French photo shoots & bonheur with friends

IU/Europe adventures continued last week when friends from IU and WashU (St Louis) came to Paris and Rouen for a weekend filled with fun francais!



Early last Thursday morning, I headed into Paris to meet with Dustin, a friend of Nic’s who I’ve hung out with on multiple occasions, and his friend Alex. Despite my late arrival – I guess I’m becoming French – we were still able to make a leisurely stroll through the Latin Quarter before our FREE Sandeman’s tour of Paris started. We even went by the café that Renee and I got castigated at for our lack of French! But the Sandeman’s tour was great. I’m really glad they suggested we do it, because I learned quite a few interesting facts about Paris. For instance:

1) If you were to spend 30 seconds on each piece of art displayed at the Louvre, and you go from open to close, it would take you 32 days to complete. Keep in mind, only 10% of its art is on display.
2) The French have considered moving the ENTIRE Louvre in order to make it align with the Axis of Paris (La Defense – Arc de Triomph – Place de la Concorde - Arc du Carosel)
3) The face sculptures on Pont Neuf were the original “facebook” – the king at the time had court artists draw his friends’ faces when they were drunk and then posted them on the bridge!



After the tour finished, we walked along the Seine to the Trocadero area for the prerequisite Eiffel Tour photo shoot. Can you believe Dustin and Alex almost didn’t get a photo in front of the Eiffel Tour!?! Classic example of how boys travel: A group of girls normally do a 45 minute photo shoot. After that, we headed up to Montmartre where we had pain au chocolats, witnessed a somewhat awkward photo shoot, and took in the city skyline. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking from Sacre Coeur to the St. Georges area – not an easy feat!

Soon thereafter, we were all set on having a Parisian picnic, so we went into a grocery store for some cheese, wine, baguettes, fruit, etc. Luckily, we were right in the Latin Quarter so we set up shop at the Jardins du Luxenbourg. Great setting, except for two setbacks: 1) We could not get our “easy off” lid to the wine bottle off, no matter how hard we tried. Even hammering it with my house key made no progress. Then…2) I didn’t realize how late it was, and we were kicked out of the park at 8:30 because it was closing. So half an hour and two convenience shops later, we relocated to the banks of the Seine where we enjoyed a few awkward moments (1 French girl flashing a tour boat, 1 guy asking us for a wine bottle opener when I didn’t know that word in French).



After that, we were beat so we made it back to our Young & Happy Hostel where we met our roommates. One, a kid studying in Kent, was fine. The other, an art “student” from the Netherlands was a bit off. What worse, the hostel messed up our reservation so one of us had to stay in a different room. But the day ended well when Scott and Nic finally arrived! Despite Scott’s flight being delayed 3 hours, they arrived in Paris without any major problems.

The next morning, we rose bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (not quite) for a trip to Versailles! It is simply an amazingly grandeur place. I had been there with Renee in 2008, but it was nice to see the grounds and gardens in nice weather. A large part of our day was spent walking around the grounds (naturally, I enjoyed the farm and beautiful flowers the most) and soaking up the sun. Not even our somewhat-rude waiter at the restaurant along the Canal could spoil our mood.



Once we got back into Paris, we headed straight for “ground zero” aka Notre Dame. One of the highlights of the day was the flying buttress photo shoot which ensued. Next stop was the Louvre, where in addition to seeing the 3 ladies (Mona Lisa, Victoire a Samothrace, and Venus de Milo), we enjoyed taking in a lot of French and Italian art and the Code of Hammurabi, one of the first written codes of law. Essentially, the concept of “an eye for an eye” literally came from this piece. But I had no idea it was so big! I remember studying it in AP Art History, but I always pictured it as about 2 feet tall. Nope!



The day ended with dinner in the Latin Quarter, and we were all quite content with our mini feast and wine selection. I particularly enjoyed the little comments the waiter made. One of them: “A Paris, la femme jamais paye!” when he delivered the bill. Translation? “In Paris, the woman never pays!” Have to say, I agree.

The Eiffel tower at night, complete with a "Sparkle show!" perfectly concluded the day.

Next day, Alex and Dustin had to head out – they were taking a ferry back to England! But Nic, Scott, and I checked out Montmartre and then headed towards the Arc de Triomph. And naturally, our walk along the Champs d’Elysees would not be complete without dining at the mother of French cuisine: Quick, essentially a French McDonald’s.





After an extensive photo shoot at the Eiffel Tour, we headed towards Gare Saint Lazare. Somehow, we lucked out with a HUGE LINE to buy tickets. So 5 minutes before our train to Rouen was to take off, I started asking people in my very broken French to let me cut them in line. Luckily, everyone was nice so we got our tickets and hoped on the train about 1 minute before it took off. Relief!

Showing Nic and Scott Rouen was great. They seemed to enjoy the overall city atmosphere and architecture, as well as our 3 AWESOME Gothic cathedrals. We also enjoyed amazing macarons at the Vieux Marche. The best part of the day, however, was getting baguettes, cheese – Camembert, of course, and cidre for our picnic in the park in front of the Musee des Beaux Arts. A superb, relaxing picnic with my best friends on a gorgeous day in Rouen = Hard to beat!



The day began to conclude with a walk up to my neighborhood and house, meeting my host parents on the way who were headed off for some aperatifs. Chilling out, watching TV, listening to music, and going out for a beer at the end of the night made the evening fun and relaxing after so much sightseeing.

Sunday morning started with the essential Gros Horloge tour/city panorama. Somehow, that spiral staircase in the tower seemed much more difficult to master after so much walking the previous two days. But the museum is a Rouen must-do. After that, we got lunch at the Vieux Marche before I had to see them off. Hated saying goodbye: I’ve been lucky to share so much time in Europe with some of my best friends, and now I won’t see them til the end of the summer! But with Scott in Spain until July, Nic interning in Bangladesh, and me working with TFA in Mississippi, I’m sure we’ll all have great stories to tell at the next reunion…

And some things, they're just different

On my walk home from school today, I realized that France is the first country I’ve lived in (I consider the others to be Ghana and Mexico) besides the US that is what most would define as “Westernized.” That being said, I have found there to be quite a few day-to-day, cultural differences and experiences I’ve had that differ in the land of the Coq. Many are hard to define, especially in few words, but I thought I would share a few tidbits with you.



First, France is a smoking culture. How I lucked out to live with a host family that doesn’t smoke at all is a miracle. Quite honestly, especially among the kids at Rouen Business School, almost everyone smokes here, especially when they go out. Thank goodness smoking is now banned inside restaurants and bars, although some pubs seem to look the other way when their patrons light up a cigarette.

Here’s a classic example I had my People Management Class:

French student: “What are some stereotypes in the US of the French?”
Me: “Everyone smokes.”
French student: “Haha, that’s kind of true. But I don’t smoke. Do you?”
Me: “No, never.”
(Time passes, we get our 15 minute break a while later. Then, I realize that French student is among the large group of French students who go outside because they can’t seem to last the full 3 hours of class without a cigarette. French student enjoys a cigarette. Upon their return…)
Me: “I thought you said you don’t smoke!”
French student: “I mean, I don’t smoke A LOT…”



So yes, despite the fact that all cigarette boxes are labeled very clearly, FUMER TUE (SMOKING KILLS), I still find myself walking through clouds of smoke both on and off campus.

Secondly, things are older here. My parents and my friends who have visited can attest to the fact that my house here is quite pretty. At over 100 years old, it is “classically French.” However, that also means that it can’t handle some modern day systems. So that means, I PERSONALLY have caused the electricity in the house to go out three times. Whoops. Now I know never to do a load of laundry if the dishwasher is on, someone is on the computer, and the TV/lights are on. And having the washer AND dryer running means you are just waiting for a catastrophe.



Another thing that has really struck me is how the United States is viewed from abroad. Coming to France, I pictured France as on par with the US in terms of influence, economic power, etc. Granted, I knew that the US had possibly a larger impact overall, but perhaps that is because we had a larger population? I suppose I didn’t give it much thought. But now, my view of the US has changed.

Here’s an example: In my International Economics class this semester, 1/3 of students were French, and 2/3 were International. Naturally, since the school is in France, you can imagine my surprise when charts and graphs for worldwide financial PPP, GDP, etc were all posted in USD (US dollars), as opposed to Euros!

Whether foreigners are fans of the American way or not, they view it as a superpower. For me, I almost never hear that term; but here, it is not uncommon to hear a comment in class starting like, “Well, America is a superpower, so we must…” And another time, a French student was describing how intensely the French followed the 2008 Presidential elections. At his comment, the Americans in the room seemed surprised that others cared so deeply, but we were rebutted with a comment like this, “You must remember, even though you are electing the President of the USA, it is almost like you are electing a President of the World.” Puts a lot of pressure on us, doesn’t it? That being said, if you’re an American citizen reading this, you better be voting in the next election!!!



On a completely unrelated topic, when my Mom and Dad visited a few weeks ago, they very kindly brought me supplies to make not just one, but 3 kinds of cookies! So 2 weeks ago I baked Snickerdoodle, and last week was Chocolate Chip. On Tuesday, I brought in two boxes of Chocolate chip cookies to share with my peers in People Management. Americans jumped at them – several – (as they should!) and other international students thanked me as they took a cookie as well. But not one French student took a cookie, even after my pleading! I think this is due to 1) they avoid sugary foods and 2) they do not tend to snack. In fact, one student seemed very bewildered when I offered him one, saying “But I already ate breakfast!”

My host family has also commented on my snacking from time to time. But I’m not the only one who has had these experiences. A Scot once told me she was at school here, drinking a can of Lipton iced tea, and a French girl came up to her and said, “Do you know how many calories are in that?” But I guess that explains why the average French woman weighs 137.6 pounds and the average American weighs 164.3 pounds.

Lastly, for those of you who have heard about a little volcano named Eyjafjallajokull, he has been causing quite the stir in Europe. Last Tuesday, with air traffic shut down across Western Europe, the French railway system still in a stake of semi-striking, and a bus strike in Rouen, I told a friend I was glad I could (potentially) resort to horseback. Never before have I been anywhere with such a transportation blockage, not that anything could stop a volcano from erupting...

These are a few of my favorite things

I realize that this somewhat-random list about my favorite things mostly includes food anecdotes. But as a college student in France, I find that only natural. I hope you will all forgive me.

1)Country crisp cereal. With all honesty, I am completely confident that if some company brought this stuff to the States, it would make $$$ millions! Essentially, it’s very similar to granola, with some nuts and cereal mixed in, but then the French did as they do best and added dark chocolate chips. In the US, chocolate is added to cereal to make it childish and tacky. Here it is HEAVEN! I even brought a bag of it to Italy to share with Nic back in March! And I forced it upon Mom and Dad during their visit too. I worry what I’ll do without it when I return.



2)Having successfully navigated a difficult conversation. By this I mean that some basic situations, ie. in stores, at restaurants, meeting someone for the first time, are becoming easier in French. What’s not easy: Going to someplace like the cobbler and explaining you want a new zipper for your boot. And using all the vocabulary that you looked up just minutes before online in order to have that conversation. But I was just fine at the cobbler (cordonnier) and managed to negate her talking me into other repairs…



3)PB&Js, French style. French baguettes are amazing. My parents can attest to the fact that I probably eat one single-handedly every couple of days. I can easily polish off one in under an hour, without much encouragement either. And there are so many kinds! My favorite, currently, is L’ancienne. The French tend to make special types of bread too: Baguettes with chocolate chips, bread with small pieces of ham inside, etc. In that same way, as an American girl in France, I find it only natural to make my PB&Js on baguettes, instead of sliced bread (tranches). Good thing too, I’m pretty sure the French turn up their noses to sliced bread considering I’ve never seen it in my house here, and it’s labeled as “American-style” in all the grocery stores.

4)Bisous (Kisses). The French kiss (on the cheeks) when they greet people, and when they leave each other. I still haven’t gotten into the pattern of it, and most people, when they know you’re a foreigner, won’t do it because they know it’s not your custom. One time, someone laughed at me at a bar when I – going back to old habits – attempted to shake his hand. He laughed and just said, “how formal!” But yes, I find “bisous” absolutely charming! I also love to use it as the French do on postcards, letters, e-mails, etc – as some of you may have seen :-)



5)Kebabs. Specifically, Chez Wam. Of course, you find McDonald’s and Quick (France’s McDonald’s) around, but a kebaberie is the place to go to when you want a cheap, delicious, fast meal. Typically owned and operated by Frenchmen of Middle Eastern descent, they can whip up a delicious kebab made to order within moments. I favor falafel kebabs from Chez Wam, a kebaborie here in Rouen about a 15 minute walk from my house. For just 4.5 euros, you will be full for the day off of the kebab + frites (fries) + drink deal!

It's not all croissants, flowers, and wine

To be honest, my schoolwork here doesn’t keep me very busy. Nothing like IU where I’m typically juggling approx 20 credit hours, heavy extracurricular involvement, and overall just enjoying all that comes with being an IU student. Sure, some aspects of my courses at the Rouen Business School (formerly Ecole Superiore de Commerce a Rouen) are difficult. Working on team projects with very diverse international team members, who all have different work ethics, schedules, and personalities, is one of them. I never thought I’d write a 7+ page paper in French about the effect on France’s religious scene by the changing values of generations either.



However, I still find myself very busy! Of course, travel – and the energy/time put into planning it – has been a burden I am lucky to carry. Yet even more so than RBS homework or travel, I have found myself very busy with stateside-work. So to give you a true picture of my experience here, here’s a rundown of the less glamorous, less French things I’ve been keeping busy with:

1)The consulting workshop class. As a member of Kelley’s Consulting Workshop class, my first two weeks here were spent finishing a 13 page paper about the 9 consulting firms we visited at the beginning of January. Not necessarily difficult, but it was also not something I wanted to be working on in Rouen either!



2)The internship search. As much as I would like to set up fort at a vineyard in the Loire as an “intern” for the summer, that’s not quite realistic. Since January, I’ve spent more hours working on applications, participating in phone inter views, filling out paperwork, and responding to e-mails than I’d like to admit. Now that it’s almost done, I’m happy to announce I’ve accepted an internship with the nonprofit firm Teach For America in Mississippi this summer. However, I still am waiting to hear back from TFA about continuing my work with them in the fall. After an application and two 1+ hour phone interviews for that internship, I should be hearing from them within a week or two.

3)Skyping. Luckily, I’ve been able to use my Skype account to make phone calls and participate in interviews and webinars. I don’t know what I’d do without it! Of course, the sometimes-faulty connection causes some communication problems: During one role play in an interview with TFA I thought my interviewer mentioned a coffee machine instead of a copy machine. That was interesting. And interviewing for a spot on a student board at IU became frustrating when I could barely hear 50% of the interviewer’s questions. But it’s a nice – and relatively cheap - way to get in touch with everyone back home! And when I return to the states, Skype will continue to serve as a means of communication.



4)Completing bureaucratic work. I wish I could say I take a 2-hour-long stroll around French gardens every day, but that’s simply not the case. Paperwork, e-mailing, phone conferences etc account for a good part of my time (and usually in the 8pm -2 am block, because that is the US’s afternoon/evening). On that note, one of my biggest fears is having to complete anything that would involve a scanner. I simply cannot access one easily. Last week, I had to print, fill out, and scan 10 forms for TFA. After a couple of stressful days and frantic searches, I finally asked an administrator at RBS and she let me use her personal one.

5)Staying in touch with IU. I’m trying to stay involved in things going on at IU, especially those activities I’m passionate about. I’m excited to announce that I will be participating in the 2 Dollar Challenge, an event put on by the Trockman Microfinance Initiative (more to come on that later) next week. And happily, my involvement with IUSA Funding Board will most likely continue as I – baring any problems – will mostly likely serve as Director next year.

And while things have quieted down in just the past week for the first time this semester (my courses were cut down from 5 to 2!), now I’m beginning to realize all the things I haven’t done yet, and still hope to do!



But the advice I’m trying to give myself is to relax and enjoy ma vie francaise. So far, that’s going well. Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Rouen so I walked to the Seine and back, stopping on the banks to listen to a friend jam with a couple of Frenchman on the banjo and West African drums.



My "non-work" day continued by baking chocolate chip cookies for my family and friends here. Good thing I had all evening: Cycling through the small pie tin-sized trays that my host family has took me over an hour to get one batch of cookies baked in the oven!

Is that the Kilt of your Clan?

(quick note, this blog will be edited/added to in a few days when I return from a weekend trip, but I thought I'd get it posted!)

At noon the day my parents headed back to the states, I headed off to the land of shamrocks and Guiness: Ireland! My flight arrived in the Dublin airport 20 minutes ahead of time, and as I waited for my friend Scott, I realized something kind of exciting – for once I would be in a country where the native language was English!

Scott (a best friend of mine from IU and the friend I visited in Madrid) and I met up pretty easily, and soon thereafter we were off on a bus (double decker!) to the downtown Dublin area. We were supposed to wait at the bus station for Nic (best friend, studying in Bologna), but since we had some extra time on our hands, we naturally headed out for a beer. Not wanting to have our first Guiness without Nic, I was unsure what to order. So when the barman asked what I’d have I said, “Something Irish!” So, Smithwick’s it was!



Nic met up with us just in time to catch the next bus to Galway, a city directly across the country on the west coast. That being said, it was only a 2.5 hour drive! Even though I slept through a lot of it, which didn’t surprise Scott or Nic in the least, I still enjoyed the countryside. We got into Galway at about 9 or 10pm, but that was no problem. After checking into our hostel, we quickly headed out to a local pub that had a great live band going. And without a doubt, our first pint was a Guiness!

The next day was, in a word, phenomenal. Nic and Scott headed out on a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher, but I was set to cross something off my bucket list – ride in Ireland! The day didn’t start well, it was doomed to rain which would surely cancel, or make miserable, any ride. But as I hopped on a city bus headed to Lisdoonvarna (the town closest to Mountain View Riding Stables), rain started to subside so I got much more hopeful. The bus ride itself was fantastic, a beautiful ride taking us through the gorgeous, green countryside; the Burren, alongside castles, estates, etc. Finally, I got off in Lisdoonvarna (upon checking Wikipedia, the area has a population of ___). Not long after, the owner of Mountain View, Peter, picked me up in his truck and we headed off on the 5 min drive to the stable.



I was quickly introduced to Murry, my horse, a white Irish hunter and Clare, my guide for my 2.5 hour ride. After hopping into the saddle, a quick adjustment of the stirrups, we were off!

Clare probably thought I was crazy because I COULD NOT stop taking pictures. I didn’t do it on purpose: I would take a few of a gorgeous view, then put my camera way. But, then we would turn a corner to another, completely different gorgeous view and I had to take my camera out again! Passing cows (including little calfs!), farms, charming mountain and forest areas, then the shore (!!), in the Irish countryside was the most beautiful setting I’ve ever had for a ride. Truly, though, it was a dream equestrian experience. Words cannot describe! My favorite moment was cantering along a path near the shore, with the Aran islands off the coast and the Cliffs of Moher in the distance. I had to remind myself, “remember this moment!” I think I’m going to start keeping an eye out for cheap flights to Ireland from here on out…



Once we got back to the farm, a friend of Peter’s took me back into town. Then, I had to deal with a small challenge: Getting back to Galway. Even though it was only 30 miles away, the last bus from Lisdoonvarna to Galway was at 2pm. I knew that going into my ride, but I was so set on riding for a good amount of time that I didn’t care. So my only other option was hiring a cab for the ride, for the low cost of just 80 euro. That was meant to be sarcastic!

I found a cab driver’s (hackney’s) number on the bulletin board of the Lisdoonvarna post office. Why was I in their post office? Because that’s where a few teenagers pointed me when I asked for the tourist office. But I suppose it did have some contact information/flyers posted on the walls. So while I waited for my cab to arrive, I had a cup of tea at a local B&B, then headed to a convenience shop. Knowing I needed to withdraw money, I asked the woman at the cash register where the nearest ATM was. She gave me a bit of a blank stare, and then responded with the name of some city at least 20 km away! Guess I’d have to wait until I got back in Galway.

But actually, my cab ride was great! My driver was Murphy, and he had been a hackney for the past few years after he gave up driving semi-trucks throughout Europe (all the way to the Mediterranean, Turkey, and Russia even). We had a really interesting 1.5 hour discussion about Northern Ireland politics, the Irish economy, tourism, the cab industry, etc. The most interesting part for me was his point of view on the Troubles. I had done a small presentation on that part of Northern Ireland history for a class once, but after talking to him, I learned I was completely wrong. Apparently, they had absolutely nothing to do with religion (aka the Protestant Northern Irish and Irish Catholics).



In short, British government made the whole affair seem like a religious issue because they knew it would keep the US out of it. If they portrayed it properly as a civil uprising, then there would be more international pressure. Murphy made it clear that if I asked ANY Irishman in the country, he or she would back up his sentiments that it was NOT an uprising based on religion (his example: Quite a few leaders in the Republican/National party were Protestants, and plenty of Loyalists were Catholics). Interesting.

I also just enjoyed my discussion with him about this family and life. They’re going on a long camping trip thoughout Europe in the fall. I’m quite jealous! Also, his son is famous! While NO children were harmed in the making of this video, his son is a YouTube sensation. Check out “Irish Spider Boy”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1zsqaSDZFc
(However, he did tell me that both boys were grounded after they found the video: The younger one for climbing the door, the older one for making a video and posting it online without permission!)

After I got back into Galway, I met up with Scott and Nic at our hostel, and we were back to the bus stop for the return trip to Dublin. And, naturally, after a nice nap on the bus (as usual), we grabbed a pint after checking into the hostel. Somehow, even though I’m not normally a beer person, handling a pint or two in Ireland was no problem at all. And the setting was perfect: THE Temple Bar was just about a .3 minute walk from our hostel, and that night they had a great live band! One girl in the crowd started to do some traditional Irish dancing, and I was so jealous of her: She was so good! The perfect conclusion to the night hearing one of my favorite songs, and a classic from PS I Love You, “Galway Girl,” that evening.



The next day, we started exploring Dublin pretty early. Trinity College was my favorite. Its library is absolutely amazing – reminded me of that classic library scene in Beauty and the Beast! And the best part was when a really nice student pretended that we were friends of her so that we could get in without paying 8 euro! The library is also home to the Book of Kells, an intricate Medieval gospel manuscript that Nic affectionately called the Book of Spells.

We wandered around Dublin the rest of the day, checking out the castle (which had very, VERY random architecture), anything that looked old, and finishing up at the Guiness Storehouse. Once we got back, we met up with a fellow Rouennaise and IUer, Marina Best, who finished Dublin with us and would travel with us to Scotland. Naturally, the four of us went out for Ireland-cumulating beers (and an Irish coffee). We even ran into some acquaintances from IU at one pub!

The next morning we had an early 7am RyanAir flight out to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. All things went as planned, and we got into our hostel bright and early Thursday morning. And our hostel, High Street Hostel, had such a cool atmosphere and set-up, I would definitely recommend to anyone! After chilling for about an hour in the lounge, we walked down the street where I very promptly bought an Anderson clan tartan scarf before we started a 3 hour tour of Edinburgh on foot.



Our guide was Kate, and even though she was Canadian, I know she knew more about Edinburgh history and legends than most citizens of the city. From the kissing stone (which everyone spits on), to Greyfriar’s Bobby, and the tale of the Stone of Destiny, it was a great tour and I really enjoyed getting to know the city so well. I’ll have to take advantage of these free tours more often!

Even though we were simply wiped after our early flight and 3-hour tour, that didn’t stop us from taking a hike up Arthur’s Seat that evening. Not far from Holyroodhouse, the residence of the Queen when she’s in Scotland, Arthur’s Seat is a mountain/cliff overlooking Edinburgh. So yes, we got even more exercise that day! The day cumulated with a visit to a discount grocery and us making dinner, snacks (my famous bean dip), and lunch for the next day – all under 20 euro for the four of us!



The next morning, we got up bright and early for an all-day tour of the Scottish Highlands – aka absolutely beautiful countryside! Hard to compare it to Ireland, but gorgeous all the same. The highlights? 1) Taking fun “Nessie monster” photos on Loch Ness, 2) jumping pictures w/ Marina in front of gorgeous mountains, 3) coming across a really BAD English bagpiper, 4) questioning Andy (our guide) on the bus, 5) befriending the captain of our Loch Ness boat ride, 6) dealing with the jokes about my odd sleeping-on-the bus sleep patterns.



Our time in Edinburgh ended with one last night out, and an early rise the next day for Marina and I to catch a train to Glasgow, because RyanAir has no Edinburgh – Paris service. Glasgow, however, was a really cool city! Even though we mostly hung out on a bench in the central square (we were so tired!) I really enjoyed the atmosphere at architecture. The airport experience was another story: Marina had a bit of luggage on her and that didn’t go to well with the one carry-on RyanAir rule. But she handled it masterfully – and got by with it! – and we were on our way back to Paris. And despite train strikes we were still able to get back into Rouen at around 1:30am. Good thing I was able to sleep in late on Sunday!

It's an Indiana Invasion

Two weeks ago, on Tuesday afternoon, March 30th, my journey on the Rouen to Paris train couldn’t have gone faster. Friends and family were coming to Paris!

I started that Tuesday evening dropping off my bag at my “host grandma’s,” as I was going to stay with her for that first evening. I interviewed her for a project I’m working on for a class here. And guess what – she said my French had improved since we last spoke in February. Progress!

Soon, however, I headed up to the area of La Republique to meet up with two closes friends from home and fellow Kelleys, Margot Eckerle and Julie Bowman. Over kir royals (a very common French cocktail), we all caught each other up on our European adventures - which I often refer to as misadventures because something always seems to go astray - and thenI gave them a good overview of Paris: places to see, Metro stops that will get you there, etc.

The next morning, we were able to meet up at a very posh, Parisian café called…McDonald’s! It was good though, because in Europe (perhaps elsewhere?) we have McCafe, which is a patisserie and café within McDonald’s. True Frenchies would cring at me hailing it, but it fits the budget and is quite tasty! They were off to explore EuroDisney for the day but we got our requisite photo together in front of part of the Eiffel Tower before they all departed. Then, I headed back to McDonald’s to mooch of their free internet – I LOVE McDos in Paris! – but at this point I couldn’t contain my excitement. I was meeting my parents in less than two hours! Seriously though, trouble sleeping the night before.

So after a bit of work, I headed to Gare Du Nord, one of several Parisian train/metro/RER stations. I only had to wait ½ an hour for my parents’ arrival, but it seemed to take forever! Seeing them on the voie (platform) was quite exciting, and after a series of hugs and bisous we headed to our hotel. After propping up our feet and settling in, we headed for a very Parisian meal, a kebab shop! Not exactly fine cuisine but we were looking for someplace tasty, near, and quick. Then official tourist activities commenced!



We literally began at the center of France, because la Cathedral de Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite is the point from which everything in France is measured when listing the distance to Paris. A beautiful, giant, and old (started construction in 1160) gothic cathedral, it’s truly impressive. My favorite aspects are the giant rose windows and the flying buttresses. Dad really enjoyed the architecture too, plus the gargoyles!

Not far from Notre Dame, Saint Chappelle was our next stop. Built not long after Notre Dame, it held many of the Church’s relics. When Renee, my sister, and I visited two years ago, it was our favorite place in Paris. I like to describe it as standing inside of a giant jewelry box: There is more stained glass on its walls than stone! Mom and Dad enjoyed it too, so we spent some time just taking in the colors. And Dad was able to spot a famous scene in one of the windows under construction. He truly has an artist’s eye!

Next stop was Shakespeare & Co, the oldest English used book store in Paris. I had never been there, so I was excited to check it out! For those of you who know me, the library scene in Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites of all times, so anything that is similar intrigues me! Mom very kindly got me a copy of the biography of the Shakespeare & Co’s founder (a young American woman!) We then grabbed a quick, delicious meal in the area. But I think it was “quick” solely because we were the only ones there! Eating dinner at 5:30 pm is not French! What is? Seeing the owner’s cat running all around the dining room.



The day ended with a blitz of the Louvre. Getting tickets took a bit of time, but we were still able to see Da Vinci’s Madonna of the Rocks and the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s slaves, Venus de Milo, and La Victoire (Samothrace) with time to spare. After that, we were wiped!

Thursday morning, we headed to a local boulangerie for pastries and croissants and then grabbed from fresh fruit from a stand nearby. My parents knew we were headed for Montmartre/Sacre Coeur, but my mom was overjoyed when she realized I had specifically chosen this day and time so that she would get to hear Hugo, Montmartre resident harp player, who plays Thursday mornings. So we took in the city on the steps of Sacre Coeur, enjoying our French picnic/breakfast, seeing the city come to life, and listening to classics like “Imagine,” “La Vie en Rose,” and Canon in D on the harp. Mom was overjoyed, as was I!



After exploring the artist’s square and having a delicious lunch of crepes, we headed back down to the downtown area. I told them we were headed for the Arc de Triumph, but were they surprised when we turned the corner and the Eiffel Tower stretched out wonderfully in front of us! So after a photo session (mom and I had a fun "basking in the sun of the Eiffel" photo shoot) and break at the Tower, we finally did head to the Arc de Triumph.



Before heading down the Champs Elysees, we did check out the Arc and the crazy traffic roundabout wrapping around it. Mom and Dad weren’t too happy to hear that Renee and I had darted across it two years ago. Whoops! Who knew there was an underground walkway?

But we successfully headed down the entire Champs, to la Place de la Concorde, and finished our stroll at Le Jardin de Tuileries. After that, we were all in the mood for some time to relax back at the hotel. So after resting our feet for an hour or two (shamelessly, I was trying to keep up w/ e-mails and such, of course), it was off to my favorite museum in Paris, La Musee d’Orsay, home to Paris’ 19th and 20th century art. And luckily, just like at St Chapelle, I had managed to smooth talk my way in free by convincing the ticket agent I was an EU citizen and French resident. Merci mil fois a ma carte 12-25 et RBS ID!

I had visited D’Orsay once before, but this time it was especially meaningful. They have a fantastic Degas and Monet collection, but my highlight was seeing 5 (of >25) of Monet’s series of the Rouen Cathedral. My excitement in that exhibit room made me free like a real Rouennaise.



The day ended with the same view of the Eiffel Tower, this time at night. I had tried to time it so we would see the light show (essentially, it sparkles!), but the Metro wasn’t running in our favor. So instead we got dessert at a café across from the Tower and witnessed the show an hour later. So I guess the metro delay was just a blessing in disguise.

Friday was fun because we took a Seine River ride! I had never done one, but it was a great way to see the city – islands, bridges, monuments, and more. It was a bit cold and windy on the water, but I still made mom and dad sit outside for the best view. Hope they didn’t mind too much! Then, we grabbed a bite to eat at what I would describe as a French Panera Bread. But as we were eating, a great procession of people, following men carrying a cross, blocked the street in front of the café. Why? It was Good Friday; the sight had a sobering, calming effect on everyone.

Then, we had the brilliant idea to pack up and head to Rouen earlier than planned: Too bad the tickets I bought could only be used on our specific train. So we had the luck to sit in Quick (essentially a French McDonald’s) for a couple of hours awaiting our departure. No too bad of a situation, except having to lug quite a bit of luggage around: Paris is definitely not handicap accessible. The day wrapped up quite nicely as we arrived in Rouen, settled into Mom and Dad’s nice hotel located right next to the Cathedral, and met up with my friend Natalie and her parents for Chez Pepe! Chez Pepe is actually Italian fare, but it’s SO GOOD I just had to take them there. Dinner was quite pleasant: It was nice to hear about Natalie’s family French experiences too.

On Saturday, Mom, Dad, and I started the day with a stroll around Rouen. They found it just as charming as I do: The pedestrian streets and Norman architecture make it a charming city. We checked out the smallest alley in Rouen (I have about 1.5 feet above and to the sides of me when I walk through it), the Palais de Justice (with its WWII bombing still showing), and the Vieux Marche area. Delicious omelettes at La Café de Rouen filled us with energy for the day. And that energy was spent checking out my favorite antique stamp/postcard shop, picking out Hugo Boss sunglasses for Dad, and shopping at Printemps. Mom got a Longchamp, so they both returned to the US with style :-)

That afternoon, we took a bus up to my neighborhood of Mont Saint Aignan, where we checked out my local cathedral and all the gorgeous architecture of the homes in the area. I gave my parents a tour of my house here, and they got to meet my “mere francaise!” Then they both helped me with some paperwork I was working on. The job of a parent never ends.

After walking back downtown, we rested up for the highlight of the day – dinner at La Couronne. As the oldest auberge in France, receipts date back to 1345, it is an absolute stellar place to eat and overlooks the Vieux Marche. Patrons include the Queen of England, Salvador Dali, Audrey Hepburn, and many, many more. The menu, Normandie cheese tray (!), and DESSERT were all amazing. But sharing that time, over a lovely bottle of Riesling, with my parents was the most cherished part. An absolutely charming, wonderful eveningQ (Our waiter made it special too. He was a great guy who did a great job of English/French with us – My favorite moment was when he asked who he should give the check to. My response? “Pas moi…mes parents!)



The next morning, I met Mom and Dad early. But we were soon off for the Cathedral, where we celebrated Easter Mass. I really enjoyed it; in fact, I hope to attend mass here more often. Attending mass in one of France’s largest, most majestic cathedrals was breathtaking. And I understood more of the French than I had anticipated, perhaps because the speakers must speak so slowly and deliberately into the microphone?

After mass I finished up my tour of Rouen, showing them L’Eglise Jeanne d’Arc, and checking out the Gros Horloge. Despite its massive number of stairs, I love the 360 degree view of Rouen the museum provides at the top at the end of the tour. Of course, our time in Rouen wouldn't be complete without a stop at Chez Wam - my favorite kebaberie. But soon thereafter, we were back to the hotel so that we could return for our last night together – this time back in Paris.



Before heading to dinner, I made sure that Mom and Dad knew how to catch the RER to Charles De Gaulle- Roissy airport. Then, our last night in France was celebrated with Kir Royals (a Calvados for Dad) and dinner not far from our hotel back in the Gare du Nord area. That evening was a great, relaxing end to the last 5 days. I’m going to miss them!

The next morning, we packed up rather quickly. After goodbyes – I took the metro and them the RER – I was off to catch a bus to the Beauvais airport. I knew my upcoming spring break with friends would be fun, but I didn’t want my time with my family to end! Luckily, Renee comes in May so it won’t be June until I see more of the Anderson clan :-)