Bonjour!
Although I'm still a bit jet-lagged (la peine de la décalage horaire - "the pain of the time difference"), today has been a wonderful first day in Dijon. Last night we had dinner at a small cafe called "Les Grands Ducs." It is on the Place du Palais, a large square in front of the duchal
palace (during some periods in French history the duke of Burgundy was even more powerful than the king). Last night there were nine of us: Carolyn, Kara, Carleigh, Jennifer, Mary Kate, Peter, Wright, Dr. Barbour, and I. Another guy is supposed to be joining us, but he ran into problems with his visa. For dinner I had a croque provençal: crusty bread topped with tomatoes, basil, and goat cheese. The crudités on the side reminded me very much of Morocco (fresh corn, cubed beets, shredded carrots, and cabbage).
I am very excited about the dynamic of this group. Everyone seems very friendly and easy to get along with. After dinner last night Dr. Barbour gave us a brief tour of the Centre Ville (city center). I can't believe I am going to be living here for 3 1/2 months! It's like a fairy tale town. The buildings are a melange of different architecture styles, but all look quaint and not quite real. We had an official guided tour this afternoon and seeing even more of the city reinforced my awe.
I think Dijon is going to be the perfect size city for me. It is bigger than I expected (for some reason I was picturing a rustic town rather than a full city), but it seems very manageable. Our
tour guide told us that 150,000 people live in the city proper and another 100,000 live in the areas surrounding Dijon. The lack of industry (as in industrial buildings) makes it very pleasant. *This picture is of Place D'Arcy, one of the main squares in the city and a meeting place our group uses frequently. The arch in the back right is the entrance to Park D'Arcy* For lunch before our tour we went to a cafeteria called "Flunch." It was pretty simple stuff, but all very fresh. Apparently "Flunch" is a chain throughout France. We have seen a few American chains here already - McDonald's (predictably) and Subway. But seriously, with all of the cafés and boulangeries and pâtisseries and viennoiseries, I cannot even fathom why someone would want Subway. A viennoiserie, by the way, is a place where they sell the pastries similar to croissants or brioche. I asked the lady who worked at a sandwich shop in the Gare de Lyon because I had never seen the word before.
I just can't believe I am going to be living here. I think I am in a little bit of shock at how all of this ancient architecture and history also go with so many modern amenities. I think after traveling to Morocco my standards have changed a bit. Obviously France is very different from Morocco, but since that was my most recent adventure, it's the measuring stick which first comes to mind.
We had a funny moment last night at the café. Apparently a few people are getting married soon because we saw two bachelor parties and a bachelorette party. The bachelors were both dressed up in ridiculous costumes (one was wearing a dress and a wig and the other was wearing a caveman outfit). The bachelorette was wearing 70s disco clothes and had her friends doing a choreographed dance routine in between the rows of fountains in the center of the Place. One of the bachelor parties sat down at tables near us outside the same restaurant. It was pretty funny.
So tonight we're having an orientation and then dinner at Dr. Barbour's apartment. Tomorrow we officially begin our 6-credit hour Wake Forest class with Dr. Barbour. Right now it is time for a nap.
Bisous,
Lauren
P.S. Please feel free to post comments or to email me.
Although I'm still a bit jet-lagged (la peine de la décalage horaire - "the pain of the time difference"), today has been a wonderful first day in Dijon. Last night we had dinner at a small cafe called "Les Grands Ducs." It is on the Place du Palais, a large square in front of the duchal
palace (during some periods in French history the duke of Burgundy was even more powerful than the king). Last night there were nine of us: Carolyn, Kara, Carleigh, Jennifer, Mary Kate, Peter, Wright, Dr. Barbour, and I. Another guy is supposed to be joining us, but he ran into problems with his visa. For dinner I had a croque provençal: crusty bread topped with tomatoes, basil, and goat cheese. The crudités on the side reminded me very much of Morocco (fresh corn, cubed beets, shredded carrots, and cabbage).I am very excited about the dynamic of this group. Everyone seems very friendly and easy to get along with. After dinner last night Dr. Barbour gave us a brief tour of the Centre Ville (city center). I can't believe I am going to be living here for 3 1/2 months! It's like a fairy tale town. The buildings are a melange of different architecture styles, but all look quaint and not quite real. We had an official guided tour this afternoon and seeing even more of the city reinforced my awe.
I think Dijon is going to be the perfect size city for me. It is bigger than I expected (for some reason I was picturing a rustic town rather than a full city), but it seems very manageable. Our
tour guide told us that 150,000 people live in the city proper and another 100,000 live in the areas surrounding Dijon. The lack of industry (as in industrial buildings) makes it very pleasant. *This picture is of Place D'Arcy, one of the main squares in the city and a meeting place our group uses frequently. The arch in the back right is the entrance to Park D'Arcy* For lunch before our tour we went to a cafeteria called "Flunch." It was pretty simple stuff, but all very fresh. Apparently "Flunch" is a chain throughout France. We have seen a few American chains here already - McDonald's (predictably) and Subway. But seriously, with all of the cafés and boulangeries and pâtisseries and viennoiseries, I cannot even fathom why someone would want Subway. A viennoiserie, by the way, is a place where they sell the pastries similar to croissants or brioche. I asked the lady who worked at a sandwich shop in the Gare de Lyon because I had never seen the word before.
I just can't believe I am going to be living here. I think I am in a little bit of shock at how all of this ancient architecture and history also go with so many modern amenities. I think after traveling to Morocco my standards have changed a bit. Obviously France is very different from Morocco, but since that was my most recent adventure, it's the measuring stick which first comes to mind.
We had a funny moment last night at the café. Apparently a few people are getting married soon because we saw two bachelor parties and a bachelorette party. The bachelors were both dressed up in ridiculous costumes (one was wearing a dress and a wig and the other was wearing a caveman outfit). The bachelorette was wearing 70s disco clothes and had her friends doing a choreographed dance routine in between the rows of fountains in the center of the Place. One of the bachelor parties sat down at tables near us outside the same restaurant. It was pretty funny.
So tonight we're having an orientation and then dinner at Dr. Barbour's apartment. Tomorrow we officially begin our 6-credit hour Wake Forest class with Dr. Barbour. Right now it is time for a nap.
Bisous,
Lauren
P.S. Please feel free to post comments or to email me.
No comments:
Post a Comment