Sunday, March 20, 2011
Similar
I don't find it surprising that my blog goes back and forth between different dates, with all of my stories pretty much out of order. That's basically how I tell stories in person. Ha ha!
Group Email Update (6)
3/15/2011
Bonsoir from Paris! :)
Not a whole lot has happened since last time... Well, except for the fact that I went to Belgium for the weekend with three of my friends! That's right! We took a bus from Paris to Brussels on Friday after we got out of class. We went through Eurolines and left from a nearby station. It wasn't the most comfortable bus ride (every seat was filled), and it left late (of course it did, after we practically ran half the way to make it there on time), but it was cheap (roughly 40€, or around $51 round-trip) and easy. Once we got to Brussels, we got on a train and went to Bruges, where we spent the night.
Bruges is a part of Flanders, and it's a smaller town than Brussels, so I wasn't sure what to expect. They speak Flemish there, and, if not Flemish, it's either English or German. Not so much French. It was interesting to not French for a while Our hostel was great (only 15€ per person and we had a private room) and I'm glad that that was the first one I ever stayed at. On Saturday we saw the bell tower (the Belfry), took a boat tour on the canal, and stuffed ourselves with fries, waffles, and, of course, fancy chocolate. That night we took the train back to Brussels to our hotel (which was surprisingly inexpensive, only 30€ per person). On Sunday we explored the city and had more bad-for-you food. They speak French there, so we tried our best to get back into the habit of using the language we came to Europe to improve. Brussels is a much busier place than Bruges, which was touristy, but also quite quiet and lovely. Coming from there to this large city was something... In all honesty, I really preferred Bruges. Both places were great, and I'm so happy and grateful that I got to see both, but Bruges had such appeal that I'd love to go back there someday. We managed to see and do a lot in just one weekend, and we were exhausted by the end. Definitely something I would try to do again, though, if I get the chance. Visit a nearby country on a random weekend? If it's affordable, why not?!
Next weekend I'm going to the Châteaux de la Loire with my program, and to Champagne the weekend after. I love having things to do on the weekends (because it isn't fun to stay in my room in Paris longer than a few hours at a time) and I can't wait!
This time I attached more pictures... [Included in the original email: my first Belgian waffle, the Belfry (two views), the Madonna and Child (a very beautiful sculpture by Michelangelo, in a church we visited--one of the few works by him that isn't in Italy), the Royal Palace in Brussels, me (and a surprising find outside of a record store), and the city square.] By the end of the trip I had taken over 300 pictures.
In other news, classes are okay. Same old, same old. The weather is finally getting much nicer (and staying like that), so that has been awesome. Today, in fact, I walked around in just a light sweater (bye-bye, winter coat and scarf) and had a picnic in the park with my friend. It made me very happy. :)
Anyway... Enjoy the pictures! I hope to hear from you all soon!
Take care!
Lots of love,
- Maeghan
Seeing my typos amuses me. :-p
Bonsoir from Paris! :)
Not a whole lot has happened since last time... Well, except for the fact that I went to Belgium for the weekend with three of my friends! That's right! We took a bus from Paris to Brussels on Friday after we got out of class. We went through Eurolines and left from a nearby station. It wasn't the most comfortable bus ride (every seat was filled), and it left late (of course it did, after we practically ran half the way to make it there on time), but it was cheap (roughly 40€, or around $51 round-trip) and easy. Once we got to Brussels, we got on a train and went to Bruges, where we spent the night.
Bruges is a part of Flanders, and it's a smaller town than Brussels, so I wasn't sure what to expect. They speak Flemish there, and, if not Flemish, it's either English or German. Not so much French. It was interesting to not French for a while Our hostel was great (only 15€ per person and we had a private room) and I'm glad that that was the first one I ever stayed at. On Saturday we saw the bell tower (the Belfry), took a boat tour on the canal, and stuffed ourselves with fries, waffles, and, of course, fancy chocolate. That night we took the train back to Brussels to our hotel (which was surprisingly inexpensive, only 30€ per person). On Sunday we explored the city and had more bad-for-you food. They speak French there, so we tried our best to get back into the habit of using the language we came to Europe to improve. Brussels is a much busier place than Bruges, which was touristy, but also quite quiet and lovely. Coming from there to this large city was something... In all honesty, I really preferred Bruges. Both places were great, and I'm so happy and grateful that I got to see both, but Bruges had such appeal that I'd love to go back there someday. We managed to see and do a lot in just one weekend, and we were exhausted by the end. Definitely something I would try to do again, though, if I get the chance. Visit a nearby country on a random weekend? If it's affordable, why not?!
Next weekend I'm going to the Châteaux de la Loire with my program, and to Champagne the weekend after. I love having things to do on the weekends (because it isn't fun to stay in my room in Paris longer than a few hours at a time) and I can't wait!
This time I attached more pictures... [Included in the original email: my first Belgian waffle, the Belfry (two views), the Madonna and Child (a very beautiful sculpture by Michelangelo, in a church we visited--one of the few works by him that isn't in Italy), the Royal Palace in Brussels, me (and a surprising find outside of a record store), and the city square.] By the end of the trip I had taken over 300 pictures.
In other news, classes are okay. Same old, same old. The weather is finally getting much nicer (and staying like that), so that has been awesome. Today, in fact, I walked around in just a light sweater (bye-bye, winter coat and scarf) and had a picnic in the park with my friend. It made me very happy. :)
Anyway... Enjoy the pictures! I hope to hear from you all soon!
Take care!
Lots of love,
- Maeghan
Seeing my typos amuses me. :-p
Salon du Livre de Paris 2011
Well--I didn't originally mean to click "new post" so soon, but I leaned over to get my tea and it just sort of happened... So, hello! I just want to do a recap of my weekend (well, just today, really--Sunday), because it proves that I AM a big girl and can go and do things on my own if I really want to.
So, I hate staying in my building longer than I have to. What that means, basically, is that if I'm not sleeping, I don't want to be in my room. It's just irritating. It's noisy, lonely, and just plain uninteresting. I finally decorated a bit, so it feels a bit better in here, but overall, it's just not a place I want to spend excessive amounts of time.
The problem with weekends, though, is that I usually reserve them for shopping or otherwise being lazy. Sundays are especially boring because most things are closed entirely, or close very early in the day. Grocery shopping is a pain on the weekends because, if you don't get it done by Saturday, you'll basically have to wait til Monday (unless you're very knowledgeable about the area, which I am not).
Lately I've been seeing these posters advertising the Salon du Livre de Paris--a book convention in the city. These ads are all over the place. Finally my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do further research. The convention, as it turns out, stretches over a period of four days (March 18th-21st), and is free for students under 26 years of age. That was what caught my attention. I looked into it more, and finally pre-registered (a requirement for students), thinking, at the very least, that at least I'd be prepared if I did go. Since I didn't have to pay, then... why not? In my original plans, I intended to go yesterday (Saturday), but I ended up spending nearly the entire day with my friends Vanessa and Daniel. More on that later!
Being busy Saturday turned out to be a good thing. That meant that my normally boring Sunday had a chance to be interesting. I got up somewhat early (meaning I got up before noon) and headed to the convention via tram (love it). It was very easy to find, since the stop was right in front of the convention center. I brought some water and a little bit of food with me so that I wouldn't have to spend a lot on things non-book-related. Good plan... but I was extremely thrifty anyway!
I spent about four hours wandering about the convention center. It was interesting. I've been to conventions before, but never by myself. Not only was I on my own, but I was on my own at a convention in a foreign country. It was mostly a journey of the eyes. I didn't speak to a lot of people (two brief "conversations" with the cashiers I made purchases with, and another with two women that asked me to take photos for them), but I had a great time. I felt independent and a little bit proud for finding something I wanted to go to and following through on that desire.
I found a bunch of Folio editions being sold for only 2€ each, so I picked a few that looked interesting and bought those as souvenirs. A total of 8€ for four books? Awesome! Later I stumbled on a bunch of young adult books (for ados, or "adolescents" as they say here) and had fun finding French editions of books I knew from home (and some I had read before). I collect the French translations of the Harry Potter books (I have the first and second back home), so I bought the third and that was the end of my purchases for the day. I spent 16,10€ and got five books to show for it... not to mention a few freebies (which really just included programs/flyers/bags/etc but I like that stuff). I was very pleased. :)
Mostly, I'm glad that I went because I didn't want to look back on this weekend later and think, "Man, I should've gone to that." I didn't want to regret not going, you know? It was free, after all! I ended up having fun, so it was worth it.
I finally called it quits at around 6pm and left the convention center, only to be approached by some guy trying to sell stuff outside. It's like that at every public event, I guess. Concerts, conventions, you name it. He wanted me to buy some bookmarks, to contribute to a charity, but I honestly don't have a lot of money... I told him that my French wasn't very good (true fact), but instead of letting me go, he just asked me if I was Canadian (sure, why not) and that he'd speak slowly for me. Since I was trapped (why did I have to look in his direction?!), I let him talk, but eventually he gave up on me because I was totally a lost cause. Sorry! I need money for meals. :/
I took a very crowded tram back to my building and have been relaxing since. I meant to do laundry, but there are only 4 washing machines and 3 dryers in a building consisting of 5 floors plus the ground floor... So, yeah, my clothes are still dirty. On a Sunday night, there's not much hope of getting that done. I waited in the laundry room for at least 20 minutes, waiting for a machine to free up (because I think it's rude to take someone's clothes out of the washer), but to no avail. Another girl that walked in twice, taking note that all the machines were full, apparently did not have a problem opening two of the previously-in-use washing machines, removing the clothes, and shoving her own in there. I have to wonder what she thought I was doing, sitting there with my bag of laundry in front of me... Ugh. Whatever. Maybe I should've spoken up, but I didn't think it was necessary. Oh, how I miss doing laundry at home (and for free)! I've realized since coming here that I would've HATED dorming back in the US. No one seems to think the way I do. Some things I would never do, everyone else seems to do without thinking. Such is life.
So, I hate staying in my building longer than I have to. What that means, basically, is that if I'm not sleeping, I don't want to be in my room. It's just irritating. It's noisy, lonely, and just plain uninteresting. I finally decorated a bit, so it feels a bit better in here, but overall, it's just not a place I want to spend excessive amounts of time.
The problem with weekends, though, is that I usually reserve them for shopping or otherwise being lazy. Sundays are especially boring because most things are closed entirely, or close very early in the day. Grocery shopping is a pain on the weekends because, if you don't get it done by Saturday, you'll basically have to wait til Monday (unless you're very knowledgeable about the area, which I am not).
Lately I've been seeing these posters advertising the Salon du Livre de Paris--a book convention in the city. These ads are all over the place. Finally my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to do further research. The convention, as it turns out, stretches over a period of four days (March 18th-21st), and is free for students under 26 years of age. That was what caught my attention. I looked into it more, and finally pre-registered (a requirement for students), thinking, at the very least, that at least I'd be prepared if I did go. Since I didn't have to pay, then... why not? In my original plans, I intended to go yesterday (Saturday), but I ended up spending nearly the entire day with my friends Vanessa and Daniel. More on that later!
 |
| some familiar-looking ados |
I found a bunch of Folio editions being sold for only 2€ each, so I picked a few that looked interesting and bought those as souvenirs. A total of 8€ for four books? Awesome! Later I stumbled on a bunch of young adult books (for ados, or "adolescents" as they say here) and had fun finding French editions of books I knew from home (and some I had read before). I collect the French translations of the Harry Potter books (I have the first and second back home), so I bought the third and that was the end of my purchases for the day. I spent 16,10€ and got five books to show for it... not to mention a few freebies (which really just included programs/flyers/bags/etc but I like that stuff). I was very pleased. :)Mostly, I'm glad that I went because I didn't want to look back on this weekend later and think, "Man, I should've gone to that." I didn't want to regret not going, you know? It was free, after all! I ended up having fun, so it was worth it.
I finally called it quits at around 6pm and left the convention center, only to be approached by some guy trying to sell stuff outside. It's like that at every public event, I guess. Concerts, conventions, you name it. He wanted me to buy some bookmarks, to contribute to a charity, but I honestly don't have a lot of money... I told him that my French wasn't very good (true fact), but instead of letting me go, he just asked me if I was Canadian (sure, why not) and that he'd speak slowly for me. Since I was trapped (why did I have to look in his direction?!), I let him talk, but eventually he gave up on me because I was totally a lost cause. Sorry! I need money for meals. :/
I took a very crowded tram back to my building and have been relaxing since. I meant to do laundry, but there are only 4 washing machines and 3 dryers in a building consisting of 5 floors plus the ground floor... So, yeah, my clothes are still dirty. On a Sunday night, there's not much hope of getting that done. I waited in the laundry room for at least 20 minutes, waiting for a machine to free up (because I think it's rude to take someone's clothes out of the washer), but to no avail. Another girl that walked in twice, taking note that all the machines were full, apparently did not have a problem opening two of the previously-in-use washing machines, removing the clothes, and shoving her own in there. I have to wonder what she thought I was doing, sitting there with my bag of laundry in front of me... Ugh. Whatever. Maybe I should've spoken up, but I didn't think it was necessary. Oh, how I miss doing laundry at home (and for free)! I've realized since coming here that I would've HATED dorming back in the US. No one seems to think the way I do. Some things I would never do, everyone else seems to do without thinking. Such is life.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
So, what did I even do in Normandy and Brittany?
... Lots of things! It's just that I'm a little removed from that weekend now, so my details won't be as thorough as I'd normally like to be (and if you know me, you know that I can write a LOT about a single thing). I'll try my best to give you at least the basics.
We left very early that Saturday morning (we met up at about 7:15AM) and took a coach bus to Normandy where we visited Arromanches (and the D-Day Museum), Omaha Beach (and the American Cemetery), and Pointe du Hoc (German beach). I'm not going to get into great details, historically speaking, because I know that I will get those details wrong, and I'd feel like such a cheater by looking up everything after already having visited. I'm a disappointment, I know.
It was quite a feeling to be walking on the very beaches where these battles took place. I tried to imagine what it was like to be there at the time... It was not an easy game of pretend, but I wanted to try and get a feel for this place that is so rich in history. Even just standing on the sand with my eyes closed was an attempt to immerse myself in what was around me.
We visited the D-Day museum in Arromanches, had lunch, and then got back on the bus to get to Omaha Beach, where we took a long walk on a winding pathway to another shore, and visit the American Cemetery. That, technically, is considered American soil. We went back to our roots while still being in France. Pure white crosses and Stars of David covered the land, a beautiful and yet solemn sight amongst the vivid green grass and blooming flowers. What a beautiful place to be laid to rest.
The weather was very agreeable during most of the trip. It rained on-and-off again, but the sun remained bright. After we had seen the cemetery, we headed to our next destination, Pointe du Hoc.
Pointe du Hoc was covered in craters left by bombs dropped by the Germans. I really hope that I am remembering all of this correctly... I really like history, and I find it interesting, but I do not have the memory for it like my brother does.
Our program director's daughters accompanied us on the trip. Most of my time spent at Pointe du Hoc was with her younger daughter, a funny (and adorable) little 8-year-old, who took me on several adventures to find secret pathways and passages among the stone remains... and running up and down the craters. I don't know if that was particularly appropriate behavior, but it was fun regardless. It reminded me of the summer I spent as a counselor-in-training at my beloved summer camp. Sometimes you need to just be silly.
At the end of the Normandy portion of our trip, we headed to the bus one more time and drove to St. Malo, a beautiful town (one that inspired the look and feel of Quebec City) in Brittany ("Bretagne" to French-speakers). We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast and, after we were settled in our rooms, we went to a local crêperie and had galettes (savory buckwheat crêpes, for which Bretagne is famous) for dinner. Mine (which I was far too excited to eat and didn't remember to take a picture of until I was nearly finished) was called l'Océan (a popular choice among my group) and it was deliciously prepared with salmon, scallops, leeks, mushrooms, and cheese. Did I mention that seafood is also pretty famous there? No? Believe it. It is wonderful. It's also worth mentioning that cider is another well-known treat... but not one that I was particularly fond of. I'm not much of a drinker (I never partake back in the US), so every drink I've tried has been a real effort...
After dinner, we split up, for the most part, but my group of friends went exploring. We walked around the quaint little town, looking into shop windows and just generally admiring the way everything there looked. Cobblestone roads, towering walls... It was really lovely. Eventually we made our way to the shore and enjoyed the beach by night. Friends pointed out constellations, which I'm not familiar with finding, and inhaled the fresh, salty air that surrounded us. After a while we decided to head back to the hotel and sleep.
Breakfast was held early, but, as I had paid for it already, I was determined to have it. It's funny... Breakfast in France seems so simple to me, what with all of the breads (croissants, rolls...) and such. It's so different than what we usually have back home, and it always seems to vary, while in my experience, breakfast here only changes when I decide to have a croissant in lieu of a roll or a bowl of cereal, and then switch it up again the next day. The "breakfast" that I have in my room in Paris (whenever I wake up with enough time to shower and eat, that is) is quite simple and often unsatisfying. What I find amusing about French breakfast is that it seems satisfactory, no matter what I've had. I may not even eat a lot of it, either--I suppose it's just a fact that I'm taking in a part of their culture, and that keeps me going. I love having breakfast here, when it's not up to me to make it. So, was it worth it to get downstairs by 8 or 9 AM to have some fancy "bready" breakfast with my program? Definitely.
After breakfast, we (meaning those of us that managed to crawl out of bed in time to eat) took a tour with our program director, who told us all about St. Malo, its architecture, and its history. I've already stated that I can't reiterate all of it, but I do remember the fact that Quebec City in Canada bears a very strong resemblance to this famous town in France.
Once the tour was over, we got back on the bus and drove to our last stop before going back to Paris (and this was my favorite part of the weekend)... Mont St. Michel. I've known about the great monastery since I was 13, working on a project for my French class while most of the other students were away on a field trip. It is a beautiful place, a grand tribute to the Christian religion sitting atop an island surrounded by sand and waves. It was strange to come by bus. In fact, our program director informed us that this year would probably be the last time (at least for a very long time) that anyone would be able to visit in that manner. The tides will be too high by next year, making it impossible to drive. Regardless, it is worth a visit. We toured the monastery, explored the town, and took in all of the scenery.
We were free to get lunch by ourselves... We took the recommendation to have some agneau pré-salé ("pre-salted" lamb) and sought it out. Normally I wouldn't eat something like that (especially considering the mostly-vegetarian diet I was following a few months ago), but I am willing to try most types of food... and, I keep saying it: the food is (at least) half the experience. What is agneau pré-salé, though? Yes, it's lamb, but it's a special kind of lamb. Since Mont St. Michel is surrounded by the sea, the air is salty. Heck, everything is salty. The grass is salty, in fact, thanks to the sea, and lambs eat the grass... Therefore, the lambs are "pre-salted," if you will. I've never had lamb like this before (and I think the one time I actually tried lamb [did that really happen?], the taste I took was far too small to be particularly memorable), so I wasn't sure if it lived up to the hype. Vanessa, Daniel, Pam, and I found a little restaurant with lamb on the menu and ordered it. It was served with a tomato sauce, as well as fries and beans (which are a common side to the lamb). I thought that it was very good and impressed my friends by finishing it... Back in the US I was only eating seafood for three months, as far as meat was concerned, and that was a rare treat. Yeah, I ate the lamb, and I enjoyed it. I almost feel evil saying it like that... but, it was good and I'm glad I decided to try it.
Our little lunch break made us a little late back to the bus, but that's alright... The meal was worth it. We drove back to Paris, where my boyfriend, who had booked a last-minute trip to come and see me, was waiting.
Overall, it was a great weekend. :)
PS: French rest-stops are just plain weird. I felt so strange being in a place that felt so familiar, but also quite foreign. The similarities between what our cultures have to offer is sometimes surprising. I didn't think that the French just, you know, drove right through every road during their trips without stopping, but I wasn't sure what those stops would be like. Nothing fascinating, honestly. It was all basically the same. That was the fascinating part.
... This entry is quite long for one that started out with me implying that I didn't remember much. Eh, that's me.
 |
| Arromanches |
It was quite a feeling to be walking on the very beaches where these battles took place. I tried to imagine what it was like to be there at the time... It was not an easy game of pretend, but I wanted to try and get a feel for this place that is so rich in history. Even just standing on the sand with my eyes closed was an attempt to immerse myself in what was around me.
The weather was very agreeable during most of the trip. It rained on-and-off again, but the sun remained bright. After we had seen the cemetery, we headed to our next destination, Pointe du Hoc.
Pointe du Hoc was covered in craters left by bombs dropped by the Germans. I really hope that I am remembering all of this correctly... I really like history, and I find it interesting, but I do not have the memory for it like my brother does.
Our program director's daughters accompanied us on the trip. Most of my time spent at Pointe du Hoc was with her younger daughter, a funny (and adorable) little 8-year-old, who took me on several adventures to find secret pathways and passages among the stone remains... and running up and down the craters. I don't know if that was particularly appropriate behavior, but it was fun regardless. It reminded me of the summer I spent as a counselor-in-training at my beloved summer camp. Sometimes you need to just be silly.At the end of the Normandy portion of our trip, we headed to the bus one more time and drove to St. Malo, a beautiful town (one that inspired the look and feel of Quebec City) in Brittany ("Bretagne" to French-speakers). We stayed in a nice bed and breakfast and, after we were settled in our rooms, we went to a local crêperie and had galettes (savory buckwheat crêpes, for which Bretagne is famous) for dinner. Mine (which I was far too excited to eat and didn't remember to take a picture of until I was nearly finished) was called l'Océan (a popular choice among my group) and it was deliciously prepared with salmon, scallops, leeks, mushrooms, and cheese. Did I mention that seafood is also pretty famous there? No? Believe it. It is wonderful. It's also worth mentioning that cider is another well-known treat... but not one that I was particularly fond of. I'm not much of a drinker (I never partake back in the US), so every drink I've tried has been a real effort...
After dinner, we split up, for the most part, but my group of friends went exploring. We walked around the quaint little town, looking into shop windows and just generally admiring the way everything there looked. Cobblestone roads, towering walls... It was really lovely. Eventually we made our way to the shore and enjoyed the beach by night. Friends pointed out constellations, which I'm not familiar with finding, and inhaled the fresh, salty air that surrounded us. After a while we decided to head back to the hotel and sleep.
Breakfast was held early, but, as I had paid for it already, I was determined to have it. It's funny... Breakfast in France seems so simple to me, what with all of the breads (croissants, rolls...) and such. It's so different than what we usually have back home, and it always seems to vary, while in my experience, breakfast here only changes when I decide to have a croissant in lieu of a roll or a bowl of cereal, and then switch it up again the next day. The "breakfast" that I have in my room in Paris (whenever I wake up with enough time to shower and eat, that is) is quite simple and often unsatisfying. What I find amusing about French breakfast is that it seems satisfactory, no matter what I've had. I may not even eat a lot of it, either--I suppose it's just a fact that I'm taking in a part of their culture, and that keeps me going. I love having breakfast here, when it's not up to me to make it. So, was it worth it to get downstairs by 8 or 9 AM to have some fancy "bready" breakfast with my program? Definitely.
After breakfast, we (meaning those of us that managed to crawl out of bed in time to eat) took a tour with our program director, who told us all about St. Malo, its architecture, and its history. I've already stated that I can't reiterate all of it, but I do remember the fact that Quebec City in Canada bears a very strong resemblance to this famous town in France.
Once the tour was over, we got back on the bus and drove to our last stop before going back to Paris (and this was my favorite part of the weekend)... Mont St. Michel. I've known about the great monastery since I was 13, working on a project for my French class while most of the other students were away on a field trip. It is a beautiful place, a grand tribute to the Christian religion sitting atop an island surrounded by sand and waves. It was strange to come by bus. In fact, our program director informed us that this year would probably be the last time (at least for a very long time) that anyone would be able to visit in that manner. The tides will be too high by next year, making it impossible to drive. Regardless, it is worth a visit. We toured the monastery, explored the town, and took in all of the scenery.
Our little lunch break made us a little late back to the bus, but that's alright... The meal was worth it. We drove back to Paris, where my boyfriend, who had booked a last-minute trip to come and see me, was waiting.
Overall, it was a great weekend. :)
PS: French rest-stops are just plain weird. I felt so strange being in a place that felt so familiar, but also quite foreign. The similarities between what our cultures have to offer is sometimes surprising. I didn't think that the French just, you know, drove right through every road during their trips without stopping, but I wasn't sure what those stops would be like. Nothing fascinating, honestly. It was all basically the same. That was the fascinating part.
... This entry is quite long for one that started out with me implying that I didn't remember much. Eh, that's me.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Updating isn't easy when you're behind...
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| My travel duck! I bought her in a cute little toy shop with Nicole. |
The last two weeks have definitely been busy... and expensive. I had my group trip to Normandy and Bretagne (Brittany) and that was awesome. Everything was beautiful, and I had a lot of good food. I'm not kidding when I say that the food is half the experience--it's probably more than half, in fact. I'm attempting to take pictures of all the food that I get, but sometimes I am halfway done eating before I remember to get my camera out. Oops!
Nicole and her family (her brother and mother, anyway) visited London and then came to Paris to see me. To see one of my best friends from back home while being so far away was really nice. I stayed in the hotel with them for one night, which was a VERY welcome break from the noisy building I unfortunately live in.
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| Delightful. |
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| Priceless. |
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| omelet with cheese & home fries |
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| Can I have more? |
Being on a budget definitely makes food more important. I have to find ways to be thrifty, but also smart as a consumer--cheaper is better, but I want food that will last a while, particularly without refrigeration. Now that it's getting a little warmer, I can't leave as much out on my windowsill. I hate using the fridge in my shared kitchen because of theft--someone has been stealing again. Seriously--I saved money for months over the summer so that I would have some money for necessities when I got here, and my mom helps to provide whatever else I need. I did NOT save that money so that some inconsiderate jerk could take my limited-budget groceries from me.
So, when I am hungry, I try to take care of myself. If I'm out and I order food, I make sure that I finish it. I paid for it, and I'm not letting it go to waste! If someone offers to share what they have, heck, I'm not gonna argue. Free is awesome.
Group Email Update (5; overdue)
3/10/2011
Bonjour! :)
First of all, I'm sorry for not updating in a while... The past two weeks have been extremely busy. More of my classes started (so now I have a full schedule) and I've had some visitors! Seeing people from home while I'm far away is such a treat. One of my best friends and her family (which is practically my family, too) came to Paris for a few days, and we had a great time. Then, this past week, my boyfriend came to see me during his break. Hi, guys! :) :) :) I loved seeing you. As it turns out, I'll be having a few more visitors (you know who you are) soon, including my mom!!!!!! So, overall, things have been good!
Two weekends ago I went on a trip to Normandy, St. Malo (in Brittany), and Mont St. Michel with my program. What a great trip--I like history (although I don't really have the brain for it), so the trip itself was interesting, but everything was just so beautiful. The weather itself is so different here--I see bright green grass all over the place; beautiful, colorful flowers; and (when it's really nice out), clear blue skies. That's how it was in Normandy. We took a coach bus, which took about 5 hrs to drive from Paris. It was great to get away from the city for the while and see the gorgeous countryside. The first day we visited the D-Day Museum in Arromanches, the German beach (giant craters everywhere), and the American cemetery--which is considered American soil. So, technically, we were back home for a little while. The whole experience in Normandy was incredibly unique and very touching. After spending the day there, we got back on the bus and drove to St. Malo, a beautiful town that inspired the look of Quebec City in Canada. I've never been to Quebec, so I just had to take my program director's word for it, but the town was almost breathtakingly beautiful. I had a great dinner with the students in my program.
Brittany is known for a few things, food-and-drink-wise, particularly crêpes and seafood. I got the best of both and had a savoury crêpe with salmon, scallops, leeks, mushrooms, and cheese. It was delicious. Everyone seemed happy with what they got and after eating, we went our separate ways and explored. My group of friends and I went walking around and saw a lot. We even walked down to the beach at night and looked at the stars. It was a great end to the night. The bed & breakfast we stayed at was nice, too. Cute, clean rooms with a NORMAL sized bathroom (if there's one thing I can tell you about the bathrooms I'm used to here... it's that they seem to be made for ants)... and a great breakfast, of course. We had to get up early for it, but it was worth it. Delicious bread, jams, croissants... you name it. It was awesome. After that, those of us that were awake took a tour around the outer walls in the town. Soon after, we got back on the bus to head to Mont St. Michel.
I feel like I'd say too much about that part of the trip... but just know that it was probably my favorite part. I did a project on Mont St. Michel when I was in 8th grade and I've wanted to visit it since then. It's a beautiful church/town that rests on its own island, pretty much--I'm terrible at describing it, but the tides usually make it so that it's separate from the coast. Our program director actually told us that this would probably be the last time for a very long time that it would be possible to get there by bus. I've attached a picture of it, if you want to see. I'd send more but my Internet connection is too slow to send multiple files.
Anyway, my classes are good. Grammar is difficult but, hey, that's what I need. Phonetics is interesting, if not for the schedule alone--it meets every weekday for one hour, every other week. Bizarre. The class is split into two sections--repetition, where we take some notes and, well, repeat stuff that our professor says... and the lab, where we sit with headphones and a microphone and do audio recordings of our pronunciation. The professor gives us what to say, and we record over and over again--she can even listen to us individually and help us out. It's very useful, and much different than the phonetics class I took last semester, so I don't mind taking this one. My lectures meet once a week each for two hours. I'm in a 20th century theatre class and one on the history of Paris. I won't bore you with the details.
This weekend is looking interesting... I guess I'll have to discuss that in a later update. :)
Miss you all!
Take care.
Lots of love,
- Maeghan
Bonjour! :)
First of all, I'm sorry for not updating in a while... The past two weeks have been extremely busy. More of my classes started (so now I have a full schedule) and I've had some visitors! Seeing people from home while I'm far away is such a treat. One of my best friends and her family (which is practically my family, too) came to Paris for a few days, and we had a great time. Then, this past week, my boyfriend came to see me during his break. Hi, guys! :) :) :) I loved seeing you. As it turns out, I'll be having a few more visitors (you know who you are) soon, including my mom!!!!!! So, overall, things have been good!
Two weekends ago I went on a trip to Normandy, St. Malo (in Brittany), and Mont St. Michel with my program. What a great trip--I like history (although I don't really have the brain for it), so the trip itself was interesting, but everything was just so beautiful. The weather itself is so different here--I see bright green grass all over the place; beautiful, colorful flowers; and (when it's really nice out), clear blue skies. That's how it was in Normandy. We took a coach bus, which took about 5 hrs to drive from Paris. It was great to get away from the city for the while and see the gorgeous countryside. The first day we visited the D-Day Museum in Arromanches, the German beach (giant craters everywhere), and the American cemetery--which is considered American soil. So, technically, we were back home for a little while. The whole experience in Normandy was incredibly unique and very touching. After spending the day there, we got back on the bus and drove to St. Malo, a beautiful town that inspired the look of Quebec City in Canada. I've never been to Quebec, so I just had to take my program director's word for it, but the town was almost breathtakingly beautiful. I had a great dinner with the students in my program.
Brittany is known for a few things, food-and-drink-wise, particularly crêpes and seafood. I got the best of both and had a savoury crêpe with salmon, scallops, leeks, mushrooms, and cheese. It was delicious. Everyone seemed happy with what they got and after eating, we went our separate ways and explored. My group of friends and I went walking around and saw a lot. We even walked down to the beach at night and looked at the stars. It was a great end to the night. The bed & breakfast we stayed at was nice, too. Cute, clean rooms with a NORMAL sized bathroom (if there's one thing I can tell you about the bathrooms I'm used to here... it's that they seem to be made for ants)... and a great breakfast, of course. We had to get up early for it, but it was worth it. Delicious bread, jams, croissants... you name it. It was awesome. After that, those of us that were awake took a tour around the outer walls in the town. Soon after, we got back on the bus to head to Mont St. Michel.
I feel like I'd say too much about that part of the trip... but just know that it was probably my favorite part. I did a project on Mont St. Michel when I was in 8th grade and I've wanted to visit it since then. It's a beautiful church/town that rests on its own island, pretty much--I'm terrible at describing it, but the tides usually make it so that it's separate from the coast. Our program director actually told us that this would probably be the last time for a very long time that it would be possible to get there by bus. I've attached a picture of it, if you want to see. I'd send more but my Internet connection is too slow to send multiple files.
 | |
| View of Mont St. Michel from just outside of the bus |
Anyway, my classes are good. Grammar is difficult but, hey, that's what I need. Phonetics is interesting, if not for the schedule alone--it meets every weekday for one hour, every other week. Bizarre. The class is split into two sections--repetition, where we take some notes and, well, repeat stuff that our professor says... and the lab, where we sit with headphones and a microphone and do audio recordings of our pronunciation. The professor gives us what to say, and we record over and over again--she can even listen to us individually and help us out. It's very useful, and much different than the phonetics class I took last semester, so I don't mind taking this one. My lectures meet once a week each for two hours. I'm in a 20th century theatre class and one on the history of Paris. I won't bore you with the details.
This weekend is looking interesting... I guess I'll have to discuss that in a later update. :)
Miss you all!
Take care.
Lots of love,
- Maeghan
Friday, March 4, 2011
Bad Travel Blogger
Although I like to write about what I do, I certainly SUCK at making the time to actually do it. For that, I'm sorry! I want this to be informative and entertaining and that's not exactly easy to do when you don't put the effort in...
I've had some visitors (and one that's actually still here; yay) and all of my classes have officially started, so... to say that it's been a little hectic might be an understatement.
I'm going on adventures today so I'll have to update later.
KBAI
I've had some visitors (and one that's actually still here; yay) and all of my classes have officially started, so... to say that it's been a little hectic might be an understatement.
I'm going on adventures today so I'll have to update later.
KBAI
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