The Last Bits - À Bientôt, Paris

5-course lunch at Giverny (caviar included, fancy) and exploring the gardens of impressionist artist Claude Monet's house.

Finally had escargot in France with my chicken dinner at Chez Gladines.

Last day spent picnicing by the Seine with everyone at sunset.

Edit: Click here for a website I just found that seems promising as a reference guide for good food and excursion spots. Wish I had stumbled upon this sooner!

The End is Near

Napoleon's apartment in the Musée du Louvre. Also where the Mona Lisa is housed if you're interested in seeing it.

Ladurée

Musée d'Orsay

Steak and fries from le Relais de l'Entrecôte.

Centre Pompidou: museum of modern art, and lunch on the rooftop terrace.

Cimetiere du Père Lachaise: the burial place of singer Edith Piaf alongside numerous other famous French people including sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and civic planner Georges-Eugène Haussmann, the man responsible for how much of Paris looks today. 

Pork bun from Belleville Chinatown.

Week four has come and gone. Now I'm left with four days, a presentation, two finals, and just a few hours here and there to squeeze in some last minute escapades. It's going to be a busy week! But I'm excited. I'm slowly feeling a bit more ready to leave but with a lot of convincing myself that I will be back. Plus all that's back home makes it much easier. See you all very soon! I'm so ready to binge on all the goodies I've missed so much.

A Nerd Crush on Louis Pasteur

Institute Pasteur: medical research center and home to Louis Pasteur, chemist and microbiologist extraordinaire, for the last 7 years of his life. Probably my second favorite field-trip this summer.

The best felafel in this entire world from L'As du Fallafel. No exaggeration.

Poet Homes and King Cribs

Château and gardens of Versailles

Finally fully recovered from a tiny bug that's been going around, figured it's time I do a recap on the week I skipped–that is, to the extent to which I remember. A few highlights: snuck a few peeks at the Tour de France cyclists on their way through avenue Champs Elysées; had tea and pastries at the mosque tea house featured in Paris, Je t'aime; had a relatively cheap and tasty 3-course traditional French dinner at La Maison de Verlaine in the Latin Quarter; revisited the Palais Garnier, this time on a guided tour; did laundry for the first time ever; spent a very sweaty day in Versailles a bit underwhelmed but with excellent company; watched The Dark Knight Rises in a very poorly ventilated movie theater; had sushi and Mexican food, and some of Angelina's famous hot chocolate and a strawberry and rhubarb tart; and splurged 10 euros on a pretty friggen awesome ride at the Jardin des Tuileries. I can't believe we're now 4/5 the way through our trip. I don't think I'm quite ready to leave yet–not that I won't be happy to be home but five weeks is not nearly enough time for all there is to do and see in Paris.