My Acadian Roots Shine Through

I’ve arrived safely in Grenoble!  I’m now at the IBIS hotel.   Some fun facts from my travels so far:  My first flight was a surprise 8 hours rather than 6.  Luckily, I slept 6 of those hours.  The other two hours I watched penguins, yes that was what played for the first 20 minutes on the plane, an episode of modern family and listened to music.  It was a good time.  Tabs to my brother Tommy for making me buy granola bars.  They saved me from hunger at the end of the flight.  Although I had some delicious cheese and a croissant foooo freee! 

I heard my first county French on the plane.  A guy in the back shouted “Tabernacle” (a swear word that is used quite often in Fort Kent).  It made me smile. 

I saw a beret used stylishly.  So French.

After flying into Zurich, I met up with my Bowdoin classmate Nani.  We flew to Lyon together and then figured out how to take the shuttle to Grenoble.  Then we got to split a cab and arrived to the hotel to find a couple of our classmates hanging out in the lobby.  What a relief! 

I can already tell it’s going to be a long first month.  Basic vocabulary like “one-way” or “round trip” I just don’t know.  But I’m learning quickly.  I am excited to see my progress as the semester goes on….

....Later....

Just got back from the BEST RESTAURANT I’VE EVER EATEN AT.  For real.  I had the most delicious tomato tart with a small salad, followed by canard with sesame seed sauce and potatoes au gratin, an AMAZING apple tart, and of course a glass of wine with each course.  So yummy!  Almost ordered a yummy tartar….also known as raw meat.  Luckily a classmate forewarned me about what I was actually doing and saved me from having a terrible meal my first night in Grenoble. 

Earlier this afternoon, when I got to the hotel, a group of us walked around the city and explored.  The mountains here are so beautiful and unlike any mountains I’ve ever seen.  They are like bubbles.  Very round and very tall.  They are also super steep.  It’s so cool how the town is connected to the mountains.  Grenoble is in the middle of the Alps.  On the shuttle bus from Grenoble to Lyon, the houses are built up into the mountains, except where they get too steep.  It’s just so beautiful here, I can’t get over it.  It’s exactly as I imagined J

The people in my program also seem great.  I think we’re going to have so much fun traveling together!  Tonight, we’re all calling it an early evening, however, because traveling is so exhausting and we have a booked schedule over the next couple days!

More fun facts:

-smoking is acceptable EVERYWHERE

-the dinners here are even longer than the ones at Bowdoin – and that is saying something!

-the cars here are all so small.  Wish I could use these puppies to parallel park at home instead of my super long dodge stratus!

-wine is cheap.  Just saying.