Hello, all!
I hope this post finds you well. Today is March 5th. Lots have happened since our last "chat." Let's see...
This past weekend was a long weekend, due to two holidays that Sevillanos celebrate, Dia de Puente and Dia de Andalucia. So, four of my friends, Molly, Kristen, Kaitlyn, Sara, and I, all went to France! Why not?
We landed in Paris all nice and smoothly and walked around the city. The weather was what we had imagined the weather would be like in France: chilly and grey. But it was a nice change. Honestly, I don't remember doing much on that first day besides walking around and getting a feel for the city and eating and checking into a hotel that was quite funny...the others saw on the hotel's ratings online that it had bedbugs. So Kaitlyn whipped back the sheets and did the check for us. No bedbugs! That night we tried to find a place to eat dinner. Finally we came upon a seemingly happenin place; there was a very long line to sit down! And it didn't seem too steep in price from the looks of it. Sara and I had already eaten our bocadillos that we had packed before, so we were set and nicely content for the night. Well, little did we know...if we sat there, we had to eat. And not only did we have to eat, but the meal was thirty flippin euros. A three course meal. We talk about how we should have just left, but salads were already in our places by the time we got back from the bathroom. Shoot! So, we ate like gluttonous kings, oh, and packed it in--all the never-ending mustard-themed meal of salad, beef, and french fries--because there, they don't have leftover boxes. Haha, forgot about that cultural difference. So we were half irritated, half "Well, let's live it up, then!" the whole time haha. 'Twas a "great" learning experience.
The next day we met Kristen at the trainstation (she had taken the over night train with her handy dandy Eurorail pass). We went for a true French breakfast and then went exploring. First to Notre Dame (which had an amazing exterior--intricately sculpted!). I had kind of a weird experience; there are people in the streets there who have papers with info of a deaf association. One woman, who I thought was deaf, asked for money, and so I gave a little. Well, turns out those people are not deaf at all; a policeman came up to me and asked for my info so that she could be arrested. Yikes. What the heck was I to do? I really didn't know. Didn't want to be the tattletale at all. But I did it, and I gave him a fake address, which he said was ok, just as long as I appeared to be an actual person on paper. This moment really stirred me up for a little, because of the uncomfortable position I had to be in. But again, it was a learning experience.
That upset feeling wore off when we arrived at the magnificent Leuvre! If you haven't heard of it, it used to be a palace, and it is like a mall inside with escalators and different department stores of massive movements of art. I really liked what I saw of the Renaissance work I think it was, and I remember this two-story ceiling, red room of such warm, large images and a very ornate, spectacular ceiling. But overall, I found myself feeling overwhelmed in that museum! Just so much art!
But then we hit up the Musee d'Orsay, which, let me tell you, was the highlight of Paris for me. I did not realize how beautiful impressionist art was until I went there. I'm telling you, it was breathtaking. Monet, Renoir, Van Gough, Degas...I could have looked at those paintings for much longer. They really amazed me, especially Monet's intentional brushstokes of multiple colors that don't seem to make sense for what they are coloring from upclose, but totally work. Dad, I now know why you like him so much!
After delicious crepes of Nutella (yeah, baby!) and a hilarious, loud waiter, we walked to the Eiffel Tower to see it light up at midnight...'twas a long day. So we made our way back by a roller coasterly taxi (the metro closed right when we tried to catch it!) to the hotel for a restful, bugless sleep.
The next day we went back to the Eiffel Tower to walk up to the top...well, some of us took the elevator. Kristen had her large bookbag with her, and after waiting in the line, they said she could not go up with it. We tried by saying in Spanish (our common language link), "But if she were that fat, you'd let her on!" Haha but it didn't work. Long story short, she and Sara got to go up while I stayed with their stuff and Molly and Kaitlyn after they came down. I have already been to Paris and climbed the Tower when I was ten (!), so for me, it was no big deal to miss it.
Then my favorite part...Angers (pronounced "On-jay)!!
We took a four hour train ride to this small, lovely city. And boy, was this a good part of the trip. We all agreed that it was a great rest from the bustling, busy Paris. Turns out there are three students from Appalachian State studying there, and one of my old professors is teaching English at their university. Bingo! We got to the dorm at night and were not able to enter/the girl who organized this for us was not there yet/our only working phone had just died...HA! So that was an adventure. Josh, a little angel (actually, he's a pretty big guy), came to our rescue and could not have been more hospitable and helpful. In fact, after a good sleep in an unknown girl's tiny dormroom (It was hilarious; we all five slept in there, three in one twin bed/chair for the feet and two on the floor), he spent the next day with us. He was a joy to have along.
We met up with Rick, my old professor, the next day, for a lovely brunch of scrumptious lunch crepes (mine had sausage, mushrooms, and cheese! Yum!). We enjoyed his company so much, with his enthusiasm and love for learning and culture that drew us in. What a guy.
Then Josh took us to Le Chateau, which is a large castle but truly medieval looking. Inside, he showed Sara and me a grand room with the king's commissioned tapestries hanging on the long wall. The dark room functioned as just that, a showcase of these lit up, magnificent murals of fabric. And do you know what they were of? The Apocalypse! And Josh knew the symbolism of each one that captured my interest like crazy. Now, it's time for me to finally read Revelations. I gotta do it. It sounds EPIC.
After seeing the exterior of this amazing castle and hearing more about it from Josh, we headed down to meet the others (Erica, the girl who connected us, from App, and her friends) for a cheap Greek kabab dinner. Yum! THEN to a free concert at a bar/venue. The first band was a high school one to our surprise, and then the last one of three was really good and older. It was interesting, the mix of ages and how many of the songs were in English! By the way, I think I fell in love with French on this trip. That might be my next thing to accomplish, learning it.
Ok I'ma try to make the rest really short, because I'm talking too much, and I hear snoring...the next day we woke up early, took the train back, went to the COOLEST bookstore I've ever been in. Walls full of books. Up until the ceiling. With wooden ladders. Totally like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. But this was an English bookstore! Random, right? The employees had British accents. It was like a little microcosm of England, all in one tight, creaky, quaint bookstore. The second floor had a piano that Kristen and I played. This store made me want to be a reader like nothing else. I need to get a'crackin.
For our last dessert before seeing Kristen off on her trainride back to Sevilla, we ate crepes, creme brulee, apple tarts...and then saw her off. Then the four of us saw good last minute sights, Moulin Rouge and Arc du Triunf. Super cool, especially lit up at night. Then back to the hotel. Here's a funny story for ya: There were four of us staying in a three person room. To be cheaper, and we knew we could squeeze (especially after that dorm room!). Some of us were worried about it (rightfully so), while we were not at all. Turns out, we hit the sack at about 12:30 and at 1:30 were startled by a loud telephone ring. Before we could register what was happening, the ring stopped. Went back to sleep for five and were startled again by knocking on our door. Fright. Sara, the brave one, got up and answered it while Kaitlyn hid in the bathroom. My heart was pounding. He had found out that we were one too many, and demanded ten euros (not bad). Then he left and we had nothing to say, we were so startled.
We left that next day--flew back to sunny, lively Sevilla. Long story long, this trip to France was more of a learning experience than anything. It was super crucial to have. I learned that it is important to follow the rules, even if to me they seem unimportant and easily maneuverable. But I guess that's part of living righteously, right? I don't feel like being sneaky like that again. It's just not a good thing.
On a lighter note, we had fun. And we bonded along the way. The sights we saw were amazing. The food, exquisite. Much laughter, many NICE people in France, contrary to the rumor that the French are not nice to American tourists. We were treated so nicely! Overall, it was a great trip. Things did not work out sometimes, but we learned to work around them! Thanks for listening!
Love,
Allison :)
