More Wanderings in the Latin Quarter

Today was a normal class day in the beginning.  I woke up around 8 o'clock, had a simple breakfast of fresh bread, jam, and orange juice, then went to class.  Literature in Paris and French History came before lunch.  We studied the first chapter of the mystery novel we're reading and the creation of France as a nation (from the fall of the Roman Empire through Charlemagne).  


For lunch, I went down the street to a student cafeteria located in a nearby Sorbonne building.  Four of us made the quick walk since we'd heard we could get a full meal there for only 3€.  To be honest I still don't know exactly how their system works (it has something to do with each food carrying a point value and you being allotted x number of points for 3€) but the food was absolutely delicious.  I had some sort of strange ground up chicken and seasonings wrapped in an egg roll-like pastry, carrots, bread (of course!), and a wafer for dessert.


Our afternoon class was Contemporary French Civilization where we talked about France's geography.  After that  we took another tour of the Latin Quarter, only this one was in a different part of the arrondissement.  In case I haven't explained yet, an arrondissement is a government district located within Paris.  The suburbs don't have arrondissements.  There are twenty total and each one is run by a separate, smaller bureaucracy with its own mayor.


We started our tour with Mairie du Ve (the mayor's office of the 5th arrondissement).  It's an old building in the art nouveau style, and it is absolutely gorgeous.

The building is much the same style on the inside with sweeping wrought iron staircases, marble floors, floor length velvet drapes, and large vaguely impressionist murals of the 5th.  After this we took a quick stop into the École de droit (or Law School) to see what a French classroom looks like.  Not surprisingly, it reminded me of a large lecture hall from JMU.  

Our next stop was the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève.  It's one of the oldest libraries in Paris and is available exclusively for student use.  The entryway is lined with old and rare books and marble busts of famous French thinkers, writers, and philosophers.  At the top of the stairs is a reproduction of Raphael's famous School of Athens.  

The library itself is administered in the traditional way.  This means that when you arrive you take a number.  After waiting for your number to be called, you give a list of the books you need to a librarian who will have someone go find them for you.  You wait a bit longer, then are called again and given your books.  When you're done using them, you return them.  There is no such thing as browsing for a book yourself or checking anything out.

Our next stop was a very famous church located just down the street called Saint-Étienne-du-Mont.  If you've seen the Woody Allen movie, Midnight in Paris, you'll probably recognize the west steps.

They're where Gil Pender was picked up by the car that takes him back in time to the Roaring Twenties in Paris.

Inside, the church is packed full of history.  It was originally built in the 6th century, though it was added onto, torn down, and reconstructed for the next 1200 years.  The church was built to house what is assumed to be the remains of St. Genevieve, Paris' patron saint.  She is said to have singlehandedly convinced Attila the Hun to turn away and spare the city from being raided and sacked.  

The stained glass was created over several centuries, but is some of the most complex and stunning in the city.  In fact, during World War Two, the clergy at the church was so concerned that it would be ruined or stolen by the Nazis that they took it all down and hid it until the end of the occupation.  

After visiting the church we walked down several more side streets and were shown several more buildings and schools in the area that are important or notable.  After the excursion, a few of us were craving pastries, so we walked over to what is one of Paris' most famous bakeries and pastry shops: La Parisienne.

I got a pastry known as a fraisier which is basically strawberries in cream filling on a cookie like base.  It was absolutely sinful.  They make another three chocolate pastry that I'm still dying to try, so don't be surprised if I go back!

Finally, today marks the first time in all five days that I've been here that I've seen a police officer.  I'm sure I'm just missing them since I live in one of the safest parts of the city, and I'm sure they patrol regularly, but I was disappointed to notice that they weren't carrying Uzis like my parents told me they would be.