Le Premier Weekend Reposant

This may be the first weekend where I just sit back and relaxed.  No big day trips, no big projects (though I do have one or two looming that I hope to get started on).  Not that I don't love traveling, but it's nice to come up for air every now and then.

Friday (yes, to the chagrin of all my Lehigh friends, my weekend starts on Friday) I went shopping with my friend Elizabeth.  Really fun to just look around.  I bought a really cute dress and earrings (and a power adapter because mine broke). 

Saturday, I went to the beach with a bunch of friends.  I was in a bikini in March!  Well, it was a little windy so I kept my jeans on, but I did manage to get a little burn on my arms.  It was so fun to just hang out and do nothing in the sun.

 

And today, Sunday, I haven't done anything except have a big meal with my host family.  I woke up at 11 (well, it felt like 10 because we just moved the clocks forward), watched a little TV, and just generally enjoyed spending time with my host family.  And lunch was so nice!  First, everyone was there: Marie, her three sons (Ben, 23, Max, 21, and Clement, 20), Sol, and the son's father. 

Also, the food was amazing: shrimp and calamari (I think) to start, then seafood kebabs with oranges and red peppers plus carrots, salad, and french fries (or freedom fries as we joked), then bread and cheese, and finally some pastries and coffee.  Scary to think that now I (the tea drinker) can now drink black coffee (with sugar)!  My host family likes to joke that I'm the first American who eats everything (I think the two students before me were vegetarians).  The boys' dad said that curiosity is a sign of intelligence. 

Here I'd like to give credit to my dad; he travels a lot for business and when I was younger he'd always come back saying all the crazy things he tried.  I have two theories of how this affected me: I either learned to be adventurous from him or, in comparison to some of the things he's tried (like cow udder or sea urchin), trying a new kind of fish or cheese sounds tame.  Either way, thanks Dad!  

Check out Les Recettes for a culinary update! (with pictures!)

Roquefort: "Le Roi des Fromages"

Updated with pictures!

Last weekend, the program organized an "excursion" for us.

First we went to the Couvertoirade.  Unfortunately I forgot my camera, but I'll borrow pictures from my friend's facebooks as they become available (giving credit of course).  Also, unfortunately, it was cold and alternated from sunny to a fine mist of rain so I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I could have (or feel inclined to listen to the tour guide).

(From Willow)

(From Willow)

(From Julie)

But here is a little history of the city: It is a fortified city that was created by the Knight's Templars in the 12th/13th C.  (ok... very little history.  I really didn't feel like paying attention)

It was super adorable though!  TINY city!  Wiggly, cobble stone streets.  Stone buildings with wooden shutters and doors.  Ivy growing on the buildings.  It was so cute and I would love to go back some day (during the summer!).

(From Michelle)

After, we stopped at the Millau Viaduct, the highest bridge in Europe, for a photo-op.  It literally connects two mountains and there were gorgeous views of the mountains and valleys of the French countryside.  Absolutely gorgeous!

(From Willow)

Finally, we went to the Roquefort caves.  There was a film about the process (laughably dramatized... they called it the King of Cheeses and the Cheese of the Gods) and then we got to look at the cheese sitting in this cold, dank, SMELLY cave.  It's such a unique place with such a specific climate to make a very strong cheese.  We also got to taste it... kind of like bleu cheese but 10x stronger!

(From Willow)

The excursion was good, but I think I really just enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with my friends more than the places themselves (mostly due to the weather and the early wake up call).

Woah, We're Half Way There...

...Woah-OH Living on a prayer.  Sorry, couldn't resist.

But it's quite amazing that it's already the halfway point.  My first instinct is to look forward at what I have left.  An amazing spring break trip planned (with a special surprise guest!), warm weather, finishing internship applications, finals... And looking at everything, both good and bad, feels a little daunting.

However, I think before I look ahead, I would do better to reflect.  The last two months have rocket shipped by!  Getting settled into a new culture, exploring France, meeting tons of new people, speaking French all the time, going to Spain... Looking back, no wonder I'm a little tired.

I think the biggest hurdle for me to get over as I look to the rest of my abroad experience is the language.  Speaking French 24/7 is certainly exhausting, but practicing it is the only way to make it easier.  There are days where I just want to hide in my room (aka my English bubble) but on those days, I find dinner with the host family a little harder.  It's a bit of a paradox: the more effort you put into it, the less effort it takes.

I also want to pat myself on the back.  I find that I often overlook what I've accomplished and focus on what I can improve on, but this kind of positive reflection is also necessary.  I'm proud of the fact that I am doing it!  I feel like I've truly made Montpellier home.  And even though I feel like I want to understand the city itself a little better, I know that I have the tools to do so.  I've already figured out a lot (I never realized how much I'd have to set up in starting a new life elsewhere... cell phones, daily routines, tram cards, friends, etc.) and I know that I can live in Montpellier how I want to.

So what's in front of me?  Two goals: keep improving my French (I feel like a little fatigue or maybe just laziness, has set in and I've plateaued... no more of that) and keep exploring Montpellier (again, I've gotten content with my life routine which I feel doesn't take full advantage of the city).

I'm really looking forward to what's coming up :)

Stay tuned for... The Second Half!

Day 7 and 8: Córdoba, One More Gaudí, and The End.

On Day 7 we decided to get out of Sevilla for a day trip to Córdoba.  During the Moorish reign, Córdoba was the main hub.  It's not as big now, but still has some awesome sights.  We started by wandering through the Jewish Quarter.  Similar to Sevilla, but smaller and windier streets (not windy as in breezes, but windy as in a maze). 

The major site in Córdoba is the Mezquita, a once-mosque turned into a cathedral when the Christians reconcured.  It was stunning!  First, it retains much of its original mosque design.  It has these amazing red and white stripped double arcs EVERYWHERE that makes the room feel endless.  In the back there is the Mihrab, the main focal point of worship.

But then, plopped dead in the middle, is a cathedral.  A hugely tall cathedral that seems totally out of place.  It's beautiful, but everything seems like it was pieced together.

 After, we went to the Alcázar, but it was much less impressive than the one in Sevilla (but free).  The gardens were nice, but under maitenance and then we wandered through the building.  On first appearance it seemed like there were only a few rooms, but on further exploration, we found our way up onto the ramparts and other parts of the building.  Very nice.

When we came back to Sevilla, we met up with another one of Ellie's friend.  We went to dinner and then went salsa dansing!

For more pictures from day 7 click on the organ from the Mezquita:

Day 8:

Our last day in Spain was kind of slow because we were tired.  We went back to Barcelona and checked out the Gaudí designed Park Guëll.  It was really awesome, but very croweded and a little cold so we didn't stay as long as we would have liked.

 

For our last night, we went out to a nicer restaurant with some people we met from the hostel (American, Quebecois, and Brazilian). 

The next day we took a bus "home" to Montpellier.  It was actually quite a strange feeling because, even when I didn't know if home was Lehigh or New Jersey, at least it was always in the US.  But now, my concept of home has been shifted, because leaving Spain definitely felt like going home.

And thus concludes winter break!

For more pictures from day 8, click on the tiles:

Stay tuned for... The smelliest caves in all of France

Day 5 and 6: Hitting the Major Sights of Sevilla

Days 5 and 6 (Tuesday and Wednesday) were spent checking out some of the major monuments in Sevilla and I took so many pictures!

We started at the Alcázar.  The Alcázar was built by King Pedro I of Castille in the 14th Century.  Even though the palace looks Moorish, it was actually built after the Christian reconquering of Sevilla.  A good way to tell that the Alcázar wasn't built by Muslims is that there are pictures of people and animals.  Islam only allows for geometric decorations.  This blending of Christan and Moorish style is called Mudéjar.

And this style is truly beautiful.  Domes, arches, tiles... and then there are the gardens which literally just keep going.  Oh, and did I mention that we found peacocks strolling the gardens.  Yeah.

After the Alcázar, we went for a stroll on the other side of the river, an area called Triana. Triana is famous for its flamenco dancers, sailors, and bullfighters.  It was quite pretty and we got to see an awesome view of Sevilla from across the river.

That night, after dinner, we went to a flamenco performance.  Unlike the one in Barcelona, there were dancers and it made all the difference in the world.  Ellie and I agreed that the musicians were better in Barcelona, but I never realized how important the dancers would be.  They were just as much as a part of the band as they were dancers!  I especially noticed that they set the rhythm (much like a drummer) and gave much needed punctuation to the singing and playing that could seem a little bland.

I also had a bit of a thought: I noticed at the first performance that I heard a lot of middle eastern sounds, especially in the singing (which was often one, long, nasal-y note).  But this make sense since flamenco came from Sevilla, which was once populated by Muslims.

Click on the peacock for more pics from Day 5:

The next day, we hit up the other major site - the Santa Iglesia Catedral.  The Catedral is the third largest in the world after St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London.  It also has the world's largest altarpiece, which illustrates the life of Jesus in gold, the remains of Christopher Columbus, and a huge treasury (with, you guessed it, more gold).

It was also here that we learned (from Rick) about Justa and Rufina, Martyrs of Sevilla.  These women are always depicted holding rosemary (like the women who still accost tourists trying to force a palm reading... more about that next) and ceramic.  Also, they're always in front of the Giralda, the Catedral tower, which we got to climb to see an awesome view of Sevilla.














The place was certainly spectacular, but I felt kind of queasy with all the gold.  I much preffered our next site, the Plaza de España.  Created in 1929 for the Ibero-American exposition, the Plaza de España is decorated in beautiful painted tiles, with a sort of "cubby" for each region of Spain.

I was like a kid at Disney here, basking in the sun and taking tons of pictures!

Next, we strolled through the Parque de Maria Luisa.  It was really nice and quiet and had TONS of birds.  First, there was a black bird with a little bit of red on her head swimming in the water with her chicks walking on the bank of the pond.  The chicks were these fluff balls with giant feet, and when the mom got out, she kind of looked like a chicken when she walked.  There were also HUGE ducks.  I mean duck that were bigger than some of the roaming cats.  The funniest part was when we saw a stand off between a cat and a peacock.

Then we met up with Ellie's friend Laura.  She took us to walk around some of the parts we hadn't seen yet and to Casa de Pilatos (just an old house with some cool tiles).  We ate dinner near the University (which was SO gorgeous) with some of her friends before going back to the hostel for the night.  Ellie was tired, but I had a chance to meet some of the people at the hostel--a dutch girl and an italian girl.  Both very friendly and fun to talk to.

Click on the Nun Cookies for more pictures from day 6:

Stay tuned for... cor-DO-ba... no, you mean, COR-do-ba and some unfinished business in Barcelona

Weekend Update

We interrupt the sequence of blog postings to bring you this important weekend update:

So first, yesterday and my host mom made a DELICIOUS chocolate cake!  So good!  (Check out recipes!)

And today there was a "Food Products of France" Tour: Olive farm, Goat farm, and Vineyard.  But, this is my life, so nothing is ever straight forward.  So I woke up this morning to a spam text message from my phone company (saying congrats!  you ordered more minutes!... yeah, big woop).  But I didn't know who it could be, so I got out of bed to check it.  Then I realized... it's 8:45.  I have to be there at 9:15.  Even though I knew it was going to rain a lot (and it did) and even though I had a sore throat in the morning (it's mostly better now), I took this as a literal wake up call from god that I was supposed to be on this field trip.  So I hussled myself down there and just made it.

At first, I was pissed that I had.  The olive farm was kind of cool, but also very cold and not that exciting.  Had it been warm, I would have enjoyed looking at trees a lot more.   Though it was funny that the tour guide at this location was dressed like an olive...

On the bus ride to the second location I was thinking to myself: I should have stayed in bed today.

So glad I didn't!  They say that scent is the strongest tie to memory and I believe it.  As soon as we arrived at the goat farm, the smell of goat and straw sent me back to my first grade trip to the petting zoo (where it also rained buckets).  The goat-hand was super friendly (albeit very pierced with hair that, with some gel, was probably a mohawk) and let us pet the goats and even hold the babies (who were born yesterday).

And then I did something I never thought I'd get to do: I milked a goat.  It was on my bucket list: check!  Not as hard as I thought it would be, but it did take a couple tries to get the technique.

Then we went to the vineyard.  Since the grapes weren't growing (and it was really too cold to show us anyway), they showed us the fermenting tanks (yawn).  Then we did a taste test and honestly, the flavor wasn't my favorite.  It wasn't that it was too dry, it just had a slightly strange taste.  People were having a lot of fun at this even.

To top off the day, I was one of two winners (there was a trivia from the tour quiz)!!  I won a bottle of wine and some goat cheese.  Totally delicious!

So not only did I win a prize, I also crossed something off my bucket list.  And I came home to mail from Mom and Josh.

Overall.  Fantastic day!

Stay tuned for: MORE SPAIN :)

Day 3 and 4: Peaceful Strolls and the 100 yard airport dash

Day 3

After a full day of city, Ellie and I decided to explore the nature side of Barcelona so we went to Montjuïc, a series of parks on this huge hill.

We started by going to the Castell de Montjuïc  There was an amazing view of Barcelona and the Mediteranian.

After the Castell, we tried to find the Jardí Botànic.  And by try, I mean we stood looking at streets with no names for 15 minutes.  Eventually, I gave in and found the nices looking Spanish woman I could.  She was so helpful and recommended that we go to this smaller garden before going to the Jardí.  It was well kept grounds and some fountains.  Really cute with amazing sunshine!

The Jardí Botanic itself was very cool, but not really in bloom.  Al the plants come from mediteranian-like climates (which also includes California, parts of Chile, and parts of Africa).  It was really nice to just wander and enjoy being out of the main city for a bit.




That night we couldn't find the resaurant we wanted to go to so we went back to the diner place from the first night because we were hungry and knew that tomorrow would be really early.

Day 4

Day 4 started at 3:55 am and a cab ride to the airport.  We walked quickly through the air port and just got to the gate when they started bording.  All was good.

Then we got to the front of the line.

The woman told us that we had to get our tickets stamped (policy of Ryan Air).  We didn't know this and the man at baggage check told us that if we didn't have baggage to check then we didn't need him.  But he failed to mention that we had to stamp our tickets.  So we SPRINTED down, past security, to a window NEXT to baggage check and then SPRINTED back up, through security (thank god no line!) and just barely made it back to the gate as they were closing the door.

But Sevilla was worth the heart attack.  Cute, twisty streets; rich history and culture; and orange trees and painted tiles everywhere!  (too bad they're not good to eat... they make marmalade out of it).

We manuvered our way from the airport to the hostel, dropped our stuff in the luggage store room, and had a pastry and really good coffee.  

Unfortunately there was a holiday so the lines for everything were huge.  So instead of wasting time in lines, we put off going into places and decided to do Rick Steve's walking tour of the Barrio Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter.

 

Rick had us star at the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes and Plaza del Trifuno, the plazas with the main Catedral and Alcázar.  We then wiggled through the streets and plazas in the areas around the Catedral and Alcázar.  

We interrupt this program for a historical lesson: In 711ad, the Muslim Moors conqured the Catholics.  Then in 1248, King Ferdinand III (Catholic) reconquered Sevilla.  It wasn't until Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Grenada in 1492, thus expelling the Moors from Spain.  Sevilla also had a flourishing Jewish culture under the Moors, but after the conquest of King Ferdinand in 1248, the Jews were persecuted, culminating in a pogram in 1391.  

That night, we decided to go to a nicer restaurant.  I tried eggs with cod... which literally was scrambled eggs mixed with potato and cod.  So delicious!

Stay Tuned For: Holy Picture Taking Batman!

For more pictures from Day 3, click on the oranges:  (follow links on the side to Day 4)