiful that it's hard to believe that just 65 years ago thousands of soldiers were fighting and dying right where people are now swimming and windsurfing.

Things I will miss, and what I look forward to

The things I will miss about France:
--My two favorite French people in the whole world: Mathilde and Emilie
--The town of Caen, and how everything is so close, it's so easy to walk everywhere, and the quaintness.
--Bakeries, creperies, gelato, and open markets
--The ease of travel by train, bus, and plane. I will miss this SO much.
--The relaxed lifestyle
--Bread, cheese, cider, wine
--Walking around, taking naps outside, enjoying the beautiful gardens
--Being a teaching assistant in Vire
--Speaking French


What I will not miss about France
--The excess amount of paper work and hidden fees everywhere
--The strikes, tear gas, etc.
--My dorm room (though I'll miss the people who live in the dorms!)
--The way they use Barack Obama to advertise everything, from strikes, to book fairs, to concerts. Seriously-- the advertisement for the book fair had a picture of Obama talking on the phone. It doesn't even make sense! But, okay, yeah, it's pretty hilarious at times.
--The disorganization of my university and teaching assistant program.


What I am looking forward to in the USA
--My family and friends (of course!)
--My favorite foods, like barbecue, cheesecake, pancakes, Mexican, and Indian food, and being able to cook them in my kitchen with Heidi!
--The relaxed atmosphere of restaurants and their prices (they charge for water in France!). I can't wait to cuddle up on a couch at Common Grounds with a book and just stay there for hours.
--WIFI
--The atmosphere of my university. I'll NEVER complain about White Hall Classroom Building again. I think, very generally speaking, American students have a greater respect for their campuses. You won't find the amount of litter, vandalism, or graffiti on an American campus as you will on a French one. I think the most UK students ever do is sidewalk chalk :D.

As much as I appreciate the USA now that I've been away from it for awhile, I think I had better stop typing this entry now before I start crying. I'm going to miss France! I'll be back in Kansas by May 30 and back in Lexington by June 9. Call me!

My students

Yeah, I'm almost the only one smiling so it looks rather silly, but, what are you gonna do? They are very sweet kids and I'll miss them. Click on the picture to make it bigger.

I've bought a roll of packing tape. The plan for retaliation against Sean has been formed. We'll take pictures.

Sean's in Trouble!

Classes are over; tomorrow is my last day of teaching. I'm afraid I'm going to forget to go since I haven't been to Vire in what, two weeks? I have no idea. Anyway, I'm very sad that tomorrow is my last day to see those adorable kids! I might take some pictures to put up here.

Sean... my neighbor... oh Sean. We always tell him that he's never quite left middle school behind. He likes to stand at his window and throw things (usually pickles or bad chocolate) at people walking down below. Since I live next door, I have had tea sloshed on my window, shaving cream spread all over my door and window, and pickles and chocolate thrown onto my window sill or into my window, if it's open! Well, he's really crossed the line now. He threw a chocolate onto my window sill and I didn't see it. It's apparently been there for a long time, because a bunch of ants made it their home. This problem came to my attention yesterday when I woke up to my desk, which is right next to my bed, covered in ants. I managed to get rid of most of them during the course of yesterday, but I still see one from time to time!

So, how do I get him back? What on earth beats infesting someone's bedroom with ants??? I need something good, people!

Paris & Ireland: An awesome weekend!

This weekend I went to Ireland for a couple of days and then stayed a day in Paris. When will I ever be able to say words like that again? Ireland was great. We (Lauren, Daniel, and I) stayed in Limerick with Lauren's extremely hospitable friends Heidi, Rita, and Catherine. We went to a pub where we heard live Irish music (which was maybe my favorite part of the trip), visited Cork (including the Butter Museum and a beautiful, beautiful Hogwarts-esque college campus), and went to Galway. Ireland is beautiful. I wish I had been able to stay longer-- I definitely want to go back some day!

On Sunday Lauren went back to Caen, and Daniel and I met Mathilde in Paris. We went to Sacre Couer and had supper at this not-so-great restaurant where the waiters were very rude. Welcome to Paris! If you're going there any time soon, do research on good restaurants in advance. In the touristy areas it's really, really hit-or-miss with restaurants, and it's usually miss. Anyway, other than the restaurant, Paris was Paris was Paris and it was as lovely as it has ever been. The Vintage Hostel was a great deal.

On Monday, Daniel and I discovered Paris. It was his second time there, and I think it would have been my fourth. We went to Pere Lachaise, a very famous cemetery, where we visited the graves of Abelard & Heloise, Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Moliere, La Fontaine, Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison. While we were visiting Abelard & Heloise, a woman with short, spiky hair approached Daniel and asked him if he knew where Jim Morrison's grave was. For those of you who have read A Year in the Merde, you will know how tickled we were by this. It's very easy to spot the tourists who go to Pere Lachaise just to see Jim Morrison! There was a man there playing Stairway to Heaven on a guitar in front of the grave. I took a picture of him.

After that we took a little self-tour of the famous Opera house. We didn't see the Phantom, but we did see the famous stair case and the chandelier, which was even more beautiful than I had imagined! Had I not had such a hoarse voice I would have tried to sing to bring down the chandelier, but that might have been inconsiderate to other tourists and to the city of Paris.

Museums in Paris are now free for European Union students, and so we went to the Louvre. I finally saw the Venus di Milo, which I wasn't able to find the first time! Very impressive. It seems trite to say that, but really, it was gorgeous. I don't think I had ever really seen the details of her face before. And then we went to the Eiffel Tower, which I hadn't seen by day.

That night we saw my favorite band from the United States who is now on a European tour-- Anathallo. They gave an amazing performance in a suburb of Paris called Saint Ouen. It was so good to see them and to talk to them after the show. They're all very approachable and fascinating people to talk to. I really liked Toy Fight, a French band who opened for them, but I just feel so sad that French bands feel like they need to sing in English to be popular!

Weekends like these are running out! I'll be home in 22 days. I'm clinging to every moment I have left in France!

Lazy days in Barcelona

So lazy that I've barely taken any pictures, in fact. Barcelona is a beautiful city. We arrived here on... Tuesday, maybe? Yeah, that sounds right. My days are running together. Barcelona seems so big compared to the other cities we've been to. We haven't seen much of it on account of its size and the fact that the weather wasn't very friendly today, though we did catch up with some friends from Caen and we went to the beach for a little while today (before it started hailing). It's been nice, just lounging around and doing whatever we please. I do NOT want this vacation to end!

Easter at the Vatican

He is Risen indeed!

I had a wonderful Easter, though I missed my family so much. My friends and I got up at a leisurely pace, had a leisurely breakfast (in part due to the extremely slow service of the restaurant where we ate), and then headed to the Vatican City for mass. We did not have very high expectations for what we would get to see as we knew that it would be so crowded, but we ended up being so grateful that we decided to go. It was an incredible experience. I may not be a Catholic, but of course Catholicism is a part of my history and culture, and the culture of Europe, so it is important to me in that way. It is always an experience to see how other cultures worship. A very emotional and stunning event indeed, even though we were a little too far to see much of what was going on.

We did see the Pope, and heard him give mass! At the end he said a blessing in tons of different languages. Here is a picture of him standing in his window saying the blessings (you can barely see him, but he's in the center of the window!):



It was definitely the highlight of my trip to Rome, and an experience I will never forget. Afterward we explored the parts of Rome we hadn't yet seen, like some fountains and the Pantheon, took a nap, then walked around town in search of gelato. I love Rome and just Italy in general! I cannot wait until I come back some day.

Rome, Days 1 & 2

That would be St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, which I saw this morning along with the Vatican Museum, which houses the Sistine Chapel.

Rome, Day 1: It was Good Friday on our first full day in Rome so everything we wanted to see closed at around 3:00 PM so they could get the Colosseum ready for the Pope. We didn't see the Pope, but we did see the Colosseum right before closing time so there weren't very many people there. How people were able to build such things that have lasted through war and fire for all of these years, I will never be able to fathom. Two of my favorite pictures of my friends were taken there. After that we just took it easy since everything was closing.

Rome, Day 2: That'd be today. We woke up at around 7:00 to be in line at the Vatican Museum by 8 (it opens at 9:00). We got there at 8:20 and the line was already enormous, but we didn't wait longer than 20 minutes to get in. Once we did we enacted our strategic plan for getting through the museum: We dashed toward the Sistine Chapel first, which took forever as it is at the VERY end of this massive place, spent a good amount of time there (it'll leave you slack-jawed, it's so amazing), then tried to go backwards through the museum. It turned out that wasn't possible so a little of the way through we got sent BACK to the Sistine Chapel, but it turned out that a shortcut through the Vatican libraries takes you right back to the beginning. I postmarked my postcards at the post office there, then we set off through the galleries of treasures from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome. We saw St. Peter's Basilica, but did not go inside as the line was HUGE. Oddly enough, we did see two girls that had been in our hostel in Florence in said huge line... it's a small world.

After that we saw some Roman ruins nearby the Colosseum that had been closed for Good Friday the previous day. And now we are getting up from a three hour nap. Can you blame us?

Florence Y'all

I took this picture tonight at the Piazza di Michelangelo. There was a replica of the statue of David there (that picture has Daniel posing as David... we couldn't get him to be more accurate than that, which is probably a good thing). The boys ran up the stairs to the Piazza; Daniel sprinted so quickly that he made himself sick... those are the kinds of memories that really make a trip, eh? We just walked around and looked at the skyline. I wrote a postcard, took some pictures, then we ventured back into the main town for pizza and gelato.

That's how the day ended. I suppose I'm doing things backwards tonight. This is how it began:

We ate breakfast at the open market and shopped around. Just around the corner from our hostel was the famous Baptistry with the doors designed by Ghiberti (they began the Renaissance!), and then the famous church that I can't for the life of me remember the name of but that marked the rediscovery of ancient Roman architecture... At around noon it was time to go to the Accademia. Let me tell you, Michelangelo's David is NOT AT ALL overrated. It was every bit as spectacular as every art history book says it is. The museum also has a musical instrument section which was almost as exciting as seeing the David. I was in art Heaven.

Then we just did... whatever. We napped, we walked around, we shopped (I bought a gorgeous green Italian leather wallet to console me after trying on the most GORGEOUS leather coat that was about $150 too expensive for this poor student!). Then after a nap we went to the Piazza... it was a good day. I'm exhausted. And happy. So happy.

It's been a whirlwind vacation so far! Saturday we arrived in Maidenhead, which is just outside of London. We stayed three nights with a chic assortment of British flatmates (one of them was a friend of Daniel's who let us stay in her house free of charge). They took us to see Windsor on Saturday, then gave us a tour of London the day after that. We saw Covent Garden, Buckingham Palace, the houses of Parliament & Big Ben, the London Eye, and caught a glimpse of the Globe Theater while walking across the Millennium Bridge (you can only go into the theater if you pay for a ticket). Monday we explored sans British people and saw the TOWER!!! WOW. It was amazing. Very touristy, but it doesn't take much imagination to imagine it all away and just imagine the people who actually lived there, particularly when there was a stunning temporary exhibit on Henry VIII's armor. We also explored Trafalgar's Square, Hyde Park, and Kensington Gardens (Peter Pan statue!!!).

Yeah, British history lover that I am, I was in Paradise.

(Click to get the full pic. This blog layout isn't too kind to photos)

Little punks, all of 'em

I just saw the new trailer for Where the Wild Things Are and it just made me feel so warm inside! What a wonderful, wonderful book. The movie looks great, especially since they're using Jim Henson monsters. Excellent choice. In the trailer is a song by Arcade Fire which fits perfectly, but of course isn't an obvious choice of soundtrack for a children's movie. In one of the comments on the story I read about the trailer someone suggested a Very Hungry Caterpillar with a Sufjan Stevens soundtrack. Hmm, why not? Personally, I'd like to see a Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day movie with a Muse soundtrack. I can just see him contemplating the injustice of his lack of dessert in his lunch box to the tune of Apocalypse Please.

My students were so squirrely yesterday because on Sunday most of them are going on a skiing trip to the Alps, so I couldn't really blame them for not wanting to pay attention. Bernadette barely gave me a thing to go off of as far as lesson plans went so it was hard to engage their attention when I was just winging it. During the first hour I had three kids who were helping to translate a piece of text for an upcoming event. The text wasn't difficult, but it wasn't very easy, either, and they were almost flawless in their translations. They are so, so intelligent. Both of my classes with children of that age (13/14) are brilliant and adorable.

Then there are my older students. They give no effort and don't care at all. I've been told that they used to be just as brilliant as the younger ones, but then they just stopped caring. There's still evidence of the former intelligence as a few of them speak English remarkably well and with very clear accents, and still more could if they just tried.

Regardless of their behavior yesterday I fear I shall miss the little hooligans! I won't be seeing them for another three weeks because of SPRING BREAK! WOO!

Rennes

Yesterday I went on a field trip with my class to Rennes, a large city in Brittany, to visit the headquarters of Ouest-France, France's most circulated daily newspaper. I was interviewed in it once after the elections, and I'm glad that at the time I didn't know it had such a large readership! It was very interesting because I have never seen the big machine thingy where newspapers are actually made. It was just nice to get out of Caen for a day! My friend Lauren and I ate at a Moroccan restaurant where the management was so incredibly sweet. Plus, I love any restaurant that gives you a free aperitif and a free coffee or tea! Especially as tea is ridiculously expensive here!



We got home at around 3:00 AM which was fine with me as I have nothing to do on Thursdays. I like taking the day to walk around the city, shop, eat, read, etc. Today that wasn't in the stars because I feel so... icky. Just icky. I spent the entire day in bed which I hate doing. Then my internet stopped working and so I ventured out into the gray, Normandy drizzle to take my computer to the internet store, where of course it began working again. Sigh. At least I was able to get through the transaction without fumbling up my French too terribly much!

Because I was downtown anyway, I decided to pop into Memoranda, my favorite used book store, to pick up a couple of books and to have a hot chocolate. It's the only book store in Caen that understands the beauty and comfort of books, food, and hot beverages in the same place, but stores in France are usually too tiny for such things. Memorandum is different from other bookstores, though, because there is a lady baking things inside the bookstore all day long-- breads, brownies, apple crisp-- and the aroma wafts through the claustrophobic bookstore creating the most cozy and soothing atmosphere. I purchased a French translation of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Asterix et Obelix, which is a very famous French comic book about a little village in Gaul that has resisted being conquered by the Romans. It's adorable.

My new little friend

On Monday Heidi, Zak, and I went to Bayeux. Part of that time was spent lounging in a little park. I spread my coat out on the ground, laid on my stomach, and took a nap. When I woke up, I saw in front of my eyes a little boy in the same position I was in, staring at me. We just stared at each other for a minute. He stood up, began to talk to me about the little flowers he was picking, and kept walking around, toward me, then away, toward me, then away. Finally, he came back and I just had a little conversation in French with him. He came closer, picked some of the daisies and the bright yellow flowers that were everywhere on the ground, gave them to me, then after a few minutes ran away to play with someone else. Heidi and Zak captured the moment I woke up and the moment he gave me flowers on camera.

Isn't he just precious? I believe his name is Anzou. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Loire & Order

On Wednesday Zak rented a car and we drove to the Loire Valley to tour some palaces. We spent the night in Amboise after seeing the chateau there, as well as Leonardo da Vinci's home and tomb. The next day we saw Chenonceau, which was my favorite palace to tour the inside of (even more so than Versailles) because you get to see the kitchens! It made me miss cooking and baking with Heidi. I miss that girl SO much! After Chenonceau we went to some place I can't remember the name of... we saw the outside of the chateau and had a picnic there, which was so pleasant and CHEAP. The last chateau was Villandry. We didn't go inside, but just explored the expansive gardens. Oh, they were so beautiful. They'll be even more beautiful in April when the flowers are in bloom, but then there will be tons of tourists, so I'd say we came at a good time! Another advantage of seeing the Loire in a relatively off-season time is that they keep some of the fires lit in the gigantic fireplaces. I could have read in front of them all day had time permitted!

Also, as a side note on pretty much all of the historic sites I've been to... it's disappointing to know how much has disintegrated over the years, and how things have been modernized for either practical or commercial purposes, but considering how old these castles and chateaus are, it's amazing that anything survives at all. Despite their gift shops the French are usually very good at maintaining the historic integrity of each castle, palace, or what have you. It's just so amazing to promenade around the same hallways that Leonardo da Vinci would have walked around or to think of the hands that built a cathedral. Some of the many reasons I love traveling and living in France!

We finished off our time together with a scrumptious French dinner at Carambole, my favorite creperie/galleterie/tea room in Caen. As predicted, Heidi and Zak fell in love with the kir normand, galettes, and dessert crepes! How could you not? Heidi and I will work hard this summer at recreating all of my favorite French foods.

Heidi and Zak Attack France!

Heidi and Zak are here in France! It's been so nice to have someone here who can see what I see! Studying abroad is so much better when you're able to share it with people from back home, even if they only get a taste.

Hah, I say studying abroad quite loosely. I'm skipping all but one day of class this week in order to spend time with them. It's been pretty awesome! I met them in Paris on Saturday and left Sunday afternoon. We saw:
--Versailles. Zak is from Versailles, Kentucky, so he was able to see the real thing! My favorite part was Marie Antoinette's little hamlet that she had constructed so she could go to it and pretend to be a peasant. How uppity is that? Erin tells me that she used to have the sheep perfumed and dyed to match her dress for the day. There was a small farm in the hamlet and it was so full of the cutest sheep and goats you have ever seen! What a beautiful place, even if the flowers in the gardens haven't yet grown.

--Sacre Coeur, which I've been to before. This time it was night. I love Paris because things are just as spectacular by day as they are by night.

--Musee D'Orsay. Definitely more fun than the Louvre. I was beside myself being able to see Monets, Manets, Van Goghs, Toulouse-Latrecs, and so much more in person. If you've ever seen Moulin Rouge, the Musee D'Orsay is the train station that Ewan McGregor arrives in when he first comes to Paris. If you ever go to Paris, don't miss it.

--Notre Dame. I didn't take pictures there because we really went to get ice-cream at Berthillon, a very famous ice-cream shop, but the line was so long that we got way overpriced ice-cream at Haagen-Daaz instead. Boo.

Sunday they came to Normandy. We had lunch in my favorite restaurant in Bayeux, Heidi and Zak saw the tapestry, and then we went to a park to relax. I have a cute story about that, but it will have to wait for another post.

Today we went to Le Mont St. Michel, an abby on an island. It inspired Gondor in The Lord of the Rings, or so I'm told. Truly spectacular and beautiful, enormous, and surrounded by quicksand!

Tomorrow we're going to go to the Loire Valley to explore some chateaux! I love being here, especially when people I love so much can be here to enjoy it with me!