Bonjour! Glad to finally have a quick chance to let you know I'm alive and well. I spent about a week in Paris with my Aunt Lilly and had a fantastic time while learning beaucoup de francais. I would normally go into much more detail than this, but I haven't found the university's internet yet so I'm paying through the nose on this computer...

The plane ride was very long. Look at this incredible sunset! I just bought a fancy new camera before the trip, so hopefully I'll be sending you lots of pretty things like this!

I really had a fantastic time in Paris. I mean how could you not? Despite the drab weather, I loved just being there midst all the vibrance, energy, cheese, and French speaking of the city. Staying with my aunt is always such a pleasure. The one day she had to work, her wonderful friend Isabelle took me to a part of Paris I've never been. We walked along the canal St. Martin and enjoyed all the fancy shops around the 19th district.

We stopped into a cafe and suddenly Isabelle was very excited and urged me to notice the man about to leave. It was this man, Laurent Voulzy. Someone I've never heard of, but who is evidently a very famous French singer. I searched for him on youtube and I'm impressed with what I found. For some reason youtube isn't letting me embed the video, but here's a link to a video of his from 2003. His 70s stuff is also pretty entertaining.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=i3_o-EHZx3w

It is so relaxing to be in Paris and do things other than sightseeing. The archives of this blog should have some of the sights if you're interested. I was far more interested in doing normal French people things. Like going to the theatre. One of my aunt's dance students performed in a production that we went to see in a very small and enclosed basement theatre. The sketches were funny, I'm sure, but I confess I didn't understand most of it. My aunt gave a synopsis as we went along. The conversations afterward were much more comprehensible. I think the Spanish immersion experience is really helping me survive with the few French skills I have. As much of a fool I may appear to be at times, I'm conciously trying to ignore my shyness and just jump right into speaking. I make mistakes left and right, but its really helping me learn.

On Tuesday, Aunt Lilly took me to Normandy, where she's been meaning to take me since I was 18. This was my first time in France outside of Paris! We arrived to a city, well two cities. Deauville and Trouville; twin cities divided by a train station and a river. Wow I really have to get going, but the pictures say more than I can anyhow. I'll be back on hopefully within a week and tell you all about Chambery. For now I leave you with images of Trouville...