Hello hello! I was really sure that I would be able to get this blog post together earlier in the week, but it’s been another long and busy one at school, woo! Anyway, here it is 🙂
Last Friday, I left right after school and zoomed to the airport – 4:20 dismissal, 6:00 flight – do-able but tight, I thought. Actually, it is very do-able – I was through security and at my gate before 4:45, so that means I can make a 5:40pm flight in a few weeks, right!?
I took the short hop to Orly airport in Paris, the metro into the city, and hopped on the RER C to get to Étampes to see Solenne! Solenne and I were both in Berkeley College together at Yale and have been friends since the beginning. She is spending the year attending Ecole Philippe Gaulier. The website states that it’s a school for “professionals or those aspiring to become professional in theater job.” But Solenne calls it, and it is known to all as “clown school.”
Solenne met me at the train station around 10:30pm, and we crossed the street to the cafe/bar where the clowns gather on Friday evenings for a cabaret. We hung out with the group that was taking a break from the show, and I met many of Solenne’s classmates. They were all lovely, very friendly, and I think a little confused about what I was doing there, and how I fit into the whole vision of the clown school community in provincial France. Solenne and I popped across the street for me to grab a crepe (ham and cheese, of course!) before heading back to the bar to chat for the rest of the evening.
The next morning, I slept in! Magic, I know! And at Solenne’s recommendation, I went for a short, freezing-cold run in the park near Etampes. After returning sufficiently muddy and cold, I took a shower and met Solenne and some of the clowns at the farmers’ market. The Etampes farmers’ market in our friend group is legendary. Solenne’s previous written descriptions painted a very accurate, delightful picture of the energy of the bustling stalls and overall “vibes” of the market. We started at the fruit and vegetable stand, working around to the fish, the cheese, the Mediterranean whipped feta dips and olives, and eventually ended at a central table where about a dozen clowns had seemingly spontaneously gathered for oysters. A few generous souls bought trays of a dozen oysters to share (a very reasonable 9 euros for 12, is what I saw). Hot sauce, lemon, and a few pocket knives appeared to devour the mountain of oysters. They were super tasty! I popped over to get a little bit of cheese and enjoyed some olives as well.
After a little while, Solenne and I departed as the group splintered into those heading into Paris and those staying in Etampes. We passed by the bakery and picked up some bread (don’t worry, I had already gotten a chocolate croissant there in the morning). Next, we made a stop at the massive tables of clothes for sale, and Solenne picked out some costume pieces for the week of class. This next course, she explained, is Buffon, requiring what she explained to the man selling the clothes, “the ugliest, all black, gross, positively disgusting” clothing he had. He smiled, I think understanding the ask, and we set off searching for the ugliest clothes we could find. We had some success, and after consultation with the few clowns who also arrived to look for costumes, Solenne pared down her haul. I laughed the entire time.
Finally, we arrived back at Solenne’s host family’s home, and I got a tour. They have two little kids who were very cute and spoke to us entirely in French despite our responses in English. We cooked some lunch? brunch?, and enjoyed the olives and cheese fresh from the market. After that, we had grand plans to have a very productive afternoon – Solenne had some prep work and writing to do, and I had a mountain of med school essays to start to sift through. Instead, we drank tea and promptly fell asleep for about two hours! A nap!? Me!? I know!!
On Sunday, we started the day earlier, and Solenne and Heloise (fellow clown) met me at my hotel. We walked to the one coffee shop in town. It’s mostly a gambling hub apparently, but they had a very good café au lait! We watched some horse races on the screens and chatted before heading to Heloise’s apartment to make breakfast. She lives with about six fellow clowns, so the morning of cooking and eating was full of laughter, wild stories, and entertainment.
After a long breakfast? brunch? lunch? and a bit of a walk around, Solenne dropped me back at the train station. I headed back into Paris, where it was super cold and rainy – classic Europe in the winter! I ducked into the National Library to work on my personal statement and a few shorter essays before it was time to head back to the airport and home to Madrid! I have to say, these reading rooms put the Yale Libraries to shame!
I had such a fun time in Etampes, and am finding that increasingly I am enjoying the more rural and unique stops along the adventures around Europe. Solenne has such an interesting group of classmates – of all ages and from many places around the world. They were incredibly kind, welcoming, and joyful. I felt very lucky to have been a part of Solenne’s weekend in Etampes!
Back in Madrid, the weather has finally turned, I think! We had a few weeks of straight rainy, gray days which created a few new water features on campus – Brewster Pond, Lake Brewster, the Brewster Hot Tub, and eventually Brewster Ocean. All of these are outdoor spaces which apparently don’t drain particularly well, and I am happy to report that no students swam in them. I think it might have been possible to swim across Brewster Ocean. Tomorrow marks the start of our Semana Blanca – Ski Week, and I head to Astún in the Pyrenees on Sunday! More updates to come soon!
Enjoy the photos, including sunset a few nights ago in Madrid!
Abe Tolkoff 