Written over our first baguette

Bonjour from Paris! We have arrived in the city of lights, and now we’re just waiting for Zach (who arrives Tuesday) to complete our group. We rented a flat in trendy South Pigalle for an authentic parisian experience. Today we donned our chicest outfits and took to the streets to get a feel for our bustling and lively neighborhood. After only minutes of wandering, we realized that the famous Montmartre is right around the corner. We trekked up to the stunning Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur to the sounds of accordions playing and overlooked the city that will serve as our home for the next two weeks.

a quiet street in the neighborhood

Elliott and Lily at the top of Montmartre

After several hours of walking around in the blistering wind, we sought refuge in a highly recommended cafe to discuss our upcoming week over a cup of espresso.

billboard by the metro station

We can’t believe all the momentum we’ve seen here around COP21. French newspapers reported that they’re expecting over 40,000 people to arrive in the city just for the conference. From billboards and street signs to overheard conversation, it seems like everybody is eagerly awaiting the start of the negotiations. While the recent terrorist attacks have caused french authorities to cancel today’s climate march, french protesters did not surrender the opportunity to speak out. In lieu of a public gathering, thousands of would-be marchers dropped off their shoes in the Plaza de Republic to take their place. This demonstration, which the media is calling the “ghost march,” demonstrates the public’s desire for meaningful emission reductions.

Photo credit: Coalition Climat 21 Facebook

Tomorrow, heads of state from over 147 countries and over 10,000 delegates will meet at the Le Bourget conference center to commence the negotiations. While we will not be allowed inside the actual negotiation room with the delegates (hopefully we’ll get there someday!), we will be spending our time at the Climate Generations area along with thousands of others to convene and discuss global environmental issues. Every day there are dozens of lectures, workshops, debates, and presentations on all aspects of climate change given by NGOs, scientists, artists, UN leaders, and government officials. This week we plan on spending most of our time at this site to participate and learn from passionate experts from around the world.

This evening we’re going to look over our schedule and make sure we are making the most of our time here, then get some rest for the busy week ahead. Going forward we’ll update you on what we learn and what’s going on around the site to give you an inside scoop on COP21!

Au revoir for now!

Lily, Gabby, and Elliott