Arrival in Paris

Shout out to Holly and Laura!! We were suppose to be able to have a nice lunch Friday at the DFW airport (maybe peanut butter crackers…but the company makes it nice, ha!) but….my flight was 2 hours late because of weather.  I was able to see them for a mere 15 minutes, tops. You guys are the greatest!! I am sure you both took off work/school Friday, drove a couple of hours (minimum) all to see me in a crazed mess!! I love you both SO much and it means so much to me that you would come see me before I head off on my great adventure!

Franck, Chloe, and Marie-Cesare met me at the airport with open arms.  They all look exactly as they do in their pictures.  Marie-Cesare being this cute "little French girl with little French shoes" as Mike would say.  5 minutes into our car ride, Marie-Cesare started getting antsy and Chloe said it was because my hair was in a pony-tail.  What a peculiar girl already!  Chloe said that when she gets in the shower and puts her hair up in a clip, that Marie-Cesare hates it! So, I quickly take my hair down and everything is fine!  (Which means I might be getting a hair cut verrrry soon.  You all know how much I hate to have my long hair down all day.)  

As we're sitting in the back seat together on the 30 minute ride to Montmartre, she leans over and asks me to read a book.  I pick it up and its a very familiar title, Richard Scarry's, The Naughty Bunny.  I quickly open it to find that it's completely in French of course!  Good thing my reading skills are better than my speaking skills.  As I was reading the book, I noticed myself paying more attention to reading the words than putting any emotion into it. I sounded like a robot!  haha, but Marie-Cesare didn't seem to mind so we read it until the end.  

Once at their flat, Gaspard had gotten home from his friends house.  He is so adorable!! He had just gotten his top braces on, and still in that awkward don't want to smile stage.  He is so sweet to Marie-Cesare and they seem to love each other very much.  Chloe said they have their "moments" but most of the time they get along great.  

We left Montmartre, to head to my part of town, Courcelles.  Its a beautiful neighborhood with typical "picturesque" Parisian buildings.  The metro station is just up the street about a 3 minute walk.  I do have to walk up 7 flights of stairs (yes, 7) but that is the norm and something I will hopefully get use to.  Luckily we were able to use the small elevator with all of my suitcases!!  I met their friend Sandrine, and her two children, Lila(3) and Nile(4 months) who own my "chambre de bonne".   Lila is Marie-Cesare's best friend.  My "chambre de bonne" is small, but not as small as expected!  Everything is new...shower, small fridge, heater, mirrors, windows, new paint, so it is actually very nice.  No closet of course, but my things fit very nicely! 

 Chloe bought some basic groceries for my first night which was so sweet!  

First meal in Paris:  arugula and ham salad with mustard vinaigrette.  Jus de pomme to drink and a small chunk of hazelnut chocolate for dessert.  YUM. 

My French is going to be very good when I come home, I expect.  I guess I didn't think about how I would be thrown into this French speaking family that speaks French ALL the time!  Well, I did, but its so different hearing French spoken with an English accent that I've been use to in school all these years.  Communicating with Marie-Cesare and Gaspard is going to be difficult this first couple of weeks, but I'm ready for the challenge.  Going to my welcoming party today at 4, first trip on the metro to their flat!  

  Listening to the bells of Notre Dame as I wake up on this rainy, Sunday morning...