February 20, 2016

The Catacombs were a lot less disturbing than I expected. Perhaps it was the museum-like order of the skulls and bones neatly stacked one on top the other, the desensitizing effect of how many there were… I strongly suspect it was our crew because we couldn’t keep it... Read More

February 13, 2016

At Versaille, there is an entire exhibit dedicated to Louis XIV death: La mort du roi. French monarchs were bearers of absolute and divine power. After his death, everyone wanted a piece of the Sun King. His body was buried in the Saint-Denis Basilica, his entrails sent to Notre... Read More

February 9, 2016

If you’re looking for an alternative activity away from the crowds, visit Paris’s abandoned railway, The Petite Ceinture, which stopped operation in 1934. There is no formal entrance: The way in was a simple swing over a barrier, but the way out, I am proud to say, I... Read More

February 3, 2016

We took cover from the rain in the Coeur de Lion, one of Normandy’s famed cider distilleries. Who knew the apple had this many uses. The tasting was a great finish to the tour – apple and pear brandy, calvados, gin. Then came the puzzle: How do you get the apple inside... Read More

February 3, 2016

  The perks of having a friend in the program whose host mother is an opera singer, actor and comedian: front row seats to the show! A spin on Carmen, the show starts with an announcement of its cancellation. What comes next is a hilariously thrown together production. The... Read More

January 24, 2016

  The cobblestone streets here start climbing upward and require a good amount of leg work. At the summit is the Sacre-Coeur overlooking all of Paris where tourists mill around taking pictures of the sprawling view. We were lucky to have our first visit here accompanied by... Read More

December 22, 2015

The weekend after London I did very little except study, prepare for exams and attempt to write 10 page essays in French, but I did get out a little to explore more of Paris. Here are some pictures from the Canal Saint Martin, the 4.5 km long canal that starts near Place de... Read More

November 2, 2015

As the world well knows, this past weekend was Halloween! Halloween is my favorite holiday of all time. For me it ranks above Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day and my birthday. While our study abroad advisors were warning us about the homesickness that comes with the fall... Read More

November 2, 2015

Next on our journey across France, we left Lyon in the morning and rented a car to drive from the Rhône-Alps to Provence, the famous seaside region of France which I had heard about since childhood. I couldn’t have been more happy we rented a car. Instead of driving on... Read More

October 30, 2015

This post will be short, but last week I was walking home from class and came upon a rather disturbing sight. My building is in the 12th arrondissement, next to the beautiful Parc de Bercy and La Cinématèque Française, a film museum, library, and theatre occasionally showing... Read More