home in melun

Melun is my absolute favorite suburb of Paris. Why? It's where Marie's grew up :). This past weekend I took the train from the Gare de Lyon in Paris to spend the weekend with Marie (who was there visiting from Luxembourg) at her parents' house. It was amazing to see all three of them again! It's been a long time.

Would you like a tour of the garden and 1st floor of the French home I adore?

After having afternoon tea with her father, Marie, her mom, and I went to Ikea to pick up a few necessities I was missing from ma chambre de bonne. It was so unbelievably kind and generous of them to "waste" their Saturday with me as I searched for a clothing rack, chose the perfect rug, and decided which decorative storage boxes would fit underneath the coffee table I'd failed to measure. Afterwards, they also drove me into Paris, helped me bring the stuff up six flights of stairs, and brought me back to their home for dinner. J'ai la chance.

[apéritif: champagne, a slice of the ham, gruyere & olive cake (savory)]

[plat principal: beef with carrots, sweet pickles & mustard, French bread]

[le frommage: tomme de sovoie]

[dessert:  chocolate mousse]

We went to sleep soon after our delectable, multi-course, very French dinner. And the following morning, we set out for Fontainebleau. It was her brother's birthday and we were going to celebrate with lunch at her grandmother's house. We left early in order to visit the town market, too... not before a special breakfast though!

How lucky I am to not only have a friend (or soeur) like Marie but to be welcomed into her family with such open, loving arms. They are truly too good to me; making this New York to Paris transition infinitely easier and more pleasant. The only part they can't help with is graduate school, but after my first day today, I think I'll be fine on my own :). Though it will most definitely be a lot of work, I'm still feeling enthusiastic and my professors seem wonderful.