Two Louvre Visits in One Week? Heaven.

On Wednesday we met at the Sainte-Chapelle on the Ile de la Cite. The cathedral was much smaller than any other we've seen so far because it's use was intended only for a very small group of people. Despite it's size the inside of the cathedral is covered in color, gold, and stained glass, making it look like the inside of a glittering jewelry box.

After finishing up at the cathedral, we headed down to the conciergerie which has been used in the past as both a dining hall for soldiers and the jail in which Marie Antoinette was kept before her execution. We walked through the long dining hall and examples of jail cells before heading back out into the world.

The brightly lit dining hall

An example of what essentially was the janitors closet for the jail

We had about a 5 hour break between the conciergerie and our next class at the Louvre, so we voted to head back to the apartment for some grocery shopping, lunching, and napping. After some much needed rest, we headed up to the Louvre, at which point it of course started to pour. For some reason it seems like there's not a very good draining system in Paris, maybe the land is too flat or there just aren't enough gutters, but every time it rains absolutely every piece of ground turns into a very deep puddle. So, once we'd sloshed through the puddles from the metro to the pyramid entrance we damply rode down the escalators into the Louvre. We first headed to an exhibit of the remnants of the medieval wall, which we were all very excited to touch. Who know's who's touched that wall before?? Probably people with a lot of germs.

Then, moving on to the Renaissance, we worked our way up to the French sculpture rooms where we looked at a lot of angels and tomb sculptures.

A classic dragon fight

The scariest tomb marker I've ever seen...

Thursday, we went over to Chateau de Vincennes, an insanely gorgeous estate with a cathedral and a full on castle. Obviously, we all got overwhelmingly excited about the fact that we were visiting a castle, and once we were given free-reign over the area we immediately climbed up to the battlements for the fantastic view.

The stray, and very fat, cat we discovered inside the castle walls

The cathedral was just as amazing as the view, all tall windows and clean white walls.

Today we returned to Notre-Dame in the morning (we spend a lot of time there) in order to walk around and look at the different architecture on each side. There were even larger crowds than usual around the cathedral, so we were all excited to walk around the different facades in order to get away from some of the masses. We also got to pass through the gardens/playground around the cathedral which had beautiful roses in every color and the biggest poppies I've ever seen.

After Notre-Dame we took a quick lunch break and then we were off to the Renaissance and Baroque collections at the Louvre. There, we saw our first paintings of the trip. Up until this point we've been focusing more on architecture and relics, so I was thrilled to get to look at some of the works I'm more familiar with.

The Rape of the Sabine Women (which I studied in Art History this year)

A sculpture of Voltaire (whose work I read in English this year)

I like to play this game when I walk through museums where I look at all the expressions and gestures of people in paintings or sculptures and look for the people doing weird things. For example, this was my favorite of the day:

I giggled at it for a solid minute before I could move on to the next room

After leaving the Louvre we sat outside in the Cour Carrée enjoying the sunshine that had been absent earlier in the day. AND THEN THE BEST THING EVER HAPPENED.

Dramatic pause.

KID PRESIDENT WALKED THROUGH THE SQUARE. AND HE WAS THE COOLEST, CUTEST, MOST WONDERFUL KID I'VE EVER SEEN.

I honestly doubted myself when I first saw him because what if he was just some normal French kid who happened to look like Kid President? But oh no, it was him. Obviously I was very awkward about it and just sort of stared at him in all his awesome, inspiring glory, but I wish I'd gone over to tell him how great I think his videos are and what a difference he's making. Kid President, if you read this, keep up the good work.

To wrap up the week, I'm about to leave for the Eiffel Tower to say goodbye to two friends from America who are unfortunately heading home tomorrow. Believe it or not I haven't actually seen the Tower up close yet, so I'm pretty pumped to see it lit up and glimmering the first time I see it.

Notre-Dame, Musee du Moyen Age, and Chartres

This past weekend was intended for resting and catching up on homework after the long, busy week. Even though I was exhausted enough to never move again, the resting didn't start right away because first thing Saturday morning I headed down to the marché (open air market) a few blocks away. We didn't know what to expect so the first thing we did was walk through the entire market just to get our bearings. I have this fear of upsetting the Parisians simply by being American, so everywhere I go I always stare at everyone and listen to how they pronounce things in an attempt to blend in a little better. This of course is mostly impossible because I speak little to no French, but so far my attempts have been appreciated. After observing the people throughout the market I felt confident in my ability to buy cheese, strawberries, and bread, all of which were very very good. I didn't buy any, but every flower stand was amazingly beautiful as well.

Oh the CHEESE!

On Monday we had a blessedly short class schedule that started at Notre-Dame in the afternoon. Instead of waiting in the massive line of tourists, we sat outside and talked about the west facade. Of course, we'll all go back outside of class when there are fewer people in line so that we can see the inside of the cathedral.

Once we'd gotten enough sun and spent enough time worshipping Notre-Dame, we walked a few blocks back down to the Cluny museum (or the Musee du Moyen Age) where we had been staring through a fence last week. This time we actually went in to the museum to get a look at the remains of statues that had been salvaged from since renovated cathedrals like Notre-Dame.

The exterior of the Cluny Museum 

Today, I woke up at 4:30 in order to be on a bus to Chartres by 5:30. Unfortunately, the bus didn't actually arrive until about 6:15... As you may imagine this meant for a very disorganized, painful, and tired morning. Because of the miscommunication with the bus, our wonderful professor, Maile, bought us all coffee once we got to the Chartres Cathedral. We sat outside a cafe and enjoyed our caffeine before we all felt we could move again and head to our appointment with the Centre International du Vitrail.

Our appointment was with a lovely, fast talking woman who spoke to us about the process of making and restoring the stained glass windows in the famous cathedral.

After that lecture, we headed back to the cathedral to see the windows in action. Though known for it's stained glass, the Chartres cathedral is actually written about in art history texts as a distinctly dark cathedral. But once inside it's easy to see why this description is true and why it's false. The cathedral is currently undergoing a massive cleaning, leaving half of it still buried under dust and soot from candles,  making the walls considerably dark, and the other half pristinely white and well-lit by freshly refinished windows.

Freshly restored stained glass windows

The difference between the cleaned left and the yet to be cleaned right

We finished with a French to English translated tour of the building focused on it's architecture that further demonstrated the awesomeness hidden under dust at Chartres.

Then, we had a nice long break for lunch during which we discovered how perfect the little town of Chartres really is. It's full of small boutiques, winding cobblestoned roads, and local cafes. We settled on a slightly pricey, but well worth the expense, Italian place a few minutes walk from the center of town. I nearly cried with joy to discover that they had a vegetarian pizza on the menu and nearly cried again when I tasted it's deliciousness. 

And it only got better from there... Today I discovered macaron glaces, literally macarons with ice cream in the middle instead of normal cream. I've never been happier. The perfect way to end a beautiful day in the country.

Macaron glace du chocolat

Macaron glace du noix au coco

No Time for Sleep

My first week in Paris has been unbelievable in every aspect. While on one hand it feels like I've been here for months, on the other it feels like it's only been a day. On Tuesday we started at the Roman Arena of Lutecia where we talked about the beginnings of this amazing city during the Roman Empire. While Maile lectured, we all occasionally paused to watch a group of kids in summer camp play on the sand where gladiators once fought lions.

The Roman Arena

After the Arena we stopped by the Baths at the Cluny Museum, which we unfortunately had to look at from behind a fence... Despite the obstructed view, the surprisingly well preserved ruins of the baths were still fascinating to look at.

Once we'd awkwardly peered through a fence at the baths, we took a quick break for lunch and a few of us sought out a little cafe near the Sorbonne to had a celebratory birthday lunch for one of the girls. We then headed to Notre Dame, not for the cathedral, but to see the crypt beneath it (we're big on crypts right now). We were able to look at the location of the old medeaval city's wall, a few remnants of buildings, and plenty of 3D reconstructions.

The crypt at Notre Dame

That night I was lucky enough to meet up with my friend Tricia who's been working in Cannes (yes, that Cannes at that film festival) and is now spending some time in Paris! We had dinner with her friends Moira and Elise on the bank of the Seine right near Notre-Dame. I somehow managed to get myself there and back with very little knowledge of the Parisian subway system, but between confused public transit explorations, I had a wonderful night! We quickly befriended some street performers and attempted to communicate with them, speaking what little french we could while they spoke what little english they could.

Elise rapping with our new friends

Wednesday, we started off at the Carnavalet museum, which is made up of two old mansions and filled with all different centuries of art. Because of the mansion layout, making our way to the room containing Parisii artifacts was confusing but it lead us through rooms of earlier impressionist and classical pieces. After that we took a nice walk through Paris, and by nice walk through Paris, I mean a trek across the entire city. Though my feet ached and my knees creaked with each step, getting to see the city on foot is so much more meaningful than jumping from place to place on the metro (but I'm very content with that one long trip and hope I never have to walk that far again).

National Archives

When Maile said we'd be going to get some "amazing views" of Paris immediately after the walking tour, I thought I might cry out of fear for walking up stairs. Thankfully, the view was at the top of the Galeries Lafayette, a department store with endless escalators leading to a terrace overlooking the entire city. 

On the way, we met Maile's insanely adorable daughter, Matilda, who may not have understood the amazing view, but was definitely entertained by all these girls fawning over her cuteness.

On Thursday we met at Saint-Martin-du-Champs, which is half church half technology museum, which, as you might imagine, is a very interesting combination. We learned about the various parts of cathedrals from this period, while surrounded by things like massive pendulums, old planes, and modern couches.

Next, we moved on to Saint-Germain-de-Prés, a more traditional looking and much larger cathedral. 

Candles within the chapel

Our third, final, and largest cathedral of the day was Saint-Severin. Here we saw the difference between the two different times the church was constructed and reconstructed. At the alter was a glowing cross which stood out from the darker ambulatory behind it because it was ringed with light. Obviously this illumination is very new, but just getting to walk in and see the light glowing at one end was amazing.

We were meant to take a Bateau Mouche ride down the Seine that afternoon, but what with the rainy weather we'd been having we decided to postpone until Friday. Though we chose to move back the boat ride, we did so knowing it would make our already lengthy Friday classes even longer... The day started all the way up at the Basilica Saint-Denis, a 30 minute subway ride away. Though the distance was far, the Basilica was worth it. When the doors opened, we all gasped at the view of the massive, circular window flooding purple and blue light into the room across from us.

After the initial shock of the first window we saw, we entered the church to find further beauty. Here we heard our first presentation from one of our classmates, more will follow as the class progresses.

Our next destination was the Louvre, but we had at least 3 hours between leaving the Basilica and our appointment at the museum. Instead of risking lateness by staying up around Saint-Denis, a group of us voted to head to the Louvre and leisurely get lunch down there so we could leave time for getting lost (which tends to happen relatively frequently). 

We ended up grabbing sandwiches at a little boulangerie a few blocks from the Louvre walls and though we had planned to eat them in the Tuileries gardens, our hunger got the best of us and we ate them while we walked. At one point we asked a shop owner if she knew of a creperie nearby and we were shocked to discover she couldn't name a single one. What do you mean no crepes around here?! We eventually made it to the Tuileries where we spent some time lounging on the grass and appreciating the perfectly manicured lawn (which we later discovered was at least partially manicured by goats) before heading to class.

The Tuileries

The Louvre

Finally, after what felt like the longest day of my entire life, we ended with the postponed Bateau-Mouches trip down the Seine. Thankful to at last have a place to sit, we all ran onto the boat to get the best view. As the sun began to set over the Seine we passed the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Musee d'Orsay, a beautiful end to a long day and an even longer week.

PARIS

Alright, my jet-lagged and disoriented brain has at long last come to the realization that I arrived in Paris yesterday and will be here for the next 6 weeks. There are few things I can say I've ever been this excited about... And I'm pretty excited.

So far, my hotel is lovely. I unexpectedly ended up roommate-less, but it's actually nice to have a quiet place to come back to after a busy day in the city. The room has two beds (which I've been experimenting with squishing into one), a small kitchenette (which I discovered I could make ice in! I don't know why that's exciting but it really is), a TV (which I think I'll watch to try to learn more french), a really modern bathroom, and a closet that I think I've already broken.

Yesterday we all napped whenever possible to try to adjust to the red-eye/time difference problems. But around the naps, we met as a group to go shopping and see the major shopping areas. Our professor even asked at one point if there were any vegetarians among us so she could point out a place to buy TOFU. Thankfully there are a few other vegetarians and I have a feeling we'll be looking into this place... We also got to sit and have a sort of in-country orientation at which we were told to stay away from certain parts of Paris which could be dangerous and how not to talk to strangers trying to take all your money. Pretty informative.

Last night we, all 15 of us, stormed a small restaurant a few minutes away from the hotel. I'm pretty sure the staff was either overwhelmed or just upset by the fact that we were all there and that we were all relatively incapable of successfully ordering our own meals... They were very polite about it though. The food was FANTASTIC. It was a bit of a struggle to get something vegetarian and I ended up having to go against the rules to get two entrees instead of one entree and a main plate, but again the waitstaff was incredibly nice about it. I ended up ordering a goat cheese salad and a vegetable soup, both of which were filling, savory, and wonderful. The waiter had this tendency to replace the bread bowl anytime the chunks of baguette dwindled below 3. While this was entertaining to watch and really quite courteous, it meant we all ate a whole lot of bread. But I mean what else am I here to do besides eat bread?

Ok I am here to do more than eat bread (but I'm mostly here to eat bread), I'm here to look at ART! Today we're meeting at the Roman Arena and later visiting the Museum of Archeology and the baths at the Musee National du Moyen Age. As you can see, we're starting with medieval works, which isn't really my specialty, but getting to see any art, architecture, etc. is all I want to do here (besides eat bread. Have I mentioned how much I love French bread?).

From what I've seen so far, this trip will be jam packed with walking tours of the city, various museum visits, and day trips outside of Paris. It's going to be exhausting, thrilling, and fascinating and I'm so excited to begin!

Currently Obsessing Over...

Erdem Resort '14

I will always and forever be a massive fan of Erdem, but this collection is just AMAZING. The clean lines, the blend of masculine and feminine, the smattering of florals with neon touches. The white gown even looks a little Jason Wu, which I absolutely love as well. I'll be dreaming about this collection for a while, I guarantee it.

Photo from: Style.com

Levo Leauge

I just discovered this website after watching a video about it's co-founder on Refinery29. I'm fairly certain it was made for me, or at the very least definitely made for young women like me. The site is all about inspiring women and girls to succeed in the workplace, connecting users with mentors, and providing job opportunities. It's filled with advice, drive, and amazing, successful women. 

Photo from: Levo League

Mister Epic Mann

It started with the "How Animals Eat Their Food" video... And now I just can't stop watching. I honestly don't know what it is, but, essentially, every one of his videos is so insanely ridiculous that you can't help but laugh and re-watch and laugh and re-watch. I love it.

Mister Epic Mann

This Herschel Supply Co. Backpack from Madewell

I've been searching for a cute, but practical, backpack to use in Paris since I got home from school. I've got weird, sensitive joints and general back issues so the thought of carrying around a heavy purse was beginning to sincerely stress me out. I'm also a horribly picky shopper, especially when I have something specific I'm looking for, so the search didn't start off in a great way. BUT THEN, I walked into Madewell just hoping to find a cute skirt (which of course I did) and discovered this beauty, one of two left, in the back of the store. The army green color offsets the preppy polka dots and the leather zipper pulls make it seem like more than just a backpack. It's everything I wanted and more.

Photo from: Madewell

Madewell Fall 2013 Lookbook

This collection is all I want to wear for the rest of my life. Seriously, I only ask two things: that it perpetually be fall and that I can have everything in this fall collection to wear for the perfect weather.

The clothes are all plaid, stripes, leather, and denim, perfectly thrown together in the most casual and elegant way. There's a little bit of androgyny in the button downs and loose shapes, but the pairings with little ballet flats and feminine skirts create a nice balance. What I take away from this collection is a feeling of sheer comfort, confidence, and practicality. I mean just look at all the ankle boots! I'd wear every one of those with anything in my closet and certainly with anything else in this collection.

Bravo, Madewell! I can't wait to get my hands on these pieces.

Photos from: Lucky

Nike ID x Liberty of London

Highsnobette

Before I begin my rant, take a second to appreciate how glorious Nike and Liberty of London are as individual brands, now imagine them working together as one. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW WONDERFUL THIS IS? I don't even like running but if I had a pair I'd run 8 miles with them every day of my life (minor exaggeration, I will say they would get way more use than my current sneakers). And don't even get me started on the hightops, they're the perfect combination of sporty and girly, I've already styled them with 5 different looks in my head. They work with everything from a summery sundress and denim jacket to cuffed jeans and a clean white t-shirt. I know I need these shoes to be added to my wardrobe. 

While I count how much money I've saved up for my sneaker fund, you can shop the collection here.