Photos and Fame

I made a web album for all of my pictures. They aren't all uploaded yet, but I'll keep working on it. I haven't really edited any of these... and there are some I should probably just delete. I know some of them are really terrible. You have my permission to disobey your mother and make fun of me behind my back. Please don't tell me what you honestly think, because that's just mean.

Here's the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/petitechou87

Also, if you want to e-mail me : petitechou87@gmail.com


And in other news.....

My (almost) encounters with (almost) famous people: I found out today that Ron Howard's wife was in one of my friend's French class at the Alliance Francaise! Apparently she's some sort of writer and lives an enviable life. I love Ron Howard. Just the other week I watched an episode of Happy Days (even though I understood none of it) because I just love him (and the Fonz of course). We all know that Opie was basically the best part of The Andy Griffith Show. Now Ron Howard is a great director. Also, in this same class is an 18 year old male model who lived with Kirsten Dunst for a while. I'm not so sure I believe it, but he has a picture of them together. Another friend saw Miss Jay from America's Next Top Model at a Cafe. And, last but not least, Lucy Liu took classes at Alliance a while back. So, basically my school is full of (almost) famous people, and I've met none of them. But, I know people who have!

Paris When It Drizzles

Sorry for my absence the past week or so… but rain, a Jane Austen novel and a slight cold have recently kept me from doing much worth reporting anyways.

It is called study abroad, so here are some things I learned this past week:

1. Learning a new language is difficult. I already knew this one. But, I was reminded of it this week. I think my French is getting worse. I’m still doing fine in class, but I keep forgetting important words when I attempt to have conversations. I try to remind myself that this also happens to me quite frequently when speaking English.

2. Never look to a French person for encouragement. At dinner the other night, my French host mom asked me how my studies were going. I realize that I probably should have just said “bien, merci”. But, language barrier or not, I’ve never been one to pass up an opportunity to over-share. So, I told her that I thought my speaking skills were actually decreasing. As you can imagine, it was not easy for me to even get this out. I expected at the most to be told that I was doing just fine, or I thought maybe she would sympathize with me. I would have been content with a mere “That sucks. Would you like some more chocolate?”. Instead, I was told that Americans have the worst accent for speaking French and no matter how hard I tried I would always be plagued by the awful sounds of my native language. Okay, she didn’t say it exactly like that…. But you get the idea.

3. A college reading level in English translates to a 4^th grade reading level in French. Still feeling discouraged about my language skills, I decided to purchase a French book to help me with my vocabulary and comprehension. After an extended search in Gibert Jeune (Paris’s equivalent of Barnes and Noble, but minus the Starbucks and comfy couches), pictured is the one I chose. Le Petit Nicolas, it’s for ages 9 and up… I often feel like a fourth grader here, so I thought it would be appropriate. After I bought it, I sat on a park bench in Jardin de Plants and started reading. I have to look up at least one word on each page. But as far as I can tell, it is quite humorous.

4. The language of shopping is universal. On Sunday (an incredibly drizzly day), I went to one of the biggest street markets in Paris with my adorable German “sister” Michelah. You could find just about everything imaginable in this market. There were vendors selling touristy souvenirs, shoes, purses, clothes, perfume, jewelry, cell phones, electronics, antiques, scarves and that is not all. Some of the stuff was junky, some was really nice. Some of it was very cheap and some was way overpriced. But, half the fun is finding the best deal. The only thing I bought was a leather bag. Michaela bought one too, and we successfully “haggled” down the price. When I told my French host mom about it, she said we were only successful because I look like I could be French. But, then I pointed out that the vender surely must have known that I wasn't thanks to my terrible American accent.

I hope the drizzly days of early spring in Paris are over. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day, and I plan on enjoying it thoroughly. Who knows, maybe my language skills will improve along with the weather.

It Takes All Kinds

This weekend was my first experience in a French gas station. We stopped at a large truck stop on our trip back to the city from the Loire valley. We didn’t stop for gas though. My limited understanding of French left me with a mere impression that this was a smoke break for our grouchy driver. I looked at it as an opportune time to use the bathroom.

After using the facilities, I decided to have a look around the convenience store. Of course, I immediately decided to survey the food offerings. There were all kinds of candy, sandwiches, chips, cheese and drinks. I haven’t really eaten any chips since being here and something salty sounded delicious. Well, I’ve heard that Europeans are overwhelmed by the ridiculous variety of cereals found in American grocery stores, but our cereal has nothing on this gas stations chip selection. There were all brands and all types. Some were unimaginably disgusting. Really, do smoked salmon and mustard Lays sound appetizing to anyone? There were other really bizarre meat combinations too. There was the chip version of the staple Parisian sandwich, Jambon et fromage. That’s right, ham and cheese chips. Weird. Although, maybe all you college students who survive on “chicken flavored” Ramen, think turkey flavored chips would be delicious. But frankly, I was surprised that a people like the French who pride themselves on their excellent gastronomy would offer such repulsiveness. I settled on “Chips Anciennes”. Which translates literally to “Old Chips”. Despite the weird name, they were kettle-cooked and delicious.

These strange offerings of chips and the fact that French people actually eat them got me thinking about the marketing techniques used for food. It is logical that different flavors and even names for products appeal to people of different cultures. In St. Louis, I saw a brand of chips named “Rap Snacks”. I suppose it’s logical. I mean, could you really expect Nelly and President Sarkozy to eat the same kind of chips?

Les Chateaux

This weekend I visited the Loire valley with my DePaul group. The Loire valley is about three hours outside of Paris. It is famous for its chateaux, or castles. We saw six chateaux during our two days in the Loire. You might think if you’ve seen one chateau then you’ve seen all six, but you’d be wrong. However, that doesn’t make going to six chateaux in two (extremly rainy) days any more enjoyable. I always feel guilty when I’m not incredibly enamored with these sight-seeing type things. I did find them interesting, and I did have fun. But, in all honesty, two or three would have been plenty. The chateaux were quite different in exterior architecture. The first one we went to had sections that were built in three different centuries. The history behind the chateaux is quite interesting as well. Francois I, Catherine and Marie de Medicis, Henri II, Henri III, Louis XII and Louis XIII either lived at, spent the night at, built part of, or had a never used room in basically each chateau. But keeping all of these kings straight is impossible. One of them used a fire eating salamander as his icon, another used a type of mink as his identifying symbol. Henri II used two Hs connected with two Ds. This was either in reference to the fact that he was Henri Deux or a reference to his best loved mistress. Some of the chateaux had practically no original interiors. These were restored beautifully, and had beautiful “fake” furniture. But when I found out, I couldn’t help but feel a little deceived.

My favorite chateau was Chenonceau. It is a beautiful castle built across the river Cher. It looks as though it is floating on top of the water. You can see the reflection of the castle in the water. The inside was beautiful and the majority of the interior was original. We were allowed to roam free in this chateau. Instead of being lead by a charming guide with a terribly difficult to understand accent, we listened to an audio tour. I chose the children’s version and it was as entertaining as it was informative. The gardens of this chateau were also incredibly beautiful. However, it was raining the entire time we were there so enjoying them was difficult. I did sort of feel like I was in a Jane Austen novel, strolling around the grounds with my umbrella. But, the rain kept us from exploring the hedge maze. I almost got to stay at Chenoceau forever, because I was told the incorrect meeting place. However, deductive reasoning helped me figure out quite quickly that something wasn’t right. I made sure to thank God for my cell phone.

My second favorite chateau was called Cheverny. It’s not as beautiful as Chenoceau, but I love the history behind it. It is the home that inspired the mansion in the Tintin books. Tintin is a very famous French comic book. I’ve read it in my French class, and I love it. You can get them in English too… I highly recommend it. They are historical detective type stories. Fun for all ages. Or you could wait for the movie version... apparently Spielberg is doing one. There was an exhibit on Tintin at Chenoceau, but we didn’t get to see it. Also, I found it interesting and also a little weird that people still live in Cheverny. Their quarters were (obviously) not open to tour. Although, that may have been more interesting than what we saw. But, they did have pictures of themselves throughout the castle. Creepy. Cheverny is also used today for its hunting grounds. There are over 75 hunting dogs living on the property. Apparently their daily feeding is something to be seen. We didn’t see it.

We also visited Leonardo DaVinci’s final home. It was packed with tourists. There really wasn’t anything of DaVinci’s in the house. If I’m going to be honest, I must admit that I think DaVinci is overly commercialized. If he knew that tourists were paying 15 dollars to traipse through his home, he’d probably roll over in his grave, which sadly also had a line of tourists in front of it.

Les Photos

Unfortunately because of rain and the forbiding of flash I don't have very many good pictures... but here's a few.

This is Chenonceau, my favorite. I didn't take any pictures of the outside because of the torrential downpour, so I swiped this one from the internet.

This is Cheverny. From the left: Milou, Captain Haddock and Tintin.
When Herge (the author) saw Cheverny there were trees covering part of the chateau, so he only drew what he could see at the time. The parts that are "transparent" are the parts not included in the mansion in the books.

Check out the awesome beams in the ceiling. They were painted beautifully in almost all the chateaux.


This porcupine was the symbol of Louis XII. Before the majority of the population was literate, illustrations were used to educate the masses.

On the left you see a fire-eating salamander. This symbol was adopted by Francois I. On the right is the hermine, which I believe is a type of mink. I cannot remeber which king had this as his symbol, but I bet he had a lot of nice coats.

Horses! Just because I saw them, and I love them!

La Nuit á Paris!

Saturday night was my first experience at a French club (“discotheque” if you’re French, or if you were cool in the 70s). It was….interesting. Definitely fun. But, also interesting. I left the house feeling sort of weird about the whole situation. I tripped going out the door of my building. Then, three people asked me for directions, and I had to say “je ne sais pas”. One of them wasn’t too happy about it. There was a concert going on at the Palais de Omnisport near my house and there was a massive amount of people. I considered turning around and going home, but I didn’t feel like I really could without it being incredibly awkward.

Host families are an interesting thing…. I feel like I’m being “observed”, almost judged, by people that are neither my peers nor my family. If the people I lived with were my age or my parents, I probably would have just turned around and returned home. But, I didn’t want them to think something was drastically wrong or to try to explain that I was simply a little uncomfortable. And, I especially didn’t want them to think I was a weird, indecisive American. So, I continued on.

When I got there, my friends had already gone inside. The club was directly under a bridge on the Seine, right off the Champs-Elysees. There were windows in the club where you could glance out and see the water. There were arches inside that really made you feel like you were under a bridge. When I walked up to the door of the club, I was asked (in French of course) “Are you on the list?”. Thank goodness my friends told me to expect this, because otherwise I would have had no clue what they were asking me. I shook my head. Then after getting this odd “let me see if you are attractive enough to enter” look that I always thought (hoped) was an urban myth, I was told to go ahead. The woman’s tone of voice was so condescending, like she had the most powerful job in the world and was doing me such an amazing favor. Weird.

I walked in and the club was almost empty. I saw my friends immediately. They all had the exact same experience at the door. We knew we were there early, and there were only about 10 other people in this huge place. But, there is no cover charge or line before 12. When we left the line to enter was incredibly long. A little after midnight the club was full of young, “hip” people. The DJ started and we had a lot of fun dancing! The music was definitely a little different from the places I’ve been in the States. Most of the music was in English, but some songs were in French. I think you call the songs “mashups”, where a bunch of different songs are put together. The songs were a mix between rock, pop and techno. At about 12:30 the DJ changed. The new “artist” was named Jacuzzi… The performance was hilarious. I guess she was a singer… Overall, it was just ridiculous. She wore a superhero-esque costume at the beginning. But… my favorite part was when she yelled “Bonsoir Paris!” at the beginning of her performance. We were having fun, but we left anyways around 1am. The Metro stops running close to 2. In Chicago the El runs all night… so we’re not used to this lack of transportation after a certain hour. Taxis are very hard to find, not to mention expensive. In order to hire a cab, you have to go to a special “taxi stand”. Apparently, sticking your arm out on the side of the road doesn’t translate into French.

Other updates: I ate foie gras. It snowed here a little on Sunday night, and my apartment is freezing! Next week is supposed to be much warmer. I've spent upwards of 8 hours in the Louvre, and we go to the Musee D'Orsay on Friday. There are new students in my French class, and we now have 12 different nationalities. I love my new German "sister"! Today, I went to the Champs Elysees for the first time during the day. This weekend I'm going to the Loire valley!

According to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune: 32 percent of French people are now pro-American, up from 24 percent in 2007. (Special thanks to fact finder and friend Sofie Strohmeier for this wonderful statistic!)



I'm sure by the time I leave at least 45% of the French will be pro-American!


At dinner with my host family we often talk about cultural differences. Last night at dinner Claude told me I looked like a French girl, but ate like an American. I'm taking it as a compliment. I think he was actually referring to the fact that I eat my vegetables at the same time as my meat, not all of one and then the next.... apparently they don't do that here. But, we've also discussed different customs concerning manners, showering and electricity. The French definitely have certain conceptions about Americans. I'm doing my best to try and show them there are many types of Americans, just like there are many types of French. And yes, some Americans are wasteful and rude... but not all of us! Some of us have been members of the Clean Plate Club since we were in high-chairs and always say "please" and "thank you".


I wonder what percentage of Americans are pro-French? Probably about the same- hey, that's something we have in common!

Le Weekend

**New photos are present on the previous post!**

It’s Saturday afternoon in Paris! I love the weekends! I slept late this morning… got up and took as much time as I wanted to eat my delicious breakfast. I’ve been late to class twice now because of the grand French custom of actually eating breakfast. Now, I’m going to go for a run in the park. If you know me at all then you know that when I say “go for a run”, I mean go for a walk while wearing sweatpants. Afterwards, I’m probably going to do a little site-seeing with friends and then… who knows!

Last night I went out with Laurent, my host family’s nephew who I met last Sunday, his brother, and their friend. It was very fun… they all speak English fairly well. But, I spoke a little French too. I was glad to spend time with “real” Parisians. We went to a bar in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris, the 5^th Arrondissement (The city is separated into different neighborhoods that go in a spiral from the center of the city where the first parts of Paris were built... I live in the 12th). It’s near the Sorbonne, the famous Parisian university. Also, it was near the Pantheon. In French you don’t pronounce “th” like in English. It’s more of a medium-hard t sound…. if that makes any sense. Anyways, this lack of “thhh” has left me confused several times. When asked, “Have you ever seen the ‘pahn-tee-awhn’?”, I said that I didn’t even know what it was. Well, when we turned the corner and saw it I immediately said “Oh! The Pantheon!” I do know the Pantheon. It’s where a bunch of famous French people are buried... I think Victor Hugo and Marie Curie are buried there, but I could be wrong. I should look it up. It is one of the most important buildings in Paris. I went there on my last trip here, and I plan on going back again. I’ve had similar conversations surrounding the word marathon… Just one of the many joys of barely speaking French in France.

The bar itself was…. random. They had tapas (Spanish style appetizers), which is sort of trendy right now in Chicago. But, at the same time it didn’t have any sort of Spanish atmosphere, it was just really sort of normal, relaxed. There were big groups of young people coming in and out… some American music and some French music… sort of what I expected. So, I had a Belgian beer at a tapas bar in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris, right next to the Pantheon.

I also spent three hours in the Louvre yesterday…. It was intense, but very interesting. At this time, I would like to take a moment to thank Mrs. Harris for her Art Fundamentals course at Lutheran High School. The class I’m taking now is more intense, but I’ve got the basics down, and that’s very helpful. Our professor is a professional guide and she is full of interesting information. Did you know that Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa face on several of his other paintings as well… the same half smile, and eyes? Also, the Louvre was originally built as a fortress in the Middle Ages, in fact the word Louvre means fort in old-French. There are still parts of the original building on exhibit in the museum. They have never been moved, just built around. Also, the largest painting in the Louvre is the size of most French apartments… I saw it and I’d have to say that’s accurate!

A couple days ago I went to Sacre Coeur and Montmartre with a couple girls from class. It was fun… but very touristy. There were lots of very aggressive people trying to sell us souvenirs. It was fine, but I probably won’t ever go there alone. We walked all the way to the top, and then we were completely exhausted. We took the funicular down. Montmartre is the highest point in Paris, and Sacre Coeur is a beautiful church at the top. From the top of the hill you can see pretty much all of Paris. The day we went it was a little foggy, I definitely want to go back… and I’ll be sure to bring my camera.

More about my French family—I finally figured out exactly what is going on here. I ended up just asking. Flavien is the son, he lives here sometimes but has his own apartment closer to his job. Claude is the name of Flavien’s father, but he and Madame Serra are not married. And today, a German girl arrived who’s name is Mikalya. She’ll be here for two weeks. I’m sort of glad to have someone to take the focus off of me at dinner! I’ve pretty much used my small arsenal of French vocabulary for as many different conversation topics as possible… I’ll have to learn more before I can say anything new!

The only thing new I’ve eaten recently is duck. We had it as an appetizer at dinner. It was good, but nothing special. We had an omelet for dinner last night. It was delicious… but made me miss my college life in Chicago and eating at Nookies with my lovely friends!

That’s all for now. I’m off to the park. I may put up pictures of the Louvre later! Grosses bises!

All the Earth Shall Sing His Praises!

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God.
The skies display the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

Today was such a beautiful day in Paris! It rained a little bit last night, so everything was extra green. When I finished class in the afternoon, I walked out into the street and the sun was so warm and wonderful. After doing some errands and eating lunch, I went to the park near my house. It was still sunny and lovely out. I sat on a bench, in the sunshine, and I read this Psalm. Today in Paris, a city thousands of miles away from my home, I was reminded that God is still with me and still to be praised! His "message has gone throughout the earth". The sun (and all of creation) is a constant reminder throughout the world of His love that satiates all desires and needs. The "words" of the sunlight praise God in all cultures and countries, without any barrier of language. I should do the same!

Les Photos:



This was taken from the foot bridge. The water is the Seine. If you look closely, you can see the Metro on top of the bridge... This is the metro I take to and from school each day! It's elevated in parts and underground in others, like the Red Line (only much cleaner and faster)!


Maison du Jardinage in the Parc. There is a little green house in there, and I think there's a little "learning center" in side and possibly demsontrations at certain times. I should check it out. Lovely, isn't it?


That's my shadow! The thing between the stairs that my shadow is on is actually a fountain... but it won't be turned on until later in April. The green area is part of Parc Bercy.


I don't know exactly what the deal is with this ship... but it's on the Seine. Cool, right?


This is at the top of the stairs leading to the (large) foot bridge that goes over the Seine. The building with the blue roof on the left is the Palais de Omnisports... It's a sports arena where they also have concerts. I see it everyday when I exit the Metro station.


That person in the doorway is part of a group of teenage boys playing with airsoft guns. I didn't notice them until after I'd taken this picture... It was sort of funny, but sort of scary at the same time! It reminded me of the Guffy boys and several close calls... I didn't want to get hit!!


You may be wondering, "Is that a flower volcanoe?"... Well, I'm wondering it too... who knows. Those crazy French.


Check out the French version of a garbage can in the foreground. I told you they don't like to waste... Why would do you need the plastic barrel when you can just have the plastic bag?









Les Jolies Fleurs:

Ma Vie en France

This post is so long that I split it up into different sections. Look at the heading and decide what you’re interested in reading about. I’m sorry, but I’ve had a problem with writing (and talking) too much forever. There is no changing me, and I won’t be offended if you skim. P.S. There are pictures!

French Class

Today was my second day of class at Alliance Francaise here in Paris. I have 20 hours of French a week. That’s French class from 9-1 Monday through Friday. It’s a little exhausting. But, I like my teacher. She is in her late twenties, early thirties… and your typical French woman: skinny, practical, fashionable but not trendy. She also has that great French sense of humor.

There are two other DePaul students in my class. The rest of the students are from all over the globe. I have a Swedish friend named Mimi. There are people from England, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and probably other places as well. There are also two nuns from an island that I’ve never heard of, but I think it’s off of India. There’s a random mix of ages also, although almost everyone is older than me.
This is the first French class I’ve taken where I don’t feel like a complete idiot. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that it’s basically all review for me. I was definitely placed in the wrong class. But, I’m not worried about it. The practice is really what I need… not more lessons on grammar techniques that I’m not comfortable applying in conversation. The four hours feels like a long time, but with such a mix of cultures and native languages humor often ensues.

The Alliance Francaise

Art Class

Yesterday, I had my first art class. We’re studying impressionism. The professor is another great French lady. But, she’s older and very serious about teaching us art. She says she’s going to “train the eye”. So, we’ll see what that involves. I was worried about the tests in this class, because I heard they were killer. But, they’re essay format. So, my hand will probably hurt after writing so much (1 six page essay in class!), but it’s something I can handle if I prepare. We’re going to spend 3 hours at the Louvre on Friday. It will be interesting, but exhausting. The 2 hours of lecture on Monday was exhausting, so I can’t imagine what 3 hours of lecture, observing and walking will be like. Hopefully we’ll have enough energy left to do something fun afterwards on Friday night. I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures in the Louvre!

Vincentian Tour

Yesterday, between French and art classes we took a tour of the St. Vincent DePaul Chapel. Not being Catholic I wasn’t all that excited about it. But, the building itself was cool, and we heard some interesting history about not only DePaul, but Paris. We also went to St. Sulpice… a really old, really huge, really gorgeous church. They still have mass in all of these old churches… which is cool, but also weird when tourists (like myself) are filing in and out and taking pictures in a place of worship.

The St. Vincent DePaul Chapel. The people in this picture are looking at what is basically fragments of SVDP's skull placed in a wax figure of SVDP enclosed in a "tomb".... I think. Also, this Chapel was restored in the 198os and the French goveernment had to approve all details to ensure that the restoration was done true to the original. Interesting.

Le Bon Marche

Today after class I ate lunch at the Pomme de Pain. It’s the French equivalent of Cosi or Panera. I got a chicken and veggie sandwich thinking that it would be healthier than the typical Parisian ham and cheese on a baguette, but it had mayonnaise on it! It was so tasty, but also fattening- like most food in France. So far, I’ve liked all the food given to me by my host family. The craziest thing I ate was almost-raw steak. I couldn’t refuse it, because I didn’t want to be impolite. So, I ate a little. It was actually pretty good, but it kind of freaked me out at the same time! Hah! Some of my friends have been offered leg of lamb and pate by their families.

After Pomme de Pain we went to Le Bon Marche. Le Bon Marche is the oldest department store in the world, that’s right ladies and gentlemen, the first ever department store. At Le Bon Marche- a.k.a. the mother ship- I realized how much I hate the exchange rate. There was some cool stuff, some of it was even on sale… most of it was way expensive designer. But even things that sort of sounded affordable were not after I reminded myself to translate into dollars. Not only do I have to translate French to English, I have to translate Euros to dollars. But, I still had fun looking around the store with mes amies. There were some truly amazing hats. After that I walked home, passed by some cheaper stores (there is hope for my French shopping experience!) and got lost (of course).

Host Family

I think I finally have my host family dynamic (sort of) figured out. I still don’t know if Madame Serra and Flavien are married… I think they are. But, he doesn’t live here during the week. He works as a stock trader and (if I understand correctly) has an apartment on the other side of Paris. It would probably take him an hour or so each way to commute, but lots of people do that… so it’s a little strange that he doesn’t live here. The guy I met on the first day is definitely their son. I don’t think he lives here, but he was here for dinner today. I think his name is Flavien also, but maybe I’m wrong. I spoke a lot at dinner today… and Madame Serra told me where there are stores pas trop chere (not very expensive!). Also, I ate more rare steak today… today’s was cooked a little more and it was so good. I like it. I’m ashamed haha.

Their family seems to be very close. On Sunday they had all of their nieces and nephews over for lunch. I met them all in an overwhelming series of introductions, from which I remember no names. Madame Serra is very kind, and I think Flavien really likes me. It is so nice to be liked by a French person. I barely speak any French. So all I do is nod, smile and say things like yes and okay. My attempts at full sentences are usually pathetic. On Sunday one of their nephews stayed for dinner and the conversations that he and Flavien had seemed very interesting. They are almost debates or friendly arguments over who knows what. I know they talked about iPods, lesbians, marijuana and Canada haha. They seem to enjoy the conversations so much! I wish I could participate in the conversations… you all know how I love to argue (maybe not especially about pot or lesbians… but in general haha).

Overall, I really like my host family. At dinner I get to practice my French and eat good food, but before and after I have a lot of privacy. Over all—trés bien!

Les Photos

My room in Paris! It's comfy and cozy and all mine...

Bikes In the Courtyard of La Chappelle de St. Vincent Depaul

A plaque commemorating the death of a soldier at this spot during the Resistance (WWII). The French are big on history and not forgetting.... I wish I'd taken the time to take a better picture... but that's side of my prof's head in the front hah...



A hospital that was used from the 1500s until 1999. The French don't like to waste... anything. And in Paris space is a hot commodity. Apparently they're making a bunch of these old buildings into condos.

C'est tout!! I love and miss you all!! xoxo