Je vais à Roma!

Bonjour Folks!

You read that right. I am going to Rome! The plan is to take the train from Angers to Paris, have une nuit blanche in the City of Light, take the metro from Paris to Beauvais and fly from Beauvais to Rome. Lickety-split, just like that! Here's hoping that it all goes well!

To continue from my last blog, last weekend we went to Golfe du Morbihan, Alignements de Carnac and the city of Vannes. Shortly after the 2 hour bus ride (which I slept the entire way because of the prior night's activities ;)), we arrived at a docking station of sorts and took a boat ride across the Golfe (Morbihan means "little sea"). It was pretty neat but pretty chilly at 9:30 in the morning. Some friends and I were some of the last ones who stayed on top of the boat and viewed the scenary while everyone else was inside, where it was much warmer. We eventually ventured inside however and went out once in a while.

When we reached the other side of the Golfe, we had our pique-nique on the beach and took a walk along the coast, where we found a number of interesting seashells. Shortly after lunch we headed on the bus again and headed towards the Alignements de Carnac.

The Alignements de Carnac is a site where a number of large rocks and stones are situated, most of them in continuous straight lines, spanning over 4 kilometers. As England has Stonehenge, France has the Alignements de Carnac. With around 4,000 stones, it is a pretty impressive sight, especially given the fact that they have been there for roughly 5,000 years, give or take a couple thousand. I took a fair amount of pictures, but you (and my camera) will be happy to know that I did not take a picture of every stone :)

After leaving Carnac, we visited Vannes, the last stop before heading home. After stopping for a crêpe first, we visited the gardens. They were pretty astonishing and even found a soon-to-be-married couple in the gardens as well! Following the gardens, we visited the Cathédrale St-Pierre, where the couple were getting pictures taken outside. We had enough time to look around but no more than that since that's where the wedding was taking place! The Cathédrale was no doubt interesting, but I think I found the Church of St. Vincent at Mont St. Michel more interesting. Even though the Cathédrale St-Pierre had the corpse of some important man (whose name I completely forgot) in one room. But now that I look at the picture I took (Yes, of course I took a picture), the "corpse" might have been wax. Either way, it was simultaneously creepy and intriguing. A few bishops, along with St. Vincent Ferrier, are buried in the Cathédrale. After passing the groom on the way out, we tried finding a way to walk along the wall that partly enclosed the heart of the city (similar to the city of St. Malo that we v

isited a couple weeks ago), but we could not find it. We walked looked at some shops on the way out; I tried on a couple leather jackets but none fit me to the point where I liked it enough and where the price was reasonable. We got back around 8 and I had a quiet Saturday night in my room where I throughly enjoyed some me-time :)

And today, I had one class and am done now with the September Intensive month! When I come back from Rome, I'll decide the classes I'll be taking from October to December. Today also marks a month that I have been in France! It has certainly gone by quickly~I hope the other 3 don't go by as fast! Either way, I know I will enjoy myself every day that I'm here. After dinner, I'm going to the Soirée International for a bit before I head to the train station with two friends that I'm traveling with, Matt and Jessica. Each country is being represented with some sort of presentation (skit, song, powerpoint, etc.) from the students who are attending CIDEF. The Americans are doing a skit concerning the Revolutionary War~it is sure to be fun :)

Well, I should probably start packing for Rome. Keep it classy Friends and Family~I'll try to write soon :)

A plus tard!

Vince

Dinner in Caves, Châteaux and that Feeling of Never Wanting to Let Go

Bonjour! It has been 10 days since my last post. I feel as though this will be a long post seeing how I have not updated for more than a week and I have to include 2 weekends of excursion-activity. However, I have to leave for lunch in less than an hour so let's see how much I can get done :)

A week ago from this past Friday, I went to L'Anjou Troglodytique. It was pretty neat! The other students and I visited these cave dwellings where people had lived their lives. Reminded me of the The Shire from Lord of the Rings. And this was just a hundred or two hundred years ago so not too long ago. And they were able to survive and have enjoyable lives by living in a cave! Sort of makes me realize how much we take for granted and how much we think we need certain things in our life but maybe it's better if we just head back to nature to get what we truly need.

Afterwards, we went to this wine factory that processed all this wine and saw these caves where probably thousands of bottled wine were stored. It was pretty intense. We had a wine tasting and were able to purchase bottles of the wine if we wanted to. It was quite an enjoyable time.

Next, we went to le château de Saumu. It was truly magnifique! We only visited the grounds and the outside of the castle but it was amazing! Honestly. In some of the pictures that I posted on Facebook, it looks like the people were photoshopped in! But believe me, we were there. We tasted some of the berries that were grown on the grounds and they were quite délicieux. The scenery was breathtaking and I felt like I was at Hogwarts. I certainly did not want to leave.

But we did leave and our last stop was Dinner....in a cave. It was pretty neat. A few of us had to duck to get in the entrance which isn't something I think most people are accustomed to when entering a restaurant. We had many courses, with most of them containing a different kind of mushroom. And I loved it :) Each table had two bottles of wine (which were replaced with more bottles when they were emptied) and I think everyone had quite the enjoyable time.

After dinner we headed back on le car to get back to Angers. Once arriving back at le Catho, a fair amount of us went to K'Lypso had finished the night off with wonderful dancing, great company and memorable times.

The next day, after I dealt with some school stuff at chez moi, I went shopping with Alina, Phillip and Shelly. After we got ice cream, we went to H&M and I got a pair of chassures (shoes) for 10£! I also got an interesting light mint green shirt, a blue and gray horizontal striped shirt (which I am currently wearing), a purple belt and a gray v-neck, very comfortable, long-sleeve shirt. Everyone had to go home but I first made a stop at la galerie de David d'Angers, a famous French sculpter. It was really neat. Pictures still have be posted on facebook but I assure you they will be posted soon. Lots of history was shown and it was great to see the pieces of art that displayed it.

On Sunday, we went to the Châteaux de la Loire. We visited three and they were all superb. But I think my favorite was le Château de Chenonceaux. There was this winding staircase that brought you to different levels of the castle and you could easily get lost on each level. Learned a lot of history and was exposed to how much the French cared about their art and how well they took care of it. For example, during World War II (I believe), at the first sign of danger, the Mona Lisa was moved, for risk that it would be destroyed by the Axis.

This past week has been filled with tests and quizzes which I am glad is done. Yesterday we went to the last excursion of the month, Golfe du Morbihan, Alignements de Carnac. There are a few more excursions throughout the year but most of them are repeats of what we've done this month so for many of us it was our last one. However, I should get going to lunch soon so I think I'll save my telling of my last excursion for later on today or another day soon. So keep an eye open for them.

Thanks for reading and remember~Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be (Abe Lincoln). Bonne journée! :)

Alors on Danse

I have been here for 2 weeks and 2 days. Wait...seriously? Because it feels like I have been friends with these people for years, at least months. It's funny what being thrown into a foreign country with a bunch of other, different people in the same situation will do to ya.

I feel like a lot has happened since my last post. Let's see...

Well, for starters, last weekend was definitely epic. And I mean epic at it's most truest, non-overused state. Such as: "Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size" (from freedictionary.com by the way). It definitely 'surpassed the usual or ordinary'.

This past Friday, I went on my first excursion from l'Catho with a bunch of of other CIDEF students. This was the Puy du Fou. It was absolutely spectacular! A history tale taught with hundreds of players, wonderful acts with lights and water and of course that medieval Lord-of-the-Rings-like music that was especially beautiful. We got back to the university a bit later than expected (about 2 a.m.) because of the traffic leaving Puy du Fou. However, the bus ride was quite fun playing "2 lies and a truth" so early in the morning :)

The next day, two friends (Matt and Keisuke) and I tried to find the city library which took a little while. We eventually just studied at the school. After a bit, I went back to chez moi (my house) had dinner and dealt with whatnot. Around 9 or so, I headed into town and met up with Adam and some other students who were going to this music festival that was happening in Angers that weekend. This too was most extraordinary. It took a little while to get into it, but eventually we made ourselves up to the front of the crowd and we were dancing our souls away to this wicked kind of music. It's really hard to describe...it was sort of a rock/string/soul-like/tribal genre. Like I said...hard to describe. But it was moving. We met some Parisians who were also in the front and made great acquittances.

We couldn't stay up too late (even though we did) because we had to be at the university at 7:45 to leave for Mont. St. Michel and St. Malo. I did not receive much sleep the night before, but I made up for it on the 3 hour bus ride. St. Michel was absolutely wonderful. The scenery was gorgeous and the gothic architecture was superb. Not to make another Lord of the Rings reference, but it sort of reminded me of Minas Tirith. Even though Minas Tirith is not on an island (unlike St. Michel), it still has that similar kind of layout. It was neat to go through all the rooms and think of all the history that had happened there for hundreds and hundreds of years. St. Malo was also memorable. This walled city had a more modern architecture but still contained lots of history. There was a pool right by the sea which seemed kind of silly. But the water was dazzling (just like at Mont. St. Michel's) and the view was so serene. I loved that day. After we walked a good portion of the wall, some friends and I went to the Bar de Soleil (Sun Bar) and got a drink. We were so at peace and so happy. It was truly bliss. We went to the Church of St. Vincent afterwards, where Jacoves Cartier is rested. We walked around a lot and got some food at the local stand.

Something pretty interesting that happened though, was that when we were approaching more the beach area, there were lots of people laying out and swimming. I thought that was cool that people were laying out right by the wall, where on the other side, people were driving around, doing their daily routine. So I took a picture. Harmless enough right? Well a few moments later, one of my friends said, "I don't think that woman...oh wait...that's a man. I thought...wait...that woman doesn't have a shirt on!" And sure enough, she did not. Us Americans were not used to this kind of freedom being expressed. Needless to say, that picture is not going on Facebook ;)

While last Sunday was probably the best day I've had, last night was probably the best evening I've had since I've arrived in France. Another soirée was happening at a local bar, where the theme was "Chic et Choc", where we were supposed to dress up with something stylish and classy but also wear a garment that completely clashed with it. Such as, a girl wore a very nice dark dress, with a showercap. I, not sure how long I wanted to stay since I was getting over a cold, wore my orange and yellow striped shirt with my pink tie. However, my friend had brought a leather jacket and some aviators. I never had a leather jacket and thought, why not try it on? So I put on the jacket (she's a decent size smaller than me so it was sort of a tight fit) and the aviators and I felt completely chic. After a bit we went over to my favorite bar thus far, L' Calypso, and had a wonderful time dancing for hours. I did not take off the jacket once that night and I yet have to give it back to her. After last night, we decided that I definitely need a leather jacket (Perhaps a faux one though?).

Tomorrow I only have a half day and am going to another excursion, L'Anjou Troglodytique, which is some sort of cave dwelling I believe. On Saturday, I'm going to the château in Angers, going shopping, and going to study. On Sunday, I'm going to wide range of châteaux in the area, s so I'm sure I will enjoy myself. I'm charging my batteries (for my camera) as I type.

Today, however was somewhat strange. I think my sickness is contributing somewhat to it. But I felt like I was battling some inner demons today. But after some quiet thinking and searching for the source, I believe I became victorious. My bed is welcoming me with open arms and I am looking forward to going to sleep very much tonight :)

Thanks for reading this longer-than-usual post. Look for the pics on facebook (well most of them ;)) and I hope you have a wonderful day. Remember: you're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think (Christopher Robin).

Bonne nuit!

Vince

Je suis ici depuis une semaine

Bonsoir! I have been here for one week (that's what the title says ;))! Life is going pretty well. I feel like my French is getting better every day! The daily conversation with my host family, my friends, and my professors, overhearing the conversations of others, watching the news on TV, hearing the talk on the radio, reading what's new in the paper, and of course the content in my classes....my life is wrapped snugly in a French blanket which is most comfortable.

I have met a number of people here in Angers and have made good friends. My classes usually start at 9 and I am done at 5. My lunch break is for about an hour and a half though which is nice. There are a number of excursions happening throughout September and the first one is this Friday~Puy du Fou. Apparently it's an amazing medieval show with a spectacular musical light show at the end. Needless to say, I am looking forward to it very much! :)

I am missing a few things at home. Family, Friends, Activism on Grand Valley's campus...but as they say and what I keep on remembering....when the Universe closes one door...another one opens. So as the door back home is currently closed, I am enjoying the step I have taken out of another. And let me tell you...I have great confidence that it will be one of the greatest decisions I have ever made.

It feels sort of strange to say that I have been here for exactly a week. In some ways I feel as though I have just arrived. Then again, I also feel that I am quite familiar with this town and have been going to the school here for weeks. Perhaps it is a sign that I am adapting...

I forgot my first word the other day in English! hahaha! It was 'agnostic'. I was having a conversation about religion and C3 with my host sister, Anne-Sophie, and for the life of me, I could not think of the word in English! It took me a couple minutes to remember it because I was thinking and talking in French for the longest time so I had to rethink in English for a while to remember the word! Cool, eh!? ;)

I have been going to bed earlier (like, before midnight) which I believe is a good idea lol. As the night is getting darker, so should my bedroom. I appreciate your loving messages and warm thoughts. I hope to write again soon. Namaste :)

Vince

Je suis ici! I'm here!

Bonjour! Or should I say bonsoir? It is almost 11:30 p.m here in Angers. I arrived in Paris yesterday morning at about 7:45 and took the train from Paris to Angers at 10:30 got to my host famiy's house at about 2 maybe? 1:30ish? I had an omelet and fell asleep for 5 hours! haha...I woke up and we had dinner which was a salad and this zucchini and sausage dish. Très bonne :) After talking with ma maman and facebooking with ma soeur, I unpacked and fell asleep about 3 a.m. Then, I woke up at like 5 p.m! Crazy, eh?

I never sleep for 14 hours straight! But I barely slept the night before my flight from Grand Rapids to Newark (New Jersey Airport by New York). And then I barely slept on the flight from Newark to Paris. So I was apparently still pretty tired, even after my 5 hour nap. And I'm still tired now somewhat haha. But I have my placement test tomorrow so I need my sleep for that.

When I woke up today I had mon déjeuner (my lunch) which was some salad and a quiche which looked like pizza but it wasn't...tasted delicious though! J'adore la nourriture ici :) Then for dinner we had this mozzarella/tomato thing and this beef and rice dish. Also, very good.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow but I am also slightly nervous. Apparently I'm spending most of the day with the other students who are also going to CIDEF (part of UCO) so that should be interesting :) I should come back to the house at like 5 or something.

I appreciate all your warm wishes, thoughts and prayers! A bientôt!

Vince

P.S.

I have taken a few pictures from the flight but that is it as of now. I will post pictures when I have taken more and when I have free time; probably this weekend sometime :)