Laura = Bad Blogger

Okay, its been a very long time since I've written anything. Sorry!

So what has happened since going to Italy?
2 midterms, 2 papers, and in the midst of a third paper due on Tuesday. Then, finals. Yes, that is correct, finals start next Friday. I leave Nantes for Paris in two weeks. That is so scary. I am not ready to go home yet! I just got here.
So, Advent in France is very pretty. There are decorations everywhere. And in the centre-ville there is a Christmas market (marché de Noël) with a lot of mini- "Châlets" that sell crafts and vin chaud (hot wine) and chocolat chaud and so many other delicious looking things. Many of which I can't eat. (Really, I have decided Celiac is a good thing because I really don't think that I would have enough will power to resist all the pasteries and now all the Christmas goodies... but problem solved, can't eat them. It helps me not gain 300 lbs).

Pictures of the châlets and decorations and stuff will probably come tomorrow or Saturday. Now, I really do have to get back to this prehistoric archeology paper.

Many happy Advent thoughts,
Laura

PS My sister and I are making an advent calendar of Phil the Penguin. Every day I send my sister what Phil is doing for advent and she draws it.
http://adventofphil.blogspot.com

Oof.

So, this weekend has consisted solely of paper writing, studying, running and eating. Ok, and no lies, procrastination. Two of my friends and I tried a different creperie on Friday night. It was very disappointing: not crispy and buttery galettes. Sadness.
Haverford Squash had their first match of the season yesterday: Go Bears! I am actually feeling kind of sad, missing out on the first half of the season (I miss playing squash so much). Anyways, here are a couple of pictures from the Italy trip!

My Ideal Vespa- Seafoam


Venice on the night of our arrival


Fish Mar-ket?


Where Vivaldi lived and taught (how cool!!)


Clothes drying over the canals

This picture was actually taken in the Jewish Ghetto- Venice is so rich in history it was amazing walking around. Going to the Jewish Ghetto was, in my opinion, really important, a reminder of the importance of remembering the sad, and horrible times.

On that note, I must return to my paper writing.
Bonne Journée!
Laura

What a 5 day weekend. Whew.

So, warning, this is going to be a ridiculously long post!
It started Thursday, with a French rail strike! Luckily, unlike alot of my fellow students, our train was not cancelled! Woohoo! But it did create worry among our group. So, we took the train from Nantes to Paris. Then metro in Paris. Then bus to Beauvais (airport about 1 hr outside of Paris) then flew to Bergamo and took a taxi to our hostel. Ok, so it was a long day. But highlights included GF fried rice in Paris and when we were in the taxi in Bergamo, translating the taxi man's broken English into French for two French girls! Yup, the Americans are translating!
So Friday. I started out the day bright and early running along ways up a hill (not the whole thing because it was literally foothills to mountains) and turning the corners every switchback were amazing views of Bergamo! Then, we needed to take the public transportation to the airport to catch our bus to Milan. So, first we see a bus coming and these two old Italian ladies are telling us its the wrong bus (but they don't speak English). We then get on the next bus following them, only to discover that you need to buy tickets at a tabacchi. But the little old ladies force the bus driver to let us on anyways. Then, about two stops down the line, they kick us off the bus because there is a tabacchi where we can buy tickets! Once we got to Milan, we wandered the fashion district (oh mon dieu, très cher) and saw the giant Duomo. Along with TRL Italy being filmed and TONS of shrieking Italian teenyboppers. We caught our train to Venice, no problem and upon arrival in Venice, we discover that our map ended before our hostel and we went around asking for "San Polo?" which turns out to be a square, a neighborhood, a street and a church. So not helpful. Then we started asking for the Fish market. Much better responses! Finally, we found our hostel and checked in! Absolutely amazing, with a 4 person room.
Saturday, the fish market (and fruit market) was open! We bought a lot a lot a lot of fruit! Then wandered to the Duomo and saw the place where Vivaldi lived and taught! (Definitely a highlight for me). We then wandered to find food. We decided to eat a nicer lunch and stopped at a cute little restaurant. I handed the guy my food card and was asking what I can eat and he was like "Well of course we have rice pasta for you!" I love Italy. I went for a really nice run that afternoon but was so the tourist because I had to stop a couple of times on bridges to look at my map! My friends ate really good looking pizza that night (pizza jealousy!).
Sunday, we wandered more, starting out in search of Vivaldi tickets (which we then passed on due to not having tickets for the concert we wanted and the other concerts being très cher). We basically just explored Venice for the day. Mainly in search (at all times) of Vivaldi, gelato, pizza, chocolat chaud (or cappuccinos for my friends) and Italian leather purses and boots. That evening, we went out in search of dessert and looking at a menu, a guy passed us (about 50 years old) and in an Italian accent, he told us that it was no good and asked us what we were looking for. He sent us down the street and his young child offered to accompany us. On the walk, the boy (maybe 10) was telling us about "what us typically Venetians do." So cute. Then at a restaurant on round 2 (of dessert) later that evening, a cute little girl (maybe 1.5 years old) came and flirted with us. And the waiter offered to have my friend's babies. She politely turned him down.
Monday brought the second train strike of the trip. This time, our train was canceled, so we had to (such a burden) spend a few more hours in Venice and then we sat on folding chairs in the aisle of a later train! We got into Milan later than we wanted and got straight on a bus to Bergamo. In Bergamo, we thought that the public transportation bus would run up to the Citta Alta. But apparently, it had two stops: the train station and the airport. Since we got on at the airport, and didn't get off at the train station, we rode the bus in a circle. And a half (because we still needed to be downtown). After dinner, we found the bus line that we needed, unfortunately, it didn't come for another 40 min. We debated walking or taking a taxi. Right then a taxi came flying down the otherwise empty street and I flagged it down. Which was described as the "most baller taxi flagging ever." Ok, so maybe I did leap into the street. We then checked in and tried to book a taxi for the morning but the taxi place was closed, so they told us to call in the morning 10 min before needing a taxi. I might add that we were leaving the hostel at 4:15 the next morning.
Tuesday, so we all got up at 3:45 after going to bed after midnight. Took our taxi to the airport and then had to wait an hour for the boarding! We all napped on the plane and then upon arrival, took a bus to Paris where we hung out for the day, ate galettes, adored the french language (so easy to understand compared to Italian) and took a late train back to Nantes.
Overall, it was a very fun trip. I really want to go back to Italy (mountains next time!) and visit Venice again (during Carnaval!)
Ok, sorrry for the uber long post! Pictures to come!
Ciao
Laura

Everythings in SPANISH!

Well, this weekend a friend (Amanda) and I went to Madrid!
So starting on Thursday, I finished class at 9:30 am and had a train to Paris. (No class Friday this past week). I walked around the city of love, by myself, in the rain, which was actually really fun. I was walking down the street when I turned a corner and it was like BAM Eiffel Tower. I just kind of wandered around and then decided (since it started to rain alot harder) that I would stop in a café for a chocolat viennois, but every café I passed was full to the limits. Finally, I see in a window an open table, and I was so excited. But I walked in the door and realized it was Starbucks (ugh). I, however, took the table and decided to be positive about it and think that I was helping the American economy. I then metroed my way to see Emma (a Haverfriend). We ate dinner together (DELICIOUS rotisserie chicken) and hung out talking. It was so much fun. Around 11 pm, I found my way to the hostel to check in, where they told me that for 2 euros extra per night person we could be in a double. I asked what the other room was, it was a 15 person dorm with 13 guys (who were drinking at the bar) booked. I payed the extra money. I met Amanda at the train station at midnight (she had a late class).
The next morning, we got up early and flew to Madrid (on a flight that was an hour late). We met Charles at the Plaza del Sol. It was really great to see him yet kind of bizarre since he's a St Louis friend but we were in Madrid. We got some food and that night saw a movie (in English) that was so ridiculous it was good. The next day, I ran through the parc el retiro (or something like that). Beautiful. And we went to el Prado and generally just walked around and ate. We met a bunch of Charles friends both nights which was fun.
After 3ish hours of sleep, I got up on Sunday (I was proud of myself for dragging myself out of bed to run), and we checked out and saw the Palace Reel. (Royal Palace) that was incroyable.
Overall, it was such a fun weekend (and maybe rather tiring). And every where I went I brought clouds and rain (except Sat/Sun). Wow, that makes me sound like a downer. Our hostel in Madrid was nice, super clean and I really liked it!
A bientôt,
Laura

Birds Galore!

So, yesterday I went for a great run through the marshes and then downtown and then returned to my house. However, in the marshey area I saw some really cool birds. So I was on a rather quiet trail (normally there are alot of people, it was actually kind of eerie) and since it was so calm alot of zildlife was out and about. The first really cool thing I saw, I came around a bend and on the edge of the trail (the trail its self was rather marshy) was a giant bird; when I say giant, I mean came up to about the bottom of my ribs. So tall. Like a heron. Sure enough, today I looked at birds in the area and I am positive that it was a grey heron. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Greyheron.jpg
Absolutly beautiful. It was taller than the wikipedia article says but it looks exactly the same. Then I saw alot more really cool birds in the marsh which I can't remember well enough to identify. I think that one was a eurasian curlew though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Numenius_arquata.jpg
Overall, it was a very cool run just on principal of seeing really cool birds. It makes me want to go run on the boardwalks outside of Nantes that are all swamps.
A plus tard,
Laura

Pictures

View from Amboise! So pretty.


Chenonceau (ie the Château that I am thinking of buying, its probably a good think they are doing work on it now, that way when I own it, there will be less to do)


View from the Belltower of the Monolithic church in Saint Emilion
(taken by my father not me)

Oh dear, its been awhile.

Wow. I can't believe its been 10 days since I last updated. Since then, I went to the Chateaux de la Loire with my program/my friends! Wow are they cool!
I loved the gardens of Villandry (it was so nice just to be outside again, not to mention the walk I took in the woods!)
Amboise had, by far, the best most interesting tour. Plus I got to see Leonardo Da Vinci (well his tomb, same concept really).
But my favorite above all was Chenonceau. it is a bridge over (untroubled) water. In case you didn't know, I have recently been shopping to buy a château. Before I really was considering this one I found that has 35 bedrooms. But, now I am considering Chenonceau just on account of the coolness factor. I'm not sure if I would be able to actually buy it but you know, I can try. But not only did Chenonceau have the awe factor but it also had amazing gardens and lots of woods! Theoretically for hunting but they would be amazing for running and walking and I'm sure the dogs would love it! Ha.
To keep the update relatively short, this past week, my family was here (Mom, Dad and sister)! And what fun! We hung in Nantes for a couple days then when down to the Bordeaux/Borgogne wine region. I learned so much about wine, it was absolutely beautiful and I ate amazing food the entire time they were here. Oh, and it was fun to see the family (and wow them with my acquired mad french skills. Ha).
Pictures to come soon! (Sooner than 10 days!)
A plus tard!
Laura

A week of relaxation!

I could really get used to this very little homework/very little class time lifestyle. But I am afraid that when I return to the States I will have no work ethic left.
So interesting cultural differences from this week:
1. The way people regard college classes. Here, people are just kind of like "whatever" and not as worried for the most part. My friends and I think that when it only costs about 100 euros a year, people don't feel nearly as driven as when they paying near $50,000 a year. Just a thought.
2. Professors at the fac act like teaching a class is really more of a hobby.
3. You don't exercise in the rain, afternoon or on the streets. And not in shorts.
4. Eat more bread.

Those are 4 fun lessons brought to you by the letter P (for Pain) and 4 (b/c there are 4 lessons).

-Laura

Rain

Here in Nantes, it rains a lot. Luckily, I do rather like the rain.
So Tuesdays are my day that I have my Prehistoric Archeology at the fac! So, I went today, and sat there for awhile and then the prof showed up late (like last week). After he fiddled around up front for about 5 more min (keeping in mind we are now 12 min into a 1 hour class) he says "Does anybody have a double A battery?" And nobody did. And without the double A battery he would not turn on the projector. So 15 min into the class, he gave up and told us to come back next week.
Then, taking the tram back, there was demonstration so there were people on the tracks for the tram and the tram had to stop and we got out of the tram and walked back (me and alot of french people who were uttering french curse words, not so under their breaths).
This past weekend, I got to see a pyrotechnique show for the baptism of the worlds largest trimarron and then a celtic rock concert. It was overall quite fun!
-Laura

Joyeux Octobre!

Bonjour tout!
It is October! Already! I can't believe it! So begins the months of travel. Alot of my friends are going to London or Paris this weekend. I opted out of London as I would rather use my money to go other places and I would like to have some weekends here in Nantes. The following weekend, we have a field trip to the Chateaux of the Loire. (Somthing kind of funny, I can type all the french accents on my US comp but can't figure most of them out on the french keyboard.) Future plans include a trip to Madrid and another to Milan/Venice both of which will involve sometime in Paris! All the travel plans have me very excited! I hopefully will be going to Copenhagen one weekend in Nov.
So this week so far: I had my first real classe at the fac (at the university) without any other american students. It was very hard and the prof talked very quickly and even the french students were having trouble keeping up! I just wrote down important words and hoped that I can find them in books. I also do have to say that my french vocab of prehistoric archeology is not up to snuff!
On that note, I am going to go "feed on" my lunch (my translation teacher didn't realize that feed on is not normally used for people and food but more predators and carcasses or choses comme ça).
A bientot,
Laura

Mont St. Michel et St. Malo

Yesterday, there was an IES field trip to Mont St. Michel and St. Malo. Mont St. Michel is a very cool abbey/monastery. It is on this weird island rock kind of thing that sticks up out of sand where the tide comes in. Its absolutely breathtaking as you first see it rising out of the land (when we went tide was out). I was kind of disappointed by how touristy it was (the abbey its self had like 4 gift shops and surrounding the abbey/monastery within the walls were all souvenir shops and overpriced food). All that being said, it was definitely amazing and very impressive. My friend and I found a nice place to eat lunch with a beautiful view that was higher up. (I of course had packed my lunch being the smart celiac traveler!) We then went on to St. Malo, a small port city that has produced alot of explorers back in the day (that I have learned all about in my history book). My friends and I walked on a beautiful sandy beach, almost got trapped by tide (and by trapped, it only comes in about a foot deep so, its a relative term). And we walked around and ate ice cream (finally, I found mint chocolate chip. It was so delicious. Almost as good as the taco and gatorade I am craving). We then returned to Nantes!

As sure as Mont St. Michel rises like Olympus above the Brittany (ok I changed the lyrics slightly)


Closer view of Mont St. Michel and Friends!


Random Ceiling inside


My friends and I in St. Malo

Friday Afternoon=Finished for the Week

So, overall this week was quite enjoyable. Wednesdays I don't have class until 2 pm so I got up and got dressed to run (and it was cold enough to wear long sleeve underarmour!!) and my host mom asked me what I was doing. I was like "I'm going running like I always do" and she was super confused because it was "raining" (not even drizzling, just a little misty). Apparently, French people rarely run. If they do run, they never run in the streets, only in parks, and never ever in the rain. Well, I showed them my Americain-ness running in the streets in the rain, wearing white running shoes and shorts! Thursday, I pretty much chilled after my 8 am class and then ran and went to trampoline. We practiced jumping up and then landing on your stomach and bouncing to your feet. It is hard because you want to put down your elbows but if you do it will hurt your back alot more! It was really fun, but since I ran to trampoline, I was wearing shorts and my knees are a little ripped up.
Moral of the story: France is a very relaxing place to live, especially as there is very little homework and lots of fun stuff to do.
Tomorrow we are going to Mont St Michel and St Malo for a field trip! Both are supposed to be amazing. And now, I am going to go to carrefour to buy food!
A plus tard,
Laura

Feeling Rather French Today

This morning I got up and got ready for school like most mornings and luckily I am a mildly neurotic person and like to be on time. So, I decided to take the 9:09 bus for my 10 o'clock class (it takes about 20min from when the bus leaves til when I arrive). About 5 min before I left, my host mother tells me that there is a transportation strike (how french). I then walked to class (which takes a little less than 40 min but luckily I was planning on being early and had the extra time). I was planning on going to the big grocery store one of these days but was essentially out of lunch foods so I went to Marché Plus and bought galettes (the shells) and made myself a ham and cheese galette (how Breton). Walking back from IES, I saw (for the first time since arriving) a man wearing a beret. I felt pretty awesome covering 3 stereotypes of the French before 1 pm.
Unfortunately, I have to walk back to IES this evening and then go to the opera and some how, get home.

Yesterday, I had Aquagym. It was kind of bizarre but still quite fun. I was hoping my biceps would be sore, but no luck. Oh well! Its all students in the class but its taught by an older woman. Yet, enjoyable!

A plus tard
Laura

A Weekend in Europe

Friday, I went to my one class and then ate lunch at IES with my friends and returned to chez moi, theoretically to go for a run, instead I watched Bones and then went to the store and walked around. I met my friends at one of their houses where we made dinner (I had a delicious salad with avocados, apples, bleu cheese, chicken, tomato and lettuce. Yum.) And we hung out and I slept there. Upon returning chez moi the next morning, I read some and went for a run and then ate dinner with Marie-Annick and met my friends at a café, ate ice cream, and then walked each other to our respective abodes. Today involved more hanging out reading, walking around and running. Overall, a very relaxing weekend.

Thursdays Rock

As a science major, one must understand that I am used to spending ridiculous hours during the school year in lab and class (esp last semester). But now, here in France I only have class for 12 hours a week! (I guess this is what humanities and social science majors feel like). So, what do you do when you have one class on Thursdays and it ends at 9h15 am? You go for a leisurely stroll to different bookstores to locate books you need for classes. Debate stopping by the famous chocolate shop that you have never stopped by and really want and then decide against it because it is only 11am. Then you run into friends in the street who are going to the tabac for stamps and walk with them because, what the heck, you don't have anywhere to be. Then, head back to the center to eat lunch for about an hour and a half. Then you go and hang out in the piano room and end up having a quasi jam session. And read a little of the 900 page book that you just bought (that part is a little scary because its 900 pages in French). Then stroll home to go for a nice long run and go to trampoline class.

Trampoline is a great great thing. Its being like a little kid again. Except there is a coach yelling things like "you're looking in the wrong place" "se grouper (to grab your knees in the air)" or things like that. It was so much fun. Way way better than gym douce.

Also, so, typos. You will have to pardon my occasional typos because sometimes I write from the IES center with the "clavier français" where M is in the spot we have a semicolon, and A is in the Q spot and W is in the Z spot and Z is in the A spot and , is in the M spot etc etc etc. Tres confusing seeing as most of them are the same. Well, now I must go eat me some breakfast and go to my once class for Fridays!

A demain (probablement)
Laura

Gym Douce

Since you all know me, I feel that you will appreciate my experience at "gym douce."
It started out with our teacher having us walk around criss crossing and in circles etc and speeding up until we were running. Then we alternated our running styles about every ,in or so between heavy feet like an elephant and light feet. We then stopped running and swung our arms and were supposed to make monkey sounds. Unfortunately, I think we were all laughing too hard. We proceeded to roll around on our backs with our legs in the air, and then roll back and forth to bring our legs over our heads and then jump up into a standing position. Then sitting, we inched forward sitting on our butts and then scooted backwards. Then started crawling around on all fours and periodically rolling over. The instructor then told us to stop and to arch our backs and sway like cats. After this we were supposed to massage our heads on the floor while in a child's pose type thing. All I could think was that I am going to get athlete's foot on my forehead. We stopped and then gave each other massages which was a little awkward. If nothing else, my abs got a good zorkout from silently laughing uncontrollably for an hour and a half and trying not to show it on my face. My when I come home, after four months of gym douce, I can teach all of you the great techniques.
Tchao,
Laura

SUAPS, Harrison Ford, and Missing Professors/Buses

On Sunday, I bummed around, went for a good run (well, first three miles were good, and then I was kind of farther from chez moi than I thought and almost died). On Monday, I had my first classes! In FRENCH! Easier than I thought they would be. My first class starts at 7:45 am and it takes me about a half hour to get there! Then I have a two hour break so I went to the University to sign up for gym classes (SUAPS) and they tried to overcharge me so I had to get little pictures taken of me (I now have 15 remaining pictures the size of my thumbnail if anybody wants one... hahah) and pickup my real student card and then go to my next class, after which I managed to return and sign up for a trampoline class, aquagym, and gym douce (muscle toning, relaxation and massages). All of which I am very excited for. I had decided that I was not going to take something I had done before!
Then on Tuesday, I went to my first class which I almost missed because my bus never showed up and I had to take the next one. The professor was harder to understand than my first professors. And then I had to rush to the tram station and go to the "fac" (university campus) and for that class, there were some students waiting but the professor never showed up, so we all left. I asked Mme. Rochet about it and she said that its kind of common the first week. I also got nervous when M. de Berranger started talking about strikes in Oct/Nov and a couple years when there were no classes for three months. Eek, lets hope against that.
Last night, my host mom and I watched Witness (the Harrison Ford movie) on TV in french... AND I UNDERSTOOD ALOT OF IT, as in, I don't think that I missed anything in the plot, and I got alot of the nuances. I actually really liked it.

Well, pictures of the day?
The Château of the Dukes of Brittany


My friends but not me outside the Château


My friends and I at the jardin des plantes


A bientôt,
Laura

PS I realized I don't think I ever answered the question of what Zut means. Zut means "dang" but zut alors means like shucks or "holy mackerel" very similar to crudmunkle.

Pictures... or picture.

Ok, so yesterday my friends and I went to the Garden of Plants, and a cemetery and a giant hypermarché. It was hyperfun. Anyway, I have been promising pictures for a while so here goes...

our lawns are reserved for little birds- access forbidden to public

My internet is really just to slow to upload pictures (plus I lose my signal alot). So, maybe I will try to do one a post...
-Laura

And then I walked.

So yesterday, I went on an expedition to the camera store(s) of Nantes. I ended up walking back and forth across the entire downtown 3 times! However, this is where I am proud, I never had to look at a map! In the entire, I ended up walking about 3 miles (which is really not that far) and passed the cathedral way too many times. But, I have a couple pictures for you now. Or not. As it won't work right now :(
So classes. This semester I will be taking:
At IES:
Advanced French Grammar and Composition II
France and the Atlantic World
Contemporary French Society, France in the EU
At Université de Nantes:
Traduction II (Translation II, I wanted to take Translation I but it doesn't work in my schedule)
And one of the following (shopping!):
Prehistoric Archeology
Medieval Archeology
History of Black Africa
or Anthropology

This afternoon, my friends and I are going to pique-nique in a park then go to Carrefour to buy cheap school supplies and look around and then go out to dinner at a creperie and watch movies! And on that note, I will sign off!
Laura

"Niagra Falls of Information"

So this week has been, as my friend Alee put it, "The Niagra Falls of Information." Constant lectures on how to be safe in Nantes, and how to figure out how many credits each class gets, and how to use futur anterieur, and more and more and more.
The past couple of days have also been full of things like getting bus passes, buying food for lunch, and other fun errands like that! Luckily, I do have friends with whom I can run around centre-ville! Today we had a very long "tour historique" of Nantes, including the cathedral, the château, the place that had the guillotine, the center of the slave trade (all of which was very interesting) unfortunately, I cannot tell you all the interesting things after the center of the slave trade because all I could think about was my borborygmi (got to love that word). Which brings me to my lunch today. So, it turns out (in case you were unaware), I came to a country where anything quick to eat involves a baguette and unfortunately, that does not really work for me. So, I was looking for something to eat, and unfortunately, there was nothing ideal.
My friend Elizabeth had the brilliant idea that I should just eat ice cream to hold me over until we returned to the IES center. So, I asked a guy at the brasserie for a scoop of ice cream, and he pulled out a "carnet" (cone) and I of course said "pas de carnet" and he looked confused and then gave me my ice cream in... a wine glass. Elizabeth luckily had her camera ready (no worries, that picture will come!). Upon returning to the IES center, I ate some of the food I had bought and kept in the fridge. And, two thumbs up for "yaourt de pamplemousse" (grapefruit yogurt). And with that, I will sign off. Pictures to come later!
A demain!

Nantes!

My first real day in Nantes. Mme Rochet spent 3-4 hours telling us about different things of the program (things like buses and when to sit down in front of french people et plus). My friends and I (yes I do have friends thank you very much) walked to Monoprix (a cheap grand-surface that sells everything) for lunch, and did a typical Tetri lunch... cold cuts on a bench in a park (except I didn't eat bread). Then, later in the afternoon, we had a guided tour of Nantes (and by guided I mean, a student-type Nantais). And then, I took the bus! It was an exciting moment.
I ran upon coming home and went to all the "tabac" in search of batteries for my camera. Which I found, unfortunately, something in my camera is definitely stuck. Tomorrow I will go in search of a photo store to see if they can fix it and if not, if they have other old pentax SLRs for sale.
3 Random things learned today:
Always eat with your hands on the table.
Never put bread on a plate; it belongs on the table.
Only ever say "Bonjour" to a person once a day.
With that, I will sign off with a picture of the view from my room.
Laura

Vannes, sardines, megaliths and many old buildings!

So... orientation.
We drove almost all the way too Vannes, when we stopped (we thought the bus was lost as it stopped at a "do not enter sign") and Mme Rochet (the administrative director who organized and ran orientation) told us that we were stopping to use the bathroom because public bathrooms in France are scary. So all of us walked towards this gate and giant estate when we stopped so that M. de Berranger could explain that we were stopping at his family's house. Well, the understatement of the century would be to call it large. We played ice breakers on the lawn and all thought that we were in Pride and Prejudice!
In Vannes, we ate dinner at the hotel (the french were confused by gluten free) and then went out to the bars as a large group with our "social director" Samuel.
The next morning, bright and early, I ran in a downpour with cold wind (very fun though). And due to that torrential downpour, the plan to bike on an island was cancelled, instead we toured La Belle Iloise, a sardine cannery. (What a wonderful smell). Then we ate a picnic on a very windy beautifully rocky beach. Unfortunately, the person had not packed the gluten free food (but being the good celiac I am, I had). We then went to a beautiful château and stopped in Vannes and then walked back in the pouring rain.
The next day (Saturday), we went to Fortesse de Largoët, an old fortresse that you can walk around. And touch old rocks that people in the olden days touched (just for you mom). And then ate lunch at a delicious creperie that had galettes (savory crepes made of buckwheat only... a celiac's heaven) and then stopped at Carnac (a very cool site with many megaliths, and I am proud to say, that I did not lose a tooth at these ones, unlike stonehenge). And then we stopped at a small port town (St Gustav?) and I think every IES student ate chocolate. Mmmm. And then returned.
Sunday brought a morning of language testing, lunch (they finally figured out GF on Sat night and starting just bringing me hunks of meat. YUM!) and then a small cute town called Rochefort-en-Terre. And finally, a return to chez Marie-Annick and a evening of rest.
Overall, a great weekend, in which we are already settling into groups of friends (many hours of bus rides gives ample opportunity for bonding!) And now I must manger my breakfast.
A tout à l'heure
Laura

The Flight... The Arrival... The Life

Bonjour from Nantes! And these crazy keyboards!
My flight was long and a two year old girl cried and screamed near me alot. American airlines also completely fails at the concept of gluten free (my gluten free meal had breaded chicken!) At the train station I happened to meet alot of people from my program and ended up sitting by 3 on the train. I arrived in Nantes yesterday afternoon and hung out with people from my program for about an hour before Marie-Annick picked me up and we went to her apartment. It is a cute appartment with lots of plants close about 35 min walk from the center and éà min from la fac (university). And get this, she has had gluten free students before! I am about to leave for orientation in Vannes!

World's Best Sister (and a long layover)!

Please appreciate my new header and picture done by my amazing sister!

Anxious nervous [...] or anxious excited?

(Please note, post title is a quote from my favorite movie.)

So, I leave for Nantes tomorrow (Tues. Sept 2) around noon. I am almost completely packed and finding myself very excited yet nervous. Its going to be a long day (I leave at 12:25pm CST and arrive at 4:17 Nantes time... as in 21 hrs of travel, and then I have to get to the center from the train station and to my host mother's house).

So host family news: I will be living with a single woman close to the center city (with in walking distance).

On that note, I will head to bed!
A bientôt!

One week, one day

One week and one day until departure! I am currently out of town and have almost all my packing left to do.