four months in france

Goodbye Time

2009-05-04T16:37:00.004+02:00

On Saturday, we said goodbye to Ambialet, to Albi, to Toulouse, to France, and to everyone who has taken such good care of us these last four months: Tim, Dan, and Gerry. We said goodbye to Brune and Jay-Z, to the monastery, to this wonderful home away from home.

There were tears as we boarded the bus, as we drove away from the monastery, and as we traveled on the winding roads between Ambialet and Toulouse. But I knew it would be nothing compared to saying goodbye to everyone in Paris.

I was the only one who opted to stay here for an extra few weeks; everyone else had a flight from Paris to Philly to catch. I didn’t get to sit with the others on the plane—I was in the back, they were all seated up front. So when we arrived in Paris, they were able to get off the plane first and it took some time before I was able to. As I made my way toward the exit, I turned the corner and saw eleven people I have come to think of as family waiting for me where it splits off between baggage claim and connecting flights.

As I started hugging and saying goodbye, I started to get teary-eyed, but of course as I last hugged Cat, the waterworks started. Then some people also started to get teary-eyed and/or cry, which only made me cry even more. But there was nothing else to do. I had hugged them all, I had said goodbye, and now it was time to walk away. They had to go in one direction, I in another. Turning around and leaving them was the hardest thing I have ever done.

There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief... and unspeakable love.

I don’t know how to sum up this whole experience; I don’t think anything I could try to write would do it justice. But I had the greatest experience of my life over here and it is still sometimes hard for me to believe the places I’ve been, the things I’ve seen, and the people I’ve met. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to do this and I will always look back on these four months with fond memories and overwhelming nostalgia. It went by way too fast, but that is just a testament to all the amazing adventures we had the chance to experience.

There are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.

This experience truly went beyond my wildest dreams and beyond anything I ever imagined it would be like... It was even better.

Last Excursion

2009-04-30T23:37:00.005+02:00

This week, we had an excursion to Roquefort, Millau, and La Couvertoirade.

Roquefort is where they make the famous Roquefort cheese. We went into the caves where they age the company's Société cheese. It was a very interesting tour and we had a nice tour guide who, even though the tour was mainly in French, would stop and repeat what she had said in English. We were very appreciative of that.

Millau is home to the viaduct de Millau, the world's tallest suspension bridge.

We were able to make the trek up to this wonderful lookout point right next to the bridge.

Then we had a photo shoot and took lots of pictures, haha.

It was really windy, but it was a beautiful day with big, puffy clouds.

Then we drove across the bridge...not only is it very high, it's pretty long, too!

After that, we went to La Couvertoirade, a nice little medieval village.

There were lots of cats wandering around; I found this cutie just outside the village.

I chilled with him for awhile. haha.

Yet another highway shot on the way home.

The French countryside is just beautiful, isn't it? :)

And the countdown begins...

2009-04-25T16:00:00.009+02:00

Today marks our last Saturday in Ambialet... Next week at this time we will no longer be here. :(

I can't believe how quickly time went by. It feels like we've been here forever and it will be so sad to leave. We have truly come to think of the monastery as our home.

I just hope that the next week goes by as slowly as possible so we can enjoy what little time we have left here.

The weather has been sooo nice lately. On Thursday, I went outside and sat in the hammock, and this was the view I had. I will miss it dearly!

Jay-Z was by my side, catching some Zs and laying in sunbeams. As much of a troublemaker as he is, I will also miss him dearly.

On Friday, we all went to Chateau Les Broussards to have lunch and explore.

The view was simply stunning. We got a great look at the river and the surrounding scenery. On our way to this lookout point, Owen...

Matt...

Eric...

And Ian all jousted (I think that's the proper term, haha) as they did back in the Middle Ages.

Below is most of the girls in front of the Princess Tower. :)

When I told Matt and Eric to smile, this is what I got. haha.

We all had a lot of fun on our last little excursion... The town was so quaint--I will miss these little French villages!

I will also miss the beautiful French countryside...

I think it's safe to say I will definitely miss France.

Barcelona

2009-04-21T21:34:00.013+02:00

Cat, Leah, Ian, Matt, and I went to Spain for a long weekend. We left Ambialet on Wednesday night, took a bus from Albi to Toulouse, then another bus from Toulouse to Barcelona. It was a pretty brutal night of traveling, haha.

We left Toulouse around midnight and thought we would arrive in Barcelona around 6am. Needless to say, we were a bit caught off guard when we pulled into the Barcelona bus station at 4:30am. None of us slept very well on the bus, so we weren't exactly thrilled at the prospect of sitting around in the bus station until it got light out... But we dealt with it, and at first light at 7:45am we headed out into the city.

We went to the Arc de Triomphf first, because it was near the bus station. It was nice to see it with the morning light shining upon it. Also in the area was a Citudella Park, a beautiful oasis. Since it was early morning we pretty much had the park to ourselves. There was a charming little lake with trees all around.

There were palm trees everywhere!

Barcelona was a lot more tropical than I thought it would be. The weather was amazing, except for a few hours of rain one day. But the city does sit on the Mediterranean; the Columbus monument above points toward the sea.

This is Port Vell, where there is a cool pedestrian bridge. Half of it can be moved out of the way to allow ships to pass through. We were able to see this process as a large boat set out for sea.

I loved going to the beach...

It was so pretty. :)

And we all dipped our feet into the Mediterranean...but the water was freezing!

We just hung out at the beach for a good bit of time, taking in the sights and enjoying the fresh sea air.

Leah and Cat played in the sand while I collected seashells.

While in Barcelona, we also visited La Sagrada Familia, a temple designed by famous architect, Gaudi. He has work ALL over Barcelona.

The church was unlike anything I've ever seen before. There is so much to take in and so much exquisite detail in the carvings.

Above is another famous work by Gaudi.

We went back to the beach to (hopefully) catch some sun and swim. However, it was very windy and we spotted some ominous-looking clouds coming our way. But the boys braved the cold water and jumped into the ocean quite a few times before the storm arrived. And it was quite a downpour. We sought refuge in the mall at Port Vell until the rain slowed down.

I really liked the Port Vell area. There was a lot to see and do there.

On our last day in the city, Leah, Cat, and I went back to La Sagrada Familia to go inside. The first time we were there, the line was extremely long and we decided it wasn't worth it to wait. We would come early the next day and beat the crowd. Gaudi was a really interesting architect. We learned about his inspirations, which mostly came from nature. The columns and ceilings in the church, above, were inspired by trees and their canopies. Pretty cool.

There was construction going on while we were there, but we were still able to see everything.

We even went to the top of the church and saw this great view of Barcelona.

You had to take an elevator to go to the top, but we took the stairs coming down. Yet another spiral staircase (Europe just loves them), though this one wasn't as treacherous as the others I've walked down.

As you worked your way back to the ground, there were various look-out points and balconies. You could see the church's architecture up close, which was really cool.

Yep, those are strawberries!

I'm really glad we decided to go to the top. It was definitely worth it.

Our last day was pretty much a day of Gaudi. We finished up at La Sagrada Familia and went to...

Parc Guell, designed by Gaudi.

It is perched atop Barcelona (we had to walk up a steep hill with hundreds of steps to get to it) and boasts a great view of the sea.

It was, again, a gorgeous day.

The park was probably one of my favorite places in Barcelona.

Pretty ceramics...

and pretty scenery.

We hiked up yet another huge hill to take in another amazing view of the city and the sea beyond.

On our last morning, we woke up at 5am...

Because we wanted to go to the beach and see the sun rise.

It was absolutely breathtaking.

And definitely worth the early morning wake-up call.

We said goodbye to the beach and to Barcelona later that morning, leaving around 10. Our bus ride back to Toulouse took practically all day since we made several stops. We had a short layover in Toulouse before boarding another bus for Albi, where Tim would pick us up and take us back to Ambialet. In the end, we came back to the monastery around 9:00, so it was yet another long traveling day. But we all just loved Barcelona, and wished we could have stayed longer. I'm glad we went.

Paris, Round Two

2009-04-21T20:36:00.011+02:00

After spring break, we went back to Paris for another nine days. After the mostly nice weather we enjoyed in Rome, Paris greeted us with chilly weather and cloudy days. We made the best of it, though, and on our first full day back, we visited La Défense, one of Paris's major business districts. There is a lot of art to admire, everything from sculptures to statues. Scholmo Salinger, the artist we visited the first time we were in Paris, has numerous works in the area. The Grande Arche, which you can see below, is also located in La Défense. Built in 1989, it is a fairly new monument which was built to be the 20th century version of the Arc de Triomphe. In fact, you could see the Arc de Triomphe visible, straight ahead, from the Grande Arche.

Just before you reach the Grande Arche, there is a large fountain... the perfect photo op!

The bright colors contrasted nicely with the dull and overcast day.

But that's not to say signs of better days weren't in sight. Flowers were in bloom and we crossed our fingers for warmer weather.

We also visited with another artist, Slobodan. He showed us artwork he had completed when he lived in Rome. It was really cool to see the familiar sights of Rome as he drew them. He was very welcoming and was happy to host us. I enjoyed our visit with him.

Cat, Ian, and I went to Angelina's, where they have world-famous hot chocolate (delicious) and I snapped this shot of the Eiffel Tower and the pretty pink-and-blue tinged sky on our way back to the metro.

A few of us also went up the Eiffel Tower. We opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator... it was cheaper and we could burn some calories, haha.

It was 668 steps to the second level. To go to the very top, the third level, you must take an elevator. Lyndsay, Owen, and I decided not to go to the top because there was an extremely long line.

But there were incredible views from the first and second levels. I probably took way too many pictures, but there was just so much to capture!

Everywhere you looked, there were famous Paris landmarks. It was cool to see these monuments from above, from the nice vantage point we had within the Eiffel Tower.

There was the Seine...

The Arc de Triomphe...

Paris urban sprawl...

And (barely visible in the distance) the Sacré-Cœur.

As luck would have it, the weather did turn in our favor. We traded cloudy days for sunshine and gorgeous skies. One afternoon, Cat, Leah, and I went to Luxembourg Gardens and it was just beautiful.

This fountain below was one of my favorites.

The Gardens were full of people, many of whom were just sitting, basking in the glow of the sunshine.

If we weren't tea drinkers before we came to France, ALL of us are definitely leaving with at least a newfound appreciation for tea. We all visited a tea emporium and museum one afternoon after touring the Picasso Museum.

There were hundreds of teas lining the walls--it was crazy! I never would have imagined that many different flavors.

The Picasso Museum and the tea emporium were located in the Jewish Quarter, which had a very cool feel to it. There were falafel places everywhere and various aromas floating through the air. Later that day, on our way to the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre, Lyndsay, Owen, and I stopped at a nice little park that I hadn't been to before.

Here's the pyramid of the Louvre against a pretty late March sky. :)

And then we began our LONG walk from the Louvre to the Arc de Triomphe. It took us awhile to make it all the way out there!

But after a pitstop at McDonald's, we finally made it!

We also went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and got a really good view of the Champs-Élysées traffic... there are no visibly-marked lanes, it's crazy! I would not want to be one of those cars, haha.

You could see the Grande Arche from the top...

As well as the Eiffel Tower.

Leah and I also visited Napoleon's tomb at Les Invalides.

Napoleon's son is buried there, as well.

Leah, Matt, and I went to the Sacré-Cœur to wrap up our last day in Paris. The Sacré-Cœur might just be my second-favorite place in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower. I just think it is so striking, especially when you're down at the very bottom of the hill, looking right up at it. Of course, the brilliant blue sky didn't hurt, either.

We said goodbye to Paris and took a train back to Toulouse, then another train to Albi, and a bus back to Ambialet. It was an extremely long travel day, but I was glad to be back at the monastery. We'd been gone for three weeks and it was nice to be back home. :)

Spring Break: Rome

2009-04-13T02:44:00.003+02:00

After five days in London, we jetted off to Italy to spend a week in Rome. It was a week well-spent.

Rome was a lot more tropical than I expected. The weather was really nice, except for a cloudy day here and there and a bit of rain.

We rented two apartments, and the apartment I stayed in was literally across the street from the Coliseum. If you went outside our front door, looked to the right, it was there. I thought it was pretty cool. :)

See what I mean? :)

Above is the Coliseum after the sun set, taken on the corner of our street. It was extremely surreal seeing such a symbol of Rome numerous times every day.

Inside the Coliseum. This picture was taken on our last day in Rome... Unfortunately I was playing with my camera one night and somehow pictures of our first day in Rome got deleted. I was kind of disappointed, because the first time we visited the Coliseum, it was a beautiful morning. And our last day in Rome was pretty cloudy and kind of blah. It could be worse, I could have lost ALL my pictures on the last day, right? Right.

View of the Arch of Constantine from the Coliseum.

The Sunday that we were in Rome, we set off to go to mass at St. Peter's. There was just one little problem...

There was a huge marathon that day. And we couldn't cross the street to get to Vatican City. Eventually the number of runners dwindled and we were able to cross, but by that time we had missed the mass we intended to go to, and we didn't want to wait around any longer than we had to attend the next mass.

The Trevi Fountain was so huge I couldn't get it all in one picture! It is truly an exquisite work of art. The place was bursting with people but we were able to find a good spot in the middle of all the action.

And of course we made sure to throw coins into the fountain! Right hand, over left shoulder as specified by tradition. :)

Side view of the fountain. I cannot stress how massive it was. Definitely a lot bigger than I expected.

Next, it was onto the Spanish Steps. There were a lot of people sitting around and enjoying the beautiful day. We went to the top with gelatos in hand and sat down up there, just taking in the view.

After our failed attempt to go to the Vatican on Sunday, we successfully tried again on Monday. Here is a view of St. Peter's from the square. This was an early day; we left around 8am so we could beat the crowd. There were very few people around when we went in compared to when we left.

Pretty scenery in St. Peter's Square. Another gorgeous day. :)

Inside St. Peter's Basilica. It was so pretty and boasted quite an immense presence.

The morning sunlight filtered into the church so beautifully.

We hiked up a bunch of steps to go into the top of the dome. I thought it was pretty cool to get a bird's eye view of the church, but that didn't compare to the amazing view we got from the outside...

This view of Rome and the Tiber River was definitely worth the effort of climbing hundreds of never-ending steps!

Here's a view of St. Peter's Square from above. If you look closely, you can see the humongous line of people waiting to go inside stretching all the way across the square. Good thing we got there early!

Me and some of my European family resting after a tough walk to the top. :)

After we finished up at the Vatican and visited the Vatican Museum to see Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel (where, sadly, no pictures were allowed), we stopped to take a rest next to the river. It was really nice just hanging out, enjoying the scenery, and giving my feet a break. haha. Something that I thought was really cool about Rome was that it seemed like you could literally walk everywhere. We walked from Vatican City all the way back to our apartment and were able to see sights all along the way. We only used the metro about 4 times (and truthfully, the metro system was pretty limited...I think there were only two lines, compared to the 15ish that Paris has), but otherwise we walked everywhere.

So there were cats pretty much everywhere in Rome. When we walked past this sleeping kitty, I just had to get a picture with him. haha.

We also visited the Roman Forum and the Palantino on our first day, so of course I had to go back the last day we were in Rome to get the pictures I had lost.

Where the Emperor's throne used to be, in the Palantino.

View of some of the Roman Forum. You can see the Arch of Tito and the Coliseum in the background.

I believe this is the Temple of Romulus in the Forum... He is the founder of Rome.

There were such beautiful carvings everywhere you looked in the Forum, but this flower was one of my favorites.

I absolutely loved the Forum. I could have walked around there all day taking pictures and savoring all the history at my feet. Everywhere you looked there were ruins, columns, arches, and other remnants from the Roman Empire. So much history. It was pretty much my idea of heaven. haha. :)

My only complaint: it wasn't that great of a day. Our last day was extremely cloudy and there was some rain, but the sun tried her best to fight through the clouds...

We also visited the Pantheon, where Italy's first King Victor Emmanuel II and the famous Raphael are buried. The Pantheon is Rome's oldest standing domed structure...Like the Trevi Fountain, I couldn't really get all of it in one picture, but I tried my best!

We enjoyed one last gelato at a nice little place near the Pantheon. I definitely fell in love with gelatos in Rome... We made sure to have at least one gelato a day every day we were there, though there were a few days when we managed to have two, lol.

We started off for our flight from Rome to Paris around 5am and while waiting for the metro to open, I snapped a few last shots of the Coliseum.

I really enjoyed Rome. I think I preferred it over London... For one thing, I didn't lose anything nor did my hearing aids stop working on me, haha. But I really loved that there was just so much history to take in everywhere you looked. Oh, and the food was amazing, too, not to mention all the gelatos. :)

Spring Break: London

2009-04-13T01:04:00.010+02:00

We kicked off our spring break with 5 days in London. There was so much to see--our time there was a blur. The weather wasn't the best; it was colder than I expected. Luckily I had my winter coat handy to keep me warm, which is more than I can say for certain people in our group...haha

We stayed at the Clink Hostel, formerly an old courthouse. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, since hostels aren't exactly known for their comforts, but I was pleasantly surprised. The eight of us stayed in one room probably not much bigger than a dorm room back at SFU. There were four sets of bunk beds all side-by-side and very orange walls, haha. But it really wasn't too bad. It got a little crowded in the mornings when we were all getting ready, but otherwise there were no problems.

On our first day in London, we took a bus tour of the city. They were double-decker buses, of course, and we could hop on and off as we pleased at various bus stops. Hamley's, a famous toy store, tempted us first and we got off to go inside, only to be distracted by a tea shop on the way there.

Below is Picadilly Circus, practically the Times Square of London. It was a very busy place, bustling with people.

Here's Big Ben!

It was so pretty in person, truly a massively exquisite work of architecture.

Our bus tour also included a riverboat ride, so we braved the chilly winds over the water to see sights along the Thames. We got a nice view of the London Eye while waiting for our boat. It was right across from where our boat was to be docked.

Our first day in London was probably the coldest, but we didn't let that deter us from having a good time. We dealt with the cold weather in the open air on top of the double-decker bus. After all, when would we ever have a chance to see the sights of London like this again?

You can hardly tell that it was on the chilly side from this next picture. We walked through St. James Park on the way to Buckingham Palace, and there were flowers galore. I wish the weather had been nicer; I would not have minded spending the better part of an afternoon lounging against a tree with a good book and flowers in bloom all around me.

Buckingham Palace wasn't as big as I expected it to be. It wasn't the palace itself that I enjoyed seeing the most, though, it was the Victoria Memorial in front of the palace.

The Victoria Memorial is a beautiful sculpture which honors Queen Victoria. It was built in 1911, 10 years after her death.

There were many other statues to admire in front of the palace.

Next, we walked to Westminster Abbey. Above is a view of the Great North Door. We decided not to pay the admission fee to go in, and instead agreed we would return on Sunday to go to mass there (for free). It ended up working out nicely because we found out on Sunday that there is a no-picture policy inside the church. We would have paid just to walk around; actually going to mass there gave us time to admire the inside...for free!

The church is very striking, a poignant example of the gothic style. It was very beautiful inside, with finely-carved wood and other elegant decorations.

In London, they drive on the other side of the road... This didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, though everytime I crossed a street, I did so with trepidation because who knew if there would be a car barreling my way from the opposite direction... There were helpful arrows telling us to look to the right or left on the ground, but it took some training before we knew which way to look first without those arrows.

We also went to the National Gallery, which was particularly interesting for me because a lot of the artists we have learned about in my art history class have works that are showcased there. One of the artists I had to do a presentation on earlier in the semester, Peter Paul Rubens, had an entire room devoted to his artwork. It was cool to see in person the works I had studied and analyzed. Outside the National Gallery, there was a massive fountain with statues that I found to be quite a pretty sight.

London at night was also a sight to behold. Big Ben, the London Eye, everything was lit up.

We couldn't go to London without seeing the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, and we managed to secure a pretty good spot from which to watch it. It was extremely crowded--there were people everywhere but it was pretty cool to see the tradition that England is known for in person.

Next on the agenda was a ride on the London Eye, the largest ferris wheel in Europe. Each capsule can hold about 20 people, and you are free to walk around as you please inside the capsule.

It takes about 30 minutes to make a full revolution, so there is quite a bit of time to admire the gorgeous 360-degree views of London from the ferris wheel.

Above is a bird's eye view of Big Ben and the River Thames.

I think the London Eye may have been one of my favorite things about London. I really enjoyed getting a unique look at the city from above.

We also visited the Science Center. They had a special exhibition featuring Formula One and how its advanced technology is changing the world. It's not quite NASCAR, but it's still racing, so I was all over that, haha.

The Tower of London was a really interesting place. It used to be a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison. It also houses the United Kingdom's Crown Jewels.

The place is massive--there are so many buildings and towers. We didn't have time to get to them all. Above is the White Tower, which was the original square fortress built by William the Conqueror in 1078.

And here's the Tower Bridge, aptly named because of its proximity to the Tower of London. It is probably one of the most well-known sights of London. It's quite an elegant-looking bridge, very pretty.

We visited King's Cross on our last day in London. Our hostel was actually pretty close to the station but we waited until the last day to venture inside to see...

Platform 9 and 3/4!!!!!!

This was probably my favorite thing in London. haha.

Later that day, Cat and I went to the Natural History Museum.

I thought the museum was beautiful, both inside and out. It was a nice way to cap off our time in London. We moved at our own pace and viewed some really interesting exhibits. The Emerald of Devonshire and the Hope Diamond is housed within the museum.

London seems to have been most everyone's favorite city. I have to admit, it was very reassuring to be in a place where English was the primary language being used. But I didn't quite enjoy London as much as everyone else... London didn't seem to like me, haha. I lost my scarf there, among other things, but worst of all, one of my hearing aids decided to go out of commission and I had to walk around pretty much in my own little world for two days because it was (of course) my good ear, the one I rely on the most. Thankfully I was able to find a place to get it fixed and Cat was nice enough to tag along with me so I didn't have to go alone (it was quite a ways from the city center). The people there were really nice and I was so appreciative that they fit me in for an appointment at a day's notice. I'm also very glad that if this had to happen, it at least happened in an English-speaking country. I could not imagine trying to get my hearing aid fixed in Rome. That would have been a headache!

Spring in Ambialet

2009-04-05T19:46:00.005+02:00

We had gorgeous weather this weekend... It was flip-flop weather, perfect for sitting outside and reading in the sun. I wore tank tops and capris all weekend!

The trees are starting to bloom and the grass is getting greener. :)

My idea of a perfect day: going barefoot, reading a good book, and having my journal handy to write in.

Winter is officially on her way out!

I can't wait to see what this mountain will look like in a few weeks... All of the trees will probably be sporting new leaves!

I actually inadvertently got a tan just from laying on our terrace ledge like this and reading. It was a really nice, relaxing weekend and the spring weather rejuvenated us after a busy spring break and our second Paris trip (which I'll be writing about one of these days, I promise...haha).

Spring Break: Prologue

2009-04-03T21:45:00.003+02:00

Spring break came so quickly upon all of us. We started planning it back in February, but after we made all of our reservations and grabbed the cheapest plane tickets we could find, it seemed so far off in the future. But time just flew by...

First, it was time to start thinking about what we wanted to pack, then the time came to actually start packing, and before we knew it, we were on a bus to Toulouse, then a plane to London. I remember feeling slightly nervous about the fact that we were leaving our safe haven in Ambialet, that we would be on our own for two and a half weeks in unfamiliar cities. But I was also excited to explore and take in what London and Rome would have to offer.

Our trip began on Thursday night, the 12th of March. Ten of us, headed for London, said goodbye to Ambialet. As we headed west toward the Toulouse airport, a beautiful sunset unfolded before us. I can’t even begin to describe the magnificence of the sight; it was as if Monet himself had painted the scene. Shades of blue, purple, pink, orange, and gold blended flawlessly into each other.

I couldn't have imagined a better send-off.

Mines, ruins, and karaoke

2009-03-06T00:44:00.001+01:00

Tuesday was a super busy day! We left Ambialet around 8:45 in the morning as usual to head to French class in Albi. After lunch, we visited a mine museum in nearby Cagnac. I was very interested to see what the museum would have to offer, since my great-grandfather was a miner back in the day.

We donned hard hats and went "underground." At first, we all thought we were going into a real mine. The elevator ride we took to get down to the (fake) mine was kind of scary! It was a very shaky ride, and the lights flickered on and off the whole time. We got off the elevator and went through the mine only to find out that it wasn't real, and we didn't even go very far underground at all. The elevator ride was only a stimulation! It makes sense, since it would be extremely dangerous to actually go into a real mine.

Below is a picture of Gerry and our tour guide. Thanks to him, I have a new name: Daisy. haha. Before the elevator ride, he was explaining the system the mine had in place to keep track of whether or not a miner returned at the end of the day. I happened to be standing right in front of him and he decided to use me as an example. He asked me what my name was, but when he tried to say it, it came out "Daisy." Everyone laughed, and I guess he just fed off that, because throughout the rest of the tour at random intervals, he would ask, "Where's Daisy?!" to make sure I wasn't lost. I would just raise my hand and say, "I'm right here!" haha. It was pretty amusing. Needless to say, my name for the rest of the day was Daisy. haha.

After touring the mine, we visited some more ancient ruins. I will never get over how history like this is just so abundant here. When you look at the pictures below, you know you are looking at something that is hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old. Back in the states, we truly don't have anything like this--we're too young!

The tower that you see in the next picture was quite a sight to see. It was the tallest tower in southern France for about 400 years.

Most of us braved the dark and narrow spiral stairs to get to the top. Look how high up we were! It was definitely worth the trouble of climbing those crazy stairs. It was a gorgeous day too, not a cloud in the sky, except for a patch or two here and there!!

The view from the top of the tower was breathtaking. You could see the beautiful rolling hills of the rural scenery for miles in every direction. We are slowly bidding farewell to winter--the green landscape was looking pretty vibrant. :)

Here is a picture of the stairs. Small, narrow, dark... I got dizzy both on the way up and the way down because the stairs make up such a small spiral, you were going round and round every second!

We spent probably an hour at the site, exploring and taking tons of pictures.

Next, it was onto Notre Dame de la Dreche, a beautiful church that was nearby. We got to go on top of the church and play with the bells up there. And as might be expected, there were absolutely breathtaking views.

I actually forgot my camera that day (of course), so all of these pictures are courtesy of Cat. :)

The inside of the church was so pretty. All the walls and ceilings were handpainted by one artist. It took him about 20 years to do it all. I was in awe of all the artistry as I looked around the church. It was just beautiful.

After touring the church and grounds, we had dinner with the Franciscans who showed us around. They were very kind and the food was delicious! We had soup, chicken, green beans, salad, cheese, dessert, and even fruit. Once dinner was over, it was off to Albi, where we would meet up with some University students and sing karaoke. As we left, the moon was out and it was a nice, cool night.

We all had a great time at L'Estabar singing karaoke. We were probably the loudest people there. haha.

Some of the songs we sang included "I Will Survive," "That Don't Impress me Much," and "Genie in a Bottle" (talk about a blast from the past). We left after midnight and didn't get back to Ambialet until around 1am. It was definitely a long day, but it was a blast! :)

Wine Tasting

2009-03-01T00:21:00.006+01:00

On Thursday, we visited with students from Brens. These students, who are studying to be in the wine business, go to basically a two-year vocational school to get their degrees. We were all divided into groups and paired up with one or two Brens students. From there, we each went to a different vineyard to learn more about wine, and of course, partake in some wine tasting.

Cat, Colin, Eric, and I were paired with a very nice girl who spoke a good bit of English. We piled into her car and drove to our first vineyard, only to find that the lady who was supposed to show us around couldn't do it then. So we drove back to the Brens campus to find an alternate vineyard that would take us in. After lots of phone calls, Cave de Tecou was our savior.

Cave de Tecou is a winery nestled in the southwest corner of the Gaillac region. We decided to try a medium-sweet white wine called Fascination. I was happy to be able to try something other than red wine, which is mostly what we have here at the monastery.

We learned about the different types of glasses for different types of wines, and how to properly drink and taste wine. Smelling is an integral part of the wine-drinking experience, and the wine we had gave off a nice, flowery odor.

It had a good, sweet, honey taste with a nice, tingling aftertaste. It was a very well-balanced wine and I definitely enjoyed it more than the red wines I've had. We received a few bottles to take back with us for our activities the next day.

On Friday, the Brens students came to visit us at the monastery, where we had another wine tasting. Each group gave a little presentation, talking about the winery they visited and presenting their wine. We tasted about five different wines, but I was partial to the one my group presented.

The Brens students were very kind and engaging. They were happy to answer any questions we had, and they were interested about our lives back home. One thing I found interesting was that they told us the cost per year of education for them was equivalent to about 5-thousand dollars. They were stunned when we told them we pay about 30 grand a year at SFU. It's quite a difference in price, to say the least.

Later that night, we had a quite a crowd for dinner. There were about 35 people here--the Brens students and their teachers, students from the University of Albi, and some Albi residents. Chelsea and I had dish duty at the end of the night--35 dinner plates, 35 dessert plates, plus wine glasses, regular cups, and silverware... it was a long night at the sink, haha. But we didn't mind too much, because we had a good time socializing and talking with the diverse mix of people at dinner. :)

Reflections on Paris

2009-02-28T17:49:00.001+01:00

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Paris. We packed a lot into nine days: Paris staples (like the Eiffel Tower), tons of museums, Versailles, the list goes on. Our group of 13 also grew closer as we explored and experienced the city. We came back to Ambialet more tight-knit and united.

It is still sometimes hard for me to believe that France has been my home for almost two months now. Paris, with its familiar landmarks, really drove that point home. Our time here is really flying by, and it almost scares me, because I want to savor everything, to soak it all in and just enjoy it, but sometimes it just falls through my hands, into cracks, never to be seen again.

I think the fast pace of city life has something to do with that. We were always doing something in Paris, walking from one place to another, moving from one activity to another, taking the metro and making transfers, so it was semi-overwhelming. When the end of our trip rolled around, I was definitely ready to leave and return to the nice, slow pace of life here in Ambialet. Being sick probably had something to do with that, too. I wanted sleep and rest, but being in Paris, you always felt like you had to be out in the city, experiencing all it had to offer; staying in wasn't an option.

I'm looking forward to our next trip--there should be warmer weather and hopefully we'll all be healthy for the whole of the trip. I felt like such a nuisance, walking around Paris, blowing my nose every five minutes, haha. Thankfully I'm finally feeling better now, though! :)

Last day

2009-02-28T17:19:00.003+01:00

On our last morning in Paris, Lyndsay, Owen, Matt, Leah, Chelsea, and I visited the catacombs of Paris. It was a short 10-minute walk from the FIAP.

The catacombs are an underground ossuary, a receptacle for the bones of the dead.

We had to navigate dark, underground tunnels before we reached the bones.

It was kind of creepy, but definitely worth seeing.

Then, after lunch, we headed to what we thought was a science center. Look at the building, it's all techy-looking, isn't it? Well, we headed inside only to find out that it was a museum.

...A modern art museum. It was kind of a letdown, especially since we were all museum-ed out and were expecting a science center. But we made the most of it and walked around for awhile, before leaving to enjoy one last Paris crepe and take a peek into yet another church.

Rodin and Salinger

2009-02-28T15:30:00.007+01:00

The day after we visited Versailles, we went to the Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin was a famous French sculptor.

His most well-known work is probably The Thinker. The sculpture is situated outside, a dome adorned in gold behind it.

Upon getting a closer look, you could see that it is truly a masterpiece. Portraying a man deep in thought, it is not hard to see why this figure is often used to symbolize and represent philosophy.

Inside the museum, there was more artwork to admire and appreciate. I especially loved the sculptures Rodin depicted of hands. I think the Rodin Museum was my favorite museum we visited. Its size and the scope of its collection wasn't entirely overwhelming or overpowering. Also, the majority of the pieces were sculptures, a refreshing change from the paintings we had been practically overloaded with at the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay.

Next, we visited the workshop of Schlomo Salinger, a prominent sculptor and Holocaust survivor.

His experience in the Holocaust often acts as a catalyst for his artistic endeavors. Above is his depiction of his concentration camp.

He was truly an inspiration and we were so appreciative of him for letting us into his home and workshop. Before we left, he told us that he wished us a good life and asked that we make the best of it. He was a very nice man who seemed happy to have us visit. You'd think a famous artist like him would dislike having such an imposing crowd in the personal space where he lives and works, but that wasn't the case at all. I'm so glad we got to meet him and I will definitely take his words to heart.

Versailles

2009-02-28T14:45:00.007+01:00

I was really excited for our visit to Versailles. It was hard for me to believe that I would be walking the same halls of a palace that has housed famous figures I've learned about such as King Louis XIV.

To get there, we had to ride the metro to the train station, then take a train to Versailles. It wasn't a long train ride, but we seemed to be going so slow! There were a few stops between the station and Versailles, so maybe that had something to do with it.

The palace is just massive. Gold trim and decorations are everywhere.

The Hall of Mirrors wasn't quite what I expected it to be. It was grand and opulent, crystal chandeliers running the length of the hall, the windows on one side spanning the the height of the wall, with the little light of the day reflecting in the mirrors on the opposite wall. But when I went to get a closer look at the mirrors themselves, they were extremely dirty and dusty. It was surprising; I don't know if we were there on a bad day or what.

This bust of Descartes really brought back memories of the European History class I took my senior year of high school. We spent a great deal of time studying the Enlightenment, an 18th century movement which emphasized the ideals of reason and progress, among other things. Descartes was a philosopher and mathematician who contributed greatly to the movement. He is known as the Father of Modern Philosophy, as well as the Father of Analytical Geometry.

After exploring the palace ourselves, we dealt with an inefficient lunch line (lots of customers, not a lot of workers manning the cash registers) which forced us to gobble down our food in literally two minutes, because we had a private tour to run to. It was an interesting tour; we were able to go into the chapel and visit the King's quarters.

After the tour, we ventured outside to see the gardens. It was kind of a dreary day, very windy and cold, plus I was trying to fight off a sickness. Needless to say, I was ready to head back to the FIAP as soon as possible.

Nothing was really in bloom since it's still technically winter, but we talked about coming back to Versailles during our next trip to Paris just to see the gardens. By then, it should be a lot warmer, and hopefully, a lot prettier.

You can see the bones of what the gardens contain, and I think it will be a beautiful sight to see in warmer weather, with greenery and flowers flourishing in the warmth.

Montmartre

2009-02-28T14:18:00.005+01:00

Montmartre is a district in northern Paris. The Basilica of the Sacré Cœur is situated on top, at the highest point in Paris, and from here you can see all of Paris at your feet.

We had to walk up a lot of steps to get to it!

I thought the basilica was such a pretty display of architecture, with pure white domes and points extending into the sky. I wish it had been a nicer day. A little bit of sunshine would have done us all some good. A few of us were starting to get sick--I vividly remember feeling a sore throat coming on as we observed the foggy urban sprawl before us.

A nicer day would have also given us a better view! After appreciating the view, Gerry took us on a little tour of the area. There were lots of artists painting local sights and drawing portraits of tourists. We passed many shops, creperies, and restaurants. I stopped and had a gelato, and it was AMAZING. Soooo good!

There were a lot of cool treasures everywhere you looked. The entire area just has a hugely artistic and creative atmosphere.

We returned to Sacré Cœur and got a charming view of it from the bottom of the hill. It was very pretty and picturesque.

Next, we ventured off to find Moulin Rouge in the Red Light District of Paris, on a street lined with very provocative shops and clubs. We didn't spend too much time there, just posed for a few photos and headed back to the FIAP to rest up before dinner.

Medieval Musuem

2009-02-28T13:20:00.006+01:00

After visiting Saint Séverin, Cat, Eric, Matt, Ian, and I went to a medieval museum in the Latin Quarter.

It was a nice change of pace from the usual art museums we had been visiting. The things contained in this museum were mostly relics from the middle ages--fabrics, tapestries, ceramics, religious artifacts, ironwork, and stained glass. There were paintings and sculptures, also, but by this point in our trip we were reaching museum overload and I think we all appreciated the more historical aspect of the collections, rather than the pure artistic elements we had become accustomed to examining.

There were two rooms in the museum devoted to stained glass. The walls were covered entirely in stained glass. It was my favorite part of the museum. I just love how the colors become so vibrant and spirited as light shines through the window.

A lot of us had been wanting to find some reading material, but obviously most of the bookstores around here sell books that are written in...French. But we were told that there is an English bookstore called Shakespeare and Company in the Latin Quarter, so after visiting the medieval museum, that's where we headed.

I was in heaven as I browsed through the book selection there. It's weird, but it was oddly reassuring to see books with titles written in a language I could understand, and when I picked up a book to flip through it, I was almost comforted by the English I saw. I guess I'm just used to seeing things written in French now, and although I try to decipher what I read, I'm not always entirely successful. So it was nice to feel at home again, if only for a few moments, even though I'm an entire ocean away.

I was debating between buying A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway or Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. In the end, I went with Everything is Illuminated, because it was the cheaper of the two. I'm saving pennies where I can, haha.

Three churches

2009-02-28T12:56:00.004+01:00

We started out earlier than usual on Sunday, leaving FIAP (the international dorm where we stayed) around 9:30 in the morning. First on the agenda was a visit to Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic cathedral.

Inside, it was stunning. These pictures do not do the stained glass justice. The gorgeous windows reached lofty heights, giving the chapel a grand presence. As the morning sun flooded through, the colors came alive and it was just beautiful.

Next, it was onto Notre Dame de Paris for Sunday mass. It was an international mass, so there were many different languages used--there was one reading in English.

It's so pretty inside the church, with the standard stained glass, high, ribbed ceilings, and the chandeliers all aglow.

The outside is just as impressive, with decorative gargoyles and chimeras everywhere you look. What made it even nicer was that it was turning out to be a gorgeous afternoon, the sky a splendid blue.

After mass, we walked across the river toward the Latin Quarter, where we would enjoy a couscous lunch. Looking back, we got a nice view of the flying buttresses on the side of Notre Dame. These buttresses act as arched exterior support, taking damaging weight off the thin, high walls of the cathedral.

After a delicious lunch, it was onto Saint Séverin, also in the Latin Quarter. This church is famous for its center pillar, which is in the shape of a palm tree.

I will never tire of stained glass... The stained glass in this church was really interesting, because there were both ancient and modern windows to admire.

Simply magnificent! :)

Musée d'Orsay

2009-02-28T12:45:00.005+01:00

After our night on the town, we visted the Musée d'Orsay the next day. Most of the museum's holdings are French, masterpieces by Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Renoir, and more.

The Musée d'Orsay used to be a train station. There was a beautiful ceiling design between arched skylights, and so natural light streamed in from above, enveloping the main corridor in a soft effulgence.

At one end of the museum, there was a hugely ornate clock, adorned with gold decorations along its edge. I thought it was absolutely exquisite and beautiful.

The museum boasts an extensive collection of Impressionist works, as well as other paintings, sculptures, and photographs. As I walked through the museum and took in all the artwork, I wasn't as distracted as I had been at the Louvre. The Musée d'Orsay seemed to be much less imposing on the senses, which allowed me to view the works on my own terms, without being disturbed by a huge crowd or the noise that comes with it. All in all, it was a nice, quiet day, just what we needed after a tiring but fun night.

Duplex

2009-02-28T12:20:00.005+01:00

We couldn't visit Paris and not dabble in the nightlife there. So, when Friday night rolled around, we headed to the Duplex discotheque. The club is near the Arc de Triomphe, and we got a beautiful look at the monument, with the Eiffel Tower shining in all its glory in the distance.

We had heard that Duplex was a four-story club with different music on each floor. The group of us that left for the club earlier in the night lucked out--well, just the girls at least--because we were expecting to pay anywhere from 20-25 euros just to get in, but girls ended up getting in free. We were pretty excited about that, haha.

When we first got there, the club was fairly empty, especially compared to the flood of people that crowded the dance floor by the end of the night. Whenever we wanted to move to a different place, we would all hold hands and there'd be a whole line of us meandering our way through the mass of people, trying to fit through openings that were sometimes entirely too small to fit through, haha.

The night flew by, maybe a little too fast--we were having so much fun. I was so surprised when I found out that it was almost 4 in the morning as we were leaving. We made our way back near the Arc de Triomphe and got a taxi on the Champs-Élysées. When all was said and done, I didn't get to bed until 5am, but luckily we didn't have an early wake-up call, so we were able to sleep in.

The Louvre

2009-02-28T11:53:00.007+01:00

A trip to Paris would not be complete without a visit to the Louvre, the largest museum in the world.

Formerly a palace, the museum is just massive. We were only in one little part of it, and even that was a little overwhelming. There were works of art as far as the eye could see, paintings in elaborate frames, sculptures along the walls, pieces encased in glass. Something would catch my eye, but when I walked toward it to get a closer look, I would be distracted by something else on the way there. It was remarkably hard to focus because there was just so much to see, so much for my eyes to take in.

Of course, one of the main attractions is Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. She is situated in a room off the main corridor of the Denon wing, hung on a half-wall by herself, covered by glass. Unlike the other art pieces we saw, the Mona Lisa was center stage, no other work competing with her. It was almost unreal to be standing before this world-renowed painting that I have learned about in practically all of my history classes throughout the years. She was smaller than I expected her to be, but that didn't detract from her artistry.

As would be expected, there was a large crowd clamoring to get a look at Da Vinci's masterpiece. We were literally elbow to elbow in the crowd, standing on our tippy-toes, until we made our way to the front. The amount of people in general at the Louvre almost detracted from the artwork--the buzz of the crowd, the swarm of people in front of popular, promient pieces was semi-distracting. But I was appreciative of the whole of my experience at the Louvre. To be in the presence of such truly distinguished works of art was enough to make me overlook my dislike of the crowd.

J'aime Paris!

2009-02-27T00:47:00.004+01:00

Just a week ago today, we were bidding farewell to Paris. We spent a whirlwind 9 days there. Our time in Paris went by in a heartbeat and it is almost overwhelming to even attempt to write about all we did (which is why I waited this long, haha).

On our first full day in the city, we visited the Eiffel Tower. Seeing such an iconic symbol of Paris with my very own eyes finally cemented in me the fact that I am in France. Ambialet, Albi, and Toulouse were unknown to me before I came to Europe, but Paris certainly was not. And to stand before the very definition of Paris, the monument that first comes to mind when one thinks of Paris, was, in a word, stunning.

The structure itself is absolutely exquisite. It truly exudes elegance, thanks in part to the ornamental lace-like iron detailing.

Stopping at the base of the tower and looking up, I was struck by its magnificence, how it seemed to stretch endlessly into the beautiful blue sky we were graced with that day. We might have been by the river, fighting off bitter, cutting winds, but you would never know it looking at these pictures. Even the little patches of clouds didn't detract from the beauty of the day; rather, they added to it, as the sunlight filtered through, supplying the sky with a gorgeous iridescent glow.

Later in the week, we went to see the Eiffel Tower at night.

The dark of night provided the perfect backdrop for the yellow-amber lights. Even in the darkness, you could still eye the impressive latticework. The sharp contrast between sky and structure truly accentuated the amazing architecture at hand.

Every hour on the hour, there is a dazzling display of lights that enfolds the tower in an enchanting aura. The entire tower is illuminated and simply sparkles. It was an impressive show--a pleasant way to cap off one of our last nights in Paris.

One month!

2009-02-09T22:21:00.000+01:00

It was a month ago today that we were just arriving in France… I can’t believe that it’s the second week of February already! This first month here absolutely flew by. It’s ironic because the days here seem longer and move at a much slower pace than life back in the US, but taken all together, they accumulate quickly and you realize just how much time has passed.

Already I can tell what kind of habits I will be taking back home with me. Tea, fresh bread, nutella, and a host of other things have become a daily staple. I think we are going to learn how to make crepes in our cooking class, so I will definitely pay close attention that day. I have filled quite a few pages in my notebook with recipes to try at home…hopefully the food will turn out just as good there as it did here.

In other news, we leave for Paris on Wednesday! We’ll be spending nine days there and I absolutely cannot wait. :)

A sunset walk

2009-02-07T19:07:00.006+01:00

On Thursday, Cat and I went for a walk which ended just in time for us to see the sun set. Brune and Jay-Z also joined us. I have always seemed to prefer cats over dogs, but life at the monastery would definitely not be the same without these two.

This is Brune, a good-natured chocolate lab. She is an extremely sweet and laid-back dog.... She is so lovable and I don't think there is a mean bone in her body.

This is Jay-Z. He seems to have an unlimited supply of energy; he's always running off somewhere to sniff at something. When we go on walks, you will always hear a constant cry of "C'mere Jay-Z!" Something will catch his eye and he will take off like a rocket to go check it out--and it's usually in the opposite direction.

I really don't know how Cat and I got Jay-Z to stand still long enough to take this picture!

The light of the setting sun cast such a pretty glow upon the church and monastery.

Excursion quatre

2009-02-05T23:14:00.011+01:00

Yesterday was a busy day. We went to Toulouse to visit two churches, the Airbus facility, a museum, and met with some students from Dickinson College.

This is Saint Sernin's Basilica. It is a very famous pilgrimage church. It was the second most popular pilgrimage church in the middle ages after St. Peter in Rome. Millions of people flocked to this Romanesque cathedral to see important relics.

My favorite church of the day, however, was Jacobin's Church. It was the mother church of the Dominican Order and also the inquisition. The remains of St. Thomas Aquinas are held here.

Built in the Gothic style, it has an impressive ceiling design and beautiful stained glass windows.

The reflections from the stained glass were magnificent.

I couldn't get enough of it. I thought it was just a gorgeous sight.

After that, Eric took us to see the Garonne River on the way to the University of Toulouse for lunch. Eric told us that Toulouse is always compared with Florence because brick is the material of choice in both places and Italy is well-known for the domes, like the one pictured above, that dominate their city skylines.

Lunch was an interesting experience. It was chaos--lots of people, lots of trays (piled high with food), lots of lines, and barely enough space to move around. A few of us managed to find a table to eat at and I marveled at the size of the school and the student body. SFU is tiny in comparison! Once we finished eating, we had to wait for the bus to come pick us up so we could go tour Airbus. The sun was out and it was a really nice afternoon.

I thought visiting Airbus was so interesting and I wished we could have stayed longer. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the site, but it was a massive facility. We were in the second-largest building in the world and the largest building in Europe. There were three Airbus A380s side-by-side. These are currently the largest passenger airplanes in the world, and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future. The A380 is a double-deck place, so it can hold over 800 passengers at maximum capacity. We viewed these humongous planes from a wall of windows above the the workspace, but most of us wished we would have been granted access to go down to the ground floor and see the planes up close. All in all, it was a very cool experience.

Next, it was onto the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation with students from Dickinson College. The musuem exhibits contained artifacts and relics of WWII. We learned about the French Resistance and the deportation that occurred in that time period. After that, we had the rest of the night to ourselves. Cat, Chelsea, Eric, Matt, and I ate a delicious dinner at an Italian restaurant.

We were worried about having too much time to kill before catching the bus back to Albi, but thankfully we wasted almost an entire half hour figuring out how to handle the check and counting money. haha.

It was a long day and we didn't get back to the monastery until around 1am. We took a bus to Albi, then Tim, Gerry, and Dan drove us back to Ambialet. Suffice to say, I slept very well last night once I finally settled into bed. But I enjoyed the time we spent in Toulouse, hopefully we get to go back and explore the city more later on.

Snow!

2009-02-03T18:47:00.000+01:00

This morning we woke up to a nice surprise: snow!

I was brushing my teeth when I looked toward the window and noticed that something was different... The edges were all fogged up because of the cold and when I went to get a closer look, I saw the snowflakes flying. For a second, I thought maybe they would forgo taking us into Albi, but then I figured we probably weren't going to be lucky enough for a snow day. As I continued to get ready for class, I heard that the bus was running late, so I was happy that we would get a little delay courtesy of mother nature.

As it turned out, when the bus driver got here, he and Tim had a little discussion and they were worried about the return trip. If it kept snowing and/or froze over, it would get a little treacherous since the road to Ambialet is literally carved along the side of a mountain. There are sharp curves and no guardrails in some places. So we did get a snow day!! We still had French class though, with Tim standing in for Sandra. He went over what he called "survival" French. We learned some key verbs and got little nuggets of wisdom from Tim: if all else fails, try to Frenchify everything and stress the last syllable of every word.

After that, we were free to admire the beauty of the winter wonderland in Ambialet.

It was beautiful, but short-lived. Most of the snow melted by the afternoon. It was nice to get a little taste of what they're having a lot of back home: it's snowed like 24 out of the last 30 days in Pittsburgh! Crazy stuff.

Rugby

2009-02-01T22:58:00.000+01:00

Yesterday we ventured into Albi to take in a rugby game.

It was Albi vs. Bourg.

I didn't quite understand the game fully, but I still had a lot of fun. Owen and Ian led our little cheer section; the mascot loved us and kept coming back to our section so we would cheer with him.

Rugby in general seems like a very rough sport. The players don't seem to wear any protective gear (such as helmets) and there is a lot of diving into piles for the ball. (please excuse my limited language, haha.)

It was a good night for the home team. Albi took the lead early on and never looked back.

They won by a pretty comfortable margin.

Excursion trois

2009-01-30T08:17:00.000+01:00

Carcassonne was absolutely breathtaking.

It is Europe's largest fortified medieval city and very well-preserved.

As we were walking along the semi-steep cobblestone path to get into the city, it almost felt as if I were entering a fairy-tale world.

Cat and I both agreed that this has been our favorite excursion thus far.

The fortification boasts over 50 towers and a double row of fortified walls that stretch for almost two miles.

Once inside the city, we visited another church, the Basilique des Saints Nazaire et Celse.

There were impressive stained glass windows galore in the church.

It was a gothic cathedral, as the windows demonstrate. They end in a point at the top.

It was a beautiful day, albeit a bit windy. And by a bit, I mean a lot.

Storms and such

2009-01-28T08:48:00.000+01:00

Cat, Shelly, and I went bike riding for the first time here a few days ago. I never realized how high up we were until I tried to pedal my way up our big hill at the end of our bike ride. It took forever to make it back to the monastery!

President Obama's inauguration was also last week. A French newspaper came out to interview us about it and some students from the University of Albi stopped by for some wine and cheese. We tried to watch the inauguration, but it took some fighting with the internet to finally get it to load; and we didn't even get to watch the whole thing without incident--it froze several times.

Then on Saturday, we woke up to find that we had no electricity, water, or heat. There had been lots of rain and bad storms throughout parts of France and Spain, which left millions without power. Up to 120-mile an hour winds were recorded in some places. While waiting to see if we would have to go to a hotel or not, we played a rousing game of Pictionary. After 3:00 on Saturday afternoon, it was obvious the power would not be coming back on anytime soon. So we packed up and headed to an Albi hotel. We spent two nights there and came back to the monastery yesterday after French class.

Tomorrow we are going to Carcassonne with Eric. It should be a fun excursion.

Excursion deux

2009-01-23T07:14:00.000+01:00

This week, we went to Conques with Eric to visit Saint Foy, a romanesque church. Here is a view of the church and the surrounding village from a nice vantage point on the way there:

Don't let this picture of part of the church against the backdrop of a blue sky fool you. It was a rainy day, but luckily I remembered to bring my umbrella.

The inside of the church was beautiful. Everywhere you looked, daylight streamed in through the windows. Since the cathedral is of the romanesque style, it boasts a massive presence, with lots of columns and semi-circular arches.

Here is a picture of the Occupational Therapy girls in the village. There are four of us here: Chelsea, Cat, Shelly, and myself.

Eric is a wonderful teacher and tour guide. He has a wealth of knowledge that he is always willing to enthusiastically share with us.

Of course, just as we were getting ready to leave, the rain cleared up, the sky got bluer, and the sun came out.

A week!

2009-01-17T08:20:00.000+01:00

It's hard to believe that we've been here for a week. We have done and seen so much already. Today was a fairly quiet day. We had class from about 10:30 to noon with Gerry and Tim. They gave us an overview of the European Union. After that, we had lunch and ventured down into Ambialet again. We visited Nadine at Cafe de la Presque Isle, where we had ice cream, before hiking back up to see the cross.

You can see the monastery in the distance.

Another shot of our humble abode.

Various views from the cross...

I don't think I will ever get tired of these views.

Excursion un

2009-01-15T08:47:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, we met Eric, who is the professor for our religious course. We had class with him and he introduced us to the topic of pilgrimages. For this class, we will have lectures on Tuesdays and excursions on Wednesdays.

Today we traveled to Saint Bertrand de Comminges, at the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. It took a few hours to get there, but it was well worth the drive.

The first church we visited, Saint Just de Valcabrere, a romanesque basilica.

A view of Saint Bertrand de Comminges, the second church we visited.

The front of Saint Bertrand.

Church courtyard.

It was another beautiful day.

Inside St. Bertrand.

A highway shot of the Pyrenees Mountains--Spain is on the other side.

First day of classes

2009-01-13T07:03:00.000+01:00

Today was our first day of classes. We left the monastery around 8:45 to go to Albi, where we had French class at Gerry's house. (Gerry is one of our professors.) Albi is about 30-40 minutes away and is basically the equivalent of Altoona. Sandra, our French teacher, knows very little English, but it is much less of a roadblock than you might expect it to be. It makes us want to work that much harder on our lessons.

After class, we headed across the street to the University of Albi, where we met some English-speaking university students and had lunch. They took us on a tour of the university and then Gerry took us on a walking tour of Albi. Albi is a beautiful city.

It was such a pretty day, the sky was a gorgeous blue.

The cathedral in Albi, strikingly massive. It is just as pretty inside with elaborate designs and architecture.

A city skyline that is nothing like Pittsburgh...

And the bridges back home are all steel and metal...not so much here.

Exploring Ambialet

2009-01-11T10:06:00.000+01:00

On Saturday, a group of us ventured into the village and did some exploring.

This is the dam in Ambialet.

I love how in this picture, it is near impossible to tell where the cliff ends and where the building begins. You don't see things like this back home, that is for sure.

I'm not quite sure what this building is, but I love the colors and design of it.

Another view of the beautiful architecture.

There is a cross on top of that cliff that we will hike to eventually.

These are fortress ruins that we hiked to--at the beginning of the hike, we were all bundled up in our winter coats, hats, and scarves, but by the end, we were all carrying our winter gear. It was quite a workout.

A view of the ruins from down below. It may not look very high up, but trust me when I say it was not easy to get up there!

Introducing...

2009-01-10T11:32:00.000+01:00

Ambialet!

There are gorgeous 360* views here at the monastery. No matter where you look, there is pretty scenery in the form of the picturesque countryside landscapes, sloping hills, and winding waters of the Tarn River that surround the quaint, little village of Ambialet.

We arrived on Friday afternoon after a long traveling experience that began on Thursday morning with a bus ride to the Philadelphia airport. But the beautiful scenery we were welcomed with more than made up for the labors of traveling.

There is a lot of history here, which is heaven for a history geek like me. The monastery was built in the 14th century, while the church (pictured below) dates back to 1047.

I'm sure over the next few days we will get settled in and explore the town more. Until next time, au revoir!