Last week was one of the more “normal” weeks of the trip since we weren’t gone for the week on an excursion (**side note- my week in Normandy is on the way, there is just so much to write I need to finish narrowing it down). We returned from Normandy Tuesday night (17th) so Wednesday (18th) morning was spent studying for our test on Normandy. We were studying what seemed like every single war the French had ever been in, so there was a lot of information. The bus and tram recharging machines were all not working around the city, (still not sure if it was a strike), but thankfully the actual buses and trams were working. However this didn’t help me since I had run out of passes the day before we left for Normandy. So without any passes, I walked downtown. I had my iPod and listened to Needtobreathe the entire 30 minutes. If you don’t listen to them or don’t know who they are, look them up. Now. I felt like I was floating the entire way in town, they are so upbeat and encouraging. My friend Julia and I returned to Café La Chouette and spent allll morning reviewing. We grabbed a bite there, thanked our friend Jimmy who gave me my “chocolate chaud” (hot chocolate) for free, and then walked to class. It was an absolutely beautiful day. I ate dinner with my mère, Martin, and of course Gaston. Fun fact of the day: I thought it was Tuesday the entire day. I even invited my friend Louise to dinner with my American friends “Thursday” night, thinking it was 2 nights from then. Maybe it was a good thing she had other plans...
Thursday (19th): Another beautiful day and I still didn’t have bus passes so I rode my bike. I loved it! I kept pace with the bus I would have been on, (take that however you want), and I even passed a few of my classmates on the way there. They were lovin’ the bike and a few of them are even thinking about getting one too. We had class in the morning, then a lunch break, then started a new class in the afternoon on French culture. I tried another food at lunch that didn’t pay off at all. It was duck mixed in a blender… why did I even give it a chance?? It looked gross, smelled worse, and the texture was unbearable. I don’t feel like I’m missing out if I choose never to eat it again. Our new teacher seems super great, but our final project is an hour long presentation in French in December… I don’t even think I can do that in English, but as my mom pointed out, at that point I probably won’t be able to. I rode my bike back home and then went for a long, release all the pent up energy walk/ run with a friend back up to the city at the edge of the cliff. I had been inside for too long. I have to take a second here to say how thankful I am that my mother made us play outside growing up. What a blessing it was to learn to appreciate beautiful days and the need for fresh air. I think I was spoiled as a child though because now it seems harder to find time to play outside. I guess the more grown up version is going for walks, which I’m willing to do too.
Friday (20th): No class on Fridays so I thought that meant I would get to sleep in a little bit. It was not to be, but for great reason. My mère had plans for me to go to the “marché” (market) with her but we had to be leaving at 10 am since she told me that her group of girlfriends met for coffee afterwards. SUCH Steel Magnolias I can’t even get over it. So I accompanied her and her mother, both of whom I am significantly taller than, and of course Gaston came too. My mère told me he doesn’t like being alone, and he was quite the social butterfly at the market, let me tell you. Afterwards she went to meet her friends and I hung around, buying some fresh food too and browsing the boutiques nearby. It reminded me a little bit of the Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town from last summer, and I was again so humbled by the amazing experiences I have been able to have at just the age of 20. I am so incredibly thankful and truly would travel for the rest of the life if it were the Lord’s plan for me. I absolutely love it. I met two friends for lunch nearby and then they helped me do a little pre-Paris birthday shopping for myself and I got myself a fun pair of heels, thanks to the money I made this summer. I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon then came back into town for dinner and a sleep over at my friend Caitlin’s apartment. A group of us attempted to find some type of nightlife just to release some energy and hang out somewhere that wasn’t someone’s house, but it wasn’t meant to be either. Apparently the few places that are in Dijon don’t get bumpin’ until around 2 am… We weren’t feelin’ that and were in bed by 12:30 at the latest. As Caitlin said, “we won”.
Saturday (21st): I met two of my friends to go to a Cezanne exhibit in Ornan, a little teeny town in France and oh my gosh what an adventure. We rode the TGV to get to the city of Besancon and then we needed to get a bus from there to get to Ornans. When we arrived we thought we had about 2 hours before our bus left so we casually walked around the cute little town and were eating a leisurely lunch when my friend Lauren looked at the bus schedule and realized we had read it wrong. We had already missed the bus from the train station but if we could find the other bus stop in 4 minutes, we would make it. Well we had NO idea where it was, so we asked an old man, he pointed us in the general direction, and I saw a giant bus turning on the road I was pretty sure he pointed to so I took off sprinting towards it. We just barely made it! About 30 minutes later we were there. The exhibit was a comparison of Cezanne and Courbet, (the painters for those of you who may not know), so it was pretty interesting, but it only took us about an hour and half to get through. The next bus to leave back to Besancon didn’t leave for 5 more hours, so we piddled around, went to a cafè, sat in a park, and walked around the town. That took up maybe 2 hours. That museum is the only thing to do in that town. You think I’m kidding… We were dyin’. We were very happy to see the bus show up to take us back to Besancon. We arrived back at the train station around 7:00 pm and Caroline had said she thought there might have been a train leaving around then so we ran inside only to find out there was a strike, but only with the conductors of our train back to Dijon… we were heartbroken, truly heartbroken. We were so excited about getting home, but it was getting dark, we were hungry, and left with only the promise of a possible bus coming an hour and half later for us, if the bus driver wasn’t on strike too and if we could find it. We grabbed some dinner, then went and stood where we thought the bus would be. Thankfully we were right but the bus was 20 minutes late, so we were nervous he might have been on strike too. We hopped on the bus around 8:50 pm being told we would get back to Dijon around 9:30. We pulled up at 11:15 folks. Not even at the train station either. Our bus driver couldn’t find it… I could find it and I’ve only lived here for a month! Anyways, we got back safe and sound and my sweet père came and picked me up, telling me strikes are very normal around here. I’ve decided that I really don’t like strikes.
Sunday (22nd): I finally slept in. First morning I’ve gotten to do that since I’ve been here believe it or not, (even though I still woke up to an alarm at 11 am). I got breakfast, cleaned my room, then headed back downtown since Caitlin and I had decided we were going to make brunch together. It was incredible! We had 6 eggs, an avocado I had bought at the market, and fresh croissants with raspberry jelly. It felt so good to be in a kitchen and eat exactly what I wanted to, even though don’t get me wrong, I love my mère’s cooking. She is no Margaret Hamilton though, but hey, not everyone can be! We hung out for a while downtown and then I headed home to pack for our 2 week long trip to the Loire Valley and Paris. I had family dinner with my mère and père, Martin, Olivier, and his girlfriend Marie. I truly feel like part of the family around here and I am understanding more and more French. The meal lasted 2 and ½ hours, my longest yet with them, but I had nowhere important to be and I enjoyed having the excuse to sit there and spend time with them. I feel very blessed to get to live with a family so similar to my own at home, and I know God is good and He knew I would be with the Fleck’s before I ever did.
So much love all the way from France! Normandy blog coming soon, I promise!
The 5 most heard songs here in France (this includes public transportation, shops, and restaurants). 1- "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. 2- "Let Her Go" by Passenger. 3- "Treasure" by Bruno Mars. 4- "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus. 5- "Vous etes formidable" by ???. Anyone notice anything funny about the first 4??
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