Paris: Week One

A week ago today I arrived in Paris, knowing then only a few words in French.  After 12 hours of French lessons in French, I can now count from 0-100, list the months of the year, days of the week, give you the majority of my biographical information, ask you about yours, and present you to a friend.  I feel very accomplished.  My beginner class consists of three American students from Edinburgh, an Italian, a Sri Lankan, a Chinese, a Taiwanese, a German philosophy professor, a monk from Minnesota, and two other Americans.  No one knows French, and it makes from some rather humorous exchanges.   The clan walked to church this morning and together we understood approximately 5% of the words spoken from the pulpit.  Next week: 10%.

The afternoons are spent lounging in the Luxembourg Gardens whilst studying French and enjoying the summer sun.  I have sandal tan lines for the first time this year.  It should never take this long, but that’s what Scottish living does to a girl.  Alas…

Here are some pictures from the week…

This is the view out our living room window, if you stick your head way out and crane it to the left. 

Notre Dame Cathedral

The oldest bridge in Paris

One of the many sights.

A street performer on a bridge that’s famous for being the receptacle of ‘love locks’.