stephsadventuresabroad

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Bulgarian for Dummies

Winter has descended on Silistra and this means that the whole town is covered with a thick layer of snow and ice. This also means that I have lived in Bulgaria for an entire season, 3 months, a little over a fourth of my grant period. Wild. I really haven’t talked a lot about culture shock since moving to Bulgaria. I think what that comes down to is the fact that I haven’t really suffered (?)…

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You know that feeling when you move to Bulgaria and your phone breaks not once but twice, so you’re sitting on a 5-hour train cross country without a phone and you’ve finished the book you brought along, at which point you open up Netflix on your computer to watch the movie you’ve downloaded and Error code: U7353-5101 pops up on your screen? Well here I am, keeping my promise to blog out of shear desperation and boredom. No big ideas to muse on or international adventures to speak of, just a girl with an hour to kill on a train as she travels back from NW Bulgaria fresh off of judging a high school speech and debate tournament. Sorry guys.

I guess I should probably fulfill the basic requirements of a travel blog and give you some juicy Stephanie life updates. Last weekend I traveled to Dobrich to meet up with my friends who live in the Northeast – ugh this is boring. I refuse to write like this. Let’s try again, this time stylized in the classic top 5 list.

5 Favorite memories since I last blogged:

1.Judging at the BEST tournament: Bright and early Thursday morning, Maggie and I took the 8:30 to Ruse where we met up with Alexa and Will to travel cross country to judge at the Bulgarian English Speech and Debate tournament in Vratsa. Dang these kids are talented! Over the course of the weekend I judged poetry, prose, and duo and I was blown away. I walked away from judging with major hand cramps and a newfound appreciation for the orchestra and choir directors that were tasked with herding masses of high schoolers every year at regional auditions.

2. Monday night Dance class: I never know what I’m getting myself into when I walk into folk dance class on Mondays. Maybe it’s a routine I’ve learned, maybe it’s something I’ve never seen but I’m thrown in with the expectation that I’ll pick up the steps quick enough? This Monday, completely out of left field, was a Horo group featuring a few of the usual subjects minus the high schoolers and with the fun addition of many older ladies and men. A radical shift from what class is normally like, we started out with a Ballet (?) warm-up and was followed up my Maggie and I stumbling over our own feet for the better part of an hour.

3. Baking pumpkin bread: Man oh man do I love to cook good food, especially when it means I get to share the fruits of my labor with friends. And labor there was. Bulgaria, to my great disappointment, doesn’t have canned pumpkin puree, not Libby’s, not anything. So, Sunday afternoon when I got back from Dobrich I went to town roasting and pureeing the pumpkin that Desi had kindly brought me from her parents’ garden in the village outside Silistra. Then Monday night when I couldn’t sleep I decided to make hulling the walnuts Shauna had brought me from Pravets my midnight activity. Finally, Thursday after school I baked the bread, which was A+. Props to Kyle (who may or may not be a loyal reader) for the truly show-stoppingly delicious recipe and to Schar for the solid gluten-free flour.

Turning this

into

this 🙂

4. Sitting on the beach in Varna with some true Fulbright favs: Last Friday I took the shortest bus ride yet (only 1.5 hours!!) to Dobrich to meet up with my friends in the Northeast. On Saturday Thomas, Emily, Alexa, Will, Faith and I took another bus to Varna for the day. The weekend was so low-key and just what I needed. After meeting up with Courtney and Keana we walked around the city and eventually down to the beach. It’s moments like these that I feel the need to pinch myself. How on Earth did I end up on a beach along the Black Sea with some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. I will sing their praises until the end of time. They are funny, smart, and for some reason voluntarily hang out with me.

Dobrich

Faith and Thomas

Varna

Thx for the pics Emily

🙂

Beach photo shoot courtesy of Emily.

Dobrich

5. Earning the much coveted “Super!” from my tambura teacher: It always feels like such a journey to get to lessons on Tuesday nights because it’s already dark out and it’s cold and honestly, I’m kind of a baby. However, every lesson without fail, as soon as I walk into the classroom and start playing, it all feels worth it. And it feels especially worth it when I play a complete Horo as a duet with my teacher and get that sweet, sweet praise that my insecurities crave. It’s funny, but I haven’t felt like this much of a beginner at so many things in such a long time. Not only at Tambura, but also Bulgarian, and teaching, and living alone, and the list keeps going. Most of the time it’s frustrating, but in a lot of ways it’s refreshing. It’s allowed me to be a little more generous in forgiving myself for the mistakes that I make. Wow, that went in a direction that I didn’t expect.

I guess that’s it for now. Talk soon. Much love.

Train Musings You know that feeling when you move to Bulgaria and your phone breaks not once but twice, so you’re sitting on a 5-hour train cross country without a phone and you’ve finished the book you brought along, at which point you open up Netflix on your computer to watch the movie you’ve downloaded and…

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Anyone who has spoken with me in the last 2 months has heard about my new love, for whom I’ve fallen fast and hard. Without outing myself as a nerd on the internet, it’s a podcast called “Harry Potter and the Sacred Text” (HPST). Oops. Before you write me off as a crazy person – LISTEN! It’s a really interesting concept, reading intention into the Harry Potter series as you would any Holy book. As someone who has always tended to blast through books at a breakneck speed, taking a book I know (or thought I knew) so well and reading it through the lens of central themes presents me with an opportunity for mindfulness. This practice of mindfulness has been life changing for me.

The introspection of this podcast and opportunity for reflection in my own life has dragged me out of my own head and allowed me to see my world a little clearer. A theme that I have found particularly resonant in my own life is grace – meaning the things we’re given in life that we’ve never earned and that we often take for granted. I was graced with parents who supported me throughout college, allowed me to study and travel and learn and grow as a student and person. This was completely and utterly undeserved. It was by grace that I was born into this life of privilege and love.

Last year I had quite a few conversations with both mom and dad in which I would reflect on the unfairness of the world and my own privilege. My grace made me uncomfortable. Each time they would remind me that all I could do was to have gratitude and make the most of what I’d been given in order to help others. This idea was echoed in the HPST episode on grace: “Grace leads to gratitude, gratitude leads to responsibility.” I couldn’t pause the episode fast enough to jot this down. Putting my gratitude into action to help others – I love this.

Applying for and winning a Fulbright was not unearned or unmerited, but it did build on many of the privileges that I was graced with in my life. One way that I can insert even more meaning into what might be the most meaningful year of my life is to put my gratitude into action and embrace my responsibility to share my grace with everyone I interact with – my colleagues, new Bulgarian friends, other Fulbrighters, and especially my students.

This last month I have tried be intentional in interacting with as many people in my community as possible. I began grabbing coffee with students, started taking lessons for the Tambura, and even joined a dancing group. If you ask nicely *maybe* I’ll post music and dance videos on the blog. Maybe.

Brasov

Road Trip

Going across the Danube

Pumpkin Man

Brasov

Shauna and I

Outside my new community activities, I have continued to travel on the weekends. The weekend before Halloween I journeyed up north to Transylvania for some spooky fun in Brasov and Bran. Last week I was in Sofia again attending a conference put on by Fulbright Bulgaria for all of the ETAs in the extended Balkan peninsula on Media Literacy education. It was AMAZING meeting so many service-driven, ambitious, bright, lovely people.

Balkan crew!

Some of my favorites

More favorites

Making terrible bread.

In my grace, in my gratitude and responsibility, I have found so much love and appreciation for my community, for which I feel even more gracious. As I finish out my Fall recap I leave you with a promise to be better at writing. Thank you everyone who pestered me for an update – this one’s for you. 😊

Grace Anyone who has spoken with me in the last 2 months has heard about my new love, for whom I’ve fallen fast and hard.

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Wow! I’ve been terrible at blogging this fall. I could attribute that to starting a new job or the endless hours I spend navigating the Balkans by bus, instead though, I will apologize and promise to do better. After much shaming from my own mother, I bring to you a 2-month recap of my time in Bulgaria to you in 2 parts. The first:

Senior year of college I made a compact with myself to adopt a growth mentality. Those reading this who were around last year will remember, because I never shut up about it. I can’t really recall what originally spurred this, but one day in October a switch flipped in my mind and I realized that I could no longer be complacent in my own life. I needed to grow and I needed to feel capable.

Capability – it became everything to me. It was the intention that I set in sunrise yoga and what I whispered to myself at 2 in the morning as I worked on my thesis. This attitude of growth was most visible in my decision to begin taking math classes as a college senior, sloshing through Calculus I with all my freshman classmates. Senior year was hard, but in the end, I felt truly triumphant. One year later and this mantra has become my lifeline. It’s a gentle reminder that in my 20-minute walks to the grocery store and the two days it takes to dry my clothes, I am growing. I am becoming more capable.

First day of school!

First day of school!

When I last left you, I had just arrived in Silistra, and no less than a week later I found myself back on the road, this time to Istanbul, Turkey. Along with 7 other Fulbrighters I spent Bulgarian Independence Day weekend eating my weight in Turkish delights. Istanbul was captivating and unlike anywhere I have ever visited. The food was incredible, the Hagia Sophia breathtaking, and we only *almost* got stranded on another continent. If you haven’t gone before – go!

Madame Galen?

Sunset

Group pic in Asia!!

Group pic!

Hagia Sophia!

Grand Bazar

Grand Bazar

Following my Turkish excursion my weekends were kind of non-stop travel, albeit entirely within Bulgarian borders. The months of September and October saw me visit 5 Bulgarian cities (Sofia, Shumen, Ruse, Gabrovo, and Stara Zagora) and travel a collective 35 hours on buses and trains. The travel was 135% worth it though. I got to hang with some of my favorite Fulbrighters, visited some WILD Soviet monuments, and got to zigzag all over my favorite Balkan state.

Thomas and I in Shumen

Shumen

Dog pal

Shumen Memorial

Sofia

Shumen Memorial

Museum of Soviet Art

Buzludhza

I  have already begun to experience the challenge that this year promises to present. If I learned anything last year, however, it was that with challenge comes opportunity – for growth, and to prove my capability. My blogging could definitely use a growth mentality, stick around for Fall recap part 2!!

Growth and Capability Wow! I’ve been terrible at blogging this fall. I could attribute that to starting a new job or the endless hours I spend navigating the Balkans by bus, instead though, I will apologize and promise to do better.

[stephsadventuresabroad]

D.C. Top Five

Loyal readers will remember when the blog was called “Steph’s Adventures Abroad”. Thank goodness the title has changed because, gasp, I’m blogging from my couch at home. I guess technically this ditty is about the family vacation/visa acquisition trip I just returned from, but still, I’m blogging stateside. Ok, enough with the introduction, blogging commence!

Mom and Dad jokingly (?) kept…

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Disaster avoided.

This weekend I traveled to London with my friend Gabrielle from work (unfortunately not via chunnel). We only had 48 hours so our days were scheduled for maximum fun.

We flew out Friday night and after a couple hours of delayed flights we made it into London around 9. The train from the airport dropped us off at St. Pancras International and from there we grabbed a quick eat and checked into our hostel near Kensington. 

Saturday bright and early we headed straight for every 10 year-old’s dream stop: Platform 9 and 3/4. 

After taking the most touristy photo we made our way through SOHO to the British Museum. Thanks to Rick Steve’s fantastic audio tour we saw the museum’s displays highlighting the rise and fall of Ancient Egypt, Assyria, and Greece. The museum was gorgeous, filled to the brim with history, and most importantly FREE! I had never been before and am really glad that I took the time to walk through even a fraction of the museum. My favorite part was seeing the Rosetta Stone. 

Following the British Museum we took the tube to Leicester Square to buy discounted West End tickets and then walked down “The Strand” to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The highlight of walking the strand was definitely the Twinings Tea Shop. 

Our one “appointment” on Saturday was **Afternoon Tea** at a hotel near Covent Gardens that I had found by googling “cheapest afternoon tea” earlier in the week. It was delicious, and gluten free. 

That night we went to see “Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and it was WONDERFUL!

Sunday was a little less scheduled and we spent most of the day wandering around. After starting the day with breakfast at a cute place around the corner from our hostel, we headed for Westminster. Rick Steves provided us with another tour, this time around Parliament Square. To our disappointment Westminster Abbey was closed.

Since we had an hour to kill before Harrods opened Gabrielle and I walked through the National Gallery. The hour or so we spent there was so nice.

Harrods was fabulous. I really only went to pick up a bag of rosebud tea that my mom had gotten for me when she went two years ago, however, I had a great time walking around the rest of the museum store.

By the time we finished lunch and walked around Buckingham Palace it was time to catch the train back to the airport.

Now, the story you’ve been waiting to hear...the disaster I spoke of in the title. We were waiting at out gate and my phone’s battery had really taken a hit, so I decided to plug it in while I read nearby. We waited at the gate for half and hour and when they called for boarding we were more than ready to go home to the sweet embrace of mother Paris. I got in line, walked down to the plane, sat in my seat, pulled out my headphones to cue up my podcast and promptly realized that I didn’t have my phone. After running to the front of the plane and pleading with the stewardess a angel gate agent brought me my phone and saved the day. Thank goodness it was where I left it, because had it come down to it I would have stood up in my seat and demanded that the thief make themselves known. Probably not, but you never know. 

With 12 days left in France I probably have another blog post or two left in me before I close up shop for the summer.

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48 hours in Wicklow

Two weeks ago I flew to Ireland to visit the Websters. It was a really nice weekend and there really isn’t much to say.

Enjoy the pictures! I know I enjoyed taking them.

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Chapter 70 - 3 Goodbyes ~ I Walk in the Rain ~ A Visitor ~ A Royal Feast

{Points if you can guess the book my title alludes to Mom.}

This week was quite a week. On Friday 3 of my intern pals concluded their stays with the commercial service and said goodbye to 14 Boulevard Haussmann. It was sad to see them go, but they are all moving on to bigger and better opportunities and I am so excited for them. At the end of the day, the office through a party to celebrate them and everyone brought food. It was a nice way of saying goodbye.

After work we all went out for drinks and sat and talked for a while until the rain subsided. 

Sunday I decided that I was going to see the special exhibit at Orsay so I started out mid afternoon for the museum, winding through the streets aimlessly, exploring the neighborhoods on my way. I walked in and out of shops, through passages and after an hour I arrived at the museum. 

What I had failed to calculate was that this was the last Sunday of the month. This might sound innocuous to those unfamiliar with Parisian museums, however, this means that museums are free to the public which translates to lines winding out of museums and spilling into the roads. No thank you. So, I walked home in the same fashion as before and continued my exploring. 

I had made my way to Odeon when all of a sudden rain began to fall from the sky. This led to a sopping wet Stephanie walking through the Latin Quarter for 20 minutes wondering if she might have to chop off her pinky toe from hypothermia. 

Monday was a French national holiday which meant NO WORK! My some luck of the universe this was also the weekend that Madison was coming to Paris. This was her first time in the city so I took her on a rapid-fire tour of Paris hitting the high-points and tourist traps that everyone has to see. She was with a friend and to fulfill their wishes of eating macarons in front of the Eiffel Tower I took them to Pierre Hermé and then to the Champs de Mars. That night I took them and two other girls to Le Refuge des Fondues up in Montmarte for fondue. It was so tasty.

The highlight of my week had to be going to the release party for the Pudlo Guide de Paris 2017 on Tuesday that Sonia invited us to. It was unbelievable! Located in the ballroom of the Four Seasons George V off of the Champs Elyssés, my dreams of fabulous Parisian life were fulfilled. Inside the ballrooms were maybe 40 different stalls of the best of the best of Parisian food and drinks. Sonia was welcoming and warm as always and her event went off without a hitch.

{Mom, I was alluding to Enthusiasm if you didn’t guess}

A sonnet generated mad libs style for your enjoyment:

“swiftly low to the ground search for cafe to inhale friday spring clouds rain french is restless from the rain

live this way forever if I trip on the stairs of the metro

somebody french colorful you.”

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My Roman Holiday.

2 weeks ago I flew to Rome after work on a Friday and spent 48 hours in the eternal city. I did my best to make the most of my time there, and with the help of friends studying abroad in Rome, my 2 days were well spent. 

My flight into Rome landed shortly before midnight which meant that the second I arrived at the hostel there was time for nothing but sleeping. I stayed at “The Yellow” and I could not recommend it more to students traveling through Rome! It was clean, modern, and friendly, what more can you ask for?

Saturday morning I woke up at what I would call “the crack of dawn”, 7, and was out and about by 8:30 (I told you I was making the most of my weekend). I met up with Maris and Clio my gracious tour guides and hosts. We walked (a common theme for the weekend) around the city casually stumbling across landmarks left and right. After walking through the Pantheon, and by the Trevi fountain we stopped for “Italian Breakfast” at the cutest coffee bar. Good coffee was on my wishlist for Rome and boy did I have more than my fair share. The cup at breakfast was followed by two more on Saturday and another 3 on Sunday. I’m a coffee fiend!! 

After lunch Maris and Clio dropped me off at the city within a city: The Vatican, and I toured with a group for 4 hours! I took plenty of clandestine pictures of the Sistine Chapel for your entertainment and successfully avoided getting yelled at by the Swiss Guard.

I met up again with Maris after my tour ended and went out for drinks with her and her friends in Trastevere before calling it a night and going back to the hostel to get some sleep before my last day in Rome.

Sunday morning, by some miracle, I also woke up early! This must come as a surprise to everyone who knows me, but I was dedicated to making my days count! Maris and I got a bigger sit down breakfast close to the Pantheon and then we WALKED! 

That afternoon I was on my own again, so I went to Villa Borghese and walked around the park before getting gelato near Piazza del Popolo. The gelato much like everything else I ate in Rome was so damn good. If I had stayed another week I might have put on 10 pounds!

For my last night Maris and I went out for aperitivo which I assumed to be the same as an aperitif, however, in Italy this pre-dinner drink also entails a free buffet of hors d’oeurves! 

Rome was fabulous. The 5 a.m. flight which require me to leave the hostel BEFORE the crack of dawn was not. All in all a wonderful weekend.

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Can I stay forever?

The weather this weekend can be described only by what I didn’t wear - sleeves.

(For Mom: Remember the bell that comes from Rome to deliver the chocolate?)

After work Friday, the skies were blue, the air was warm, and I couldn’t help but walk home. It’s normally a 40-ish minute walk home, but I really took my time weaving in and out of stores and parks and got home after about 3 hours. I tried taking a time-lapse of my walk home, however, I couldn’t listen to my podcasts while I filmed so my movie-making was short lived.

Yesterday morning I also put quite a few miles in, winding through the outdoor market on Place Maubert and through the Marais. 

With the nice weather and abundance of tourists, the street musicians were out in full force, and I didn’t mind at all. Near Notre Dame I sat and listened to one jazz group for maybe 30 minutes.

Later in the afternoon, I spent a few hours writing at A Lacroix before heading over to Dana’s to snack and watch movies with the interns. We planned to watch “Chicago” but got derailed when I described a photo I had taken earlier in the Marais as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” aesthetic. I had forgotten how strange and long the movie is, but no regrets.

This morning Dana and I did something that we’ve been talking about since January: took a macaron class! It was 3 hours of the best kind of fun,the type that you walk away from with a new skill. Our class was at “Le Foodist” and I couldn’t have dreamed of a better experience. The class size was small, so Dana, I and our 4 new Israeli friends had lots of one-on-one time with the instructor.

After our macaron making experience  we headed to Jardin du Luxembourg to picnic. It was beautiful! The sun was out, so we took total advantage of the abundant Vitamin D and sunbathed/relaxed for 5 hours.

I don’t know how Paris does it, but I’ll be impressed to see if she can keep topping each weekend. It makes my heart hurt to think I only have 54 days left here.

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A lovely party for a beautiful friendship.

On the 100th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War I, the Embassy hosted a party to celebrate the friendship and partnership between France and the U.S. Let me tell you, this was one fancy schmancy party, and as an intern I was lucky enough to volunteer at said event. 

The food was superb, the band was phenomenal, and the company was not to bad.

The highlight of my night was meeting Eleanor Bearsley, the France correspondent for National Public Radio. Meeting the person who’s voice you’ve heard on the radio as long as you can remember is just about the coolest thing for an avid listener like myself.

How will I ever adjust to a life that doesn’t include extravagant Parisian parties?

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Peasants get out of my Chateau!

Versailles is only one RER C ride away from Paris, so how could I say no when the intern crew planned a trip out to the House of Bourbon’s favorite chateau? 

When I went with my family a couple weeks ago the weather was kind of “meh” and since Sam and I were in a “sleeping in” kind of mood our day got off to a late start. This was not the case on Sunday. Our rendez-vous was at 8:15 sharp, so there was no sleeping in.

After arriving in Versailles there was no stopping, it was a go-go-go type of day except for the nap on the grass and lunch. But take my word it was non-stop walking.

We started at the Chateau and made our way through the gardens, winding in and out of the Trianon. It was also the start of the “fountain show” season, so paired with the endlessly blue skies I don’t think I could have asked for a better day.

I love my beautiful Paris, but every once in a while you need your garden fix when living in the concrete jungle. Boy did I get my fix. We left the grounds, exhausted and happy and warm, a little before 6 to take the train back into the city. Two words, perfect day.

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Walking up and down, but mostly up, Montmarte.

It only took me 3 months but I’ve caught up to the present. I’m actually writing about the events that transpired the afternoon of March 26th in the early hours of March 27th.

Today Dana, Kiana, and I trekked up to Montmarte to walk around the windy streets of the 18th arrondissement. We followed a prepared walking tour map for almost 4 hours and ended the day with dinner and people watching.

I’d been to Montmarte a couple time in the past, but never really had the time to explore. For me this semester has been all about exploring and getting to know the city I call my home for these 6 months.

^^ Sacre Coeur in front of a gorgeous blue sky. The weather has been marvelous this week. A real change from the gloomy skies we had when Mom, Dad, and Sam were in town.

I’ve lived in Paris now for 3 months and much to Sam’s disbelief I have not seen a mime. I did, however, see a tightrope act today.

^^Montmarte Cemetery was almost like a town within a city. Each grave was ornate and unique. There were even “street names” so you didn’t get lost.

I’m thankful for every beautiful day in my favorite city.

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The Galen family takes Paris.

This last week was fantastic because...Mom, Dad, and Sam came to Paris. I picked them up at CDG Saturday morning and took them to the apartment that they rented near the Opera. It was so, so good to see them. Much to my dismay they spent the majority of Saturday napping away the jet lag.

Sunday I took them on a tour of the 5th. We started at the flower market.

Then we walked down the Seine to Notre Dame. We didn’t go inside but we did weave through the tourists to walk around the grounds.

I brought them by the cafe where I do most of my blogging, A Lacroix. If you find yourself in Paris and want a delicious, beautiful, inventive pastry check it out!

I took them by my apartment and up to my favorite spot in the city, the Pantheon. I’m a piss poor tour guide but I tried to hit up the highlights of my ‘hood.

We ended the tour of the Latin Quarter with dinner on Ste. Germain. On our way home we even took the Ferris Wheel above the city.

Monday I only got to really see them at lunch, because I had to work and after work Dana, Kiana, and I had been invited to a gastronomie party by Arnaud’s mom at the Bofinger. Although I couldn’t sneak mom and dad into the party, I did sneak some macarons out in my purse. 

Tuesday night we went to the Eiffel Tower. 

On Wednesdays the Louvre is open late so I met up with Mom, Dad, and Sam after work for some late night art.  

I was lucky enough to take the day off Thursday, so we took the RER out to Versailles. The highlight was definitely Sam “directing” dad for a school film project he’s doing. I promise when I get my hands on the finished movie I will post the masterpiece on the blog. 

Our last full day together, Friday, we went to Musee de l’Orangerie where Monet’s waterlily paintings are housed. Very neat! We also hit up Orsay.

I already miss them.

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Bretagne!!!!

One weekend in March Dana, Kiana, and I took the train out west to Bretagne to visit Arnaud. Side note: how cool does it sound to say “take the train out west”? Who am I, Fievel? We were graciously welcomed by his family and it turned out to be a trip I will never forget. 

Our train arrived in Brest a little before 10 and Arnaud met us at the station to drive us to his town about an hour away. It was a little late when we pulled into the driveway and his parents were too kind. Waiting for us was seafood, pizza, fruit, bread, and cheese. This was just the start of the warmth we were shown.

In the 2 days we were there, we hiked, surfed, ate far too much, and had the time of our lives. I saw a different side of France and I loved it.

The house was incredible!

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The Best Part of the Day: Lunch

The best hour and a half of work days is by far lunch. On days that the weather is nice we will often walk around the Tuileries garden and the surrounding area. Below is a collection of lunch pictures.

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February Photo Journal

I’ve been pretty rotten about updating the blog this semester. February is probably the most difficult month to break down by events/sights seen. It was short and horrendously cold month so I’ve decided to condense the remaining things I did in Feb into a photo journal.

Early on in the month I tagged along with Florie to Cluny (Middle Ages Museum) for one of her school projects then went to Angelina for hot chocolate and a pastry.

A few weekends later we went to the Marais on a nice day. Right across the river, the Marais (4th arrondissement) is very different than the neighborhood I live in. The temporary reprieve from winter was perfect for a long winding walk through crowded streets, a park, Victor Hugo’s home, and to an ice cream stand.

Also in February was my tour of the Ambassador’s residence. I was unfortunately terrible about taking pictures. We were however lucky enough to venture outside the ground floor and into the floors used for State guests and gatherings. I took some pictures of questionable quality of the library and a large painting of George Washington. 

A common theme of my weekends is walking. The third Sunday of the month I took a walk through the flower market in the fourth and along the Seine down to Musee d’Orsay.