For coins there are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 centimes (cents), as well as 1€ and 2€ coins. For banknotes, or cash, there are 5€, 10€, 20€, 50€, 100€, 200€, and rarely 500€. Just like in the United States, 100 centimes is equivalent to 1€. They used to use the French franc, but stopped and switched to the euro in 2002.
A bottle of water may cost around €2 ($2.34) or more, depending on how touristy the area is. However, in France, tap water is generally safe to drink, so I can always drink from the sink in my apartment instead of buying bottled water from the grocery store.
This week I went to an Indian restaurant called Royal Indien with a friend of mine named Angelina. At the restaurant I shared some samosas with my friend, and had garlic naan with saag aloo. Saag aloo is a dish made from spinach (saag) and potatoes (aloo) cooked together with a variety of spices. It's very flavorful, sometimes spicy, and absolutely delicious. I've also made a variety of dishes at home this week such as lots of falafel wraps, a lentil soup my mom and I call magic potion soup as I was sick, and polenta with mushrooms.
As my grandfather passed away this past week, I unfortunately was not listening to the happiest of music, if not at all. However, last week I discovered a combination of six orchestral tone pieces/poems called Má vlast (My homeland) by Bedřich Smetana, a Czech composer, which encapsulates his feelings and love for his home country.
