The Beginning of the End

Salut from the middle of my last week here in Paris! I am so amazed at how the past three weeks have flown by so quickly! I am looking forward to coming home and sharing all of my experiences with friends and family, but I am so sad to think that this experience is coming to a close. I have learned so much and seen an immeasurable amount of incredible things and I know I will never be able to have an opportunity like this again. For that alone I am grateful!

Last week was a particularly simple one filled with more adventures-some good, some not so good-but definitely ones that I will remember forever.
Monday was a tiring day, as all of us students had just returned to Paris from our travels during the long weekend. But Monday afternoon was a full one nonetheless. Our professors had a visit to the French Senat (and yes, it is spelled without an "e" in French) building planned for us, which was interesting yet very tiring. The tour of the building was given by a woman who spoke to us only in French so it really tested our adequacy to remain attentive and use what we've learned about the language to the best of our ability. The building, originally built as a palace, is beautiful and has many rooms filled with the historic French grandeur that we've become accustomed to seeing as we visit many places such as this. After the visit a few of us girls decided to take a typical French afternoon break with some coffee at a café near the Senat. That is definitely something great I will miss about France: the amazing cappuccinos :)

Where the French Senat holds its sessions

I am so amazed at all of the French architecture!
This is on the ceiling of a large foyer in the Senat.

Out for some cappuccinos after our Senat visit :)

On Tuesday afternoon we made a visit to the Musée d'Orsay. I was really excited to finally visit one of Paris's many museums and was extremely satisfied after viewing so many stunning pieces of impressionist and late classical paintings. One of my favorite painters, Edouard Manet, and many other favorites such as Monet, Renoir, Degas and even some Van Gogh were the main attractions in this stunning museum.
After our visit some of us spent a couple of hours going in and out of some of the shops near the museum before heading home for dinner and homework.

Wednesday's classes were canceled so we could travel as a group to the town of Chartres and visit the very large and very old cathedral there. The tour was given by the most precious old British man by the name of Malcolm Miller. He knew almost everything about the cathedral and its large collection of stained glass windows which made the overwhelming size of the cathedral much easier to appreciate.
We were allowed to spend the rest of the afternoon in the village center of Chartres where we had lunch and moseyed around until it was time to head back to Paris. The weather was one of the best days we've had since coming to France, so I didn't object to simply relaxing in the sun with some of the girls until we had to board our train back to Paris :)

The Cathedral at Chartres

This is only a small display of the many
beautiful stories on the stained glass windows.

Relaxing on the steps of the cathedral after our tour :)

Our adorable tour guide, Malcolm doing his thing!

I was particularly excited for my plans on Thursday afternoon after class only because I was finally going inside two of the most beautiful cathedrals in Paris: Notre Dame and Sainte-Chapelle. Both of these stunning churches are large attractions for tourists, and justly so. I wish pictures could do justice to any of what we were able to see, but I think the best way to appreciate them would be to visit them yourself :)

Inside Notre Dame of Paris!

So glad I shared this visit with my sweet friend, Holly!

This view as I walked into Sainte-Chapelle literally took my breath away!

The large rose window in Sainte-Chapelle

Friday included my partaking in the most Americanized meal I've had since coming to Paris from the tex-mex restaurant Chipotle. Let me tell you, nothing has ever tasted as wonderful as the spice of jalapeño and cilantro than it did in the burrito and guacamole I enjoyed from there :)
After indulging way too much at Chipotle, my friends Laura, Melissa and I decided to finally tackle part of the Louvre museum. We hit most of the main attractions such as the Mona Lisa and the sculpture of Venus de Milo, but I feel as though no amount of time in that incredible museum can do it justice. We spent three hours walking through all of the main wings but didn't even begin to make a dent in all of the many sculptures, paintings and ancient remnants that make up the museum. I hope to go back there someday when I can fully understand and appreciate all of the talent that is on display there, but I can only hope I manage to return there soon :)

Saturday was a very odd and long day of travel to the northern coast of France in Normandy. Our plan as a Baylor in Paris was to visit two beaches and portions of the coast where the invasions on D-Day during World War II occurred, but unfortunately we weren't able to see much because of our long journey on a bus. The view of the coast and the beach were absolutely beautiful, I am just very disappointed that we weren't able to stay at either place for very long. Again, I hope that someday I can go back and appreciate it more for all of its beauty and history.

Pi Phi's love Normandy!

Just playing a casual game of banana-grams on the cliffs of Normandy

Words cannot describe my love for these girls :)

Basking in the sun and the sand at the beach :)

On Sunday morning Erin, Holly, Laura and I decided to go to Hillsong Paris so we could experience a contemporary Protestant worship service here. Hillsong Paris leads its services in both French and English, but I will say that singing contemporary worship songs in French among many enthusiastic Christ followers that are close to my age was an experience like nothing I've ever had before. It really opened my eyes to the reminder that God is moving, alive and is working on every corner of the earth. I have so much love and hope for the people of Paris and France and I hope to be able to see the Lord move in incredible ways here in the near future.

I have only 2 full days left here in this beautiful and bustling city, and I am still unsure how to best take it in and make the most of it. I wish that I could have this opportunity for the next 5 years of my life, but here's to wishful thinking :)
It's hard to imagine that I will be writing from home in the United States next week, but I so look forward to my return and the chance to reclaim myself as a student and follower of Christ at home in Texas and at Baylor. I am very thankful that I can now approach the world with a little more insight and understanding outside of my small world that I am so accustomed to in the US.

Please continue to pray for all of us here as we embark on this last week, and for our travels back to the states!
Bonne journée until I return to the USA!
Emily

Bonjour from....London?!

Bonjour from the beginning of week three here in Paris!! It is amazing how quickly the time has flown by and I am so sad to say that this is the beginning of the last half of our time here :( Last week was full of so many adventures and experiences and I know that a blog can't possibly begin to hold all of the memories that I have made, but I hope I can get my thoughts together enough to share with you some of the things I enjoyed last week!

A trip to Paris for a music major isn't complete without completely enveloping oneself in the numerous amounts of fine arts and entertainment offered here. So since Erin and I knew we had many fine arts cultural experiences in store we deemed last week the "Fine Arts Week." Catchy, huh? :) Although our "Fine Arts Week" really began by seeing the opera that I wrote about in my last blog, the following Monday was full of plenty of theatrical experiences to make up for it. The entire Baylor in Paris group took a group tour of the famous Opera Garnier opera house. (To those who may not be as familiar with it, it is the opera house that the phantom of the opera is supposed to have derived from.) hehe :) Regardless of whether or not the phantom business is true (hint: the tour guide told us it's false), the building itself is absolutely stunning and has so many elaborate rooms full of rich history (literally this place costs what would be trillions of dollars now), and is an amazing visit for anyone who enjoys the arts.

The gorgeous foyer in the Opera Garnier

The Opera Garnier

After the opera visit, our Baylor in Paris group had tickets to see a play that the theater class was studying called "On ne bandine pas avec l'amour," translated as "You don't mess with love." It was an interesting play that was performed entirely in French, but honestly my French vocab isn't quite up to the standards reequired to understand everything that happened. It was an interesting way to appreciate French culture and I hope to someday be able to read the play and understand it better. :)

Relaxing with my sweet friend Laura in a park before seeing the play!

On Tuesday after class, our Baylor in Paris group had a scheduled tour of the chateau at Versailles. This large and luxurious palace has seen many kings and even the famous Marie Antionette as residents, and the gardens have a breathtaking view of green scenery and fresh air. Besides getting lost in the city of Versailles trying to find the train station to go back to Paris, our group really enjoyed seeing some of the vast luxuries the kings and their courts required when they lived in the palace. 

Having fun mimicking the statues in the gardens :)

Wednesday brought about a long overdue day of....SHOPPING!!! Don't worry, I didn't buy anything, but it was so much fun visiting one of the largest department stores in Paris called Printemps. It has over 7 stories of clothes, shoes, accessories, perfumes, and make-up galore. Let's just say I was in a little piece of heaven even though the only shopping I was able to do in the store was window shopping. We spent most of the afternoon there and I really enjoyed being able to browse through the beautiful pieces of jewelry, scarves and clothing all for outrageous prices, but justly so. (It IS Paris, the fashion Capitol of the world.)
We spent Wednesday night studying for our midterms on Thursday and packing for our long weekend getaway trips all across Europe.

Thursday meant tests and traveling for all of us Baylor in Paris students. Erin and I had made plans months in advance for this past weekend and it was one of my favorite memories of my time in Europe thus far. Erin and I made our way to London this weekend and were so blessed to be able to stay with my sister's amazing friends Sarah and David who live in London. While most of Thursday was filled with travel, we made up for the exhaustion with some great Greek food and some down time at David and Sarah's house.

Friday was a day of exploring London and enjoying many of its own luxuries such as tea, shopping and sightseeing. We enjoyed a brunch at The Tea Room in another large department store, that I believe is even larger than Printemps, called Harrods. Erin and I were blown away at the amount of things offered for sale at Harrods, and I made my first big purchase at one of the many jewelry counters :) After lunch we headed to Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the London Eye all near the Westminster bridge. I was so excited to finally see many of the monuments I had only ever seen in pictures, and I definitely felt like the many pictures I had seen had not done the view justice. Friday night included our front row tickets for the musical Les Miserables, (in which Erin cried enough for the both of us over the incredible talent that the performers displayed during the production.)  

Finally in London!

Big Ben!

We were meant to be British ;)

Westminster Abbey

All dolled up for Les Miserables!

Saturday was slightly marked with bad weather, but in the morning David and Sarah spiked our interest with a small visit to Buckingham Palace where we participated in celebrating the Queen's birthday with the parade that was put on by some of the military and guard for the Queen. We were even a bit starstruck by the entire Royal family, (and yes we did catch a sighting of the beautiful Kate Middleton.) After the celebration Erin and I went on a long search for Shakespeare's Globe and the Tower of London where the crown jewels are located. Both of those visits were cut a bit short because of time constraints, but well worth the visits nonetheless.

Celebrating with the Queen at Buckingham Palace!

She received her own air show. Go figure.

Beautiful view of the city from the Tower of London

Saturday night included one of my favorite memories of the visit to London, which is rather sad considering I had enjoyed the spectacle before. Erin and I scored amazing seats with a student discount of only 26£ per ticket for the musical Wicked in which I heard one of the most INCREDIBLE voices I have ever heard play the character of Elphaba. I will admit, I did cry through a few songs because of how great the voice of Elphaba was, but all in all it was the perfect way to end our time in London. 

So excited for Wicked!!

Sunday was another long travel day, in which Erin and I were both tested with patience when we thought we might miss our flight back to Paris. No worries (as the British say) though because here we are again in Paris, safe and sound and bright eyed for another week full of more sight seeing and attempting to absorb the beautiful French language :) 

I am reminded daily of how blessed and lucky I am to have this opportunity and experience here in Paris and sometimes I still can't believe it's real. I hope that I can come home to America with a little more insight into another culture that is very different from mine, but also with the grateful mindset that I live in a place that is protected and governed by those with my best interests in mind. I am so excited to make the most of what's left of my time here in France, and I am so glad that I am sharing it with some of the sweetest and most wonderful people who love their time here as much as I do. 


Until next week when I am even closer to my return home,
Emily

Week 2 in a Foreign State of Mind

Bonjour again from the city of lights!! It is day 12 of my visit, and it is hard to believe I have almost completed half of my time here in the beautiful city of Paris! I feel as though everything is going by so quickly, yet each day is long and filled with many adventures and wonderful memories. I have been so stunned at the amount of love and kindness shared among the Baylor in Paris group, specifically among the girls, and I know these are friendships I will be so excited to continue when we return to Baylor.
Now onto the past week's events :)

Last Monday was the first full day I was able to share with Erin and our friend Holly in the city. After class we decided to visit the beautiful church from the 19th century called the Sacré-Coeur in the district of Montmartre. It is a massive monument dedicated to the saints and apostles of Christ, but also boasts a large depiction of Christ surrounded by the saints and apostles on its ceiling. The large dome is viewable from all across the city, and the climb to the top allows for one of the most amazing views of the city. I particularly liked being able to sit in its large and quiet space and reflect while looking at and taking in how beautifully it is designed on the inside. Unfortunately they don't allow pictures on the inside, but Erin, Holly and I were able to take some great ones from the outside :)

On Tuesday Erin, Holly and I decided to take a break from the typical tourist spots and visit a quieter quartier of the city called Marais where the apartment of Victor Hugo is located. This was especially interesting and exciting for me and Erin as we are going to see the musical of Les Miserables in London this coming weekend! We also took a little break and ate some delicious ice cream and did a little shopping among the many boutiques in the quartier.


Wednesday and Thursday were filled with a large amount of French history as the entire Baylor in Paris group visited four of the large Chateaux in the Loire Valley. We drove by bus about two hours south of Paris to visit the Chateaux of Cheverny, Chambord, Blois, and Chenonceau. Each one was immersed in hundreds of years of history of the monarchy of France, and it was interesting to hear how each was used during the reign of the monarchs in the 16th to the 19th centuries. Honestly, it was almost too much information for me to completely absorb, but I appreciated the elaborate architecture and the grandeur that each enormous castle contained, and I think that itself is enough for me :)


After class on Friday, a group of the girls and I decided to visit the underground Catacombes. I was not too thrilled to be descending far beneath the streets of Paris to see a lot of old human bones of past Parisians, however I knew it would be an experience worth having. There are no words to explain the sight of over 6 million past Parisian's bones all stacked neatly in organized piles throughout the underground tunnels, but it was definitely a humbling and slightly creepy experience.


Friday night needed some livening up after our experience at the Catacombes, so the same group of girls and I decided to share a small picnic underneath the Eiffel Tower so we could watch it sparkle with it's light show at around 11pm. I am so thankful that I am able to share memories with such sweet girls, and I think that night will be one of my favorite memories of Paris.


On Saturday Erin, Holly and I met up with our friends Laura and Melissa and walked the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe. Although it was my second time to visit that area and monument, I am glad I decided to visit it again because it definitely led to many laughs and another beautiful daytime view of the city. That night the group of girls and I scheduled a bike tour of the city with the Fat Tire Bike Tour company. I absolutely loved relaxing and getting a little exercise while touring the city and seeding some of the most beautiful and historical monuments, all within four hours. I would recommend this company and this tour to anyone visiting Paris in the future, and Erin and I might schedule a tour with them while we are in London.


Sunday was a more relaxed day as Erin, Holly and I decided to head the the Opera Bastille to get an excellent discount on student priced tickets for the opera Barber of Seville. We arrived at the opera about an hour and a half before it began and received tickets on the eighth row from the stage in the middle of the auditorium. I'm not usually the bragging type, but these seats were absolutely incredible all for the low price of 30€, which is extremely low considering that our seats would have normally run for around 180€. I loved the opera and the experience, and I know Erin and I fully appreciated being able to see what we are studying at Baylor come to life before us.


This week has already been a full and tiring one with more classes at the school at Parsons to help us learn the French language to the best of our ability, and visits around the city and to Versailles. This week is a short week in terms of classes and Erin and I will head to London on Thursday for a long weekend of more sight-seeing and taking in a bit of British culture.

Until I write again here are some of my favorite pictures of this week's events :)
Tout mon amour,
Emily

Je suis une Parisienne!!

Bonjour and welcome to Paris!!! I have officially arrived and spent the past 3 days here in the wonderful city of lights! Paris is all that I could have imagined and more, and each day I have woken up and cannot believe that this is real life. The streets are busy day and night with hundreds of thousands of Parisians and tourists alike; and I have fallen in love with every bit of it! The people, the fashion, the food, the entertainment, the culture itself; all of which are truly fascinating to absorb as I find my way through this marvelous city. Pictures and words cannot do the experience justice, but I hope to give all of you a good taste of what life is really like in Paris over the next few weeks. I also hope every one of you can come experience this incredible city of history someday as well!

The plane flight was quite uneventful, as you can imagine a 10 hour flight would be. (Although I have to admit, the airplane food and the free movies are not half bad! Way to go, AirFrance!) By the time my Baylor in Paris group had arrived we were all so excited to finally be here that jet lag was not even an option! Customs was a bit scary, but no worries, they let me into the country without any questions :)

We are finally in PARIS!!!
These are my new friends: Holly, Alexandria and Tiffany!

After taking a 45 minute taxi ride into the city, I finally found my adorable apartment that I am sharing with Erin for the month. Ma famille d'acceuil (my host family) is a wonderful woman named Madame Odile Linyer and her husband Jean-Pierre. They live in a very nice neighborhood on the west side of the city and it only takes about 15-20 minutes by metro to reach the neighborhood where the school we are using for Baylor in Paris is located. The school itself is only a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and the neighborhood is full of cute little shops, cafés and bakeries! The school is an art and design school so it is almost like a mini museum of photography and sculptures all around.

Having my first cafe experience with Kerri!

On Saturday we had our first day of class and our first outing as a group into the Latin Quarter! I could have spent all day in la marchée de la puce (the flea market) and Le Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Garden) which is a large and beautiful park that was made to be used by students just like me! It is full of places to walk, play chess, sunbathe, and just relax while studying. (My favorite thing there was the view of the Musée du Luxembourg, which is a GORGEOUS building full of history.)

In front of a gorgeous fountain in the gardens.

Enjoying the sun in Le Jardin du Luxembourg!

After dinner on Saturday, I visited the Champs-Élysées with my fellow music major friend, Kerri, and her Paris roommate Erin. We climbed every single step to the top of the L'Arc de Triomphe and were able to see the most stunning night view of Paris. It literally took my breath away as I saw all of the vastness of the city and all of the large monuments that are placed throughout it. As I said earlier, pictures and words will never do the view justice.

In front of L'Arc de Triomphe

Only one small part of the amazing view from the top of  L'Arc de Triomphe!

This morning Kerri, her roommate Erin and I had planned to attend a service at the Notre Dame cathedral but we arrived too late so we decided to wait in line to climb to the top of the towers. And when I say climb, I literally mean climb. We took so many spiral staircases to reach the top that it's a wonder we all don't have extremely toned legs by now! The daytime view of the city from the top was so beautiful and I was simply in awe of the grandeur of the cathedral itself and its intricate design. After learning so much from my music history class this past semester about the music that originated from the cathedral, I got goosebumps as we walked by every stained glass window and gargoyle that decorates the large cathedral. I hope to go back next weekend to attend a Mass and to receive a full walking tour inside!

I think this picture speaks for itself.

Such a beautiful view of the city from one of the lookout points on the cathedral!

The beautiful city of Paris is just behind us!

Me and Erin in front of Notre Dame's three front entrances.

I only added this picture because I thought it was hilarious that this
gargoyle is eating off a tiny demon's head.
Please don't call me twisted :)

As the day is coming to a close and I sit in the quaint living room of our apartment I am humbled and thankful that I have the opportunity to see and experience everything here. This is something I had never imagined myself doing and I can't wait to share many other exciting and beautiful things with all of you! Tomorrow we begin our regularly scheduled classes and will take an overnight trip to the Loire valley later this week with the Baylor in Paris group! Until I write again next Sunday, bon voyage!