6 Million Underground

Let me start by saying that Paris is a beautiful city. Most of the people here look like models and dress impeccably. The buildings are ones that you can only imagine and wish desperately to live in. There are flower stores littering the city and the most amazing smelling bakeries on just about every street corner. But Paris also has a very dark history to it. Today, we visited one of the most well known places that Paris has been hiding underground for the past 250 years, the Catacombs. Beginning in the 18th century, these quarries of Paris started to be filled with deceased since ground space in Paris had begun to dwindle. The common practice of burying bodies near churches and cathedrals became a growing problem within the city limits. To fix the problem bodies were unearthed, driven through the city at night under black sheets, and taken into the mines. This practice continued for over 100 years. Walking through the catacombs, you see how precisely stacked all of the bodies are, all 6 million of them. That is the population of Atlanta, times three! To enter the catacombs, you enter the site of a very normal looking building, then walk down what seemed like a million steps of a spiral staircase. Descending to the mines made me so dizzy that I needed to stop a few times to get my bearings back. At first, you don't arrive to where the bodies are stored. You walk through a vast amount of tunnels and even a small set of lit arches. The catacombs are also known for having grand "goth" parties, and thinking that people would want to come down here for a vast amount of time is scary. It was one of the spookiest feelings, with the dimly lit tunnels, the cold temperatures, and the muggy, moist air that filled the area. We finally reached where the bones were and I was shocked at the how piled and orderly the final resting place seemed to be. Spenser managed to take a photo for me, which was a feat since those working in the catacombs yelled every time you took a flash photo. We learned to just say sorry and move on. There were tombstones that signified where the bodies had come from and the years that they were moved. Thinking that these unmarked bones could be a family member is very strange, and I am surprised that in history more backlash to this practice had not occurred. The stacks seemed to go on forever (it was a 45 minute walk through the tunnel), and there were many rows of bones that were not even open for the public to see. By far, this had to be one of the creepiest places that I have ever visited. However, on a completely different note, today is National running day in the US. So, in light of this I officially have signed up for my next big race! After completing the Disney Half Marathon, I want to feel that rush again and the accomplishment that comes with it. In November, I will be running my first FULL Marathon in Savannah, GA with the Rock 'n Roll Racing series. I am so excited, and glad that I have officially signed up, meaning I am locked into this training and there is no turning back now!

Roland Garros and The French Open

Finally, we made it to the French Open!! It was a little of a hit and miss getting the logistics down at first, but we did it. Now, I am not a huge tennis fiend, but I do love watching the pure talent that these athletes display. I have a special appreciation for tennis because it is just one of those sports that I was never the best at. A lot of my friends and especially my family are great at it, but me... I struggle somewhat. Struggle may be the understatement. I usually end up lobbing it full force over the 20 foot nets. These athletes would do nothing of the sort. Serving in excess of 100 miles and hour and quickly moving after those fast paced balls is something I wish I could do. When we first arrived at Roland Garros, all of the girls immediately went to the "Boutique". There, the people working behind the carter started singing the "Hokey Pokey" in French with the huge tennis balls! Mom and Dan, if you are reading this, I may have a surprise for you two when I get back! Then we immediately headed to the frozen yogurt stand (of course). I've been noticing a pattern of shopping and then getting some sort of dessert as a daily occurrence, and I am in no way complaining. We finally arrived at one of the stadiums to watch a mixed doubles game. It was between Petrova/J.Murray and Makarova/Soares. Petrova is one of the top 10 females and Murray is the brother of a top 5 male player, according to Nicole. She was definitely the most knowledgeable about the different players and the whole sport in general. It was a really neat and unique experience, and one that I am glad we got to enjoy for the day.

Normandie Weekend

I am making sure that this blog post goes up tonight because I feel that this week will be another world-wind and I want to make sure I don't leave out details from this amazing weekend in France. I think we may be headed to the French Open tomorrow, let's hope! After attempting to watch long videos on D-day and 1066, we headed off to Normandie (Normandy) on a bus early Friday morning. 4 hours and an Americano coffee later, we arrived at the first stop, Caen-Normandie Memorial. It was filled with WWII items and history. The interior of the museum was very neat, with pieces of old walls placed within, showing some of the damage done to structures and the graffiti written on the walls. This is also where the famous "Non-violence" statue of a knotted gun is, positioned right outside of the museum behind an array of different flags. After the museum, we headed to Omaha Beach, known for the date of June 6, 1944. It is a beautiful beach, but very eerie. No one is really "playing" on the sand, but rather taking the time to reflect in silence or by strolling down the once blood red beaches to remember the lives lost and the unimaginable bravery displayed by every man that stepped foot on that very place. After climbing back up the steep hills that lead down to the beach, we visited the American cemetery. It is hard to describe in words the shock that you feel when you see how many graves are located there. There is no seeing the end, only white crosses that go on forever. There are some graves that belong to the unknown, and a large amount of men were taken back to their homes by request of their family. It was beautifully designed, and a place where they can truly be respected. Finally, as far as WWII sites go, we visited Point du Hoc, which sits on a very steep cliff on the ocean. It is littered with large craters, twisted wires, and dark, deep shelters. This is where you see the lasting effects of war on a landscape. Our "surprise" for the day was to visit an orchard that is known for their calvados and apple cider (essentially similar to an apple-flavored wine). The calvados was strong, but sweet, and the apple cider and apple juice we tasted was refreshing. I ended up buying a bottle of the cider, which is in a pretty blue bottle and the traditional wire covered cork. Finally, it was time to go to our hotel and eat a long awaited meal in Normandie. At Cafe Bois Charbon, I ordered the Salade Terre et Mer, which was sauteed mushrooms, bacon, smoked salmon, and foie gras (fattened duck liver). This was the first time I have tried it, and it was not too bad. Definitely different, but I decided taking some risks in food while here is the right thing to do. I also had a sample of escargot, which turned out to be better than I remembered. We also ordered red wine to go with the rest of the meal, which involved Confit de Canard (duck with potatoes), and Moulleux ay Chocolat (chocolate cake). I was so full from our meal that I practically rolled myself back to the hotel. After a nice sleep but then waking up to a piercing phone ring, we headed to the British cemetery, which contained very different headstones from the American cemetery. The inscriptions and seeing the young ages of soldiers brought me to tears. There was also a large structure across the main cemetery that commemorated the 1,807 soldiers who have no known grave. This Bayeux (pronounced Bayou) War Cemetery is the largest commonwealth cemetery, and contains soldiers from not just Britain, but Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Poland, etc... We then went to the Musee Memorial 1944 Bataille de Normandie. It provided very similar information to the other museums, but it also had tanks and other vehicles used out on display. We managed to get a picture with one of the tanks outside, and then headed to see the very old history of Normandie, which involved the war of 1066. Inside this next museum contained the Tapisserie de Bayeux, a 70 meter long tapestry that depicted the story of the battle of 1066, or the Battle of Hastings which was the Norman conquest England. The artwork is almost 1000 years old, being done during the High Middle Ages. We finally headed back to Paris, and got ready for an amazing night out. We returned to the Irish Pub on St.Denis, and walked into a bar packed full of futbol loving men watching the Barcelona- Manchester United game. After a 3-1 win by Barcelona and being jammed packed in a sea of foreign men (some not too fresh smelling), we finally found an area to dance in the basement. It had the strobe lights and DJ and everything that we had been looking for, rather than just sitting and enjoying a beer. Everyone was out, and I think everyone can say they had one of the best nights on the town thus far.

Nonstop Tourist

The past few days have become somewhat of a blur for me. Due to the unfortunate internet that our dorm has provided, I was unable to update my blog, and I feel that the past fews days have completely packed! On Tuesday, a few of the girls decided that Luxembourg gardens, museum, and palace would be a good place to sight see. Well, it ended up that the temporary artist who was on display at the museum had just finished the day before, so unfortunately we could not go into the museum. The Palace is where, I read, France houses their Senate. So, there were guards surrounding and we decided that viewing the gardens and enjoying the very quiet sitting area in front of the palace would be a good idea. It was amazing the amount of people in the area and the lack of noise. In America, I feel that I would barely be able to hear myself talking. After the gardens, we gave into our banane et nutella crepe craving, and found the best creperie we have had, a long ways down a small off-beat road. The crepes and nutella in this city is why I know I will gain some weight. It is almost impossible to turn down the food here though. I have not had one bad thing. I believe the rest of the night was calm, since the next day we knew that it would also be a long day. After classes, we headed out again to Notre Dame, the Patheon, and just walk around the area as a large group. Dr. Lessl lead the way, since it was actually his classes "outing" that we were tagging along for. I wish I knew more of Paris' history and the meanings behind many of the Catholic symbols strewn throughout. I am a Catholic, but trying to remember all of those Sunday school and church lessons has proved difficult. The night started off early, right after the tour actually at "Australian Bar". We also found the Irish Pub that is now a spot we will seem to be going to often. Happy hour got the best of most of us, but we headed on the metro back to St. John's to clean up after a long day of touring and get ready for the fun that was about to happen. The night involved falling down wooden steps, singing in the typical loud American fashion, and then closing the night downstairs with Brie and Park playing during the open Mic night. One of the most memorable songs had to be "Wagon Wheel", since no one knew a whole verse but somehow we managed to twang our voices enough so it still seemed like we knew what we were saying. The next day involved lots of WWII and the Battle of 1066 movies, since we were traveling to Normandy for the weekend.

Kilts = nothing else

Today was the first day of classes, and actually turned into a really event packed day. Classes only last for about 2 hours, and end around noon which works out well since the whole day is still available for travel and tourism. I really wanted to visit the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore that is located right next to Notre Dame. So in one day, I was able to see both, and it was only about a short 15 minute walk or so from St. John's. Shakespeare and Co. is full of books in English, stacked from floor to ceiling. They have two levels as well, the first being books for sale and the second floor containing a sitting area and piano where you could sit and read all of the very old books they have on display. Unfortunately you can't purchase the books on the second floor, but it is very neat to see them and think of the types of struggling writers that used to pass through this area. After purchasing a book that questioned who really wrote Shakespeare's works and getting it stamped with the store's seal, we headed to Notre Dame. We didn't enter the crypt, towers, or treasury since it did cost some Euros, but it is on my list for things to do before I leave. We headed back, not getting lost again fortunately, and then headed to dinner that ISA had arranged for us. It included salad, Coke (which is very good here), wine, chicken/rice, and some sort of pudding. It was very good (and free for us!). After, we all headed to search for the bars and pubs in the Notre Dame/Louvre area. We ended up finding one, which immediately started playing Britney Spears when we entered. The drinks here are so expensive. I told one person there that we paid $1 a drink in Athens, and he laughed in my face. A liquor drink was 5 Euros, which would equal about $7.50 in America, and that was the Monday special. The bar continued to play American music, and then 4 guys from a Rugby team came in. They had small saucers around their necks, and they told me they had just completed a 42-bar red wine shot "marathon". They also went to show me that they didn't wear underwear under their long kilts. Onewas so nice as to take a pic with me and prove it. There were two English men, one from Scotland, and another from Ireland. After leaving the bar, we started using the map to navigate our way back. We still wanted to dance though, so we ran into another club with no cover that we saw. When we walked in it was completely dark, and looked somewhat like a strip club with green laser light dots going crazy. We tried to find the "toilets" and they were 5 stories up. The waitress there was not too excited with us, so we headed back out trying to find our way around Paris at 1 am. We also found a Rue de Christine on the way back. I have NEVER seen anything with my name on it, so that was pretty neat and rare for me. After finally making it home, we got ready to crash, but not until photos from the night were up and Jason HAD to show us "Kendall on racist field trip" video on youtube. If you haven't watched it, I strongly recommend doing so. We were laughing so loudly that the security guard ran up and started yelling at us in French. Whoops. Tomorrow has a lot to live up to.

Classes already?

So, I know that I am supposed to be studying abroad in Paris, but that is pretty much the last thing on my mind. I plan on shopping, eating, and soaking up the culture. I want to gain the full experience and live the Parisian lifestyle. The food, wine, freedom that people have, and the relaxed lifestyle that is very apparent. But, there are classes that I must take if I want to live the rest of the 6 weeks here. So, I am writing this post to avoid reading for these classes. It is not much, just an article or two a day. But after you have already graduated, have a job in place, and are thinking much more about the amazing city you live in, it is really hard to find any ounce of motivation. Today was Sunday in Paris, which is very relaxed. Many of the bakeries, cafes, and less-tourist flocked areas are closed. All of the clothing stores are closed today around us. There are a few little restaurants and the grocery store. So for dinner, instead of the usual bakery pizza or sandwich followed by a pastry, I went for the crackers and brie cheese with some fruit. Delicious! Why does everything taste better in Paris? Well, less preservatives for one, which makes everything much more fresh! You will not see the same fruit or vegetables sitting out in the store the next day. Everything is either sold or gotten rid of each day. I literally think I could live just off of the fruit here. Earlier, we went to the Arc de Triomphe and visited some of the stores in the area. It is a hub for tourists. The H&M is one of the largest. I visited the Nike Paris store so I could buy some socks and a performance shirt. I actually went running today and passed by the Eiffel Tower during it. Probably the most memorable run I have had besides the one where I ran under the UGA arches for the first time (Yes, first time I walked through the arches I was actually running). Also, at the Arc de Triomphe area, which is in an area called Champs-Elysees, we visited an apparently "famous" bakery called Paul, where I snapped a photo before they yelled at me for doing so. There were also street performers and of course we had to get a photo in front of the arc. It was also the first day we really understood and got to use the metro. Success for the day!

My first French Kiss

It was another day of miles upon miles of walking. We still have yet to actually plan a day, which always turns out interesting. We woke up late, but were determined to meet up with friends at the Louvre in the afternoon. After walking in an hour long loop in the somewhat wrong direction, we ended up getting lunch at a small bakery with sandwiches and pastries, then finally walking the correct way. We didn't actually tour the Louvre today, but just took some pictures in the area. It is massive, more than you can imagine. The buildings tower over you and are all masked with beautiful architecture. We headed back quickly to our dorms, and decided that tonight we wanted to go out and see a little more of the city after dark. After more getting lost, having too big a group, and not really knowing what to do, a small group of us discovered a small bar in the 5 District. The people were wonderful! The bartender and waiter loved us, and the music was live and in English/French, which was really neat. They were playing clarinet, oboe, and the piano I believe. We even spotted that Ray Charles had been a patron of this tiny little place, after spotting a photo of him with the owner. We witnessed some parties going on in the building above us, and even a practically naked man painting his ceiling at midnight. It was all very relaxing, and we really got to enjoy the vibe of Parisian life. After finishing our glasses of wine, we headed back home, but not before saying "Bonne nuit" to our new friends and receiving our first French kisses from the waiter on both cheeks. We all were giddy about our "first French kiss" and headed home, ready to enjoy some of the shopping and more tourism that we will be doing tomorrow.