Champagne, Amsterdam, & A Castle!

Bonjour mes amis,

I apologize for the delayed post. I have been very busy sightseeing, traveling, and STUDYING. Yes, school has started and I spend a great deal of my time each day doing french grammar exercises. But no worries, I have had plenty of time to continue my adventures around Paris and Europe.

Two weekends ago, my friends and I took a day trip to Champagne. Not only was the trip delicious, but we learned a lot about the process of making champagne. Just a quick tip, if the grapes were not grown and fermented in the Champagne region of France, the bubbly beverage cannot be referred to as "champagne," but it is merely a sparkling wine. Therefore, the three dollar bottle of Andre that can be found in the grocery store, and purchased in bulk on New Years Eve, does not qualify.



In honor of Valentines, we got to taste a Rose after our tour of the champagne caves at Champagne Mercier.

In my history of architecture class, we took a trip to the Chateau de Vincennes. Orignially, a fortified castle of King Charles I of France, this beautiful tower looks like a place where Rapunzel would have let down her long hair. My architecture class has already provided a great deal of insight on how incredibly advanced the architects of the medevial and gothic times really were. I still can't fathom how they had the means to pull these types of things off without the techonology of today, but they did it and they did it well. Here's a picture of the chatelet or castle.



My most recent excursion was a wonderful trip to Amsterdam this past weekend. Now, before you let your mind wander to all of the "scandalous" aspects of this culture. Let me just say that the adorable city much more to offer than a red light district and an unusual drug culture. Often referred to as the Venice of the North, the city is intersected by many small canals. One of my favorite parts of this city is it's ecologically friendly transportation. In Amsterdam, the bikers have the right away. There are bike lanes everywhere, bikes locked up on all the bridges, bicycle traffic lights, head lights and bells. It is the best way to get around. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow bikes from my friends who were hosting me and got to experience Amsterdam at it's best.




So now, I am back in Paris and back to doing the usual every day things. (I'm sure you feel really bad for me, I know.) I'll be back to update you soon. In the meantime, here's another photo just to remind that although I love traveling through Europe, I couldn't be happier to call Paris home. Bisous, Erin <3

Escargot, Belgian Chocolate, and Degas

Bonjour tout le monde,

I'm finding it incredibly difficult to keep up with this blog as much as I hoped to, but I will do my best to deliver a full update. Since my last post, I have been to the Galeries Lafayette, an amazing department store filled with the latest fashion trends from designers all over the world. The stained glass dome ceiling over the center of the mall is truly breath-taking. In my architecture class, we went on a trip to an Archaeological Crypt of Paris in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral. In essence, it was a small city beneath a the grand city of Paris, preserved since the Roman times. We were able to see Roman bath houses and cellars that dated all the way back to 400 B.C.

A few nights ago my roommates and I decided it was time that we had a traditional french meal. We ordered the menu which consisted of an entree, main meal, and dessert. I was feeling adventurous, so I started with the popular french delicacy, escargot. As a first timer to the strange delicacy, I was pleasantly surprised, and I definitely plan on ordering them again in the future. However, I must admit the main course, Seabass and vegetables, was not what I was expecting. When, I received a full fish; tail, eye, and head included, I may have freaked a bit. My kind friend, Allison, volunteered to switch meals with me and we continued on. The final course, dessert was the most delicious creme brûlée I have ever tasted. Overall, the experience was a success.

The next morning CEA, my study abroad program, planned a Mystery Excursion. We arrived in a groggy haze on platform #8, Gare du Nord at 7:30 am. We gathered around in excitement as our wonderful CEA staff advisors announced that we would be traveling to Bruges, Belgium! Bruges is a wonderful little city in Belgium known as the Venice of the North. With chocolate shops every ten feet, it truly was a treat! The day may have been centered around food and ended in a slight stomach ache, but it was worth it. We tried Belgian beer, Belgian chocolates, Belgian waffles, and fries which originated in Belgium. Overall, it was great to be able to go to Bruges, a place I probably wouldn't have been able to see otherwise.

The first sunday of the month means free admission to Paris museums. So today, we ventured over to the Musée D'Orsay. There was no where near enough time see all exhibits with famous french painters and sculptors, such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Van Gogh, Renoir and much more. I'm sure I will be back in the future.

In the upcoming weeks, I will be visiting Champagne and Amsterdam! I promise to update you again soon.

Bonne Nuit,

Erin