Aimer, C'est du Désordre.

It has been almost an entire week since I arrived. And I think my only worry is the cold water in the shower that I can't seem to heat, in any way. Maybe I'm not patient enough- I'll keep experimenting. Our API leader says that's normal and the shower is either too hot or too cold in France. I just wish it was too hot.

Anyway, today was free of events or API anything, so I tried to relax and get a lot done. But I also went out and touristed it up a bit! I met my friend Megan in Montmartre this morning so that we could explore it on our own a bit. It's such a great neighborhood up in the hills, with twisting avenues and stairs in every direction. Getting off the métro there is especially...difficult. I made the mistake of not taking the elevator this morning, and about 200 stairs later was very upset with myself. Thanks to Seattle, I've gotten used to climbing so much, but it was still a little too much physical exertion for me that early. In a park there is this love wall, which I think is fantastic. I think the English I love you was just barely cut out. The woman at the top's bubble says, "Aimer, c'est du désordre...alors aimons!" Which roughly means, to love comes from disorder...so then let's love!! I'm not translating it right, but I really like it.

And I feel there is a serious lack of "Marina in front of things" pictures, so I've been trying very hard to change that. I just haven't been feeling very photogenic. So here's one in front of some restaurant. I mostly just liked the ivy.

After wandering around for quite some time, and sitting in an adorable park watching boys play soccer, Megan and I found our way to Sacré-Coeur. It's a gorgeous white basilica just at the top of Montmartre, and the highest point in Paris. This was from just behind the basilica.

View from the steps of the basilica- where you can see all of Paris

Once we got all the way to the bottom, I got to have a nice Amélie moment and imagine Mathieu Kassovitz running up the steps. If you have never seen Amélie, go and do that now. It's probably one of my favorite movies and is how I've formed any image of France in my head. Every time I pass a photomaton in the métro station my mind goes directly there. OH! And on that oh so appropriate topic, I'm almost 90% positive that I saw Dominique Pinon on the street there today. He's an actor is Amélie and most of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's movies. According to the internet he lives up there, so I'm going to just say that, yes, I saw him today.

We somehow stumbled upon a street market/flea market sort of thing lower in Montmartre and wandered around looking at the antiques for quite some time. Miles later, I decided to go home and collect myself before classes start tomorrow. But I just ended up video chatting with Thea for about an hour and then rearranging my room to the best of my ability. We'll see if it works. 

Now I'm going to drink coffee and stare out my window into the cold Parisian evening. Art history class tomorrow, wish me luck!