rawr

So unfortunately, classes are starting to pick up...my Contemporary France class is pretty easy and straightforward because you just learn and discuss how things are and the professor goes over the readings in class which is nice. History of Paris...another story. My professor received his doctorate at the Sorbonne (Harvard of France) so he's pretty intense and extremely...EXTREMELY thorough with his historical knowledge. It's awesome because it's so interesting, but it makes me nervous for the final because I literally take four or five pages of notes per class (and it's only an hour and a half). Also, I have to read a 400-page book and give an oral report on it...so daunting. Anyways...it will all be fine I'm sure. I just have to keep my eye on the ball and not let too many things distract me like the fact that I'm in PARIS! (very difficult)

So tomorrow we are going to two castles that are just to the south of Paris and then immediately after that I go on my first train ride to Strasbourg (in the Alsace region really near Germany). My friends Jessica and Jessica (hahaha) and I are trying to figure out what we are going to do there. I know we want to go on a river boat tour (lame I know, but Strasbourg is gorgeous so it will be worth it) and see some of the art museums, etc. Also there are a few brewery tours with free beer at the end and I want to try some of the food or "gastronomy" as those more academic than me would call it. It would be fun to try to get over the border into Germany so we might try that, too. There are also some night clubs and little bars and, just for contrast, a really pretty cathedral. So I doubt we'll have a problem figuring stuff out! So needless to say, this weekend is going to be packed with new and exciting things.

Next week I want to get up to Montmartre (it's the artsy/red light district of Paris) and to the Hotel des Invalides (Napoleon's tomb) and the Louvre. Sounds like a lot, but when it's right in your back yard it's super easy to go to all those places! Oh, and all of us discovered that with our Navigo passes (they are sort of like the U-pass on campus but for the metro in France--unlimited rides) we can rent out BIKES! So I want to do that maybe from now on to get to class. You take a bike from one little bike rack and then return the bike at the place you end up. Go France! We can also take the bus for free which would be a free way of getting a bus tour of the city instead of buying a ticket for the touristy double-deckers. I'm going to get one of my friends to let me upload my pictures onto one of their computers so I can post some of what I've taken so far. I want to show you all the things I've seen and done! Well I best be off...it's lunch time here even though it's 4am there. A bientot!

Ann :-D