Le Marché aux Puces

The most amazing thing I've done since I've been here, I woke up early on a Sunday. Yup, you heard it here, I, Madison O'Leary, woke up early. On a weekend. Of my own free will. Don't worry I'm not completely changed, I've tried this the last four possible days (Saturdays and Sundays) and failed and slept until 11:40...oddly exactly 11:40 each time. But this is not the point. I woke up early on this lovely Sunday morning in Paris, France to go to a flea market or un marché aux puces. It was fantastic. There was a little stand with earrings made of found antique little bits for only a euro each. I walked around for two hours watching the old french men with their grand white mustaches and their little caps examining fish and tiny old women with their heads wrapped in scarves pointing out exactly which fetal pig they wanted for dinner. Since this is an older market, most of the people working there had been there for a while so they were not the annoying, creepy guys from the other more modern markets I've seen. They were sweet and nice and seem to genuinely love what they are doing. I could have spent the entire day there. There was even a man playing traditional french music on an accordion to make the experience complete. I would tell you more, but second surprising event, not only did I wake up early, I remembered my camera and I took pictures.

The beginning of the food section of the market. It got busier as the food got better.

The jewelery stand where I got some of the antique one euro earrings :)

He stole an old lady's wallet. Paris takes it's crime very seriously.

So many Parisians just go here for their Sunday dinner. They take a paper bag, through a roast chicken in, and then fill it with those potatoes.

The very friendly fish man.

It's clearly a very complicated picture that needs a very long explanation...

This woman ran to use the bathroom and left her daughter in charge. She drove a hard bargain.

More veggies.

One of the many tiny little old ladies.

Lots and lots 'o' oranges.

That big ugly overpass goes all the way around Paris so you know exactly when you are going to leave the city. It gets pretty ugly on the other side so I stayed with my market.

I just had to stop and get a pastry on my way home. Friggin' fantastic.

On This, The Day of Your Birth

So it's not so much that I forgot that I had a blog I had to write on, but that I am living in Paris and the weather has changed from freezing. It is as if any of the doubts or hesitations I had about being here have left with the cold. Again, aren't I just so damn poetic? It is truly magical here. Now I understand all the movies and stories of love that are based here. It is the city that you love. The different Arrondissements all fade so smoothly into one another yet each have their own distinct style and feel. Each day I feel more comfortable walking around and taking the metro, and straying farther and farther from what I know. I do, however, really, really suck at remembering my camera. And even if I do remember it, I always forget to take it out and use it. I'm always so caught up in the beauty of everything, or the fast pace of everything, that I am not thinking of pictures. It is also my secret plan to only give you a few pictures throughout the semester, but continue my breathtakingly beautiful writing so that you get so curious you will all come and visit so that I can drag you around myself. It's a good idea, no? I thought so.
So what have I been up to since I last posted. Oh so much. I've been to Parisian bars, the oldest flea market in Paris, the oldest University in Paris (and the world) and oh hey I take classes there, booked a trip to Nice, gone on a million walks, gone to the Shakespeare and Company bookstore (heaven), made a whole bunch o' friends, spoke some french, ate some fantastic french cheese, ate some fantastic french pastries, drank some fantastic french wine, learned some stuff, and wore jeans without tights underneath (yay!). So basically it's been a pretty fabulous February, or fevrier (with an accent over the e) as the french call it. I love it here. Ya'll should come visit.
Now, let me say some quick words about my Sorbonne professor. Madame Sophie Jehiel is...well...just a tad bit crazy. She is a tiny little french woman (she is of Korean dissent and wanted us to know that she has never been), about five feet tall, finds herself hysterically funny, hates non-french speakers, and finds our struggles even funnier than her own humor. She wears an outfit that matches right down to her rings. She wears the same outfit Monday through Wednesday and a new one Thursday and Friday. I cannot stress enough how much she matches, I wish I could take a picture of each outfit, they get me through my total confusion everyday.
So I promise that I will post more. And I really do promise to start taking more pictures. I am finally comfortable enough to use technology in public without fear that it will be stolen.
And on a final note, I would like to wish a wonderfully happy birthday to my wonderfully happy mother Laura. I love you!!! (It's still your birthday in Boston)

As Woody Allen said,

"Paris in the morning is beautiful
Paris in the afternoon is charming
Paris in the evening is enchanting
But Paris after midnight is MAGIC"

Neige, Sang, et Substance Gluante

This morning it snowed. Now, if possible, it is even more beautiful here!
There is something poetic about leaving a part of myself in Paris, is there not? Well not when it is actually, literally, a piece of me. When I was showering this morning I decided that it would be a good idea not to fully adapt to the Parisian ways and shave my legs. However, when I was doing this the lights decided to turn off because you have to wave your hands around to keep them on. This resulted in a chunk of my ankle washing "poetically" down the drain. 
But on the upside I got a lightsaber spoon in my cereal.
I started Sorbonne today...A kid from China was lost and we tried to find the class together, neither speaking french or the others language. It was interesting. My class was interesting. I think she told us something. I'm not sure, it was all in a different language. Weird. I'm a little overwhelmed but giving it until Monday to feel anything. Mostly because my brain is to my Sorbonne classroom as my chunk of ankle is to the shower. It's gone down a drain filled with other people's hair. In other news I had to give my GIANT jar of Nutella to my friend and tell her not to give it to me until Saturday because I've already eaten half of it...in a day and half...I'm like a bottomless Nutella filled pit that can't be stopped by mere mortals. It's like Laura says about ice cream, there is always room because it just fills in the cracks in your stomach. I have this image of me, Brittney knocked out, shoveling my hidden chocolate, hazelnut, magical goo into my mouth. I am loving Paris. Just so you know. Yes you. No not you, that guy behind you reading over your shoulder. But seriously I can take the Metro, tell people in french that I have no idea what they're saying, eat french food at the local places that I know to be good, walk with people I know, and have no remorse when I knock a little old lady out of my way. Just kidding that hasn't happen. Yet.
But none of this matters. Because I won a cheese basket in a raffle.

Pictures and Bruges!

 So I got my camera cord! However it takes about 10 minutes to upload each photo onto the blog. Oh well. So these are some of the pictures I have taken in my lovely Paris.

 The Louvre is a pretty classy place, no?

This one's for you, Katherine! It was on the bust tour so now I'm determined to find it.

I felt at home.

These guys were everywhere! Security was very tight when someone important was there doing something important.

Because in Paris, when the traffic gets bad, we just use the sidewalks.

Oh hey, what's that?

Look very closely...

These are all photos from Bruges, Belgium. I spent all of Saturday there with CEA. It was amazing. I really, really love it there and would love to go back even though I'm not usually one for small towns. It took us much longer than it was supposed to, but I didn't mind because I brought my book and was able to finish it on the train ride. When we got there it was -12 C. This temperature just makes the fact the world is ending official. But more importantly I ate the best soup I've ever had. When we finally arrived in Bruges we were taken to the only Brewery that is still standing. It was fantastic! We were given this vegetable soup that had this buttery, salty, delicious broth. The most perfect bread to soak it up, and a beer that was brewed in that property. After we had an entree of Potatoes and vegetables and more butter soaked things that was also to die for. To finish up this FREE meal we were given Belgian chocolate mousse. I would have been happy with the trip to just go home right there and then. But instead we walked around and ate more, saw beautiful things, and all and all had a wonderful day in Bruges. We also went on to eat waffles with chocolate, hot chocolate, and the best french fries with "Taartars" sauce. It was nice to be able to order everything in English.

This is for you Dev! (and Becca and Craig)

Little boat houses on the frozen river.

My friend Eli (Elly) who is from Texas so doesn't get snow so often :)

The home of Snow White. Or so we have decided to tell people

Just because it was there...I mean I couldn't not take a picture.

I had the truffle second from the left. Oh my God.

The center of Bruges.

 Brittney was still hungry after our lunch :)

Me, Brittney and Eli in the center of Bruges

The view from a bridge. It was really breathtaking, this picture doesn't do it justice.

This is not Bruges. This is the view from my window this morning. Snow in Paris. It can be pretty perfect here sometimes.