Day 18

We went on a little field trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise, France today. It's "claim to fame" is that Van Gogh spent his last weeks there...and killed himself in a hotel there. We got to see his gravesite (and his brother's) and we got to see the church he painted, the hotel where he died...it was a really pretty little town. We also had to go to this artist's studio for some reason. He painted 366 awful paintings and they're hung all over the FIAP. So I guess there was some contractual agreement made where he had to show students his studio? I'm not sure, but his studio was really pretty anyway. He said his great-uncle was a post-impressionist painter that was friends with Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, etc. His great-uncle's work was really nice, but his was pretty terrible. And the good news was that weather.com lied, and it didn't rain! And it wasn't cold! And at the end of the trip they gave us cookies and juice and a banana to eat by a little river. So relaxing!

Inside the artist's studio...over a hundred years old

Impressionist painting from his great-uncle

View from the street. Trees as far as you can see!

Beautiful field in front of the cemetery. 

Vincent Van Gogh's (and his brother's) grave

Amazing view from the cemetery.

Where we had our snack

French Bosceaux?? No, he was obviously a husky. But he sort of looks like him!

And on the way back to the FIAP, we drove right by the Eiffel Tower!

It was so unbelievably huge! Exciting!

So tomorrow Alyson and I will be doing some hardcore shopping. I basically have no hot weather clothes for Florence (and we leave tomorrow at 7 p.m.) so that has to get done. And we don't have any class tomorrow!! SO grateful. And I really don't have any homework tonight, so I am going to bed super, super early. 

I think I already said this, but I won't be bringing my computer to Florence, so I'll try to email Mom and Dad from my phone. I can't wait to be in Italy!

Love and miss y'all!

Allie