Temple University Athletics
Veronica Radice Blog - July 22
7.22.09 | Field Hockey
July 22, 2009
Sophomore midfielder Veronica Radice is spending four weeks stuyding at the Sorbonne in Paris, France and will be sharing her experience with Temple fans over the next month.
Bonjour à tous!
It is my third week here in Paris! I have been very busy and it seems like the time is flying by. Last week I went to the Orangerie museum, which is situated down the street from the Louvre. It is surrounded by the Tuileries gardens on one side and place de la Concorde on the other, from where you can look up the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. The entire contents of the museum were specifically selected and arranged by Claude Monet, showing some of his inspirations as well as original pieces of modern art from artists such as Cezanne, Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, Renoir, and many others. Outside there were several replicas of Rodin's statues, leading me to visit the Rodin museum the next day. I have been to the Rodin museum in Philadelphia (on the parkway) a couple times, so I was very interested to see the museum in Paris. The collection here was much bigger that the one at home, and there was a beautiful garden containing many of his most famous works. The garden was covered in big trees that created large areas of shade, thus creating a serene and cool atmosphere which seemed to create the perfect location for Rodin's almighty statues.
On Saturday, we took a day trip to Chartres which is now currently my favorite city outside of Paris. It was a windy, chilly day when we arrived early in the morning. In the center of town there was an enormous market outside where farmers sold fresh fruit and vegetables, among other things. We sampled the town's specialty chocolate at a Chocolatier, then a couple friends and I stopped into a small coffee and tea shop where we ordered hot chocolates and bought several types of original blends of tea. Later we walked around the town, popping into several unique stores and finally getting a crepe to go for lunch. Then we had a tour of the cathedral with an author that has been studying the cathedral for decades and recently published a book. It was very interesting hearing the details of the cathedral from an expert, and I enjoyed listening to his full analysis of all the stained glass windows.
My friends and I went to the Bois de Vincennes on Sunday afternoon, located in the twelfth arondissement. Although it didn't work out to rent bikes for the day, we walked through park and found a nice spot by the lake where we spread out some towels, snacked, and chatted for the rest of the afternoon. There were so many people throughout the park. People were playing soccer, riding bikes, canoeing, riding ponies, running, and reading. It was so relaxing to just enjoy everyone's company on a beautiful afternoon, discussing anything and everything that came to mind. Then after class Monday afternoon I met up with my friends at the Paris Plage (Paris Beach). Paris Plage, which started Monday, runs through August, and is a summer event on the banks of the river Seine that flows right through the middle of the city. For the event, they bring in truckloads of sand to create several beach spots along the river where Parisians can seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city, and pretend they are on the beach somewhere on vacation. There are also some recreational activities set up along the promenade, as well as tons of cool spots to lounge and enjoy an ice cream on a hot day. My friends and I settled into a trampoline-type hammocks right on the river and watched the boats float by. Moments like that make me realize how fortunate I am to have this opportunity and I think about how much I am enjoying life. Many times my friends and I take a step back and think about how lucky we are to be in Paris having this life experience.
This morning I went to my favorite museum, musee d'Orsay, before my class. Musee d'Orsay is a beautiful old train station that contains a plethora of French art by many famous artists. The line was much longer than I expected so I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked, but I plan on returning to see the rest. In the time that I had, I walked through all the sculpture balconies and grand hall, as well as peeking into some specific side galleries. My favorite sculpture of all-time, Young Aristotle by Charles deGeorge, is housed within the train station of d'Orsay. The soft features of young Aristotle make him come alive, while still maintaining a certain air of wisdom that you can just feel emanating from the sculpture. Young Aristotle sits back comfortably in a chair; a book spread open in his lap, while holding an apple by his side and running his other hand through his hair. Needless to say it's my favorite statue, and I return to musee d'Orsay every time I am in Paris, even if that is the one specific piece of art I want to see.
In the afternoon, I walked through Marais again, stopping to try a Shwarma for lunch, which is a popular Middle Eastern sandwich, essentially a type 'fast-food'. Then I returned to the Place de Vosges where I visited Victor Hugo's house, the author who wrote the well-known Les Miserables. I was surprised at how luxurious the house was and even his second home by the sea looked just as beautiful in photographs. There was a lot to see including manuscripts, sketches, old newspapers, family photographs, and sculptures, so I definitely recommend to take a walk through if you happen to be in the neighborhood (plus it's free!). Then this evening I am going to Cinema en plein air at Parc de la Villette, which is an open air movie festival that runs in this park all summer long. The films are open to the public and everyone arrives early, often bringing picnic dinners, awaiting dusk so the movie can start. A wide range of international films are shown so there is something interesting to watch every night of the week (except Mondays).
I'm traveling to Roscoff, in Brittany, this weekend so I will see you next upon my return to Paris!
- Veronica
