Giving Thanks in Paris

I learned this week (from a New York Times op-ed) that the first religious pilgrims to settle in the New World were actually French, not English. (According to the article, the French Calvinists arrived in Florida about 50 years sooner than the Pligrims landed at Plymouth.)

Whether we were remembering the English or the French settlers, we of course celebrated Thanksgiving. Nick and Monica hosted about 20 of us for dinner, after everyone's classes were over for the day.

I brought a green bean casserole to contribute (most people brought a dish), after finally tracking down the ingredients at an American grocery store in Paris, called The Real McCoy. I was completely blown away as I walked in -- it'd been a long time since I'd seen so much junk food in one place! :) Most items are kept behind the counter, so you have to ask a clerk to take down the things on your list. (I half-suspect that this is done to delay the sticker-shock, as the markups are absolutely atrocious. Sometimes, though, the prices are worth it: you really can't have a green-bean casserole without a can of fried onions!)


Last night, we finally made our first visit to the Louvre since we've been in Paris. We were there specifically to hear one of Matt's friends -- an Art History student -- present a painting. She and her classmates had selected favorite works of art currenly displayed in the museum, and were offering late-night gallery talks to help people understand and appreciate the works. After we heard Gaby's presentation, we spent time exploring other parts of the museum. We left the museum after 10 p.m., then wandered home on a beautiful, cold Paris evening.