Welcome home.

That's what the customs officer said to me right before I walked through the doors to meet my family in the airport. It was weird to hear it, but it made me happy.

It's hard to believe that after 7 months of living in France and travelling around Europe, I am back home in good ol' VA. Being back in the US is... for lack of a better word, weird. It's all so familiar, yet slightly bizarre. It's as if my whole experience on the other side of the pond was all a dream. As if when I woke up this morning, I was waking up from a long, very detailed dream about living in France.

I'm hoping and praying to get another job in France (and waiting to hear about my contract renewal), so goodbye was not really goodbye. Maybe more of a "see you later."

I will update soon (after I finish unpacking and get settled) with everything that has happened in the past month or so, which will include finishing off my Paris trip, writing about my trips to London and Frankfurt, and any overall feelings or thoughts I have about the program, my experience, etc.

There really is no place like home.

ready to leave, but not ready to go

I'm reaching the end of my last full day in Béthune. I still have to update with posts from Paris, London, and most likely some reflections.

For now... I can't believe that these 7 months are up.

23 à Pahree [première partie]

Easter weekend = 3 day weekend

Perfect for a weekend trip, right?

My 23rd birthday = Good Friday

And yet another reason for a weekend trip.

I had only been to Paris once- for one full day when I first arrived on this side of the pond back in September. Back then, I was trying to fight off the jetlag and ran around to get my pictures of all the tourist hot stops- Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, etc. I knew that I would have to return to Paris at least one more time before the end of my contract. Plus, I could easily get to Paris from Béthune with the TGV. I figured my birthday/Easter weekend was a good time to go and actually see Paris... actually do things, right?

I've heard some French say that they think Paris is overrated. I can understand why they think that. For the most part, when anybody thinks "France," they automatically think "Paris." But France does not equal Paris. Paris is not all of France. Paris is touristy and a big city, and as far as I know, it's nothing like Béthune.

That said, I still love Paris. I love all its touristy monuments, museums, boat tours, etc. And I haven't even seen all of it yet.

Living in a relatively small town, I still get slightly caught off guard whenever I'm in a big city, with all the hustle and bustle. Nevertheless, I love it (although it sucks when you have foot problems and do have the right shoes).

The Louvre at night

First stop, the Louvre. Luckily, I'm younger than 26 and I have a long stay visa, which means free entry to most major museums/sites. Of course, it being my first time in the Louvre, I had to be a typical tourist  and see La Joconde (Mona Lisa) and Venus de Milo. There is just so much in the Louvre, so I decided not to linger too long at every single piece of art. I love art museums, so I'll have to go back in the future and check out the other rooms.

One of the many halls of the Louvre

My big head got stuck :(

Up next, Petit Palais-- free entry anyway, so why not? Another art museum, but I got to see more decorative arts (is that what they're called in English?) such as jewelry, jewelry boxes, and other objects.

Next up on the agenda: the oh so touristy bateau mouche! It's a good way to see some of Paris, learn something from the audio guide (maybe), and relax our feet while cruising around the Seine. Plus it wasn't raining or too cold.

Unfortunately, we made the mistake of going all the way to the back of the boat. Not only did the noise of the motors drown out the audio guides, but a school group decided to join us. A very loud school group. They kept singing... who knows what. And the Asian tourists on the boat seemed to love them. They took videos of them and took pictures with them, only encouraging their obnoxious behavior. Honestly, groups like that make me really question wanting to be a high school teacher. Or just a teacher in general. My sister told me that I need to develop selective listening skills. I guess I should work on that. And of course, the precious few minutes when the group was silent, the audio was silent as well. *makes noise with mouth*

After a little pause at the hotel while snacking, we headed to Café du Marché, a restaurant recommended by another assistant, who had heard about it from Parisians. It was a nice little café for my birthday dinner and relatively cheap! Alas, I didn't get my mojito, but it was still a delicious meal with good company.

We finished off the night with some wine and cheese (although not really the stinky French kind). Overall it was a good birthday (and just the beginning of the weekend!). I was glad to have spent my 23rd in Paris. :)

Bisous x
N

(I will update soon with the rest of the trip!) 

Brussels

About a month ago, I went on a weekend trip to Brussels, a mere 35 minutes away from Lille (shorter than the long train from Béthune to Lille, thanks to the TGV). All in all, it wasn't super exciting compared to other trips.

When emerging from the métro when we first arrived, I didn't get that overwhelming feeling, that "wow, I can't believe I'm actually here!" The hotel we stayed at was closer to the financial district, so my first impression was just a bunch of tall buildings. Seeing the architecture in the Grande Place was nice, but of course, it's basically the same as the towns around this region.

Being insanely poor after winter vacation, we wandered a lot. Chocolate was literally around every corner and I don't know how I resisted. Of course, I had the Belgian waffles (gaufres), fries, beer, and a little bit of chocolate, so I figured I had everything covered. The rest of the trip, I will just tell in pictures...

Just a small portion of the pre-Easter chocolate display

La Grande Place

Cathedral

A little market near the Grande Place
 

La Maison et Musée des Brasseurs Belges (Belgian Beer museum)

 

Manneken Pis dressed up for St. Patrick's Day (had to see this,  as requested by my dad)

Inside the Musée des Bandes Dessinés (Comics)

Schtroumpf (smurf)!

Frites... got nothing on Chez Pepito though...

Vous venez d'où?

Where are you from?

This question is often followed with an "Umm..." Sorry, I mean "euhh" if I'm speaking French.

I never just say I'm American because I'm not here as a tourist, travelling and backpacking around Europe. I have a work visa, so I say, "I'm from the United States, but I live in France." The typical response to that is "Oh, are you studying abroad?" Nope, just teaching English. "Oh, that's cool!"

Whenever I get asked this question in a hostel, I just say I live near Lille. However, tourism offices and museums around here always ask where we're from, for statistics I suppose. If they ask for the postal code, it's easy, 62400. I don't really think there can be hesitation with that question.

"D'où venez-vous?"
"Euhhhh... nous venons des États-Unis, mais nous habitons à Béthune." (We're from the US, but we live in Béthune.) For statistics sake, I just respond with that, they can choose what they want to mark down.


This past weekend, I received the funniest reaction.

"BETHUNE?!"

They were so shocked that Americans would come to France and live in Béthune in all places. To come from the US to a small town like Béthune? Oh là...

But honestly, it could be worse. At least there the TGV stops at our train station. At least there are some bars, a club, and a hypermarché. Recently, they've had a big fair with ride and games taking over the town. I could've been placed in an even smaller town with no other assistants, with absolutely nothing to do or nowhere to go.

Oh Béthune, you've been my home for the last 6 months. I'm used to life here... walking down the same roads to go to work, to church, to the grocery store, to the gym... I have a routine.

It's really weird to think that I only have 2 more weeks left of teaching. Before you know it, I'll be leaving on a jet plane...

Marseille

I love the French’s (or is it all Europeans'?) views on vacation/holidays… every 6 weeks. Apparently some teachers complained because for our zone (France splits their academies into zones so not all of France is on vacay at the same time), there were 8 weeks between Christmas vacation and our winter one. 8 weeks? Too long!

So for part of the second week of our winter vacation (even though it felt more and more like spring time), Yvonne and I met up with Erin (a bit later) in Marseille because we wanted to see a bit of the south of France. We decided to try out couch surfing (one thing to cross off the bucket list) to have a different experience and also to save some money. We had a pretty good first couch surfing experience. We got to speak French with our host and he helped us figure out things to do in Marseille.

In comparison to the past week spent in Barcelona, we didn’t too much in Marseille, mostly wandering (which I actually like doing—just walking around the city, turning down random streets). Our host recommended two things that we should do during our stay.

Notre Dame de la Garde

Our first full day, we headed up to Notre Dame de la Garde, a church on top of a hill (Based on the name, I’m assuming it was used to help keep watch). It involved a bit of a hike up some hilly streets and plenty of stairs. It was a sunny and warm day, but le vent violent (violent wind) made it really chilly. The view of Marseille was wonderful—we could see the city, the Vieux Port, and the sea! 

After our obligatory photoshoot with the view, we headed downhill to flâner (wander about/stroll) around the Vieux Port and around the rest of the city—took pictures of the Cathedral, visited the Plus belle la vie area, which has the bar that the one in the show is modeled after, and just continued to wander around the small streets. I like walking away from the main roads and most of the tourists. It was also interesting to see all sorts of graffiti that Marseille has all over the place.

We're watching you.

Our last full day in Marseille wasn’t too eventful either. For lunch, Erin and I decided to try a steak tartare. Just by looking at the name, you would think it’s some sort of tart… nope. It’s raw meat. Basically, it’s a ball of raw ground beef with onions and spices. It was definitely… interesting. I mean you’re eating raw beef. I couldn’t actually finish my portion because it just ended up being too much raw meat to eat. Thank goodness for the side of frites.

After lunch, we took buses away from the city to visit the calanques (cove) and take a little hike. The view of the sea is incredible from the calanques and it’s just so peaceful. We were even there when the sun started to set. I just felt so at peace there, the wind not as violent as the day before, watching the sun go down. Sitting up there made me realize that I love being by the water. I love going to the beach, any views of the ocean or water, but I’m not a water person. I don’t think I could ever dive into an ocean from a cliff because 1. I’m afraid of heights and 2. I can barely swim. I mean, sure I know basics, but if I’m in water, I prefer not to be in too deep.

To finish off my stay in the south of France, I had bouillabaisse (a traditional Provençal fish stew, originating in Marseille) for dinner. I mean, I was in the south, so of course I had to eat seafood since I didn’t get my mussels at lunch! 

Overall, I had a good time during my vacation and can see why everybody likes southern Europe and not the cloudy, dreary north. When our plane landed in Lille, there were snow piles because it had snowed a couple of days before we got back. Even though I want to visit Prague and Milan (the other cities I was debating between) one day in the future, I’m glad that I chose Barcelona and Marseille, not just for the warmth and sun, but also for the awesome experiences and memories.

Gros bisous x

N

[barcelona] days 4 & 5 – the end/la fin/l'extrem(?)

The view from Parc Guell

Parc Guell—another one of Barcelona’s must sees. Based on suggestions from others and travel sites, I knew that this was another place I had to visit, especially after the Gaudi tour.

The park is another one of Gaudi’s creations. Apparently, it was another project for Gaudi supported by Guell. The original plan was to build an estate and eventually more people would build houses in the area. The original plan kinda failed and the only people that ended up living in that area were Gaudi, Guell, and one of their lawyer friends.

It was a Saturday when we went, so it was full of people. Also, the weather wasn’t as beautiful as the day before, it was a bit cloudy at times and there were even patches of rain. The view of the city is incredible, of course. I love the mosaic designs all over the place (I know there’s a name for this technique, but I can’t remember it at the moment). It’s another thing that adds to its uniqueness… I mean, it’s Gaudi.

Reminds me of a gingerbread house!

The famous Parc Guell lizard

The next day was our last full day in Barcelona (sad), so we ended up just wandering down La Rambla and ate more paella and then headed over to the Picasso museum. The museum is free every Sunday after 3 pm, but this particular Sunday was the first of the month, so a lot of museums were free… which resulted waiting in a long line (but at least it moved relatively quickly).

Walking through the museum, it was really interesting to see how Picasso’s work has changed. There’s a complete contrast of some of his early works versus his later works. To me, the style change seemed sudden. Sure, there were changes throughout his career, maybe progressing changes in colors, but from what I remember, there was a sudden change to the more abstract, geometric shapes. I didn’t get an audio guide, so I don’t really know if there were any specific influences. That would be interesting to look up... 

All in all, Barcelona may be my favorite city (so far). Not only was it the beautiful weather (for the most part), the amazing views, Gaudi, but I also made some friends at the hostel. First of all, if you ever go to Barcelona and are looking for a hostel, stay in Hostel One Sants. The staff is super nice, they cook dinner every night (free!), and they give you tons of suggestions for places to go, day and night. Also, they say that people can really add or take away from your experience. Not only did I have Yvonne (roomie and awesome travel buddy!), but also, we met some great people at the hostel (the free dinners really add to the social aspect) who we spent a lot of our trip with and who we made plenty of fun memories with! We were actually pretty sad to leave each other, especially since we were all leaving on the same day.  

Basically, Barcelona = a week I’ll never forget! I definitely want to go back one day (maybe after learning more Spanish and/or Catalan?!). I honestly can’t express everything in my blog, but at least I try.

Bis x

N

                      

[barcelona] day 3 - montjuic

Sometime during the month before break, I finally watched L'auberge espagnole (the title is Pot Luck in English) and was interested to see the sites of Barcelona in the film. To be honest, what was shown of the city of Barcelona (the views, the streets, etc.) didn't captivate me like I thought they would. I did remember that they showed certain places that had amazing views of the city and I know I definitely wanted to check those places out, especially since the weather was simply beautiful during our stay-- sunny and warm (with a bit of wind).

On our third full day in Barca, we decided to check out Montjuic (a hill - translated to Jewish Hill), mainly for the view, but also to see some other things in the area, like the Olympic stadium. Unfortunately, because of some big conference in the area, we didn't go up the supposed normal way by the fountains, but instead had to take side streets. I'm so thankful that they have escalators! Otherwise, it would've been a long(er) and somewhat painful hike to the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya). As we ascended on the escalators, I couldn't help but look back and admire the view of the city. It was such a beautiful day and the city was just gorgeous.

We stopped on the steps on the MNAC to eat the sandwiches we bought for lunch, with wonderful view of the city and there was even a man in front of the steps playing the guitar, which definitely added to the ambiance. I remember just sitting there, eating my ham & brie sandwich, basking in the sun (got to pull out my sunglasses, yay!), looking at Barcelona, listening to the guitarist playing "Piano Man," and just feeling so... content. I'm not even sure if content is really the right word, but at that moment, I knew that I loved that city and I was just happy sitting there. It was a feeling that I hadn't felt in a long time (and it definitely wasn't a feeling that I had when looking at Béthune :P).

Eventually, we decided that we couldn't stay there all day, so we took more escalators and headed towards the Olympic Stadium from 1992 (during the tour the day before, I learned the Barcelona wasn't a big tourist town before the Olympics...). We just wandered around the outside, but it was still pretty cool to be standing in a place where the Olympics were held almost 20 years ago!

Afterwards, we made our way to the cable cars to take one up to the top, where the castle is. With my fear of heights, I wasn't exactly comfortable during the ride up, but the view was incredible. I tried to focus on that as the wind shook our cable car, making me even more uneasy.

From the castle, we got good views of the harbor (woo, not terribly exciting) and of course took advantage of the magnificent photo opportunities up there. But once we got to the top of the castle, the view of the city was absolutely breathtaking. I can't even describe how amazed I was, but as soon as we got to the edge of the wall, all you could hear were our murmurs of  "wow" and gasps of amazement.  Being there on top of the castle, taking photos in the wind, is probably one of my most memorable moments of my trip and one of the reasons why I love Barcelona. I know these pictures can't do it justice.

Throughout the day, there were so many "wow" moments and I wish that my camera could've captured everything like how I saw it through my eyes. Unfortunately, my photography skills aren't that great, so even if you think the pictures are good (or not), you actually have to go there and experience it yourself. I highly recommend it.

Bis x
N

[barcelona] day 2 - walking tour + food

For our second day, we decided to go on another free walking tour with some friends that we made at the hostel, this time a tour of the Old City. To be honest, this tour wasn't as memorable as the Gaudi one. I don't remember every little detail and probably couldn't tell you the names of every place we went off the top of my head, but nevertheless, I enjoyed the tour.

We saw all sorts of buildings and tidbits from Barcelona's history, including old Roman columns (still standing!) located in an apartment building, remains of the Roman walls, El Call (the Jewish ghetto), the oldest synagogue in Europe, Caterdral, the steps at Placa del Rel- where Columbus reported to the king upon his arrival from the New World, and just various places around the Gothic quarter.

Remains of the old Roman wall?

It was really (for lack of a better word) cool to walk around the small streets and see things that have been existing for centuries, things that are hidden from the busy touristy squares and streets. (I also liked the fact that I didn't really have to be constantly looking down for dog poop.) 

Catedral

The most memorable part about the tour was the old Roman columns located in the middle of an apartment building. They're not located in some big touristy area-- you have to go down a few side streets to find it. You walk into this doorway leading to a courtyard area and then BAM. Oh hey there Roman columns, almost didn't see you there... It's really unexpected. People that live in those apartments have old Roman columns in their backyard... c'est dingue, ça!

Roman columns

Placa del Rei

After the walking tour, we decided to do a cooking experience session, courtesy of the Travel Bar. When we saw that there was going to be paella, tapas, and sangria, how could we say no? Since we only had 1 1/2 hour to kill before meeting, we decided to wander around the area a bit. First stop was... churros and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was a lot thicker than your typical hot cocoa. I'm not sure if it was this one place or if it's how it always tastes, but the hot chocolate wasn't great. It wasn't bitter like dark chocolate, but it tasted like it lacked sugar... a bit disappointing, but the churros were yummy!

Afterwards, I really wanted to go to The Mercat Sant Joseph de la Boqueria... or the Boqueria market, after reading an article that my sister sent me. All I can say is DROOL. Through the entrance from La Rambla, you're immediately greeted by piles on piles of sugary goodness... chocolate and all sorts of other candies. After the churros + hot chocolate, I'd reached my sugary limit for the hour, so I was able to resist. Even if I hadn't, I don't know how I would've been able to choose what to buy-- there were SO many options! There were also tons of fresh fruit stands and I ended up buying a mango kiwi smoothie for just 1 euro (nomnoms!).  Further back, there were plenty of other stands, including seafood, eggs, other meats, and olives (although not as many choices as Borough Market in London). I am actually proud of myself for not buying anything (although it was so tempting) except for two sticks -- one with fish balls and the other with some deli meat. 

photo courtesy of Yvonne (also... Dunkin Coffee in the bg?)

As for the cooking experience, we had originally thought we would be learning how to cook paella with a hands on experience. It ended up just being the chef demonstrating, while we ate tapas and drank sangria while waiting for the demonstration to start.  It was delicious! I probably could've eaten all the tapas that was meant for 3 people and luckily, there was enough paella leftover so I got seconds. José (my food baby) was very happy. Maybe one day I'll try to make paella (if I can remember everything)... or maybe I should stick to making sangria-- that's easy enough, right?

Gros bisous x

N