Playing Hooky in the Latin Quarter..

Today I met up with two other girls to buzz around the Latin Quarter. It got its name from the earliest students at the Sorbonne who spoke Latin, not French. But who could really study with so many tempting distractions? First, I stopped by the Saint-Michel fountain, the onto the Theatre de la Huchette: it started out as an experimental theater, but after showing La Cantatrice Chauve (The Bald Soprano) it was a bigger hit than anyone could've imagined..even bigger than Les Miserables! So big, that it's still running, fifty years later. I took a picture (left) in front of the door.
Next, I went through the narrowest street in Paris (Rue du Chat-qui-Peche) to find the Church of Saint Severin and onto the famous cafe Procope, the oldest cafe in the city. It was built in 1686, and was known for revolutionaries and actors. I then passed the ecole des beaux-arts, the most prestigious fine arts school in France. It sits fairly close to L'academie française-where the fine French linguists do their careful policing of the French language. Finishing my walk, I ended up on the Pont Neuf, and on Saturdays seems to be the 'hangout' for starving artists and musicians.
To finish off this great day, I climbed the tower of Notre Dame. A breathtaking view and all for free with my international student card! Ha-ha, I'm all for that..I hope to do it many times; the view is as good as anyone could ask for! I understand completely why Quasimodo stayed up there as often as he did. On my way back, I stumbled into a park with the oldest tree in Paris! It was planted in 1605! Ciao for now!..