Givernyyy

I had a wonderful day yesterday in Giverny! Up until last night, that is, when I went all the way up to Montmartre to see the cabaret at Au Lapin Agile but was too late and was thus locked outside and forced to leave and go to Ile St. Louis/Cite, where I engaged in self-pity eating and had an ice cream cone and nutella crepe for dinner and also took some cool video of Notre Dame at night. Oh, and then my host family left this morning for their vacation. No big goodbyes or anything, which was a bit weird, but I'm actually kind of glad they're gone because now I can pretend I actually live in Paris! Anyways, last night sucked. But yesterday was great!

We went to Vernon via train which took about 45 minutes. We arrived at around 11:15, rented bikes, and rode them through the town and down a bike path until we reached Monet's garden. Giverny is really cute, with lots of adorable houses and B&Bs and cafes. It was sooo picturesque. Vernon was not as cute, but I still enjoyed seeing a regular old French town. 

The gardens, though. Wow. They were breathtaking. Better than I could have imagined. I did a sketch of them which is way too detailed, which made me realize: In a place so overwhelmingly beautiful, too much detail doesn't capture its essence. Monet's "impressions" were really the only way to do his gardens justice. 

Inside his house, he had Japanese prints all over the walls, obvious representations that Eastern art largely inspired Impressionism. 

After we saw the gardens, we went to a creprerie and had lunch. We had a great view of the quaint houses/street, and we sat talking and laughing for quite a while. 

Next, we went to the Musee d'Impressionisme. Kind of a letdown. They only had an exhibition going on of the neo-Impressionist Maximillien Luce. It was good, but I was expecting to look at that and then be able to see their permanent collection. But, they don't even HAVE a permanent collection. Weird, right? You'd think the Impressionist museum would at least have a collection of go-to Impressionist paintings. 

Anyways, one cute anecdote: While I was seating on a bench drawing Monet's water lilies/bridge, a little girl (she was Dutch or German or something I think) came up to me and looked at my drawing and smiled. Her mom had to coax her to do it, as she was shy, but I got the impression that she liked to draw as well. Later, when I was finishing the drawing in the Musee's garden area, I saw her again. Once again, she came up with a huge beaming smile, and just watched. Basically, she was adorable and the setting was perfect and I loved the whole cross-cultural connection thing. =]

After we saw the museums and such, we rode our bikes back across the bridge to Vernon, and me, Gus, and Kenneth went on a longer bike ride along the river (the Seine). It was really fun and cool to be in a place so different from Paris. It was also a good workout, which I liked since I have really only been walking here.

This afternoon I have class/walking with my class, and then I don't know what I'm going to do. I only have one more week in Paris though, and it's really sad! So, a bientot!

The other day at Musee de l'Orangerie. I got see the Waterlilies right before I went to see them firsthand! Awesome.

At Monet's Jardin.

My drawing of his jardin/waterlilies/bridge.

It's the real deal.

The big picture.

Impressionistic water lilies. I love the reflection of the clouds on the water.

Close-up. Still gorgeous.

A chair in Monet's foyer in his house. He probably sat there and looked out onto his beloved garden.

Lace-draped window in Monet's house.

Me, Gus, and Kenneth at the end of our bike ride. 

un video du metro

Here's a random video I made using footage I took while riding the metro. It's not the most inspired/interesting video ever, but it gives you an idea of the metro vibe here in Paris.

BELGIUM

So Belgium was amazing! The trip was incredibly tiring, but it was so cool to see a different type of country/culture other than France. Also, it was weird being somewhere where they spoke a language that I could not understand AT ALL (although French and English are widely used. Basically, it was just weird seeing Flemish words written everywhere). Here's my travelogue in photos!

My first meal in Brussels. Super healthy, I know. The specialties there are frites (fries), waffles, and chocolate. Yummy! Moules (mussels) and beer are also specialties, and I ate/drank a lot of them! I especially loved the fruit-flavored beer. 

A window in Bruges, where we went on our second day. I loved this window and how you could see the reflection of the "place". Anna kept saying how it reminded her of the piazza in Siena, Italy, and I have to agree. It's very wide, and the cobblestones dominate the scenery, as does the tall clocktower.

Bicycles on a tiny Bruges street. It's almost like a village, with smaller cobblestoned streets and ancient, yet normal-looking houses.

Me and Anna standing on the ledge of a bridge overlooking Ghent's river. We sat and did some sketches of the river for a while; it was super picturesque and relaxing. 

Another image of the river and the adorable houses.

We visited Gand (Ghent, in English) that day as well, and while I didn't love the city as a whole (it had a weird vibe; not very happy or lively), I had an awesome time climbing to the top of the old bell tower. It dates from the 13th century (as I remember) and you got a great view of the city below. There was also a festival going on that day, so there were a lot more ant-like people on the street than usual.

Yesterday we stayed in Brussels and went to a bunch of museums: the Magritte Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Museum of Bande Dessinee (Comics). The MOMA was in the same complex as the Magritte museum, and I did the sketch above of a sculpture in the twentieth century section. The Magritte Museum was much better than their modern colleciton, though; I especially loved some of Magritte's pamphlets explaining his process. A quote I wrote down: "Everyone tends to think that there is little relationship between an object and that which represents it..."

On Friday when we arrived in Belgium, we took a guided tour of the city. We stopped at five different locations for tastings along the way. We tried: this special Belgian biscuit/pastry called Pain à la Greque, which really has nothing to do with Greek people but was a mistranslation by the French; really yummy Belgian chocolate at a local chocolaterie; Belgian beer at the place above (I tried a specially made Belgian lambic beer called a "kriek. It's made with cherries and has a different fermentation process that makes it taste yeasty and super sour. Not my favorite at all, as it tasted like vinegar); really strong Belgian cheese with shallots in it that no one really liked but I loved; and finally sea snails that used to be a specialty when Brussels was once a port city. It was awesome but super tiring, and I was so full by the end.

Near the old port section of Brussels where we tried the sea snails!

On Friday night, we headed to a happening little neighborhood across from the stock exchange (Bourse) where there were a bunch of cafes and bars. We ran into a parade of rollerbladers and bikers on the way. We had a ton of fun at the bar though. The next night, we went to an Irish pub where we danced the night away. It was really really really fun!

Now, I'm still a bit tired from the weekend and need to finish a paper that is due tomorrow. This was my method of procrastination. It definitely feels good to be back in Paris, though. I hated two things about Belgium: 1) they don't give you a carafe of water and always make you pay for bottled water in restaurants 2) you have to pay around 50 eurocents to go to the bathroom (!). Ludicrous! On the other hand beer and other beverages are WAY cheaper than Paris. Still, it's good to be back in the beautiful city that has so many things to see and do. I only have two weeks left, so I'm going to be doing a lot. 

Can't wait!

plus d'esquisses...more sketches

I went to the Musee d'Orsay today with my class, and we had the most amazing tour guide. She was incredibly knowledgeable, and she told us a bunch of tidbits about Delacroix and Baudelaire and Manet. I was in art history heaven. After the tour (which I wish could have been longer) I did some sketches of Cezanne and one of Degas's Petite Danseuse. Here they are:

Cézanne. Portrait de l'artiste.

Degas. Petite danseuse de quatorze ans. 

One of the things I noticed about sketching in a museum is that everyone wants to see your drawing. People will come and stand behind you to peek over your shoulder, and you can hear them commenting to each other about your piece. One woman whispered, "It's wonderful!" to me, while a little boy told his mom, "She's good." It was definitely an ego booster, if nothing else. Also, the experience made me realize that when drawing in such an awkward, public place you are forced to draw quickly, without too much thought or intention. This results in a more loose style, which is good for me since I tend to be a bit timid about letting my hand simply wander. I plan to go back to the musee because I had to leave early to grab lunch with friends (I was starving). There is still so much to see and draw, I think I could spend virtually all day there! 

Tomorrow I leave for Brussels (bright and early at 8:30) so I may not be able to post this weekend what with all the sightseeing we'll be doing. Alors, bon weekend et à lundi!

I promise I'm not really antisocial...

Today I went to the Cathedrale Sainte-Chapelle by myself, since people were doing other things and I really wanted to make sure that I saw it. The stained glass windows were phenomenal (they virtually are the some of the best in the world), and I loved getting to peruse them by myself. In Paris, I've found that I'm a bit antisocial when it comes to visiting museums and certain sites. I like to take things in at my own pace, to wander, to stare, to sit, and I really don't like sharing commentary (unless it's with a few select people who I have personally designated "museum buddies"). Really, I love the freedom that I find when browsing. It's wonderful to be able to stop, sit, and sketch a sculpture that I really like, without having to worry that I'm making people wait and whatnot. That's what I did at the Pompidou Center the other day! I sketched a postmodernist sculpture, but was only able to finish it today after running to the art store to buy a pencil sharpener. Here it is:

Also, here are some pictures of Saint Chapelle:

Stained Glass Windows from the 13th century 

The Rose Window, a stained glass window from the 14th century depicting the apocalypse of St. John (which I don't really know what that is but it sounds like a big deal).

Moral of the story is, I really like doing stuff on my own in Paris! Cultural stuff, that is. Otherwise, my friends here are great and I can't wait to go out with them tonight! Bonne soiree!

Pompidou to Versailles

Pictures from the Pompidou Center and Versailles!

A hanging sculpture in the Pompidou's Modern Collection.

Part of the Exhibition entitled "Dreamlands", about the way we view cities across the world and how we create "carnivals" in society.

The front view of Versailles. Waiting in line on a really hot day!

Me standing in front of the Grand Trianon (to my right) that overlooks the Eastern part of the canal.

A window/doorway looking out from of the King's apartments (I think. It was in the chateau somewhere at least).

The "laiterie" at the Hamlet (awesome, village-like part of Versailles built under Marie Antoinette).

An archway of grape vines in the Hamlet's vegetable gardens.

A swan in the canal of the Versailles Jardin.

The same swan. I just couldn't decide which photograph I liked better. You tell me.

My fellow Versailles-goers: Vanessa, Fatin, and Paulo. 

It was a long day (9:30 am to 7:30 pm) but awesome despite the heat. The grounds of the court are just so beautiful and vast, I honestly could not believe my eyes. I really think I could spend a week walking around there, just picnicking and eating ice cream (as above) or fresh-squeezed orange juice, which we also had (fresh picked from the chateau's orange grove). The opulence is astounding and it's a bit scary to think about all the money that was spent on one castle, but I'm still thankful that it stands just so that I get to bask in its beauty. 

Vive le roi de soleil!

opera, rodin, bastille, louvre, spectacle...not in that order!

These past few days, I have taken a TON of photos. Thus, there are going to be a lot of photos on this post, and I don't really care if there are too many because I'm so incredibly excited to put them up.

First, I want to include a picture of the Bastille concert I went to before heading off to chill on the Seine (this was the night of the 13th, as I mentioned.)

Skip to Friday--field trip with my class. We started at the Opera Garnier, and then walked along some of Haussman's boulevards and visited some of the awesome covered "passages", little shopping pathways covered with glass where "les flaneurs" used to hang out. 

Me and Gus in the Garnier theater beneath Marc Chagall's painted ceiling.

View from one of the rooms of the Opera Garnier, looking out onto the Place de l'Opera.

After the field trip, my friends and I ate lunch at a cafe, and then a couple of us went to the Louvre for a little under an hour. I also bought my ticket for a contemporary dance show that was that night.

An ancient Greek sculpture in the Louvre.

The performance was AMAZING! It was very postmodern--the choreographer (Dominique Bagouet) was obviously heavily influenced by many of the choreographers I've been studying: Merce Cunningham, Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown. It was more humorous, though, and combined very technically difficult choreography (weight changes, tempo shifts) with crazy, child-like humor (the dancers talked onstage, got annoyed with eachother. There was even one section where they "silent-talked" to each other from across the stage). I LOVED IT. The venue was a stage built outside in the middle of the Palais Royal. One cool moment was when a man stepped out on to his twenty-million dollar balcony and saw the modern dance performance going on just beneath him. What a lucky guy, huh? My thought was, "Only in Paris!"

The entrance to the performance was in the middle of the Palais Royal, where there is an installation-sculpture by modernist sculptor Pol Bury.

The stage set up for the performance. The balcony (sort of obscured by the lights) is where the man wandered out to find the show going on.

That night I met up with friends afterwards and spent the night at my friend Anna's house, since her host family is out of town. Then yesterday (Saturday) she and I met back up and went to the Musee Rodin together, which was absolutely beautiful. We both did some drawings (hers were amazing, as she is an artist. Very linear but loose, free lines). After that, we walked to this adorable market street, Rue Cler, where we bought cheese and bread for dinner. We then went back to Anna's and made an amazing meal of fresh salad, grilled zucchini and peppers, eggs with camambert, and bread and cheese. We had peaches with creme fraiche for dessert. It was quite wonderful after such a relaxing day. We then stayed in and watched Pulp Fiction, which neither of us had ever seen. It blew my mind, to say the least.

Part of a sculpture (not by Rodin, by some contemporary guy) at the Musee Rodin.

Rodin's The Thinker.                                

The artist's signature.                                 

A sketch I did of one of Rodin's sculptures, Torse de jeune femme cambrée (Torso of Young Woman with Arched Back).

I am now up on a lazy Sunday and am going to shower and head off to the Marais, where I plan to grab some falafel and go to the Pompidou Center. I also am going to see some people from Yaledancers for dinner tonight. It's been a great weekend, and I'm looking forward to the week!

bastille day!

So I'm in the process of making a video, but my computer's acting up, so I'm just going to give you an update of what I did for Bastille Day!

Tuesday night, I went out to a really nice dinner with Anna and Vanessa. We went to this Asian/French fusion place that was in one of my guide books. It was amazing! For my main dish, I got this chicken with avocado that was to die for. Also, the white wine we ordered was really delicious. After that, we went  to a concert at the Bastille for a bit, and then we walked to the Seine and sat on the quais with a bottle of wine. So many people were there, just hanging out with friends and talking and dancing and enjoying the night. There was even a section where couples were doing the tango. I really would have loved to dance, if it had been anything but the tango (which I don't know how to do). 

Wednesday night was even better! I met Paulo at the metro and we went to the Eiffel Tower, where we met other people soon after. There were literally millions of poeple there--it was absolutely insane. Every single inch of the Champs de Mars was covered. The fireworks started almost as soon as we found our friends. They were incredible, the contrast between the colors and the black of the Eiffel Tower was so unexpectedly beautiful. The fireworks went along with different songs (some French, some in English) that played out of speakers that had been set up along the champs. Every explosion matched a note, or a crescendo. It was so much better than the Boston Pops fireworks, which I totally did not think was possible. 

After the fireworks, we had to walk forever to a metro station, since the ones nearby were closed. It was crazy, because thousands of people were all attempting to return to Paris at the same time. We made it to St. Germain though, where me, Gus, and Vanessa went to a bal de pompiers (firemen's ball). There a Bastille Day tradition. It was soooo fun! You walk in to their courtyard, and there's French flag streamers everywhere, a few bar areas, a fireman DJ, and his hot firemen friends dancing with all the young people of Paris! We found some Harvard people that Vanessa sort of knew and just went crazy. We were only there for about an hour, but it was one of the most fun hours I've had in Paris. And there were very few tourists there, it appeared. I caught the metro at around 2 am and crashed at home. 

Today (Thursday) I slept in, went to an internet cafe where I stayed for four hours working on my paper, returned home and worked on my paper more, ate dinner, corrected my paper, and am currently watching French TV as I write this. Boring, I know, but it was really nice to have a lazy day after some more exciting nights. Plus, my paper is better since I spent more time on it. Tomorrow, I have a field trip and more festivities that include (possibly) a dance performance. 

Bon weekend!

the last few days...des bels jours

These past few days have been incredibly busy! I've seen so much, a lot of which is in the video below. Unfortunately, work is starting to pick up, and I have a paper due at the end of the week. C'est dommage! Oh well, though, because tomorrow is the day before Bastille Day, which means tons of festivals and whatnot. I'm meeting friends at the Champs-Elysees at 10:30, which is extremely early for me. Thus, bonne nuit et a demain!

My last 36 hours...

Stayed out til 4:30 am Friday night and ended up sleeping from 4:#0 to 7:30 at Gus's host family's house

Returned home via metro at 8 am, slept til 1 pm

Got up, showered, took the metro to the Marais where I watched A Bout de Souffle with Anna at this arthouse cinema (what a great film!)

Ran into a cafe/bar as it started to rain and had a surprisingly amazing salad for lunch

Walked around the Marais, and crossed to St. Germain

Ate dinner in the Latin Quarter with friends (had steak, much rawer than I normally order it but really flavorful)

Got ice cream at Amorino near the Pantheon

Sat and talked with a group of French girls for an hour at the Pantheon

Went home

Crashed.

Eglise St. Paul - St. Louis in the Marais

Me at the Pantheon in the daytime

More Pantheon tile

Place des Vosges et d'autres choses

I've decided to just skip ahead and ignore the last few days because I really want to stay in the moment. Oh, well.

(Deep breath, starting fresh.)

First, the professor took us on a walk through Paris. We saw where Baudelaire lived, the palais royal, the passages of Paris, and some other awesome stuff. This is a photo of the park in the palais royal. So picturesque.

Today I also finally got to really walk in the Marais, a neighborhood that I've heard amazing things about and that is many people's favorite place in Paris. It has the old, winding streets of le vieux Paris, more intimate than the huge boulevards put in by Haussman. I was not disappointed. The streets are winding and cobblestoned, with tons of vintage stores, boutiques, boulangeries, cafes, bars...and all are designed in either a supremely adorable, nostalgic way or are teeming with posh, graphic images. Somehow, this array of stores and such works together to create a neighborhood that is the Paris that I've always imagined. There are certain streets that are just for pedestrians, so they give the quartier an ambiance of being a village within the city. We walked and walked, and finally ended up at Place des Vosges, a sort of park with fountains that issurrounded on four sides by adorable cafes and galleries, which in turn line the first floor of perfectly Parisian buildings. I loved it, to say the least. Once at the Place, I did a charcoal drawing of one of the fountains. Later, we got gelato and planned our day for tomorrow. Perfection.

And tonight, we are meeting at some bars and going clubbing until the metro starts running again at 5 am. Mind you, this is Paris, so everything starts later, so this is actually not as crazy a feat as it may sound. A demain!