Hi guys,
Sorry it's been a little while. After I got back from London, things slowed down for a while. Spring Break is in a week and a half, so we've been having more grades than usual (midterms). I've mainly just been running around Paris, trying to see all the sites.
One cool thing I did see was the cantonal elections. France is divided into 100 (soon to be 101) departments. Each department is made up of smaller cantons, and cantons are used to elect members to departmental assemblies. Departments are somewhat like states, and cantons are somewhat like counties, but smaller. Like in so many other ways, the French are very old school when it comes to voting. When elections are coming up, you get mailed a packet with the names of all the candidates for the position written on individual pieces of paper. (The French never vote for more than one position at a time). When you arrive at the school (elections never take place at churches; they take separation of church and state very seriously), there are booths, just like in the states. You take one paper envelope and all of your paper slips into the booth, and put the paper of the candidate you want to vote for in the envelope. Then you leave the booth and put your sealed envelope in a huge, clear, glass box. At the end of the day, the two workers come together with their two separate keys to open the glass box. The envelopes are separated into groups of 100, and citizens sit down to count them. One set of people opens the envelopes, and another tallies the votes each candidate wins. It's actually very quick and very effective. I went to watch the counting process last week. They all knew that I was American, so they kept asking me why American elections are so complicated, why we keep using the machines when we have so many problems in Florida, in Chicago back in the day. It was mainly funny, and so interesting to watch this take place. Because I live right outside the business district (La Defense), this entire area votes right, but not so right that they vote for the Front National.
The Front National is like France's version of the Tea Party, but less legitimate and more racist. The party is run by a father-daughter duo, Jean and Marine Le Pen. Daddy Le Pen started the party about 25 years ago, and the daughter has taken over since he retired. They say delightful things like the Holocaust being just a detail in history (Daddy) and that Libyan refugees should be shoved into the ocean (daughter). They are still not popular, but they definitely do draw votes away from President Sarkozy's party, the UMP.
To clear up another misconception about French politics, the French left is not nearly as left as many of you guys might think. The Communist party is nearly non-existent. They do not have any representatives in the legislature. The Parti Socialist (one of the two big parties in France, the nemesis of Sarkozy's UMP party) is really not that leftist either. Big players in their party (included Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the possible 2012 presidential candidate) have/do head international monetary organization, like the IMF, the World Bank, and the European Central Bank. How anti-capitalist can someone like that be? France is more leftist than many people in the States, but the Trotskyists are long gone.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Paris!
Salut tout le monde,
I know it's been a little while since I've updated this baby, but my life has calmed down a bit since I got back from London. We're smack in the middle of the semester (midterm time/just before spring break), so I've mainly just been in class. My French Politics class is going really well. It's so interesting, but it's weird to have a class that only meets once a week. I always avoided that kind of schedule at Elon, but it's really not that bad. We just had a midterm, and I think it went pretty well.
What is not going so well is my Phonetics class. The whole set up is quite strange because it's a hybrid grade with my grammar class, and as far as I can tell, the mixing of those two grades is pretty much arbitrary. I've never taken a Phonetics class before. It sounded pretty interesting and useful, but it's really more like an upper-level linguistics class. Every day, for one hour, we rush through a crazy discussion of differences in vowel sounds, different word combinations, etc. etc. One hour really isn't long enough to get anything done, but I still show up everyday, just in case I happen to learn something. Yuck...
In more exciting news, Paris is finally starting to get warm. It could definitely get cold again, but I'm hoping to be able to mail my winter clothes home soon. It will be so nice to revisit all the gardens around Paris, but spring and warm weather also brings more tourists. Yuck... France has a population of around 65 million, and they get about 80 million tourists each year. I have class by Notre Dame, and there are already so many EF Tour groups everywhere. Americans just don't realize how loud they are. Not fun at all. I get out of class at 4 today and I don't have anything else to do until 8 when I go to the Israeli Film Festival, so I think I'm going to go check out some more gardens. They are all over the place, and it's looking like a beautiful day already.
I know it's been a little while since I've updated this baby, but my life has calmed down a bit since I got back from London. We're smack in the middle of the semester (midterm time/just before spring break), so I've mainly just been in class. My French Politics class is going really well. It's so interesting, but it's weird to have a class that only meets once a week. I always avoided that kind of schedule at Elon, but it's really not that bad. We just had a midterm, and I think it went pretty well.
What is not going so well is my Phonetics class. The whole set up is quite strange because it's a hybrid grade with my grammar class, and as far as I can tell, the mixing of those two grades is pretty much arbitrary. I've never taken a Phonetics class before. It sounded pretty interesting and useful, but it's really more like an upper-level linguistics class. Every day, for one hour, we rush through a crazy discussion of differences in vowel sounds, different word combinations, etc. etc. One hour really isn't long enough to get anything done, but I still show up everyday, just in case I happen to learn something. Yuck...
In more exciting news, Paris is finally starting to get warm. It could definitely get cold again, but I'm hoping to be able to mail my winter clothes home soon. It will be so nice to revisit all the gardens around Paris, but spring and warm weather also brings more tourists. Yuck... France has a population of around 65 million, and they get about 80 million tourists each year. I have class by Notre Dame, and there are already so many EF Tour groups everywhere. Americans just don't realize how loud they are. Not fun at all. I get out of class at 4 today and I don't have anything else to do until 8 when I go to the Israeli Film Festival, so I think I'm going to go check out some more gardens. They are all over the place, and it's looking like a beautiful day already.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
London!
I left early Saturday morning for London and had a jam-packed weekend. We got into London around 10:30 AM. The train ride was nice. I actually got to see some of the French countryside for once, and of course, we went through the Chunnel. Very anti-climatic like several things in the UK. After getting some pounds and checking into the hostel, we set out. Saturday we walked along the Thames, seeing many sites along the way. We started at London bridge, and going west, we also got to see the Globe Theatre, London Eye (a huge ferris wheel that I wanted no part of), the Tate Modern Museum (some of the best modern art I've ever seen), the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey (from the outside, because it costs 16 pounds to go inside), the House of Parliament, and Trafalgar Square. The London metro has stops all over the place, but it's much more confusing than the Paris metro. We just tried to avoid using it too much. At least on Saturday, it wasn't raining. Cloudy and gray, but not raining. We got lunch at the cutest restaurant right next to London Bridge, right on the Thames. We all got fish and chips. It was delicious, but so heavy that I couldn't finish it.
Sunday, the plan was to see most of the parks and some of the more famous museums. We started the day off at Buckingham Palace, which was very very anti-climatic. Maybe it's very pretty on the inside, but the outside is rather standard (as far as a palace can be standard). Also, the famous guards were not even there! There were a couple of guards, but they were wearing gray, not red. We did get to see a little parade of some sort of officials on horseback though, so that was neat. Then we made our way through all of the parks right next to the palace. Green Park is, well, pretty much green grass everywhere, very pretty. Next comes Hyde Park, by far the coolest. There is a rose garden there (not quite fully in bloom yet) and lots of cool statues. Next is Kensington Gardens, which has a cool statue of Peter Pan and a memorial to Princess Diana, among other things. After the parks, we went to the British Museum. It's kind of like the Smithsonian with lots of artifacts from all over the world. What they discreetly fail to mention is that they stole many of the artifacts from places like Egypt and the Middle East (very common trend in the UK, to glance over nasty things they did in the past). The most famous thing in the British Museum is the Rosetta Stone. After the British Museum, we went to the National Portrait Gallery. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures in there, but it's a small museum full of portraits of famous British people ranging from Henry VIII to Princess Diana. By this point, we were pooped, but on our way back to the hostel, we ran into a huge early St. Patrick's Day party going on in Trafalgar Square. It looked neat, but we were just too tired at that point. My train on Monday morning left at 5:30 AM, so I had to take a taxi. The taxi company that partners with the hostel was not very professional, but I made it to the station on time and got to experience driving on the opposite side of the road. All over London, they have sides on the road, reminding pedestrians which way to look before crossing the street.
Sunday, the plan was to see most of the parks and some of the more famous museums. We started the day off at Buckingham Palace, which was very very anti-climatic. Maybe it's very pretty on the inside, but the outside is rather standard (as far as a palace can be standard). Also, the famous guards were not even there! There were a couple of guards, but they were wearing gray, not red. We did get to see a little parade of some sort of officials on horseback though, so that was neat. Then we made our way through all of the parks right next to the palace. Green Park is, well, pretty much green grass everywhere, very pretty. Next comes Hyde Park, by far the coolest. There is a rose garden there (not quite fully in bloom yet) and lots of cool statues. Next is Kensington Gardens, which has a cool statue of Peter Pan and a memorial to Princess Diana, among other things. After the parks, we went to the British Museum. It's kind of like the Smithsonian with lots of artifacts from all over the world. What they discreetly fail to mention is that they stole many of the artifacts from places like Egypt and the Middle East (very common trend in the UK, to glance over nasty things they did in the past). The most famous thing in the British Museum is the Rosetta Stone. After the British Museum, we went to the National Portrait Gallery. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures in there, but it's a small museum full of portraits of famous British people ranging from Henry VIII to Princess Diana. By this point, we were pooped, but on our way back to the hostel, we ran into a huge early St. Patrick's Day party going on in Trafalgar Square. It looked neat, but we were just too tired at that point. My train on Monday morning left at 5:30 AM, so I had to take a taxi. The taxi company that partners with the hostel was not very professional, but I made it to the station on time and got to experience driving on the opposite side of the road. All over London, they have sides on the road, reminding pedestrians which way to look before crossing the street.
Fish and chips for lunch
The Globe Theatre (Shakespeare)
The outside of the (free) Tate Modern
Just a little taste of what you find inside the Tate
Just some casual Egyptian art along the Thames
A gray picture of the London Eye
Big Ben!
The classic London phone booth
Super interesting memorial to the women of WWII
Buckingham Palace. No royals, no guards...
Horsey parade next to Buckingham Palace
Green Park (cleverly named)
entrance to Hyde Park
statue of Peter Pan
Abbey Road. Very anti-climatic and not that interesting!
Rosetta Stone in the British Museum
Just some stolen Egyptian artifacts in the British Museum
Pere Lachaise Cemetery
Hi guys,
A lot has gone on since the last time I blogged, so I'm gonna break it up into a few different postings. (Lucky you...)
Right before I left for London, I visited Pere Lachaise Cemetary. It's one of the most famous cemeteries in Paris and is the final resting ground of lots of famous people, including Jimmy Hendrix, Edith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde. It also has several very interesting Holocaust memorials. Unfortunately, it closes kind of early, so I didn't get to see even half of it, but it was still a nice visit.
A lot has gone on since the last time I blogged, so I'm gonna break it up into a few different postings. (Lucky you...)
Right before I left for London, I visited Pere Lachaise Cemetary. It's one of the most famous cemeteries in Paris and is the final resting ground of lots of famous people, including Jimmy Hendrix, Edith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde. It also has several very interesting Holocaust memorials. Unfortunately, it closes kind of early, so I didn't get to see even half of it, but it was still a nice visit.
I'm not sure why, but there were many Asian graves...
Oscar Wilde's grave covered with kisses
Castle?
Holocaust memorials. Very very cool
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Life in Paris
Salut,
This has been kind of a busy week with lots of classes, but I've been finding time to explore. Today, as part of my class, we went on a walking tour of the Latin Quarter. It's full of schools and universities and churches. There are some thermal baths leftover from the Roman era still there. I didn't bring my camera today because I had too many books, but I'm going to go back and take pictures.
We also went to the Pantheon. It's a huge building originally constructed as a kind of basicilia for St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. Over the years, it went back and forth, back and forth between being a church and being a secular symbol of the state of France. Today it is a national landmark. It has a ton of religious paintings on the walls paired with secular monuments in front of the paintings (for the Unknown Soldier, etc.). The most interesting part is in the basement. There is a crypt underneath the Pantheon that is home to some of the most important influential French people and people with links to France. Just to name a few, Rosseau, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Emile Zola are all buried in the Pantheon. Very cool. I didn't have enough time to figure out why, but in the crypt, there is also a monument to the "Righteous Gentiles", as we say in English. The "Righteous Gentiles", or in French "Justes de France" or "Justes parmi les nations", are people who were not Jewish but helped/tried to save Jews during World War II. Again, I've got to go back and take pictures.
After class, I visited la Memorial de la Deporation (same name in English). It's a very small little monument for the French Jews who were deported during the Holocaust. It was very cool because it's right next to the Seine, and it is essentially on the same level as the river. Through windows with bars, you look right out onto the Seine. It's very small and almost hidden behind Notre Dame, but nice nonetheless.
I finished out my little excursion today with a trip to the best ice cream shop in Paris, Berthillion. Everyone who spends any serious amount of time in Paris knows Berthillion. I went about 4:30 PM on a Wednesday afternoon, and there was a line. I'll just say it was delicious. I got chocolate and fig. It's very close to my classes, so unfortunately for my wallet, it just might become a regular hangout.
This has been kind of a busy week with lots of classes, but I've been finding time to explore. Today, as part of my class, we went on a walking tour of the Latin Quarter. It's full of schools and universities and churches. There are some thermal baths leftover from the Roman era still there. I didn't bring my camera today because I had too many books, but I'm going to go back and take pictures.
We also went to the Pantheon. It's a huge building originally constructed as a kind of basicilia for St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. Over the years, it went back and forth, back and forth between being a church and being a secular symbol of the state of France. Today it is a national landmark. It has a ton of religious paintings on the walls paired with secular monuments in front of the paintings (for the Unknown Soldier, etc.). The most interesting part is in the basement. There is a crypt underneath the Pantheon that is home to some of the most important influential French people and people with links to France. Just to name a few, Rosseau, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Emile Zola are all buried in the Pantheon. Very cool. I didn't have enough time to figure out why, but in the crypt, there is also a monument to the "Righteous Gentiles", as we say in English. The "Righteous Gentiles", or in French "Justes de France" or "Justes parmi les nations", are people who were not Jewish but helped/tried to save Jews during World War II. Again, I've got to go back and take pictures.
After class, I visited la Memorial de la Deporation (same name in English). It's a very small little monument for the French Jews who were deported during the Holocaust. It was very cool because it's right next to the Seine, and it is essentially on the same level as the river. Through windows with bars, you look right out onto the Seine. It's very small and almost hidden behind Notre Dame, but nice nonetheless.
I finished out my little excursion today with a trip to the best ice cream shop in Paris, Berthillion. Everyone who spends any serious amount of time in Paris knows Berthillion. I went about 4:30 PM on a Wednesday afternoon, and there was a line. I'll just say it was delicious. I got chocolate and fig. It's very close to my classes, so unfortunately for my wallet, it just might become a regular hangout.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Paris, Fontainebleau, Barbizon
Hey guys,
Since I last blogged, I've been in class a lot, but I've also been finding time to explore Paris and go on a little day trip.
Most days my classes don't start until 2 PM, so I've been wandering around the city a little bit. In front of the Louvre, there is a beautiful garden called Le Jardin de Tuleries. It has all these beautiful statues and fountains.
Every Friday I volunteer with this organization called Le Secours Populaire. I asked my host family, and they said that it is a very well-known, reputable organization. I think they do other out-reach type activities, but they have an in-house soup kitchen. Depending on family size, they give people chickens, milk, cheese, vegetables, fruit, baby food, dessert, rice, pasta, pudding, etc. It's actually a really great set-up, and it's cool to see an organization like this in another country. Obviously I do not take pictures in there, but trust me that it is very cool.
Every day from 2-4 PM (or 14h to 16h, as they say here) I have a French grammar class. On Fridays, we really little excerpts from longer stories. I'm not sure how many of you guys will have heard of her, but we read a story by Marguerite Duras. She was French, but she grew up in what was called Indochina (Vietnam today). The excerpt was from a book called L'Amant, and it was so good that I ran out and bought it. I've been starting to read French books, and it usually takes me a couple tries, but it's been working out for the most part.
Anyways... Saturday the study abroad program took us on a little day trip to Fontainebleau (the famous chateau) and Barbizon. A lot of people have heard of Fontainebleau, but don't necessarily know what it is. It was the royal palace before Versailles was built. It was lived in from the 12th century until the 19th century, so it has a ton of different architectural and artistic styles. Francois I and Louis IX lived here. Like Versailles, it's a huge mansion with lots of art, but it also has huge, beautiful gardens. It was still a cold day, but the sun was out, so it was really nice just to walk around.
After that, we went to a nearby village called Barbizon. Back in the days of the monarchy, it was a private hunting village. There is a huge forest there (that I almost got horribly lost in). After the monarchy ended, the village became a kind of headquarters for a school of painters who liked to paint the woods. Robert Louis Stevenson also liked to come to Barbizon and write. Today, there is just the woods, a couple of hotels and restaurants, and a lot of country homes/farms.
All in all, it was a very nice trip. It was funny to be traveling in something that was not a train for once.
This upcoming week, for one of my classes, we have bi-weekly guided walks around Paris, so that should be interesting. I'll put up some good photos of that. I'm also hoping to get over to the famous cemetery where Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are buried this week, in addition to a cool-sounding memorial to the deported Jews of France during the Holocaust. Next weekend, I'm going to London!
Stay tuned....
Since I last blogged, I've been in class a lot, but I've also been finding time to explore Paris and go on a little day trip.
Most days my classes don't start until 2 PM, so I've been wandering around the city a little bit. In front of the Louvre, there is a beautiful garden called Le Jardin de Tuleries. It has all these beautiful statues and fountains.
In front of the Musee d'Orsay
Musee d'Orsay
Le Louvre from across the river
Entrance to the Jardin de Tuleries
Random sphinx statue. The French love Egyptian art.
More Egyptian art.
Every Friday I volunteer with this organization called Le Secours Populaire. I asked my host family, and they said that it is a very well-known, reputable organization. I think they do other out-reach type activities, but they have an in-house soup kitchen. Depending on family size, they give people chickens, milk, cheese, vegetables, fruit, baby food, dessert, rice, pasta, pudding, etc. It's actually a really great set-up, and it's cool to see an organization like this in another country. Obviously I do not take pictures in there, but trust me that it is very cool.
Every day from 2-4 PM (or 14h to 16h, as they say here) I have a French grammar class. On Fridays, we really little excerpts from longer stories. I'm not sure how many of you guys will have heard of her, but we read a story by Marguerite Duras. She was French, but she grew up in what was called Indochina (Vietnam today). The excerpt was from a book called L'Amant, and it was so good that I ran out and bought it. I've been starting to read French books, and it usually takes me a couple tries, but it's been working out for the most part.
Anyways... Saturday the study abroad program took us on a little day trip to Fontainebleau (the famous chateau) and Barbizon. A lot of people have heard of Fontainebleau, but don't necessarily know what it is. It was the royal palace before Versailles was built. It was lived in from the 12th century until the 19th century, so it has a ton of different architectural and artistic styles. Francois I and Louis IX lived here. Like Versailles, it's a huge mansion with lots of art, but it also has huge, beautiful gardens. It was still a cold day, but the sun was out, so it was really nice just to walk around.
After that, we went to a nearby village called Barbizon. Back in the days of the monarchy, it was a private hunting village. There is a huge forest there (that I almost got horribly lost in). After the monarchy ended, the village became a kind of headquarters for a school of painters who liked to paint the woods. Robert Louis Stevenson also liked to come to Barbizon and write. Today, there is just the woods, a couple of hotels and restaurants, and a lot of country homes/farms.
Le chateau
I think this is a statue of Francois I
An up-close view of the front
This one is for you, Dad. I know how you like fancy ceilings.
This one is for you, mom.
This picture didn't turn out very good with no flash, but this is essentially my dream library. Very Beauty and the Beast-style...
Napoleon's throne. He liked to drop by sometimes.
Some weird, random dog statue in the gift shop
For some unknown reason, Francois love love loved salamanders. They are literally all over this beautiful chateau, except they usually look much more like Chinese dragons.
A view of the chateau from across the lake
The home of all the famous painters in Barbizon
This is actually the town museum, believe it or not.
Le Bois de Barbizon
All in all, it was a very nice trip. It was funny to be traveling in something that was not a train for once.
This upcoming week, for one of my classes, we have bi-weekly guided walks around Paris, so that should be interesting. I'll put up some good photos of that. I'm also hoping to get over to the famous cemetery where Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are buried this week, in addition to a cool-sounding memorial to the deported Jews of France during the Holocaust. Next weekend, I'm going to London!
Stay tuned....
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Explorations
Bonjour tout le monde,
Today I had my final immigration appointment. It was right in the middle of my one class today, so I basically had a free day. I thought I would wake up kind of early and go catch a movie before my appointment. I headed downtown but couldn't find the theatre, so I ended up just walking all around Paris. I stumbled across all sorts of really cool things. There was this huge church called Eglise St. Eustache. Didn't go in, but in front of it, there was this big beautiful square and garden and playground that kind of overlooked the whole city. I'll have to go back tomorrow and take pictures.
It was such a nice day to walk around the city. It's still pretty cold here in Paris (in the mid 40s on a good day), but the sun has finally started to come out, and the weather is just nicer all around.
After discovering that little gem of a park, I thought I'd go back to the Louvre. It was around 11:30 on a Wednesday morning, but the Louvre was crazy crowded. I'm not sure why, but there seem to be more tourists than usual in Paris this week. Right outside the Louvre (actually in the same building), there's a little mall-like thing. I really haven't been hanging out at cheesy places or American places, but after I saw how crowded the museum was, I just went to the Starbuck's in the Louvre. It wasn't too crowded, so I just sat there for a while and got a lot of homework done. That's how I usually do my homework in the states, but I hadn't done homework in public yet in France. It was really nice, but I'm not going to start frequenting any Starbuck's.
After that, I took a little detour on my way to the Metro and strolled through the Jardin de Tuleries, which I think is possibly one of my new favorite places in Paris. Again, I'm going to have to go back with a camera and take pictures, but basically, it's a huge garden right in the center of Paris in between all the famous sites and the river. It has all these beautiful fountains, ponds, famous statues, a playground, and little cafes everything. It was just so so nice. Since the weather is finally starting to get a little nicer, Parisians are really coming out more and just relaxing outside like they're known for. This definitely might turn into a homework spot as the weather gets warmer.
Then I had to go to my immigration appointment. It consisted of a quick medical exam, including an X-ray, but apparently I am healthy enough for the French. After a bunch of silly paperwork, I am now officially a French resident.
Today I had my final immigration appointment. It was right in the middle of my one class today, so I basically had a free day. I thought I would wake up kind of early and go catch a movie before my appointment. I headed downtown but couldn't find the theatre, so I ended up just walking all around Paris. I stumbled across all sorts of really cool things. There was this huge church called Eglise St. Eustache. Didn't go in, but in front of it, there was this big beautiful square and garden and playground that kind of overlooked the whole city. I'll have to go back tomorrow and take pictures.
It was such a nice day to walk around the city. It's still pretty cold here in Paris (in the mid 40s on a good day), but the sun has finally started to come out, and the weather is just nicer all around.
After discovering that little gem of a park, I thought I'd go back to the Louvre. It was around 11:30 on a Wednesday morning, but the Louvre was crazy crowded. I'm not sure why, but there seem to be more tourists than usual in Paris this week. Right outside the Louvre (actually in the same building), there's a little mall-like thing. I really haven't been hanging out at cheesy places or American places, but after I saw how crowded the museum was, I just went to the Starbuck's in the Louvre. It wasn't too crowded, so I just sat there for a while and got a lot of homework done. That's how I usually do my homework in the states, but I hadn't done homework in public yet in France. It was really nice, but I'm not going to start frequenting any Starbuck's.
After that, I took a little detour on my way to the Metro and strolled through the Jardin de Tuleries, which I think is possibly one of my new favorite places in Paris. Again, I'm going to have to go back with a camera and take pictures, but basically, it's a huge garden right in the center of Paris in between all the famous sites and the river. It has all these beautiful fountains, ponds, famous statues, a playground, and little cafes everything. It was just so so nice. Since the weather is finally starting to get a little nicer, Parisians are really coming out more and just relaxing outside like they're known for. This definitely might turn into a homework spot as the weather gets warmer.
Then I had to go to my immigration appointment. It consisted of a quick medical exam, including an X-ray, but apparently I am healthy enough for the French. After a bunch of silly paperwork, I am now officially a French resident.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Photo updates
Hi guys,
As promised, I have some photos for you.
As promised, I have some photos for you.
This is a picture from the outside of the Paris Opera. We saw a strange ballet there called Caligula.
Here is the beeeeeeautiful inside.
This is just a really pretty synagogue in Strasbourg. I originally thought it was a museum.
Not quite sure what this was, but it's in Strasbourg.
Cathedral in Strasbourg. Pretty much a staple of any French town.
Downtown Strasbourg. A little farmer's market
This is Maria and I outside the building of the European Parliament.
This is the European Court of Human Rights. Toooo bad it was the weekend and I couldn't actually go in.
Yummy lunch of German noodles
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)