Svensk Jul!

For Christmas Eve and celebration #TWO!, we drive from Malmö to their mother's mother's house- a bit more old-fashioned but very fun with Jonny there. We arrive at 4pm and start with some glögg (pronounced glug) with almonds and raisins. Their grandparents, Karin and Gunnar, don't speak a word of English, but hardly ask me anything anyway. Jonny is super nice and cool- he's 38 with 2 young boys but he's the "cool" uncle. Anci, their mother is in a chipper mood tonight, which is good to get her out of her depression. We start the meal with another smörgåsbord of meats, sausages, fish, eel and gratins. Food is not as good as yesterday...But dinner is fun, I just love Malin and Louise- they're so giggly and lovable and snuggly; Malin is such a sweetheart and Louise is such a snuggly-bunny! Jonny looks and talks a bit like a vampire - his canine teeth is so pointy! And his accent is a bit Italian. For dessert, more rice pudding, and better than yesterday! After dessert, we play the "gift game" where you roll the dice for a 1 or a 6 and have 10 min to steal someone's present- oh, we had a laugh. Jonny and I got so competitive for this little box, which turns out to be clay! Haha- after we open all the gifts, we play again to steal each other's presents, but I wind up with my candles :) Malin was getting so into it! hahaha We did real presents afterward with J as the Santa Claus to hand out gifts. M&L get me a white tee and an adorable vernis black clutch- it's perfect! Jonny was so nice to think of me and gets me some nice hand lotion. We turn on a creole swing dancing CD and Jonny and I dance around, then with the twins! hahah We are all doing the boogie and shakin' thing- even Grandma is doing a little shake of the hands! We laugh and laugh and laugh. Malin and I go for a walk outside and take silly pictures. Off to bed early to go out tomorrow night

CHRISTMAS DAY 2008
Merry Christmas! I sleep until the glorious hour of 1pm- ahhh. I told this week is good for my health! The twins and I hardly move from the kitchen table, we just sit around all afternoon and talk and talk and talk- mostly about the future. I'm seriously considering taking a year off, maybe with Malin. Louise wants to go to New Zealand to work- but she still has a lot of growing up to od. I want to work abroad, maybe Japan or Thailand. We get ready to go to Nils in the late afternoon; coffee and cookies, and old pictures of M&L as babies! so cute! I play a bit on the piano, which makes Nils sooo so happy, even though I sound like a broken record. And my favorite part of the day, the best Christmas present I could have asked for- old movies from
1 9 6 2 of Nils' and Arvid's first trip to the States. I see old clips of Dad running around as a 5 yr old- he is SO adorable, such a munchkin. Nearly brought me to tears, I feel so privileged to see the movies of Grandma back in the day when he was still a stud- so much more than a picture. And Grandpa! I got to see Grandpa! Edmands! Live! He is so so handsome and has such a kind, gentle face and deep, deep dimples. Dad reminds me so much of him. And Jeffrey! He is so adorable and such a little mischief maker- he has the same sparkling, crinkly eyes, even at age 5 :) In the movie, he does that that hand wiggly thing where he puts his hands on his head like a moose and sticks his tongue out! Christie has a deep side part, and Laurie is trying to be a girly girl but you can see her just doing everything Jeff does. It's funny to see her in the little pink dress. And GRANDMA! She is stunning. And radiant! She is straight out of Vogue or something-magnificient; even with 4 kids in tow, she maintains her elegance with a flashy, white smile and high heels. There's all this footage of Grandpa riding around on the old red tractor with the 4 kids climbing alllll over his lap- everybody is happy, carefree; Dad is the little runt in back, falling behind trying to keep up, then op! Falls down! What a cutie...
Next we watch videos from M&L's visit to the States back in 2003, footage that I never ever want to see of myself ever again. Oh god, horrified. Do teenages GET any more obnoxious than me? I kind of had an identity crisis afterwards, not understanding how I used to be that person, and so incredibly rude/loud/obnoxious/....a teenager. Thank god that phase of my life is OVER. Can we move on now ? Sorry Mom and Dad for my behavior in the past-- and for putting up with it. Saints? I think so.
It takes up about 15 min to get out the door with all the hugs and kisses from Nils and Greta. I really tried to pay attention to Nils, even though he sounds like a broken record! M&L have changed SO much since their last visit! And Nils has gotten so much older...
Malin and Louise teach me cute phrases of Swedish translated directly into English; for example, she asked me if this phrase made any sense: "How plenty is the bell?" (meaning "What time is it")or "What are you for one? I don't feel again you!" meaning "I don't think we've met before." Haha! Had no idea what they were talking about at first..
We eat a quick dinner at home of salmon, rice and veggies and white wine to get the night rolling. Swedish Christmas tradition (and my new favorite) PARTY ON CHRISTMAS!!! So hard to leave on time with these girls but we made it on time to catch the bus to Malmö, brought beers on the bus and were chugging them (!) Pre-party at their friend's house, all guys and us 3 girls. Nice. None of them were cute though, although they were all doing lines which really didn't settle well with me and freaaaked me out. Never seen it before and I never want to again. Kevin is the druggie who's tried them all and lived to tell the tale (that's his only purpose in life apparently), Nils is the guy with the hairsprayed lion's mane, Peter and Yann who want to talk with me all night. Christian meets us there and we all drive to ???? nightclub, packed with nearly 2000 people! It is huge and packed, yet the music is PUMPIN and so so good. Louise is already falling all over the place. I tearrr up the dancefloor with Malin, who is so so so much fun to dance with. The music is amazing techno songs- ah, heaven. Since there is a lot of pushing going on, Christian and I hang out outside half the night, where it's more of a party out there! This guy Yann is trying to get my attention all night by waving, and then standing next to me out of nowhere. Unfortunately, I just ignore him bc I'm having WAY too much fun dancing with Christian. Me, Christian and Malin have SO so much fun dancing all together- we owned that dancefloor. Finally have to call it a night around 4am but Louise is gone, disappeared. Malin is worried, but hears that she's made it home safely back to Svedala. We all walk to Max's for late night munchies (and new word that I've taught all the Swedes). Andres gives me a piggy back ride while I try some snooze.

Swedish Christmas!

SWEDEN!!!!!!!!
Malin and Louise were there to greet me at the airport once I arrived in Copenhagen! Ohmigosh they give the BEST, biggest hugs ever!!!

I love Sweden...
M&L and I have so much to talk about on the train to Malmö and the car ride to Svedala. Bengt's house here is SO nice- warm, clean and COZY! (and straight out of Ikea) Eva is Bengt's fiancee and such a sweetheart- she has two girls, Hanna and Elin, who are very sweet. Bengt gives me a big hug when he sees me! I love the hugs here and I am so not used to them after 4 months in France...but it brings me back to the US and makes me feel so so loved, warm and cozy and snuggly. Exactly how you should feel around Christmastime! We make a nice, light dinner, and off to bed in my cozy room out attached to the garage. I love this bed!
Monday morning Malin has to work so Louise and I spend the whole day together. What a sweetheart! She tells me how she's been struggling with feeling a bit depressed these past few months; it started this summer when she lost her voice for a month, and was working way way too much at the airport. Now she's stopped working and studying and is just relaxing until she gets her feet back on the ground. Her mother is also struggling with depression, which doesn't help... But they seem to be much more open here about depression, rather than Americans who are very closed about depression, therapy and medication. Very interesting... I sleep until 1pm, Louise and I just hang out, read through a little of this journal, teach new words and expressions to Louise. We went for a walk through the Swedish woods, and talk about cultural differences. We share a nice hot cup of cocoa and dessert at the little cafe, talk about our oldest ex-boyfriends, hers was 31! UAU! For dinner, we eat in "downtown" Svedala with new friends Alexander and Julia (pronounced Yulia) who lived in New York for a year so she speaks perfect American English, no accent. Blonde blonde hair and reminds me so much of Sophie for some reason. Alex is half Polish, half Hungarian but grew up in Sweden. They are really cute and shy together as a couple but both so cool and nice. Conversation was great actually! They tell me about the military requirement for Swedish men (11 months) and the immigration issues here in Sweden. I ask Alexandr how he feels about building a mosque in Malmo for the immigrants to practice their religion- he said he doesn't agree with it, while Malin and Julia do- I'm not sure how I feel about it. They tell me about the neighborhood in Malmö (made up of all immigrants, from Iraq/ Middle East) that they would never dare to enter, not even the ambulance! Malin tells me she would never wear a T-shirt with the Swedish flag on it- she would get rocks thrown at her! And then there's the issues of Muslims who refuse to assimilate into the Swedish culture, or even allow their children... We all make plans for Thursday evening and watch the Hot Chick to bring back old memories from their visit in 2003.."It's going all over!!!"
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23rd Christmas Eve Eve
Ooooh what a fabulous Christmas it's been! Going home is overrated-why not taste another tradition for once?! I wake up late today, got ready right away before the guests arrive at 3pm- wrapped all my presents while listening to Christmas music! Nils and Greta arrive, I was so so happy to see him! He's maybe the cutest old man EVER- so sweet and jolly. And Greta is adorable! Malin is always hugging her, like me and Grandma :)
We start with a traditional drink called glögg: Scottish rum mixed with spices and served hot- then we throw in some raisins and almonds! So good! We all sit around a candlelit table and talk (the Swedes love candles PS). Conversation and sitting with Malin and Louise is so pleasant- they are so huggly and snuggly and always smiling. I think it's been very good for Louise's health to be this energetic. We share old memories from M&L's visit to the States back in '03, and laugh about funny words between American and British: how we say "like", "actually" and the British say "lovely" all the time!! Malin is very bright in English and knows a bunch of expressions, as does Louise. She's always correcting Malin to show that she knows more than her hehe. Nils keeps telling me what beautiful eyes I have, what a good friend Ed was, how they were "the best family in the States!" and how sad he still is that Ed is gone. He sounded like a broken record all evening, says the same things over and over and over again. I suppose that's what old age does! We call Grandma on Skype but it is mostly Nils who does the talking, Grandma couldn't get a word in! He says his trick to staying healthy is a bit of port wine or whiskey, garlic or onions! What a cutie...couldn't stop talking about how nice it is to talk with Grandma, how great Ed was and asking if Grandma is in good health and if she has a good doctor. He seems like he's aged so much since his last visit to the States in '03. But just like last time, every thing is BEAUUUTIFUL!!! He says it ALL the time, it's really adorable. I just love him.
He wants us to come visit in Dalby and show us home videos on the "proyector!" of when we were "joung"! Hehe he speaks with a British accent, a bit like Michael Cain. For Christmas dinner, on a beautifully set candlelit table, we have, quite literally, a smörgåsbord of meats and fish. All types of sausages, Swedish meatballs w/ special mustard sauce, pickeld herring and potato gratin with herring. Christmas hams, cabbage like sauerkraut and SALMON! Only the best... And special Cola called "Julmust". Bengt is so funny- he is teaching me Swedish but gets me to say "Bengt is so handsome!" and gets such a kick out of it. I love teasing him, he's just so lovable. I love hugging him too! What a great dad. Eva is wonderful too- she's so kind and lots of fun; sometimes she lets loose and shows this fun, goofy side of herself, like when she crosses her eyes or dances.
For dessert, we have a traditional rice pudding mixed with cream and served with raspberry or cherry sauce poured on. Mmmmmm so delicious. They put one almond in and the one to get it will get married that year! Eva's mom thought she got it but it was the cherry pit instead haha! For coffee afterwards, we eat friend treats, a bit like crispy donuts. Mmmmm and homemade gingerbread- the best!
Then it's PRESENT TIME! There is a mountain of gifts. Eva and Hanna wear the Santa hats and distribute them, reading the little rhyme that hints what it might be and then "Onskar Papa" which means Best Wishes. The girls love my scarves I give them, the colors fit them both well. I love the turquoise on Louise, it really brightens her face, while the dark green brings out Malin's green green eyes. Bengt and Eva love the wine and the spice bread from France- I hope it tastes good! They give me a lovely pair of earrings, Lill sends me a pair of tights, and new makeup from M&L and a candle from Hanna and Elin- so sweet! It's fun that they hand out all the gifts and then everyone opens them at once, unlike our family tradition where we open them one at a time. After dinner, I talk with Shawna online, and chat with M&L about my passion for Indian culture, and Malin's plan to consider taking a year off, Louise's future. I'm considering taking a year off before I finish at BU. What's the rush? Christian hasn't even started his studies and probably won't until he's 24 or 25; for now, he's working and TRAVELING!!!

Repas de Noël

My last week in Grenoble has been amazing! I've made a list of all the things I love about the city, including the Christmas markets, our favorite cafés around the centre-ville, and Le Mélies Cinéma for old movies. We all went over to Marie-Eve's apartment for our last repas together as a group- Kelly and I got there last cuz we picked up a HA-uge bouquet of flowers for Marie-Eve, filled with orange and red flowers. Chez Marie-Eve, we melted RACLETTE on the stove and poured the hot cheese over roast potatoes, charcuterie and fresh bread. We goofed around with Patrice and Canaan, and Marie Eve made a nice little speech about our AWESOME our group is and how well the semester went. It's sad leaving Grenoble, what a wonderful city. I love being in Centre-ville, but looking up, around the corner of an old building, and seeing snow-capped mountains ringing around, like they're all holding hands and hugging us in tight, the city nestled into the arms of the mountains.
After dinner, we sang Bon Anniversaire notamment to Patrice, our fabulous academic advisor and maybe one of my favorite people in the world (!) For cake, we ate la buche!, like a French version of a yule log hehe it was pear flavored and so so delicious. I took some last fun pictures with group, while Canaan, Patrice and Marie-Eve. We were all so jolly and giddy, mostly to be together again but also excited about the holidays and the future. After dinner, me, Marion, Max, Lauren and Evan went for beers at our FAVORITE bar- "The one with the tree inside." That's the thing with the bars in this city- some of them don't have actual names written anywhere, so we call them by events that've happened there. Par exemple, there's "the bar where Evan fell off his chair"- where, believe it or not, Evan literally knocked over his chair, while still in the chair, and took out some innocent passer-by. And since no one actually knows the name of this great bar, that's become the new name. There's also the "Wine Bar," the "Sand Bar" and the "bar with all the cool flavored shots in it" where Evan and I took FLAMING shots! They light the bar on fire and light the shots on fire, and then you suck it down! Awesome!
Anyway, we went to this cozy little bar and each ordered a delicious, caramel-y, frothy, crisp brown beer and washed it down with bubbly conversation. Evan was telling funny stories from Memphis, TN while Max and Marion made out while Lauren and I bonded on a new level over our love of cats. Yes, cats. I stayed up until 4:30 in the morning painting the platter for Daniel and Françoise, in her little atelier, listening to my kick-ass Beatles mix.
Thursday I freaked my way out through the day, mostly because I had left all my studying for that morning for my Art History exam at 14h. I nearly shit a brick when Anna wrote me saying the exam was cumulative and a whole semester's worth of artists, oeuvres and mouvements. Merde! That's over 60 artists to memorize, and 150 oeuvres. Oh crap. But ça y est, it was OK, I did well in the end. After my exam, quick home to finish my picture collage for Daniel and Françoise. And then, one of the BEST meals I think I'll ever eat. Ever. It was our planned Repas de Noël, a kind of Last Supper with the fam before we're partie, me and Xio. It's different for her because she'll be living with them next semester, so I feel much more sentimental about everything, right down the creaking third stair that I always hit on my way up. I love it! (although it's my enemy when I'm coming in at 4 in the morning).
The table was all decorated with red and white, with the table mats that I bought them in Provence that weekend.
For our apetizer (coincidentally called an entrée here), Francoise made a truffle mousse, eaten with a spoon and oh-so delicieuuuuuuse. Next up, foie gras and salmon, spread on toast with coarse salt and butter..mmmmm. I've acquired a taste for foie gras and now I absolutely love it! Next (so French) were escargot, finally! My French experience is now complete hehe. It was pretty legit too, the snails looked like the ones in Dad's pond, and we scooped them out from the inside with little forks. Francoise actually called it a bête (critter) , and I yelled that's dégueulasse! Next was probably the most amazing dish I'll ever eat, I don't even know how to describe how rich the flavor is. It was a gratin Dauphinois, from the region, with sliced, roasted potatoes and foie gras between the slices to give it so much flavor. I was in heaven, and just couldn't get enough! This is my favorite though- Francoise cooked the piederot bird that we plucked back in September. Daniel went hunting one weekend, and comes back with two tiny birds that kinda look like pigeons, called pedrots. Francoise was sitting down, plucking the feathers and preparing to cook it- I couldn't resist so I got my own bird to de-plume! And she finally cooked it for our last meal together, very appropriate. It had a strange but rich taste. Like nothing I've ever tasted before, but delicious at the same time. Finally, for dessert was la buche, it's not a Christmas meal without it. Afterwards, we opened presents; Francoise gave us each a beautiful necklace and earrings, right in a homemade box. I gave them the handpainted platter, and gave Daniel a little ashtray bowl, where I painted "N'Importe quoi Daniel! Inadmissible!" because he always says that! hehe he loved it, made him chuckle. From me and Xio, we gave them the picture collage with a pic of the two of us as a centerpiece. It came out very well, I'm happy with it.
Out with the crew afterwards, first to Bukana for tequila shots and dancing to good ol' American music. My man Farid was behind the bar and was very generous with the free shots :) Around 2am, me, Lauren, Max and Marion chased each other all the way to Le Vieux Manoir for some kickass dancing to really fun music. By the end of the night, vers 4am they were playing old revival music, like "It's Rainin' Men" and "Freedom." Said goodbye to Max, he's off to Africa next semester, to Niger! So I wished him safe travels and er, good luck. Marion is off to Brazil for a summer New Years, but I'll see her in a MONTH cuz we're living together in Paris (!!!!) And Lauren is pure awesomeness, and she'll be here in Grenoble next semester.
Friday was great- I got to close my shudders, which block out any trace of light and SLEEP IN. Oh, what a treat. I watched Love Actually with D, F, Xio and Anna Friday night. Packing was a bit overwhelming, but I talked with Mom and Dad for over an hour and heard how COZY and sweet the house is-- last night, they were baking gingerbread cookies while the snow was piling up outside. How darling! I miss home...but ready for new adventures! Off to Paris for the night tomorrow, and then off to SWEDEN!

Fête des Lumières, Round 2

So apparently I didn't see merde when I went to the Festival of Lights on Saturday... good, because I found it was overrated anyway. My friend Benjamin (who is still pretty cool...haha there you go Ben!) who lives Lyon invited me to see the real Fête des Lumières on the official day, the 8th of December. In retrospect, I'm really glad I went back to see the real festival that is celebrated all over the region to commemorate La Vierge Marie, the Virgin Mary. I took the train late Monday night and arrived just in time to see the festivities starting all over the city of Lyon. Right as we got off the bus from the train station, there was FIREWORKS! over the river Rhône. The best part though is that on the 8th, everyone lights des petits bougies, little candles, outside their windows...so the whole city is flickering with candlelight. Up on the hilltop overlooking the city is the famous basilique Notre-Dame-de-Fourvière with a huge golden Marie perched on top and a lit up "Merci Marie" sign across. We promenaded a bit in the street, enjoying the light installations and decorations everywhere. The theme this year I guess is la mer so it has a bit of an underwater theme, with weird watery music playing in the street and ocean-themed light installations. I was confused at first, wondering where in the hell all the CHRISTMAS music was??? But Ben explains ça n'a rien à voir avec Noël- it has nothing to do with Christmas. Oh. Huh? I guess I'm used to everything Christmas-themed during the month of December, but then again, Americans don't really have old religious festivals... In the street, there were a bunch of drummers playing and marching bands. I think the best part though was there were fewer people and a big difference from Saturday- they were all Lyonnais, rather than tourists. So it was quaint and lovely, rather than overwhelming. Ben and I found a little restaurant near his place that was serving Lyonnais food tapas-style. I chose the boeuf et carottes, which was delicious...the best though was my chocolate tarte after, which was so yummy (although, not according to Ben...) I think I learn most of my cultural differences from Ben- for example, I think everything is great and pretty and jolie and awesome, whereas he tends to critique more, French-style. We exchanged stories though- I told him a little quip that Juliette told me that explains well the difference between French and Americans....using fruit! She said the French are like coconuts- they're hard on the outside and difficult to break into, but once you do, they're soft and sweet; whereas Americans are like peaches- super nice and sweet on the outside but there's always that hard pit that you can't crack into, so you never really really get to know them. Ben told me about his professor (from Boston) who taught at his university in Estonia, and who always used expressions like "At the end of the day", "You know whatta mean" and "Baaaasically"- for some reason, the French find these words so funny. Kind of like how I find it funny when they say "Baaaaaaan" all the time and "Eeeein?" But I realized I do use these words all the time in English, like "Definitely! Totally! Seriously! Honestly? For real!" Ben also told me about how his American professor explained another cultural difference: Americans use the word great or grand or big to describe or sell things, for example "Come get a nice big hot cup of cider!"; whereas, the French love using the word petit. For example, in the streets of Lyon, all the vendors were yelling out "Allez! Un petit vin chaud! On y va!" And they love that word! Un petit mot, boire un petit coup ensemble, un petit café, une petite rue, while we Americans love our word great. Another difference between the French and Americans- we're naturally friendlier! Ben ran into his old professor of French back in high school, and I tried to make conversation with her- they call it tutoyer, which is basically to employ the "tu" form in conversation to make it casual. He found it a bit strange that I would be making conversation with a complete stranger and use the "tu" form rather than "vous"- I forgot! Oops! I swear by the time I leave France, I'll remember to use the "vous" with my elders...I guess it's not common (or worth it) here to try and be friendly with strangers...they just don't do that here?
After dinner, we walked over to the vieux quartier to the cathedral St. Jean all lit up with crazy lights, and to see the light show at Hôtel de Ville - with the light effects, the story was a little kid who pretended to throw paint all over the townhall and dunk it underwater. All across town were lights shows and funky music. Some vin chaud to warm us up and then back home to warm up cuz it was so cold out!









As I write this, it's Wednesday morning and I haven't made it to class because it's snowing lightly outside and my bed is way too warm and cozy to leave the house! And my Christmas music is playing.....But eventually I'll make it outside the house and venture out in the snow to do mes cours and go shopping at the Christmas market in la place de Grenette.

Fête des Lumières, Round 1

Interesting weekend- had it's ups and downs! All day on Saturday, the CUEF planned a trip to Lyon to enjoy La Fête des Lumières. I associated it originally with Noël, but it's a celebration to thank the Virgin Mary by lighting little candles all around the city. Only thing is, Saturday was TOURISM DAY! And therefore, pretty unenjoyable. In addition, it was freeezing and rainy all day, and we couldn't find a restaurant to eat some lunch for over an hour since everywhere was complèt. At night, around 5pm, the lights came on around the city- light shows everywhere! It was super! The crowd was HUGE all over the city, I've never seen so many people in one place. There's a big Christmas market, where the vendors sell ALL sorts of trucs and where they have all sorts of goodies to choose from. I spent the day with Marion and Kelly; we meandered around, testing out all the vin chaud (hot wine) around the city! I took the train home on the early side with Anna because I was getting up early to ski the next day!







SUNDAY, DEC 7th
Up at 6:30am (ouch) to catch the only bus to Chamrousse ski station. Sasha was supposed to come with me, but didn't have the motivation to get up at the ass-crack of dawn like me. So I waited and waited and waited in the bus station, only to find out that out of these 100 people...there's only one bus. Merde. Fortunately though I run into a girl from my language class at the university- Katherine (who's from Dover, MA! Weird!) is there with, like, sooo many Americans girls. I was just wondering: where they hell did they all come from? Apparently they all go to Davidson in the South, but the 7 of them are studying in Europe- one in Paris, Madrid, Grenoble, Florence, Prague. So that would make me the 8th person, perfect since we need two taxis to take us to Chamrousse. Prices aren't actually that bad-€20 for the taxi, €17 for rentals and only €11 for a lift ticket IN THE ALPS- I mean, come on. It works out perfectly though because we split off 4 and 4 for the day; Katherine, Emily and Eleanor are all super good skiiers and appreciate the view of the mountains as much as I do ! We ski a LONG-ass day; 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon! But the mountain is so huge and just keeps going and going and going ...We just hopped on different chairlifts and different trails and wound up in a new place (unlike Loon Mtn, where every trail leads to the bottom). Another thing about ski stations in the Alps is there's no lodge down at the bottom to warm up, each lunch, hang out. Nope. Just snow and the Maison de Tourisme, where you're not allowed to pique-nique.
We got off this one trail where it hasn't been groomed yet, so we're in full powder, surrounded by glades- it was amazing ! The view at the top of the téléferrique was unreal- just mountains everywhere you look. Later in the day, the clouds moved in over Grenoble way down there in the valley, so it looked like we were skiing down into a sea of clouds. So cool! By the end of the day, I catch the ONLY bus out of Chamrousse back to Grenoble. Quick shower at home, and although I'm exhausted and my legs are shot from skiing all day, I meet up with Marie-Eve and some studiants for some fondue at this really cool restaurant in the quartier on the other side of the river L'Isère. It's down this little street and barely has a sign outside advertising it, but is all very well-known. It's called A Confesse and is Halloween themed and very quirky. Both times I've been there, they've played Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" for a weirdish atmosphere. I sat down with Kelly, Geoffrey and Anna and we literally laughed our asses off all night. I get along so well with Kelly, we both have the same ridiculous sense of humor. The cheese fondue was delicious, as was the chocolate fondue dessert. Geoffrey ordered this dessert called "Jekyll and Hyde" and had gummy eyeballs and rats in it ! Gross! But kinda good!

Preview of Paris

Monday, December 1st
What a great way to start off the month of December- Paris for the night! My friend Gabriel (from Venezuela, also studying at the CUEF) asked me to join him for the night to visit Paris and see the City of Lights. We hop on a train around 6pm at night, after classes, and catch the TGV from Lyon to Paris. We are so silly at the bar at the back of the train, laughing and joking around over a beer - but after no dinner and two beers later, we get off the train at Gare de Lyon in Paris with no idea where to go! Soon his cousin Hugo (from Venezuela, but lives in Paris now) comes to pick us up at the station. We take the metro over to St. Michel, right near Notre-Dame Eglise in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. What a beautiful little quartier..It's filled with quaint little streets and loads of restaurants. We walk by shops, bars, pubs and loads of ethnic restaurants, and finally settle on a Savoyard Fondue place down some little rue. The food and wine is delicious, as is conversation. Hugo's wife Carla does humanitarian work all around the world (is in Colombia right now), and does independent consulting for organizations like the Red Cross. Immediately, I want to meet with her to learn more about the work she does.
Around 22h30, we all take the metro to the 2nd arron to meet Juliette for drinks in her neighborhood. She is Meredith's lovely daughter, now working at Warner Bros studios in Paris. She shows us around Montorgueil, another great area filled with Christmas decorations, little shops and people! Another Venezuelan friend Isabella joins us for drinks. Ironically, Isabella, Gabriel and Juliette are all into FILM- either working or studying it...so they have lots to talk about. Meanwhile, Hugo makes me laugh so much! He's so chubby and lovable- love him! We all order vin chaud at the bar and talk about Venezuela. Later, we catch the bus back to Hugo's studio near la Mairie de Lilas on the onze.
Next morning, Hugo's up early to do work but Gabriel and I aren't too stressed to get out of the house. We all enjoy a very French breakfast of cafe, hot chocolate and croissants with apricot jam. Gabriel and I start our adventure with Montmartre- Hugo, who could not be any nicer, accompanies us to the right train stop and leaves us to explore. On the train, some guy who is very nicely dressed (but still reeked of alcohol from the night before) talks our ear off about decibels or some crap like that... ha!
Soon we find Le Sacre-Coeur, right on the hilltop of Montmartre, overlooking all of Paris. It is magnificient ! Just like in my favorite scene of Amelie.... We take some fun pictures, and then explore the square with all the Montmartre painters. Their favorite thing to paint? Oui, la Tour Eiffel. We take the metro from Anvers to Trocadero- coming out of the metro is like BAM! Cuz the Eiffel Tower is right there in front of you- so gorgeous. I feel the same way about the Eiffel Tower as Lillian does about Il Duomo of Florence- I don't think I'll ever tire of it and could stare at it all day. We spot some (real-live) models (in their natural habitat) doing their little catwalk thing right in front of it- I mean, could you be more Parisienne?
But, the highlight of our day was not so much the touristy bit, but opening a bottle of wine on a bench right in front of the Eiffel Tower and slowly sipping it for about 2 hours and just enjoying life. We bask in the sunlight and crack jokes about how French we feel right now.
Next stop- Arc de Triomphe! It's fun because we have a mutual friend at the CUEF, from Dubai, who half brags all the time that he has an apartment on Champs-Elysees...so when we're there, the two of us joke around shouting his name, going "Faisal! Ou est tu?!" The Arc de Triomphe is naturally magnificient, as is Champs-Elysees - all decked out in Christmas decorations. We go into the Peugeot car boutique and admire all the beautiful new designs coming out. Next stop: Louis Vuitton- pourquoi pas? It is...unreal. An experience. Luxury at it's finest, but it's a bit overwhelming. We walk alllll the way down La Seine, past Place de la Concorde, to the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay to admire the beautiful architecture, the glass pyramide and Notre-Dame in the distance. We hop on the metro again to meet another cousin (I swear, that's how every story starts with Gabriel: "I have a cousin...") Pierre at Rambuteau, in the 1eme arrondissement. Pierre is half Venezuelan, but grew up in France and lives in Paris now (and about to become a papa!) We have a drink all together and talk in French, then I'm on my way to catch my train home from Gare de Lyon.
It's a short visit, a taste si vous voulez, but I can't wait to come back and explore some more.

Skiing in the Alps

How I can I go back to skiing at Loon in New Hampshire once I've tasted the Alps?! Conditions were beyond perfection...fresh powder everywhere, endless trails, chairlifts that bring you to a new corner of the glacier, and BIG open trails.
Me, Gabriel, Isrrael (brothers from Venezuela, studying at le CUEF) Sasha, Sammy and Tom hop on a 2 hour bus on Friday night and arrive in the snowy ski town of Les Deux Alpes. There's just one main road, with ski shops, quaint little restaurants and pubs and cabins. In the night, you can see the outline of the ski trails sloping right down into the village. We stay at L'Hotel Des Neiges, and eat dinner all together at a fondue restaurant. Guinness beers afterwards in the local pub- meet loads of English people who work at the ski station during the winter.
Saturday morning, we way up at 8am and get our gear on - it's ski time ! It's takes a while to rent equipment, buy tickets and get breakfast (and cafe au lait), so it's almost 11am by the time we get on the first teleferry. It's a big round gondola that everyone jumps into, about 10 to each one. A 15 minute ride brings us up over the first mountain and to the base of the glacier. There's another teleferry to bring you to the top of the glacier, but we decide we just want to ski before waiting in any more lines. I kind of wish we went then because tempests came later on, so we never make it to the top :( Oh well, next weekend!
Instead, we all ski down to another chairlift (through some horribly cold wind) and hit a few slopes- the skiing is spectacular. I couldn't help screaming out "WOOP WOOP!" as I flew down the trail. Sasha and I are at exactly the same speed, so we stuck together throughout the day, while Gabriel and Issrael paired up (both snowboarders), and Sammy and Tom paired up. Sammy is from Vale, Colorado so she's a mad good skiier, but stuck with Tom (from Texas) who's never skiied before.

Sasha's incredibly good at snowboarding - it was so great to just FLY down the slopes. We get to one point on the mountain and just admire the breathtaking view of all the mountains in the distance. We couldn't get over the views, the powder, the conditions (and all the hot snowboarders :) Unfortunately, the wind gets too strong at the top so we make our way down to the base for lunch... we come to a crossroads- green trail (half of which is flat, no good for snowboarders) or black (très difficile). We debate, look at each one, look at each other- "Black?"
"Let's go for it!" We can't even see the other side of the trail, that's how steep it is- plus, the entire start of the trail doesn't have powder on it, so we just slide (and swear) our way down. It is SO steep - my legs are on FIRE as I try to turn sharply and hit the moguls. At one point, I lose control and take a little tumble...oh, can't stop, still tumbling, I CAN'T STOP! Op, there goes one pole, I'm rolling head over heals - I slide about 50 feet! I am a giant snowman, covered in snow. But I'm laughing laughing laughing because I literally couldn't stop rolling, it was so steep!
I use the rest of the energy left in my legs to get down the mountain- whew! Ok, never again... Blacks in NH are not the same as black diamonds in the Alps. Sasha and I are cracking up though because she just watched me tumble my way down the mountain, with my skis in the air and me freaking out! We walk a whiiiile over to a local restaurant for some hot pumpkin soup and espressos. The others guys all trickle in and we call it a day- the others got stuck in the tempest at the top and look frozen nearly to death. We all sit around for about 2 hours! The bus back to Grenoble isn't until 6pm...

Sanskgiving in Fronce

We had a petit soirée chez Marie-Eve last night for Thanksgiving. It seems to me that the French really don't get our holiday- "What? A holiday where you just eat?" Yes, when you think about it, there's no religious banter about resurrections or deaths or births- just giving thanks for the heaps of food on the table. Once again, we've prooved to the French that we are indeed crazy. :) So Marie-Eve, our wonderful program director, keeps up with the American traditions, all the way over in Grenoble, and orders massive amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce (the good kind) and gravy. The meal was delicious, although don't ever try to cut turket breast with a plastic fork- I go through about three. Then, of course, we break with tradition and add a little French twist- a cheese course. I've never seen so many on one plate before! Chevre, vache, fromage bleu- it certainly was a feast. When dessert came out, I could hear the bells of heaven. Geoffrey, our petit chef cooked a homemade pumpkin pie to die for. It's on the table for about 1.46 minutes before bam! it's gone. Others brought apple tarts, cakes, brownies, gateaux, and pudding.
After our feast, we celebrate Canaan's birthday with music - Jill and Geoffrey hit the piano and play songs that we all sing to. Canaan plays "Blackbird" and "Hey You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" by the Beatles on her guitar, I sing (2 glasses of wine later...). Then, for the finale of the talent show, Marion, Max, Evan and I get dressed up in 80s hairband costumes for our "air band" called "The Lost Kitties" (long story). It is fabulous ! Everyone laughs at our ridiculous costumes and Marion's imitation of Eddie Money singing "Take Me Home Tonight". I find a marocca in Marie-Eve's apartment, which entertains me the rest of the night haaha. After, Patrice does some ridiculous activity with all 25 of standing in a big circle. First we all whisper "Shoo shoo wa shoo shoo wa shoo shoo wa wa wa" and then sing "La laaaa la la la laaaaa" in a round until all of us have feet in, knees bent, butt sticking out, head up, tongue out! It was ridiculously funny, esp Patrice! Later, a bunch of us take the beers Evan brought to the soirée and drink them in a park, then "beers on a sidewalk" when he drops the box and they all explode :(

Is it France? Is it Germany? No, it's Strasbourg!

It was a 7 hr bus ride to get there, but the trip was obviously worth it. We are going to a completely new and different region of France. We drive past the luscious fields of Burgundy, past Dijon, through Franche-Comte (which borders Switzerland), Le Doubs and into Les Vosges of Alsace. We arrive in Colmar, in southern Alsace, around 2pm in the afternoon. It is a city along La Route des Vins, or winecountry! There are vineyards absolutely everywhere, in this luscious and fertile valley nourrished by the Rhine river. Colmar, as the name suggests, has a very German feel to it. Anna and I immediately associate lunch- German- BRATWURST! and wander in search of it around the little streets of Colmar. But to no avail..I guess we're not in Germany after all, but still in France :(
Colmar is very charming, quaint and beautiful- they were just starting to set up the famous Christmas markets that happens all over Alsace, and to which all the French flock for Christmas gifts. There was a cute little river that ran through the town, cobblestone roads and very different architecture. All weekend I felt as if we were in Germany, not in France. The houses all had those colonial architecture and wooden frames... but everyone spoke French ! So it was trippy....
They speak a dialect called Alsacien, sounding more German than French.
In Colmar, we explored the little shops and admired the giant sandstone cathedral in the centre - the stones were all carried from Les Vosges mountains surrounding Colmar. We got back on the bus and drove to a tiny village surrounded by green, luscious vineyards, fed and nourished by Le Rhin. In the town of Kientzheim, we visited a vineyard for a degustation du vin (pas du fromage this time :( First we saw all the big wooden vats that store the vin, and the compression vat that squishes the grapes. We got to taste about 6 white wines, which were all absolutely delicious. There was a Reisling, a Gewurtztraminer Schlossberg and a Pinot Gris to name a few. It smelled so good in the there! Like wine, apples and pears....
We walked through the little village, past the fountain and la mairie (town hall). An hour to Strasbourg; Aly and I just played the whole time with our scarves, tying them like gypsy women.
In Strasbourg, we settled into the hotel, got dressed for dinner and walked through a bit of the city to get to the restaurant. Then BAM ! The most breathtaking cathedral I think I will ever see, Strasbourg's claim to fame. It was literally breath-taking, when you turn the corner and suddenly this enormous cathedral rises up above you, all lit up and gothic !
We ate flemmenkuchen (flatbread pizza with cream cheese, ham and croucroute/sauerkraut) at a beer hall in the center and drank big pitchers of delicious German beer.
The beer hall reminded me SO much of the Hofbrau house in Munich - I really felt like I was in Germany! But no, it's still France ! A little history lesson of Strasbourg, by the way -
After the war in 1871, Germany (Prussia, at the time) took the rich, fertile region from France. At the end of WWI, the territory was taken by France. During the German occupation from 1940-1944, the territory was retaken by Germany, and finally given back to France in 1945. Finally, someone had the bright idea of asking the actual people there which country they wanted to belong to, and they chose France. So that's why the language sounds Germanic, but the street signs are half in Frence, half in Alsacien.
Strasbourg is the home of Gutenberg- you know, the guy who invented the printing press and basically set off everything in Europe. Also the home of De Lille, who wrote the French national anthem La Marseillaise. Why is it called La Marseillaise you ask ? Well during the French Revolution, or some war (I forget actually) they used the song to inspire troops to fight to save the liberty of their beloved France (we all know how much the French freakin love their liberty), and a troop from Marseille sang the song when they were fighting in Paris . Something romantic like that.
On Saturday morning, we were up at 8am for breakfast, then out and about in the city. We walked first to Le Vieux Quartier- called La Petite France. Sounds cute and quaint, but back in the Middle Ages, it's where they used to cure venereal diseases all the sailors would pick up. Nice. But today, all the old buildings remain and give the quarter a very old, Mid Ages feel to it. And of course, all that German architecture. We went on an hour-long boat ride up and down the Rhine that runs through the city. We even went into a lock! Reminded me of our houseboating trip in southern France and all the locks we went through :)
Saw old buildings, cathedrals, statues at one end of the river, and at the other was the Conseil de l'Europe, ultramodern. Quite a juxtaposition ....what a great city for the Conseil de L'Europe, in a city between two countries that used to loathe each other, and now work together.
We visited an outdoor market, full of fresh fruits and wine from the fertile region. So many smells, and sounds...an accordian and a trumpet duet, a mime nearby. We went inside the huge cathedral (the only one in France to fly to French flag) to see the astronomical clock.
Julia, Doug, Evan, Anna and I sat into a very cozy restaurant for a midday beer and choucroute, the regional specialty. Anna and I finally found our bratwurst and hot wine, which were both out of this world. We also bought roasted chestnuts- so Christmassy!

Dégustations et Lyon

We had wine tasting chez Celine et Remy for degustations du vin et du fromage. So much fun! Celine is the housing coordinator for the Grenoble program, Remy is her husband. He is very soft-spoken but kind of a big deal...He travels to Paris every week to eat at world-class restaurants and try exceptional wines, and then rate and write about it for the Michelin guide. What a job ! Paid to eat ! So he taught us a little about wines and fromage. He started us all out with a white wine - I actually learned what those words "dry" or "woody" or "fruity" mean! Before I would taste a wine and say "Oh yeah, this is so dry" and actually have no idea what I was talking about.... Ha! First we looked at the wine to see and judge by its color. Next you look at les jambes (the legs) to see les larmes, which indicates how much sugar or alcohol is in there. The next part is my favorite because it sounds so funny and I just picture doing it in a fancy-schmancy Parisien restaurant - its called retro-olfaction. Basically you drink a tiny bit of wine, then breathe in air through your mouth, then blow the air out through your nose. This way, the olfactory in your nose picks out the different scents and flavors of the wine. But it sounds like everyone is slurping ! Next you sniff the wine, swirl it, and smell again for new scents. Remy asks us what flavors we can pick out- fruity or flowery? Throughout the lesson, we smell apple, pear, orange, cassis, blueberry; for flowers, jasmine, rose, lavender, honey, cinnamon, leather, cloves. It's amazing the scents I could never pick out before.
We also tried with each wine some fromage from the region where le vin was made. The first one is a milk-based, very creamy cheese from La Haute-Savoie. Next, to go with our red wine we had a thicker, heavier cheese, like Comte. Another cheese was fromage bleu and delicious; un autre was le fromage de brebis - or ewe milk. So yummy!

I took the train right after to Lyon Part-Dieu to meet my new friend Benjamin. Ben is pretty cool! ..so French. Especially when he speaks English words like "perfect" hehe. But it's good cuz he makes fun of my accent and I make fun of his :) He also complains about...everything! But that's the French for you, everything that m'ennerve. We cook an easy dinner chez lui and then hit up a party in the chic quartier de Lyon. You can hear the party from 3 blocks away, which is always a good sign :) The theme of the party is La Crise, in sync with the economic crisis, so half the people are wearing shredded clothes, messed up hair, and a majority of the mecs (guys) there aren't wearing shirts! Or pants! I love France! I quickly realize that I don't know a single person here...Merde...Outside to the balcony, that's always a good way to meet people. I start talking with these cool girls, one who is in Lyon looking at schools. Everyone asks me all night if I go to EM Lyon, one of the top grand ecole business schools in France, and probably in Europe. A majority of the students I met at this party come from Paris, so it was cool to get a feel for what Parisiens are like- wicked cool. I should be in good hands. After that, I started talking to one of Ben's friends and we talk about franglais, or English words they use in French conversation, like Oui, c'est too much. But pretty soon, they have to leave as well- I have to find a new person to talk to! A guy is walking back inside, I quickly ask him in French "C'est quoi ta crise la?" ....what his crise is. He's not wearing a shirt, just a blazer with a price sticker on it. Anddd begin next conversation with Beaudoin from Paris. Through him I meet loads of cool people, one girl named Sixtine, who worked for a summer at RISD in Providence. She was so sweet! Offered to show me around Paris when I get there. I also met a guy, wearing a cow costume randomly, who is half French, half Scottish/English. Told me he's a baronnette- his father is a baron, his family name is (extremely British): Haycraft. But I just laughed at him because...he was wearing a cow costume with udders, so how am I supposed to take him seriously?
Sunday morning, Ben and I walked all around the old quartier de Lyon, which is absolutely beautiful. We walked up some endless stairs to a beautiful cathedral that overlooks the city of Lyon. The city reminded me a bit of Florence, with the houses all painted a light yellow, a big river running through it and small, cobblestones alleys that wind through the city. In the afternoon, our program took us to see Romeo and Juliet, the ballet at the Opera House. It was fantastic !

Gobama!

We had a lot of fun over here for the elections- we started watching at 11pm here in a local pub, but it was too early for much election coverage, the first polls were just starting to close. So we returned home to get some sleep...going to bed felt like the night before Christmas! Only because you know you'll wake up early for a very nice, inevitable surprise...
We woke up at 5 am and had a little party with fresh croissants et espresso at our director's office au centre ville. Some journalists from the local France-3 channel came by to film us all huddled around a computer feeding us live info off the internet on CNN.com - at 5am here they announced that Obama won and we all went wild! A few of us got a little teary eyed at his acceptance speech. Very inspiring and very exciting. It's a much different experience for me here in France with the election results than in the States- I'm finally proud to say I'm American again. The French have gained a little more respect for me, and each time I say I'm American, they reply with "You voted Obama! Good job!" . The French are extremely informed over here, at least in Grenoble, about the elections. I had a conversation with a guy the other day who knew so many details about each candidate, I was very impressed. Even before the election, Obama was on the cover of many newspapers and magazines, one saying "Would they dare elect him?". I guess I'm seeing how much the results of our decisions as a nation affect our neighbors, allies and the whole world. Do you think its the other way around though ? For example, when France was choosing their next Pres, I'll admit I had no idea who the candidates were ! Maybe that's the difference between our country and others..
Anyway, we each were interviewed Wed morning about our thoughts on the election results, here it is! Its all in French, but bon courage! Its the video all the way at the end of the page, labeled "Grenoble Etudiants Americains Emus (Elated)"...Im all the way at the end of the video.
http://rhone-alpes-auvergne.france3.fr/info/48272388-fr.php#para48286006

Much love to all and Gobama!

Making Progress

I feel like I'm getting more and more confident at French everyday! When I ride home on my bicycle, I listen to French music by either Carla Bruni or Yelle (sorry, that's all I have for now...) and try to catch every word they're speaking. I'm making progress. The bike path home is wonderful; it follows along L'Isere, I wear my Ray-Bans and meander along the bike path that goes direct from my house in Ile Verte to the University. I've been picking up a lot of things about the French language, little mannerisms, isms, if you will. One ism is how hard it is for anglophones to pronounce the vowels here. I learned in Linguistics the actual science behind it: they pronounce vowels at the front of their mouth rather than the back like us. As a result, sounds like "Je dit" sounds like a breath whisper or whistling at the end of the sentence. Can't quite master it, but at least I'm aware of it! They also go "euuuuhhh" rather than "ummm", and it seems to me that speaking French is much easier if you pucker out your lips hehe- it looks ridiculous to try, but it makes you sounds more French!
For my semester-long ethnography project, I've decided to do a study on "Franglais", mainly how English words are introduced, welcomed and rolled around in the French language. That is to say, how an English word is Francophonized- for example, les keufs is a verlan version of an English word for police- les flics. In the words of my French professor, the word was introduced into le roulette of the French language, tossed around and came out in verlan. I also think it's fascinating which words, especially English turned verlan, are recognized and understood by your everyday French person. What I want to do is look at different age groups, see what English words they use on a regular basis and which are thrown into a sentence. It would be most interesting to look at those who speak little or no English, such as my host father, yet use Franglais to express themselves in everyday life. Next, I want to look at how these words make their way in the French lexicon. How did cool and speed get introduced? American or British television shows? The media? Starting in Paris and then spreading out to the rest of France?
Another aspect, which broadens the topic a lot but it quite interesting, is how words from other languages are introduced and used in French conversation. For example, we talked about the word mesquin yesterday in class, an Arab word meaning missing generosity or grandeur that was introduced to the French lexicon back during the Middle Ages. It would be interesting the trade of individual words from an array of different languages, the swapping of words. The English language is a prime example; I've been making a list of all the French words we Americans, or Brits, use in everyday language without a thought to the origin of the word. For example: Voila, Bon Voyage, Bon Appetit, chic, cliché, and gourmet. See?!!?
Anyway, if anyone is interested in either participated in a survey I'll be sending out or have any more ideas, send 'em my way!

My French is getting better at the expense of my English. I can't form a proper sentence anymore! I swear by the time I get back to the States, I'll barely be able to converse normally with someone. I remember when that happened to Lillian when she got back from a year in Italy and said "I'm having 'ifficulties!"

La Grande Chartreuse

Ah, at last, the Alps. My most préférée journée last Sunday, when we drove into the heart of the Rhone-Alps to the Chartreuse Region. Our coach bus chugged its way up the windy, hairpin turns, past the empty ski huts preparing for winter, the alpine log cabins and the endless pastures of caramel-colored cows. Just when I thought we couldn't go any higher (or that our bus wouldn't make it another inch) we just kept climbing and climbing. I knew we had arrived when the road literally ended- on top of a mountain. There was a little log hut serving hot beverages and the most incredible blueberry tart you've ever seen. We started en route up a cow pasture to reach the very tippity-top of the mountain (had to watch where we were going so we didn't step in big piles of cow dung!). Up and up and up along a windy path that weaved back and forth among rocks and steep slopes. At the very top of the mountain was a giant cross- no, not where someone died (that would be tragic, not to mention scary as seeing there were cliffs all around us) but to symbolize the heavily religious area. Why? In the distance was the famous La Grande Chartreuse Monastère, founded in 1084 by Saint Bruno. The monks wanted to build a monastery in a most isolated region, hidden and protected under the jagged mountains above.
At the top, the view was absolutely breathtaking. We're talking 360 degree view here- all around were just endless mountains. It seemed as if they never stopped. Each mountain was blanketed in velvery pastures, dotted with cows, with a rocky ridge on top. Far down below you could make out the road snaking its way through the valley and see all the clusters of villages.
Our group found a spot back down the path in a grassy field for our picnic. And for entertainment? Why, les parapentistes! Paragliders, if you will- over fifteen of them! A bunch of guys lay out their parachutes, strapped themselves to the harness, made a run for it- and literally jumped off a cliff. Made me think of: "Just because someone else jumped off a cliff, would you?"- hell freakin yeah!
It looked like SO much fun - you just float in the air on a giant parachutes, gliding on the air currents, swooping in and out over the massive valley. Sign me up for the next trip! A bunch of kids from our program are going October 8th- get back to you on that one :)
After lunch, Stephanie and I frolicked through a field a grass- on top of an Alp. It was amazing and felt quite appropriate. On our way down, there were these two little boys with their parents, walking down the treacherous path (and doing great! Little French babies!). One had curly blonde hair and they both were no older than five years old and ADORABLE. The little brunette finally stood in my way, and in his little voice goes: "Non! Tu peut pas passer!" while holding his arms up. Merdeux!
On the way down, Stephanie and I gently sang Sound of Music songs, like "The Hills Are Alive," "My Favorite Things," and that one that the puppets sing (we just liked the yodeling part.)
So on our way down this green pasture, spotted with dairy cows (wearing big cowbells and makin' a racket! Thought of Grandma's cowbell...I kept thinking someone was calling me for lunchtime), we were yodeling and skipping and just having a great time. As one point, I realized how much fun the hills looked like for rolling- so I just rolled the rest of the way down! It's fun to be a kid...
A cup of hot chocolate at the little lodge warmed us right up, bought some fromage, the freshest, with Geoffrey. Also immediately thought of Claire when I saw this beautiful St. Bernard running along on one of the hillsides. I thought, "A St. Bernard! On an Alp! Where's Claire?!"
Back on the bus, back down the hairpin turns, and right back up another Alp in search of the monastery. First, we visited a church in a nearby village completed decorated by an artist's contemporary religous artwork of the Bible. Extremely interesting. Who knew you could find such a treasure in a tiny Alpine village outside Grenoble. I'll say that the church was extremely bright and colorful, and each painting (there were at least 50!) had abstract drawings of biblical figures and angels (and a very abstract depiction of Christ above, like none other). There was a lot of red in the paintains and he used a lot of gold flecks in his work. Fascinating!
The road to the monastery wound right along a clear stream, and if you looked up, you saw only great rocks above from the tops of the hills. Nestled in the mountains is the monastery Chartreuse.
D'abord, we checked out the museum to get a sense of what life what like in the monastery for the forty or so monks who live there. They live in solitude in one modest room with a bed, desk, stove and pulpit. The only day they are allowed to talk are Sundays, when the monks have déjeuner together and discuss philosophy, God, gossip? Doubt it. At one point, we all self-reflected about living in that kind of solitude and speaking so rarely. Not for me, but I have immense respect for it.
To see the monastery (you aren't actually allowed to enter it but just view), we walked about a mile down a long road lined with big trees and cow pastures. Climbed up yet another hillside that overlooked the entire monastery nestled in a small valley hidden between two mountains. It was breathtaking- the sun was just setting over a hillside and the light shone through the trees to show a cascade of light down the mountain. Incroyable.
For me, the biggest highlight was after walking all the way back, un frère passed us on a bicycle and said "Bonsoir!" - a monk! On a bicycle! Wearing a beret! And talking, because it was Sunday. You don't see that everyday!

Antsy in Annecy

So yesterday we had a day trip to Annecy, right near the Italian/Swiss border- not too far from Mont Blanc! Its a beauutiful Alp village called the "Venice of France" bc it has canals running through it (buttttt in reality not nearly as cool as Venice!). It's famous for a lot of things including where Jean-Jacques Rousseau lived for a while (and met his mentor Madame de Warens) and its Sunday market, where all the little cobblestone streets are filled with farmers selliing fruits/veg, salamis, sausage and FROMAGE! ( The farmers are such alpine mountain-men with big bushy beards hehe!). I picked up a lot of Italian walking through the streets because we were so close to the border. Annecy is right on Lake Annecy, which is 14 km in length and the most gorgeous color blue! It lies at the base of all these mountains and is absolutely pristine. In the summer, Solomon himself (as in Solomon ski gear) has a house there as well as the most populated five-star hotels/restaurants in France! Wow! I can picture it well during the summertime, with the big park going right up to the bord du lac and families walking around, swimming, wind-surfing, sailing, paddle-boating.
For lunch, we had a famous Savoie meal called raclette : it's similar to fondue (also originated in Savoie region) but wayyy cooler- you take a wheel big of cheese (best cheese I honestly will EVER have), slice it in half and stick it a heat source and let it melttttt right on to a plate of potatoes, salami, prosciutto, cornichons et oignons. Delicieux.

The last picture is with the director of the program, Marie-Eve Scheibling, who is absolutely wonderful. We would be perdue without her!

All for now, all my love!
Bisoux,
Julia