A student’s perspective on her first days in Paris with GLS
Leaving the plane, I waited in anticipation to finally be in Paris and meet everyone in my program. I went through customs and found our Program Coordinator Karl Davis waiting in an airport café with a group of students who had already arrived. In total, I met a group of 14 students who were also there for the first summer session.
The first day we were primarily given the information for our apartment and time to unpack and settle in. I live with three other girls in an apartment in the 6th arrondissement known as St-Germain-des-Prés. It’s a beautiful apartment in a prime location. The weather this time in Paris is beautiful! The sun is shining with a few clouds and a nice breeze. After unwinding, a group of us decided to go to out to dinner. We chose to kick off our Paris trip at the world famous café Les Deux Magots. The café is famous for literary authors such as Sartre de Beauvoir and Hemingway who wrote there.
Saturday was a busy day. First, we all met in the Raspail area for our French placement exam. The exam is a nonjudgmental exam which means they place you in a level that is best for you. You can place in Debutante, Elementaire, Intermediante and Superior. After the exam, we made our way to La Sorbonne to register with the school. The school was founded in 1257 as a part of the University of Paris. La Sorbonne is such a beautiful university. The architecture helps give it such a prestigious ambience. We learned that the Sorbonne houses part of the René Descartes University. After registering, Karl took us all out for a surprise. We had a fabulous 3-course dinner at a nice restaurant in the Cardinal Lemoine. I really enjoyed the dinner because the food was delicious and it gave us a chance to get to know each other a little better.
On Sunday we began our day with a walking tour of the city. Starting from the beautiful fountain St.Michel, we began walking to the Notre Dame. From inside the cathedral you can see the beautiful stained glass windows and magnificent architecture. I also liked the gargoyles that are found perched off the sides. They not only have an artistic purpose, but are also used as rain gutters. Around the Notre Dame there are also many entertainers such as magicians, dancers, mimes and musicians. We continued our journey by walking along the Seine River that runs right through Paris. We eventually made our way to Hôtel de Ville which is the equivalent to an American city hall. Originally, it was a maison aux piliers (”House of Pillars”) but later turned into a city hall. Almost every building, whether an important monument or not, has an intricate element or design detail. Next we visited the George Pompidou museum. This is the National Museum of Modern Art. When it was first built in 1977, it was very controversial due to the modern design. The building stands out among most in Paris because it is very colorful and all the structural components such as the water pipes, stair cases, are on the exterior.
The food in France is absolutely phenomenal. There are cafes around every corner. For dinner, my roommates and I went to a café in the St.Germain area. Many cafes have an underground floor known as le bas. The ambience was intimate and the style resembled that of an old cavern.
- Ashley
