A Little Grace Kelly

Day after the final. I was again coerced into skipping class. Though I have to say there were some really good points made:

Don: What's the use of coming to Paris, if we're not going to go see Paris? For that we could have taken french in the US.

Gina: You took the final already. Duh!

Touche!

So off we went ,with Rachel and the Starbucks Lady in tow, to the Hotel de Ville to see the free Grace Kelly exhibit. It was kinda cool, they had all sorts of posters and movie clips, but most of it centered on her time as princess of Monaco. There had a nice gallery of gowns, some family clips and lots of promotional materials for Monaco, lol.

Afterwards, we split from Rachel and Starbucks to do a little shopping a BHV. Things were on solde, but still a little expensive. After lunch, Gina decided to continue shopping and I walked back to the dorm with Don. He wanted to get some Asterix books, so after an Amorino pit-stop, we checked out the book vendors along the Seine.

After a nap, we decided to go to the Luxemburg Gardens to read.

We went in through a different entrance and sawa couple of things we hadn't seen before, like the bee hive area. They have alittle area where the gardeners raise bees to help polinate the flowers, and as an added bonus, they sell their honey inSpetember.

Also saw this weird couple taking pictures. I doubt she was a model since he only had one of those Sony digital pocket cameras, but they were taking it really seriously. You couldn't see her face, kinda like Holly Hobbie, and I wondered if she was horribly disfigured under her hat. Like Holly Hobbie.

Jolie En Rose

In the Luxembourg Gardens the other day, I walked straight into a movie or TV production in progress. It almost looked like a remake of "Pretty in Pink", with a gallic Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy, with 80's clothes and all. Check out the pink Converse.

At one point, they lifted the bench, with both the actors still seated, to position the scene better. When they were done they yelled "monsieurs et madames, silence...Action!", and then the park was used for what it always should be used for: the kind of kiss you see in the movies..

Some Pics From Luxembourg Gardens 7/3/08

The Luxembourg Gardens at 5pm. The weather was a great post-rain. And there were ponies.
This little guy chased pigeons for about 15 minutes before we finally stopped laughing and left. Watch out kid! They're full of germs.
Jeez...c'mon. Theres'a kid chasing pigeons right next to you.
Classical fountain with floating modern basket weaving sculptures. Lovelier than it sounds. Gina looking at a big head. She's the one in pink.

And What Else Is Going On?

In the afternoon, I ran some errands and then met the rest of the group for a cultural tour of St. Germain de Pres.

Madame Dominique was a charming guide, but it was still boring, so Gina and I skipped out the back stairs of the theater we were visiting and walked up St. Michel to the Seine. We flanneured around and took some pictures and then went for a drink at the Pub St. Germain, which was horrendously expensive for what we got: Gina a very slushy and sweet Mojito, and a filled-to-the-brim-with-Cassis Kir for me. But it was still fun (be on the lookout for a post about soap).

Then we walked around the Luxembourg Gardens, stopped by Monop...to buy snacks (including the fore mentioned cutest snack ever!), and headed back to the dorm for nun dinner. Today's menu: grapefruit, meatloaf nuggets wrapped in bacon, green salad, french/American/freedom fries, brie cheese course, and semolina pudding.

Later on, I took a walk to Monoprix to buy some nun-friendly-lenght pajama shorts and school supplies. I love my new Trapper Keeper!

Get Me to Thee Nunnery

So my dorm is on the Rue de Vaugirard close to the Luxembourg Gradens in the 6th. It is definitely run by nuns, as it was Mother Superior Soeur Marie-Jean who answered the door and gaveme my room assignment.

The room is on the fourth floor of a five floor walk-up, and for once I was glad I only packed what I did. Whew! The room, however, is adorable. Little desk, fireplace with mirror, wardrobe, credenza, and a hidden closet.

As far as facilities, I have a sink in my room, but the toilet is at the end of the hall. Showers are another story.

It's a little like a sorority house at the Dorm of the Saint Famille. There are only two other guys in the house other than me, so it feels a little like "Bossom Buddies", with girls running around in towels and having toenail painting parties (it's true, I saw one on my floor). Anyway, we have an assigned "douche de garcon", in a room on the third floor. So we have to get the key, shower, and make sure we put it back so the next guy can use it. Should be interesting in the mornings. But overall, the place is totally cute and the nuns are nice.

More about nun dinners later, but tonight we had: Pineapple rounds with sour cream, bread, green salad, roasted chicken, chicken cordon bleu, rice with red peppers, a cheese course, and ice cream.