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!