Au champs elysees!

J'ai arrive!
Sorry about the lack of accents, I haven't figured out how to add them in yet.  But I (and my bags) have arrived in Paris!! As you can tell, I'm super excited.  The flight arrived in Paris about 7:10am local time (about 1am Eastern) and I met a bunch of girls from the Junior Year in France program at the baggage claim.  I shared a dark taxi ride (the sun didn't really rise until about 8:15am) with another girl in a neighbouring arrondissment.  My host mom met me getting out of the taxi and I proceeded to have a nap.  The apartment is stunning, I asked when it was built and I believe my host dad said it was built pre WWI.  I have my own room and a nice view of an antique store and a cheese store (fromager).

After lunch, my host mom gave me a quick tour of the 17th, and which metros to take to get back to the apartment.  After about a five or ten minute walk, the Arc de Triomphe came into view.

 I had to stop to be a tourist and take a picture.  I can't believe this is my back yard for the next four months.  Sacre Bleu!!  As you can see it was a beautiful day in Paris. After the quick tour, I called my cousin Ashley who is in Paris with her husband Selim to meet up.  I walked from the apartment down the Champs Elysees(which was extremely crowded due to the weekend and big sales at almost every store) and stopped into the Louis Vuitton flagship store and Laudree, a fantastic patisserie.  I splurged five euros on three macaron (chocolate, salted caramel, and raspberry) to celebrate my first day in Paris.  And oh baby were those macaron worth every cent.  I think that heaven must be a Laudree patisserie where everything is free.  After I savored my macaron, I took the metro to meet Ashley, Selim and their friends at Place de la Concorde.  We had a delightful evening shopping and sipping cafe au lait.  I then took the metro back to Charles de Gaulle Place de l'Etoile and walked back to the apartment.  AND I DID NOT GET LOST. NOT ONCE.  I count that as a major victory.  For dinner, my host family had prepared quiche Lorainne, one of my favorite French foods.  I am now showered and ready to fall asleep.  I could not have asked for a better first day in PARIS.