Say Fromage

Brrr it is another chilly, but beautiful, Parisian day! I finally made it to the Musee de Louvre last week. I got up early to be there right when it opened. It took almost a month, but I have finally found a place to get a café lait to go. Apparently that is actually pronounced café ole. I have been pronouncing it café latte for the last week. This morning one of the other customers commented “Café latte, how cute” when I ordered. The woman behind the counter goes “Are you from Spain or Italy?” Well at least I am now passing for a European…just not a French one. C'est la vie...

I stepped out of the Louvre metro station, climbed up the stairs, and was transformed into another world. Columns, marble, and gardens as far as the eye could see. It is beyond magnificent and something that every single person should have the opportunity to see in their lifetime. The grandeur of the architecture makes you forget that you can’t speak the language and the subways are crowded. The outside of the building alone is a magnificent work of art. Secretly it made me want to watch The Da Vinci Code real bad.

I bought my ticket and paid 6 Euros for a headset. Best 6 Euros I have spent yet. I decided to spend my first Louvre visit in the Richelieu wing of the museum – there are three wings of this gigantic museum. The Richelieu wing houses the work of French artists and has all of the artifacts from Napoleon’s palace. Before entering the wing, I did something bad. It is uber-touristy and embarrassing to admit. I ran…literally ran…to see the Mona Lisa in the Sully wing. Not forgetting my manners, I did take the time to apologize profusely to the Asian tour group that I pushed out of the way on my quest to reach the famous painting. Really, you don’t need a picture of the water fountain in the Louvre. It is not memorable and no one back home really wants to see it. I was warned ahead of time that the painting is small and that I wouldn’t be able to get particularly close. I was intrigued by all of the security guarding her. I kept thinking what it must be like to say to your friends “Yeah so I guard the Mona Lisa…no biggie.” I wonder if they are in need of an intern. The more I stood staring at this woman and all of the questions that still remain regarding who she really is, the less real the painting looked to me. After seeing her face for so many years on tv and in books, it was surreal to be there standing there in front of what arguably could be the most famous piece of art in the world.

The other night one of my classmates organized a cheese and wine tasting. So fun! In the words of Rachel Ray, “Yuuuum-o”. We arrived at this woman’s apartment to find the most beautiful spread of cheese platters, wine, baguettes, and strawberries. It almost looked too pretty to eat. We tasted 12 different types of cheeses and learned all about each one. I think that we might have learned a little too much though…there are some things that you just don’t need to know about cheese and how it is made. Especially when are about to put it in your mouth. It turns out that this woman was born and raised in Connecticut. Her favorite aunt lived in Paris and she had a desire to visit all her life. At the age of 50 she finally made it. Having fallen in love with the city, when her children were finally grown, she decided to move here. I am always so inspired by those brave individuals who pick up and follow their dreams no matter how scary they are. I strive to be that courageous.

She told one funny story that stuck with me as I came to Paris in hopes of returning to the states with the perfect platter to use when hosting swanky wine and cheese parties. Apparently she did the same. She went from store to store in search of this French cheese platter. Finally she asked someone in a department store where she could find them. The woman looked at her very confused and said “I don’t understand what you are asking.” She replied, “You know, a plate to present cheese on.” The sales woman goes “Well, madam, just put the cheese on any damn plate you want.” Sadly, the cheese platter was apparently invented by a sneaky Pottery Barn equivalent determined to get newly engaged couples to add more crap to their registry. Needless to say my dreams were crushed a little that evening.

On the job search front, I still don’t have one! I came to Paris with high hopes of landing a fabulous job in the luxury industry…and I will. While I am just getting started with this process, I have hit a few snags and have had a few “Negative Nancy” moments. I have spent a lot of time in the last week researching, networking, and revising my resume. The job search is to blame for my lack of blogging and the empty Simply Sleep box next to my bed. I promise I will make a concerted effort to write more often. Hope everyone on the east coast is enjoying the snow days!