In short, all of the adventures I've had these past two weeks.
I flew into Bologna from Paris and found myself up a creek without a paddle having missed my train. Luckily, I met two guys on the flight (an Argentinian and an Italian) who were kind enough to drive me the hour drive to Rimini. It was a comical flight; as you know I speak French and English, whereas these two gentlemen spoke Italian and Spanish. No common language meant relying on what little (and I mean little) knowledge I still retained on Spanish and theirs on English. It was great to meet them both- very sweet and friendly. I also met another ultimate team based in Paris during my flight. I think I will start playing with them this upcoming week!
The hotel I stayed at was beautiful, but Paganello was so special because my teammates were such exceptional people. Girl Drink Drunk (my team) was comprised of players from all over the world, I like to refer to as the UN actually. And it was such a great tournament. 4 days of crazy beach ultimate- 5 crazy parties that ended around 8am and a team full of wonderful people. I saw some incredible beach ultimate, met the author of one of my favorite ultimate books, met the creaters of FiveUltimate (a big brand of ultimate gear), and played some decent ultimate myself. I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of my life. I was so impressed by the sheer numbers of players- over 1,500! I can't quite explain how silly and crazy my team was, but I recommend you check out facebook pictures if you're interested in a visual aid.
Then I moved on to Florence that Tuesday with one of my teammates Peter, a Chicagoan! We situated ourselves in a very swanky hotel (only for one night though) and then he moved on. In Florence I saw two replicas of Michaelango's David, Il Duomo (a gorgeous cathedral) and adored the beautiful architecture. It seems as though the city itself has progressed into the 21st century, but the buildings themselves savor the traditional architecture of the 1700s. Very beautiful. I had the lucky chance of meeting an excellent gentleman from Holland over my trip and we found a high point in the city overlooking all of Florence. Later on in the trip I also met another Paganello player from San Diego- very cool guys.
Moving (quickly) onto Rome, I met up with a high school friend who is originally German but is currently studying there in Rome. Worked out well for me, I was happy to see my friend, and he was kind enough to show me Rome and the Vatican City. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the Vatican City because my camera batteries died! Unlucky huh? But I got great shots of the Pantheon and the Colosseum. It's always such a shocker when, after studying these huge monuments in school, you finally witness them for yourself. Quite a shock!
Gelato itself deserves its own paragraph. It is God's greatest gift to humankind (and the greatest curse to my waistline). However, it is an incredibly delicious dessert. I credit the best gelato I had to that I ate in Rimini... Stratiacella (or something) forever! Thankfully they don't have gelato like that in Paris because I would immediately substitute for all of my meals and be happy gaining 2390721 pounds!
Although I enjoyed my Italian vacation I was just happy to come back to Paris. I was homesick for Paris, forgive me for saying so, but I have really discovered my nitch here, at least for this point in my life. I can't be happier to be back. I'm getting ready for a dinner party tonight with some friends I haven't seen in a while (the two weeks I've been gone) and just feel happy to be back in my element.
I miss everybody from home, as well. There's nothing like home and hugs, but I find it easy to be apart because I remember something that my Daddy has told me since the day he started traveling. "I don't miss you because I take you with me everywhere I go in my heart". And that's exactly where you all are, in my heart.
mardi 21 avril 2009
lundi 6 avril 2009
Chez Francoise, on mange bien
After a 3-day weekend in a sweet little town (less than 1,000 people) in the French countryside, it's safe to say I've gained at least 5 pounds from eating better than I have my entire stay in France. My auntie (however much removed) played a magnificent hostess to myself and about 15 other family members over the weekend. My arrival on Saturday started off with a delicious beef roast with carrots and potatoes- it reminded me of a dish my mom makes and that I love. Then I took a well-needed nap (I was out a little late the night before) and woke up to find out that everybody was already there! So, I quickly descended to meet my extended french family members. We drank and ate (steak, shishkabobs, vegetables, etc) well into the night. I enjoyed cheeses of many flavors, wines, champagne, only to get up on Sunday and to do it all again. It was wonderful to meet (and re-meet) some of my cousins. My aunt and uncle have two sons- 25 and 22. I can't forget about Caline- their sweet little puppy! I won't spend the rest of this blog recounting the smaller details (if you want to know, ask me) but everyone sends big hugs and kisses back to the States. I already miss my family, however removed they may be. It was just like coming home. I also received beautiful gifts from the families- it was such a pleasure to be there for the weekend and I hope to go back soon.
mercredi 1 avril 2009
Springing into Action
I know it's been too long since I've last written, so forgive me for making this blog ridiculously long (and I'll forgive you for not reading it all).
A few weeks ago I was at the Louvre, where we were introduced to some less well known, but still impressive, masterpieces. Our guide, a witty and charming Frenchman described the Louvre as "wider than Chicago!" Another hilarious reference to home.
Other than attending classes, I was disappointed to miss two of my favorite people celebrating their birthdays this past week- my awesome dad Frank and my great friend Manny. Lucky for me, Manny and I celebrated together shortly after his actual birthday- he spent spring break in Paris! After picking him up Saturday morning we spent the day roaming around Paris in glorious sunlight and after a delicious dinner we went to a concert of a band called The Blue Embers.
The next day Manny and I ventured to an indoor ultimate tournament in Poissy with Les Phoenix de Montrouge and it was honestly magic to play together again; the French style of ultimate is in no way inferior to that of the US, but it is certainly different than that to which we are used, so Manny and I made many beautiful connections and just had a blast. For those of you who play ultimate, you'll have to ask him what "Le Knife" is. Ha! Many of my teammates and fellow ultimate players admired his speed and quickness, and also dubbed him "Manu" for the weekend. I'm still not sure how Manny wasn't affected by jet lag- magic? The week was crazy- we threw a disc at Champs de Mars infront of the Eiffel Tour, spent hours at Gilbert Jeune (a multi-building bookstore that has books in every language about everything!), hung out with friends, enjoyed home-cooked french meals (believe it or not, I was cooking!), go to cafes, went to Montmartre/Sacre-Coeur, discovered a quaint and spectacular park similar and more private than Montmartre, and just had fun.
I had a program outing that Wednesday to the Galerie Ballet to see the spectacle "Le Parc", which is a modern and interesting ballet. I certainly can't dance with that much beauty and grace! I also ventured to the Musee de l'art et deco. There, our guide demonstrated the progression of furniture throughout the late 17th century up through modern day furniture. I personally enjoyed a beautifully sculpted chest full of string instruments (the cello was the most beautiful and ornate I have ever seen). Oh! After the ballet, I was treated to a home-made Italian cuisine by a friend. It was delizioso!
Alas, Manny's time here was far too short. He left Friday as I was leaving for a group excursion to Marseille. I was sad to see him go and felt the lack of his presence for Manny days after he left. In Marseille, we saw one of the biggest ports of France; it is a beautiful coastal city in the South of France (what is referred to as Midi) and it was very lovely. Unfortunately, all of the city was destroyed during the Second World War and as a result of the reconstruction, Marseille lacks the winding roads and allies which I love so much in Paris. Although the weather was not that pleasant, we still enjoyed the port- I saw fish markets (cool but SMELLY), spring flowers in bloom, and had an excellent tour of a church whose history spans over 2,000 years of different religions and demoninations. That was by far my favorite part of Marseille. Oh! And we enjoyed some delicious orange-infused chocolate in the oldest patisserie of Marseille. Yum!
The following week was dreary, not only because Manny was gone, but because the sun went with him! Unfortunately, it rained and it was overcast for the majority of last week. This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting up with the McDonalds- Jen and Mac- who are parents of a friend from Bradley, Maggie. We spent the day touring Paris, munching on yummies, and enjoying each other's company. The next day they departed to take their nephew to a study abroad program, so their visit was short. However, it made me very happy. Mac and Jen are wonderful people.
The Friday night beforehand, my friend and I stopped by a local bar and made friends with the barman who happens to be a very hospitable Frenchman. We now frequent Xavier's to enjoy a cafe or just to say hi since the first night we met him. The next night a bunch of friends had an evening of aperos (including home-made pizza) and then attended another Blue Embers concert at the Trabendo, a concert venue in the 20th. After a crazy night, I was beat!
Finally catching up to the somewhat present, I spent the afternoon with some Americans outside of the Centre Pompidou enjoying an assortment of live musicians. Among the performances, I was ecstatic to witness a violinist play one of my favorite Hungarian Dances numbers by Johann Brahms! The sun was out today and along with it Parisiens enjoying ice cream, eating lunch, outside drinking coffee and so on. It was a beautiful spring day in Paris.
Well, I'm exhausted, all this thinking wears me out. A bientot. Love, Lauren
A few weeks ago I was at the Louvre, where we were introduced to some less well known, but still impressive, masterpieces. Our guide, a witty and charming Frenchman described the Louvre as "wider than Chicago!" Another hilarious reference to home.
Other than attending classes, I was disappointed to miss two of my favorite people celebrating their birthdays this past week- my awesome dad Frank and my great friend Manny. Lucky for me, Manny and I celebrated together shortly after his actual birthday- he spent spring break in Paris! After picking him up Saturday morning we spent the day roaming around Paris in glorious sunlight and after a delicious dinner we went to a concert of a band called The Blue Embers.
The next day Manny and I ventured to an indoor ultimate tournament in Poissy with Les Phoenix de Montrouge and it was honestly magic to play together again; the French style of ultimate is in no way inferior to that of the US, but it is certainly different than that to which we are used, so Manny and I made many beautiful connections and just had a blast. For those of you who play ultimate, you'll have to ask him what "Le Knife" is. Ha! Many of my teammates and fellow ultimate players admired his speed and quickness, and also dubbed him "Manu" for the weekend. I'm still not sure how Manny wasn't affected by jet lag- magic? The week was crazy- we threw a disc at Champs de Mars infront of the Eiffel Tour, spent hours at Gilbert Jeune (a multi-building bookstore that has books in every language about everything!), hung out with friends, enjoyed home-cooked french meals (believe it or not, I was cooking!), go to cafes, went to Montmartre/Sacre-Coeur, discovered a quaint and spectacular park similar and more private than Montmartre, and just had fun.
I had a program outing that Wednesday to the Galerie Ballet to see the spectacle "Le Parc", which is a modern and interesting ballet. I certainly can't dance with that much beauty and grace! I also ventured to the Musee de l'art et deco. There, our guide demonstrated the progression of furniture throughout the late 17th century up through modern day furniture. I personally enjoyed a beautifully sculpted chest full of string instruments (the cello was the most beautiful and ornate I have ever seen). Oh! After the ballet, I was treated to a home-made Italian cuisine by a friend. It was delizioso!
Alas, Manny's time here was far too short. He left Friday as I was leaving for a group excursion to Marseille. I was sad to see him go and felt the lack of his presence for Manny days after he left. In Marseille, we saw one of the biggest ports of France; it is a beautiful coastal city in the South of France (what is referred to as Midi) and it was very lovely. Unfortunately, all of the city was destroyed during the Second World War and as a result of the reconstruction, Marseille lacks the winding roads and allies which I love so much in Paris. Although the weather was not that pleasant, we still enjoyed the port- I saw fish markets (cool but SMELLY), spring flowers in bloom, and had an excellent tour of a church whose history spans over 2,000 years of different religions and demoninations. That was by far my favorite part of Marseille. Oh! And we enjoyed some delicious orange-infused chocolate in the oldest patisserie of Marseille. Yum!
The following week was dreary, not only because Manny was gone, but because the sun went with him! Unfortunately, it rained and it was overcast for the majority of last week. This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting up with the McDonalds- Jen and Mac- who are parents of a friend from Bradley, Maggie. We spent the day touring Paris, munching on yummies, and enjoying each other's company. The next day they departed to take their nephew to a study abroad program, so their visit was short. However, it made me very happy. Mac and Jen are wonderful people.
The Friday night beforehand, my friend and I stopped by a local bar and made friends with the barman who happens to be a very hospitable Frenchman. We now frequent Xavier's to enjoy a cafe or just to say hi since the first night we met him. The next night a bunch of friends had an evening of aperos (including home-made pizza) and then attended another Blue Embers concert at the Trabendo, a concert venue in the 20th. After a crazy night, I was beat!
Finally catching up to the somewhat present, I spent the afternoon with some Americans outside of the Centre Pompidou enjoying an assortment of live musicians. Among the performances, I was ecstatic to witness a violinist play one of my favorite Hungarian Dances numbers by Johann Brahms! The sun was out today and along with it Parisiens enjoying ice cream, eating lunch, outside drinking coffee and so on. It was a beautiful spring day in Paris.
Well, I'm exhausted, all this thinking wears me out. A bientot. Love, Lauren
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