As each day passes, I see pieces of my heart being left behind in Lyon and Europe, in general. I cannot get enough of this place. Walking around the city and simply soaking in the sights and people have become a new pastime of mine. Today serves as a good example. For French class, we had to meet our teacher, Fabienne, in front of Gare de Saint-Paul. It's out in Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon). We weren't too sure what we were doing, but we found out that we were doing a mini scavenger hunt with questions to answer. We learned a few new facts and saw some really cool places, like one building where there was a huge mural painted on the side. Apparently, Lyon is known for its random murals that can be found around the city. 
They are painted with the intention to "trompe de l'oeil" which means to fool the eye. The building we saw had all of the famous Lyonnais people, like Antoine Saint-Exupery (author of Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince), the Lumiere Brothers (famous filmmakers), and Paul Bocuse (one of the finest cooks of the 20th century). It's amazing how real it looked. Right next to it, there was another building with actual windows, flowers, and people, but on the perpendicular side, there was another mural with the same exact thing, so it seemed like it was real.. but it was all just an illusion. Well, after we finished our mini tour guide, we grabbed some kabobs to eat and stopped by the C'est 2 Euros store. A version of the American dollar store. 
They actually had nice stuff in there. I ended up leaving with two Edith Piaf albums, a pretty wooden/gold embellished plate to hold my jewelry, and a vase that only holds one stem flowers. All in all, great purchases. I put my Edith Piaf albums into my iTunes as soon as I got home and they are still on repeat. That is how I got my title...Adieu Mon Coeur is one of her songs. It just fit perfectly to how I was feeling at the moment. 
I went to Paris this past weekend and it was an absolute blast, aside from the grey weather and my returning cold. One of my close friends, Yuna, is studying at New School for a semester so I stayed with her and she showed me around the city. It was such a great reunion. It was about 6 months since we've seen each other, so we had a lot to catch up on and talk about. Exploring Paris was really enjoyable with her. One of my favorite moments was when I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time. Pictures can't do it justice...it is so beautiful, especially when it sparkles like glitter at night. I am really bummed because my battery died after the second day so I barely have pictures of sights I saw in Paris. 
Most of the pictures I took were in Disneyland the second day. I went with James, Izzy, and my roommate, Claire for a whole day. I felt like a little girl again, getting giddy seeing Belle and her prince at dinner, along with the other princes. My dinner there was probably the best and most expensive I've had in France so far. We started off with cocktails and bread. From there, we chose a salad, an entree, and had dessert/coffee/wine. There were a couple of options for each dish, so for salad, I was choosing between a salmon salad and a salad with something called Foie Gras. I wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded fancy and I love trying new foods, so I ordered it. When it came out, there were salad greens, mini baguettes, fig jam, and the Foie Gras. 
It looked like flattened out cat food and smelled like it too. I didn't want to be disgusted on immediate reaction, so I just went ahead and tasted it. I didn't know what to think. It was buttery, thick, creamy, and definitely not what I expected. Since I was paying a lot for dinner, I didn't want it to go to waste so I kept trying to eat it with the other things on the plate. But...it was awful. I couldn't eat it any more than a quarter way in. Well, fast forward to today afternoon in my kitchen while sitting with some friends... Izzy informs me that Foie Gras is actually duck liver. ugh.. I don't think I'll be having Foie Gras anymore. 
There is this tiny store near the Place des Terreaux and it sells only American products like Oreos, peanut butter, popcorn, root beer, and regular creamy salad dressing. We went in, really excited to see all these things, but very disappointed with how expensive everything was. The items were selling for at least twice as much as they were back in the states. Add on the conversion and it would probably be three times as much. I was hoping to get a jar of peanut butter, but it was 5 euros for a tiny jar, so I put it back. Well, it was a sight for sore eyes. Seeing everything made it almost as good as being back at home. Just a comforting and familiar feeling. I'll probably go back when I feel a little nostalgic or homesick.
I still haven't been getting too homesick. Jumping around from Atlanta and Boston has made it easier for me to adjust to new environments, cultures, and people. Being at home is a rare and special occasion for me, especially this past year when I was on co-op and taking summer courses. But anyways, I think I am enjoying France more and more as I discover things and meet people. It is such an enriching experience so far. I love that there are so many things to do and see without having to go out of my way. Everything is easily accessible because culture is everywhere. It even hides in places like the subway or the sidewalks. I think people make a lot of the culture here. I have to admit, I have a crush on all of the people here. I still can't get over how they carry themselves, their styles, and their mannerisms. 
Again, pieces of my heart are slowly being left behind. I hope that everyone can one day find their way to France. It is such a worthwhile and beautiful experience.
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