NICE, FRANCE

LONDON

ROMA

GREECE

My Busy European Life is Not Conducive to Frequent Updates!

Bon Soir Mes Amis!

For a while I was set on blaming our faulty internet provider for my delay in posting, but now I see I am partially to blame since it has been almost two months since my last post! Where has the time gone? After my weekend in Prague, my program took us to to the Alsace region of France and to a neighboring German town (now I can say I have been to Germany twice). It was a lot of fun and we got to sample (and buy) some of my favorite white wine that is produced in Alsace. 

It will not be easy to sum up my amazing spring break in Greece, but I will do my best. After a rather frustrating experience at the airport in Paris, we finally got on a plane to Athens and then connected to Santorini. We got off the plane and immediately knew we were in paradise. We stayed at a wonderful hostel that was more like a beach guest house just a minute walk from a beautiful black sand beach. During our stay in Santorini we took a boat ride out to a nearby volcano which we hiked- don't worry it was not active! After the hike we got to cool off, more like freeze off, by jumping off the boat (which looked like a pirate ship) into the sea as we frantically tried to swim to the "hot springs," which were more like luke warm springs but it was still amazing. Once our boat arrived back at port, a few of my friends and I decided to take a donkey ride back up to the main town which was one of the most memorable parts of the trip. We spent a few nights in Santorini and then made our way over to Ios for a couple days, and then it was on to Mykonos! Mykonos was every bit as beautiful as my dad had described, if not more. The water was as crisp and blue as the roof tops, and like the other islands, the people were incredibly friendly and welcoming. My friends and I decided to rent ATVs one afternoon which was so much fun! We ended up getting lost on our way to "Paradise Beach" and found ourselves stuck in mud at "Super Paradise Beach" (yes those are the actual names). We managed to get out and over to the main beach where we enjoyed some quality time in the sun and some good beach food. During our second day in Mykonos we took a short boat ride over to the island of  Delos, which I had actually studied in my Ancient Greek Sculpture class at school because it is known for its ancient ruins. We hiked a few mini mountains and walked around old temples and "streets" from the past. After some good sun and good food in Mykonos it was back to Athens were we explored the famous temples and walked around some awesome street markets. It was an amazing spring break that I will never forget and I cannot wait to go back to Greece.

I made the executive decision that I deserved a longer spring break so after one night in Paris it was back to the airport to enjoy a few days in Rome with my friend Caroline. We had a great time eating our way around Rome, exploring the museums and famous ruins, and enjoying the Italian pace of life. 

I returned to Paris that Wednesday night, went to class Thursday morning, and then jumped on the plane to visit my friends in London! Ah the life of a jet setter! My friend Neili is studying in London, and our friend Jenna who is studying in Israel had planned a trip there so it was the perfect opportunity to reunite. We enjoyed high tea at the Orangery by Kensington Palace, got a great view from the London Eye, shopped at Portobello Market, had a delicious sundae at Harrod's, and saw Spring Awakening (my second time seeing it) for a great student discount! It was a fun filled weekend and I returned to Paris on the eve of my 21st birthday!

This past weekend my friend Caroline and I made a trip down south to Nice, which is better than nice, it's great (ok lame joke I know)! It felt like a mix of South Beach, and Florence with a hint of France. We were so lucky with the weather which enabled us to walk up and down the boardwalk during the day and at night- gelato cone in hand! On Saturday we visited the Chagall Museum which was incredible, and on Sunday we went to the Matisse Museum and Musee des Beaux Arts- both of which were great. At the Matisse Museum we literally stumbled upon a May Day festival happening right outside the museum. A lively crowd of all ages playing games, cooking food and enjoying the weather. We also went to an outdoor book fair where I spoke with one of the sellers in French about my love of art and art history- which in turn led him to give me (yes, a cadeau!) an old Manet book! I cant wait to add it to my future art library. Doing what many students on a budget do, Caroline and I opted for the overnight train back to Paris instead of flying in order to give us more time on Sunday and save a bit of money. While I did wake up with a stiff neck, it was certainly worth it since our weekend in sunny Nice was so amazing. 

Now that I am back in Paris, I have exactly 2 weeks to complete my Paris to-do list and truly live it up so to speak. I cannot believe how fast the semester has gone ,and while I am excited to see my friends and family, I am really going to miss Paris and my European life!

PRAGUE: Bohemia is Alive and Well!

Bonjour!

I know I am a little behind in my postings, but I finally have a minute to sit down and write about my amazing weekend in Prague. For starters, this was my first time flying internationally alone, which felt great. I arrived in Prague to be greeted with open arms and a big smile from my best friend Sarah Weiss, who is studying there for the semester. We took a bus and then metro to Old Town Square, which a beautiful historic area located just 2 minutes from her apartment! We had a delicious dinner - thanks in part to the fact that the Crown (their currency) is so much better than the euro I felt like I could dine like royalty there! It was so nice to catch up with a good friend over great food and wine.  

On Friday we walked around Old Town and went to an outdoor market filled with fruits, veggies, puppets (they have a thing for puppets oddly enough in Prague) and postcards - of course I got a few of those. Then Weiss took me on her usual walk to class which took us over the Charles Bridge where we had a beautiful view of the city and a castle off in the distance. We walked up some intense cobble stone streets to the top of the hill where the castle is and got an amazing panorama view. After findings an incredible place for lunch- equipped with a fish tank in the floor - we decided to check out the Kafka Museum since she had not been yet. Neither of us knew much about the writer/artists before the exhibit, but I am definitely interested in reading some of his works now! The exhibit provided a lot of information about his personal life, the history of Prague, as well as some Jewish history at the time. One of my favorite quotes from the exhibit was: "Nobody wants to introduce more reforms as children do." We headed down the hill to the Modern Art Museum, stopping along to the way to visit the Lennon Wall which is so colorful and happy! We signed the wall in various places and even made a little shout-out to Badger lacrosse! The Modern Art Museum was definitely worth a visit since I discovered some Czech artists I had never heard of, and we wandered from gallery to gallery taking it all in.  Feeling a little museumed-out, we headed back to her apartment to make some dinner plans with other Wisconsin friends studying in Prague. We had a great Thai dinner with our friend Alice who also plays on the UW lax team, and then met up with some of their friends for a fun night at a club that only plays 80s and 90s music from America! It was so funny hearing all these foreigners belting out the words to Spice Girls, Michael Jackson, Cindy Lauper and more. 

The best thing after a long and fun night out is a great brunch- so a group of us headed to their favorite spot for some good food. I happened to run into a girl who used to  go to my camp who I have not seen since we were 13! Small world! With a new pep in our step we decided to head back to Old Town Square to see the  Mucha exhibit. I studied art nouveau at school, but we never really discussed this particular artist so it was really great to learn something new and see some beautiful and creative artwork. It was great to be able to read some of the postcards on the wall that he wrote in French, since he lived 

and worked in both Bohemia and Paris.

Our evening plans were a bit more low key on Saturday night- we met up with Alice again and one of her friends who was visiting from the states to go to a well-known Vegetarian restaurant which was amazing! Afterwards Weiss and I hung out at her apartment and got a good night's sleep for my final day of playing tourist.

Sunday morning we got up early and walked over to the Jewish Quarter. The Jewish Quarter contains the remains of Prague's former Jewish ghetto, the Old Cemetery, the Jewish Museum, 5 synagogues, and the old Jewish Town Hall. We bought our tour ticket and explored the Old Synagogue and Cemetery and then went to the museum and outdoor market. The cemetery was a very moving experience. It dates from 1478, and is Europe's oldest "surviving" Jewish cemetery. In Prague, Jewish people were not allowed to burry their dead outside of the ghetto, so they had to establish a way to build the tombs one on top of the other. During WWII, Hitler decided that he would not touch the Jewish Cemetery of Prague since he wanted to leave it as an example of all the killed Jews in Europe and one day make a museum out of it - how ironic. After a good talk about what we had seen, Weiss and I decided to lighten the mood and meet up with our friend Casey (who I went to high school with and goes to UW) for brunch at Bohemia Bagel- a favorite spot for American students and Prague 

residents alike. Parting ways with Casey, Weiss and I headed to the airport for my return to Paris. 

It was an absolutely amazing weekend filled with fun friends, great food, beautiful art and architecture and a newfound understanding and respect for Prague's history and culture! I recommend a trip

 over there to anyone- especially if you want to experience the feeling of holding a 2,000 Crown bill in your hand (equal to 100 US dollars)! 

Bises,

Lauren Jill

A Trip to Champagne and More of Life in Paris

Bonjour!

Due to our internet provider canceling our apartment service for a whole week (with no warning), it has been a rather long time since I updated this blog - so brace yourself, there is a lot to catch you up on! Life in Paris continues to get better and better. Today the sun came out in full force and it was nearly 60 degrees! 

On March 7 we went on a CEA trip to the Champagne region of France. We spent the morning at the Notre Dame in 

Reims. It is a beautiful cathedral that is the site of the baptism of the first king of France, and has since served as the place where every king of France was crowned. The church itself was damaged during the second world war, and one of the major windows was replaced with a stained glass design by Marc Chagall- it is beautiful. In keeping with the tradition and legacy of the region, one of the other stained glass panels shows the production of wine- we thought this was awesome and definitely not what you would expect to see in a formal cathedral. After a wonderful lunch in the town center of Reims, we spent the afternoon at the Cordon Rouge de Mumm museum. Cordon Rouge de Mumm is one of the most famous and largest producers of champagne. We watched a very informative video on the history of Cordon Rouge and the Mumm family, and then took a tour of the underground cellar space. There are 16 miles of cellar space, and we saw the "secret" room of rare and vintage bottles of champagne. We soon realized that the $5 bottles of Andre we buy back in the states can't legally be considered champagne since it is certainly not produced in the Champagne region of France. We were then taken to a taste test room where we sampled two varieties of champagne- one was a sweeter version of their original drink, the other was a more "brute" or dryer and stronger taste. It was a really neat experience.

That same weekend I had 4 visitors! One of my best friends from Wisconsin, Molly, who is studying in Israel came for the weekend. It was so amazing to spend some time with her and show her around le Marais. Three of my best camp friends also stayed with me that weekend- Liz came from Florence, Katie from Copenhagen, and Hank all the way from the states! It was a wonderful reunion of sorts. A jam packed weekend to say the least!

This past week my French class went to the movies to see a new film called Welcome. It was an incredible experience. Part of the dialogue was in broken English, spoken between a young boy from Iraq and a middle aged Parisian man (with subtitles in French), the rest of the film was in French (no subtitles). It was a challenging but extremely fun experience and I loved the movie- if it comes to the states I recommend it to everyone. The entire metro ride home I spoke only in French with my teacher who, I quickly found out, lives 2 min away from me! We talked about our neighborhood, the old man at the Picpus fruit stand and which streets we take to the metro. It felt so nice to be able to converse entirely in French with my teacher about something other than the class lesson. I really feel like I am getting better and better each day and doing more local activities like getting my shoes fixed at the shoe repair store- maybe now I won't feel like I am waking barefoot on the cobble stones!

I will make another post soon about my weekend in Prague, but for now I am off to cook dinner and then celebrate St. Patrick's Day at an Irish bar in the Odeon area of the city!

-Lauren Jill

IAMSTERDAM

Another wonderful weekend trip under my belt! This past weekend my friend Alyssa (my Berlin travel buddy) and I took the SNCF train from Paris Gare du Nord to Amsterdam Centraal Station. After getting a little bit lost, we finally found our hostel "Shelter Jordaan." After an authentic Dutch meal at a nearby restaurant (I had some mushroom soup of sorts), we decided to try our luck at getting into the Anne Frank Huis. We had planned on going early in the morning on Saturday or Sunday to avoid what we had been told would be a 3 hour long line- but when we got to the house we only had to wait about 5 min!  It was an incredible experience. The house has been a museum since 1960, and the renovation certainly paid off. When you fist walk in there is a large screen movie projector and multiple telephone receptors you can pick up in various languages to hear about the history of the house and the museum. From there we moved through the rooms of what was the ground floor storeroom for the Opekta &  Pectacon company. 

All of the information on the walls or next to artifacts are direct quotes from Anne's diary. I read the book when I was in fourth grade, and saw the Broadway play a few years later, but reading those lines from her diary made all the feelings I had so many years ago come rushing back. It is one thing to walk through a large gallery or museum with florescent lighting and formulaic information signs, but it is an entirely different feeling to walking through tiny rooms with slanted floors and have all the information be written by a young girl who really lived through what the exhibit is about. Passing the movable bookcase which concealed the entrance to the annex, we walked up a very steep flight of stairs to the secret annex. Otto, Anne's father, wanted some of the original wall decorations from Anne's room to be preserved. It is amazing how much you can learn about someone from what they have on their wall. I've always been one to put up postcards, pictures and posters on my wall, and seeing this room made me think about what someone could discern about me from my walls. Anne had put up clips from fashion and movie magazines,  pictures of animals and funny drawings. There was a quote from her diary which read, "Our little room looked very bare at first with nothing on the walls; but thanks to Daddy who had brought my film-star collection and picture postcards on beforehand, and with the aid of a paste pot and brush, I have transformed the walls into one gigantic picture. This makes it look much more cheerful" (July 11, 1942). Reading that quote and staring at the very walls she wrote about sent shivers down my spine.

 Perhaps one of the most moving parts of the "museum" was the final video interview with Anne's father Otto who survived the Aushwitz extermination camp - he was the only family member to survive. When he came back to Amsterdam in June of 1945, Miep Gies handed Anne's diary over to Otto Frank. Anne once wrote in her diary, "You've known for a long time that my greatest wish is to be a journalist, and later on, a famous writer. In any case, after the war I'd like to publish a book called 'The Secret Annex'" (May 11, 1944). It is unimaginable what this young girl went through, but it is because of Anne's diary that so many people all over the world know about the crimes committed against the Jews in WWII. Her words do so much more than textbooks could ever do. And in a twisted way- she got her greatest wish to be a famous writer after all.

We spent the rest of the night wandering around the city, taking in the sights and experiencing the unique culture...   

Saturday we got an early start and walked along the canals to the Museumplein where all of the major art museums are located. The Van Gogh Museum was on the top of both our lists so we headed straight for 7 Paulus Potterstraat and waited on a long line to see one of my all time favorite artists. The museum houses more than 200 paintings, including his greatest works done in the Netherlands, Paris, Arles, Saint-Remy, and Auvers-Sur-Oise. The temporary exhibit on view right now is called "Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night" - with the main attraction of course being the famous The Starry Night which is on loan from MoMA (NYC)! I learned more about Van Gogh as a person and artist from this one exhibit that I have in any art history class. Alyssa and I got a big kick out of being able to partially read the postcards he sent to his brother Theo which were written in French. He was such an independent and unique artist, but he openly admitted his love for Millet and the inspiration he drew from Millet's work is visible in many of Van Gogh's sketches that I had never seen before. It is such a great experience to go to a museum without an art history class sometimes because you can really take your time, pause for minutes at each work, read every sign, and not feel the weight of bored and restless classmates who would much rather be somewhere else. I definitely remember being one of the few interested kids in my class when we would go to MoMA back in elementary school, or even in high school AP art history class. 

Feeling inspired and still in the art-viewing mood, we ventured over to an international photography house called FOAM that we had read about in our hostel. When we got there we were shocked to see a line out the door since we had no idea what the exhibit was. As soon as we walked in, I immediately caught a glimpse of a photograph I had seen before- a famous self portrait by Richard Avedon! My heart skipped a beat with excitement- this entire gallery show was devoted to his photographs from 1946-2004. The show exhibited photographs from his days in the Paris fashion world in the 1950s, to celebrity portraits, writers, actors, musicians and artists to portraits of unknown workers in "the American West." There were also portraits of prominent American political leaders that Avedon produced as a series in 1976- which included Edward Kennedy, the first Bush, Carter as a candidate, and more. One of my favorite photographs on view is of Bob Dylan, taken in Central Park on Feb 10 1965- the way Avedon captures the spirit of the young artist is amazing. A quote on the wall reads, "A portrait is not a likeness. The moment an emotion or fact is transformed into a photograph it is no longer a fact but an opinion. There is no such thing as inaccuracy in a photograph. All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth"-Richard Avedon. Wow. His photographs are faithful in the sense that they show the person or subject, but as an artist, Avedon is able to show more than simple superficial reality. 

Finally feeling a bit museum-ed-out, we decided to just wonder the cobblestone streets and see where we ended up. Guided by our hunger, we ended up at Kapitein Zeppos- an adorable cafe on one of the 

most charming alley streets of old Amsterdam. The rest of the day was filled with more sight seeing and later on a delicious dinner at a Thai restaurant called Soen with some of the nicest waiters ever (we have gotten used to the typically inattentive waiters in Paris so the friendly smiles and menu suggestions were greatly appreciated). 

Our final day in Amsterdam we ventured over to the "Nine Streets" section of the city known for its boutiques and art shops. We quickly realized that our ambitious early start to the day proved to be too early for the rest of the city as nothing was really open- so we did, you guessed it, more walking by the canals- we couldn't get enough of the architecture and boat houses. After getting some tea to pass the time at a cute cafe and then  checking out an old church, we explored some of the boutiques and I even bargained to get 2 necklaces for 2 euro instead of 5! Afterwards we went to Bloemenmarkt to experience the city's fascination with tulips and their and love of wooden clogs. After grabbing a cheap and yummy lunch of Turkish falafel (slightly different than the kind we get in the Marais section of Paris), we walked back to Centraal Station to make the journey *home* to Paris. I had the best intentions to study for my French test on the train, but somewhere between reflexive verbs and kitchen vocab I fell asleep- a much needed nap to say the least.

Overall I would definitely recommend a trip to Amsterdam to just about anyone. I really would love to go back sometime in the spring or summer to see the full effect of the Tulip gardens and maybe do a paddle boat on the canal or rent a bike. It is such a fun, energetic and welcoming city. It was also really refreshing to be able to walk the entire time and not have to take any public transportation- it's amazing how much more you can see when you're not underground in a metro! 

I loved the feeling I got last night when I walked out of the Picpus metro stop, looked around and thought how nice it was to be back in my neighborhood. It really does feel familiar and homey now. Recharging my "Navigo" metro pass today (for 55 euro!) reinstates the fact that I LIVE here in Paris and that I am not visiting for a weekend. It is a crazy fact to wrap my head around sometimes. 

Bises,

Lauren Jill

Paris and Chantilly

Bonjour!

A week in Paris does the body good after spending last weekend in Berlin. It was such an amazing feeling waking up Monday morning in my (tiny) bed in Paris. My feet were definitely sore from all the walking we did last weekend. Going to a cafe for lunch on Monday I was surprised by how much I missed being able to read a menu- even though I still struggle with some of the French food names it feels so much more comfortable and familiar. 

On Tuesday my art history class went to Musee d'Orsay which might just be one of my favorite museums in the world (or at least the parts of the world I have been to so far). We are going back two more times because it is simply impossible to see all that the museum has to offer in one class period. Walking around the gallery rooms and seeing paintings I recognize excites me probably more than it should but hey, that's what you get for being an art dork I guess. Maybe second to that feeling is seeing a painting I have never studied in a class by an artist I don't know and being able to make the connection to movements or other artists I am familiar with. When class was over I had a bit of time to spend before getting lunch and going to my next class so I walked around the museum for a little, made a stop at the gift store to buy a poster (or two), and then walked back across the river and through the gardens at the Louvre. Not a bad stroll in the park. 

The rest of the week was pretty standard in terms of classes, and our friends came to visit on Thursday which made a great start to the weekend. Kate and Julie came in around 10pm and we met up with some other Badgers for wine and dessert (called the LA Brownie- yummm) at our local Irish pub. On Friday Jessie (roommate who goes to Wisconsin too) and I played tour guide and took Julie and Kate to Notre Dame, the Marais, obviously to get falafel, and then to the Eiffel Tower. We ended a great Parisian day with a trip to none other than Le Refuge des Fondues. 

CEA planned a day trip on Saturday to Chantilly- a town just north of Paris. We went to a beautiful and huge castle there and then a pretty abbey in a smaller town. We had a lot of fun trying to/successfully climbing into small spaces in the abbey- perhaps not what the monks did back in the day, but we found it rather amusing. 

Sunday was rather unexciting- laundry- which took hours longer than it should have. I think I learned my lesson that Sunday is national "do your laundry and walk away leaving your clothes in the dryer for hours so that no one else can clean their clothes" day. After waiting in line for a while in a very cold lavarie and being attacked by two 3-year old kids who wanted to take the book I was reading out of my hands and run out with my laundry bag, I finally arrived back in my apartment with fresh smelling clothes! 

BERLIN

Guten Abend! (Good evening!)

I am back *home* in paris after an incredible weekend in Berlin, Germany. The trip began when my alarm went off at 4:45am Friday morning. I met my friend Alyssa at the Chatelet metro stop where we somehow avoided buying an RER ticket (saving us about 8 euro) and took the train to CDG airport. Arriving way too early (in true Simon fashion), we got through check-in with no problem- they didn't even ask to see our passports. 

We got to Berlin Tegel Airport around noon and took a bus to Alexanderplatz where we then took the U2 to Senefelder station. Our hostel was just down the street from the station which was great. Check in was painless and we were impressed by the quality of the hostel considering we only paid around $17 a night (we opted for the 6 person shared room to lower the cost- which we sort of regretted when one of our roommates  the first night had a serious snoring problem). In true tourist style we went for a walk around our neighborhood with map in hand. We had asked the front desk attendant to tell us where to go but all the street names sounded the same to us so the map really came in handy. 

Our walk took us all the way over to Alexanderplatz where we found a cheap falafel place (4 euros cheaper than the place near school in Paris!) where the owner guessed I came from pretty much every country other than America which was shocking and rather funny. I don't think I look Spanish, Italian, or Greek- but I'll take it! Afterwards we walked some more- this weekend could really be called 'the great trek' because I'm pretty sure I have never walked so much in my life- especially considering the weather. Our first historic stop was the bombed remains of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachthiskirche Church. A beautiful memorial church of stained glass stands next to what is left of the huge older church. It was odd to stand in front of the ruins to see all around us modern stores with flashy lights and billboards. It was a really odd feeling. 

The rest of night one included a trip over to Potsdamer Platz, the Sony Center, Rosa Luxemburg station and an incredible dinner. Going to Potsdamer Platz was on my personal itinerary because I love the Kirchner "Street Scene" paintings that I studied in my German Expressionism class last semester. Potsdamer Platz certainly looks nothing like the world that Kirchner's violent paint strokes depict. We walked by the Berlin Palast Theater where the end of the Berlin Film Festival was taking place- we tried to sneak on to the red carpet but no luck. Feeling the effects of the cold we opted not to walk and took the U2 back to Senefelder and then walked to a restaurant we read about called Monsieur Vuong. Seeing the long line out front, we immediately knew we were at a trendy spot. The scene was hip, young, and definitely fun. We finally got seated at the round wooden bar area and asked for an English menu since neither one of us knows Vietnamese food very well, nor could we decode the German menu. Warm soup sounded like the perfect way to end a long day out in the cold, and boy were we right! It was one of the best things I have had during my time abroad. Full of flavor and spice, this concoction of tofu, veggies, udon, and who-knows-what was hot and yummy! Alyssa and I had been eyeing our neighbor's Dim Sum so we put in a last minute order. Finally making it back to the hostel for the first time since we had set out, we sat by the main room fireplace and enjoyed some tea before going to bed exhausted. 

For day 2 we decided to fork over 20 euro (ouch) to take a city bus tour that was "hop on hop off" - it was definitely worth the 20 euro. There were 15 major stops that you could get off at for 5 min and take a quick picture, of get off for longer, wonder around, and then wait 30 min (or more) for the next tour bus to come by. Some of the major sights we saw were: Museum Island, the entrance gate to the city, an incredible memorial to the 6 million Jews (which I will describe later), tons of foreign embassy buildings, the figure head palace, Column of Victory erected in 1871, the Berlin Zoo - one of the biggest in the world, Tiergarten, the Philharmonie Hall, and Check Point Charlie. After completing the bus tour we walked back to a few of the stops to explore further. We made our way over to the Jewish Museum which was incredible. The museum itself is a gorgeous old stone building, but the inside was redone and is modern and very understated. There was a floor devoted to artifacts from the war, an exhibit of photographs by Jacobi, and 2 floors of complete Jewish history from the beginning to the present. It was all a bit overwhelming and my friend and I were really impressed by the museum's collection and layout. 

After the museum we went to visit the "Topography of Terror" - the largest remaining section of the Berlin wall and outdoor museum (burrr). Between 1933 and 1945, the main institutions of the SS and the notorious Gestapo "house prison" were located here between Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, Wilhelmastrasse and Anhalter Strasse. We walked the stretch of land that was once the hub for the organizations responsible for the repressive and criminal policies of National Socialism. It was there that decisions were made and laws written that determined the fate of so many innocent people. 

In keeping with the somber spirit, we went back to have a better look at the memorial to the 6 million Jews. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe consists of a 19,000 square meter site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs, arranged in a grid pattern on a slopping field. The "stelae" range in height, and the way the ground moves under your feet produces  an uneasy and confusing feeling. If you were to just stand in front of the site and not walk in, you would think all the stelae were the same height and that the ground was flat and all was "normal." In fact, it is the complete opposite. The sun had already set when we made it to the memorial site, which added to the dark mood. It is as if the design of the memorial really forces you to explore, observe, study, and experience it, rather than just look at it from a distance and think 'oh what a nice dedication.' It was so moving to walk through the concrete maze and not really be able to see when the ground would slope up or dip down, and where the end would be. I think a lot of people try to look at what happened to the Jews from a distance and pretend to understand it- but it is only when you really put yourself in it (as much as possible) that you understand the size and level of the atrocity. 

Complete shift of gears- we wanted to escape the cold so we went to KaDeWe- Berlin's largest/most famous department store but we were really in no moon to shop, though I did buy a few postcards in the tourist section. Venturing back out in search of food we went to a typical German restaurant near the TV tower at Alexanderplatz and had a lovely Valentine's Day dinner (sharing 2 lovely German desserts!)

Our last day (Sunday) we woke up unable to feel our feet but certainly happy that our snoring neighbor had left. We made it to the Alte Nationalgalerie (National Museum) just after opening and walked around for a few hours. We saw some incredible works by Menzel, Monet, Liebermann, Rodin, and other famous 19th century painters and sculptures. A little bummed from the day before when we discovered that 2 other museums we wanted to see were closed, this museum made up for it (kind of). Braving the snow - yes, it finally snowed as we had expected it to do- we went to 2 outdoor markets before finding lunch and then going back to our hostel to check out. 

All in all it was a wonderful trip. It certainly was an eye opening experience that I will never forget, instead of a crazy party weekend that I would forget (sorry mom). Sitting in the Tegel airport waiting for our flight back to Paris I did a little thinking about my impression of Berlin and my weekend trip and I came to the following conclusions:

1. If I had to pick one word to sum up the city, I would say "raw." Not because to was freezing (literally at or below zero), but because there is something so raw about the mood there. Between the socialist architecture that sprung up where old buildings once stood, the underlying tone of the industrialized culture, or the sound of the language in general- it was just raw. There is a feeling you get walking around Berlin that is really just too hard to describe but it is so strong.

2. People that work at information desks should really learn to speak English. If I ask a question in English, a response in German is not going to get me anywhere. 

3. I'm a brave person, but not brave enough to try Wienerschnitzel

4. I still cannot comprehend the construction of a wall that cuts through a city dividing neighbors and families. I just cannot imagine what that would have been like

5. I really do prefer the sound of Romance languages

6. Sometimes this world is too small- like when I am sitting by the fire in a hostel in the middle of Berlin and a kid that goes to Wisconsin who I don't know knows my friend who goes to Wisconsin and therefore indirectly knows who I am and recognizes me. Weird. 

7. Thank god for Obama - Europeans are in love and not afraid to show it

8. While there is so much negative history involved with Germany I really wish more people knew about the incredible art there and appreciated that aspect of the culture

9. I wish Paris was as inexpensive as Berlin - my lunch one day costs as much as a Coca Light would in Paris!

10. While I am not sure I would go again any time soon, I am so happy that I went and got to see and experience first had this incredibly complex city. It is one of the few places I have been that shows the impact of recent historical events (not like the French Revolution or London's age old monarchy). I really suggest that anyone and everyone go to Berlin...just make sure you wear some warm clothes if you go in the winter- a hat is a must!

Gute Nacht!

Lauren Jill

Fecamp, Etretat and more

Bonjour!

It has been a little while since my last post so I will try to catch you up to speed. Last week my friends and I experienced the magic of L'as Du Falafel. That's right,  le Marais's wold famous falafel spot in the heart of the historic Jewish area. It was delicious and has made it on to our list of places to revisit. 

My art history class went back to the Louvre on Thursday to learn more about the early French painters. Our prof is an energetic and brilliant man who moves rather fast - both in terms of art history material and physically throughout the gallery rooms so keeping up with him is a task to say the least! 

On Friday a bunch of my friends and I decided to make the most of our day-off and go to Bercy Village in the 12eme. It is an adorable small town near a huge park which we plan to explore in warmer spring weather. There were cute little cafes and shops including a pet store where we stared at the puppies for far too long! We enjoyed a great lunch at a famous spot for watching rugby matches so I guess we'll have to go back if France continues to advance through the rounds. 

For Saturday our abroad program planned a "mystery tour." All we knew was that we had to meet at Gare Saint Lazare at 7:15 am (which required a 5:45am wake up call!). We arrived, coke lights in hand, and met up with the rest of the kids eager to find out where we were going. The advisers handed us our mission packets and next thing we knew we were on the train to Normandy! Pulling into the Breaute-Beuzeville station a few hours later, we got on the bus and drove to Fecamp. Situated on the Albatre coastline of the English channel, the town of Fecamp is a famous Seine-Maritime region that has long beaches with beautiful rocks, not sand, and many nautical activities throughout the year. My friends and I decided to escape the cold and go to the Terra-Neuvas Fishing Museum which houses many Newfoundland fishing-boats and explains the endeavors of the seamen of Fecamp. Our guide was an adorable old man who struggled to explain some things in English so we helped him by playing a little game of "guess that word" and mini charades- in the end it worked out pretty well. I certainly have a new level of respect for the life of a fisherman and the cod I love to eat! After an interesting "local" style meal of incredibly fresh fish, we got back on the bus and headed to Etretat. Best known for its cliffs, including a famous natural arch, Etretat attracted artists including Eugene Boudin, Gustave Courbet, and Claude Monet. If any of you have seen the movie The Goonies, the rock arch looks a lot like the rock arch that is part of their hunt for a pirate's treasure! Braving the winds, we hiked up one of the cliffs to get a view of the water and town below. As I held out my camera to capture the sights, I really thought the wind would blow me off the edge- but as you can tell, I am safe and sound! After slowly making our way down, we explored the town and then got back on the bus to catch the train home to Paris. It was a long and chilly day but such an incredible trip. It was so great to get out of Paris and experience another aspect of French culture that was anything but touristy. 

This weekend I had the pleasure of having two friends from Wisconsin who are studying in London come to visit. We went to a fabulous little place called Refuge du Fondue near Sacre Coeur that serves only their famous cheese fondue and red or white wine...out of baby bottles. Yes, thats right. It was an interesting place and definitely a night to remember with great friends. 

This morning one of my roommates and I experienced our local Lavarie for the first time and successfully did laundry! The directions were a little confusing but we figured it out. We were definitely a funny sight- the two of us walking down the street carrying out laundry bags like Santa Clause sacks on our backs. 

That's all for now- hope you like the pictures!

Bises,

Lauren Jill

Puces de St-Ouen

Bonjour!

As some of you may know, I am a big fan of thrift stores/flea markets/anything not full price. With that in mind, I decided to do some research on the Paris flea markets that I had heard so much about. After some careful online investigation, my friend Jessie and I decided to check out the St-Ouen Market. Located in the 18 eme, it is huge- it spreads from the Porte de St-Ouen and the Porte de Clingnancourt. It was a long metro ride but once we got there we put on our game faces, ready to bargain (I managed to get a man to sell me a pair of gloves for 4 euro not 5!). The beginning of the market reminded me of Canal St. in NYC. Vendor after vendor selling clothes, shoes, fake designer bags and tourist items like hats that say "PARIS" that no one should ever buy. After walking around for an hour we decided to get some fuel and landed in a cafe full of locals and not a single young adult or tourist. It felt great. With our stomachs full of warm soup, we ventured back to the market and finally found the famous antique section. It was unreal. Vintage designers bags, beautiful 18th century furniture, old books, colorful beads and fabrics, antique maps and movie posters- I was in heaven to say the least. Jessie and I never leave home without our cameras so of course we documented the whole trip. Using as much French as I could, I only spoke in French to the men and women who ran the individual tents and sale spots. I'd love to go back one day and furnish my house with everything there! At the end of our adventure we decided to go back to the Canal St-esque area and buy some cheap scarves and then call it a day due to the cold. I've included some pictures- enjoy! Tomorrow starts my 2nd week of classes so I'll be sure to keep you updated on the school front.

Bises,

Lauren Jill

Château de Versailles

Bonjour!

Today my 5 roommates and I woke up early and set off for our first out-of-paris adventure: Versailles. I have learned about the palace in numerous history and art classes, but never imagined I would ever get the chance to walk past the golden gates and through the hall of mirrors. We have definitely become metro-pros and were able to stare at our living room wall map for a few minutes last night to determine the right lines and stops to take to make it to Versailles. Leaving the city and taking the RER today gave us the opportunity to see suburban life, which is very different from the city. It is interesting how NYC and  Paris are so different in that aspect. In New York the migration away from the city into larger homes was reserved for the upper classes, but for the French, to live in the heart of Paris (despite the tiny tiny apartments) is preferred, and living in the suburbs is more for the lower classes. We got off the train and followed the crowd down a beautiful street until we saw the grand palace. It is grand to say the least. Of course now there is a town built up around the main grounds, but it is crazy to think that where there are now stores and shops and yes, even a Starbucks, it used to be entirely the royal family's domain. Thanks to our CEA "art student ID" we were all able to get in for free, and we got free audio head sets which was great because each room had a number you could enter into the guide and then hear about the various paintings, furniture, and room uses. I was asked by an American tourist in very poor french to take a picture of her and her husband- I love being mistaken for something other than American! After exploring all the rooms we went to a pretty restaurant located in the palace that was decorated in an odd modern design that definitely did not go with the palace's interior. I bought a couple postcards to add to my future scrapbook and then we walked back to the RER, cold and tired, but certainly happy we had made the trip. We all decided that since Versaille is so close we would plan on a trip again in the spring when the gardens are full of flowers and we can spend more time outside. That's all for now- just going to relax, maybe do some reading for class, and then cook dinner before going out at night. 

Bisou,

Lauren Jill