Versailles

Bonsoir

Life in Paris is still pretty jazzy. I've been focusing on my work a lot (yes, I am studying here believe it or not!) As I said a while ago, we're designing a floating/traveling restaurant. I am creating a 'water monument' (thats my concept) down the Seine river about 1/2 a mile from the Eiffel tower. I'll have to post pictures soon so you can see. And so this post makes a little bit more sense. It's cool I promise!

Today we went to the Palace of Versailles. Wow. It was incredible there. Truly a Palace fit for a King/Queen. (We didn't make it to the gardens, but my friends and I will definitely go back soon.) It was fun to see the furniture of King Louis the XIV and XV as well as Marie Antoinette. These things are so unreal in person. I feel like I'm educating myself with a REAL history lesson. I know names, pieces of art, assumptions of cultures, the brief history lessons on wars, but I feel like it actually gets dug into your head when you are standing around and in front of it instead of memorizing note cards. I really am getting an education out here just from visiting these places.

The past weekend my friends and I took some touristy trips around Paris. We checked out the Rodin Museum and the Musee D'Orsay. Both museums were amazing. The Rodin was great because I got to see the 'Thinker' in real life, as well as Rodin's 'Gates of Hell'. Before my trip here I took a visit with my Grandmother to the Loyola Museum of Art on Chicago ave. to see their exhibit on Rodin. He is so genius; all of his writings about his sculptures are spot on with his work. Beautiful sculptures. The Musee D'Orsay was great too! I saw some unexpected pieces of art, such as Monet's Blue Lillies and Whistler's Mother, as well as other famous pieces. To see all of this in front of me gives me such a rush. It checks off so many boxes on my list of things to see in this world! My roommate Mihee and I also took a small trip to the cafe where they filmed some scenes of the french movie, Amelie. To be honest, it was a lot different than it was in the movie, but that's okay. We had a great dinner, as well as dessert of Creme Brulee d'Amelie! (It was quite a tourist trap though. Everything had Amelie's face all over it.) I've been wanting to watch that movie ever since.

This weekend I'm headed to Cork, Ireland with my roommates! I'm so excited. It's always been my dream since I was a young girl to go to Ireland and see the pastures. In all honesty, my favorite color is green, and has been forever because of views and pictures of Irish pastures. To actually have that dream come true in a couple of days and set foot on Irish lands is so unreal. Why did we choose Cork? The Blarney Castle/Stone of course! You can't go to Ireland without kissing the Blarney stone. My other goals this weekend are to get a real Irish claddagh ring (the one I have has a pink birthstone, which isn't even mine) and to sit in an Irish Pub. (okay, maybe I'll have a drink, but not Guinness.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Stone

I am going to update my photo website soon, I just have to do a bit of organizing. I hope everyone is doing well back in the states. I've been getting a bit homesick lately. It's been one month (already, oh my gosh) and there are a few things/people I do have longings for, but I am still having the time of my life. I feel like I've adapted to the Parisian lifestyle pretty nicely, and I am definitely not ready to go home. There's still so much more to see!

Feel free to send some words of love! I would love updates from everyone to see how they're doing.

-B

Rodin's 'The Thinker'

'Whistler's Mother'

the gates of the Palace of Versailles

hallway of the Palace

Louis XIV's bed

this type of art is beautiful. I love the massive canvasses

Yours truly at the Palace of Versailles!