"La creche" (the nativity scene) [1 and 2]
"Le Palais du Pape" (Pope's Palace) [2 and 3]
Me at the Pont d'Avignon [4]
Chateauneuf [5 and 6]
Thursday, October 30, 2008
les photos
These are the pictures from last weekend:
"La creche" (the nativity scene) [1 and 2]
"Le Palais du Pape" (Pope's Palace) [2 and 3]
Me at the Pont d'Avignon [4]
Chateauneuf [5 and 6]
"La creche" (the nativity scene) [1 and 2]
"Le Palais du Pape" (Pope's Palace) [2 and 3]
Me at the Pont d'Avignon [4]
Chateauneuf [5 and 6]
sur le pont d'avignon
Last Friday night was quite an evening! My host-family had several people coming in for a conference they were all going to. My host-sister, Violaine, came in town because she’s on vacation for about a week and a half. I got to meet my host-dad’s sister and her husband. They also had a friend come over because he was looking into getting my computer set up to work with the wireless here. (Still getting back to writing all those emails I’ve been postponing for months “until I had internet in my room”). Anyway, dinner with all these people was a blast! I enjoyed the conversation and we laughed so hard. It made me excited to be able to share with them with out having to have EVERYTHING explained to me.
Saturday morning, my study abroad group to a bus south for an excursion to Aix-en-Provence. It was so beautiful, a bit of a change of weather. I felt like it was summertime again. In Aix we toured the town, and then we went to a workshop (“de Santons”) were they make little figurines from clay for nativity scenes. Apparently this is the most well-known place for it in France. (P.S. the nativity scenes there include more than just what we normally see, but a whole village around it)
Sunday morning, we got our extra hour of sleep with the time change. We left Aix after breakfast and headed to Avignon. There we toured the Pope’s Palace, built between 1334 and1363. After walking around the city a bit, we drove 45mins to the Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a wine tasting. The vineyard was gorgeous! We couldn’t have asked for better weather!!! It was fun to do the wine tasting and learn some about them.
When I arrived home, another host-daughter, her husband and two little ones were here. The kids are staying here this week because the parents are on a retreat. It’s been fun to play with Theophane (3 yrs) and communicate with him. He is so adorable. Anselme is also very cute, but he’s just 9 mos old, so I understand him just as well as everyone else does.
Tonight, after class, I'm going with a classmate from Colombia to have dinner with her and her boyfriend. We're going to speak SPANISH, eat non-French food, watch a movie and just hang out! I'm excited!
Saturday morning, my study abroad group to a bus south for an excursion to Aix-en-Provence. It was so beautiful, a bit of a change of weather. I felt like it was summertime again. In Aix we toured the town, and then we went to a workshop (“de Santons”) were they make little figurines from clay for nativity scenes. Apparently this is the most well-known place for it in France. (P.S. the nativity scenes there include more than just what we normally see, but a whole village around it)
Sunday morning, we got our extra hour of sleep with the time change. We left Aix after breakfast and headed to Avignon. There we toured the Pope’s Palace, built between 1334 and1363. After walking around the city a bit, we drove 45mins to the Chateauneuf-du-Pape for a wine tasting. The vineyard was gorgeous! We couldn’t have asked for better weather!!! It was fun to do the wine tasting and learn some about them.
When I arrived home, another host-daughter, her husband and two little ones were here. The kids are staying here this week because the parents are on a retreat. It’s been fun to play with Theophane (3 yrs) and communicate with him. He is so adorable. Anselme is also very cute, but he’s just 9 mos old, so I understand him just as well as everyone else does.
Tonight, after class, I'm going with a classmate from Colombia to have dinner with her and her boyfriend. We're going to speak SPANISH, eat non-French food, watch a movie and just hang out! I'm excited!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
update
Yet another weekend, come and gone. Now it’s back to school for me. I think if I were back in the US, I’d have a right to complain, and I’d probably jump on it, but I’m enjoying it here. I do have 3 midterms this week, but I’m not really stressed about them, as I would be in Texas. I’m enjoying my classes, so no biggie.
Friday, afternoon, I headed into town with a few friends, had crepes, went shopping, and for dinner went to an Indian restaurant. One of the Aggies’ here had family in town this weekend, so several of us went to meet them and hang out at the “Couche Tard” (means “go to bed late”).
Saturday morning, I got to rest. I did a little readying and studying for the coming week. When my host-sister came back with her mom, she and I began to watch “La Melodie de Bonheur” (aka Sound of Music). We had lunch outside, on the back porch. They headed out again for a while, so I sat outside to read. Enjoying the lovely weather before it gets cold. In the evening, I headed over to my friend Megan’s place for a crepe party. We eventually became pretty successful crepe-chefs. Another girl (Katherine) and I spent the night with Megan.
Sunday morning, Megan, another student (Jenn) and I took the bus to go to church. It was good to be there with believers. I enjoyed singing praise and worship songs I know from the back home in French. We also had some good time of prayer.
After lunch, I went with my host-mom and sister on a walk near here. We visited an old monastery, a vineyard and followed this trail that led to a beautiful view of the city! We came home and played a new board-game Laure got.
This weekend, Laure asked me if I knew the song “I Will Follow Him,” because she has to learn it for her music class. This gave me the opportunity to introduce my host-family to YouTube and to Sister Act. Granted, my host-parents had seen the movie before, but Laure hadn’t and she loved the video. I think she watch it about 15 times all day. My host-mom, Evelyne, wanted me to teach her how to find it again in the future. What cracked me up was seeing them laughing and Evelyne telling Laure that they’re not real nun and they don’t really dance like that.
No soccer today, I think people may have been out of town or something. Either way, I got to take a nice nap and got to skype with family in Texas. Good to see and talk to everyone and their dog (literally).
Friday, afternoon, I headed into town with a few friends, had crepes, went shopping, and for dinner went to an Indian restaurant. One of the Aggies’ here had family in town this weekend, so several of us went to meet them and hang out at the “Couche Tard” (means “go to bed late”).
Saturday morning, I got to rest. I did a little readying and studying for the coming week. When my host-sister came back with her mom, she and I began to watch “La Melodie de Bonheur” (aka Sound of Music). We had lunch outside, on the back porch. They headed out again for a while, so I sat outside to read. Enjoying the lovely weather before it gets cold. In the evening, I headed over to my friend Megan’s place for a crepe party. We eventually became pretty successful crepe-chefs. Another girl (Katherine) and I spent the night with Megan.
Sunday morning, Megan, another student (Jenn) and I took the bus to go to church. It was good to be there with believers. I enjoyed singing praise and worship songs I know from the back home in French. We also had some good time of prayer.
After lunch, I went with my host-mom and sister on a walk near here. We visited an old monastery, a vineyard and followed this trail that led to a beautiful view of the city! We came home and played a new board-game Laure got.
This weekend, Laure asked me if I knew the song “I Will Follow Him,” because she has to learn it for her music class. This gave me the opportunity to introduce my host-family to YouTube and to Sister Act. Granted, my host-parents had seen the movie before, but Laure hadn’t and she loved the video. I think she watch it about 15 times all day. My host-mom, Evelyne, wanted me to teach her how to find it again in the future. What cracked me up was seeing them laughing and Evelyne telling Laure that they’re not real nun and they don’t really dance like that.
No soccer today, I think people may have been out of town or something. Either way, I got to take a nice nap and got to skype with family in Texas. Good to see and talk to everyone and their dog (literally).
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
belated weekend post
Yet another wonderful weekend in France. After class on Friday, I went in to town for lunch with some friends. We sat outside in a park and enjoyed the beautiful weather over some delicious Italian pasta and a Nutela crepe. Friday evening was very relaxing with my host-family. Saturday morning, my program had a schedule trip to Annecy. Annecy is the “Venice of the Alps,” and it is a cute little town in the heart of the Alps, between Switzerland and Italy. There is a gorgeous lake there that is has the purest water in Europe. We were really blessed to have amazing weather while we were there. After our tour, we took a pedal-boat for about 45mins and were surrounded be the beautiful mountains. Back in town, was the big traditional festival, marking the day that the milking cows come down from the mountains for winter. So interesting to see all the people, colors, animals, traditions, foods and music.
Sunday, after church (I went to a new church, nearer to home, and really liked it!), my friend Arielle came over for lunch with my host-family, who later took us up the Chartreuse to visit a museum and a reproduction of the monastery. It was so gorgeous riding up the mountain-side with all the fall colors. The monastery is closed off to the public, but from the outside it was very impressive!
Upon arriving home, I quickly changed so that I could meet up with my neighbors for the Sunday soccer match. I’m excited to say that our team won this week, but I’m more excited to say I scored a goal (WHOOP!).
Sunday, after church (I went to a new church, nearer to home, and really liked it!), my friend Arielle came over for lunch with my host-family, who later took us up the Chartreuse to visit a museum and a reproduction of the monastery. It was so gorgeous riding up the mountain-side with all the fall colors. The monastery is closed off to the public, but from the outside it was very impressive!
Upon arriving home, I quickly changed so that I could meet up with my neighbors for the Sunday soccer match. I’m excited to say that our team won this week, but I’m more excited to say I scored a goal (WHOOP!).
Monday, October 13, 2008
photos de ce weekend
Pictures now, explanations later. I have to type it up at home tonight on my computer because I can't stand typing on French keyboards. One day I'll post a pic of a French keyboard here.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
what's new
I meant to post this yesterday...still no internet in my room.
Saturday, most of the students in the group got together for lunch at Megan’s house in Montbonnot, another suburb of Grenoble, to celebrate one of the girls’ birthday. We had a wonderful time together, very relaxing. Monbonnot is a bit higher up, so there was a beautiful view. That morning it had snowed on the mountain tops, so we got to see it from where we were: spectacular!
That evening, before going to bed, I got to talk to Mom, Dad, David and Amanda. It was good to talk to them and hear their voices. I’ve been getting several bouts of homesickness these days, lots going on here and home that makes me think a lot. But in the whole, things are well, and I am truly enjoying my time here! Trying to make the most of it.
Sunday, Megan and I wanted to try out a church nearby, but when we got there, the English service was just getting out and we saw no one for the French service. So we asked and apparently they were on a retreat. Oh well, we’ll have try again next time. We went back to Megan’s to talk, watched her home church’s sermon online, and ate leftover pasta from Saturday’s party.
From her place, I went into town to meet two French girls and a couple American girls I met at the BBQ a few weeks back. We went to the Musee de Grenoble.
I’ve got two exciting things to share. One is that tonight I’m going to try going to this Choral on campus with a few classmates. We’ll see after tonight if it will work out for me, given transportation issues in the evening. However, I’m still excited to give it a go.
Second, last night I just booked tickets to go to Barcelona, Spain from November 14-16 with two girls in my program. I can’t wait!!! I know it’s still a bit away, but time is flying (scary) and I know it will be here sooner than I know. I’m trying to figure out about other trips this semester, I already feel like time is running out…this is crazy!
P.S. Leaves are changing around, and I’m loving the colors!!!
Pictures:
1-Astrid (host-sister) and her sons Theophane and Anselme
2-View from Megan’s street with fall trees and the Chartreuse Mountains
3-Most of the girls from the API group on Saturday
4-Snow at the top of the Belledonne Mountains
Saturday, most of the students in the group got together for lunch at Megan’s house in Montbonnot, another suburb of Grenoble, to celebrate one of the girls’ birthday. We had a wonderful time together, very relaxing. Monbonnot is a bit higher up, so there was a beautiful view. That morning it had snowed on the mountain tops, so we got to see it from where we were: spectacular!
That evening, before going to bed, I got to talk to Mom, Dad, David and Amanda. It was good to talk to them and hear their voices. I’ve been getting several bouts of homesickness these days, lots going on here and home that makes me think a lot. But in the whole, things are well, and I am truly enjoying my time here! Trying to make the most of it.
Sunday, Megan and I wanted to try out a church nearby, but when we got there, the English service was just getting out and we saw no one for the French service. So we asked and apparently they were on a retreat. Oh well, we’ll have try again next time. We went back to Megan’s to talk, watched her home church’s sermon online, and ate leftover pasta from Saturday’s party.
From her place, I went into town to meet two French girls and a couple American girls I met at the BBQ a few weeks back. We went to the Musee de Grenoble.
I’ve got two exciting things to share. One is that tonight I’m going to try going to this Choral on campus with a few classmates. We’ll see after tonight if it will work out for me, given transportation issues in the evening. However, I’m still excited to give it a go.
Second, last night I just booked tickets to go to Barcelona, Spain from November 14-16 with two girls in my program. I can’t wait!!! I know it’s still a bit away, but time is flying (scary) and I know it will be here sooner than I know. I’m trying to figure out about other trips this semester, I already feel like time is running out…this is crazy!
P.S. Leaves are changing around, and I’m loving the colors!!!
Pictures:
1-Astrid (host-sister) and her sons Theophane and Anselme
2-View from Megan’s street with fall trees and the Chartreuse Mountains
3-Most of the girls from the API group on Saturday
4-Snow at the top of the Belledonne Mountains
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
