I can’t believe it’s already over! There’s just no way that two weeks in Paris passed by in a blink of an eye. Well, I guess that’s what happens when you’re having fun. One day I’ll never forget began with a class visit to the Marché d’Aligre, a market with fruits, meat, cheese, baked goods… and there, I had a green almond for the first time. It was not what I expected, to say the least. Then, we went and had some sweet crepes for lunch. I had a dark chocolate, banana, and strawberry one. We returned to class to tour the Rice Global Paris Center — it was super historical and interesting to look around. For dinner I went to an Italian place near Notre Dame, and in the evening, joined some of the others at the Eiffel Tower. That’s just one of the days we’ve spent in Paris.
Probably my favorite part of my experience in Paris, other than the food, was the art. Part of that was visiting a few of the many churches around the city. Not only is their architecture and design historically significant but also the craftsmanship of paintings, stone structures and carvings, and stained glass are usually apparent. Especially the stained glass windows — almost nothing’s more magical to me than the evening sunlight filtering through the wall’s colored panes. I was also excited to see Notre Dame, even though it’s current state isn’t as beautiful as it once was. There were street artists there when I visited in the evening, when the weather was nice. And I can’t forget about the Louvre — both the building and the art enclosed within it were awesome to take in. Among my favorite exhibits were European painting, decorative art, and sculpture. The sculpture I was most intrigued by was Antonio Canova’s Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss for its use of space and detailed textures. I also recall seeing The Raft of the Medusa in a textbook in high school, so it was super cool to see that in person. Of course, I won’t fail to mention the Mona Lisa, either. It was unreal.
Now for the dining. Among my favorite food experiences were the numerous crepes that we’d get at shops along the streets. The savory galette crepes were so rich and were delightful to enjoy with an Orangina while sitting and chatting with the others from the program. And I’ll probably never get tired of the thin, sweet, crispy, buttery sugar crepes throughout Paris. Also up there is charcuterie. On our last day, when we all tested our final prototypes and cut the elements for a charcuterie board together, I could barely contain my excitement. Although I think the selection of cheese was a little overwhelming, I nevertheless got to try a handful of soft and medium European cheeses. My favorite so far has been reblochon. The final food experience that stuck with me were the pastries and desserts there in general. To name a few: ham cheese quiche, croissants, sugar brioche, crème brûlée, macarons… it’s been incredible to taste them all from the source. If I find myself in there again, I’ll make sure to keep on exploring the cuisine, history, and everyday life of Paris.