The first part of my week was spent trying not to get too
distracted by the upcoming trip to Paris, so that I could get my work done and
study for my test. The night before we left, I finally got a haircut (which I
had been putting off for a while) and made some crêpes to get me in the mood to
go to France.
The next morning, we had an early start, getting on the bus
and driving for the entire morning to Colmar, a town near the French-German
border near Strasbourg. I got a tarte flambée, an Alsatian speciality, that is
similar to a pizza with crème fraiche on it. We then visited the Museum
Unterlinden, which houses the Isenheim Altar, a giant altarpiece from the
Renaissance. Part of the altar was having restorations done, and we got to
watch the restorer as she was working, which was kind of cool.
We then got on the bus again, and headed to Beaune, deep in
the center of Burgundy wine country. We got dinner there, and I got to try
escargot (which was really tasty!) and a couple glasses of Burgundy wine, which
to my unrefined taste were good. Early the next morning I got up early to go
for a run with Kevin, getting to see some of the town. Then we enjoyed a tasty
breakfast, with lots of great breads, cakes, and marmalades to try. This hotel
was the only place I’ve ever seen that had you boil your own eggs, which some
people in my group had a bit of trouble with. We then walked over to the
Hospices de Beaune, which is a medieval hospital that treated the poor. The
building had a very cool roof design, and it was interesting seeing what an old
hospital would have looked like in that time. After this, we hopped on the bus
one last time to our final destination, Paris. That night we arrived and met
our tour guide for the next few days, Julien. He took us down to the Seine, and
we looked around the Notre-Dame before going to a creperie for dinner, where I
had a very tasty ham and cheese crêpe.
The following day was one of my favorites, not just on this trip,
but for the entire semester. I spent the morning wandering the palace and
gardens of Versailles, and then had an amazing picnic in part of the garden
with the program, with tons of different cheeses and meats to put onto our
baguettes. Dr Wasser led some tai chi, and we got in our Aggie yell practice,
since it was Pull Out Day, meaning I got my first whoop in France. We headed
back into the city and went up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, taking in the
views. We had a nice dinner as a group, where I got to try a tarte tatin, an
amazing caramelized apple upside-down pastry. We then walked to the Eifel
Tower, and went up to the second floor (we couldn’t go up all the way because
it was too late).
Our last day as a group was very tiring. It started with a
fun walking tour with Julien through the Latin Quarter, then making a quick
stop for gyros. We then spent a very long four hours doing a history of
medicine tour of the Louvre, which probably the most painful thing I’ve done
while travelling this semester. The Louvre was hot, and we were constantly
walking at a high pace to see everything, and stopping in small side rooms
without benches. After that experience, we said goodbye to Julien and were set
free for the remainder of our time in the city. I got a recommendation for a
patisserie from Julien, where I had a mind-blowing éclair, and some excellent
macarons.
The following day was spent hitting some of the museums and
sights that we missed as a group, including the Sainte-Chapelle church and the
Musee d’Orsay, which had one of my favorite exhibits I’ve ever been to. Inside
an old train station, the d’Orsay has some of the most famous Impressionist
paintings in the world, with famous pieces by Renoir, Monet, and Manet.
My last day in Paris was much more relaxed than the others.
After checking out of our hotel, a couple of us wandered up to the top of
Montmartre hill, where we found an excellent brunch shop run by some
Australians. I had an excellent duck confit there (not very breakfasty, but
delicious). We went up to the top of the Sacre-Coeur, and wandered down the
hill and around the city until it was time to time for me to take my train
back. France has been my favorite country I’ve visited, I loved the food, the
atmosphere, and the sights a lot.
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