from Paris with Love: The end of orientation

Hello, hello!

Sorry I haven't blogged in a little while (aka 2 weeks) but I finally have time to sit down, have some tea, and take some serious time to write about my first full week in Paris! This past week was the first week of classes so naturally it makes the day busier. But, before I start telling you all about my classes I should finish filling you in on our orientation!

The last time I posted, I was sitting in my new home for the next three and half months and let me say, I still can't believe how lucky I am to be living in this apartment and with such an amazing host family! They're so helpful, fun, and really welcoming. So again, to any of my readers who are planning on going abroad and have a homestay as an option--seriously considerate it! Continuing on, after my last post I was off to meet up with my program group for our last two days of orientation. Saturday, we went to the Musée Rodin, which is where Auguste Rodin's workshop was located. We walked around and saw the many sculptures and statues of his as well as some of the art work he owned which was later donated to the French state along with the land. I personally didn't know much about this artist beforehand, but it was really interesting to walk around the gardens and see his work. The large palace like building, the Hôtel Biron, was open as well so we were able to walk around inside and see the smaller sculptures. Inside, the rooms were organized so that as you walked through one it told about a time in his life. For example, the first one discussed how he worked as an apprentice and another room showed the time he experimented with different materials. But below I have added pictures so you can get a little snippet of the museum!

Musee Rodin (left) & dome of Les Invalides (right)

Musee Rodin's Hotel Biron

Rodin's "Gates of Hell"

The Three Shades with the Eiffel Tower poking out in the back!

Rodin's "The Thinker"

Inside Hotel Biron

The group by "The Thinker"

After touring around Musee Rodin, we made our way over to the Eiffel Tower for a little hangout, where naturally we had to take some touristy pictures! However, before we got there passed other famous places in Paris such as the Les Invalides which is also known as the Le Hotel de Invalides. It is a museum with all sorts of monuments inside and is even the burial site of Napoleon Bonaparte. We didn't have time to go inside, but if the inside is anything like the outside I am sure it will be amazing! I hope to visit sometime too. I was also mesmerized by how beautiful the dome is. The gold on the top is so bright.

It's so mesmerizing!

Les Invalides

But after walking by Les Invalides, we made our way over to the Eiffel Tower as mentioned beforehand. It's funny because many people think Paris is a big city, but in reality you can walk from one place to another in a very short amount of time.

Our touristy attempt at spelling PARIS...clearly we need to work on it.

Beautiful every time

Heyyy Eiffel Tower...thanks to Emily Burke for reminding
me of how much fun tourist selfies are!

Sunday, September 1, was our last day of orientation! After that we would be on our own to explore our near home! For the last day we visited Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergie. I probably will say this multiple times in this blog about many things, but Sainte Chapelle is absolutely amazing. It is a medieval gothic church that was commissioned by King Louis IX to house all of his Passion relics. We entered into the lower chapel first where you notice all of the arches that are above you. We learned that these arches are very well known in the Gothic architecture. The lower chapel was pretty with the colored walls but nothing comes close to what we would see upstairs.

Outside of Sante Chapelle

The "Rayonnant" gothic architecture

Saint Louis IX statue

One of the oldest pictures that survived the French
Revolution...of course I forgot the name of it.

When we walked upstairs, we walked into what is one of the prettiest things I think I have ever seen. The entire upstairs is made of these huge stained glass windows that were HANDMADE. I'm talking every piece of glass was handmade and then welded to the lead and put together. It's crazy! And it took only six years! Most of the church is a re-creation due to the French Revolution, but 2/3rds of the stain glass are originals. I tried my best to take pictures that would do this beauty justice, but I don't think it captured it all. But nonetheless, here are pictures to look at!

I'm talking walls of stain glass...so much natural light!!!

The Rose Window, which is commonly found in many French
gothic chapels such as Notre Dame

The entrance to the higher chapel from the balcony

Emily & I clearly enjoying what Sainte Chappelle has to offer!

After Sainte Chapelle, the group decided to try and get some ice cream at this place called Berthillon. Now before I left for France, my dad who isn't an ice cream kind of man told me multiple...and I mean multiple times that I needed to try this ice cream place. So the group made its way over the original Berthillon shop which of course with our luck was closed. But, I did manage to go back a couple of days after with some friends after class and stop to try this ice cream. It is pretty amazing! Well that was the rest of orientation! Now I am only two weeks worth of blogging left to write about...