After a (very quick) 4 day week of class, it was off to Paris! Kate, Chiarra, and I boarded a Transavia flight to Paris on Thursday night. We arrived around 11pm, and took a taxi to our hostel. The next morning, we created a plan. We decided on Versailles for that day. We navigated the Metro to Versailles, where we wandered through the palace, before moving to the gardens. Despite the slight chill in the air, the gardens were absolutely beautiful. I'm sure when everything is in bloom in a few weeks, they will be even prettier. That afternoon, we wandered around the Latin Quarter, checking out bookshops and restaurants. We discovered this GREAT crepe stand, with the most flavorful crepes, filled with anything from apple to Nutella to liqueur.
The next day, we tried to visit the Eiffel tower, but by the time we got over there, the line looked about 4 hours long. We walked around town, and then visited Notre Dame. The cathedral was incredible- it is quite similar in style to that of Sevilla, since they are both Gothic, but the interior was set up as a square, with long rows of high ceilings and columns. The stained glass windows were beautiful, as well.
The next day, we wandered around a street market in the morning, and bought bread, cheese, and strawberries for our lunch. We visited a cheese shop, where the worker, in broken English, explained the different types and offered us a sample or two. We bought Brie and a hard cheese called Comte. With our picnic lunch, we walked over to the gardens by the Louvre, where we created our "table." After lunch, we hit the Louvre, seeing the Mona Lisa, the winged victory statue, and many other incredible statues. I have decided that I like the Louvre's statue collection the best, although the Prado's paintings were more to my taste. Probably because they were more of the artists that I've studied in class. That night, we decided to have our "real" French meal, complete with wine and escargot. Yup, that's right. I ate snails... Not as bad as I thought they'd be, but I have no desire to repeat the experience. I had a salmon dish, that was exquisitely prepared. Tender, flaky, wonderful flavor. A great meal, for a (relatively) decent price.
The next day, we awoke early in the morning, and got in line for the Eiffel tower at 8:45ish. The tower opened at 9:30, and we were only about 100 people back in line. The line moved quickly once the tower opened, and soon we were at the top! After enjoying the view, we wandered back to our crepe stand, and then bought the fixings for another picnic lunch, which we enjoyed in the Luxembourg gardens. I left my friends there, and went to catch my flight home. They went off to Marseille for a few more days of France.
I am now back in Sevilla, thankful for the time I have here to relax and get homework done. I have been trying to cross one thing off my to-do list each day, which is working well, except for the fact that I am doing the easier assignments first. oops :)
Semana Santa is in full swing, and the streets are crowded with people. Unfortunately, the rain has stopped many of the processions from "going out," because of the priceless nature of the pasos (floats with the Virgen or Jesus on them). I was lucky enough to see a procession yesterday, and it was quite the experience. I stood on a street right by my senora's apartment, and the procession took over 2 hours to pass by! They stopped every few minutes or so, because the pasos were being carried by people! There were around 20-30 men underneath each paso platform, lifting the paso and carrying it along its route. The pasos were surrounded by people dressed up as Nazarenes (who unfortunately bear an uncanny resemblance to the KKK). The Nazarenes ranged from little kids to older adults. The kids frequently had mothers walking by their sides, handing out bocadillos and juice boxes. Much more relaxed than I imagined them being. Bands of drums and trumpets marked time, and played accompaniment to the spectacle. First a band, then Nazarenes (with red candles), then Nazarenes (with wooden crosses), then the Christ paso. Then another band, Nazarenes (with white candles), then the Virgen paso. Then another band. After that band, came the vendors! 5 or 6 people followed the procession, carrying bunches of balloons, like you'd see at a state fair. Quite the contrast between the Virgen and Dora the Explorer...
Tonight is the madrugada, which means there will be pasos all night if the weather permits. Hopefully it does, as I'd love to see a candlelit procession.
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