Raindrops keep falling on my head...

Rainy days are perfect for hot chocolate, sweaters, and reading in bed. Well, I've done the first (twice), am wearing the second, and have already read the only non-academic English book I have. Which is why I'm writing this.

Right now I'm sitting at the little kindergarten desk in my room, facing my window which looks out on the courtyard of my building. I was sitting on the bed just a minute ago, but realized that wasn't really the best for view purposes. This building was built in 1870 and it is beautiful. The sides facing the courtyard have simple brick facades, but the part facing the street has stone decorations and is gorgeous. When Janna and I got out of the taxi the first day, our jaws dropped. The place definitely has class.

At the door to our apartment building
We both have our own rooms and live with Madame Michel, a widow. She has a daughter who lives around the corner with her husband and (adorable) three kids. It's kind of funny because we've been here for almost three weeks and we still don't know if we're allowed to go in the living room. All our time is spent in our bedrooms, the kitchen, and the dining room (twice). It's a shame because Mme Michel has a beautiful piano and both Janna and I love to play. We tried to hint at the possibility of being able to play it once, but I don't think she understood. Oh well.

I love my room because it's apparently used as a playroom for Mme Michel's grandchildren. It reminded me a bit of my little siblings (although I guess since two are teenagers, they're hardly little anymore). Anyway, it is really warm and inviting. The shelves are full of cute books and toys and there are a couple of alphabet hangings on the walls. One of them has pictures of animals, which is actually a great study tool for someone like me.

For example, the L to the right displays a 'lapin' by a 'lampe' underneath the 'lune.'

It just threw me for a second when I first looked at it.





A boy across the courtyard is working on his homework and he seems to be enjoying it as much as I will enjoy my (not very) "Concise History of France" reading in a moment. Well... Such is life.