Bonjour! I’m back, and boy, do I have some stories to tell! A week in Paris feels like a month, because every day I am taking advantage of the city and exploring what it has to offer, which seems to be an endless list, but I’m chipping away at it day by day. This program already feels like it’s flying by, and I’m trying to savor every moment, good and bad (you’ll see what I mean in a minute). Even writing this blog post (week 4!), I can’t believe I’ve already done so much in my time here, and only have a few more weeks to complete my Paris bucket list. Maybe I can save the trip to a Parisian McDonald’s for the airport home? Although eating the Big Arch burger while sitting along la Seine sounds pretty romantic.
This week, just as every other week of this trip, has been packed to the brim. After work on Tuesday, I visited the infamous Parc des Buttes Chaumont, got myself some macarons, and walked through the park, admiring the waterfall and endless hills (yes, waterfall) as I went. It felt like I was somewhere outside of Paris, and it felt nice to escape from the constant bustle of city life. That night, I ended up grabbing some dinner at La Terrasse in the 16th with some friends, all catching up on how our weekends were and chatting about our Paris stories. I got a goat cheese and honey pizza, and just wow. My mouth is watering thinking about it. Wednesday after work, I decided to walk around the 15th arrondissement, aimlessly wandering the streets and everything the neighborhood has to offer. It was amazing! I got some pastries that I’ve never tried before (un opéra = heaven), walked through some parks, got some dinner, and walked to the Seine, where I sat and enjoyed the beautiful night! Perks of living in Paris, am I right?
Thursday, of course, I was missing my friends too much after 2 days of separation, so we had dinner at Le Café du Commerce in the 15th–it has three floors! Everything is going great, we’re having a wonderful time at our little table on the top floor, when my worst fear comes true. We’re ordering our dinners in French, and as it turns out, I don’t know how to pronounce the word for onion! So instead of ordering “la soupe à l’oignon”, our server heard “la soupe à moignon”. Can you guess what that means? Me neither, to my surprise, as our server hunches over laughing and explains to me that I just ordered amputated limb soup! I swear I laughed through the embarrassment for 10 minutes after. Thinking back, it’s genuinely hilarious, but in the moment, I could not believe someone laughed at me like that while trying to pronounce a French word! Honestly, I’m learning that I will make little mistakes like this every day, and that’s okay! It’s all a part of learning to live in a new culture. Anyway, the soup was 10/10, and that may be my favorite story from Paris so far.
Speaking of adapting to a new culture, I am finding some aspects of Parisian life easier than others. They simply live life a different way here, and I am constantly being vigilant of whether I am acting appropriately according to their culture. For example, I don’t talk on the phone on public transport, and I always say bonjour to the shopkeepers and service workers no matter what. It’s simply common courtesy here! Adapting to the culture at my internship has been a challenge, as their customs are very different from ours. A big shock to me has been the lateness! The French do not have much emphasis on being on time for work, meetings, etc. I am usually the first one at the office and in meetings (and this will never change, as I have a chronic fear of being late). I have also been adjusting to cordialness. Every email a French coworker sends me starts with a greeting and a small sentence asking how I’ve been, and it’s common courtesy to return the favor and ask how they have been before getting into work talk. I kinda like it! Adapting to a different work-life balance has been challenging, but overall, a fun experience. The French love their holidays, and they absolutely do not let work get in the way of their free time!
On Friday, I paid a little evening visit to Le Petit Palais, as they have extended hours on Friday nights, and I wanted to enjoy the free admission! It was beautiful, of course, and was the perfect way to spend a chill Friday night. I ended up walking through the 2nd arrondissement and exploring, finally ending at a sandwich shop and getting a Reuben! Though not as good as Primanti’s, it was nice to have something that reminded me of home.
Now for the fun part… Belgium! On Saturday, Nathalie and I adventured to Brussels, where we spent our day eating waffles, strawberries and chocolate, fries, and of course, BEER! It was an awesome day, and I feel like we saw so much in our little time there (judging from our 26,000-step count). Though a fun-filled Saturday, we had quite the issue with the train system. On the way there, I did something really silly and forgot to get off the train when it got to Brussels! I truly do not know what was going through my mind… maybe I was too intertwined in my book (that takes me 5 times longer to read in French)… or maybe I just was tired? Who knows, but the next thing I know, I’m running through Antwerp Central, trying to find my way back to Brussels so I can meet Nathalie! Everything worked out, I got back in time, and everything is going great… until the train home! After being delayed for hours, our train to Paris was cancelled for the night, and we had to stay in a hotel overnight! I think the total time we were in our hotel room was around 4 hours, as we got in at 2 am and had to leave for the train station again at 6! At least we got a complimentary breakfast out of it! Finally back on the train at 8 am, it was fun to reflect on our hectic night and laugh about the memories we made. My day in Belgium gave me a run for my money!
Well, that’s it from me this week! I hope you enjoyed my European adventures, and I can’t wait for what the next week has in store for me! Next stop… SICILY!
Aunt Becky, I know you’re reading this, and I’m gonna try my best to get a picture of the White Lotus hotel for you (no promises).
Salut tout le monde! À très vite!
Hailey Krawczyk