Our API coordinators had told us that most stores and businesses are closed on Sunday in France, but it was another thing to see it.
We had to meet at the API center at 10am for more orientations and the entire city was dead -- there was almost no one on the streets and I think I saw only a couple businesses open. When API gave us all time for a lunch break, we had to walk a couple blocks to find an open restaurant. And these blocks were full of restaurants.
I had hoped to go buy some things at a local Carrefour market today, to pick up a few things I need, but neither of the 2 locations in my arrondissement were open at all.
Walking through Paris with almost nothing open and very few people was unsettling. It seemed like a location from a zombie movie or an aplocalyptic movie, haha.
But on the bright side while Nathan and I were killing some time waiting for our orientation to start, we found la Fontaine des Innocents, the oldest monumental fountain in Paris. It was finished being built in 1550.
After one of our API coordinators showed us how to get to a bus stop we'll be using for a couple overnight trips later in the semester, we had some free time so we explored the area and we stumbled across the headquarters of Le Monde! So that was pretty cool.
Tomorrow API is going to take us to the University of Paris 7 Diderot where I'll be taking classes and we're going to register for classes. I'm excited, but I've been warned the registration process is a nightmare lol. I'll let you all know how it goes!
Oh and speaking of Paris Diderot -- I got my official student ID card today! I am now officially an "Etudiant de Paris"!
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