It's hard to believe I'm here after all this time and preparation. I left DFW on Feb 10 and made it to Paris on Feb 11 at 11:30 am. I found my apartment without any difficulty and am getting settle. (The pic below is the door to my apartment building). Its a small but very functional apartment on the six floor of my building. From my balcony I can see over rooftops of my neighborhood. As I write this, I can hear two different church bells tolling in the neighborhood. Luckily, I have an elevator that reaches the fifth floor so I only have to walk up one flight. The oddest part of my apartment is that from the front door you can literally step into the shower. It is immediately on the left as you walk through the front door. It cracks me up. The shower is so narrow that I can't bend over to wash my feet. It's tricky but I still have clean feet. No worries.
My landlady is a very nice woman named Claire-Marie and she is about 60, I'm guessing. She's an artist. She speaks a little English which has been helpful. She is showing me the ropes and has pointed out the best grocery store, the best Boulangerie (bakery) to buy a baguette, and the best Patisserie to buy pastries, and the best butcher.
Paris is divided into 20 Arrond
issements, or districts, each with its own mayor. The 1st through 8th are considered the center of Paris. My apartment is in the
3rd Arrondissement near the Centre Pompidou. I'm only a 10 min walk from Notre Dame. It is quaint and quiet. I'm pleasantly surprised at how quiet things are at night. My school, the Institut Catholique, is located in the 6th Arrondissement and it is a really cool part of town. Tons of cafes, pubs, restaurants and narrow streets. It will be a fun place to explore.
On Monday I went to my school and registered for my classes. I'll be in class about 24 hours a week. I'll be taking General French for 12 hours, French Writing for 6 hours, Conversational French for 3 hours, and French Media for 3 hours. We'll watch the news, read newspapers and discuss current events. My classes start on Feb 22. I'm ready to get busy.
I've been a tourist this week. It has been fun walking around town. I've clocked at least 3 hours a day. Yesterday was sunny and a bit warmer. It was beautiful. I walked up the Champs Elysee and saw the Arc de Triomphe. I tried to go to the Louvre but it was closed. This is just a great city to walk in.
More to come...
