Inaugural Blog from Paris
Bonjour mes amis!
In order to keep a good account of my trip to Paris and to share my adventures with you, I have begun this blog!! I have now been in Paris for just over two weeks. I arrived tired and jetlagged on Thursday, September 25th. That first weekend passed quickly with obligatory orientation sessions; our hotel’s location- far from the heart of the city- along with no metro passes confined our explorative curiosities to the 20 arrondissement.
That Saturday, after what seemed like an eternity of transition, I moved into my host mother’s home. I was to be staying with Devin Lee, a junior whom I had met through rowing last year, at Mme. Tréhondart’s. Madame lives in Boulogne, a suburb just to the south-west of the city. It lays claim to the Bois de Boulogne (Woods of Boulogne), a favorite recreational area for many Parisians in the city’s western limits.
I am now entering my third week of classes. Wishing for ample time to explore Paris and its surroundings I recently downgraded from four to three classes. They are as follows:
1. French 23- a second level intermediate French class aimed at strengthening grammatical structures, with an emphasis placed on the conjugation and use of verbs.
2. Paris Classique- taught by Stanford Classics Department Chair Richard Martin, this class seeks to explore the Gallo-Roman origins of the city. Readings support the weekly lectures which are then followed up with excursions out into the city for onsight analysis of ruins.
3. Images of Domestic Life in the Louvre- another classics course taught by Stanford professor Anastasia-Erasmia Peponi, the course deals with the cultural, historical, and artistic importance of domestic art in the Louvre. The course has weekly visits to the Louvre and then meets in a cafe to discuss findings.
All my classes are extremely interesting and give me the opportunity to view Paris in a several different lights. The city is truly a marvel! I have made some so-called “touristy” visits (Tour Eiffel, Sacré-Coeur, Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, etc.) there are many sights I have not seen. I am going to make an effort this week to spend a couple hours every day discovering different parts of the city.
Much has already transpired in the past two weeks, but it is difficult to summarize all my wanderings in such a short amount of time. Check back often for posts as I will try to frequently update with stories, discoveries, and non-sense.
À bientôt!
