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!