Can't believe my birthday was yesterday, feels like weeks ago. Today has been chock-a-block full. Of goodness, of course. While yesterday was spent gloriously strolling the streets, staring in awe at the bizarre ways of the French, visiting every Boulangerie we could find and stopping every 5 metres to take photos of the buildings, today was exhausting. In the best possible way.
Setting my alarm for 7am when jet-lag hasn't fully fled my body was hard enough, waking up at 7.10 (luckily) to find the phone I had set my alarm on was still on New Zealand time and not going to go off was harder. Shower and breakfast rush complete in 30 minutes, we made it to the metro station in enough time. We thought. Mastering the metro was never going to be easy but figuring out the strange system in the midst of rush hour traffic in a city of 8 million is like flying to the moon in a teacup.
When we finally found the right metro and the numerous transfers (3, yes 3) were complete we arrived at Boulevard St Germain to realise we had no idea how to get to l'universite from there. Thank God for friendly locals. For a city blasted for its tight lipped, stern faced residents, I have only encountered the friendliest bunch. Pointed in the right direction we found Sciences Po. Situated in one of the most beautiful and old arrondisements of Paris, the batiment is undeniably stunning. Gaining a free t-shirt and signing up for the first bank we were approached by, we then gathered in the biggest amphitheatre I have possibly ever seen.
While I'm not normally one to find delight in sitting in a wooden chair for 3 hours in intense heat, it was amazing. Every presentation was delivered in both french and english and the array of activities, groups and offers we were told about was exciting to say the least. I can already see the semester will end before I know it and I will spend all Christmas begging SP to let me stay longer.
Our lecture was followed by a short trip to the Monoprix to buy le dejeuner (un sandwich jambon et un orangina pour moi) and un pic nic at the Luxembourg gardens. Come on. How cool is that. The park was filled with parents and young children on the playground, old men playing petanque and yelling avidly at each other, men and women playing tennis at the free courts and tourists strolling the pavements, looking every which way to soak up the glory. I include myself in this last category.
We walked back to SP, through rows of the highest end shops (think Chanel, Dior and Cartier) which signify SP's location in one of the most prosperous arrondisements. This was followed by another lecture on essay writing (this time the room had gained 10 degrees).
When we managed to escape, I joined two American's to stroll the streets for Ben and Jerry's. Mission overrided: we found Haagen Daaz (total spelling guess, please ignore inaccuracies). We ate outside Le Deux Magots, the well known cafe due to its prestigious clients (back in the day obviously, though I still looked to see if Brad Pitt or Madonna was luxuriating there with a cafe au lait).
As I write this the sounds of young boys playing soccer waft in my window, the humid Paris night air an invitation not to miss. Tonights plan involves the second stop of SP's 'one bar a night' acitivity. Let's hope the metro is kind to me this time.
Paris in summer is unbeatable.
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