Been so long…

Hi friends

I just wanted to update quickly…

I left Strasbourg last Monday for Paris, stayed in Montmarte, saw the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre-Coeur, the Musee d’Orsay, and some other stuff.

Left for Amsterdam on Wednesday, spent the first day there by myself which SUCKED, my friend got there on Thursday, I saw the Van Gogh Museum and the Red Light District, and sampled the joys that Amsterdam had to offer.  It was ok, but definitely not my favorite place.

Right now I am in Brugges, Belgium, which looks ok, I will let you know.

The internet is CRAZY expensive here, so that’s all I got. I’ll be home on Wednesday. If anyone from work reads this, tell Phil to put me on the schedule for next week. I’m broke. And I’ll see everyone later this week.

Love jamie

The end of Alsace

I leave Strasbourg on Monday morning for Paris, and am excited and nervous.  To be honest, these past few weeks feel like they have gone by really fast, but I also feel like I’ve been away from home for a LONG time.  I’ve got just over a week of traveling to do and as of now the plan is to hit Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin, and then fly out of Brussels, on the 2nd.  I know everyone in St. Louis has been hot, but I’m telling you, it has been 98 degrees here the past week or so and the only AC to be found is in the stores. Not in the dorm, or the classroom, so I’ve been taking a LOT of sweaty naps.  Anyway, I will be overjoyed to take a nap in the AC with a glass of ICE water next to me. I havent had ice since I left St. Louis.

Strasbourg has been a really great place to spend the last few weeks.  Everyone I have encountered has been really nice and helpful, and the city, of course, is beautiful.  I’ve also become good friends with some people on the trip which was quite unexpected, but really great. Thursday night we went out for a traditional Alsatian dinner, which for me was delicious sauteéd mushroom in a puff pastry followed by potatoes with garlic, parsley, and onions in a <fromage blanc> which is really just like sour cream, so…. delicious.  Everyone else had to share two HUGE platters of sauerkraut and meat. Those Alsatians, man, they dont mess around with their meat.  Anyway, I am proud to say that most everyone was increadibly jealous of my veggie feast.

Today I went all over town to shop, because EVERYTHING closes on Sunday and I leave Monday at 8 am. My quest for the day was to get myself an adorable dress like all the French girls have, and to get souveniers for everyone. I managed half the souveniers, and a bag (green, of course) but no dress. Maybe I will have better luck in Paris. Tonight we are all going out for a nice dinner together, then tomorrow will be spent doing laundry in my sink in the morning and napping at the beach in the afternoon. I have a tan to keep up, you know.

That’s all I’ve got for now, I’ll keep you updated.

Happy Bastille Weekend

So this weekend has been great because Friday the 14th was Bastille Day so we didn’t have class.  My day started with a mojito at this boat restaurant called “Strasbourg sur la plage…sans la plage”, which is Strasbourg on the beach, without the beach.  It’s a restaurant on the river, and it was a very nice way to start the day.  Then my friend Eric and I went to a beach about 15 minutes away, and laid out for a while, then came back to partake in the Bastille Day festivities.  It doesn’t seem that the French really care about Bastille day at all.  We went to the “Ball” in one of the city squares, expecting a party, but there were maybe 100 or so people, a BAD band that sang a lot of songs frome the 80′s.  The best thing about it is that the French can’t dance and that provided at least an hour worth of entertainment.

I’ve been exploring the bars in Strasbourg….last night we went in search of a gay kareoke bar only to find it was closed, and then found a spanish bar called “La Mosquito”, that serves Delerium Tremens so we hung out there a bit, then went to a bar pretty close to the dorm called Jimmy’s.  On the weekends they have a DJ who plays 90′s rap, so it’s pretty much a good time.  I requested Regulators by Warren G and got to dance to it.  Can you say you danced to Warren G in France? Probably not.

Today we went back to the beach, I’m determined to come home with a fantastic tan.  Which for me really just means not ghostly white.

I am going to leave you with interesting French facts:

-the toilet paper is colored and scented.  Mine is lavendar and smells like baby powder and I’m afraid it’s going to give me some sort of rash.

-some of the men here all wear capri pants and carry little purses that they can sling over their shoulder.

ok, really, that’s all I can think of right now. And I’ve got good news and bad news about the food:

Thursday I ate broccoli and french fries for lunch, then green beans and french fries for dinner, and decided I will never ever eat and that dining hall again.

BUT there is an awesome vegetarian restaurant around the corner that’s perfect and delicious.

ok, that’s all I got. love jamie

This weekend was interesting, Saturday one of my assignments was to go to the market and look for foods Ive never seen before and take notes on them. It was interesting, because Im a big fan of food, but I found that I recognized the majority. There were black green beans that ive never seen before as well as some fruits and vegetables. I was a little scared to ask the vendors about some things because the market was really crowded. I did get some fresh apple juice thats quite tasty, but I figure Ill go back next Saturday and try again.

Yesterday we went on our wine tour, which wasnt really much of a tour at all. Well, not of wine anyway.  We stopped in a bunch of small towns and mostly looked at some different churches, then went to one winery.  All the towns were quaint and charming but they sort of reminded me of going to Disneyland, where they have the different countries…everything was just very brightly colored and full of tourists, it was ok but I didnt love it. I might have if I had gotten to taste more wine.

Last night was the match, so a bunch of us went to the big town square where there was a huge screen and at least 500 people.  It was really strange though, because no one was really that excited. I kept comparing it to a Cards/Cubs game, or maybe a world series, where St. Louis would go crazy…the French didnt really seem to care.  After about 15 minutes we walked to a bar and the crowd wasnt very big but they seemed a little more excited.  Its a shame they ended up losing though because everyone just got up and left quitely.

Today I dont have a whole lot to do, our homework is to go to a restaurant and write a review which is GREAT, because Im finally planning to get myself a delicious meal.  There is a garden somewhere on the university campus that Im going to seek out because the weather is pretty nice, and Ive got to work on my tan. Or burn, whatever.

Free time is really nice here and Ive realized that I dont miss TV at all. Not even Unsolved Mysteries. Well, ok I miss Unsolved Mysteries a little, but nothing else. I feel like I have so much time to read and walk and enjoy Strasbourg. Im actually hoping to give up TV for the most part, but it is the devil box, so who knows.

Anyway, things are good, and Ill try to post more pictures soon.

I heart Strasbourg.

I don’t even know where to start with this post.  I know I have only been in France a week, but I absoloutely love it.  The differences between Strasbourg and St. Louis are amazing.  In this city, I do quite well for myself getting around on foot.  There is absoloutely no need for a car, everything is close enough to walk to, and there are trams here that run on a course next to the street where the cars drive, and they’re very efficient and quiet and cheap. My dorm is about a 10 minute walk from the main part of the city with the Cathedrale Notre Dame, which is over a thousand years old and quite beautiful.  Every night in July at 10:00 they turn on Mozart and light up the Cathedrale and it’s “magique”.  Every street is a mixture of store, the boulangerie, the tabac, cafes, restaurants, bookstores, and other sorts of shops.  The river runs through the city and at one point it surrounds it, like a little island.  The other day in class we had to do a project on architecture, and there were several different groups that reported on different periods.  Mine was mideval, and it’s incredible to see the mixture of styles, up to a thousand years old, all in one place. Today I went to a large market and looked around, I’m still a little shy with my French and am not quite comfortable navagating crowds to ask for a kilo of apples, or whatever. But there’s still time.

Everyone in Strasbourg rides bikes, from kids to professionals, to parents. I’ve seen many bikes with carseats on the back and it’s just amazing.  There is a bike path on every sidewalk. Amazing! Imagine having an actual path to ride your bike on!

The only thing that has been disappointing so far has been the food situation.  For breakfast I’ve been eating a crossiant with jam or honey, which is great, but for lunch we have to eat in the dining hall as a group so we can all speak French to one another.  Before my trip the professors spoke very highly of the dining hall and all the choices it has, and really, it’s a big fat lie.  It’s very difficult for me to find something to eat, being a vegetarian. Sometimes they serve fish, which is usually not delicious, but it’s mostly pork or chicken.  I haven’t really been eating out, other than at sandwich shops and whatnot, because I don’t want to spend a ton of money every day.  The markets have amazing food, but I also don’t have a kitchen or anything to cook with, so that’s not really an option either.  Luckily I have a mini fridge in my room, so I can keep fruit and yogurt, but it’s really hard being in France and not being able to enjoy the cuisine as I feel I should.

Tonight we are having a picnic in the park, which should be fun. Tomorrow we’re going into the small towns of Alsace for a wine tour and I’m really looking forward to that.  The towns are supposed to be “charmant”.

I’m kicking myself for saving my study abroad until the end.  My French is improving day by day, but I think I’ve got to branch out and make some French friends, because I mostly hang out with people from my group and it’s much easier to speak English together, so we do. 

All in all, everything is great.

Aller le Bleu!

The past few days in Strasbourg have been wonderful but exhausting.  Every day we do activities that involve running aound the city, yesterday we took a walking tour, the day before was a boat tour, and today was a tour of Parliment.  Its a really great way to get to know the city, its not very big and is fairly east to navigate, but the heat here is getting to me a little. Its about the same temperature as St. Louis, I think, but very few places have air conditioning, so theres very little escape.

Yesterday we watched the match from a little kabob joint and it was fairly exciting. After the game everyone honked their horns for HOURS and waved the French flag….to be expected of course. It was a good time.

I learned the word for squirrel yesterday, écureuil, which probably wont be very useful to me because I havent seen any yet. Pigeons, though, les pignons, are EVERYWHERE. I get pretty good exercise saying, I hate you pignons! and trying to run and kick them. So far theyve all been a little too quick for me, but one of these days…

Sorry I am keeping things short, but they keyboards here are frustrating, and I have to get going to the store to buy toilet paper, because apparently they give you one roll to start and then youre on your own. Awesome.

I put up a few new pictures, hopefully I will put up more after the wine tour and the match on Sunday.

à bientot!

bonjour

I arrived in France yesterday after a LONG night in the Dublin airport, and things are remarkably good. Aside from the fact that Im still not comfortable with the French keyboard, so bear with me. 

Strasbourg is LOVELY. Not too big, very nice for walking, it is cut in half by the River Ill, which I can see from my room…quite a nice view. There are cafés and shops all very close to my dorm and the city center is just a short walk away. I have already discovered that July is the month of sales so Ive got to show some self control and wait until the end of the trip before I can take advantage of them.

My dorm room is enormous with a mini fridge and a sink as well as an extra bed…so if anyone needs a place to stay…the invitation is open.

Things are looking good, but I am getting frustrated with this keyboard so Ill say goodbye. I will put up pictures as soon as possible, its hard working from an internet café but Ill see what I can do.

A bientot!

Last night in Belfast

Today is Friday, my last night in Belfast…tomorrow morning Lisa and I will be taking the train into Dublin where I will be flying out Sunday morning at 6:50am(yikes).  I’m kind of sad to leave Belfast, though I’ve only been here a few days it’s become comfortable to me, and I’m nervous to really begin the bulk of my trip.  I’ve got a lot of planes/trains/buses to connect to, and I’m just hoping everything works out.  I just keep thinking of Courtney’s advice to “keep my wits about me”, because honestly, if I don’t have that, I’ll just be a bunch of nerves.  I’m sure everything will be fine, I’ll just be happy once I get settled in.  I finally got the information on where we’re staying, which is a dorm near the building where our classes will be held, and we’ll have single rooms, which will be nice.  I’ve quickly realized what a pain it is to live out of a suitcase and am looking forward to being able to spread out a little. There is an internet cafe next to the dorm, and I’m not sure how reliable it is, but I will do my best to post here as well as my photos. Keep in touch, I always like to get comments or e-mails. Here’s hoping…

jamie

Daytripping

Monday 

The past few days I have spent travelling a bit.  Sunday night Lisa and I decided to try to go to Ballycastle, a small town on the coast.  Really, she told me it was beautiful so I nodded and said okay.  We left Monday morning thinking we would catch a cab to the bus station, take the bus to Ballycastle, maybe spend the night, maybe not. Well, that morning was spent hauling it to the bus station because the cabs were backed up and we hadn’t planned enough time to walk. Luckily we made the bus just in time and when we arrived in Ballycastle we turned the corner from the bus stop and saw a large yellow house that said “Castle Hostel”.  We stopped in to see if they had any rooms open, and not only were we the only ones, but the woman asked if we planned on going to Rathlin Island and when we said yes, she quickly called and reserved us tickets for the ferry leaving that hour. Everything happened so quickly that we didn’t even have time to think, we just walked to the harbor.

After a 45 minute ferry ride we made it to the Island, which has about 70 full time inhabitants.  It’s very hilly, lush and green, just gorgeous, on the water, beautiful views everywhere. There is a seabird viewpoint on the opposite side of the island from where we were, so we decided to hike it, planning to take a bus back to the dock once we got there.  Because everything happened so quickly, we had about half a bottle of water and two nutri-grain bars between us to last a four mile hike in the sun.  It was completely beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it was steep and the purple tennis shoes weren’t really make for hiking.  We finally made it to the viewpoint after being continually passed by two very fit old women, and it was just breathtaking.  There are over a hundred types of birds and you’re so high up that you can see the birds flying beneath you.  When we left the viewpoint we realized we may have missed the last bus that ran back to the dock, so we hurried to the bus stop and were completely relieved to see the bus still there. However, we soon found out that they were there waiting for  an old woman in a walker and had no room for us. That was a VERY low point in the day.  We were out of food and water, and we were hot and sore, and had a four mile hike BACK to the dock, only this time, we had about half the time to do it in order to catch the ferry.

On the way I decided it would be a good idea to “trot” down the hills, not really running, just lightly jogging, in order to save time when we were walking up the steep hills.  In the middle of trotting and talking about how brilliant I was to think of trotting and how much time it would save us, I proceeded to trip on absoloutely nothing and fall onto the cement. And that was the end of trotting.

All in all, we made it back to the ferry in time, and once we arrived to Ballycastle, we got some dinner and a pint, then went back to our hostel and were asleep by 9pm.

Tuesday

The next morning we woke up around 9am, brushed our teeth and said goodbye to the very kind woman who ran the hostel, and walked to the beach.  When we got there, there were a bunch of schoolchildren in their uniforms running around, when their teacher said, “Ok, who’s ready for ice cream?”. Seriously. Those kids spent the morning on the beach and then got ice cream?

Anyway, we sat on the beach and chatted and admired the loveliness that is Ballycastle beach, then walked around and found pretty rocks…the kind of thing I imagine old people do, and really, I liked it.  After spending the morning on the beach we took a walk past a golf course that overlooks the ocean, and found an old “friary” with a graveyard and a half-open stone building.  It was quiet and pretty surrounded by green grass and sheep, and we spent a good amount of time walking around there.  Then for lunch, we walked into the town which was about two blocks worth of little shops, all brightly colored and nice, and had lunch at a place called Margo’s, and I had some tasty fish and chips.  After that, we had a few hours to kill so we walked around the town some more, then went and got ice cream and sat on the beach.  I think Ballycastly might just be my favorite place in the world.

That night, when we got home, we realized(well, we knew it was coming….) we were BRIGHT RED from being in the sun for two days and no being prepared for it.  A girl in Lisa’s building told her that yogurt helps a sunburn, and since we really had no other options, we spent the night playing cards with yogurt on our faces. Lovely.

Wednesday

Lisa had to go to London today, so she put me on a bus for the Giant’s Causeway tour, which lasts from 9am to 7pm, so it kept me busy.  It was really crappy compared to the last two days.  The whole idea of this trip is to drive up the Antrim Coast, sort of stopping at sights along the way.  The first stop was at a rope bridge, which was nice. I was expecting a huge long bridge, and it wasn’t, but it was neat anyway.  It took you to a sort of tall grassy rock formation, which there are many, and you could walk around a bit.  It was really strange, because I’m not afraid of heights, but after getting off the bridge, if I stood still my legs would shake. THAT made me nervous because we were essentially on a big cliff and it would be just my luck that I would have a shaky leg, then stumble and fall down the side of this huge cliff into the ocean. I had visions.

Then the next stop was lunch, at a restaurant in Bushmills, and I ended up eating with a guy named Charlie from Portland, whose parents had gone to Wash U and SLU, and he even asked me what high school I went to. And he had been there. Small world.  There were a few things to choose from, sandwiches, fish and chips, and some beefy Guiness stew pie thing.  I got a tuna sandwich and he got a Guiness pie. He reminded me of Vogel, because he got his food long after everyone else was eating, and the bus driver told him that he could take us to our next stop and drop us off and then come back for him so that he would have time to finish his food. This guy Charlie looked at the bus driver and said, “you don’t know me” and then he gobbled down his meat pie. It reminded me of when Vogel ate too much meat then laid on the couch and complained of having the “meat sweats”.

After that, I went on a tour of the Bushmills distillery, which was kind of lame. But is has been there since 1608, so I guess that’s cool.

Then we finally made it to Giant’s Causeway, which really was amazing, it’s all these rocks formed from cooling lava 60 million years ago.  On one side you have a huge steep hill of grass, kind of bowl shaped, and on the other are all these crazy rocks spilling into the ocean. It was neat.

Our last stop was literally two minutes on the side of the road to take a picture of a castle.  It seemed to be an interesting place, but we didn’t get very close.

So, that was my day. The rest of it has been spent trying to upload pictures for everyone to oooh and aaah over. which you will. because they are awesome.

happy wednesday!

jamie

Safe and Sound

So after an entire day of traveling, I got to Belfast this morning safe and sound. My flight from STL to Chicago was delayed, as was Chicago to Newark, then Newark to Belfast, so all in all, I lost quite a bit of time, but I got to Belfast this morning about 9AM their time, so 3ish ours.  Lisa and I have been walking around the city most of the day, we went to a market, which was lovely, with all kinds of fresh food and merchants selling jewelry or clothing, but my favorite part was seeing all these little girls with their faces painted with butterflies. They were painted like a mask, with their eyes in place of the circles of the wings. does that make sense? they were highlighted with glitter, and were just really pretty. i wanted to take pictures but i didn't want to be a crazy tourist.  Walking around the city was nice, it's maybe 70 degrees and partly cloudy, good walking weather, and we stopped and got a pint, which was lovely. i have to say that i am getting pretty tired, so i think i'll try to take a quick catnap. Just wanted everyone to know I'm here and everything's great.

Cheers!