July 12, 2008
Bonjour de Paris!
Given that I have been in Paris since the beginning of the month, I suppose I am overdue to give an update on my time here thus far. So here is a brief overview of what I am doing here, my living arrangements, and some of the things that I have done in my first couple of weeks.
I arrived in Paris on June 30, and since I couldn’t get into my apartment until July 1, I stayed in a cheap hotel on the outskirts of Paris near the Charles de Gaulle airport. The next day I had to be at the university where I am studying, the Institut Catholique de Paris, to register for my class. This meant that I had to haul all my bags onto the over-ground train and take up several seats, while many Parisians gave me a scornful look for occupying their prospective seat. Needless to say, I was relieved to get off the train once in Paris. And though I was in awe of my first glimpses of France’s famous city, the frustration of dragging my luggage along the street in 90 degree weather while dodging oncoming pedestrians and trying not to feel too abashed for looking the part of an American tourist—map fully open, always a dead giveaway—hardly matched the descriptions given in the guide books I’d thumbed through the last couple of months.
Eventually I arrived at the university with little difficulty and straightened out my class registration. After killing a couple of hours at the Institut Catholique de Paris, I then met up with landlord of the apartment I was to rent. The guy I had been in communication with was still at work, so his wife came by and showed me the place. The apartment itself is perfect for my needs. It is a nice little studio, with a suitable kitchenette and futon bed. It sits on the 6th floor, and like most Parisian apartments, is reachable only via stairs. Climbing up up the staircase to my apartment each day is quite the workout. The view from my window, however, is worth the effort alone. It overlooks a sea of apartment rooftops and has afforded me the perfect view of a number of stunning sunsets.
Each day I have class from 9:00am to 12:00pm. In my class there are a couple of other PhD candidates from Scotland, several undergrads from the States here with university programs, and one or two Catholique priests in training. Our teacher speaks to us only in French and the class is moving at a decent pace. So far I feel as though I am comprehending everything we have learned, but pronunciation of the French language is the trickiest part. And though I won’t be anywhere near fluent by the end of the month, hopefully I will be able to tackle some articles and chapters written in French for my research.
Most days after class I end up wandering through different neighbourhoods, exploring their winding streets and various stores. There is another guy here from New College, and several days we have done some of our exploring together. I have avoided some of the major touristy spots so far, preferring to first get a grasp of the city’s layout and its lesser-known niceties. But one can only avoid sites such as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower for so long.
It is hard to believe that is has already been almost two weeks since my arrival. I’m sure I’ll be back in Scotland before I know it. First, though, Katie will visit in a couple of weeks, which will be nice since we can see some of Paris together and, of course, because I miss her dearly. (Thank God for Skype.)
That is all for now, but here is a sample of pics from Paris.
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- Luxembourg Garden
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- French pastry shop
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- Fromage
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- Musée d'Orsay (quite possibly my new favourite museum)
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- Sunset from my window
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- Basilique du Sacré-Cœur which overlooks the city
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- The view from the Sacré-Cœur
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- One of the many Parisian bridges on the Seine
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- Looking up the Champs Elysées at the Arc de Triomphe
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- And, of course, the Eiffel Tower, here lit up in blue for (I think) France's independence day (14 July)
