Annoying vendors, amazing food, and breathtaking architecture- my exploits in Rome

The Pantheon

Bonjour a tous! It is time yet again for a new blog post! Before I get into my traveling adventures, I must talk about a momentous step that occurred yesterday.... I bought my plane ticket home. I have three weeks exactly left here in France. It is both strange, sad, and wonderful all at once. A few of my friends who were in a shorter program left this past weekend. It is really hard to comprehend that they are actually back in the States, not just on a trip somewhere else. My study abroad program is coming to an end and in three weeks, I will be back home. I am super excited to see my boyfriend (5 1/2 long months since I've seen him), my family, my friends, my cats, my home. It'll be weird not having to translate things into French. I know it will take time to get used to just speaking in English, but I am going to try and keep practicing so that I don't lose all the progress I have made here.

At the Trevi Fountain

Early yesterday morning, I returned from a week of visiting Rome, Italy and it was amazing. I took a train while my friends were on the bus for 16 hours. My bank was being stupid and wouldn't accept my payment so the tickets were all sold out and I went on the train. Twice as expensive, but WAY less time and more comfortable. I arrived around 6pm Sunday night and we went to our hostel. It was in a great place, right by Termini station, so getting around was super easy. We went to the Spanish steps for the first time that night. We got some gelato and people-watched for a while.

The next day, the weather was horrible: it would alternate pouring rain with beautiful sunshine and then just clouds. It was bizarre. Every hour, the weather switched. Anyways, we went to the Vatican that day, including climbing up to the Cupola and going into St. Peter's Basilica. We were lucky in some respects that the weather was so bad, because the crowds weren't as horrible as they might have been. I still felt like I was in Disneyland, except I didn't have fun rides to go on after waiting in line. It was still really cool to visit. Climbing up to the Cupola was particularly fun, as the stairs got narrower and narrower and the ceiling slanted diagonally as we climbed higher.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican

We then had a very disappointing pizza from a place nearby. Seriously, one of the worst pizzas I have had ever. So bland. Luckily, I had other great pizzas in Italy. After lunch, we went to the Trevi fountain. We had stopped by in the morning, but all the water was drained, but when we went back, the water was running. We stayed a while there, which I enjoyed. It is super relaxing and a great spot to people-watch as well.

The next day, we went to the Vatican museums. It was super huge. I didn't even realize how big they were until we were trying to leave. The intricacy and detailing of all the artwork and architecture is just mind-blowing. One of the last stops was the Sistine Chapel. It was rather surreal to really be looking up at Michelangelo's masterpiece. We couldn't take pics inside, which was kinda lame. The room was packed, because everyone wanted to go.

A statue of Artemis in the Vatican museum

After the Sistine Chapel, we went and explored a couple of really pretty piazzas, This would be a good point to talk about the annoying street vendors. They are my least favorite aspect of Rome. They sell all kinds of stuff and some are incredibly persistent  Even if you say no, they'll follow you and keep trying to talk to you. They are several varieties: the overpriced tour guides, the rose sellers, the purse/clothing people, the beer people, the annoying squeaky toy seller, and the laser pointer people. By the Colosseum and the Vatican, the tour guide people were out in force. They try and lure you in by saying you can skip the lines, but they are so overpriced it's not worth it. The rose people give you roses as a free gift and then demand money afterwards. They clearly don't understand the meaning of "Free gift". I hated the squeaky toys- their only demographic is middle school boys and I am surprised they can make enough money off them to continue. The laser pointer people just move the laser up and down your body all creepy-like, which does not inspire anyone to buy anything from them. The most annoying, though, were on the beach. We're trying to just enjoy the sun and every few minutes, a seller would come by. It was super annoying. I am glad we don't have that in the US.

Dancin' in the Colloseum

Ok. Rant is over. That night, we went to an Irish pub, The Fiddler's Elbow. I tried Harp beer for the first time and really liked it. There was an Irish singer who played and sang according to audience requests. He was hilarious, he laughed at his own jokes, and his laugh was infectious. We had a great time there. We were in front so we suggested most of the songs.

The next day, we went to the Colosseum and the Roman forum. I was super excited for this day. As a huge history nerd, especially ancient Roman history, I was geeking out. It was surreal and awesome to be there and to be walking around the ruins, imagining what life was like back then.

Ancient Roman Stadium

The following morning, we took the tram for 30 minutes to get to the nearby beach. We spent the whole day there. It was relaxing and the weather was gorgeously sunny and warm (high 80's in temp.). I also swam in the Mediterranean, which was my first time ever swimming in the sea. It was so much fun and so lovely. That was one of the highlights of my trip. I might actually go swim in the ocean now that I've done it once and discovered how fun it is.

That night was our last night in Rome, so we went and had some great pasta (my first in Italy). Then, we went back to the Spanish steps one last time. We made friends with three Italian med students sitting behind us and hung out with them for a while. After, we got one final beer at the Fiddler's Elbow.

Swimming in the Mediterranean

Our trip home was super long. Our bus ride started at 11:45AM and we didn't back to Grenoble til 3AM the following morning. We did stop quite a bit, which was nice. At first, we all had two seats to ourselves, which was amazing and comfortable. But later, the bus was too crowded for that. We
actually got in an hour earlier than scheduled. We then had to walk home in the rain with all our baggage since the tram doesn't start running til 5ish.

So, those were my Roman adventures. I had an amazing time, ate great food and lots of gelato, and saw some amazing sights. I had a great time with Meddie, Kaylee, and Ariel. This was a nice break before I have to start studying a ton for my finals (which start in a week). They are spread over two weeks and I am nervous because for my elective courses, the final is the sole grade. I will be studying like a maniac the next few weeks. A bientot, tout le monde!

Livin' it up on the southern coast of France... and crazy improvised BBQ's

If you look closely, there is a cat in the doorway of that facade

Bonjour a tous! I wanted to do another post to relate all my fun-filled adventures that I've had since I last wrote. As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend, I went on another excursion with my program, this time to the southern coast of France! Specifically, we went to Nice, Orange, and Eze. We visited Orange first. There, we visited this enormous Roman theatre that was very well preserved. My favorite part was the wall of the theatre behind, around, and above the stage. It was very  The facade looked like the ancient city of Petra in Jordan (it appears in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). There were also a ton of wild cats running around, which made me happy.

The lovely Mediterranean Sea

We ate lunch there and then afterwards, we drove for 4-5 hours to Nice. I gotta say, I missed the sun so much. Grenoble has had an unusually wet and dreary winter/spring, according to all the locals I've talked to, so sun has been very much lacking. However, my weekend with Nice was gloriously clear and sunny. It was also the first time I had been completely warm for more than when I was working out. All of us just basked in the sun the whole time we were there. I also started to get some color cause I tanned a little bit. :)

One thing that surprised me was the Nice's lack of a sandy beach. Instead, it was covered in medium sized rocks that were a pain in the ass to walk on. But, we still enjoyed being on the beach. We had a free night so we were on the beach for a good portion of the afternoon and then I went and got dinner. I had some amazing salmon and then gelato afterwards. I think Nice is the city of ice cream and gelato. Every corner had a gelateria or glacier. I loved it! I had ice cream three times in the 2 days that I was in Nice, twice in one day! My favorite was the Speculoos ice cream. I don't know if any of you have heard of it, but speculoos are these amazing cookies and they have an even better spread of it that is addicting. I am going to buy a jar or two and bring it home because I have never seen it by me, although I do know the US does carry them some places.

Meddie and me, imitating statues like usual

Anyways, Saturday morning, we went to one of the hill neighborhoods that was actually where the ancient people of Nice used to live, which is pretty cool. I am all about history. We went to this old monastery and around it, there were these beautiful gardens and olive trees. Did you know that green and black olives are grown on the same tree? Green olives are just picked earlier. Weird, right? The old palace of Queen Victoria is also just down the road from this area too.

Nearby, there was the remnants of another ancient Roman establishment. Nice has a very long history dating back before Roman times and it was cool to be able to see traces of this during my trip. Also in this same area, there the musee d'Henri Matisse. He was a very famous painter and sculptor who died in 1954, I believe. So, I got yelled at in the museum because I didn't see a "no photos" sign and I took a picture with my friend Meddie with one of the sculptures  It was worth it, though, because the picture was totally cute and funny. The security lady was such a crab, but it didn't put a damper on things.

I want a garden like this

For lunch, a few of us got things to go and ate on the beach and sunned. We then met up with our tour guide again and went on a tour around old Nice. I wasn't too interested and I just wanted gelato the whole time. We went into a church that was really pretty. I also just realized that I cannot even remember how many churches I have been in because I've gone to so many. My favorite part was our last stop, which was to see this museum that used to be an old house for some nobility. It was super fancy and it was fun to imagine living there back in the day.

Afterwards, we got ice cream and hung out at the beach some more. Then, dinner, ice cream (again!) and then beach again. That was our MO for that weekend, apparently. We all just were so excited to be at the seaside that we spent all our time there.

Gorgeous Eze

The next morning, we checked out of our hotel and went to Eze. It was a 25 minute bus ride down the coast. We toured a parfumerie and got to try a bunch of perfumes which was pretty cool. I bought a bottle of nice perfume for myself since I've never owned nice perfume. I always use the cheap Victoria's Secret stuff. I also got some nice gifts for people. I am trying to work on that since I only have a month left and I still want to find presents for quite a few people.

In Eze, there was also the cutest Medieval style village that curved up this hill. It was so beyond adorable and French and I loved it. There were some great views of the ocean, too.

Couldn't resist a little ballet in Eze

Unfortunately for me, my trip home was not fun. Firstly, the air conditioning wasn't working and so we were all melting in the back. Then, I started feeling sick and I realized I had food poisoning. By the time I got home, I could barely stand because my stomach was in so much pain. I was sick for two days. Just my luck. Overall though, my weekend was amazing!

This week, I also had another noteworthy event. My host brother had the great idea to do a BBQ so we hiked up to a park near the Bastille and made a fire and cooked burgers, sausages, and hot dogs and, of course, S'mores. It was really iffy at first because the winds that night were crazy strong and I was freaking out about starting a wildfire. But it was all good. It ended up being one of the most fun nights and I am so appreciative of all my awesome friends here.

My crazy group of friends and me, celebrating a successful BBQ

Well, that is all for now. I am heading to Rome tomorrow for the week. I am taking a 10 hour train trip. Fun. Haha. Then my bus home is even longer. I am taking the train by myself because I couldn't buy the bus ticket in time to go on the bus with my friends. Lame. But I am so incredibly excited to go to Rome. So expect a blog post and pics in another week. Have a good week, everyone!

Adventures in Strasbourg and my first (slow) trip on the autobahn!

Little France in Strasbourg

Hello, everyone! I figured it was about time that I updated my blog. Plus, since I have been sick yet again the past two days, I felt like I needed to do something productive. Wow, I am about a month and a week away from my return home. It feels really surreal. I know it's coming, but I've gotten so used to my French life here, it seems strange to imagine me going home. I guess I'll do some reflections first before I talk about my most recent traveling adventures.

We make good statues

Firstly, I gotta say I am going to miss my host family so much. My host mom is the sweetest woman and has really been like a second mom to me, even while she's been going through some really difficult, stressful, and emotionally-trying times. She always checks to make sure I am alright and I have really appreciated her constant concern for me and making sure I am happy. I have also bonded so much with my host bro Alban. It is amazing how tight we are; he has truly become like a brother to me and that was something I didn't expect. Even though he can sometimes be a harsh teacher of French, he also compliments me when I do well and pushes me to become the best French speaker I can, which I appreciate. Although Rudy and I aren't close, he is still nice and I won't forget how helpful he was when I was super sick with the stomach flu.

Niki and I

I have made some amazing friends as well. Since almost everyone comes from places other than the Pacific Northwest, I've been learning a lot about the rest of the country though the stories my friends tell me and when they describe their homes and lives. I love that. Not only am I learning about other countries (most especially France), but I have learned to both appreciate and critique my own home more. It will be sad leaving everyone, but now I know I have some great friends across the country that I can visit.

The view of Petite-France from the covered bridge

Ok, enough philosophizing. Now to describe my trip! I went with the lovely Niki to Strasbourg. She has a friend, Erwann, there who did an exchange at her high school a few years ago and lives there. We stayed with him and his four roommate, all guys. They were all really cool dudes. We got in about 11pm Thursday night on the train. Erwann picked us up and we dropped off our luggage before he took us on a walking tour of the city center of Strasbourg. Sadly, I left my phone so I don't have any pics of our night walk. One thing I'e noticed about cities over here in Europe tend to have cool uplighting on a lot of buildings, which makes things uber beautiful at night here. Then, we met up with two of his roommates who were already out and I had a great local beer.

Grand Cathedral of Strasbourg- still not complete after many years

The next day, we went to Erwann's school because he had a meeting. After his work was done, he took us on a tour of some parts that we hadn't seen as well as showed us the sections we had seen only at night. We saw the Conseil d'Europe which is where the European Union is located. They had some cool buildings, especially the Parliament building. Niki, Erwann, and I also did one of our favorite past-times there: taking a picture mimicking a statue. Always good times. Haha. That night, we went to happy hour and each got a litre of beer for only 5 euros. I wasn't really listening when we talking about what we were ordering and then Erwann came over and dropped this huge thing of beer in front of me. Some of Erwann's friends came out and we hung out there for a while. Afterwards, we went to a local brewery and tried an Alsacian specialty, flamekouche. It is basically pizza with a different crust. It reminded me of a thicker tortilla. The traditional toppings are onions, lardons (small pieces of bacon), creme fraiche, and cheese. I had it without the onions. It was delicious!

Parliament of the EU

The following morning, Niki and I wandered around the centre-ville area and found some food. I gotta say, I know I am going to miss the really nice food places France has. You can get a lot of really good, local food for cheap here and that is awesome. Anyways, we had time to meet Erwann because we were going to go Germany after he was done with class. So we tried to walk over to him. But somehow, we ended up going the exact opposite direction of where we needed to go. Some nice Frenchman noticed us standing regarding the map and gave us directions. We then wandered for a really long time, getting frustrated because we couldn't even find the tall cathedral, which we were trying to use as a marker to find our way. Eventually, we navigated back and met up with Erwann.

Enjoying a yummy beer in Strasbourg

Next, Germany! We went on the Autobahn (my first trip), but unfortunately the part we were driving on had construction. So we only went like 65mph. Lame!!! Anyways, we arrived in Baden-Baden (which literally means Bath Bath, which makes me happy). They are known for their hot springs and
baths. There were fountains all over the place here, which I loved. Baden-Baden is a very wealthy, ritzy place. I felt so poor. Haha. We mostly just wandered around here; we had no agenda, which can sometimes be very nice. My only goal was to try an apple strudel and I was finally successful, although it probably took 30 minutes to find a place. I also had this amazing white chocolate hot drink.

Baden-Baden fun

I gotta say, like in Italy, it sucks going to a country where you can't speak any of the language. I really felt like a complete idiot. At least in Italy, I could figure out certain words and had an inkling of pronunciation  That was not the case here in Germany. I have no clue where to even begin. Luckily, Erwann knew some German so he was really helpful and was able to talk to the waitress since they didn't really speak any English and definitely no French.

One really sad thing was I saw more evidence of the effects of World War 2 on this trip, since these two cities were more impacted than the Grenoble area in some ways. For instance, while wandering lost in Strasbourg, Niki and I found this huge plot of land that was a lovely garden on the waterfront. That was where the great synagogue stood, before the Nazis razed it during the war. There were some pictures there of what it used to look like and it was amazing. In Baden Baden, they also had these little individual plaques on the sidewalk in front of houses. They have the names of the Jews who used to live there and showed where they ended up and which

One of the many traditional hot spring baths

concentration camp they died in. It was super sad to see. World War 2 has become so much more real since I came here, for obvious reasons. Every French town has a memorial to WW1 and WW2 in it, for example. I feel like WW2 is so distant from most Americans, since we didn't have our civilians affected, just our soldiers. One thing I've loved about my history class has been learning about France's experience during WW2, which I've never really learned about before.

Well, this week, I am going on one of my last excursions to Nice and a few other cities in the south. I am super excited to go where it is going to be warm! At last! Blog post and pics to follow in the next week. A tout a l'heure!