J’adore des crêpes!

On Monday, I woke up, prepared for the pouring rain, and went in search of a French textbook and some school supplies. Things didn’t go according to plan, but I got everything I needed, which is good…and now at least I know where the stores are located. 

On Tuesday, I had coffee with a friend of my dad's at her Gallery on Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, which was an experience in itself. In addition to lovely conversation, my walkabout took me past tons of interesting art galleries and fashion houses. Afterwards, I walked down the Avenue Marigny, unbeknownst to me past the Palais de l'Elysee, then across the Champ d’Elysee with views of the Arch De Triomphe and La Place de la Concord, past the Grand Palais, across le Pont Alexandre III, in front of the Hôtel des Invalides, and then got on the metro and headed to the area where my school is located.

Once I arrived, I decided to go in search of some lunch, and did a little window-shopping on the way. For lunch, I stopped by a little boulangerie and got a ham sandwich and a chocolate éclaire, which I ate a nearby park, despite the near freezing temperature. Next, I needed some warming up, so I stopped by the library and read some French fashion magazines and perused their art history section.

By the time I had done all this, I was getting near time for my class, so I headed back to the school, where I had my first session of Luxury Marketing. After just one day, I love this course. Not only are we learning about the principles of luxury marketing, but also learning how to apply and interpret them. For instance, we analyzed print ads by Chanel, Cartier, and Dior, full of symbolism and subliminal message that are meant to evoke certain desires in the viewer and/or consumer. After my class, I went home for dinner with my host family, and got some much needed sleep.

Today, I had my intensive French class again, which was amazing. First we went to a crêperie in Montparnasse. I had no idea that there were some many different types and varieties of crêpes. For my meal, I got a salad with white asparagus, a galette with egg, ham, and cheese, and a crêpe with stewed apples and sugar! After this wonderful and filling lunch, we took to metro to the Eiffel Tower, where we boarded a double-decker bus tour. While it was too cold to sit on the open top deck, I really appreciated getting to see Paris without having to walk everywhere. It really reinforced my sense of where things are and made me more comfortable to go out exploring again. Next on my list are the Louvre, St. Chapelle, and the area around L’Opera Garnier…a.k.a. major window shopping! Tomorrow, I have my last session of Intensive French and on Saturday, I am going to Versailles with my school, so rest assured that more photos are coming!