Friday, September 23, 2005

I woke up and made my way down the street to the Trocadero esplanade where the entire study abroad group was meeting for our day “trip.” We took a (non-air-conditioned) bus ride for 2 hours to Chateau Chintilly—the home of the first illuminated manuscript of which I wrote a paper on in (I believe) 10th grade history class. The chateau was interesting and nice to look at (I believe it was a former royal hunting lodge) but lacking in the excitement factor. Eventually, we re-boarded the bus and headed to another chateau where we had a 3.5 hour lunch. There were 4 courses: pate, duck (I think), cheese, and dessert and I figured I should at least try the pate (I believe it was at least half salmon) since I have never tasted it before—and let’s just say that I won’t be trying it again. I have always told people that I like cheese, but since arriving to France (and being told that the cheese here is real cheese), I need to take that back—nearly all of the cheese I have tried tastes like feet…and smells just as bad. After the lunch, we endured the 2 hour bus ride again, but it took 3 hours…The bus left us at the Opera Bastille where saw Rusalka by Dvorak. I stayed for the first act and heard the song that I knew (I have NO idea how I know it, maybe someone in Madrigals sang it at Cranbrook), but I was so tired and have an early train tomorrow so I headed back to my neighborhood.

Interesting things about Paris: random wet spots on the sidewalks (what ARE they), the fact that eggs aren’t refrigerated when you buy them, how luxurious McDonalds are (the one on Champs-Elysee has plasma screens, leather seats, and china plates.