The Best Reunions Happen in the City of Love

Just a quick recap of the last week- primarily my photography class- and then I'll dive into my adventures in Pariiii :)


Tuesday (April 21st), my photography class went to Santo Spirito- a delightful piazza on the other side of the river close to Michelle and Liz's apartment- to practice shooting street photography. Most of the time, I felt like a creeper. But I am glad of my time there now, as I have pictures that capture the genuine way of life and Italian spirit. Walking back to the school buildings, we took a group break and got gelato (best class trip ever). I also saw a street performer playing Vivaldi's Spring (of the 4 seasons) on the violin while wearing roller skates. I have no idea why she was wearing roller skates because she wasn't moving while playing, but I guess she thought "why not?" I've decided that my new goal is to be as happy as she was that day. 


And now- my weekend trip! Last Thursday, Jackie and I flew to France to see Nadege (the other host student that stayed with the Ricci’s for the first 2 weeks we were in Florence) as she had graciously invited us to stay with her and her husband for the weekend. We were both very excited to see her again, and to be able to see Paris!

When we first arrived, we didn't immediately see Nadege, so we called her on FaceTime- but it went to her iPad which was at home and her husband, Pascal, answered. Seconds later she found us and then drove us to her home in Senlis, France there we met Pascal- in person this time haha. Nadege and Pascal's house is simply gorgeous and the neighborhood is adorably quaint. I would have been happy staying for much longer than a weekend. 

Nadege and Pascal's beautiful backyard/garden!

That night, we did some nice catching up (with Nadege) and getting to know each other (Pascal) before heading to bed.

Friday was a nice leisurely morning with breakfast around 9:30- sleeping in for us! Pascal went to Lo Boulaugerie (what we would probably call a bakery or pastry-shop) to pick up Viennuiserie, or what we would call pastries. We had a wide assortment- chouquettes, pain aux raisins, croissants, pain au chocolat- as well as fresh blueberries, yogurt, and coffee.

Next we went to the neighborhood market with Nadege to get food for lunch, and dinner. We could tell that we were definitely far away from tourists; we stuck out a lot! So neat to see such a unique and authentic part of France- especially with a guide since I knew a total of 6 words in French before arriving (Jackie and I counted on the plane!).

With our shopping complete, Nadege started cooking and Jackie and I took another 20-30 minutes exploration of the streets close by- including the lovely Senlis chapel. We asked the name of the cathedral and Nadege said she didn't know because there is only one so they just call it the cathedral! But the official name is Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Senlis (thanks Google).

We returned and had lunch outside in their backyard (aka paradise) because “this is the last nice day, the rest of the time it will rain”, or so said Nadege. 

Escargot- snails-, daurade royale (Sparus fish), rice, 3 different cheeses (2 goat, one was fresher than the other, and brie), and French bread. For dessert, Nadege had chosen 4 different “Patisserie” (we would say sweets or cakes) from a bakery where they are all made from scratch-so we could try a variety of traditional French desserts. We had: mille feuilles (so named for the "thousands" of layers), Éclair au chocolat (chocolate eclair), une tarte aux fraises (strawberry/pistacchio tart), and une tarte au citron meringuee (lemon tart).

Pascal went back to work after lunch (he's an architect!) and Jackie, Nadege and I went to the castle that was used as an inspiration for Versailles: Chateau de Chantilly. I still want to go to Versailles one day, but this was an excellent compromise since Versailles is very far from Senlis and would take a lot of time to visit. 

First, we walked all the way around the very extensive gardens and trails; only getting lost a couple times. Apparently Pascal had told Nadege to walk down a certain way to see wild turkeys and a kangaroo, but we saw neither; although we did see a couple mute swans!

On our way back to the castle from the grounds, we tried Chantilly cream with raspberries! The region is known for the invention of whipped cream, which (like many other great things) was originally created because of a mistake. 

We toured the inside of the castle, which was primarily in a baroque style but also had many references to Rococo. I saw many of the things we learned about when studying Versailles, such as jib doors and parquet flooring. I also noticed a lot of chinoiserie (aka drawings depicting monkeys dressed in human clothing and doing human activities). 


After our self-guided tour of the interior of the castle, we ran to the horse museum as it was due to close in 30 minutes! The museum was interesting; and they also allowed you to tour the stables! The famous Grand Prix takes place at Chantilly, and although there wasn't a true competition going on, we got to see several jockeys practicing their jumps. 

We stopped at Pascal’s office on the way back home to see the hives of honey bees that he has. In addition to architecture, Pascal makes honey! The labels of his honey jars read "Le miel de l,architecte", or "the honey of the architect."

For dinner that night we had an appertivo of green and black olives, churrizo, radishes, and champagne. Pascal was teasing Nadege because the only thing really French on the table was the champagne. She had brought back the other items from her travels through work the past week (she is a flight attendant for AirFrance). For the main course we had beef and peppers on a skewer that Pascal barbecued in the backyard, as well as white asparagus and a mayonnaise that we helped make- after wasting 4 eggs trying to separate the yolks and whites. Nadege also had problems separating the egg whites, so I don’t feel as bad :p

We spent the rest of the night drinking lovely French wine and talking before heading to bed somewhat early to prepare for our big visit to Paris the following day!

Saturday morning was more of an early start with breakfast at 8:30 so that we could leave by 9 for Paris! We were given a driving tour first as Pascal explained about how the city is planned completely on axis’ and the Arch de Triomphe, the Louvre, and the Luxor obelisk all line up. He impressively parallel parked the car and then our walking tour began.

Our first stop was Laduree café. Gossip Girl was filmed here- it was Blair’s favorite place in Paris for macaroons! So I had coffee (latte) and a raspberry macaroon and took several pictures. Not traditional at all, and very touristy, but still fun!

Next we went to the Madeleine Church. This building was commissioned by the French king at the time and then construction was also overseen by Napoleon. It wasn't complete until after the revolution, during which time they continued building, but obviously the construction went very slowly. The church looked very different from most- it reminded me of typical bank designs with large Corinthian columns.

Jackie and I, near the Louvre

We walked all over that area of Paris, and were able to see the strong symmetry and axis of the city from many different angles. It helps to have an architect as your guide! We went to the lourve, but not inside. I had heard that our student visas would grant us free entry, but after seeing the line I was okay with staying outside. Another thing to do when I return to Paris...sometime. :) I was completely enamored with all the courtyards and beautiful fountains in this area. It started warming up around this time (with no rain in sight!) and everything seemed to be in bloom! 

Just as my tummy started to growl a little, Pascal said we would be stopping for lunch. We went to Alice’s Café- which I never would have gone to on my own. No English menu; so we trusted Pascal and Nadege- just another perk of having native French guides! They recommended croque madam (ham sandwich with egg on top), so that's what I ordered! This is a traditional (and very popular) sandwich in France, and they also have croque monsieur- which is the same thing, but without the egg. My meal also came with a salad which I was very happy about!

Following lunch, we drove to another part of the city and ended up near Notre Dame cathedral. Pascal impressed us with another parallel parking job and then we headed across the bridge to the island that the cathedral sits on (I never knew it was on an island!). They gave us plenty of time to take pictures of the exterior of the cathedral and the surrounding area while they decided which direction to go. Later, Nadege was teasing Pascal for being lost- as he initially headed the wrong way.

We eventually made it to Saint Chappelle-which I studied! Here we were able to get in for free with our student visas (you're the best, France). The church was just as impressive as I imagined (and as Dr. Turpin told us). So many bright colors and lights streaming in through the fantastic stained glass windows. Pascal had been worried it would be too cloudy, but the clouds must have parted just for us, because it was an excellent time to be there. I'm sure my father would have loved it!

Later we stopped for the “best ice cream in France” according to our hosts. Nadege read all the flavors to us very fast, and then eliminated the "Italian" and "American" flavors that we were not allowed to get haha. I tried strawberry and "nut", and it was indeed, very tasty. 

We went across another bridge to a second island and passed two very talented street performers on the way. One was a group playing traditional french songs, and Nadege was singing along most of the time!  On the other island, we walked down near the water. Everything was so beautiful and calm- if I lived in Paris, I would come to this spot every chance I had.

We went back to the mainland over the famous lock bridge where we waited just 10 minutes to board a sightseeing boat that would take us for a cruise on the Seine river. It started to rain just before we got on the boat so we sat on the inside, but then went outside later when we realized the rain had stopped. Neat to get a different perspective and see more of the city- incluudddinnngggg the Eiffel Tower! Pascal was very helpful and gave us a personal tour, since the one on the boat was hard to understand. We all agreed that Pascal could be an excellent tour guide, and he said "I just have to fix my English." (False- his English was excellent)

After our boat ride, Jackie went to mass at Notre Dame cathedral. I took a few pictures of the interior and then joined Nadege and Pascal outside. Pascal wanted a drink (apparently being a tour guide isn't easy) so we went to a small café and were able to sit outside to enjoy the weather. Pascal ordered beers for all of us- quite good, and very light. Afterwards, Nadege led the way to a French bookstore that had a very wide selection of architecture and design books. They were all in french, but I had a good time looking at pictures and recognizing the names of designers I knew. 

Notre Dame Cathedral

Since the bookstore was near where Pascal parked the car, we drove to pick up Jackie after her mass around 7:45 and then started towards Senlis. Before we left the city, though, we stopped right near the Eiffel tower to get perfect pictures because, as Pascal put it, "the light is just there." The tower was beautiful with the bright blue sky behind it and the sun at the perfect angle.

We finally made it back around 9; Nadege jokingly apologized for our late dinner since she had promised us that she eats much earlier than italians- "always at 7!" We had dinner at 9:30, which consisted of pesto pasta with pine nuts, white wine, cheese, foie gras (duck liver!), and then fresh raspberry sorbet and biscotti for dessert. 

We talked some after finishing our meal and then watched some of The Voice (the French version of course) while enjoying the last of our sorbet. Pascal was going to go to bed early, but then he realized that this episode was the finals so he stayed up to watch the show. He kept singing along, and was upset at the end when his favorite contestant didn't win. Nadege told him that next year he can be on the show and win The Voice. So, be on the lookout for that. :p 

Sunday morning after breakfast Jackie chose to stay and make cantuccini cakes with Nadege, and I went for a bike ride around Senlis with Pascal. Nadege was so worried about me getting cold from the wind that she insisted that I bring my coat and lent me a scarf. It wasn't very windy, and after about 10 minutes I was too warm for both the scarf and the coat, but I appreciated her concern. It's nice to have a motherly figure around. :) The bike ride was phenomenal!  I was able to take pictures everywhere and Pascal gave me a very good tour of historic Senlis! At one point we rode past an older building that he pointed out as the hospital where he and his son "were arrived." It took me a second to figure out that he meant he was born at that hospital. Biking was amazing; I forgot how much I love it. My butt and legs are still somewhat sore from riding on all those cobblestones though!

Around 12:30 (after returning from our grand bike tour de france) we grabbed all our gear and loaded up into the car for Day 2 in paris!

This time we went to the Monmarte area of Paris, which is up on a hill. Lunch was at an “American” style burger place called Koff- very good and much more filling than a panino (sorry, Italy). Also the meat was artisean and rasied in Paris; the “best hamburgers in France” according to Pascal.It was somewhat refreshing to have a more American meal, but I know I'll be missing all things European in 3 short weeks. :(

It started lightly raining by the time we left the café, but not quite enough for an umbrella. We walked up many sets of stairs to the very top of the hill where on a non-cloudy day you would see a spectacular view of the entire city. We were pretty lucky with weather the rest of the weekend, though, so I will refrain from complaints about not being able to see all of Paris from Monmarte. (that return trip though...)

We went inside the Sacre-Coeur Basilica (or the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris)- so gorgeous. Photos were not allowed, although I saw many people disregarding this rule and taking them anyway. The interior of the church was gorgeous with multiple highly-detalied mosaics and stained glass windows. 

After coming back down the hill, we had another driving tour around this area of Paris, before heading to CDG airport for our flight back to Florence. We were going to take a jar of honey each and some cheese back with us, but then realized we weren't allowed to check bags with the type of tickets we purchased. :( So now I have yet another reason to return! 

Jackie and I boarded our flight around 7:15. This was one of the first times I remember not being super excited to return to Florence. France was just so beautiful, and it was amazing to stay with Pascal and Nadege. 

On the plane, I had red wine with my sandwich- thanks to Nadege's advise and expertise! We took a taxi back to the apartment after landing in Florence because it was faster, easier, and not that much more expensive than the shuttle bus. 

Until next time- Au Revoir, France! I miss you already!

Reunited with Nadege! 

Jackie and I with Pascal and his honey!