Kevin
Hey, so, I'm staying in Dinan from July 16 until the 23rd. It's a small city in the northern coast of France, in Bretagne. I'll be with the Allain family (cousins of my Uncle Bob).
Since I left the farm, I stayed with my old hosts in Bordeaux for a few days, mainly spending a lot of the (really hot) days figuring out my new plans, finding transportation options, and ensuring that I'll have places to stay wherever I go. In the evenings, though, I explored several of some of the smaller neighborhoods, as well as even finding a restaurant with a jazz combo performing for three hours (which meant a basic appetizer, a lot of water, and three hours of listening to jazz and reading)! Additionally, each night, I ate gourmet pasta hand-delivered for free by my host, as we'd watch some French movies and some American TV. (He really likes Weeds.) So, my time in Bordeaux was both a really nice transition to regular society again (I could shower every day without instantly becoming dirty, for example.), and a nice place for me to explore, listen to great music, and relax, while still absorbing a new culture.
On Saturday, I used BlaBlaCar to ride-share with someone all the way from Bordeaux to Paris (about a 5-7-hour drive, it seemed), during which I slept a lot, I read a little, and I listened to the driver lecture, in French, about systematic privilege for nearly 45 minutes, to no responses whatsoever from the three other people in the car. It was a tad strange, but I could speak French during the ride, and it was about half of the price of a normal train ticket, which was very nice.
When I arrived in Paris, I met Sushi, my host and friend from Fete de la Musique, when my host then took me to meet all of his friends in an afternoon picnic, and she guided me to her apartment, where we split lunch, I planned a few of the museums I'd want to see, and I could take a moment to rest. (Traveling so much is hard!) Later on, we both went to the market to buy some cider, wine, and sandwiches, and we ate dinner listening to nearby swing music on the Seine.
The next day, I slept a little late and then visited the Carnavalet Museum, about the history--through art and stories--of Paris, and the Petit Palais, an art museum, both for free! I found a site that lets me know which museums in Paris are free on various days, and it definitely made for a fun, free learning experience. After visiting the Petit Palais, it started to rain, so I went back to Sushi's place, and we took the Metro together to her friend's apartment, for a small party to spend the Sunday evening.
The next day, I slept a little late and then visited the Carnavalet Museum, about the history--through art and stories--of Paris, and the Petit Palais, an art museum, both for free! I found a site that lets me know which museums in Paris are free on various days, and it definitely made for a fun, free learning experience. After visiting the Petit Palais, it started to rain, so I went back to Sushi's place, and we took the Metro together to her friend's apartment, for a small party to spend the Sunday evening.
On Monday, the only free museums were for Perfume and the Paris equivalent to the DMV, so I strolled across Rive Gauche and the Notre-Dame area for about two to three hours, having breakfast and lunch in the process and listening to a lot of jazz along the way. Afterwards, I walked through a bit of Le Marais and visited the Jewish History Museum, a museum that took about three hours to get through altogether; apparently, they've been here for quite a lot of time, and not everyone has always liked them. Afterwards, I walked along the Seine until I could find some good food, and I had dinner there. Later on, I went over to a really great jazz bar near the Pantheon, with a two-guitar-one-bass combo that was probably one of the best I've ever seen.
The next day was the first of two days I spent with the GBN [Glenbrook North High School] French field trip to Paris. I'd been corresponding with the teacher throughout the summer about my trip to France, and when I found out that we'd have two days in Paris together, before they leave for home and I leave for Dinan, she immediately invited me to tag along with the group! It was definitely incredible to, after a month of not seeing anyone I know, tour the city with some of my high school friends, and for a surprisingly low cost, too! I met them at about 9AM, after which we all traveled to see the Bastille Day Parade, where both the French and Mexican national armies marched, then tour the Marais neighborhood, where we stopped for lunch, then ate ice cream by Notre Dame, then went to a really nice restaurant near the Eiffel Tower (I got the group rate and saved A LOT of money!), then danced at the Firemen's Ball, and then watched fireworks from the Bir-Hakeim Bridge. Afterwards, while their hotel was right there, I needed to walk across about half of Paris just to find a Metro that wasn't completely clogged with people (and a 50-minute wait just to get inside!), and I managed to get to my place around 2AM for a few hours of sleep.
This morning, I met them in the Luxembourg Gardens, to learn Petanque, the national game for old, competitive men, walk through the catacombs--full of six million skulls and several thousand stone placards glorifying death; it was a weird place--and eat lunch and walk around the Latin Quarter. Later, while they were on a private boat cruise, I had dinner near the Eiffel Tower and met them afterwards to climb the Eiffel Tower! Afterwards, I said my goodbyes to friends from Northbrook. Although I'm SO tired, these two days have definitely been some of my favorites; to be able to communicate with people clearly and hang out with people my own age is a nice change!
The next day was the first of two days I spent with the GBN [Glenbrook North High School] French field trip to Paris. I'd been corresponding with the teacher throughout the summer about my trip to France, and when I found out that we'd have two days in Paris together, before they leave for home and I leave for Dinan, she immediately invited me to tag along with the group! It was definitely incredible to, after a month of not seeing anyone I know, tour the city with some of my high school friends, and for a surprisingly low cost, too! I met them at about 9AM, after which we all traveled to see the Bastille Day Parade, where both the French and Mexican national armies marched, then tour the Marais neighborhood, where we stopped for lunch, then ate ice cream by Notre Dame, then went to a really nice restaurant near the Eiffel Tower (I got the group rate and saved A LOT of money!), then danced at the Firemen's Ball, and then watched fireworks from the Bir-Hakeim Bridge. Afterwards, while their hotel was right there, I needed to walk across about half of Paris just to find a Metro that wasn't completely clogged with people (and a 50-minute wait just to get inside!), and I managed to get to my place around 2AM for a few hours of sleep.
This morning, I met them in the Luxembourg Gardens, to learn Petanque, the national game for old, competitive men, walk through the catacombs--full of six million skulls and several thousand stone placards glorifying death; it was a weird place--and eat lunch and walk around the Latin Quarter. Later, while they were on a private boat cruise, I had dinner near the Eiffel Tower and met them afterwards to climb the Eiffel Tower! Afterwards, I said my goodbyes to friends from Northbrook. Although I'm SO tired, these two days have definitely been some of my favorites; to be able to communicate with people clearly and hang out with people my own age is a nice change!
I think, over the last three nights, I'll have a combined 15-16 hours of sleep. So, I'm going to go to sleep now and pack very early tomorrow morning for Dinan.
Any questions?
Merrill
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