Paris (And Fontainebleau) When It Drizzles

     Tout à coup, it's springtime in Paris. Last week, it was even warm enough to skip wearing a coat. Everything is coming to life in Paris and I'm so happy to see the sun again. The fountains in the Jardin du Luxembourg are turned on and there are so many runners and tennis players. I can't wait to get my running shoes in the mail so I can run again and maybe find a place to rent a tennis racket. That's what I really hate about winter, being inside all the time. I really just want to lay in the sun all day long with a good book and a croissant, bien sûr. 

     I never really thought about how much I love being in nature until I went to Fontainebleau this weekend. Anna, Anna's friend, Greg and I left early Saturday morning to take the 60-kilometer train ride out to see the château and go hiking in the Forêt de Fontainebleau, which is known for its boulders and rare species of trees. I'm getting really jaded to how beautiful everything is in Europe and I was not really shocked by how insanely lavish the château was. When I come back home, I'll probably be in shock that Target doesn't have frescoes and gilded ceilings.

     Since it was beautiful weather all week, of course it had to drizzle on and off all weekend in Fontainebleau and back in Paris. Despite the cold, it was not really all that bad since we were under the trees during the hike. It was actually really beautiful since the landscape was covered in a layer of light fog. We hiked up to the bluff overlooking the towns of Fontainebleau and Avon, picnicking and having great conversations with wine, baguettes, and croissants on the boulders. It's strange to think as you're walking, silent except for sticks crackling underfoot, that the urban jungle of Paris is just a forty-minute train ride back. I love being in the city- whether it's Minneapolis or Paris- but it's wonderful to get away from the crowds and the noise and be present, in the moment, and actually hear what other people are saying, instead of shouting over ambulance sirens and bumping into every impatient, black suit-wearing Parisian that ever lived.

     I'm now really looking forward to our weekend hiking trip in May that I'm working on planning right now of which our location hasn't been decided yet. Never thought I'd miss the Apennines from last summer this much, but I do.

Rachel