Bienvenue mes amis! Hello again from across the Channel where over the past two weeks I’ve been on a (very needed) Spring break. Let’s catch up.
I last left you just as Paris was going into another lockdown, and this has since unsurprisingly been extended to the whole of France. And just as the UK began to open up again too! Slightly tragic seeing all my friends at the pub but fingers crossed it won’t be too long until the situation is the same here.
In the meantime, I’ve been busy studying, or rather procrastinating, for my final exams that are taking place in May. Although studying never seems to be my favourite activity I’ve started to make a habit of going to the library which has definitely improved my productivity. If you have time please do a quick search of the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris – when I tell you this is the nicest, most aesthetic library I’ve ever seen I’m not lying. With big arch windows, books lining the walls and lamps on every table it’s like a gothic novel come to life. I love it. Yet with Spring break taking place later in France compared to the UK Easter holidays, and the university semester finishing earlier it feels that my final exams have suddenly snuck up on me. It’s hard to believe I’ve got just three weeks left of the semester!
Alongside studying, I’ve recently been on many picnics – such a 2020/21 statement. With the weather reaching 20 degrees last week I dug out the one pair of shorts I’d packed with me and made my way to the park (like the rest of the city it seemed). French picnic essentials include, but are not limited to; cheese, wine, grapes, hummus, crisps, and would not be complete with a baguette or two of course. Basically most stereotypes in one. My friends and I even decided to spice up our picnic locations by going on a day trip to Versailles last Sunday. Despite the palace and gardens being closed, it was still fun to explore the town and sit in the sun of a pretty park nearby. Many baguettes have been consumed in the last week let me tell you.
I also booked my Eurostar home for June last week. Although that’s still two months away as I’m writing this, now having a definitive expiry date on my time here is a sad thought. It genuinely feels as though I only just arrived. But alas, this was always going to be a temporary experience and now I’ve got even more incentive to make the most of the time left.
My main takeaways: nothing lasts forever, I’m a sucker for a pretty library, and you can have too many baguettes.