By Abby Schneller

Yesterday, we made our way to the last stop on our tour, Paris, France! We took the train from Amsterdam to Paris, about a three hour ride, then rode the Metro to our hotel. I slept for the majority of the train ride; doing so much traveling and studying is exhausting! After getting our roommate assignments for the remainder of the trip, we took a short break to relax. We then headed off for a walking tour of Paris headed up by our very own Dr. Pitts and Lowell. On the walking tour, we got to see many historic buildings, ending with the Notre Dame Cathedral. I’ve been to Paris before, a year ago. Last time I was here, I came with Purdue Musical Organizations and had the privilege of watching the Glee Club perform in Notre Dame. While it was not quite the same without the guys’ singing, it was still an incredible sight! The stained glass was so intricate and beautiful, just like I remembered.

After we viewed the Notre Dame, we were released to eat dinner or explore the city. I went with a few classmates to go shopping, which was really fun (except for a very rude saleswoman). We then went back to the hotel to change into nice clothes for dinner. We went to a brasserie called Café Les Artiste, and spent the night talking and getting to know each other. When we got back to the hotel, I spent some time with Angel and Beth, practicing make-up and talking. It was so nice to get to know them and their stories better, as well as share my own story with people who are so open and accepting.

Today started with a private tour of the Louvre set up by Comtesse Sabine de la Rochfoucard. We saw so much famous and beautiful artwork, like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, a sphinx, crown jewels, and so much more! After the guided tour, we were even able to walk around and look at whatever we wanted to in the Louvre. I went off on my own and looked at the Napoleon III Appartments, which were incredibly lavish. We were also told to find a piece of art that spoke to us as being queer, just like our assignment for the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. I found a statue of a man in a very feminine position, whose penis was covered by fabric. This man struck me as queer because the artist seemed to portray him as emasculated, with his male parts intentionally hidden. We are also writing a comparative paper on the pieces we found in the Rijks versus the Louvre.

Breaking for lunch, a few of us went to a café and had some really fantastic pizza. Of course, it was nice to sit for a while after a long morning of walking around the Louvre. On the way back, Beth took some great pictures of some of us, as well as a man in a Speedo doing yoga, which was silly. But after we met back for a short check in, we were set free to roam once again. Some of the group went back to the hotel, but myself and others went to try to find the Champs Élysées, a shopping district. We may or may not have gotten a little lost (hint: we did), and after searching for it for about an hour, Beth and I decided to give up. So we broke off from the group and maneuvered the subway system to find our way back to the hotel.

Upon arriving to the hotel, Beth and I took a break to relax and rest our tired feet. We then met up for dinner and ended up at this (somewhat sketchy) restaurant. It had good prices and the food itself wasn’t bad, but the bathroom sink didn’t work, so I’m a little nervous about food poisoning. Hopefully they had another sink where the employees wash their hands? Anyway, after dinner we went a few doors down t20140611_034100o a cute ice cream and sorbet shop. It was very nice; they even made your ice cream cone look like a flower. Beth got chocolate and coffee ice cream and I got chocolate sorbet. On our way back to the hotel, we got a little lost and walked too far on the wrong street, so we just took the subway back. I’m pretty sure we’ll be experts on the Paris Metro after this trip is over.

Overall, it’s been a great first two days in Paris! Missing home, of course, but thee’s nothing like being here in Europe. It’s amazing to be around this beautiful old architecture and a whole different culture, with different norms, languages, and people. I also love seeing the different ways that ‘queer’ manifests itself in this new-for-me environment. I am so excited to see what our last few days will be like and what I will learn. This opportunity is just incredible