A Less than Stellar Week...

As per my new resolution, I am attempting to write more frequently. This week was much much more boring than it should have been. Starting on Saturday-ish, I started feeling headachey and achey, and it was pretty bad Sunday, but Monday I thought I was on the mend...I was wrong. On Wednesday the flu hit with considerable force, forcing me to be bedridden and miserable for a solid 2 days. I had absolutely zero energy and could barely get out of bed. My madame was very sweet through all of this and brought me tea and, in very French fashion, asked me over and over again if I need a doctor or something from the pharmacie. The French LOVE their pharmacies, which to be quite honest, are good for very little. In America, you go to the pharmacy and you can get everything from macaroni to coloring books to cleaning supplies to actual medicine. Here, you can get some creams and lotions, and some medicine. Actually you can get some pretty strong stuff, as the pharmacists here can prescribe pills for minor things. But in general, pretty useless, relatively speaking. Anyway, as I had a good feeling that all I had was the flu, I didn't feel the need for a doctor or anything stronger than the asprin I already had, so I reassured her (again and again and again) that I would be fine as long as I got some sleep. I was a little concerned that after a couple days I was only mildly better. Today is the first day that I have felt pretty much all better.

On Friday my friends and I went to the Salon de l'Agriculture, which is basically like the state fair, but on steroids. It is held in a GIGANTIC facility with like 8 different "pavilions" (basically just huge buildings) that all house different aspects of the fair. We focused on the food one...and that was a good choice. It was 2 huge floors of French food and wine and cider and beer displays, from literally every region of France. More sausages and cheese than I could ever imagine. And ice cream, and foie gras (duck liver-actually quite tasty) and fish and caramel and escargot and SO MUCH BREAD!!! So here I was, surrounded by the best French cuisine it had to offer, and I was sick. I was well enough to walk around, so I thought I would be fine, but I did not dare to eat it. I decided it wasn't worth continuing to be sick. So, the experience was perhaps a bit lost on me, though I did try some tiny bits of a few things, and succumbed to the call of the most delicious kiwi sorbet. After a couple hours my friends carried on, but I need to be horizontal and asleep, so I headed home.

I ended up missing 2 classes due to my illness, including my first independent study meeting, which was most unfortunate. Nothing I can't make up, however.

Today, to celebrate the fact that I was FINALLY feeling well again, my friend Alexandra and went to a cafe to do homework! It was quite nice actually. It was right by the Eiffel Tower, which was very busy today. While I was waiting for her, I wandered around Trocadero Place, which is a very wide flat terrace with the best view of the Tower, and there was a group of breakdancers doing a show.

All in all, not the best week, but certainly not the worst. I am officially over being sick, and this week, my esteemed boyfriend comes to visit, and I cannot wait to show him around my city. Until next time!