Being in Paris this past week and a half has brought out my appreciation for two things: wine and art, especially when you mix the former with the latter.
The beauty about wine in Paris is how incredibly cheap it is. A decent bottle of Chardonnay will only run you around 4€, while an average sandwich costs around 7-8€. The other day I picked up a bottle of pamplemousse and pêche Chardonnay which was the perfect accompaniment to a night out at the Eiffel Tower with three lovely ladies and an oversized blanket to enjoy the view from our perched hill. After bargaining down a bottle of champagne from 15€ down to only 5€, warding off two drunk frenchmen with terrible pickup lines, and filling up our cameras with memories that will last decades from now, we hopped the last metro home at 1 am, slipping into bed knowing we would have to wake up in only a few hours for our 8 am class.
Yesterday, a few of us visited the famous cimetière du Père-Lachaise that houses the final resting spots for some of the greats, including Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, Chopin, Gertrude Stein and my favorite, Oscar Wilde. The weather was gray and dismal, an ideal setting for such a peaceful yet melancholy place. The cemetary is unbelievably large, with some gravestones dating back to the early 1700's, reminding you that nothing in this world is infinite. The incredibly steep hills lined with cobblestones contains over 300,000 final resting places for Parisians and the lovers of Paris. It was a sombering experience and was abruptly ended when the skies opened and greeted us with cold rain, as if telling us it was time to put our cameras away and leave those resting there in peace. We found shelter in a small Chinese restaurant where a few of us filled their stomachs with overpriced rice waiting for the rain to pass.
This morning I experienced my first French test. Ironically, the parts that were intended to be difficult I found the most easy while the basic questions left me trying to dig back to two semesters ago. After enjoying a small nap and a light lunch, we adventured to the Musée d'Orsay where I used my beginner's French to get us in for free as students of the Sorbonne. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed to be taken, but it was still an incredibly gratifying experience to lose myself in the works of some of my favorite artists including Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse. After wandering from sculpture to sculpture, painting to painting for three hours, I reminded myself this will be nothing compared to the intimidating and daunting massiveness that is the Louvre.
Tonight we are going to a French house party and then heading over to le Marais, the gay district in Paris. I have equipped myself with my favorite dress and a decent bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for the evening. Tomorrow, we are spending the day in Giverny to visit Claude Monet's house and then we will be taking a trip to the small town of Rouen where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.
Although I miss home and everyone I love, I continue to fall more in love with this city every day. Every street has a new surprise, every museum a breathtaking painting, every grocery story a wonderfully priced bottle of wine.
From me to you, I raise my glass and toast "santé," hoping that you too will be able to experience the beauty that has overwhelmed my life for the next few weeks.
de Paris...avec l'amour.
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