Food, food, and more food!

This past week was fun. I went to the Musee D'Orsay last Wednesday and a nice farmers market on Saturday- Boulevard des Batignolles in the 9th. That night I had the worst experience ever at a French hospital (a false alarm, so no big deal) BUT I had to wait in the waiting room for FOUR hours. Then once I was called I got looked at- but the hospital was dirty, the doctors were skeezy, and then after all my tests were taken I had to wait another three hours. By that point I was in tears and starving (a hospital that makes you wait 8 hours should at the very least have a vending machine- but no! Of course not!). Let's just say I am 100% for the American health care system now. It was miserable..

Musee D'Orsay

On Monday I met up with my old roommate and a few friends. We got a deal through this website- LaFourchette.com- where if you book the restaurant through the site you get 50% off your meal! So we all got a delicious three course meal for 12 E each! I had a salad with blue cheese, arugula, and pear, then polenta with a beef stew, then we split four desserts--- tiramisu, tarte tatin, panna cotta, and chocolate mousse. Everything was superb! The restaurant was named Les Belles Miettes. I will definitely be going back.

Brianna, our old roommate Erin who visited for a weekend, and meBeef Stew w/ Polenta

Tiramisu & other desserts- all served in cups!

Katherine and I went to a delicious Chinese restaurant last week. I don't know what it is about Paris that makes me constantly crave Chinese food. It's actually kind of absurd how much I want to eat it. Anyway... this place had legitimate Chinese and it was spicy (the French usually can't handle the kick)!

Tonight, we went out for a friend's birthday at the famous Le Refuge des Fondues. I read reviews that this restaurant was fun and amazing- but I was extremely let down. It cost us over 20 Euros each (about 30 dollars) for cheese fondue with stale bread and a few appetizers. Then- they served us CANNED fruit! I was actually shocked that I was paying so much for canned fruit! And for a French restaurant? The best part was drinking wine from baby bottles. Anyway, I will not be going back there again!


This week was the beginning of midterms so I had a bit of work to do this week to finish before my spring break- which starts tomorrow! I am very excited. I'm going to Africa for the first time! I probably won't post anything for a while until after spring break (when Tyler and Maddie come!), but then I'm sure I will have lots of stories to share.

Valentine's Day!

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, so Bri and I took it as an excuse to buy really nice chocolate for ourselves. Paris does have some of the best chocolate places in the world, so we went to Á la Mere de la Famille. I bought a ganache caramel and a praline chocolate ball. Both were delicious! We were very cliché yesterday as we made chocolate covered strawberries, drank wine, and ate pizza with our friends. It was actually a lot of fun!

Last week, GW hosted a free dinner for GW students at AUP. It's nice that they do offer free events. We had a nice 3 course meal with wine. GW also sponsors a lot of trips in France. I am going to Giverny, Normandy, and Mont Saint Michel with GW. They pay for hotel, food, and admission prices.

It snowed a few days last week! The snow was beautiful. Unfortunately it doesn't stick on the ground for too long- but I was able to snap some pictures before it melted away. Also, I went to a Christian Boltanski exhibit at the Grand Palais about death and life. It was strange to say the least, but the Grand Palais was pretty.

The snow! It was pouring.

Boltanksi Exhibit @ Grand Palais

Spring break is two weeks away. I am so excited- particularly for Morocco because I have never been to Africa before. I am a little annoyed because midterms week is the week after we get back from Spring Break. Does AUP not expect students to travel during this time? At least my grades don't count this semester!

Not too much to update. I want to go to Musée D'Orsay on Wednesday (I get in for free!) so hopefully that will be fun.

Ruth in Town!

This past week has been a lot of fun! Last Monday, a few friends and I went to hear one of the AUP professors speak at Shakespeare & Co. Shakespeare & Co. is a funky bookstore in the 6th with all American books. The books are stacked from the floor to the ceiling and it has a cool vibe. Every Monday there are readings so we went to a poetry reading. It was actually pretty fun! To be honest, I initially went for the free drinks and food afterwards- but to my surprise I enjoyed the reading. There was a party afterwards and it was fun because there was such an eclectic crowd- old & young people, students and professors, and people of all types. They served champagne, wine, and little Italian appetizers.

My best friend Ruth came to visit for five days this weekend which was really fun. It is nice having people visit because it forces me to do all of the touristy things that I would not otherwise do! We went to the Tuillerie Gardens, Champs Elysee, and Le Marais to get fallafel and go to my favorite bakery. The next day was the big day that I had been waiting for forever- Le Jules Verne! My dad paid for lunch there as my Christmas present and it was amazing. I ordered the prix fixe menu- Baked endives wrapped in ham and cheese with a black truffle sauce, Ox cheek cooked in a beef bourgignon style with mushrooms, bacon, and the most amazing mashed potatoes ever, and a passion fruit tart with coconut icecream, meringue, flambeed pineapple, and cream. Yum! Ruth ordered venison with a side of pumpkin and pear (it was also amazing) and an almond and orange souffle. We were served a free amuse bouche (some potato puree and cheese dish) and free chocolate truffles, homemade marshmellows, and mint macaroons at the end of our meal. We were stuffed to the brim but it was worth it! Also- the view was incredible. (For those of you who don't know the restaurant- it is Alain Ducasse's restaurant on the 2nd tier of the Eiffel Tower!) We were lucky and got a table next to the window so we had a fantastic view, and by a stroke of luck Paris was sunny that day so it was beautiful!) On our way out, we got free madeleines! Now for the pictures...

Sitting at the table!
Table setting
View from table! We had a window seat
Amuse Bouche
Appetizer- Endive baked w/ ham and cheese and truffle sauce
Ruth's Entree-- Veal w/ pear and pumpkin
Ox Cheek w/ mushrooms and bacon

Mashed potatoes! Sooo good. So much butter...
Dessert & free marshmellows/truffles!
Ruth and I after our meal!

After the meal, we walked over to the Louvre (which we both got into for free!) but we ended up passing out in a food coma on one of the benches. Oh well... We went out to a few bars later which was fun. On her last night here, a few of my friends came over to our apartment and we picked up a few pizzas and bottles of wine. It was a lot of fun!

Yesterday was the first Sunday of the month which means free museums in Paris! I went to the Pompidou Center which was nice. It is a modern art museum in Central Paris, and it is huge! The exhibits are cool- but very very strange to say the least. Nonetheless, I had a good time. I strategically chose the Pompidou because it is the most expensive museum and I don't get in there for free with my Student ID.