Scotland
January, 2009- Florida and being home on vacation My time at home was short but wonderful. I got to spend lots of quality time with my nephews, which included seeing their first basketball game at the Y, where they each made a basket. It was the most precious thing ever. I also went to Crestview, Florida with my Mom for 4 days. (Crestview is near Pensacola.) We went to the beach and did lots of shopping. We also went to visit one of my Mom's cousins who lived nearby. It was definitely nice to see some of my Mom's family. Her daughter works in the foreign language department in one of the schools down there and she told me that there were a few French teachers that would be retiring in the next couple of years. I can only keep my fingers crossed that there will still be an opening when I finally finish my degree. It would be really nice to work in Florida.
The rest of my time at home was spent running around to see as many friends and family as possible. Unfortunately, I didn't get around to seeing everyone. I was very fortunate to have been able to go to my UMYF reunion. It was wonderful to see so many old friends and to see where their lives had taken them. I spent New Year's Eve at my friends Davis and Crystal's house, which consisted mostly of games, rock band, and celebrating, of course. It was difficult leaving dear ol' Tennessee, but I was definitely looking forward to Scotland!
January 12th, 2009
Mom and Robert drove me to the shuttle to Atlanta, which started my very long journey to Glasgow. The shuttle was less than two hours long, so I was extra early to the airport. I was glad to have the extra time to bond with my beloved Mello Yello before I had to bid it farewell until the summer. It was a sad moment, indeed. I went from Atlanta to Philadelphia then to Manchester and finally to Glasgow. In Manchester, I had to actually leave the airport and re-check-in as if I was only starting my journey in Manchester. The rain definitely added to the ambiance. Once I finally arrived in Glasgow, I was exhausted. Because of all the layovers and connections, I really didn’t get much of a chance to sleep. I had a few hours before Erin would arrive, so I decided to pass out in the baggage claim, where we had agreed to meet. Silly me, I didn't think about my flight from Manchester being considered a domestic flight. So, while I was asleep, waiting for Erin in domestic baggage claim, she was waiting in the international baggage claim, with her flight being from Paris. After about 20 minutes after her flight should have arrived, I realized my blunder and finally managed to meet up with her. We made it from the airport to the station, where we were to meet Johanne a mere hour later. We just went straight to Johanne's apartment to crash. (At least I needed a mini-crash to cure my jet lag.) We met Johanne's roommates and got the tour of her wonderfully large apartment. We ended up watching a couple of episodes of Blackbooks (a British sit-com). After that, we finally crashed for the night.
January 13th, 2009
After a somewhat lazy morning, we decided to drive to Loch Lomond. (Loch referring to a lake, of course.) The view was simply amazing. There was even a double rainbow over the lake. If that's not paradise, then I don't know what is. Johanne had borrowed one of her friend's cars, so thankfully we only had to buy the gas. We drove more around the lake and found a cafe near the lake. We had a very simple lunch of soup and sandwiches and the obligatory hot chocolate. After lunch, we drove a little further, where we found the city of Callendar. We also found Queen Elizabeth National Forest, where we hiked for quite a while. The view made everything worth it. It rained a bit, which made things a bit slippery, but I survived in the end. It took me back to my Girl Scout days. Erin knew of a castle in Stirling, so we drove there for dinner. It was dark by then and the entrance to the castle was closed. We did find a cute little Thai restaurant. After dinner, we drove on home and watched Michael McIntyre, a very funny British comedian. He has a bit about how to walk faster that is simply hilarious. It's always good to go to bed laughing.
January 14th, 2009
Johanne had to go to school so Erin and I decided to take a day trip to Edinbourgh. The train ride was simply gorgeous. Once we arrived, we just decided to walk around the town. We found a pub called "the Mitre" and found our fish and chips lunch we had been wanting to have. I also had nice Deuchars IPA pale ale to complete the experience. We got a great deal. We also did some souvenir shopping. I found golf stuff and things for my family. Erin and I were also in search of the perfect cashmere scarf. I found a pink, yellow, and white patterned one and Erin took a bit longer to find her dark pink one. We also walked up to the castle where I took the obligatory red phone booth pictures. We realized that when we were buying our return tickets, we had paid too much. You can't even figure out the system when it's in your own language! We met Johanne for dinner at a noodle bar called Wagamama. They also had a wonderful white chocolate cheesecake. After dinner, we went to one of the world's largest movie theatres, located conveniently in Glasgow. We watched "Slumdog Millionaire," which ended up being an excellent choice.
January 15th, 2009
We went to uni with Johanne this morning. She took us to an art museum to mill around while she went to class. The art was pretty amazing. There was a very strange floating heads exhibit, however. We had lunch at the museum cafe, which was full of mommies and babies. While Johanne went to her next class, we headed to the transport museum. There were lots of trains and very cool old cars. We did some more walking around the university after that. It was just so beautiful. I can't imagine going to class in a building so rich in architecture and history. We decided to have a night in and cook lasagna with Johanne's roommates. It was a very relaxing day overall and I bought the Glasgow t-shirt to prove it.January 16th, 2009For our last official day, we drove to Douglas, where some of my Mom's family was born. The town was quite charming. We went to the cemetery, where we found the right Watson grave. It was quite touching, because my Mom's cousin had been in that very spot about 11 years ago. It was nice to get some more family history. The church was closed, but we did walk around the city some more. We also discovered "Castle Dangerous" (yes, that was the actual name and I have the picture to prove it) and had a hot chocolate at the little gas station cafe. It was a precious little town that is now a part of my history. After Douglas, somehow I found myself in the navigator's seat, which has never served me well in foreign countries. We took the extremely long route back to Glasgow, but we got there eventually. We stopped at Johanne's friend Helen's apartment, who had been gracious enough to let us borrow her car. We had a nice visit. It's so interesting to hear everyone's stories. We had a nice dinner at an antipasti place and partied with Johanne's "flat mates" as they say. It was really nice getting to know them and learning about Johanne's life in Glasgow.
We left quite early that next morning for our very long journey home to Clermont. Erin had to baby-sit that night, so she gave me her non-exchangeable/non-refundable ticket and she took an earlier train. Little did I know what a mistake that would turn out to be! I had a few hours to wait for the train, so I got into Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. At about 20 minutes into the trip, the train stopped for no apparent reason. I had barely noticed because I was very into my MP3 player and Harry, of course. After about 20 minutes of no movement and no explanation whatsoever, it occurred to me to finally be worried. Erin's ticket was in 1st class, so at least that was nice. They finally made an announcement saying that there was some sort of "personal incident," which of course meant nothing to me. An hour later, they made another announcement, which was even more useless to me. They said one of two things: "There is smoke on the tracks," or "There is a wild boar on the tracks." Neither explanation made any sense to me whatsoever. I just accepted it as some kind of technical problem and went back to Harry. (Unfortunately, I found out later that someone had committed suicide on the tracks and it was taking them a long time to get everything cleaned up. After we finally got moving, we ran into another technical problem about an hour and a half later. At this point, I didn't even care what the announcement was. What should have been a 3 1/2 hour trip turned into a 6 hour trip. At least they gave us a free meal. Overall, it was a wonderfully exhausting trip, but I could not have been happier to sleep in my Clermont bed.
Here are links to the pictures! Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032738&l=b8a74&id=63700370
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032743&l=e0966&id=63700370
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Friday, November 14, 2008
Marseille
Marseille
November 9th, 2008
I am on my way from Clermont Ferrand to Marseille for a few days of quality vacation time. I didn't know about these vacation days until maybe 2 weeks ago when my students informed me that we wouldn't have class. At least they are good for something! Haha. French trains are usually on time to the minute, but the rare occasion that they are late usually falls when I have a very short time in between trains. There are no direct trains from CF to Marseille, so I had a correspondence in Lyon. I was supposed to have a full 15 minutes to change trains, but because the Lyon train was late (I'm sure due to a prolonged smoke break and without explanation whatsoever) I missed my next train by about 3 minutes. Instead of panicking, I simply went to the little kiosk to exchange my ticket. I had to pay 3 euros. The other option would have been to wait in line for 20 minutes, argue with the salesperson, and take a train over an hour later than scheduled. Instead, I opted to spend less than 5 minutes at the kiosk, pay 3 euros, and leave only 20 minutes later than planned. You have to choose your battles carefully. I am riding 1st class on the TGV (really fast train) for the first time. The price wasn't all that different, so I decided to splurge. I am seriously thinking about always paying a little extra for 1st class. The seats really are amazing. I'm in a solo seat. I have lots of legroom, and there are no screaming children. You don't know what you are missing until you finally have it! I chose to go to Marseille because I wanted to spend my vacation relaxing on the beach. I fully plan to read and put my feet in the freezing cold water. I've been to the South of France before, but never to Marseille. I also plan to buy some soap. Calm is the word for this vacation. I thought there would at least be some light at 7:00 but it looks as if it is midnight outside! Plans for tonight are to just make it to the hostel and maybe take a short walk.
November 10th, 2008
My first day in Marseille was certainly an interesting one. I started by going to the tourist office, which didn't open until 10. I asked the lady what she recommended, even though I had a pretty good idea already in mind. She complimented me on my French once she tagged me as an Anglophone. Silly accent. I wish I knew what sounded like in French. So from there, I went to the Basilique Notre Dame. It's pretty high up, so I opted to get the 3 day bus/tram pass. The view of the city from there is AMAZING. It was just so beautiful. I read up there for a bit, since I was in no real hurry. I should have brought something a little dreamier, because Jean Cocteau kind of ruins the mood. I decided to head back to the downtown area to have lunch. I was going to try to be adventurous and try the Paella, but the prawns still in their shells just ruins it for me. I don't like to think about the fact that what I am eating used to be a living creature. I need it to be dead and not look like an animal. So, I opted for the crepe/fresh juice place that was much less touristy and cheaper as well. I ordered a crepe entitled "Amour." I did like it quite a bit, but I am not sure I would call it "love." It was just ham and two different cheeses, after all. I also had pineapple/kiwi juice, freshly squeezed. I had actually ordered banana/kiwi, but she assured me that pineapple would be better. I figure she's the expert, and it was quite tasty. It was a good place to people watch. I sat at a table next to two very masculine French men and their white, fluffy dog, which had it's own seat. It was just so perfectly natural to them. From there, I decided t take the bus that goes along the entire coastline. It was the most beautiful bus ride ever. (Even though it did give me a touch of motion sickness.) I also sat on the coastline and read for a while. I watched a family do all the preparations to set sail on their nice family boat. Looking at all the names of the boats was fun, too. It just made it feel so intimate. I also did some shopping. I got some of their famous soap and other little tidbits. After shopping, I decided to get my haircut, since I found a very affordable place on the way back to the hostel. The lady was Armenian and she told me that she has not been back home since she was 1 and that she will never return out of respect for her ancestors. I must admit that my Turkish history is a bit rusty, but it was very interesting to hear about her life. She, of course, asked me if I was happy about the elections. She was very nice, though. I decided to have dinner in and be social with the people from my hostel, aptly called "The London Connection." It's in an apartment building. They don't even give you a key. You us have to buzz in each time. It's all English speakers. When I came in last night, there were 2 Anglophones trying to get a room. The owner wasn't there, and the guy in charge didn't speak English. I felt special because I could translate for them> it's nice to hear everyone's stories and hear about their travels. Tomorrow, I pan to go to Chateau d'If, the Callenques, and do whatever is open on lonely Armistice Day. We shall see!
November 11, 2008
I'm sitting here at Chateau d'If, looking out over the water and eating one of the M&M cookies that my roommate Erin baked f me for the trip. There's a lighthouse in front of me, which automatically reminds me of "Candle of the Water" from "Pete's Dragon." That was one of the first songs I learned to play n the piano and sing at the same time. Oh, the memories. I had a very lazy morning and slept until the sound of someone puking their guts out awoken me (I'm assuming from overindulging in the liquor.) My only plans today are Chateau d'If (which I can now check off my list) and the Callenques. I'll miss the last boat out there by about 30 minutes because I didn't think to buy my tickets in the correct order. Silly me. I took the tram to the Vieux Port. The fishermen (and I assume mostly the fishermen's wives) were selling their catches for around 1 euro a piece. I was temped to buy one for myself until I saw the lady rip its guts out and fling them behind her. It kind of ruined the moment for me. They were so shiny and silver. The weather is a little overcast today. It's a bit windier than yesterday as well. I'm not sure if I could live in a town as touristic as Marseille. It is beautiful, though.
After Chateau d'If, I wanted to go see the Callelongues. I had already missed the last boat because of the holiday, so I had to take the bus or endure the 11 hour hike. Needless to say, I took the bus. It was getting pretty windy, so I didn't stay very long. It was breathtaking. Because of the long bus ride, it was getting to be pretty late. It was worth it to be able to see the entire city like that. I had my heart set on these scallops that were advertised on the billboards in the metro station, but because of the holiday, it was closed. I settled on eating at a place called "The Hippopotamus." It has very basic kinds of foods like burgers and steaks, but their Asian plate looked particularly appetizing. Plus, it was seafood. I also opted for the sangria with my meal. I was just too content to eat my meal by myself outside. The waiter even asked me if I wouldn't be too cold. It was probably all of 65 degrees, but he was freezing. I told him that I am from Clermont, so this is noting! After my nice relaxing dinner, I made it back to the hostel and started reading the latest Nicholas Sparks book. I earned it because I finished my French book. The following morning, the museums were open. I decided that I really only had time to visit one museum. I really wanted to see the Van Gogh exhibit, so that is where I went. The paintings were on loan from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. They had grouped his paintings with those of Monticelli. The name seemed familiar but I recognized his sailboat paintings immediately. It's always surreal to me to see a famous painting. It's like seeing a movie star up close. Van Gogh's self portrait was one of the many paintings featured. Not the most attractive man in the world, but at least he had a realistic image of himself. After the museum, I had one last leisurely walk around town. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading my reward English book. Before I can read any book in English, I have to read one of the books on my Master's reading list that is a mere 13 pages long. It's a pretty good system. Saying goodbye to Marseille was very difficult. It is a town that gave me much needed peace and relaxation.
Thanksgiving/Gala
November 30, 2008
I'm sitting at the bus stop near my church. As I was running down the hill, I saw my lovely B bus pull away without me on it. At least it gives me time to write. Thanksgiving was this past week. It turned out to be quite nice. We celebrated twice. We had dinner with the church on Sunday. They had a proper turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy. It wasn't as good as Mom's Thanksgiving but at least it was turkey. Plus, the fellowship was nice I divided my time between a "grown-up" table and the "teen" table. Erin made no bake peanut butter cookies for our contribution. Our second meal was on Thanksgiving day itself. We decided to invite some of the American assistants over to share a meal together. Because turkey is so hard to find, we opted to cook a chicken instead. Erin was in charge of the chicken and the green bean casserole and I was in charge of dessert. I made my very first marble cake on my own from scratch. I think I might have been a bit too generous with the rum, but it turned out pretty well. We had to keep cooking the chicken, but once it was finally done, it was delicious. We also had chips and salsa and lots of wine to go around to give it that French feeling.
Paris
December 20, 2008
The City of Lights always baffles me. We have a beautiful love/hate relationship. A lady in the metro had a panic attack because she thought I was trying to steal her seat. She explained that she had a bad back and that I shouldn't touch her because I might catch it. Of course, it was my fault because I did try to use the handrail that was behind her to brace myself as it lurched forward to an abrupt stop. Silly me. The rest of the day was spent shopping. I did manage to go to the Centre Pompidou. I've decided that modern art really just isn't my thing. There was a really cool optical illusion photograph called "La Chute" (The Fall). I was glad that I finally went. Outside of the Pompidou Center, there was a "magician." He put 2 kids in this cardboard box and stabbed them with wooden spears. They magically emerged, unscathed. It was quite entertaining. The rest of the day I just walked around, trying and succeeding at getting lost. Paris always makes me so jumpy. I think it's the tension in the air. I don't think I could ever live here. I am more of an Orleans/Clermont kind of girl. At least it helps me to know that I don't want to live in a big city. It's always nice to visit and then be able to leave, though.
December 21, 2008
This morning, I woke up nice and late. I didn't have to meet Aline until 12:30. There are 2 Spanish girls and 1 Korean girl staying in my room. It's very practical with the one key. It's silly really. At least it’s very close to the train station. When I was leaving the hostel, I noticed all these Santa Clauses walking down the street. They were having a circus/Christmas parade. They had miniature marching bands and everything. I met Aline and Raphael at the Starbucks in Montparnasse, where I got one of their fabulous new hot chocolates. Their apartment was just around the corner. It's quite nice. On the way to heir apartment, we had a nice view of the good ol' Eiffel Tower. We ate at a little pizzeria.
Erin's brother Kevin, her cousin Jessica and I went to an Irish pub to watch the Liverpool/Arsenal soccer match. Kevin and Jessica are really into soccer since they both play.That night we went to the Eiffel Tower. It was lit up in blue and with the stars of the European Union flag because of the French EU presidency. It was very pretty.
Stay tuned for my next e-mail about my trip to Florida and then Glasgow, Scotland!
Links to photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030387&l=bd968&id=63700370 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030390&l=80318&id=63700370 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030725&l=3c6a8&id=63700370
November 9th, 2008
I am on my way from Clermont Ferrand to Marseille for a few days of quality vacation time. I didn't know about these vacation days until maybe 2 weeks ago when my students informed me that we wouldn't have class. At least they are good for something! Haha. French trains are usually on time to the minute, but the rare occasion that they are late usually falls when I have a very short time in between trains. There are no direct trains from CF to Marseille, so I had a correspondence in Lyon. I was supposed to have a full 15 minutes to change trains, but because the Lyon train was late (I'm sure due to a prolonged smoke break and without explanation whatsoever) I missed my next train by about 3 minutes. Instead of panicking, I simply went to the little kiosk to exchange my ticket. I had to pay 3 euros. The other option would have been to wait in line for 20 minutes, argue with the salesperson, and take a train over an hour later than scheduled. Instead, I opted to spend less than 5 minutes at the kiosk, pay 3 euros, and leave only 20 minutes later than planned. You have to choose your battles carefully. I am riding 1st class on the TGV (really fast train) for the first time. The price wasn't all that different, so I decided to splurge. I am seriously thinking about always paying a little extra for 1st class. The seats really are amazing. I'm in a solo seat. I have lots of legroom, and there are no screaming children. You don't know what you are missing until you finally have it! I chose to go to Marseille because I wanted to spend my vacation relaxing on the beach. I fully plan to read and put my feet in the freezing cold water. I've been to the South of France before, but never to Marseille. I also plan to buy some soap. Calm is the word for this vacation. I thought there would at least be some light at 7:00 but it looks as if it is midnight outside! Plans for tonight are to just make it to the hostel and maybe take a short walk.
November 10th, 2008
My first day in Marseille was certainly an interesting one. I started by going to the tourist office, which didn't open until 10. I asked the lady what she recommended, even though I had a pretty good idea already in mind. She complimented me on my French once she tagged me as an Anglophone. Silly accent. I wish I knew what sounded like in French. So from there, I went to the Basilique Notre Dame. It's pretty high up, so I opted to get the 3 day bus/tram pass. The view of the city from there is AMAZING. It was just so beautiful. I read up there for a bit, since I was in no real hurry. I should have brought something a little dreamier, because Jean Cocteau kind of ruins the mood. I decided to head back to the downtown area to have lunch. I was going to try to be adventurous and try the Paella, but the prawns still in their shells just ruins it for me. I don't like to think about the fact that what I am eating used to be a living creature. I need it to be dead and not look like an animal. So, I opted for the crepe/fresh juice place that was much less touristy and cheaper as well. I ordered a crepe entitled "Amour." I did like it quite a bit, but I am not sure I would call it "love." It was just ham and two different cheeses, after all. I also had pineapple/kiwi juice, freshly squeezed. I had actually ordered banana/kiwi, but she assured me that pineapple would be better. I figure she's the expert, and it was quite tasty. It was a good place to people watch. I sat at a table next to two very masculine French men and their white, fluffy dog, which had it's own seat. It was just so perfectly natural to them. From there, I decided t take the bus that goes along the entire coastline. It was the most beautiful bus ride ever. (Even though it did give me a touch of motion sickness.) I also sat on the coastline and read for a while. I watched a family do all the preparations to set sail on their nice family boat. Looking at all the names of the boats was fun, too. It just made it feel so intimate. I also did some shopping. I got some of their famous soap and other little tidbits. After shopping, I decided to get my haircut, since I found a very affordable place on the way back to the hostel. The lady was Armenian and she told me that she has not been back home since she was 1 and that she will never return out of respect for her ancestors. I must admit that my Turkish history is a bit rusty, but it was very interesting to hear about her life. She, of course, asked me if I was happy about the elections. She was very nice, though. I decided to have dinner in and be social with the people from my hostel, aptly called "The London Connection." It's in an apartment building. They don't even give you a key. You us have to buzz in each time. It's all English speakers. When I came in last night, there were 2 Anglophones trying to get a room. The owner wasn't there, and the guy in charge didn't speak English. I felt special because I could translate for them> it's nice to hear everyone's stories and hear about their travels. Tomorrow, I pan to go to Chateau d'If, the Callenques, and do whatever is open on lonely Armistice Day. We shall see!
November 11, 2008
I'm sitting here at Chateau d'If, looking out over the water and eating one of the M&M cookies that my roommate Erin baked f me for the trip. There's a lighthouse in front of me, which automatically reminds me of "Candle of the Water" from "Pete's Dragon." That was one of the first songs I learned to play n the piano and sing at the same time. Oh, the memories. I had a very lazy morning and slept until the sound of someone puking their guts out awoken me (I'm assuming from overindulging in the liquor.) My only plans today are Chateau d'If (which I can now check off my list) and the Callenques. I'll miss the last boat out there by about 30 minutes because I didn't think to buy my tickets in the correct order. Silly me. I took the tram to the Vieux Port. The fishermen (and I assume mostly the fishermen's wives) were selling their catches for around 1 euro a piece. I was temped to buy one for myself until I saw the lady rip its guts out and fling them behind her. It kind of ruined the moment for me. They were so shiny and silver. The weather is a little overcast today. It's a bit windier than yesterday as well. I'm not sure if I could live in a town as touristic as Marseille. It is beautiful, though.
After Chateau d'If, I wanted to go see the Callelongues. I had already missed the last boat because of the holiday, so I had to take the bus or endure the 11 hour hike. Needless to say, I took the bus. It was getting pretty windy, so I didn't stay very long. It was breathtaking. Because of the long bus ride, it was getting to be pretty late. It was worth it to be able to see the entire city like that. I had my heart set on these scallops that were advertised on the billboards in the metro station, but because of the holiday, it was closed. I settled on eating at a place called "The Hippopotamus." It has very basic kinds of foods like burgers and steaks, but their Asian plate looked particularly appetizing. Plus, it was seafood. I also opted for the sangria with my meal. I was just too content to eat my meal by myself outside. The waiter even asked me if I wouldn't be too cold. It was probably all of 65 degrees, but he was freezing. I told him that I am from Clermont, so this is noting! After my nice relaxing dinner, I made it back to the hostel and started reading the latest Nicholas Sparks book. I earned it because I finished my French book. The following morning, the museums were open. I decided that I really only had time to visit one museum. I really wanted to see the Van Gogh exhibit, so that is where I went. The paintings were on loan from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. They had grouped his paintings with those of Monticelli. The name seemed familiar but I recognized his sailboat paintings immediately. It's always surreal to me to see a famous painting. It's like seeing a movie star up close. Van Gogh's self portrait was one of the many paintings featured. Not the most attractive man in the world, but at least he had a realistic image of himself. After the museum, I had one last leisurely walk around town. I spent the rest of the afternoon reading my reward English book. Before I can read any book in English, I have to read one of the books on my Master's reading list that is a mere 13 pages long. It's a pretty good system. Saying goodbye to Marseille was very difficult. It is a town that gave me much needed peace and relaxation.
Thanksgiving/Gala
November 30, 2008
I'm sitting at the bus stop near my church. As I was running down the hill, I saw my lovely B bus pull away without me on it. At least it gives me time to write. Thanksgiving was this past week. It turned out to be quite nice. We celebrated twice. We had dinner with the church on Sunday. They had a proper turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy. It wasn't as good as Mom's Thanksgiving but at least it was turkey. Plus, the fellowship was nice I divided my time between a "grown-up" table and the "teen" table. Erin made no bake peanut butter cookies for our contribution. Our second meal was on Thanksgiving day itself. We decided to invite some of the American assistants over to share a meal together. Because turkey is so hard to find, we opted to cook a chicken instead. Erin was in charge of the chicken and the green bean casserole and I was in charge of dessert. I made my very first marble cake on my own from scratch. I think I might have been a bit too generous with the rum, but it turned out pretty well. We had to keep cooking the chicken, but once it was finally done, it was delicious. We also had chips and salsa and lots of wine to go around to give it that French feeling.
Paris
December 20, 2008
The City of Lights always baffles me. We have a beautiful love/hate relationship. A lady in the metro had a panic attack because she thought I was trying to steal her seat. She explained that she had a bad back and that I shouldn't touch her because I might catch it. Of course, it was my fault because I did try to use the handrail that was behind her to brace myself as it lurched forward to an abrupt stop. Silly me. The rest of the day was spent shopping. I did manage to go to the Centre Pompidou. I've decided that modern art really just isn't my thing. There was a really cool optical illusion photograph called "La Chute" (The Fall). I was glad that I finally went. Outside of the Pompidou Center, there was a "magician." He put 2 kids in this cardboard box and stabbed them with wooden spears. They magically emerged, unscathed. It was quite entertaining. The rest of the day I just walked around, trying and succeeding at getting lost. Paris always makes me so jumpy. I think it's the tension in the air. I don't think I could ever live here. I am more of an Orleans/Clermont kind of girl. At least it helps me to know that I don't want to live in a big city. It's always nice to visit and then be able to leave, though.
December 21, 2008
This morning, I woke up nice and late. I didn't have to meet Aline until 12:30. There are 2 Spanish girls and 1 Korean girl staying in my room. It's very practical with the one key. It's silly really. At least it’s very close to the train station. When I was leaving the hostel, I noticed all these Santa Clauses walking down the street. They were having a circus/Christmas parade. They had miniature marching bands and everything. I met Aline and Raphael at the Starbucks in Montparnasse, where I got one of their fabulous new hot chocolates. Their apartment was just around the corner. It's quite nice. On the way to heir apartment, we had a nice view of the good ol' Eiffel Tower. We ate at a little pizzeria.
Erin's brother Kevin, her cousin Jessica and I went to an Irish pub to watch the Liverpool/Arsenal soccer match. Kevin and Jessica are really into soccer since they both play.That night we went to the Eiffel Tower. It was lit up in blue and with the stars of the European Union flag because of the French EU presidency. It was very pretty.
Stay tuned for my next e-mail about my trip to Florida and then Glasgow, Scotland!
Links to photos:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030387&l=bd968&id=63700370 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030390&l=80318&id=63700370 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030725&l=3c6a8&id=63700370
Saturday, October 25, 2008
New Beginnings
Hi all,
Life in France is flying by, so I thought that I would take some time now to give you an update.
Once I finally arrived in France, things were fine. I had problems with the IUP Management (where I work). They failed to send in my contract to the embassy, so I had lots of problems getting my visa. I had to rebook my plane ticket, at my expense of course, because no one could possibly be at fault in France! So instead of arriving on the 2nd of September, and having plenty of time to acclimate, I arrived on the 19th, when school had already started.
Once that whole ordeal was settled, I was able to get into my routine here in lovely Clermont-Ferrand. I wasn't sure when I was supposed to teach, so I went in on Monday morning to check the schedule, and sure enough, I was scheduled to teach Monday afternoon. This job is certainly teaching me to be flexible.
I am now living in an apartment that is much closer to the downtown area. My friend Erin and I are sharing the apartment. It's on the 4th floor with no elevator, so at least it's great exercise! We have a real kitchen and an actual couch. I know that it doesn't sound like much, but it's a huge deal for us. It's not on the greatest street in town. Our little area is known as prostitute central. We're not sure which building is the actual headquarters. Plus, I think one of them is a man. I suppose I'll never know, because that's just not something you can go up and ask someone. Plus, if you stare at her too long she gives you the evil eye and it is quite scary.
Life in France is flying by, so I thought that I would take some time now to give you an update.
Once I finally arrived in France, things were fine. I had problems with the IUP Management (where I work). They failed to send in my contract to the embassy, so I had lots of problems getting my visa. I had to rebook my plane ticket, at my expense of course, because no one could possibly be at fault in France! So instead of arriving on the 2nd of September, and having plenty of time to acclimate, I arrived on the 19th, when school had already started.
Once that whole ordeal was settled, I was able to get into my routine here in lovely Clermont-Ferrand. I wasn't sure when I was supposed to teach, so I went in on Monday morning to check the schedule, and sure enough, I was scheduled to teach Monday afternoon. This job is certainly teaching me to be flexible.
I am now living in an apartment that is much closer to the downtown area. My friend Erin and I are sharing the apartment. It's on the 4th floor with no elevator, so at least it's great exercise! We have a real kitchen and an actual couch. I know that it doesn't sound like much, but it's a huge deal for us. It's not on the greatest street in town. Our little area is known as prostitute central. We're not sure which building is the actual headquarters. Plus, I think one of them is a man. I suppose I'll never know, because that's just not something you can go up and ask someone. Plus, if you stare at her too long she gives you the evil eye and it is quite scary.
Teaching has been going really great, but I get frustrated sometimes. I just plan too much for my students to do. An hour flies by so quickly! It will be hard to leave all my students at the end of the year.
Another battle I am facing is against our internet/phone company. We ordered our Freebox at the end of September. They told us that it would arrive in 21 days. It did indeed arrive, however the entire package, including a modem and other electronic things, was soaked in water. Now, I'm not a genius, but I do know that electricity and water do not mix. The friendly UPS man had called me earlier that day to warn me, but I couldn't quite understand what he was getting at until I actually laid eyes on my ruined internet package myself. Quite naturally, I refused to accept the package (damaged beyond repair) and the friendly UPS man told me that they would send me a new one as quickly as possible. The weeks pass and there is still no sign of my ironically labeled Freebox in sight. The next logical step was to call the company to find out what the status of our delivery was. I called the first number they gave me and explained my situation to the operator. She told me that I had the wrong department and she gave me a different number to call. Call number 2 was even less successful. I again try to explain my problem. She placed me on hold while I assume she was taking her smoke break. I, of course, am paying for every second of the call with my prepaid phone plan as I watched my money disappear by the second. I finally hang up and decide to let Erin have a go at it. She magically reached the same lady and was scolded for not being patient enough. She placed us on hold agan; but this time, instead of pushing the hold button, we think she simply put the phone down while she chatted to her friends. When she finally came back, she said that we had the wrong department and she gave us yet another number to call. Except this time, we would be charged an additional 34 cents per minute. We decided to give up for the night. The next day, a friend from church informed us that you could chat with a live person for free on their website. I decided to take on this seemingly enormous task. I entered the chat room and after just a few minutes, someone finally responded. I explained my problem. After they finally realized what the actual problem was, they informed me, yet again, that I had the wrong department. Ironically, they sent me to the department that I had originally called. After explaining the problem, yet again, they finally understood that I wanted a modem that actually worked and that was not waterlogged. Once I explained that, everything was so clear to them. Once I knew they were going to send me a new modem, I decided to chance my luck and ask them why this took so long. Their response was that there was a not on the account saying, "package refused because of damage." My response to that was of course to ask if it was up to me to let them know that I still wanted working internet. They had no response and ignored that question and bid me a good day from the entire Freebox team. I have a feeling it will arrive covered in snow and battery acid, but at least I said my piece. I chose to fight this battle for fun.
A few weeks ago, I participated in an event called "Clermont fête ses étudiants." Our event was called "La tour de Babel." There were students from different countries sharing poetry in their original language; There were 2 Chinese girls, a guy and a girl from the Czech Republic, a girl from Kenya, and a girl from Algeria. We recited poetry while the musicians and dancer improvised music and movement based on the sounds of our language. I chose to recite Maya Angelou's "I know why the caged bird sings." I also did this poem with my classes and gave them extra credit if they showed up to the event; A few of them actually came. It was an itneresting experience. I found out about it through one of the choir member's husbands.
I am singing again with the regional choir this year. We are doing lots of Monteverdi and things to prepare for our Vespers concert before Christmas. The director has me singing Soprano I. I thought he had learned his lesson last year when he changed me to Soprano II, but apparently he is a glutton for punishment.
Erin dogsat for a couple from our church a few weeks ago. They have a little yorkie named Tinka. It was nice to be around a pet again. It makes me miss my cat Beau even though he just lounges around all day looking for the warmest spot in the house.
Because of all the problems I had getting here, I've decided to take some liberty in when I will return in Januray. I've bought my ticket home, but not yet my return ticket. I plan to visit my friend Johanne in Glasgow, Scotland before returning to good ol' Clermont Ferrand. I figure they can spare me an extra week's vacation. They owe me at least that much.
Erin and I went to Lyon for the day a little while ago. We basically did some shopping and tried to see as much as we could in one day. It rained most of the day, but we hiked up a huge hill to get to some Roman ruins that were really incredible. I haven't posted all of the pictures yet.
My next e-mail will be all about my recent trip to Marseille so stay tuned!
Sincerely,
Marion
Here are some pictures of my apartment and a few from Lyon.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2030180&l=4f16e&id=63700370Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Italy trip and getting back into France
Italy, Being home for the summer, trying to get back into France-This is quite long, so only read if you have enough time and patience to get through it!
It is simply out of forgetfulness that I have yet to write about my trip to Italy and the most recent happenings in my life. Better late than never, as they say. (Or if you’re Blanche Devereaux, “Better late than pregnant,” but I digress.)
While on a Key West cruise a few years back, my friend Jennifer and I decided that we were going to take a Mediterranean cruise for our next adventure. Since the Key West cruise was a birthday gift, I decided that the next cruise would be her vet school gift. Little did I know that she was actually going to take me up on it!
We started planning around the beginning of the year. We decided that what we actually wanted was to see Italy instead of the actual cruise idea. I had actually already been to Italy, but I was happy to return to the land of pasta not only to revisit things forgotten but to discover hidden treasures as well. Two of Jennifer’s friends also graduating from vet school couldn’t resist this adventure either. We made for a Mötley Crüe. (Yes, that is how you spell that.)
We decided to simply meet up at the hotel we had chosen in Venice. Sounded simple enough. For me, it involved a simple 2-hour train ride to Lyon, a 1½ -hour flight to Venice, and then a very confusing who-knows-how-long bus ride to our strategically hidden hotel. I was relieved to find out that they had issues as well getting to our lovely hotel, where the concierge was kind enough to give us Italian lessons by not letting us into our rooms until we pronounced the number correctly. “Otto” means eight, and you have to rub-a spaghetti all over-a your face-a, as the great Doc King would say.
They decided to spend 2 weeks total in Italy, but I could only stay 1 week because of choir obligations. The first part of our trip was in Venice. I had visited Venice briefly a few years ago, but it was well worth the trip back. Since we had a few days, it felt much more relaxed. The canal smells a bit at first, but you get used to it after a while.
The first day was very relaxed. They were still getting over jetlag, so we decided to have a very unstructured first day. We just wanted to walk around to get our bearings. We had our first Italian dinner, which consisted of really good pizza. They don’t kid around with their pizza.
The following days were when we tried to be a bit more organized about things. We went to St. Mark’s Cathedral and walked around the plaza. The inside of the cathedral was truly breathtaking. We wondered how much it would cost to get married there, or if they even do weddings. It just felt so majestic. We saw the pigeon lady and took lots of pictures with Sam, the patriotic rubber duck that Jennifer’s mom tucked in her suitcase in order to be photographed in these exotic locations. And, of course, my wonderful purse pictures.
We took the ferryboat over to the Murano island, where they specialize in blown glass. We went in the little shop and they showed us the entire process. These artisans are very focused and extremely creative. I bought a Christmas ornament for my Mom, and glass bead jewelry for myself. On the main island, I bought a bright orange leather purse for my collection. It also photographs very well.
On one of the evenings, we took an ever so popular gondola ride. Our “driver” was very young and good looking, so it definitely helped for our stereotypical experience. However, his talking on his cell phone during the ride did damper our spirits a little. It kind of takes the romance out of the whole experience. That didn’t stop us from taking a million gorgeous pictures.
Although we loved Venice, we had to press on. We had decided earlier that we would rent a car instead of relying on trains the entire way. It turned out to be more cost efficient, even with the ridiculous price of gas. Since the car was a stick shift, I did not have the distinct pleasure of figuring out Italian roads. I just had to figure out the map for one shift, but that story will come a bit later.
Our next stop was Gravedona, in the Lake Como region. This was a place that Jennifer had found and thought that we would enjoy. We were so fortunate to have happened upon this beautiful and peaceful place. Parking, however, was a different story entirely. We were blessed to have taken the extra insurance on the car, because we surely needed it. Our hotel was located on a particularly steep hill that our little Ford Focus simply did not have the desire to climb. While Jennifer and Alissa decided to get out of the car and check in, it was up to Jessica and I to figure out a way to get the powerless car up the hill. We only clipped the stone wall by a little bit and the scratch on the car was only about 2 feet long. This is why you get the extra insurance.
Once we got over the initial shock of wrecking/parking the car, we were delighted to find our beautiful hotel room that was more like a bed and breakfast. We had a living room and a balcony. The balcony had to be my favorite part. The view was simply spectacular. The weather wasn’t the best in the world. It had rained almost the entire way there and there was a thick fog over the lake and the mountains. It all seemed to add to the experience, though. It stopped raining just long enough for us to walk around and sit outside and enjoy the view.
The first night, we walked a bit down the street to find dinner. We found this cute little café style restaurant. The wonderful owner found a waitress who spoke better English than our Italian, which didn’t take much. I had the bruschetta and some very fun mixed drinks.
The following day, we took the opportunity to walk around the town. We walked along the lake and went exploring. We found a beautiful church that Jennifer and I thought would be the perfect place for a wedding. (Not to each other, of course.) We even found a unity candle there that proved that we weren’t the only ones with this grand idea. We found another church that only I could enter because of the dress code. (No shorts) It was larger and equally beautiful, but there was just something special about that first little chapel. We also happened upon a gated cemetery. It was morbid, but looking at the headstones and pictures just gave me such a sense of history and a real feel for the city’s people.
After exploring, we decided to buy groceries and have a nice, calm, and relaxing evening in. We managed enough to buy dinner, snacks, and enough wine to ensure our calm evening. It added to the whole feeling of the entire day. Sometimes doing the less touristy things can be the most rewarding.
It was very difficult to leave our dear Gravedona. Our intention was to make it to Turin (Torino) for the day, however between my astute navigational skills and the insane Italian road system, we manage to circle the city several times. We finally stopped for lunch and managed to find the actual city center once we had decided to give up on Turin. I also gladly relinquished my role as navigator.
Finding our hotel in Genoa did not prove to be any easier. I believe we circled the same fountain 5 times. We finally parked so we could go to the bathroom and see if we couldn’t figure out where we were. I felt so guilty about Turin, however, I think I redeemed myself a little bit by finally finding our street on the map by the bus station. That doesn’t, however, mean that I knew how to get to it. We did find it eventually, but it was not marked very well at all. The concierge was very nice and informed us that the Pope would be making a visit the following day. Of course, this would be after I was already on a train back to France. It’s just so ironic, because the last time I was in Italy, the new pope was being elected. I missed seeing him by just a few hours. The fact that it was happening again just proved my point…the Pope is avoiding me. Or maybe I’m avoiding him. It will just have to go down with the question of how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop…The world may never know.
Once we were checked into our hotel, we only had time to do one activity before I would have to leave the next morning. I decided that I really wanted to see the aquarium. I was with 3 veterinarians; of course we were going to go see the aquarium. We decided, in our infinite wisdom, to walk to it. It was a lot further than we thought, but we eventually made it. The aquarium was along the harbor, so we got two for the price of one, in a way. The aquarium was quite large, and we didn’t have very much time before it closed. They make you see this 3-D shark movie before you can see the rest of the aquarium. The whole thing was in Italian with no subtitles, so you can only imagine how fun it was. Once we got to the rest of the aquarium, it was simply breathtaking. There was a “Finding Nemo” section where they had the different kinds of fish from the movie. They had penguins, who felt the need to relieve themselves while I was trying to get a good picture. The dolphins were also amazing. However, there was this annoying guy who had figured out that the click of his disposable camera attracted the attention of the dolphins. I wanted to push him into the shark tank, but I refrained from doing so.
That evening, I saw where they were preparing for the Pope’s visit. At least I got a taste of it. The following morning, I had to change my plans for getting to the train station, thanks to this wonderful visit. I finally figured out the right place and got on my train heading home. I was so glad that I took the train instead of flying back to Clermont. It was such a beautiful trip, going through the Alps and parts of France that I had not seen. Overall, it was an amazing trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Being home for the summer/trying to get back into France
I must say that this has been the longest period of time that I have been home since high school. It’s been nice having the 4 months to relax and spend time with family. However, I am extremely ready to go back to France and have more of a schedule and a routine. It has been very frustrating because of the problems with my work visa. I am scheduled to leave September 19th, however, don’t hold your breath, because I’ve already had to reschedule my trip once. I am very hopeful that I will get to leave as planned. I will certainly keep you all informed and up to date as much as possible!
Links to lots of pictures:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025087&l=90a04&id=63700370
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025094&l=cca56&id=63700370
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025096&l=2725f&id=63700370
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025133&l=d04c8&id=63700370
Sincerely,Marion
It is simply out of forgetfulness that I have yet to write about my trip to Italy and the most recent happenings in my life. Better late than never, as they say. (Or if you’re Blanche Devereaux, “Better late than pregnant,” but I digress.)
While on a Key West cruise a few years back, my friend Jennifer and I decided that we were going to take a Mediterranean cruise for our next adventure. Since the Key West cruise was a birthday gift, I decided that the next cruise would be her vet school gift. Little did I know that she was actually going to take me up on it!
We started planning around the beginning of the year. We decided that what we actually wanted was to see Italy instead of the actual cruise idea. I had actually already been to Italy, but I was happy to return to the land of pasta not only to revisit things forgotten but to discover hidden treasures as well. Two of Jennifer’s friends also graduating from vet school couldn’t resist this adventure either. We made for a Mötley Crüe. (Yes, that is how you spell that.)
We decided to simply meet up at the hotel we had chosen in Venice. Sounded simple enough. For me, it involved a simple 2-hour train ride to Lyon, a 1½ -hour flight to Venice, and then a very confusing who-knows-how-long bus ride to our strategically hidden hotel. I was relieved to find out that they had issues as well getting to our lovely hotel, where the concierge was kind enough to give us Italian lessons by not letting us into our rooms until we pronounced the number correctly. “Otto” means eight, and you have to rub-a spaghetti all over-a your face-a, as the great Doc King would say.
They decided to spend 2 weeks total in Italy, but I could only stay 1 week because of choir obligations. The first part of our trip was in Venice. I had visited Venice briefly a few years ago, but it was well worth the trip back. Since we had a few days, it felt much more relaxed. The canal smells a bit at first, but you get used to it after a while.
The first day was very relaxed. They were still getting over jetlag, so we decided to have a very unstructured first day. We just wanted to walk around to get our bearings. We had our first Italian dinner, which consisted of really good pizza. They don’t kid around with their pizza.
The following days were when we tried to be a bit more organized about things. We went to St. Mark’s Cathedral and walked around the plaza. The inside of the cathedral was truly breathtaking. We wondered how much it would cost to get married there, or if they even do weddings. It just felt so majestic. We saw the pigeon lady and took lots of pictures with Sam, the patriotic rubber duck that Jennifer’s mom tucked in her suitcase in order to be photographed in these exotic locations. And, of course, my wonderful purse pictures.
We took the ferryboat over to the Murano island, where they specialize in blown glass. We went in the little shop and they showed us the entire process. These artisans are very focused and extremely creative. I bought a Christmas ornament for my Mom, and glass bead jewelry for myself. On the main island, I bought a bright orange leather purse for my collection. It also photographs very well.
On one of the evenings, we took an ever so popular gondola ride. Our “driver” was very young and good looking, so it definitely helped for our stereotypical experience. However, his talking on his cell phone during the ride did damper our spirits a little. It kind of takes the romance out of the whole experience. That didn’t stop us from taking a million gorgeous pictures.
Although we loved Venice, we had to press on. We had decided earlier that we would rent a car instead of relying on trains the entire way. It turned out to be more cost efficient, even with the ridiculous price of gas. Since the car was a stick shift, I did not have the distinct pleasure of figuring out Italian roads. I just had to figure out the map for one shift, but that story will come a bit later.
Our next stop was Gravedona, in the Lake Como region. This was a place that Jennifer had found and thought that we would enjoy. We were so fortunate to have happened upon this beautiful and peaceful place. Parking, however, was a different story entirely. We were blessed to have taken the extra insurance on the car, because we surely needed it. Our hotel was located on a particularly steep hill that our little Ford Focus simply did not have the desire to climb. While Jennifer and Alissa decided to get out of the car and check in, it was up to Jessica and I to figure out a way to get the powerless car up the hill. We only clipped the stone wall by a little bit and the scratch on the car was only about 2 feet long. This is why you get the extra insurance.
Once we got over the initial shock of wrecking/parking the car, we were delighted to find our beautiful hotel room that was more like a bed and breakfast. We had a living room and a balcony. The balcony had to be my favorite part. The view was simply spectacular. The weather wasn’t the best in the world. It had rained almost the entire way there and there was a thick fog over the lake and the mountains. It all seemed to add to the experience, though. It stopped raining just long enough for us to walk around and sit outside and enjoy the view.
The first night, we walked a bit down the street to find dinner. We found this cute little café style restaurant. The wonderful owner found a waitress who spoke better English than our Italian, which didn’t take much. I had the bruschetta and some very fun mixed drinks.
The following day, we took the opportunity to walk around the town. We walked along the lake and went exploring. We found a beautiful church that Jennifer and I thought would be the perfect place for a wedding. (Not to each other, of course.) We even found a unity candle there that proved that we weren’t the only ones with this grand idea. We found another church that only I could enter because of the dress code. (No shorts) It was larger and equally beautiful, but there was just something special about that first little chapel. We also happened upon a gated cemetery. It was morbid, but looking at the headstones and pictures just gave me such a sense of history and a real feel for the city’s people.
After exploring, we decided to buy groceries and have a nice, calm, and relaxing evening in. We managed enough to buy dinner, snacks, and enough wine to ensure our calm evening. It added to the whole feeling of the entire day. Sometimes doing the less touristy things can be the most rewarding.
It was very difficult to leave our dear Gravedona. Our intention was to make it to Turin (Torino) for the day, however between my astute navigational skills and the insane Italian road system, we manage to circle the city several times. We finally stopped for lunch and managed to find the actual city center once we had decided to give up on Turin. I also gladly relinquished my role as navigator.
Finding our hotel in Genoa did not prove to be any easier. I believe we circled the same fountain 5 times. We finally parked so we could go to the bathroom and see if we couldn’t figure out where we were. I felt so guilty about Turin, however, I think I redeemed myself a little bit by finally finding our street on the map by the bus station. That doesn’t, however, mean that I knew how to get to it. We did find it eventually, but it was not marked very well at all. The concierge was very nice and informed us that the Pope would be making a visit the following day. Of course, this would be after I was already on a train back to France. It’s just so ironic, because the last time I was in Italy, the new pope was being elected. I missed seeing him by just a few hours. The fact that it was happening again just proved my point…the Pope is avoiding me. Or maybe I’m avoiding him. It will just have to go down with the question of how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop…The world may never know.
Once we were checked into our hotel, we only had time to do one activity before I would have to leave the next morning. I decided that I really wanted to see the aquarium. I was with 3 veterinarians; of course we were going to go see the aquarium. We decided, in our infinite wisdom, to walk to it. It was a lot further than we thought, but we eventually made it. The aquarium was along the harbor, so we got two for the price of one, in a way. The aquarium was quite large, and we didn’t have very much time before it closed. They make you see this 3-D shark movie before you can see the rest of the aquarium. The whole thing was in Italian with no subtitles, so you can only imagine how fun it was. Once we got to the rest of the aquarium, it was simply breathtaking. There was a “Finding Nemo” section where they had the different kinds of fish from the movie. They had penguins, who felt the need to relieve themselves while I was trying to get a good picture. The dolphins were also amazing. However, there was this annoying guy who had figured out that the click of his disposable camera attracted the attention of the dolphins. I wanted to push him into the shark tank, but I refrained from doing so.
That evening, I saw where they were preparing for the Pope’s visit. At least I got a taste of it. The following morning, I had to change my plans for getting to the train station, thanks to this wonderful visit. I finally figured out the right place and got on my train heading home. I was so glad that I took the train instead of flying back to Clermont. It was such a beautiful trip, going through the Alps and parts of France that I had not seen. Overall, it was an amazing trip and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Being home for the summer/trying to get back into France
I must say that this has been the longest period of time that I have been home since high school. It’s been nice having the 4 months to relax and spend time with family. However, I am extremely ready to go back to France and have more of a schedule and a routine. It has been very frustrating because of the problems with my work visa. I am scheduled to leave September 19th, however, don’t hold your breath, because I’ve already had to reschedule my trip once. I am very hopeful that I will get to leave as planned. I will certainly keep you all informed and up to date as much as possible!
Links to lots of pictures:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025087&l=90a04&id=63700370
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025094&l=cca56&id=63700370
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025096&l=2725f&id=63700370
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025133&l=d04c8&id=63700370
Sincerely,Marion
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Trip to the Loire Valley
Dear All,
I want to start out by thanking everyone for the condolences with regards to the passing of my father. I really appreciate all the notes and phone calls. I spent a week at home with my family. I think it was just enough time to take care of things. I was happy to get back to France and somewhat of a routine again. Here is what I have done recently:
Trip to the Loire Valley
The first day was spent traveling. We stopped in Moulins sur Alliers. From there we took a tiny train to Tours. We ended up getting off one stop too soon. Silly us, we thought that St.-Pierre Les Cours-Tous was the same as Tours. I just don’t know what we were thinking. So a quick ride and one stop later, we finally reached the correct place. We knew that we had booked a budget hotel and that it was located very close to the train station. Little did we know that the illustrious Best Western hotel was our very hotel. We found that quite hilarious. Our first night, we just walked around the city. (You have no idea how hard it is for me not to say, “We took a tour of Tours…oops! Oh, well.) It rained on and off most of the day, but mostly mist, like out of a Windex bottle, except it was rain. The McDonald’s across the street from our hotel had a particular glow to it, so we couldn’t help but get ice cream there. It was a really nice McDonald’s with Wifi and everything. It’s worth it for a good sundae.
Our game plan for the next day was to go to Amboise. We had about an hour to kill before our train left, I really wanted to take the trolley ride around town but Erin and Joanne weren’t really up for it. So I took the trolley by myself while they went to explore some of the markets. Well, it turns out that I was the only one in the entire town interested in the trolley ride at 10:00 in the morning. Because of gas prices, the trolley man said that he couldn’t take just one person, which was understandable. So from there, I decided just to walk around and see what I could find. Well, I hadn’t gone too far, and another couple was interested in taking the trolley, so the trolley man flagged me down. Warning: you must read signs carefully. What I expected to be a 20 minute trolley ride was in fact a 40 minute trolley ride. I had told the trolley driver that I had a train at 11:00, and he assured me that I would make it in time. What I didn’t account for was the fact that he knew everyone in town and felt that it was necessary to greet them all. He also decided to turn down every narrow street possible, where even the cats don’t dare stray. It was nice to see the town, but I had to take a later train to Amboise.
I went to the chateau at Amboise when I studied in Orléans, but it was nice to return to the city. Amboise also hosts some of Leonardo DaVinci’s work. It had rained most of the previous day, but today, we actually got to break out our rock star sunglasses. It was nice getting to see his different inventions and experiments. It was similar to a large playground. We found it funny, however, how terrible the English translations were. We decided to have a decent dinner, since we had brown bagged lunch. The dinner was incredible, but our waiter was a little nosy. I think he just had nothing better to do. He also thought that he would be funny and put my orangina in this huge glass. His humor was lost on me, but drinking a huge margarita glass of orangina by candlelight suited me just fine. The best part of the meal was having automated salt and pepper shakers. They were quite fascinating.
The following day we went to Chenonceaux. The weather was still rather dreary, but it was dry enough for us to enjoy the outdoor labyrinth. They also had some really pretty purple flowers in the garden, of which I felt the need to take a ridiculous amount of pictures. I also felt the need to take lots of pictures of my American friend Erin jumping in the air. Seeing the river again felt like coming home. What is funny about the train station at Chenonceaux is that there is no train station. It’s more of a hope-that-the-train-slows-down-enough-that-I-can-hop-on kind of stop. The last part of the day, we headed to Blois, which is just impossible for us poor Anglophones to say correctly. We just kind of walked around until we found a good restaurant for lunch. For the rest of the night, we headed to Orléans to find our hostel. The address didn’t look familiar to me, even though it was in the same area of town where I used to live, go figure. The reason was because our hostel was located inside a stadium. That’s right, a stadium. It felt like a colossal joke, but we were the only ones staying there. It certainly explains why it was so cheap. Plus, it makes for a funny story. We met up that night with my friend, Maéva, who is working near Orléans until October. Being on the ol’ Rue de Bourgogne certainly brought back memories. We ate at this wonderful Moroccan restaurant. It was then that we all realized that this trip was secretly about food. This scary homeless lady kept trying to go towards the wonderful smell, so it had to be good.
The following day, after documenting our lovely hostel surroundings, we tried to figure out how to get to Chambord. Unfortunately, the buses from Orléans don’t start until June. The lady at the tourism office told us that we had to go back through Blois. I was dreading going back there, because we got so extremely lost and basically walked the periphery of the town, all because of one stupid wrong turn (which was probably my fault). By the time we got back to Blois, we had just decided to wait around and have a leisurely day. We sat at the café outside of the chateau at Blois. They also have a Houdini museum there. One minute we were enjoying our beverages and the next there were these huge dragon heads coming out of the windows of the museum. It was a very strange way to entertain the kids, but they loved it. We just thought they were creepy. We were going to try to go to Chambord later in the day, but by the time that rolled around, we were ready to go back to Orléans. We walked around the cathedral a bit and then we headed back to our stadium.
I leave for Italy on my birthday (May 13). I thought it was a nice present to myself. We are going to several places, including Venice, Lake Como, Milan, and Genoa. I’m quite excited and you all will hear all about it when I get back!
I want to start out by thanking everyone for the condolences with regards to the passing of my father. I really appreciate all the notes and phone calls. I spent a week at home with my family. I think it was just enough time to take care of things. I was happy to get back to France and somewhat of a routine again. Here is what I have done recently:
Trip to the Loire Valley
The first day was spent traveling. We stopped in Moulins sur Alliers. From there we took a tiny train to Tours. We ended up getting off one stop too soon. Silly us, we thought that St.-Pierre Les Cours-Tous was the same as Tours. I just don’t know what we were thinking. So a quick ride and one stop later, we finally reached the correct place. We knew that we had booked a budget hotel and that it was located very close to the train station. Little did we know that the illustrious Best Western hotel was our very hotel. We found that quite hilarious. Our first night, we just walked around the city. (You have no idea how hard it is for me not to say, “We took a tour of Tours…oops! Oh, well.) It rained on and off most of the day, but mostly mist, like out of a Windex bottle, except it was rain. The McDonald’s across the street from our hotel had a particular glow to it, so we couldn’t help but get ice cream there. It was a really nice McDonald’s with Wifi and everything. It’s worth it for a good sundae.
Our game plan for the next day was to go to Amboise. We had about an hour to kill before our train left, I really wanted to take the trolley ride around town but Erin and Joanne weren’t really up for it. So I took the trolley by myself while they went to explore some of the markets. Well, it turns out that I was the only one in the entire town interested in the trolley ride at 10:00 in the morning. Because of gas prices, the trolley man said that he couldn’t take just one person, which was understandable. So from there, I decided just to walk around and see what I could find. Well, I hadn’t gone too far, and another couple was interested in taking the trolley, so the trolley man flagged me down. Warning: you must read signs carefully. What I expected to be a 20 minute trolley ride was in fact a 40 minute trolley ride. I had told the trolley driver that I had a train at 11:00, and he assured me that I would make it in time. What I didn’t account for was the fact that he knew everyone in town and felt that it was necessary to greet them all. He also decided to turn down every narrow street possible, where even the cats don’t dare stray. It was nice to see the town, but I had to take a later train to Amboise.
I went to the chateau at Amboise when I studied in Orléans, but it was nice to return to the city. Amboise also hosts some of Leonardo DaVinci’s work. It had rained most of the previous day, but today, we actually got to break out our rock star sunglasses. It was nice getting to see his different inventions and experiments. It was similar to a large playground. We found it funny, however, how terrible the English translations were. We decided to have a decent dinner, since we had brown bagged lunch. The dinner was incredible, but our waiter was a little nosy. I think he just had nothing better to do. He also thought that he would be funny and put my orangina in this huge glass. His humor was lost on me, but drinking a huge margarita glass of orangina by candlelight suited me just fine. The best part of the meal was having automated salt and pepper shakers. They were quite fascinating.
The following day we went to Chenonceaux. The weather was still rather dreary, but it was dry enough for us to enjoy the outdoor labyrinth. They also had some really pretty purple flowers in the garden, of which I felt the need to take a ridiculous amount of pictures. I also felt the need to take lots of pictures of my American friend Erin jumping in the air. Seeing the river again felt like coming home. What is funny about the train station at Chenonceaux is that there is no train station. It’s more of a hope-that-the-train-slows-down-enough-that-I-can-hop-on kind of stop. The last part of the day, we headed to Blois, which is just impossible for us poor Anglophones to say correctly. We just kind of walked around until we found a good restaurant for lunch. For the rest of the night, we headed to Orléans to find our hostel. The address didn’t look familiar to me, even though it was in the same area of town where I used to live, go figure. The reason was because our hostel was located inside a stadium. That’s right, a stadium. It felt like a colossal joke, but we were the only ones staying there. It certainly explains why it was so cheap. Plus, it makes for a funny story. We met up that night with my friend, Maéva, who is working near Orléans until October. Being on the ol’ Rue de Bourgogne certainly brought back memories. We ate at this wonderful Moroccan restaurant. It was then that we all realized that this trip was secretly about food. This scary homeless lady kept trying to go towards the wonderful smell, so it had to be good.
The following day, after documenting our lovely hostel surroundings, we tried to figure out how to get to Chambord. Unfortunately, the buses from Orléans don’t start until June. The lady at the tourism office told us that we had to go back through Blois. I was dreading going back there, because we got so extremely lost and basically walked the periphery of the town, all because of one stupid wrong turn (which was probably my fault). By the time we got back to Blois, we had just decided to wait around and have a leisurely day. We sat at the café outside of the chateau at Blois. They also have a Houdini museum there. One minute we were enjoying our beverages and the next there were these huge dragon heads coming out of the windows of the museum. It was a very strange way to entertain the kids, but they loved it. We just thought they were creepy. We were going to try to go to Chambord later in the day, but by the time that rolled around, we were ready to go back to Orléans. We walked around the cathedral a bit and then we headed back to our stadium.
I leave for Italy on my birthday (May 13). I thought it was a nice present to myself. We are going to several places, including Venice, Lake Como, Milan, and Genoa. I’m quite excited and you all will hear all about it when I get back!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Austria for New Year's
December 30th, 2007
Day 1, Atlanta Georgia. John Thomas drove Julie and I to the airport. We met at the Arby's on Highway 153 in Hixson so that it would be easy to take I-75 all the way to Atlanta. It rained a lot and we listened to show tunes and Reba McEntire duets while John Thomas gave us last minue tips about Austria and the Opera House in Vienna. We even had enough time to stop at the IHOP for my last American meal for a while. We had plenty of time at the airport, but it was delayed an hour because it arrived late for inspection from wherever it came before. Initially, we thought it might cause us to miss our connection flight in Frankfurt, Germany. However, we made up time in the air. Which makes me wonder, is there a speed limit in the air? Are there air traffic cops? Like in the Jetsons maybe? Maybe not, but I think it would be cool. In Germany, we had to wait a bit because there was frost on the wing. They brought out these huge machines that sprayed orange stuff that magically melted the ice away.
Neither of us slept on the plane, so as soon as we arrived, we took a power nap. The taxi driver laughed at us when we told him our address, because apparently, it was only 900 meters away. We had all our bags, we were jetlagged, and we didn’t even know the right direction in which to walk, so who was he to judge? Ha, ha. We didn’t have high hopes for our first night since we were so tired, but we had to find fireworks, since it was New Year’s Eve. We just wanted to stay up to midnight plus one minute so that we could say we did it. We went to a semi-nice restaurant for dinner and ended up having pasta and hot chocolate (Heisse schokolade) for dinner. The fireworks actually found us. We kept hearing them, and finally we go to a place in which we were surrounded by fireworks. People were shooting off their own in the sheets and one guy even threw a firecracker in the restaurant. I think we were two of the few people to NOT be shooting off fireworks. Some were a little too close for comfort. It was definitely the most exciting fireworks display that I have ever seen.
The first Viennese hot chocolate needed lots of sugar. It was very bitter chocolate. The dessert was fabulous. I had apple strudel and Julie had apricot dumplings. It was nice to see that some of the Christmas decorations and lights were still up.
Day 2
On our 2nd official day, we went to the Hofburg complex. They call it a complex for a reason…it’s huge! There were horse-drawn carriages and tourists everywhere. We tried to go into the national library, but it was closed. We also tried to go to a nearby church, but it, too was closed. On our way back to the imperial apartments, a vendor stopped us to ask us if we wanted concert tickets. They were discounted, so we went ahead and bought some. I had visions of us showing up to a concert that did not exist, but there were no problems. It was nice to see the Imperial apartments and learn about Elisabeth and her tiny waist. I’m still not sure how you get stabbed in public and don’t realize that you’ve been stabbed until you are on board a huge ship. Go figure.
We had wurst hot dogs before the concert. It was a nice concert, especially for what we paid. There were soloists and ballet dancers. I am sure they get tired of playing the same thing every night. Hopefully they have a rotation. We finally figured out that “Weiner blut” means “Viennese blood” I sincerely hope that there is a better translation for this. The baritone was good, but he looked very sleepy the whole time. Too much Weiner blut will do that to you. The male dancer looked like a creepy version of Johnny Depp.
Day 3
The next day, we went to see the Strudhof steps, which Julie’s uncle had advised us to see. Apparently they’re in some book. They were very cool steps, but very icy. These women in tacky fur coats kept getting in our pictures, though.
We also went to the State Opera House. It was breathtaking. You couldn’t help but think that the air was different there. So many great performers and composers have stepped foot in this same hall. It’s one thing to read about these people in a book somewhere, but to actually tread where Mozart and Strauss have trod…It was overwhelming. To stand on stage where so many great performers have been… It just made me feel very unworthy, but in a very humbling way.
After the Opera House, we visited the giant Ferris wheel. The carts were quite large, so lots of us could ride it and take pictures at the same time. It was nice to see the city from that high, but it was quite cold. From there, we walked to Stephensdom, a gorgeous church where Mozart got married and where his funeral was held. We had dinner in a very nice hotel. From there we went to another concert. We just couldn’t get enough of Mozart and Strauss and Weiner blut!
Day 4- Salzburg, Austria
We arrived at about 2 in the afternoon. We did the quickie one hour tour of Salzburg. It was nice, except that we didn’t realise how quickly it would become dark. We went pretend ice skating on the pond where the children fell into the lake from the movie “The Sound of Music.” This would be one of many things we would do from the movie. We decided to take it easy and have dinner in the hostel, which was some kind of beef stroganof. Our hostel was quite nice. We had a fantastic view of the fortress. The shower, however was not a pleasant experience. Julie called the water lukewarm, but when it’s colder in the shower than it is outside with snow on the ground… I would call that quite cold.
Day 5
Our plans for today were to do “The Sound of Music” tour and to tour one of the salt mines. I know that a “Sound ofMusic” tour might sound cheesy, but I remember watching the film growing up and thinking how beautiful Austria must be. Plus, it was a really good way to see a lot of Salzburg. I knew the film a little better than Julie did, so I really appreciated being in all the different places where they had filmed. Our tour guide, Gunther, was very informative. He even spoke some French with me. He had us sing on the bus, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We went to the gazebo where they filmed “I am 16 going on 17” and “I must have done something good.” They actually had to lock the gazebo because so many people tried to do the dance that Liesl did and they injured themselves. I found that part to be really amusing. We also went to the church where the real Maria von Trapp got married. It was really beautiful and had a very ornate organ. We also drove up into the mountains and took pictures of some of the most beautiful landscape that I have ever seen.
After our “Sound of Music” tour, we had just enough time to grab some apple strudel and sandwiches at the Mirabell gardens. They filmed the “Do, Re, Mi” song here on the steps, which I of course felt compelled to imitate for the tourists. Julie got some pretty funny video of me trying to sing the song quietly. The salt mine tour was actually in Bavaria, Germany. We were glad to see a little bit of Germany, since it is stamped on our passport. We had to ride this little train into the salt mine. They surely don’t get the concept of personal space, because you have to straddle the person in front of you and behind you. We also rode down a wooden shoot, which was fantastic. It was kind of like riding down the biggest banister ever. There were actually two of these chutes. They take your picture at one of them, but it was quite unattractive, since we didn’t quite know what to expect. After the salt mine, our tour guide showed us the Eagle’s Nest, which was Hitler’s summer home. The ironic part is that apparently this house high up in the mountains was a gift to him, but he was afraid of heights. This could have been useful information during WWII!
After the salt mine tour, we got back to the hostel and got dressed up for our fancy dinner/concert night. The food was simply delicious. We had a lemon and cream soup (it might have had cinnamon…I can’t remember), chicken in a truffle sauce with fried polenta and vegetables. I had never had polenta nor had I even heard of it, but it was delicious. Dessert was a frozen sorbet with raspberry sauce and a picture of Mozart in cocoa powder, which I did not realize until I had already smeared his face.
Day 6
We wanted our last full day in Austria to be pretty relaxed, so we really hadn’t planned much of anything. My friend Brandon (from my Salt and Light choir days) is teaching in Salzburg this year. We meet up with him and he was our free tour guide for the day. We went to the Mozart café for lunch and had “beer meat.” It was very good, but it just needs a prettier name. That’s one thing the French do well…even if it’s goose liver, they have a pretty name like foie gras. We then took an elevator up to the top where we could see a better view of the castle and of the city. It was very pretty. There was a coin machine that whistled every time you walked by it. I am thinking about buying one of those for my apartment.
After our walk around the castle, we went to the beer tavern where Samantha Brown from “Passport to Europe: Salzburg” visited. I felt very Austrian with my huge beer mug. We had three rounds (1.5 liters) , so I was feeling quite happy and full. After the tavern, it was dinnertime, so we found another good Austrian restaurant. Julie finally had her Weiner schnitzel and I had some kind of farmer’s mix. It was quite good, but we were still so full from all the beer. On top of that, we went to the Stein hotel to have hot chocolate and Sacher cake. I don’t know how they do it! We got back to the hostel at about 12:30 a.m. and our train left the next morning at 4:28 a.m. so we decided just to stay up. We meet these nice American guys from California and some extremely drunk eastern European guys who kept playing a hand made didgeridoo in the middle of the lobby. Needless to say, we were quite entertained for the few hours that we had to stay up.
Day 7-Salzburg-Clermont-Ferrand
We didn’t have a very good Austrian train experience. We didn’t realize that everyone would arrive early to get on the train and spread out so that they could sleep. Needless to say, we had trouble finding seats together and lugging around all of our bags. I think we successfully bumped or threw things at every sleeping passenger on the train. Once we got settled, we could sleep and relax a little. Thankfully, Brandon had informed us that München was in fact Munich, so we at least had an idea of which path we were taking. We had all of about 5 minutes to catch the next train in Munich. Thank goodness it was the train directly next to ours. We had to change train stations in Paris, and I forgot that the machines don’t accept American credit cards, so we had to stand in the huge line to get Julie’s ticket and to exchange mine because we had already missed our train. When I first arrive in Paris, it’s always so overwhelming. I just get so frustrated. If I’m there for more than a day, then I am fine, but this whole situation just got me very angry. A lady in the line asked me (in French) if she could cut in front of us because she was about to miss her train. I snapped back at her in French that we’re all just about to miss our train and that she was no different from us. I was proud of myself for knowing how to respond appropriately when I am stressed out in French.
Once we finally got home (haha, home for me, anyways) we took turns taking long warm showers and ordered a pizza from my favorite pizza place just across the street.
Julie’s stay in Clermont-Ferrand
I was glad that Julie got to meet some of my students and witness what I do and how I live everyday. It’s nice to have someone from home to be able to appreciate my experiences. My friend Erin, who lives in the same building, invited us over for dinner and she entertained while I went to choir practice. I ended up not having to teach very much that week, but we were able to hang out with my students a lot, so it was good practice for them even though we didn’t have class. The big sales are going on this month, so we took full advantage of that.
Paris
We went to Paris the last day before Julie had to go back home. She had only a few things that she really wanted to do. We hit the Louvre (just the outside), Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower at night. Since I have seen all of these several times, I had forgotten how amazing the experience is for the first time. The Eiffel Tower is pretty amazing at night. It was very cold and rainy, so I bought one of those silly Paris hats just to keep my ears warm.
Overall, it was an amazing vacation, but I am glad to be back to teaching and somewhat of a routine again!
Day 1, Atlanta Georgia. John Thomas drove Julie and I to the airport. We met at the Arby's on Highway 153 in Hixson so that it would be easy to take I-75 all the way to Atlanta. It rained a lot and we listened to show tunes and Reba McEntire duets while John Thomas gave us last minue tips about Austria and the Opera House in Vienna. We even had enough time to stop at the IHOP for my last American meal for a while. We had plenty of time at the airport, but it was delayed an hour because it arrived late for inspection from wherever it came before. Initially, we thought it might cause us to miss our connection flight in Frankfurt, Germany. However, we made up time in the air. Which makes me wonder, is there a speed limit in the air? Are there air traffic cops? Like in the Jetsons maybe? Maybe not, but I think it would be cool. In Germany, we had to wait a bit because there was frost on the wing. They brought out these huge machines that sprayed orange stuff that magically melted the ice away.
Neither of us slept on the plane, so as soon as we arrived, we took a power nap. The taxi driver laughed at us when we told him our address, because apparently, it was only 900 meters away. We had all our bags, we were jetlagged, and we didn’t even know the right direction in which to walk, so who was he to judge? Ha, ha. We didn’t have high hopes for our first night since we were so tired, but we had to find fireworks, since it was New Year’s Eve. We just wanted to stay up to midnight plus one minute so that we could say we did it. We went to a semi-nice restaurant for dinner and ended up having pasta and hot chocolate (Heisse schokolade) for dinner. The fireworks actually found us. We kept hearing them, and finally we go to a place in which we were surrounded by fireworks. People were shooting off their own in the sheets and one guy even threw a firecracker in the restaurant. I think we were two of the few people to NOT be shooting off fireworks. Some were a little too close for comfort. It was definitely the most exciting fireworks display that I have ever seen.
The first Viennese hot chocolate needed lots of sugar. It was very bitter chocolate. The dessert was fabulous. I had apple strudel and Julie had apricot dumplings. It was nice to see that some of the Christmas decorations and lights were still up.
Day 2
On our 2nd official day, we went to the Hofburg complex. They call it a complex for a reason…it’s huge! There were horse-drawn carriages and tourists everywhere. We tried to go into the national library, but it was closed. We also tried to go to a nearby church, but it, too was closed. On our way back to the imperial apartments, a vendor stopped us to ask us if we wanted concert tickets. They were discounted, so we went ahead and bought some. I had visions of us showing up to a concert that did not exist, but there were no problems. It was nice to see the Imperial apartments and learn about Elisabeth and her tiny waist. I’m still not sure how you get stabbed in public and don’t realize that you’ve been stabbed until you are on board a huge ship. Go figure.
We had wurst hot dogs before the concert. It was a nice concert, especially for what we paid. There were soloists and ballet dancers. I am sure they get tired of playing the same thing every night. Hopefully they have a rotation. We finally figured out that “Weiner blut” means “Viennese blood” I sincerely hope that there is a better translation for this. The baritone was good, but he looked very sleepy the whole time. Too much Weiner blut will do that to you. The male dancer looked like a creepy version of Johnny Depp.
Day 3
The next day, we went to see the Strudhof steps, which Julie’s uncle had advised us to see. Apparently they’re in some book. They were very cool steps, but very icy. These women in tacky fur coats kept getting in our pictures, though.
We also went to the State Opera House. It was breathtaking. You couldn’t help but think that the air was different there. So many great performers and composers have stepped foot in this same hall. It’s one thing to read about these people in a book somewhere, but to actually tread where Mozart and Strauss have trod…It was overwhelming. To stand on stage where so many great performers have been… It just made me feel very unworthy, but in a very humbling way.
After the Opera House, we visited the giant Ferris wheel. The carts were quite large, so lots of us could ride it and take pictures at the same time. It was nice to see the city from that high, but it was quite cold. From there, we walked to Stephensdom, a gorgeous church where Mozart got married and where his funeral was held. We had dinner in a very nice hotel. From there we went to another concert. We just couldn’t get enough of Mozart and Strauss and Weiner blut!
Day 4- Salzburg, Austria
We arrived at about 2 in the afternoon. We did the quickie one hour tour of Salzburg. It was nice, except that we didn’t realise how quickly it would become dark. We went pretend ice skating on the pond where the children fell into the lake from the movie “The Sound of Music.” This would be one of many things we would do from the movie. We decided to take it easy and have dinner in the hostel, which was some kind of beef stroganof. Our hostel was quite nice. We had a fantastic view of the fortress. The shower, however was not a pleasant experience. Julie called the water lukewarm, but when it’s colder in the shower than it is outside with snow on the ground… I would call that quite cold.
Day 5
Our plans for today were to do “The Sound of Music” tour and to tour one of the salt mines. I know that a “Sound ofMusic” tour might sound cheesy, but I remember watching the film growing up and thinking how beautiful Austria must be. Plus, it was a really good way to see a lot of Salzburg. I knew the film a little better than Julie did, so I really appreciated being in all the different places where they had filmed. Our tour guide, Gunther, was very informative. He even spoke some French with me. He had us sing on the bus, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We went to the gazebo where they filmed “I am 16 going on 17” and “I must have done something good.” They actually had to lock the gazebo because so many people tried to do the dance that Liesl did and they injured themselves. I found that part to be really amusing. We also went to the church where the real Maria von Trapp got married. It was really beautiful and had a very ornate organ. We also drove up into the mountains and took pictures of some of the most beautiful landscape that I have ever seen.
After our “Sound of Music” tour, we had just enough time to grab some apple strudel and sandwiches at the Mirabell gardens. They filmed the “Do, Re, Mi” song here on the steps, which I of course felt compelled to imitate for the tourists. Julie got some pretty funny video of me trying to sing the song quietly. The salt mine tour was actually in Bavaria, Germany. We were glad to see a little bit of Germany, since it is stamped on our passport. We had to ride this little train into the salt mine. They surely don’t get the concept of personal space, because you have to straddle the person in front of you and behind you. We also rode down a wooden shoot, which was fantastic. It was kind of like riding down the biggest banister ever. There were actually two of these chutes. They take your picture at one of them, but it was quite unattractive, since we didn’t quite know what to expect. After the salt mine, our tour guide showed us the Eagle’s Nest, which was Hitler’s summer home. The ironic part is that apparently this house high up in the mountains was a gift to him, but he was afraid of heights. This could have been useful information during WWII!
After the salt mine tour, we got back to the hostel and got dressed up for our fancy dinner/concert night. The food was simply delicious. We had a lemon and cream soup (it might have had cinnamon…I can’t remember), chicken in a truffle sauce with fried polenta and vegetables. I had never had polenta nor had I even heard of it, but it was delicious. Dessert was a frozen sorbet with raspberry sauce and a picture of Mozart in cocoa powder, which I did not realize until I had already smeared his face.
Day 6
We wanted our last full day in Austria to be pretty relaxed, so we really hadn’t planned much of anything. My friend Brandon (from my Salt and Light choir days) is teaching in Salzburg this year. We meet up with him and he was our free tour guide for the day. We went to the Mozart café for lunch and had “beer meat.” It was very good, but it just needs a prettier name. That’s one thing the French do well…even if it’s goose liver, they have a pretty name like foie gras. We then took an elevator up to the top where we could see a better view of the castle and of the city. It was very pretty. There was a coin machine that whistled every time you walked by it. I am thinking about buying one of those for my apartment.
After our walk around the castle, we went to the beer tavern where Samantha Brown from “Passport to Europe: Salzburg” visited. I felt very Austrian with my huge beer mug. We had three rounds (1.5 liters) , so I was feeling quite happy and full. After the tavern, it was dinnertime, so we found another good Austrian restaurant. Julie finally had her Weiner schnitzel and I had some kind of farmer’s mix. It was quite good, but we were still so full from all the beer. On top of that, we went to the Stein hotel to have hot chocolate and Sacher cake. I don’t know how they do it! We got back to the hostel at about 12:30 a.m. and our train left the next morning at 4:28 a.m. so we decided just to stay up. We meet these nice American guys from California and some extremely drunk eastern European guys who kept playing a hand made didgeridoo in the middle of the lobby. Needless to say, we were quite entertained for the few hours that we had to stay up.
Day 7-Salzburg-Clermont-Ferrand
We didn’t have a very good Austrian train experience. We didn’t realize that everyone would arrive early to get on the train and spread out so that they could sleep. Needless to say, we had trouble finding seats together and lugging around all of our bags. I think we successfully bumped or threw things at every sleeping passenger on the train. Once we got settled, we could sleep and relax a little. Thankfully, Brandon had informed us that München was in fact Munich, so we at least had an idea of which path we were taking. We had all of about 5 minutes to catch the next train in Munich. Thank goodness it was the train directly next to ours. We had to change train stations in Paris, and I forgot that the machines don’t accept American credit cards, so we had to stand in the huge line to get Julie’s ticket and to exchange mine because we had already missed our train. When I first arrive in Paris, it’s always so overwhelming. I just get so frustrated. If I’m there for more than a day, then I am fine, but this whole situation just got me very angry. A lady in the line asked me (in French) if she could cut in front of us because she was about to miss her train. I snapped back at her in French that we’re all just about to miss our train and that she was no different from us. I was proud of myself for knowing how to respond appropriately when I am stressed out in French.
Once we finally got home (haha, home for me, anyways) we took turns taking long warm showers and ordered a pizza from my favorite pizza place just across the street.
Julie’s stay in Clermont-Ferrand
I was glad that Julie got to meet some of my students and witness what I do and how I live everyday. It’s nice to have someone from home to be able to appreciate my experiences. My friend Erin, who lives in the same building, invited us over for dinner and she entertained while I went to choir practice. I ended up not having to teach very much that week, but we were able to hang out with my students a lot, so it was good practice for them even though we didn’t have class. The big sales are going on this month, so we took full advantage of that.
Paris
We went to Paris the last day before Julie had to go back home. She had only a few things that she really wanted to do. We hit the Louvre (just the outside), Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower at night. Since I have seen all of these several times, I had forgotten how amazing the experience is for the first time. The Eiffel Tower is pretty amazing at night. It was very cold and rainy, so I bought one of those silly Paris hats just to keep my ears warm.
Overall, it was an amazing vacation, but I am glad to be back to teaching and somewhat of a routine again!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Orleans, Paris, and Geneva
I spent the first few days of my Toussaint vacation in Orléans, where I studied from 2004-2005. It was a mixed blessing to be able to go back to visit the city. There is a quote about never being able to go home. It couldn’t have been truer here. I definitely felt like a visitor to a city in which I called home for a year. I barely recognized the downtown area. There were a few corners that I recognized, but I was definitely a tourist. Even the train station had changed. They are doing lots of construction to make the train station bigger. My only saving grace was going back to Les Ormes, where I had lived in the dorms on the top floor. I took pictures of the school, the dorms, and the tram stop. Riding the tram did bring back lots of good memories.
Spending time with Aline and her family was a lot of fun. I felt bad because her father kept asking me political questions in which I didn’t know the answer. It was nice to speak French with them, though. Her sister is doing a project about celebrity magazines in the United States, so I helped her with that. We went to Aline’s cousin’s house and I met them and their two young sons. They were getting ready to go trick-or-treating. The youngest one was dressed up as Spiderman, which of course was pronounced SpEEderman. They had even carved out a jack-o-lantern to put on the front porch. At Aline’s, I tried to help the family with their puzzle of Mont Saint Michel, but I think I only put together 5 pieces the whole time I was there. We had a birthday dinner for Aline. She invited some of her friends and her cousin Nico, whom I had met while in Orléans the first time. It was nice to see him again. Aline’s friends taught me words NOT to say in front of my students. It was a really fun evening, though. I don’t think I would have been able to understand nearly as much as I would have 3 years ago. So at least I know I am improving! I was sad to leave Orléans and Aline’s family.
I spent one night in Paris with Mishu, who was my neighbor in Les Ormes. She now works in Paris and has her own apartment. We just talked about old times and watched videos of silly nights on the tram. It was fun to talk about old times, but it made it feel like everything had just happened. It was a strange feeling. We got to meet up with Rishi, one of the English guys that had studied in Orléans as well. We had to wait for him for a little bit, because he was attending the Paris Masters Tennis tournament. He was watching Jake Federrer live, while we were watching him at the bar nearby, hoping he would lose quickly. Once he arrived, we just had a drink and talked some more about old times. Hopefully they are going to come down to Clermont-Ferrand for a weekend sometime in the spring.
Emily met me and we took the train from Paris to Geneva. My geography skills are bad, so I won’t claim that we saw the Swiss Alps, but I know that we saw some mountains on the way into town. We took a taxi to our hostel, which was actually a great idea because our driver was very helpful at pointing out what we should go and see. We shopped the entire first 2 days. The Swiss Franc is pretty cheap, so we wanted to make sure and get some good deals. I have never seen so many designer stores in my life! I did the cheaper version and bought myself a SWATCH. We took a boat taxi on the lake. I thought it would make more than one stop, but it just went back and forth between two stops, so we did that a few times. We then decided that it would be really cool to eat on a dinner boat, so my other Oklahoma friend Danielle met us and we had fondue on the boat. It was a little more expensive than I would have liked, but it was well worth the experience.
The second day, we did some more serious shopping. I think I finished all my Christmas shopping. We went to Victoria Hall to see if there happened to be a concert that night. We got to see the Italian Army of Geneva Military Band perform for free. Victoria Hall is gorgeous! We are so lucky that there was a concert that night. We then found this park that had huge checkers and chessboards. We opted for checkers. (I lost, for those who are dying to know.) It reminded me a lot of the checkerboard in the widely acclaimed film, “Big Bird Goes to China” where Big Bird has to find the checkerboard in his search to find the Phoenix. There was no Phoenix after this checkerboard, however, After that, we found a really swanky restaurant that played jazz music while we had dessert and wine made in Geneva. I thought we had ordered chocolate and bananas but in fact it turned out to be chocolate, pineapple, and coconut, thanks to my keen dyslexic vocabulary skills. (Banane=Banana, Ananas=Pineapple) It was delicious, even though it wasn’t what we expected.
The third day was a Sunday, so we knew that most of the stores would be closed, so we decided to sightsee. We started by attending church at the cathedral near our hostel. I understood most of the service. Emily had brought macaroni and cheese from home for us to cook at the hostel, since it included a kitchen. After that, we headed back out to find the trolley. While on the trolley, we met this guy Christian from California. He has been traveling throughout Europe for a few weeks. He hung out with us the rest of the day. We went to see the United Nations Center and the Red Cross Museum. The UN Center was closed, but we got to see the outside of it. I got to go to the Red Cross Museum for all of 20 minutes, but we got in for free because the guy felt sorry for us. I wish we had a little more time in the museum, but I am glad that we at least got to see what we did. The whole area where the UN is located is gorgeous. The three of us went to this chicken restaurant called “Chez ma cousine.” Christian found a note in the desk-turned-into-a-table. Someone had left a funny note written in French. I can’t remember exactly what it said, but we wrote that we were chicken lovers at heart and we made up fake names to add to their list. Mine was Marion Candlestickmaker. Original, I know. We then went to a local pub to hang out for our last night in Switzerland, because Christian was also leaving the next morning. We got to the end of the night, and the bar didn’t except credit cards, so I had to wait in the bar while they ran to the ATM to get Swiss Francs out to pay the bill. While they were gone, I witnessed what seemed to be a quite sane man burst into song. It would be one thing if he were singing along with the music that was playing, but no. He was singing something completely different. He then proceeded to hit on someone sitting in the corner of the bar, except there was no one there. I hope his imaginary friend at least went home with him at the end of the night!
The air just felt cleaner in Switzerland. When I first arrived in Switzerland, I thought that I could live here, but in the end, it would be far too expensive. Maybe I’ll have one of my vacation homes in the Alps. On the train ride home, Emily and I watched “La mome” which is about the life of Edith Piaf. I definitely recommend it, but in the good ol’ French tradition, watch out for seemingly random nudity! We stopped in Lyon on the way back to Clermont. I think I will try to make it back down there next semester to see more than the train station and the café where we ate lunch.
Now I have to go back to the land of reading, researching, writing papers, and teaching. They have changed my teaching schedule around quite a bit, so some classes will start next week. Who would have thought that a class would start in the middle of November? I just hope that I can figure out a way to grade all of my students on the French system out of 20 points. My boss has yet to ask me what I have been doing in class. His philosophy is that if the students aren’t complaining, I must be doing a good job. Their current assignment is to lead the class in a 10-minute discussion about a topic of their choice. We have talked about things ranging from gun control and the benefits of the French social security system to the affects of the paparazzi on politics. They are finding some very interesting topics, so I look forward to hearing what the rest of them come up with!
Spending time with Aline and her family was a lot of fun. I felt bad because her father kept asking me political questions in which I didn’t know the answer. It was nice to speak French with them, though. Her sister is doing a project about celebrity magazines in the United States, so I helped her with that. We went to Aline’s cousin’s house and I met them and their two young sons. They were getting ready to go trick-or-treating. The youngest one was dressed up as Spiderman, which of course was pronounced SpEEderman. They had even carved out a jack-o-lantern to put on the front porch. At Aline’s, I tried to help the family with their puzzle of Mont Saint Michel, but I think I only put together 5 pieces the whole time I was there. We had a birthday dinner for Aline. She invited some of her friends and her cousin Nico, whom I had met while in Orléans the first time. It was nice to see him again. Aline’s friends taught me words NOT to say in front of my students. It was a really fun evening, though. I don’t think I would have been able to understand nearly as much as I would have 3 years ago. So at least I know I am improving! I was sad to leave Orléans and Aline’s family.
I spent one night in Paris with Mishu, who was my neighbor in Les Ormes. She now works in Paris and has her own apartment. We just talked about old times and watched videos of silly nights on the tram. It was fun to talk about old times, but it made it feel like everything had just happened. It was a strange feeling. We got to meet up with Rishi, one of the English guys that had studied in Orléans as well. We had to wait for him for a little bit, because he was attending the Paris Masters Tennis tournament. He was watching Jake Federrer live, while we were watching him at the bar nearby, hoping he would lose quickly. Once he arrived, we just had a drink and talked some more about old times. Hopefully they are going to come down to Clermont-Ferrand for a weekend sometime in the spring.
Emily met me and we took the train from Paris to Geneva. My geography skills are bad, so I won’t claim that we saw the Swiss Alps, but I know that we saw some mountains on the way into town. We took a taxi to our hostel, which was actually a great idea because our driver was very helpful at pointing out what we should go and see. We shopped the entire first 2 days. The Swiss Franc is pretty cheap, so we wanted to make sure and get some good deals. I have never seen so many designer stores in my life! I did the cheaper version and bought myself a SWATCH. We took a boat taxi on the lake. I thought it would make more than one stop, but it just went back and forth between two stops, so we did that a few times. We then decided that it would be really cool to eat on a dinner boat, so my other Oklahoma friend Danielle met us and we had fondue on the boat. It was a little more expensive than I would have liked, but it was well worth the experience.
The second day, we did some more serious shopping. I think I finished all my Christmas shopping. We went to Victoria Hall to see if there happened to be a concert that night. We got to see the Italian Army of Geneva Military Band perform for free. Victoria Hall is gorgeous! We are so lucky that there was a concert that night. We then found this park that had huge checkers and chessboards. We opted for checkers. (I lost, for those who are dying to know.) It reminded me a lot of the checkerboard in the widely acclaimed film, “Big Bird Goes to China” where Big Bird has to find the checkerboard in his search to find the Phoenix. There was no Phoenix after this checkerboard, however, After that, we found a really swanky restaurant that played jazz music while we had dessert and wine made in Geneva. I thought we had ordered chocolate and bananas but in fact it turned out to be chocolate, pineapple, and coconut, thanks to my keen dyslexic vocabulary skills. (Banane=Banana, Ananas=Pineapple) It was delicious, even though it wasn’t what we expected.
The third day was a Sunday, so we knew that most of the stores would be closed, so we decided to sightsee. We started by attending church at the cathedral near our hostel. I understood most of the service. Emily had brought macaroni and cheese from home for us to cook at the hostel, since it included a kitchen. After that, we headed back out to find the trolley. While on the trolley, we met this guy Christian from California. He has been traveling throughout Europe for a few weeks. He hung out with us the rest of the day. We went to see the United Nations Center and the Red Cross Museum. The UN Center was closed, but we got to see the outside of it. I got to go to the Red Cross Museum for all of 20 minutes, but we got in for free because the guy felt sorry for us. I wish we had a little more time in the museum, but I am glad that we at least got to see what we did. The whole area where the UN is located is gorgeous. The three of us went to this chicken restaurant called “Chez ma cousine.” Christian found a note in the desk-turned-into-a-table. Someone had left a funny note written in French. I can’t remember exactly what it said, but we wrote that we were chicken lovers at heart and we made up fake names to add to their list. Mine was Marion Candlestickmaker. Original, I know. We then went to a local pub to hang out for our last night in Switzerland, because Christian was also leaving the next morning. We got to the end of the night, and the bar didn’t except credit cards, so I had to wait in the bar while they ran to the ATM to get Swiss Francs out to pay the bill. While they were gone, I witnessed what seemed to be a quite sane man burst into song. It would be one thing if he were singing along with the music that was playing, but no. He was singing something completely different. He then proceeded to hit on someone sitting in the corner of the bar, except there was no one there. I hope his imaginary friend at least went home with him at the end of the night!
The air just felt cleaner in Switzerland. When I first arrived in Switzerland, I thought that I could live here, but in the end, it would be far too expensive. Maybe I’ll have one of my vacation homes in the Alps. On the train ride home, Emily and I watched “La mome” which is about the life of Edith Piaf. I definitely recommend it, but in the good ol’ French tradition, watch out for seemingly random nudity! We stopped in Lyon on the way back to Clermont. I think I will try to make it back down there next semester to see more than the train station and the café where we ate lunch.
Now I have to go back to the land of reading, researching, writing papers, and teaching. They have changed my teaching schedule around quite a bit, so some classes will start next week. Who would have thought that a class would start in the middle of November? I just hope that I can figure out a way to grade all of my students on the French system out of 20 points. My boss has yet to ask me what I have been doing in class. His philosophy is that if the students aren’t complaining, I must be doing a good job. Their current assignment is to lead the class in a 10-minute discussion about a topic of their choice. We have talked about things ranging from gun control and the benefits of the French social security system to the affects of the paparazzi on politics. They are finding some very interesting topics, so I look forward to hearing what the rest of them come up with!
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