Bienvenue!

Bonjour à tous!

So I finally started a blog! You know, only a month into my adventure :)

If you are reading this and didn't know already, I'm currently studying abroad in Rennes, France! Earning credit in French (bien sûr), literature, history, (to make up Cultural Heritage, for you Hope students), art history, and Arabic. And yes, the Arabic is for real!

The program I chose to study abroad with is CIEE, which feeds into CIREFE, le Centre International Rennais d'Études de Français pour Étrangers! (aka a program in Rennes that teaches French to foreigners, like me) Most of my courses will be through CIREFE, but I am taking Translation (francais-anglais and english-french) and beginning Arabic at the Université de Rennes 2, with REAL French students! Those classes have already begun and are a blast, while the CIREFE classes begin on Monday.

The program began on 7 january 2013, in Paris, France. We spend a few days in a nice hostel/auberge de jeunesse, getting to know each other and exploring the city, while also being matched up with our host families and practicing the language. Whew! Lugging my ONE 47lb piece of luggage, along with my backpack, up 3 flights of spiral staircase made me extremely grateful to have packed light! I'll write more about it later, but suffice it to say that the complete lack of sunshine did not in any way hinder my enjoyment of the beautiful city :) Plus, it made waking up to a clear blue sky that first morning in Rennes THAT MUCH better!

I am so blessed to have 3 other wonderful Hope students in the same program in Rennes, and the other students are from far-flung US universities, and are awesome as well :)

D'accord! I'll do my best to update, and I always appreciate any prayers sent my way :)

 Airport with Max and Mama- note the darkness. It was a preview of what was to come in Paris!

 You can buy tea! With cool cups! Alas it was très cher (expensive, like everything in Paris) mais bon :)

 The view from our room at the hostel- beautiful!

 

  My first café (espresso). The beginning of a love affair. Seriously though, café is THE BEST.

 Falafel. So good! We had two evenings free in Paris to venture out and find restaurants- this was the first night.

 Moulin Rouge!

 My first crèpe! Plus the café came with a madeleine gratuit! (free).

 Jardin de Luxembourg. We had tried to go to the Catacombs, but they were sadly closed. Although I'd like to go next time I'm in Paris (Mama... it's happening! I SHALL see the Catacombs)

Although, in my opinion it was definitely just a lawn with paths and some statues and fountains- no flowers! However, it was green unlike Michigan-winter-grass so that was nice! It continues to amaze me that all the plants in Rennes and Paris are so lush due to the rain and lack of frigid temperatures.  It's like when you go to Florida for Spring Break, and you land and there are PALM TREES! And living plants, and it's WARM!

 Montmartre! Lots and lots of stairs. Also, bracelet-making men who stop tourists and make them buy the product. Sneaky...

 Le Tour Eiffel. Sadly this is as close as I got, on a bateau mouche (boat ride tour on the Seine River). The fog and lights were beautiful :)

 

Of course I was knitting on the bateau mouche- a fabulous, warm way to spend the tour as opposed to the freezing rain and wind on top of the boat (aka several other students. I didn't feel the need to be particularly brave that evening)

 My bus in Rennes. It takes me everywhere!

SO yummy! It is carbonated, sweet, and has 4 kinds of citrus! A quite ridiculous amount of sugar, to be honest. I chose to ignore that fact.

 Chartres Cathédrale. The ville de Chartres between Rennes and Paris, so we stopped by for a tour on the way to Rennes.

A plus tard!
Katie May