Nous sommes ici!

After an easy flight to PA, a few days with my family (including two parties, because that's how the McClure's roll), and an uneventful flight to Paris, we're here!

After a 30-minute wait to get through customs, we decided to take a taxi from Charles De Gaulle rather than deal with our luggage on the metro. In retrospect, I'm not sure it would have been that big of a deal, except for the fact that it was rush hour. Instead of getting in people's way on the metro, we were stuck in traffic for a pretty long time. Paris drivers and motorcycle riders are brazen, wow...

Anyway, we got to our apartment in the Latin Quarter - what a great location! The man we are renting from is very kind and got us all settled in before we headed out to find some food and keep ourselves awake. After baguette sandwiches, and our first walk halfway across the Seine to Notre Dame...

We didn't go in yet as we were focused on some errands, but it's on the schedule for tomorrow! We also went to Rue de Rome (first métro ride achieved!), which features an impressive array of music stores in the 8th or maybe 17th? arrondissement. Four sheet music stores, two piano stores on opposite corners, at least four luthiers and another wind instrument repair shop. I found a gently used score of Poulenc's Stabat Mater (thesis progress!), and Steve bought a few things after sorting through an overwhelming amount of music. Below is just the horn music at one shop:

We wandered around for a while near Opéra Garnier after that, eating again, buying my six-day Paris Museum Pass, and finding Steve a jacket, which hopefully will be our biggest packing fail. It rained a few drops on us twice, but you wouldn't know it from some of the pictures. We decided to stroll the 2+ miles back home after that, checking out the scene outside the Louvre. I was expecting big, but good grief. Of course the buildings aren't actually curved like my iPhone panorama suggests...

Then another view of Notre Dame on our way home along the Seine:

Our feet hurt and boy are we tired, but we made it past 9 p.m., so even if it's not dark yet, I think we did pretty well. Except for my untested French, which is horrendous, but, hey, it's all up from here. Tomorrow: exploring Il de la Cité before Steve's first EAMA meeting!

Weather

I have had way too much time to prepare for this trip - too much time to get anxious!

Lately I've been worrying about the weather, especially after the floods in Paris. What if it rains every day? Do I have shoes for that? Which rain jacket should I bring? My trench is classier but doesn't have a hood. You shouldn't wear shorts in Paris... but what if it's 95?!

Well, this morning's forecast encourages me to get out of Kansas City.

High temps for the next seven days in KC (after 93 today):

100, 98, 98, 97, 98, 99, 96

Next seven days in Paris (65 today):

66, 66, 67, 66, 66, 70, 70

Granted, it's also supposed to rain all week, but obviously it's just getting it out of its system before we get there.

15 DAYS!

Research!

I've barely mentioned it thus far, but the reason I'm able to go with Steve on this adventure is that it relates to my thesis, an investigation of the late sacred choral works of Francis Poulenc (1899-1963). At first, I was interested in examining the humor in these sacred works, exploring the oft-repeated idea that Poulenc was "part monk, and part naughty boy." After reading an article by Christopher Moore suggesting that Poulenc invented that expression as a PR ploy (simplifying a bit), I got to wondering what this music might say about his Catholicism. He grew up in a secular Parisian family, but claimed to have had a religious awakening in 1936 after the sudden, gruesome death of a colleague in a car accident, and some of his sacred works are more serious than the rest of his output. But the Gloria (1960) is much more light-hearted; interestingly, it was not as popular in France as more serious Stabat Mater (1950). Granted, the Gloria was commissioned by an American ensemble, the Boston Symphony, but had Poulenc given up trying to match the serious works by, for example, Olivier Messiaen?

These musings bring up deeper questions that we have always had about music: what can notes on a page or organized sounds truly represent? Can one really decipher anything - lifestyle, values, religious beliefs, etc. - about a composer by the music he or she writes?

Through this trip, I'll also be able to broaden my horizons as a church musician. One of the visiting pastors (not sure of his official title) at the American Church in Paris is also a member of my church, as is his wife. They will be in Paris from early July, and I look forward to experiencing the American Church's worship services, as well as those of other churches in the city. ACP is a nondenominational Christian church, but I'm also curious about what it means to be Catholic in France. My impression from afar is that Parisians tend to embrace Catholicism as a tradition more than as a faith practice, but I could be 100% wrong! We'll see how far all my French practice with Duolingo and Memrise have gotten me asking questions like that...

France Scavenger Hunt

I have this amazing friend who has been in my life for 23 of my 31 years. Our parents, who remain close friends, brought our families together almost every Friday night for years. We don't see each other very often any more, and neither of us likes to talk on the phone, but when we do get together, it's wonderful to catch up, rejoicing in the good - and helping each other through the tough - stuff in our lives. I went to the Teaching Music History Conference in Denver (which was terrific! more on that another time, maybe) last week, and stayed with her in Colorado Springs. When I got there, she gave me the neatest gift for our trip: a scavenger hunt!

It's so great that I couldn't help but share it here. I'll re-post it with the pictures when I've accomplished it all! Thanks, Em :)

TAKE A PHOTO OF:
Someone/thing joyful.
Something magical.
Someone/thing sad.
Someone wearing a beret, smoking a cigarette and riding a bike with a baguette (or some combination thereof). Bonus points if you can photo bomb.
Someone riding a bike with a basket with a cat looking out.
A New Orleans style jazz band.
Interesting graffiti.
An original art nouveau Metro entrance.
Someone getting in or out of a taxi with their dog.
An artist sitting and painting a picture (Montmartre not included). Bonus points if he or she is wearing a beret.
A mime.
The most beautiful display of flowers for sale on a street corner.
A protest.
Display of cheese at a street market.
A Paris street name up on the corner of a building
A handwritten menu de jour outside a café or restaurant.
A newspaper or book kiosk on a street corner.
One of Paris's Sapeur-Pompier firetrucks.
A gargoyle NOT on Notre Dame.
A patisserie window with at least one cream puff swan.
The display with the greatest variety of oysters outside a restaurant.
The most elaborate window display from a chocolate shop.
The car parked farthest onto the sidewalk.
Lily of the Valley.

TO DO:
Eat steak frites with a glass of wine at an outdoor café.
Steal a kiss on the banks of the Seine.
See the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night.
Have a picnic on the banks of the Seine.
Visit Hotel Majestic, Avenue Kleiber (16th), where Gershwin worked on An American in Paris and take a picture of something musical.
Go by "La Closerie des Lilas" in Montparnasse (Hemingway's favorite café-restaurant) and write a six-word story. Hemingway was famous for his story "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn."

This thoughtful gift has really helped me stay excited about our trip when parts of it are starting to seem overwhelming. After all, we're leaving in 22 DAYS. TWENTY-TWO DAYS. Lots to do, but LOTS of fun to be had.