Valentine's Day à Paris

So, I'm totally aware that Valentine's Day was a week ago. Apparently I fail at staying on top of things, let alone knowing what day it is.

Anyway, M was able to come to Paris for Vtine's Day! It was his first time ever in the city, and I must give him major props for successfully making it from the Orly airport, to the Orlyval train, transferring to the RER train, then transferring again to the metro and making it to my neighborhood without getting lost.

The weekend was filled with lots of touring by day and going out by night. It was so nice to have a reason to be an obnoxious tourist. As much as we all try to "blend in" and be like the French, I see absolutely nothing wrong with taking a weekend to walk around Paris at a snail's pace with my eyes glued to the tall, pretty buildings and the epic monuments. Seriously, when you hop off the metro and resurface to find L'Arc de Triomphe just chilling in the middle of an insanely large (and extremely chaotic/hazardous/dangerous/ridiculous) round-about, it's okay to stop and stare for a minute. We also got a chance to really explore my neighborhood of Montmartre. (M was thrilled to find out how steep the "butte" actually is. Mmmm...the stairs...) Even still, the Sacre Coeur is always beautiful, even on a dreary day. Once again the City Walks cards were a huge success. I would definitely recommend them if you are ever planning to be abroad.

M and I enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's dinner - even in France, we still manage to choose Italian. It was sad to have to see him go on Valentine's Day, but it would only be two weeks until Dublin!

A little glimpse of our weekend:

The Moulin Rouge

L'Opéra

Stairs to the top of L'Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

An Unexpected Guest

So...this post is completely random, and my own little way of expressing the "OH MY GOD, WHAT?!" thoughts that have been bouncing around my head for the past few days...

So last Wednesday, as I was leaving the apartment for class, MN informed me that C's godmother was going to be stopping by later that evening for drinks and a visit. Now, normally this type of comment would be placed in the "mundane" category, but this situation is a little different.

It is important to note that C's godmother, Marion, has:

1) Travelled the world on account of her work

2) Spent a significant amount of time in the midwest, particularly Madison (also due to work)

3) Has spent some time with the likes of Johnny Depp and Daniel Day Lewis

4) Once won an Oscar for her performance in La Vie en Rose

If it hasn't become obvious yet, C's godmother just happens to be Marion Cotillard, whom MN has known for over fifteen years. WHAT?!

So yea, Marion Cotillard came over for drinks the other night. She was very amused that I was from Madison.

"Oh! I loved Madison! I spent a lot of time there. And also that other city....oh, I forget the name...I think it also starts with an M...."

"Milwaukee?"

"Yes! That one too! I can never remember the names...."

Haha. Oh, the Midwest... Oh, Marion... Oh, Life...

Le Super Bowl XLIV

Kick-Off Time: 12:30 am

End of Game: 4:00 am

Location: The Long Hop Bar

-- Totally Worth It.

Despite the lack of SuperBowl commercials and traditionally American food, SuperBowl XLIV was a great success. It was nice to have a little taste of home. And of course, what a great game! Go Saints!

We spent the night meeting what was probably every American in Paris and enjoying our Subway baby-subs - the only allusion to American food made available to us. As much as I craved wings, nachos, french fries, etc. all night long, I was happy to have found a bar in all of Paris that was dedicated enough to stay open until 4:30 to play the game. It was, however, a challenge to stay awake for the entire game. Most of us managed to make it. Some of us (ahem...Joe...) did not...

Oh well... Maybe next year, Joe.

A General Note...

Just to inform any confused procrastinators who may have come across my non-existent facebook, I have to deactivate for the weekend so as not to violate any recruitment rules. I'll be back soon though! (Does anyone even actually see my facebook? Or read this? haha)

Anyway, while you wait ever-so impatiently for me to get back online (which I'm sure is how you will be spending your weekend), please enjoy this video. It's literally a case of cat and mouse. And by mouse I mean the mouse from Ratatouille.

Versailles

I decided to be a tourist last Saturday and set off for the Versailles Palace of Louis XIV. Subtlety was definitely not his strong suite...

The sheer magnitude of the palace is Louis XIV's way of telling everyone else in the neighborhood, "Hey. I'm...kind of a big deal." So naturally, the front entrance is a place strictly for serious business:

The back gardens, on the other hand, are reserved for fun and partying:

(In case you were wondering, yes, we specifically arranged for the drastic change in weather and sky-color for the purposes of these two contrasting pictures...)

Despite the sporadically dreary weather, visitors could be found strolling the gardens and even taking a spin around one of the absurdly large, yet perfectly rectangular ponds in an adorable little rowboat. Me, I prefer the warmth. So, my rowboat fun will have to wait until the spring.

Before leaving the palace, we did make sure to stop by the infamous Hall of Mirrors, site of many a treaty-signing. Like the Treaty of Versailles. Very original guys, very original.

P.S. I'm determined to find a way to throw an epic dinner party in the Hall of Mirrors. If you're reading this, you're invited. :)