A Tourist Weekend

Being in France means that I have to be a tourist for at least a little bit.  So on my first sunny day in France, along with a friend, I went to the Chateau de Fontainebleau, a castle about an hour from Paris.  Arriving around 11:00, we ate a long lunch in the beautiful gardens around the castle and then wandered around the enormous castle grounds, before finally entering the castle.  The castle was beautiful with a history that encompassed many French kings and queens.  By the time we finished walking through the castle, we were too tired to do anything else.

The next day, for our second Friday in Paris, the IES Abroad staff had scheduled a surprise activity for us, which turned out to be making crepes, which was great for me, since it encompassed the thing I love most, food.

After the crepe making, we walked along the Champs-Elysees to see the Arc de Triomphe, although it was crawling with tourists.

The next day, since Paris has many a garden, I went to the Jardin du Luxembourg.  There was a nice photography exposition of the First World War, since this year marks the hundredth anniversary of its beginning.  Along with this, we wandered around the Latin Quarter of Paris, known for its numerous cafes and restaurants.

The first Sunday of the month, the Musee D’Orsay is free for the public, so of course we had to go.  There was a line so long, that you could see it from the next street over.  Still, it was excellent, seeing some of the amazing paintings that we talked about so often in my French class.  It was an excellent finish to a long weekend.