Seizieme Arrondissement Walk

This walk was really confusing to follow. Haley and I were constantly turned around and trying to figure out where we were supposed to be. There wasn't a whole lot to see, either. Walking around the Seiziem was kind of neat, though, because for a little while, we felt like we had left Paris all together. There were even times where we felt like we were in San Francisco. We made it to the Musee Marmatton but we were so exhausted by then. I decided that impressionist work doesn't do much for me, and that i prefer art that is much more stirring. It was nice and calm in there, though. We decided to end the walk there and not do the optional part because it would have included much more walking, and we were already tired. That part of the walk sounded sketchy anyways because the guide book warned us not to go there alone.

La Route des Manifs: Canal Saint-Martin, Republique, Bastille, Viaduc des Arts

This walk was very short. Ariel, Mike and I did it right after we finished the Palais Royal walk so I was pretty tired during this one. After the walk, I was left sort of feeling confused at the importance of what we were supposed to see. The canal was very slow moving. the Place de la Republique was interesting looking. the intersections there are terrible! I'm so glad i never have to drive through Paris. The old Bastille place was interesting to see. I had stayed near there when i was in Paris four years ago, so it was fun being back. I didn't remember that there were 500 dead people at the base of the genie of liberty. the Viaduc des Arts would have been much more interesting had i not been so tired.

Follow the Money: Palais Royal, Bourse, Covered Passages

Right when i got off the metro, I saw some street performer who was blowing huge bubbles which got my childish fancy going. After that we went into the huge antique mall place which felt more like a museum than a place to actually buy stuff at. Seeing the Palais Royal was pretty fun. The modern art in it is kind of jarring and out of place. I suppose i don't understand much of the history of that place. It seems interesting. All the covered passages were neet, too. It was kind of fun to be on a street which was inside. At the Bourse, we saw lots of model looking people. We found out that it was fassion week, though, so it made sense. Ariel, Mike and i wanted to go into the wax museum but it was just a little too expensive. This walk was fun and relaxing. The palais royal was a fun place to explore. I wish the guide book had spoken a little more about the modern art that was in it. It was just a nice short walk.

Grands Boulevards Walk

Today I went to do a walk with Ariel. We did the "grand boulevards walk." It was honestly not the most interesting walk I've done so far. that part of town does look a lot better than other parts with its uniformity. There's lots of shopping to do in that area too. It was really cool seeing the opera house where Phantom of the Opera takes place. We didn't go inside of it because one of the main rooms was closed but i want to go back later. I want to see the small lake in it, although i don't think that's open for the public to see. We also walked to "place Vendome" where princess Diana stayed before she was killed in the accident. Ariel and I discussed how she could have been saved and it was pretty sad. the tall column in the middle is pretty funny because it was built from cannons captured in napoleon's victory at Austerlitz. We then headed to the Joan of Arc statue and some random french guy had me take his picture by it. I don't know why they always ask me. they are never happy with the pictures i take. oh well. we ended up at the garden of Tuilleries next to the Louvre. I'm hardly lost in Paris because of the metro, but I guess I still have a hard time understanding where i am sometimes. This walk was funny too, 'cause Ariel and i would just start walking randomly only to realize that neither of us actually know where we're going. (2-27-10)

Small Buildings Need Not Apply: La Defanse

I really enjoyed this walk. Corry Cropper must have been in a funny mood when he wrote this walk because he said some really funny and random things. I was afraid i wouldn't like La Defense because I'm not much of one for really urban-looking sky scraper places. I was pleasantly surprised to notice that it was clean and not very crowded. All the traffic was under us, so it was nice not to worry about cars, too. My taste for modern art is growing since being here, so seeing all the nice pieces in Le Defense was pretty nice. It was just a nice and relaxing strole in a part of Paris i would have never bothered to see had it not been for this class. it was quite nice.

Parisian Necropolis: Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise

after class, Courtney and i went on the Parisian Necropolis: cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise walk. i was actually pretty excited because i hadn't hung out with just courtney in a while. I hadn't realized how long that walk was going to be. I was already really wanting to go home by then, too. At first it was really cool to be at that huge grave yard when it was all gray and snowy like that. I was mostly just interested in exploring on my own and i wasn't that interested in seeking out random people's graves. It was pretty cool to see Fontaine's grave. I think he was the most exciting one for me. I love fables. Oscar wilde's grave was pretty exciting too. it's weird how his fans go and kiss his grave. My laugh out loud moment was when we were told to look at this one guy's grave named Noir. Olivier wrote this about him: "a life size bronze statue of the murdered journalist was placed on the tonb. whether true-to-life or a sign of the sculptor's generosity, a certain prominent part of Noir's anatomy has become a fertility charm for women seeking to get pregnant." I'm glad Olivier decided to point that out to us. (2-16-10)

Of Art, War, and World's Fairs: Invalides, Musee Rodin, Tour Eiffel

I hung out with Rebecca and Shaina and we went on the "of Art, War, and World's Fairs: Invalides, Musee Rodin, Tour Eiffel" walk with them. it was actually really fun being just the three of us. we were all able to just relax and have fun. Basically it was a really nice walk so we just wanted to hang out outside. That aria of town isn't my favorite but it was fun to explore for a bit. I wasn't too excited about the war museums and i had already seen Rodin's museum. It was still interesting to see the Invalides and the final resting place of Napoleon. Over all, it wasn't the most interesting walk I've been on. I'm glad i got it out of the way, though. after the dinner we found a Chinese place to eat in. it was really nice to have some familiar food. I didn't eat that much but it filled me right up. there were a lot of American kids in there randomly. it was nice and familiar. (2-19-10)

Marcher le nez au vent: Sights and Smells around the Madeleine

Madeleine Church is really odd. it does seem like a very strange mix of styles. i don't think it was my favorite church to visit. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were flour stands outside the church during this time of year. At Laduree, we bought some macaroons to share between the three of us. my favorite was the raspberry flavor. it was really good, almost as good as the mango macaroon Rebecca got at Pierre Herme. I felt super out of place walking from there to the next place because it was a super well to do road full of brand name stores like chanel. Ariel and i discussed how we never see girls with off brand uggs like we have and that maybe brand names are a bigger deal here than in the states. I was surprised by how small chapelle de l'assomption is. It's very empty in there too. The Fragonard museum was ok. I went to the bigger one in southern France, so it wasn't as exciting. i decided to buy some little gifts for my family from the cheaper section. It was fun to see something familiar. It's funny to see how much Olivier wrote about the different perfumes in the guide book. The walk was really short and very relaxing. it was basically just a nice strole in the city. (2-05-10)