At the moment, I am sitting in my cousin's apartment in Copenhagen, watching the violent wind shake the trees out the window and listening to the sound of a football game being narrated in Danish.
I left Dijon almost a week ago, and since then I have began my whirlwind European summer adventure. So far, I've stopped in Paris, Barcelona and now Copenhagen. It's fantastic of course, but also remarkably surreal. Here I am, living out my dream of moving across the continent with nothing but a (albiet, very large) backback on my back, looking for my own stories to tell. I've been looking forward to this part of the trip all semester, but now that it's here I can't believe how quickly it's come and that my time in France is over.
My last few weeks in Dijon were either somber or hectic. We made the most of the time and the newly arrived summer weather by having drinks at Place de la Liberation (beer with peach syrop -- very refreshing), walking around the neighborhood on warm nights, spending time in the park, drinking kir by Lac Kir and climbing the tower at the center of town. From the latter, we could see all of Dijon and were able to say goodbye to our little city. On the other hand, I could feel the group getting quieter and more relective in our together time. We were thinking about our imminent departure and simply wanting to spend time together. For our last dinner, we ordered pizza and reminisced about the past four months with pictures and stories. The wine flowed and so did the tears.
It took a long time to sink in for me. I don't think I really started to comprehend the fact of the end until the last night. We spent it in Lisa's backyard, drinking kir and talking with the few of us that remained as well as some of the English students from our program that we'd only just begun to know. The night was warm and it felt like summer. I prolonged my stay later than I should have, not wanting to say my final goodbyes. The time came eventually, however, and mere hours later I was on a train.
What an amazing experience it's been. And now I'm having amazing experiences of a different sort. I miss France, but I'm glad to be discovering new places. I still have amazing experiences ahead of me, though if the past few months are any indication it will all go by incredibly quickly. So I guess I have to live it up while I can.
As for the failure of this travel blog -- well, it is what it is. The travel part simply got in the way of the blog part, and I'm honestly alright with that. (Places I haven't written about, for the record, include Paris, Provence, Prague and Amsterdam.) Perhaps when I'm home for the summer, with the time and the recources, and feeling nostalic and culture-shocked, I will take the time to backtrack. For now, I 'll do my best to find more stories to tell.
Showing posts with label dijon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dijon. Show all posts
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
le printemps arrive!
After months of dreary gray and dreams of warmer days, the weather is finally turning around. I've spent all this time imagining how beautiful Dijon would be in the springtime and it hasn't let me down. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and the streets are alive with people, sitting outside of cafes and drinking Oranginas.
Still, these are French people we're talking about, so you would never know the difference to look at them. They continue to wear scarves and coats, and all black of course. I wore a skirt without tights one day and was surprised to find myself feeling a bit naked. If this were Washington, people would be in shorts and tank tops! The French people simply don't understand.
I on the other hand have been taking every opportunity I can to soak it in. We've spent several lunches by Lake Kir (a small man-made lake named after the former mayor of Dijon and the creator of everyone's favorite aperatif), eating sandwiches on the dock and letting our bare feet hang over the water. One day we went to Erica's neighborhood (she lives in a suburb just on the edge of the city) and walked around with her host mother. We walked up to the top of a hill on which sits a church where Saint-Benigne, the patron saint of Dijon, lived. From there, we could see a view of all Dijon. We continued on through a small wooded area and found ourselves in a little patch of idyllic farmland. Sadly, the pastoral beauty was interrupted by the construction site of a future highway and the view of the mall in the distance. Nonetheless, I still want to go back one day for a photo shoot or a picnic.
We've also spent time in some of the parks of Dijon. Several times we've simply sat in the park near the center of town doing our homework, or at least trying to. A few days ago, Lauren, Abby and I went to the Parc de la Colombière, a bigger park that Abby and I had visited in the beginning of the semester when everything was cold and dead. This time we found flowers blooming and children playing and baby animals! There's a small zoo of sorts in the middle of the park with llamas, goats, peacocks, guinnea pigs, and all other sorts of random animals. It's a bit strange, admittedly, but this time there were baby goats! They were unbelievably adorable -- running around, making adorable noises and jumping on their mamas' backs! We spent an insane amount of time watching them. Someday, we're going to come back with carrots to feed them.
All of these adventures have been rather spontaneous so I sadly don't have any pictures to share. It's one of the downsides of having a giant SLR. I will simply have to suck it up and start lugging it around with me when it's nice out because I plan I having plenty more adventures.
Tomorrow, in fact, is our next excursion. We're going to Alsace and so I will be having some German-flavored adventures very soon.
Still, these are French people we're talking about, so you would never know the difference to look at them. They continue to wear scarves and coats, and all black of course. I wore a skirt without tights one day and was surprised to find myself feeling a bit naked. If this were Washington, people would be in shorts and tank tops! The French people simply don't understand.
I on the other hand have been taking every opportunity I can to soak it in. We've spent several lunches by Lake Kir (a small man-made lake named after the former mayor of Dijon and the creator of everyone's favorite aperatif), eating sandwiches on the dock and letting our bare feet hang over the water. One day we went to Erica's neighborhood (she lives in a suburb just on the edge of the city) and walked around with her host mother. We walked up to the top of a hill on which sits a church where Saint-Benigne, the patron saint of Dijon, lived. From there, we could see a view of all Dijon. We continued on through a small wooded area and found ourselves in a little patch of idyllic farmland. Sadly, the pastoral beauty was interrupted by the construction site of a future highway and the view of the mall in the distance. Nonetheless, I still want to go back one day for a photo shoot or a picnic.
We've also spent time in some of the parks of Dijon. Several times we've simply sat in the park near the center of town doing our homework, or at least trying to. A few days ago, Lauren, Abby and I went to the Parc de la Colombière, a bigger park that Abby and I had visited in the beginning of the semester when everything was cold and dead. This time we found flowers blooming and children playing and baby animals! There's a small zoo of sorts in the middle of the park with llamas, goats, peacocks, guinnea pigs, and all other sorts of random animals. It's a bit strange, admittedly, but this time there were baby goats! They were unbelievably adorable -- running around, making adorable noises and jumping on their mamas' backs! We spent an insane amount of time watching them. Someday, we're going to come back with carrots to feed them.
All of these adventures have been rather spontaneous so I sadly don't have any pictures to share. It's one of the downsides of having a giant SLR. I will simply have to suck it up and start lugging it around with me when it's nice out because I plan I having plenty more adventures.
Tomorrow, in fact, is our next excursion. We're going to Alsace and so I will be having some German-flavored adventures very soon.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
c'est chouette
Classes start Monday and I'm somewhat surprised by how much I am not looking forward to that. We've had this week free and we've been going around, exploring the city and getting acclimated to our new home. As fun as that's been though, we're starting to run out of things to do, adn it's starting to get awkward to be always in a big group of Americans. (We like to stick together because amazingly we're all awesome and we all get along really well.) So I really should want the structure of classes and regulated French-speaking in my life, but I just don't. So far, from what I've heard and what I've seen of the university, I don't think its going to be a very rewarding experience. But we'll see. Also, on a side note, the university is ugly as fuck.
This week we've been all over the place--we've gone to a few good bars, and went shopping in the market, and hung out at each other's houses. (Every other house I've seen is huge and beautiful. I'd say my house is pretty normal sized, but in comparison to everyone elses it's tiny.)
Le marché
We took a tour of the city with a funny little lady named Carmen who wore oversized gloves and apparently knows everyone in town. She scored us free food and, but spoke far too much English and awkwardly brought us into random people's houses because they were historical and because she could. It was a strange tour. It was also snowing.
Of course, we stopped at a mustard store. They don`t actually bring up mustard very much, but when they do, it`s guaranteed they will tell whatever American is listening that Barack Obama loves Dijon mustard.
Old buildings like this are everywhere.
The sassy Dionysos statue. I love it.
Colored roofs are a tradition of Burgundy.
Notre Dame. One of the many churches.
Le chouette. It was once a sculpture of an owl, but has been touched so many times as to be barely recognizable. Because touching it is supposed to grant wishes.
The oldest building in Dijon, and the place where Gerard Depardieu has been!
The next day we went to the Musée des Beaux Arts. It was bigger than I was expecting and there were some neat pieces, but nothing that knocked my socks off. This is because it was snowing and so, in an amusing twist of fate, the contemporary area of the museum--which houses the modern art and, of course, the impressionists--was closed because it doesn't have heating. No impressionism in Paris and no impressionism in Dijon--it seems that, for now at least, this is my fate. I will simply have to go back.
This week we've been all over the place--we've gone to a few good bars, and went shopping in the market, and hung out at each other's houses. (Every other house I've seen is huge and beautiful. I'd say my house is pretty normal sized, but in comparison to everyone elses it's tiny.)
We took a tour of the city with a funny little lady named Carmen who wore oversized gloves and apparently knows everyone in town. She scored us free food and, but spoke far too much English and awkwardly brought us into random people's houses because they were historical and because she could. It was a strange tour. It was also snowing.
The next day we went to the Musée des Beaux Arts. It was bigger than I was expecting and there were some neat pieces, but nothing that knocked my socks off. This is because it was snowing and so, in an amusing twist of fate, the contemporary area of the museum--which houses the modern art and, of course, the impressionists--was closed because it doesn't have heating. No impressionism in Paris and no impressionism in Dijon--it seems that, for now at least, this is my fate. I will simply have to go back.
Friday, January 29, 2010
i am not going to paris
And I can't pretend that I'm not still a little disappointed by this. Well, disappointed is perhaps too strong a word. Dijon is going to be wonderful. I have no doubt that I've chosen the right program. Nonetheless, I still get a little pang when I think about Paris -- studying at La Sorbonne, discovering a favorite cafe, strolling through those old streets and really coming to know that famous city.
I think it wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that I've lived my entire life in suburbs, so close to beautiful cities, but never actually in them. I've been a bridge away from San Francisco most of my life and I'm just now starting to understand it, but only barely. I don't really know Seattle at all, sadly. And now there's Paris. It's kind of heart-wrenching because I'm such a city girl, and I would love with all my heart to live in any of these cities.
Well, ok, I am actually going to Paris. For almost a week before school starts. And with three day weekends and a high speed train to encourage me, hopefully I'll take the opportunity to visit more than I do Seattle (which is pretty much never). I fully intend to soak up this time in Paris, and so I've made a list. It's actually my list for France so far, but because I know more about Paris than Dijon right now the former takes up more space. Hopefully as time passes that will change somewhat.
As far as the major tourist attractions go, I have mixed feelings. I've seem them before on my first trip to Paris, but that was ten years ago. (Ten years! Excuse me while I quarter-life-crisis over here.) I've learned so much that would now add to my appreciation of museums and monuments and such. Plus, there are always pictures to be taken. I think I'll mostly just see what happens -- not really make them my top priority, but I mean, really, who goes to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower? It's unavoidable.
Paris
1. Shakespeare and Company. I've been curious about this bookstore since I was introduced to it in Before Sunset. Since then I've heard a lot of interesting stories.
2. Take a walk around Montmartre while listening to the Amelie soundtrack. I mean, it's a dream come true. (All I need complete the picture is a mysterious photo album and a French boy on a moped.)
3. Tour the catacombs.
4. Take a walk around Le Marais.
5. Flea markets! There are dozens of markets in Paris, some that contain an inexhaistble variety and others that specialize in old books, fabric, postcards, or stamps. (Yes, there is an entire market devoted to stamps!) I'm excited to browse them all, especially Les Boutiques Stock, the market of marked-down designer clothes!
6. Open-air markets. Sadly, I don't expect to be doing much cooking while I'm in Paris, but I still want to explore some of the many famous food markets and maybe pretend that I'm shopping for a Julia Child-esque feast at home.
7. Musee d'Orsay. This is the museum that holds the art I've come to learn about and love the most, and so it's the one I most want to revisit.
8. Le Centre Pompidou. I'm not a huge fan of modern art, but I didn't see this one, and I hear it's great.
9. Be adventurous in my eating. I was actually quite dissapointed when my last trip to France ended and I realized I never tried the famous frog legs or escargot. If the opportunity arises this time, I won't pass it up.
10. Finally try some macarons.
Dijon
1. Rent a bike once the weather improves.
2. Ride the bus to the end of the line and go exploring.
3. Wine tasting.
I think it wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that I've lived my entire life in suburbs, so close to beautiful cities, but never actually in them. I've been a bridge away from San Francisco most of my life and I'm just now starting to understand it, but only barely. I don't really know Seattle at all, sadly. And now there's Paris. It's kind of heart-wrenching because I'm such a city girl, and I would love with all my heart to live in any of these cities.
Well, ok, I am actually going to Paris. For almost a week before school starts. And with three day weekends and a high speed train to encourage me, hopefully I'll take the opportunity to visit more than I do Seattle (which is pretty much never). I fully intend to soak up this time in Paris, and so I've made a list. It's actually my list for France so far, but because I know more about Paris than Dijon right now the former takes up more space. Hopefully as time passes that will change somewhat.
As far as the major tourist attractions go, I have mixed feelings. I've seem them before on my first trip to Paris, but that was ten years ago. (Ten years! Excuse me while I quarter-life-crisis over here.) I've learned so much that would now add to my appreciation of museums and monuments and such. Plus, there are always pictures to be taken. I think I'll mostly just see what happens -- not really make them my top priority, but I mean, really, who goes to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower? It's unavoidable.
Paris
1. Shakespeare and Company. I've been curious about this bookstore since I was introduced to it in Before Sunset. Since then I've heard a lot of interesting stories.
2. Take a walk around Montmartre while listening to the Amelie soundtrack. I mean, it's a dream come true. (All I need complete the picture is a mysterious photo album and a French boy on a moped.)
3. Tour the catacombs.
4. Take a walk around Le Marais.
5. Flea markets! There are dozens of markets in Paris, some that contain an inexhaistble variety and others that specialize in old books, fabric, postcards, or stamps. (Yes, there is an entire market devoted to stamps!) I'm excited to browse them all, especially Les Boutiques Stock, the market of marked-down designer clothes!
6. Open-air markets. Sadly, I don't expect to be doing much cooking while I'm in Paris, but I still want to explore some of the many famous food markets and maybe pretend that I'm shopping for a Julia Child-esque feast at home.
7. Musee d'Orsay. This is the museum that holds the art I've come to learn about and love the most, and so it's the one I most want to revisit.
8. Le Centre Pompidou. I'm not a huge fan of modern art, but I didn't see this one, and I hear it's great.
9. Be adventurous in my eating. I was actually quite dissapointed when my last trip to France ended and I realized I never tried the famous frog legs or escargot. If the opportunity arises this time, I won't pass it up.
10. Finally try some macarons.
Dijon
1. Rent a bike once the weather improves.
2. Ride the bus to the end of the line and go exploring.
3. Wine tasting.
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