Croissant Count

Croissant Count (as of July 6): 6

Croissant #6 - Poujauran. More doughy than the other croissants I've had. But still nice and flaky. Best price so far. 20, rue Jean-Nicot, 75007.

Croissant #5 - LeNotre. Yummy. Nice, flaky, buttery, and airy. This bakery is air-conditioned and that in and of itself is a great treat these days. 15, boulevard de Courcelles, 75008.

Croissant #4 - Boulangerie Kayser. Very nice and flaky. Would have been even better if it were hot from the oven. Maybe tomorrow... 8, rue Monge, 75005.

Croissant #3 - Paul. Er, not so good. I probably wouldn't have been able to tell it was not so good had I not had Gerard Mulot. Not as flaky nor as buttery. 33, rue de Tronchet, 75008.

Croissant #2 - Gerard Mulot. OMG, I've died and gone to heaven. It was so good! Patisserie Gerard Mulot. 76, rue de Seine, 75006.

Croissant #1 - American Airlines breakfast. After 6 hours on the plain, it didn't taste so bad. Afterall, it was piping hot. But you had to eat it fast so it didn't get TOO rubbery.

Tidbits

Today, as a group, we toured the Ste. Chappelle chapel and the Notre Dame cathedral. There were about a million people and the temperature was a million degrees. Afterwards, we went to Ile St. Louis for Berthillon ice-cream, but not from the original store, because they are closed all of July. An ice-cream shop closed during the hotest month in the summer? Only Berthillon!


Ste. Chappelle


Notre Dame


Notre Dame - from the back.


Yum yum yum


I saw this at a little shop on the Ile St. Louis - le peloton du Tour de France!


The sisters decorated for our 4th of July dinner. Like the top I picked out for the occasion?? Expect it again on la fete nationale or le 14 juillet! I made the mistake of calling it Bastille Day when talking to my teacher and got chewed out. "Bastille Day, euh, c'est Americain, euh. On ne dit pas Bastille Day en France, euh, on dit la fete nationale ou le 14 juillet, euh." OK! Got it.


Divine macaroons from Laduree. Cafe, rose, and cassis-violet.

Placement Test

This morning we went to the L'Institut Catholique to take our placement tests to place us in classes according to our level. The test encompassed reading, writing, listening, and oral portions. I can't remember when I last took an exam...but it was nerve-racking. As I sat in the classroom, I was hating myself. Why did I choose this for a vacation again?

Here are some pictures from the first couple of days:


Le Marché Bio (Organic Market) on rue de Raspail


We met these scouts outside Ste. Suplice selling baked goods to fund their camping trip next summer. They were adorable. So we bought some really yummy tarts. In case you were wondering how to say 'scouts' en français...it's "les scouts" (pronounced: scoot).


Here we are eating our very buttery tarts.


Jardin du Luxembourg - the palace now houses the French senate.


These past few days have been sweltering in Paris. Hot, humid, and sticky. This is one of the few lawns where you're allowed on the grass. Look at how dense it is.


A shady respite from the heat - Jardin du Luxembourg


The Metro at St. Michel

Croissant Count

Last summer, when I was in Vietnam, I kept a tally of the number of bowls of pho I had during the course of the trip: 7. This time around, I'm going to keep a Croissant Count. By my definition, the Croissant Count includes, but does not exclude other croissant-like pastries as of yet outside my knowledge: pain au chocolat, chaussons aux pommes, pain aux raisins...





Croissant Count (as of July 2): 2

I'm in Paris!

So I've arrived! I'm in Paris! There are about 50 of us in the program, from California, with a wide spread of ages. We are mostly all staying in the same dorm with a few who opted for and arranged their own private apartments. (I'm beginning to think that is a much better idea...)

The dorm where we’re staying is run by Polish nuns. Nuns in their full glory - habits and everything. Reminds me of primary and high school days. Not that I still think they know everything about me just by looking at me. But I’m still not entirely at ease. They still make me feel like I need to be on my best behavior. But really, what could I possibly do to offend them?? And what would they do about it? Give me a demerit? At dinner last night, Kayla asked me to ask for more water from one of the sisters. I was thinking, “Do I have to?” They still freak me out. Guess I’ll always have an aversion.

The building we’re in is 6 stories tall with no elevator. Not that I was expecting one but it would’ve been nice to help lug our huge suitcases. The older people have been assigned the lower rooms and the younger ones the rooms on the upper floors. I’m on the 4^th floor – which means 5 flights because it’s really the 5^th floor because the French don’t count the 1^st floor. The flights of stairs are irritatingly unending but I figure it’ll help with the amount of butter I’d be consuming over the course of the month.

It’s been really hot and humid here. And it doesn’t help that my room is all the way up top with a funky window that I haven’t figured out how to position to maximize air flow. However, the good thing is: did I mention that the air is constantly permeated with butter and the scent of baked goods? I’ve got to figure out where it’s coming from.