30 days in Paris {1/4}

Bonjour! When we first arrived in St Andrews, we heard rumours about a month-long French course in Paris paid for by the Catholic Foundation in Scotland. After emailing several incorrect accounts and phoning every number we could find, we finally heard Garrick's application was successful...in June! We scrambled to find a place and work out the details. Within a few weeks, we secured a flat with our friends, The Brewers, and excitement ensued.

We travelled by train and arrived on 30th July. Garrick arrived a bit later than expected as he was presenting at a conference in Leipzig, and his train to Paris was delayed. His arrival was the highlight of my week!

Our flat is eclectic in a good way, and although small, the space is workable for us and four Brewers. The best part? Our view:

 

 

Week one has been a mixture of settling in, being tourists, and eating. Lots of eating. Here are the highlights:

 

Architecture

Although a massive city, the quaint buildings and treed streets make it feel smaller. I've enjoyed the black iron balconies and flower boxes, as well as the domed corner roofs.

 

 

Museums

We conquered the Musee d'Orsay and Musee Rodin in the same day. Yesterday, we explored part of the Louvre and got in for free, as it was the first Sunday of the month. I am not very educated about art, so I naively wandered around these awesome places. In the evenings, I've enjoyed reading about particular pieces I enjoyed, and we may go back a second or third time to take it all in! Why not?

 

From the terrace of Musee d'Orsay



Thinking Man at Musee Rodin



Musee Rodin



Musee Rodin



Musee du Louvre



Musee du Louvre

 

Sights of Paris

It's quite surreal taking in the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and other popular landmarks in person and not on a computer screen. The unique part of our time here is that we're not cramming in all the sights of Paris in 4-5 days. We have a month. Here's what I've seen from behind the lens:

 

Notre Dame



Saint-Sulpice



"Love Lock" bridge.



Eiffel Tower



Eiffel Tower



Les Invalides

Ordinary Days

We're finding a rhythm for day-to-day life with mornings spent at the park, supermarket runs, and alternating household chores and cooking. We frequent the boulangerie downstairs for baguettes and also enjoy evenings spent watching movies and reading with the windows open to the city noise. Au revoir!