Three down, Seventeen to go

11.   Run in le Parc Buttes Chaumont

a picture of "le parc" back in September

After moving to a new place, certain mysteries are bound to come up.  For instance, in Paris, I still don't know why there is always running water in the gutters of the street on my walk to the Metro each morning or how to figure out the bus system (an addition to my New Year's resolutions list).

But perhaps the greatest mystery has been the Parisian runner. I see him in every park in Paris, but I have no idea how he gets there. I don't see him in the street or on the Metro. But somehow, he gets to the park and he gets home. Sometimes I even peak into phone booths just to see if there's a Superman-inspired wardrobe change into work-out clothes happening. There never is.

This is part of what has kept me from attempting to exercise in Paris (the other part being laziness). There seems to be a taboo against being in public in any article of clothing that even resembles something someone might wear to a gym. And if you're wearing any sneakers that aren't Converses, don't even think about leaving your apartment.

But, after 5 months in this city, I am officially in the worst shape of my life. So, on this second of two sunny days in a row (for the first time in months!), I decided to suck it up and go for a run.

With my Under Amour on and my Nikes double-knotted, I headed to the Metro, keeping an eye out for anyone else of my kind. No one.  I rode the Metro and ignored the strange looks I got the entire way there.  Finally, I climbed the 5 million stairs out of the Metro and into the park. And what did I see? At least 50 runners coming towards me.

How did they get there?!

I did my run.  I tried not to die (in case you're wondering the "buttes" of Parc Buttes Chaumont translates to "hills." they are not kidding.) And I headed home on the Metro, once again the sole soul clad in lycra.

So far, my only solution to this mystery is that Parisians have figured out how to teleport. But now I'm too tired to think about it.

my tired feet

Two down, Eighteen to go

4.      Visit the Musée Marmottan Monet

I finally got to the Musée Marmottan Monet last Sunday to see its Fauves & Expressionistes exhibit.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside.  But, it featured artists from Kandinsky to Renoir.  The works were full of color, which was nice on yet another gray winter day.

Fortunately, sidewalk pictures are always allowed, so here are a couple photos of the front of the museum:

And before I knew about the no photos rule, one of the museum's donors caught my eye. Check out the bottom line of this plaque!

An ocean away, I'm never far from home.

One down, Nineteen to go

Last night, I completed one of my New Year resolutions:

9. Go to le cinema

I went with a friend to see Une Petite Zone de Turbulences, which is a French film about a middle-aged man's crisis when his daughter's getting married to someone he doesn't like, his son is gay, and his wife is having an affair.  In the usual French fashion, the whole audience found lots of humor in his misery.

As films go, it was not an astounding piece of art, but it was entertaining and a good first outing to "le cinema."

Il neige à Paris

The French (namely my Parisian professor) tell me that I am lucky to have seen it snow in Paris, since apparently it rarely does. So, when I woke up this morning to snow for the THIRD time in one month, I decided to brave the bitter winds and freezing temperatures to capture a Parisian monument à la neige.

Le Louvre

Le Jardin de Tuileries

Le Jardin (et la Tour Eiffel!)

It really is pretty, so I am trying to keep my cynical, anti-snow commentary to myself. But, merde - it's cold.

After my foray into the freezing, I warmed up in an English bookstore nearby (it's just not nearly as fun skimming book jackets in French) and met a friend for a belated birthday sushi lunch.  So, right off the bat, I am sucking at my New Year resolutions. Maybe tomorrow...

Bonne Année

I hope it’s not too late for New Year resolutions because six days into 2010, my list is finally complete.  I have approximately 20 weekends left in Paris and therefore my #1 New Year resolution is to truly know the city.  Last semester, I spent a lot of time here adjusting in between jet setting.  I ended the semester wondering how it flew by so fast and how I could possibly have so much left to see.  When I return to the United States in June, I want no regrets, no should-haves, would-haves, or could-haves.

I have created a 20-part list of things, mini-resolutions, I want to do and see in Paris (ideally one for each weekend).  They are as follows:

1.       Make my way through the ENTIRE Louvre

2.      Climb to the top of the Notre Dame

3.      Visit the Musée Rodin

4.      Visit the Musée Marmottan Monet

5.      Visit the Centre Pompidou

6.      Go to a ballet

7.      Visit the musée du Picasso

8.     Visit the Holocaust memorial

9.      Go to le cinéma

10.  Picnic along the Seine

11.   Run in le Parc Buttes Chaumont

12.  Go to an opera

13.  Visit le musée d’art deco

14.  Read a book in la Place des Vosages

15.   Walk through Père Lachaise

16.  See the spring blossoms in Bois de Vincennes

17.   Visit the wall of “je t’aime”

18.  Visit Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides

19.  Visit le Grand Palais

20. Learn to make crêpes

Wish me bonne chance!

W

W