I've been binge-watching the current season of Covert Affairs for the past two days and just watched the episodes that take place in . . . Paris! It is hard to concentrate on the plot when you are looking at the background of every shot to see if you can figure out where the scenes were filmed. Here is the behind-the-scenes video. I recognized all the "big" locations (Hôtel de Ville, Conciergerie, Pont Alexandre III, etc.) easily but could not place that street market. Is it the one near Place de la Bastille? Chris Gorham's photographs are very cool too.
This was just what I needed to ease my post-Paris withdrawal symptoms!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Sunday, August 3: Bonjour la Georgie
Morning came VERY early today. We had to meet at 02h45 to get on the buses that would take us to CDG airport. As it happened, I never went to sleep last night but stayed up finishing Travail Soigné. Didn't plan it that way but it worked out all right. I had just enough residual energy/travel adrenaline to get me through loading the buses. Our students did great--everyone was on time with little or no last-minute pounding on doors required. The ride out to CDG went very quickly, partially because there was no traffic at that hour and partially because I fell sound asleep about 20 minutes in. We were so early that the Lufthansa desk wasn't even open yet, but we all got checked in by about 05h00, got through security, and had time to spare for snack-buying and duty-free shopping (to the student who was getting perfume for his girlfriend: I hope you went with Hermès).
I think most of us slept through the CDG-FRA hop. I actually missed the snack service--chocolate croissants--but they were giving out the extras as we disembarked and that was most welcome. In Frankfurt we had to go through passport control, which was pretty quick, and then walk a long way to our gate. On the way I stopped to get some juice and a package of crackers and was very excited to be able to use some of the German that I am learning from Duolingo. I picked up a package of what I was pretty sure were crackers but the picture on the packaging also looked a bit like butter cookies. So at the register I held up the package and asked the clerk "Ist das suß oder salzig?" (Is this sweet or salty?) "Salzig," he answered. "Das ist alles?" (Will this be all for you?) "Ja," I had the presence of mind to answer. HOLY COW. I CAN SPEAK GERMAN.
As I write we are about 45 minutes from Atlanta. This flight has been long but I was so tired that I slept on and off through about the first half of it. In fact, I fell asleep while we were taxiing, woke up as we took off and realized that the sound of the plane taxiing had made my sleeping brain think I was on the metro! My only complaint about this flight is that it has been freezing cold the entire time. The baby sitting next to me (who has been an angel, by the way) has on footie pajamas and I am wishing for footie pajamas. Of course, after an hour in Georgia I'll be wishing I were freezing cold again.
40 minutes to go. Then Baggage Claim and Customs (merde, where is my customs form?) and then hoooooooome!
I think most of us slept through the CDG-FRA hop. I actually missed the snack service--chocolate croissants--but they were giving out the extras as we disembarked and that was most welcome. In Frankfurt we had to go through passport control, which was pretty quick, and then walk a long way to our gate. On the way I stopped to get some juice and a package of crackers and was very excited to be able to use some of the German that I am learning from Duolingo. I picked up a package of what I was pretty sure were crackers but the picture on the packaging also looked a bit like butter cookies. So at the register I held up the package and asked the clerk "Ist das suß oder salzig?" (Is this sweet or salty?) "Salzig," he answered. "Das ist alles?" (Will this be all for you?) "Ja," I had the presence of mind to answer. HOLY COW. I CAN SPEAK GERMAN.
As I write we are about 45 minutes from Atlanta. This flight has been long but I was so tired that I slept on and off through about the first half of it. In fact, I fell asleep while we were taxiing, woke up as we took off and realized that the sound of the plane taxiing had made my sleeping brain think I was on the metro! My only complaint about this flight is that it has been freezing cold the entire time. The baby sitting next to me (who has been an angel, by the way) has on footie pajamas and I am wishing for footie pajamas. Of course, after an hour in Georgia I'll be wishing I were freezing cold again.
40 minutes to go. Then Baggage Claim and Customs (merde, where is my customs form?) and then hoooooooome!
Saturday, August 2: Last Parisian day of the year
The last day before departure is a free day for students (and faculty) to do their last-minute sightseeing, souvenir shopping, and fun-having before we are all subjected to the rigors of departure day. I approached the day with a list of places in mind and I took some pictures along the way. Let's click through, shall we?
Friday, August 1, 2014
Friday, August 1: Giverny & Val d'Oise
To round out the program we took the whole group to Giverny (Claude Monet's home and garden) this morning and to Auvers-sur-Oise (village where Vincent Van Gogh is buried) in the afternoon. It was a beautiful day; Giverny was miraculously not-horribly-crowded; Auvers is lovely and seemed like a real change from the city despite being part of the Île de France region (i.e. part of "greater Paris," sort of). As we drove into town I was entertaining myself by choosing the houses I'd like to live in. Unfortunately the one I liked best had an asking price over 500,000€ ! So I am not moving to Auvers-sur-Oise any time soon.
We did have an unexpected adventure when it was time to come home but even that turned out all right as I got to come back on train "H," which I think is one of the suburban lines that Annabel mentioned a while back. It was a really snazzy train! Now I am taking a break from packing. I decided to start tonight so I could have more of tomorrow free. So far, so good. I've stopped worrying that my suitcase will weigh 100kg and there are no longer clothes all over my bed. Tomorrow will be strange as I will feel like the clock is ticking--because it will be! So let's hold that at bay a while longer and look at some pictures instead. Fair warning: if you don't like flowers, you should NOT click through . . .
We did have an unexpected adventure when it was time to come home but even that turned out all right as I got to come back on train "H," which I think is one of the suburban lines that Annabel mentioned a while back. It was a really snazzy train! Now I am taking a break from packing. I decided to start tonight so I could have more of tomorrow free. So far, so good. I've stopped worrying that my suitcase will weigh 100kg and there are no longer clothes all over my bed. Tomorrow will be strange as I will feel like the clock is ticking--because it will be! So let's hold that at bay a while longer and look at some pictures instead. Fair warning: if you don't like flowers, you should NOT click through . . .
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