WEEK 5 - ADIEU TO PARIS

All good things have come to an end. Bittersweet is definitely the mot juste to describe my final week in Paris. To say that I have grown as a person through this experience is an understatement. From navigating Parisian life and customs to learning about the Deaf culture in France, everything about the Sign Language Studies Global Seminar in Paris was a rewarding experience. We went on weekly excursions and listened to guest lecturers and their unique perspectives on various topics relating to Deaf culture. I’m grateful to Professor Lott for making the courses fun and engaging and to Ms. Kathleen Denno and the Denno Scholarship for easing my financial burden to attend this Global Seminar. I truly gained an appreciation for French culture and the French people in a way that I didn’t do as a tourist in 2023. Living in Paris for 5 weeks (as opposed to visiting as a tourist) added depth and meaning to my Global Seminar experience in unexpected ways. 

So how did I spend my last week in the gastronomic capital of Paris? I ate my way through it!

Right before finals, I stopped at my go-to coffee shop near CAPA Paris, where we had our classes. Maurice has the best waffles ever! Seriously. They’re a bit caramelized  (kinda like crème brûlée), and they come out piping hot. Pair that with an iced Spanish latte and my morning is 10x better. 

To celebrate the end of finals, I went with my friends to try chocolate mousse at Chocolat Chapon. This was definitely the best chocolate mousse I’ve ever had! I got the option with a pure 100% cacao base (perfect for my fellow dark chocolate fans), which I then had to practically inhale because of the Parisian summer heat. An easy 10/10. 

I knew I had to try one of Paris’ most famous bakeries before I returned home—Mamiche. I got a butter croissant, a chocolate croissant or pain au chocolat, and a vanilla custard-filled donut. One bite of the butter croissant explained why Mamiche is so famous. It was perfect—super flaky and buttery. The chocolate croissant and the donut were also equally good.

Although we had a fancy farewell dinner at the upscale Brasserie Floderer on the last day of classes, my friends and I went to Pink Mamma in Montmartre to celebrate. This Italian restaurant is so famous that we had to make reservations weeks in advance. I paired their famous truffle pasta with a limoncello spritz (which wasn’t too strong). The truffle pasta was out of this world, and although I’ve been to Italy, this was hands-down the best Italian I’ve ever had!

 

There was no better way to end my Parisian experience than to come full circle back to the Eiffel Tower. We saw it during our river cruise on the Seine when we had orientation on Day 1. So, I went with a few friends to see it at night and it sparkled as though to bid us farewell. 

And with that, our Parisian experience came to an end. And with that, I bid you all adieu!