Tu est un fromage!

Picture this: I'm sitting in my fourth-floor room in my hostel with the widows open, overlooking the courtyard and the little lady who sits at her second-floor desk and writes (I always wonder about people - who is she? what is she writing? does she live here?) sitting at a distressed table, overhearing a small French boy speaking to his mother and typing away in Paris. Mhmm.

Today started out the same as usual - nutella and bread and a cappuccino. Oh yes, delicieux. Nikola, the man who owns the hostel, is so nice and always makes sure we're taken care of.

After a quick lesson on how to write up observations, we set out for Montmartre, where we'll be doing our research. For this trip, one of the guys on the trip and I are in charge of security, which was good because we took the underground metro and I actually knew what I was doing! I counted eight little heads, feeling like the mom, haha! There was a man playing the accordion on the metro, too, but I didn't think the locals were big fans, so I decided not to give money and encourage him. We looked around at first, going into the Sacre-Coeur and walking down all the little streets, and then we got to the research site - a square of artists, all selling their art of the streets of Paris! There were probably ten on each side of the square with more in the middle and on the edges. Very cool. Some of the art wasn't my cup of tea, but there were some that were sepia tone oil paintings of the street leading up to the Eiffel Tour and they were gorgeous - if only I had 300 euros.

We decided to walk to a different metro stop so that we could pass by the Moulin Rouge. That is one rough part of town. So many sex shops and things like that. I'm glad it was the middle of the day when we walked through. We caught our metro back to the hostel and had a little break before going out for dinner. Someone asked what we should get and I was sick of spending money and going out for every meal, so I suggested we buy baguettes and cheese and head to the park. Perfect. I bought Comte cheese and strawberry jam and split a baguette with Jordan, one of the girls on our trip. SO GOOD! I kept wanting to eat the jam with a spoon!

We ended the day by coming back to the hostel and hanging out...just us girls, in our room, spending time together. It was lovely, and I think an early night is in order!

Sophy

P.S. Sorry if this has been a little formulaic or boring.

Some interesting things...

-Totally love the pastries here. Can't wait to try my first crepe!

-Totally embarrassed when we all ran across the street following Dr. C as he crossed about three lanes in a roundabout (read: constantly moving traffic) instead of using the underground passage that a tour book described as "the only sane way" to get to the Arc de Triomphe. Yikes.

-Totally want a music box. They have a bunch in the touristy shops, but they're so cute and there's a particular song I want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOXzGtlLGgw . I had never heard it but it sounds beautiful on the music box.

-Totally excited to see Thomas, our French brother. Hecame to America and stayed with us for three summers when I was in middle/high school and I haven't seen him in a few years, but he plays viola with the Paris Conservatoire now, so he's living here and I'll get to see him! Yay!