Summer!

Summer has taken Paris by storm.

By the way, sorry for not putting the Italy pictures links up! Here they are:
Pictures #1
Pictures #2
Pictures #3


So as for summer, it means, traveling by metro, at least during rush hour, is not only torturous, but you need a respirator. Just imagine all of those French people, sweating, in an un-airconditioned metro train.. Not good.

Thank God for Velib'. Vélo means bike in French, and libre means free, so they have Vélib'! It's so great. They're public bikes.. part of the public transportation system. So you swipe your card (Navigo), like a metro card, and the bike unlocks. You ride it wherever, obviously carefully, and following all of the road signs/traffic lights, under penalty of fines- which I almost got because I'm an ass - and it's great. When you're done, you dock it. Or if there is no dock, you can lock it up, and you take the key with you. It's so great. Plus, it's awesome exercise! Now I can get cardio in. A good hour per day..

Unfortunately, there are hardly any hills in Paris, except one- which I have to take to get home from class, it's about 1 km long. It's quite a workout. So I really love Vélib', especially since there is a docking station across the street from me.

What else? Well I'm certainly sad that this semester has FLOWNNNN by. But at the same time, very excited to see everybody at home. Ideally, I can come home for a month vacation, and come back- but I can't... I'm just very grateful for this opportunity. *If you knew how many times I had to retype grateful- French has screwed up my English....


Finals are next week.. I have one in Art History, one in "Actuality" (News), one in Paris, one for Grammar and one for Culture- so I'll be working, finally, unfortunately. But I will be done, with the exception of a 15 minute oral examination on Saturday the 24th, then all of my friends (and Kelly!) are coming to Paris on May 25th!

I leave for Lisbon on May 30th, then to Madrid on June 2nd, then I think back to Paris to say a tearful good bye, then back to NY on June 7th. Then Welcome Home Party on June 8th!
Can't wait to see you all. Miss you so much!

June 7th will be a very very bittersweet day for me.


OK- dinner and homework time
Love you all

Au revoir!