And the weather continues...

Top: mmm doesn't this just make you want to go exploring?
Below: The top of the Arc is closed due to poor weather.

Above: Even a gloomy day at Notre-Dame de Paris attracts visitors

PHOTOS!

Above: Chez Moi, in the 2nd arr.

The Eiffel Tower, Bien sur.

Outside the Palais du Louvre

View from the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower (we climbed)

Venus de Milo at the Louvre

February 9th, 2010

Well I guess I can't complain of winter weather (it's nothing like you're getting back in the states), but it's a chilly 28f here in Paris.

Normally, that would be fine weather but it's not good when you're in a city of people who LOVE to leave windows open. All the time.

It's also not ideal for one of our new favorite activities: getting lost. Ok, well not getting "lost", more like setting off with a general idea of where you need to be + your map and a good sense of direction. When you're surrounded by 11 million people it's a good way to get your bearings (and the metro certainly doesn't help with that). It's surprising though how close things can start to seem once you know what you're doing. And how 14 metro lines can so quickly go from daunting to extremely useful. You mean I get to know when the next TWO trains are coming? Buses too? Merci Beaucoup.

But the lack of any street organization makes it tricky to navigate and now even D.C.'s "grid" seems like a miracle of city planning, even with it's diagonal avenues and stop-and-start streets. The are so many one ways here that even the buses here take different routes depending on direction. Not to mention the fact that the traffic circles don't appear to have any lanes (yeah, you thought ward circle was hard to figure out....the Etoile in Paris has eight lanes.

Another tip for wandering around Paris...beware the motorcycles. They could care less if you have a walk signal.

Tomorrow is exam results day at the Sorbonne...yay?

-Travis

And so it begins....

Well, my internet hasn't been as good as I'd like, so I've only now gotten to getting this blog online. So far, Paris has been everything it could be. Expensive yes, but that's something I've come to terms with since living in D.C.

Friday afternoon, I took a boat ride along the seine along with the other AU students. And go some wonderful views of Le Tour Eiffel, Le Louvre, and many of the bridges of Paris (trust me, there are plenty). I've been taking many pictures which I plan to get up soon on the blog.

I am staying on rue Etienne Marcel, which is on line 4 of the Paris Metro. It's very convenient.

So, I thought I would wrap up this brief post with a list of all the things I've learned since being here in Paris.

1. Always say Bonjour/Bonsoir and Merci/Au Revoir. It will get you anything you need no matter how bad your French is.
2. Toilets don't require sinks.
3. Each street corner seems to have a brasserie, a pharmacy, and a boulangerie.
4.Une cafe is really just a little espresso. Commandez vous une cafe creme.
5. You know you're in a good place when wine costs the same or less than soda.

Ok well that's all for now, I will post some photos and a more comprehensive report in a few days!

-Travis