Orientation Day

Monday was our first orientation day. Rachael and I led a group from our dorm to the Catho (Catholic University of Paris), since we are the only ones who have been to Paris before. 

We met in the courtyard at about 9:15 to meet up with our ISA directors. 

The Catho was built in the 17th century and it's a beautiful place to be. 

 Trey is enjoying his coffee. 

The ISA directors are great. They're very laid back. Some are American, some French. Our first orientation was mainly focused on introducing the logistics of Paris and safety.

After the first session, Rachael and I headed to fill our Navigo Pass cards (weekly/monthly metro card) at Montparnasse with two other girls, Adree and Lisa. Then we grabbed sandwiches (on fresh baguettes, mind you) and pastries, and headed to the Jardins Luxembourg to eat them. We found it on the first try (so there, David and Momma). It's about two blocks away from the Catho. We ate near the little café and got fruit juice to go with our lunch. 

Then we showed our companions the rest of the parc. It was a glorious day  

         

We went back for the next orientation. This Orientation was focused on Paris culture. They told us where to go to get everything we might need and where to go to find things strictly Parisian. They gave us countless websites to find train tickets, concert tickets, and surprises in Paris (e.g. The Galeries Lafayette- a famous Paris department store- is hosting free tennis on their roof until June 4). They told us where to go for student discounts, what accents to fake to get better discounts (no joke), and where to find the best flea markets, festivals, ticket prices and nightlife. 

Afterwards, I dragged my group up to the Left Bank of the Seine to show them Shakespeare and Company, which is a famous English bookstore. It's fantastic, even better than I remember it. It's right next to the ISA office, so I plan to spend alot of time there. It's very small and cramped and filled to the brim with good books.We didn't have much time, so I impulsively bought Les Miserables, and we headed back to our dorms. I've gone back since, but it's so wonderful, it deserves a post of its own. So, this is all you get. 

When we arrived, Rebecca, one of our directors, gave us a tour of the Cité Universitaire facilities, then we rushed back to our rooms to grab what we needed for the rest of the evening. 

We met our ISA group for our welcome dinner at a restaurant one block away from Shakespeare and Co. It would have been far more convenient to have just stayed up there, but c'est la vie. 

Dinner was at a nice greek place and a pianist serenaded us while we ate. 

Lisa just tried to stay awake. 

After dinner a large (way too large) group of us walked along the Seine while the sun was setting to the Eiffel Tower: one of those scenes I hope I'll never forget.

The group split. There were lots of interesting detours, but we made it there. Finally we sat down by the seine and drank some wine. It was a lovely way to end the evening.