And then Sunday rolled around...the day I had been waiting for because my parents were going to arrive that morning. Well their flight was delayed two hours so I wound up waiting around for awhile but they finally made it to the little hotel I had booked for them. I took them out to my favorite Lebanese restaurant when they got in but I could tell they were about to fall asleep in their tabouleh and kafta. So they wound up taking a nap in their room and then we met back up three hours later to head to the Marais (where we eventually had falafel and such at Chez Mariane), and the St. Michel area. Their feet were dragging so it was time to head back. Besides...we were leaving for Barcelona the next morning!
I was relieved to see that they were really refreshed and ready to go on Monday. Orly airport is bout 11 minutes from Boulogne-Bill so we made it with plenty of time to spare. I can't even begin to describe Barcelona. The three of us fell in love with the city, and we hope we can go back soon. It was weird being there without Alex, but that is all the more reason to head back. We checked into our ultra modern/swanky hotel and headed to a seafood restaurant that one of the hotel people recommended in the port. We were really hungry, and it was expensive, but it turned out to be pretty good (not worth the price). Afterwards we walked around the port area, I was so excited to see the sea and boats since I have been so far from water these past months. Then we headed to La Rambla, the main strip and apparently the most walked street in Europe. There were "Living Statues" everywhere and they were really creative. There were the usual gold foil wrapped pharohs and such but there were others such as a guy painted all in white sitting on a toilet and reading the newspaper... Since it was Easter Monday everything was closed and there were a million people in the streets. However, we were most interested in seeing the architecture, since Barcelona is a center of the arts. I have decided that Gaudi, a leading figure in the architecture for the city, is a creative genius. We first went to his creation called Casa Batllo. It reminds me a a mix between a Dr. Seuss world, underwater scene, and some sort of crazy abstraction of a house. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like to live there. Just go see it and you will see. My parents and I saw most of the Gaudi works while we were there: what was he on! The cathedral for the Sangrada family is razy. I don't know if I like it. He did not wind up finishing it (he was killed after being hit by a tram in 1926) so they are still working on it. It was really interesting to see such a ginormous cathedral as it was being built. Although we were not very hungry we went out for tapas (at another restaurant that was recommended by the hotel) around 10:30 that night (when in Spain, do as the Spanish do!). Oh wow, it was some of the best food we had had in a long time. And I am sure most of you know that my family is a bunch of foodies and love haute cuisine. We loved the restaurant so much that we went back the next day for dinner and loved it even more. Calamari, focaccio-esque bread, tuna, salmon, special vegetables, yummy sangria (I had one and a half glasses cause I just felt like it. It was the first time I had some alcohol in two and a half years but I was just loving the whole vibe and could not pass up the Spanish specialty.) Anyhoo, day two we woke up and headed to the hotel breakfast (not free) and it was massive and amazing, so we skipped lunch. Once again, I have not had food like that in a long time so we went back the next day. Day two consisted of more Gaudi touring, a tour through the beautiful opera house, a walk through the gothic district, and old beautiful cathedral, Gaudi's ultra interesting cathedral and so on. My parents were really tired so I wound up wandering around by myself for awhile in the afternoon, which was also really fun. Paris streets have trained me well. Try and keep up with me in walking, I dare you! The last day in Barcelona we had our breakfast and went to the Picasso museum that showed a lot of his early work (pre cubism) and then we took a walk and had some lunch before we had to go to the airport. I fell in love with the Spanish designer Custo Barcelona, but I have yet to buy anything. (There is a shop in Paris so I might be making a stop at some point...)
Then it was back to Paris for more fun with my parents (we are at Wednesday night at this point). The three of us stayed in a family friend's apartment in the 5th (Latin quarter), so it was perfectly situated for so many activities the rest of the week. Wednesday night we were famished because it was 10 and we had not eaten yet so we just found the closest restaurant that had things that looked decent and sat down. Out of the corner of her eye (and I saw it too) my mom saw something dart across the floor: "Oh shit." she said. "Yea I saw it too mom." For the rest of the dinner this mouse kept on darting around the floor. We were not quite sure what to do: yes this was Paris, no he was not like Ratatouille, but we were starving. The food just did not taste very good, and was quite pricey. When my mom mentioned the mouse at the end of our meal to the manager (or something like that) he just turned and walked away. No apology, nothing. He just brought the bill and left. If I was not so tired I would have protested. The next morning, I had big plans in order to show my parents my city. I was so excited. My mom and I went grocery shopping and bought a lot of brunch foods and salmon and other yummies because we were going to cook dinner in our apartment! I was ecstatic to have my mom's food, even if we would have to make do with the small kitchen. There is a boulangerie literally right under the building so the scrumcious smell filled everything. (The bread we got was great.) After lunch, we went back to the St. Michel because we wanted to see Notre Dame (and they had been complete zombies on Sunday). Then we went and bought some beautiful old prints and stuff. They are great souvenirs for the family. That evening I took them to my favorite (anglophone) bookstore called Shakespeare and Company, then we walked around Ile Saint Louis which brought back wonderful memories for my mom when she stayed in Paris many years ago. Then we walked to the Centre Pompidou to go to the Kandinsky and Alexander Calder expositions. I adored the Calder exhibit, and the Kandinsky was pretty cool too. There was an amazing panoramic view from the top of Pompidou. That night we made delicious salmon and vegetables. Friday morning I took my parents to a cooking class at Guy Martin. It was a present to them since we all love to cook and I thought it would be a perfect French experience. And it was! Guy Martin is a world-renowned chef (we went to his studio, but he doesn't teach there.) His restaurant is Le Grand Vefour (which has been around since the 1700s!) The appetizers there start at 85 Euro!!! We made sea-bass and mini ratatouille. Our teacher used to be the head pastry chef at Le Grand Vefour. Because I am a lactard, I couldn't have the chocolate soufflé. soooo....he made me my own special dessert. Zambione with strawberries and a balsamic glaze. I felt so special and all of the other students were jealous. (There were seven of us, the other four people were all on their lunch breaks so they go take a cooking class. That is the life!)
Then we went to Boulogne Billancourt and I showed them my little gym (Club Moving) and then we went out for coffee and did some grocery shopping for the next few weeks. That night we went to my house to have dinner with my host family. Everyone was there except for Geoffroy (my 18 year old bro). We all got along beautifully. It was wonderful. We had so much fun just talking and relaxing, so much so that we did not realize how late it was but Bertrand, my host mom's boyfriend (for lack of a better word) drove us back to the apartment. Saturday morning we slept in and then I went grocery shopping so we could make dinner that night and try to recreate the fish and ratatouille from the night before. (I found cod instead but it was still pretty good). After lunch we went to the Mosquée (mosque) de Paris which turned out to be two blocks away (Bertrand told us we had to go have tea there so we did). Then I took them to get macarons (see previous entries about these yummy pastries) at Ladurée. I have recruited two more fans. My mom and I want to try to make them this summer. After a bit of walk on the Champs, we went to the Louvre and I showed them some of the paintings I have been working on in my Art and Architecture class. My parents had to get up early on Sunday to catch their flight and we were all getting tired so we headed home right after we saw some of the French painting exhibits. That night, we all worked together to make the ratatouille and cod and salad and we just talked and talked. It was so relaxing and I miss them so much already. Just being with people, who literally have known me since I was born. Of course we had macarons for dessert. The next morning my parents left and I headed back to Boulogne-Billancourt. It was a really confusing experience since I had become so used to having them around. I wound up working ALL day yesterday (Sunday) on my exposé and other homework I had not yet touched. I basically did not leave my room from 12:45 to 8:15 when I had dinner with my family. It sounds pathetic, but at least I had a wonderful break! Plus it was crappy weather outside so I did not feel too too bad about being indoors all day.
Today classes started up again, but I realized that after this weekend (I am leaving with Chenault to go to Nice/Monaco on Thursday!) I will only have two weekends left in Paris. I don't know what to make of that. It is really scary, and I feel like I have so much more I want to do and I am not ready to go home...not yet. But I am still here so I will just enjoy myself and do whatever I want!
Ciao.
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