France
March 6th – 12th
The moment I’ve been waiting for has finally come and gone.
The week-long France excursion was an incredible experience jam packed with
medicine, culture, and memories. I had previously been to Paris four years ago,
and I have to say this time the trip was completely different than the last even though I saw the same things. Despite this reoccurrence, I was able to look at everything with a different perspective and open mind. I ended up learning a lot of interesting facts that I previously didn't know. Even though Paris was the highlight, we also traveled to Colmar and Beaune. Both of these places had medical relevance behind them making them must see attractions. How did we get to all of the places you might ask? By bus. Having spent over 12 hours on the bus, we made it from Bonn, through Colmar, through Beaune, and to Paris. I was used to traveling for hours on end via bus from several of my other experiences abroad, but I will say that it was still not so enjoyable. I did get to sleep a lot though which is a plus.
Colmar and Beaune, France
March 6th
Our journey to France started at 6:30 in the morning where we drove for around 6 hours to Colmar. When we arrived, we found Colmar to appear as a ghost town. No one was around and all of the shops were closed. I'm guessing this was because it was lunch time, but you would think they would keep the restaurants open for lunch time. We found a bakery to get food in before we took a tour of the Unterlinden Museum which housed the Isenheim Altar. The Altar was a beautiful work of art made of many panels that would be on display at particular times back in the day. Now all of the panels are on display so everyone can enjoy their beauty. Within one of the pieces there were 11 different kind of plants depicted and several of them had medicinal remedies associated with them. Little hints of medicine find their way into these paintings and I really enjoy when someone points them out to me. The attention to detail is incredible. After the tour we got back onto the bus and drove to Beaune where we threw our bags in our hotel and went to have dinner. At dinner we had what I like to call a ham loaf for the appetizer (this happened to be marbled ham smash with loads of herbs and gelatin to form a loaf that was thickly sliced and served), boeuf bourguignon for the main dish (the whole time I could only think about Julia Childs), and for dessert, raspberry sorbet with cinnamon and whipped cream. Dinner was delicious and all I remember is being extremely full and happy afterward.
Beaune and Paris, France
March 7th
The next morning we went to the Hotel Dieu. This was a hospice for the sick and elderly. Nuns would run the facility making sure their patients were well attended to. The set up was in the form of a church with rows of beds along the sides of a room and in the front of the room, in the middle, the holy crucifix. This was done so those who were bedridden, could still attend mass. The nuns were in charge everything that went on within Hotel Dieu. They cooked, cleaned, cared for their patients, and even created their own pharmaceuticals. Now a days, the Hotel is known for its wine and they have an auction every year where the money will then go to charity. 
After the tour of Hotel Dieu, we got back on the bus and drove to Paris. We again deposited our bags and made our way to dinner. This time though, we got to have a small break in between and also were given the pleasure of meeting our incredible tour guide Julian. For dinner we went to a traditional creperie where we ate a gallete (savory crêpe) and a sweet crêpe. The gallete was filled with cheese, ham, with a sunny side up egg on top while the sweet crêpe was a simple butter and sugar crêpe. There were many choses to choose from though when it came to the sweet crêpe, so I opted on something that wouldn't be as overall sweet as the Nutella or caramel crepe would have been. This was the second night in a row that I ate well and left the restaurant with a very full tummy. You could say that I really enjoy French food.
Paris, France
Our journey continued with Julian taking us on a biking tour of Paris to see all of the iconic sights. This included the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the front gates of the Louvre, an Egyptian Obilisque, the Arc de Triomphe (from a distance), and Les Invalides. We also biked along the Seine River for some time. I really enjoyed being on bike. The only completely nerve wrecking part was having to cross traffic at times. European drivers are crazy. My favorite fact we learned while on the tour was that the reason a gargoyle is called as such is due to the fact that when the water comes our of their mouth's, it makes the same sound as one does while they are gargling. Also the reason the gargoyles are on the building is because the inner workings of the building are made of iron and water causes iron to rust. In order to keep the water from running down the sides of the buildings, the gargoyles were created. Once the tour was over, we went to the Le Musee d'Histoire de la Medecine where we learned about medicine through the ages and were shown medical equipment through those same ages and while the tour guide described what is was and what is was used for. The tour was extremely fascinating and reminded me a lot of my History of Medicine class since much of the information our tour guide told us was the same information Dr. Wasser has lectured to us. 
The tour ended and I got to eat another French dish known as a croque Madame. I refer to this as an inside put grilled chees sandwich. There are town pieces of bread that have ham in the middle and are toasted. On top of the sandwich is melted cheese and on top of that is a sunny side up egg. I'm pretty sure I'll be making this instead of a grilled cheese from now on. To pass the time after eating, a group and I went to an iconic macaroon shop that Dr. Wa
sser had stopped at earlier that day where he
bought an assorted box and gave each of us 1 macaroon. I got chocolate. It was
delicious. I decided not to get anymore of the macaroons because they were quite
expensive, 2 euros per macaroon. If I’m going to spend 2 euros on something,
I’d want it to be bigger so that I can savor and enjoy it longer. Don’t get me
wrong, the macaroons are delicious and if I had more money to spend, I might
have caved and bought some but I don’t, so I didn’t. From the macaroon shop, we
went to the arc de Triomphe. The arc is a beautiful monument and I love how
there is a straight view toward the Louvre from the arc. The architect behind
this project was genius. We decided not to climb to the top since the weather
took a turn for the worst and it started to rain with wicked winds. Instead we
went to café closer to the Eiffel Tower were we had coffees and milkshakes. From
there we went to the Eiffel Tower. This was my first time being able to see the
tower and the view from the top of the tower at night. I’d have to say I enjoy
looking at the tower more in the dark and looking out from the top of the tower better in
the day light. I know Paris is the city of lights and you can see all those
lights form the top of the Eiffel Tower but I found that to be plain. I liked
seeing all the different colors from the buildings and the green spaces that
intertwined with the concert. In the night, Paris just looks orange and beige
to me. I almost forgot to mention, if you ever want to go see the Eiffel Tower
in the evening, go when the weather is nice and there is 0% chance of rain.
While we were up at the top, the rain and the wind whipped at us, soaking us
and making us freeze. You could lean into the wind in some spots and not fall
over. Wasn’t all that enjoyable to get pelted with rain if you ask me. 
| Croque Madame |
The next morning we woke up bright and early to begin our day with a walking tour of Montmartre where we got to see the artist district of Paris and walk down the same paths that famous artists like Picasso and Van Goh used to walk. We also saw the Sacré-Cœur during this excursion. I'd have to say, I think I li
ked Montmartre the best. It was removed from the extreme hustle and bustle of city life but still had the tradition Parisian feel to it. Not to mention, there were artists lined up in a square all painting and selling their works to anyone who wishes to buy. I ended up buying a small painting while I was there to add to other painting I had bought the last time I was in Paris. After our tour we went to a small café where my professor for signals and systems sat down with us and talked about some of the concepts related to that class. The idea behind this was for us to talk about concepts and work them out in a non-threatening environment. I found it to be helpful and it showed me what I need to study more. After lunch we went on a tour of the Louvre where I saw, I swear, the exact same stuff I saw the last time I went to the Louvre. Although, with Julian as the tour guide, I learned way more this go around than the last. My favorite part was when he would point out all of the hidden symbolism in the paintings we looked at that I had completely missed the first time I looked at them. Every time you looked back the paintings, you would always see something new you missed the first time. I saw the Mona Lisa, the Venus statue, and the Winged Victory (my favorite statue of all time). I learned after the visit that the stuff we saw was only about 1/5 of the Louvre and I instantly became disappointed because I have now seen the same 1/5 twice. I guess I'll just have to go back to look at the rest of it. 
Our next day we spent touring the palace of Versailles. Again, I sound like a broken record, I have already been on this tour and have seen almost all of the rooms, but while on the tour this time, I picked up on things I had missed the last time I was there. And I also go to see the daughter's apartment which I didn't get the luxury of seeing the last time. Versailles is magnificent and like I said the last time I was there, King Louis XIV was a pompous man who had good taste and way too much money. The man had a thousand horses for himself, for crying out loud. At the end of the tour, we all got to have a picnic in the gardens which turned out to be nothing but a tent in a corner. So to my disappointment, this was the second time I have gone to the palace and some how missed the beautiful gardens. Looks like I'll be coming back here as well. For our picnic, we were each given a baguette and there was an assortment of cheeses for us to try. There was also different kinds of meat you would pair with butter, but this wasn't just any butter. This was butter that made you think you had died and gone to heaven. It was so creamy and smooth, it practically melted in you mouth. While eating it, all I could think of was the Julia Child quote, "You can never have too much butter!" Boy was she right. I, as a person, love cheese so to see all of these fine cheeses spread out on a table for me try made me the happiest person alive. My favorite was a brie with truffles in the middle. There were many cheeses I had never had before and regretfully I don't remember their names either, but I can say that I pretty much liked everything on the table except the Camembert. I couldn't get over the smell with that one. For dessert we had a gingerbread cake with yogurt. The cake was delicious. Not too spicy and not too sweet and when paired with the vanilla yogurt, it was one of the best desserts I have had on this entire trip. The picnic was the conclusion of our school trip but I stayed in Paris for another day and didn't leave until Sunday since Spring Break was the following week.
On my free day, I finally got to sleep in and didn't have to be awoken at the crack of dawn, ready to go on another tour, but instead ended up leaving my hostel around 11:15 and made my way to a park where I sat and had lunch. The park is known as Parc des Buttes Chaumont and it was incredibly pretty. Not to mention the weather was perfect. The sun was out, it wasn't too hot. There was a cool breeze. It was a nice change from the go-go-go that was the week before. I then made my way to the Luxembourg gardens and when I got there, it seemed like everyone had the same idea, lets be outside while the weather is nice. From there I made my way to the Jardin de Plantes, another green space that housed all kinds of plants and a zoo. Didn't go to the zoo unfortunately because it was later by the time I made it there so instead I made my way to the river and just sat by it, taking in the view. Sitting and looking out at the river reminded me of the book I'm currently reading called The Little Paris Book Shop which is about a man who owes a book barge and he ends up sailing it down the Seine River selling books to people along the way. To be next to the Seine and see the sights he would have seen, really brought the book to life for me. I ended up developing a craze for ice cream and decided to go hunt some down so I could enjoy it by the river. To my dismay, I couldn't find any ice cream and I was hungry so instead I got some savory crepes and ate those instead. These ones weren't as good as the first one I had. Once I had finished the crepes I went out in search of ice cream again and found some but the line was really long so I went to the shop called Shakespeare and Company to buy myself some time. The store was full from top to bottom of books. I could have spent a whole day in there. I regret not getting book for two reasons, 1.) I'm almost done with the book I'm reading now and I need more reading material (I'm also stingy and don't like electronic copies of books so they have to be paper or hard back) and 2.) I always buy books from places like this and for some reason, this time I didn't. When I was in England, I went to the Bronte Museum and bought Wuthering Heights from there where I got the official stamp within my book. It is now a goal for me to buy The Hunchback of Notre Dame from that store, and g
et it stamped with their official stamp. After the adventure through book heaven, I went back to the ice cream store where I got an ice cream cone that had 3 different flavors in the shape of rose with a macaroon in the middle. The flavors were chocolate, stracciatell, and caramel, while the macaroon was chocolate. Let me just say, this was some of the best ice cream I've had in a long time. I was so happy afterward. From there, I walked past the Notre Dame, mind you it was dark at this time so everything was lit up for the night, and by the Seine River where I then went through the Louvre and found myself looking at an Opera House where I then ended up next to an old church, and by Moulin Rogue and back to the hostel. Had no idea where I was going or what I was looking for, just kept walking and when I looked at the map, I realized I was incredibly close to my hostel so I kept walking till I made it back. This was one of my favorite days in Paris. Being able to be outside and see greenery again, and to be able to enjoy the sun and take everything easy was nice. I feel as though Dr. Wasser should incorporate going to a park or some gardens within our itinerary to help with our mental and physical state, so that we may recharge our batteries and keep moving forward with the discovery of medicine and medical related things.
The last day I woke up and ate a Nutella and banana filled crepe by the Sacré-Cœur before boarding a train and heading back to Bonn. The train ride was three and half hours and this was my first cross country train ride by myself. I 'm gonna have to brag and say, I'm a bit proud of myself for being able to navigate myself to the train station, get on the right train, make it Koln, buy another train ticket and make it back to Bonn all in one piece. Paris was wonderful and couldn't have come at a better time! This brain break was enjoyable and to think that I have a whole other week to sit back and relax, is a nice feeling.
P.S. just for you dad, I have included more pictures with my face in them!
No comments:
Post a Comment