Kansan to Parisian: Pompidou Centre, Macaron Making, and the Ballet

Well, the countdown has really begun. I have seven days left in Paris and thirteen left in France with so much left on my "to do" list. In Paris, I would love to go back to Montmartre because it is such a unique place, have one last picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, and go on another walk at night around the city.

These past few days, I have gone to the modern art museum called the Centre Pompidou and I have been part of a macaron making class. I'm lucky that one of my roommates is an art student so that I can tag along to her class and actually learn about the art that I am seeing. It is incredible how much background information can make the artwork more special and full of character.

The Centre Pompidou is a building that is easily recognizable. To me, it looks like a big shopping mall. The air vents and tubes that are inside the average building are on the outside of the Pompidou. It makes the building look very industrial, but colorful at the same time. The building embodies the modernity of the art that it houses.

Artists such as Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali, Picasso, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol, and Matisse are featured here along with many others. The building's walls move so they art is able to be hung and positioned to the exact specifications of the artists. While I was at museum, there was a huge exhibition on videography that required a lot of space. Its not everyday that a building can just move some walls to accommodate for space.

I have to say that the macaron cooking class was probably one of the best things I have done in Paris so far. The chef in charge of the class was excellent and the process went by smoothly. Macarons are surprisingly easier than I had expected, but they take a long time to make. The chef said that you can freeze the cookies and certain fillings so you can make them ahead of time. I am planning on trying to make them when I get home. And...the best part is that they are gluten-free! We made white chocolate raspberry and chocolate ganache macarons. The chef also told us that the cookie part of the macaron doesn't have the flavoring. It is only every the filling. If you order a lemon basil macaron, the filling is lemon basil, not the cookie. I am more than happy to share the recipe they gave me, just ask!

Ever since I came to Paris when I was little, I have dreamed of going to a production at an opera house in Paris. This trip, I finally got to do it. There are two main opera houses in Paris. There is the Opéra Garnier, which is the setting for the Phantom of the Opera, and there is the Opéra Bastille. This opera house was built over top of the old Bastille train station and is home to a mix of opera and ballet performances. Of the two opera houses, the Bastille is the more modern one.

My roommates and I went to see "Notre Dame de Paris" which is based on the book by Victor Hugo and similar to the Hunchback of Notre Dame by Disney. The ballet was the Paris ballet company and the costumes were designed by Yves Saint Laurent. Everything was beautiful; the music, the costumes, the stage, the dancing, and the opera house itself. The design of the theatre reminded me a little of the new Kaufman performing arts center in Kansas City since it is very moderns as well.

So far, it has been a great week. Super hot, although not has hot has the usual Kansas weather. My apartment doesn't have air conditioning, so we are doing the best we can.

Here are some photos of this week: