Parents in Paris and visit to Giverny

So sorry for the blog delay! I know that you have all been dying to know what I have been up to in Paris...I'm sure.
Anyway, the dynamic duo, Lee and Cathy Sacks, recently visited me in Paris for a little over a week. I had been waiting for this visit for months and was so nervous that the volcano would cancel their trip. However, things went over quite smoothly-despite my dad accidentally overdosing on sleeping pills and not remembering his first day here. Having my parents in Paris was extremely strange at first, kind of like a collision of my two lives at once. Aside from a few little spats and frustrations, we had an unbelievable time. They stayed with their good friends, Jill and Andrew, in an adorable apartment right off of Saint German Des Pres ( one of the best areas in Paris) and always had their fridge stocked with fresh food from the nearby market; hence I basically moved in for the week. I think I gained 7 pounds with them here for the week. We all ate like kings, vowing off caloric intake and "watch-what- I am-eating" lifestyles. We had a plethora of pastries, wines, cheeses, breads, etc. I actually wanted to die. One night, we attended an incredible ballet at the Opera-Garnier, one of the most beautiful buildings in Paris, in my opinion. Also, hearing about their experiences with Paris when they were here 30 years prior was fascinating. I am so happy that I got to share this city with them and learn the lives they lived here.
My mom (who stayed 2 days extra) and I shopped till we almost dropped, something that I had been looking forward to since day 1. It was always a dream of mine to be with my mom in Paris, not only to shop, but to take in the art and the beauty of this city, and of course the croissants :).
I miss them a lot and was a little thrown off when they left, but I have a good amount of homemade pumpkin bread and trail mix to satisfy my parent cravings until June.

As hard as it is for me to admit, I will be leaving Paris in less than 2 weeks. So, I have promised myself to do something touristy everyday in order to leave this city feeling like I missed nothing.
A few days ago, me and my friends, Ari, Katherine and Mair, took ourselves out to a 5 course meal for about 40 euros. Big spenders. It was a restaurant written up in the New York Times and sounded delicious. It was terrible. At least we tried and the night was enjoyable, despite a sub-par meal.

Yesterday, GW treated us to a trip to Giverny, the home of Monet. If I could pick one word to describe it, it would be extraordinary. It was like I was walking through one of his paintings. The colors were outrageous and mixed together with care. There must have been hundreds of different types of flowers, all unique and beautiful. My favorite was his water garden, where he painted the majority of his bridge paintings, such as Pont Japonais. We also got to visit his house and studio, both adorable. As Monet is one of my favorite painters ever, I was absolutely in heaven. I could not get enough of the gardens, the trees, it was actually unreal realizing that I was standing where he stood and taking in what he saw and created into art. And his kitchen was amazing, another plus for my crush on Monet.

I decided I need to stop being lazy and update this blog more, since my days are quickly dwindling. I will post pictures of my touristy activities and of all the delicious pastries I will be treating myself to these next two weeks. A bientot!
Brianna