Yesterday was an excursion day! We traveled to Carcassonne, about 2 and a half hours away from Ambialet. This place was amazing!! I never ever thought I would ever get to see an old castle like this up close and personal. Carcassonne is now a town where many tourists visit. There are shops, restaurants and houses that now exist in the town. Before, it was a fortified castle that dates back to about 3500 BC. It was a gorgeous day out! The sun was shining, but it was a little chilly with the wind. Buut, I won't complain because I heard there is another snow/ice storm back home! I will post some pictures below, but the sun played a part in ruining some pictures. (Look at Owen's for good ones! haha) However, I did take TONS of pictures at this place because I looved it. It was my favorite by far. There was also a Cathedral that was part of this town. The stain glass windows were the main attraction of this church. It was crazy! There were three different types and they were gigantic. I was amazed at how beautiful they were from thousands and thousands of years ago.
Because of the weahter, we were unable to make two more stops yesterday. We were to see two more castles. However, the one sets on top of a mountain and the mountain had been snow covered. They'd figured it'd be best if our bus didn't venture up that. We are hoping to visit it at a later date.
Today was a typical Thursday. I was able to sleep in!:) We went to Nadine's for lunch and I bought the first 4 of my 100 post cards. I'd figure it'd be best to do it in chunks. haha So, don't worry everyone -- they are coming! :)
Tonight was also the night where we cook dinner! Tonight was rabbit! It actually wasn't that bad. We aren't really big fans of rabbit because there is barely no meat! And the reason why I dont like rabbit is because they are so defined. When you eat a chicken leg, it doesn't really look like a leg of a chicken. However, you can really tell it's the leg of a rabbit when it's on your plate.
I got a card from Aunt Nancy & Uncle Charlie the other day -- I was surprised:)
Oh, some good news. I was able to download the Bachelor on i-tunes. So I'm currently catching up on the episodes and will be able to see who gets the final rose! It's nice to have a "TV show" to watch occasionally and not just movies. Speaking of movies, we watched our French film tonight. It was an animated film called The Triplets of Belleville. It was very interesting. There was no dialogue what so ever. Owen fell asleep. haha
Alright, well I think that is all for tonight. Tomorrow we have class at 9 with Sandrine. It is a medieval history class. And then we have choir practice with Margaret and Peter in the afternoon.
Oh, and congratulations Mom for winning the trip! :)
PS. I PROMISE I will post pictures tomorrow. I have to see what ones I need to post still. Buut, check back tomorrow for pictures:)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
sprinnggg breakkkk planns!
After searching, booking, internet failure, etc. we FINALLY have spring break FULLY booked!
We will leave Thursday night, March 12th, and head to London. There we will stay for 3 nights and explore London. We will then go to other parts of the UK to visit Owen's family. On the 20th, we will take off to Rome! We will remain in Rome until the 25th! I'm excited!
Here is where we are staying in London:
(The other website had better and more pictures, but it wouldn't load!)
http://www.eurobookings.com/london-hotels-gb/so-sienna.html?label=gg_en_bh_36200-united-kingdom-london-so-sienna&gclid=CIbv_P-RrZgCFUwb3god5kQomQ
Here is where we are staying in Italy:
http://www.hostelworld.com/availability.php/NightandDay-Rome-9618
We will leave Thursday night, March 12th, and head to London. There we will stay for 3 nights and explore London. We will then go to other parts of the UK to visit Owen's family. On the 20th, we will take off to Rome! We will remain in Rome until the 25th! I'm excited!
Here is where we are staying in London:
(The other website had better and more pictures, but it wouldn't load!)
http://www.eurobookings.com/london-hotels-gb/so-sienna.html?label=gg_en_bh_36200-united-kingdom-london-so-sienna&gclid=CIbv_P-RrZgCFUwb3god5kQomQ
Here is where we are staying in Italy:
http://www.hostelworld.com/availability.php/NightandDay-Rome-9618
& we're back!
Well, it's been awhile since I updated. There's a story for that! First off, I wrote a short post and added tons of pictures Friday afternoon, but somehow I pressed a button and lost the whole page. Adding the pictures took at least 30 minutes and I really didn't feel like sitting there doing it again that night. I was planning on doing it Saturday afternoon, buuuuuuut we lost electricity, power, water, internet, everything!
We experienced the worst storm that hit France in about ten years. The rain was coming down soo hard and the winds reached up to 120 miles per hour. It was crazy! The power went out sometime Saturday morning and because our water is pumped up the hill by an electric motor, we were out of water. Tim brought us lunch and had us wait around til about 4 to see if the power came back on. To pass the time, we all took part in an exciting game of pictionary! This literally killed about an hour and half of time. After our game, Tim came back and told us that over 1 million people in France had lost electricity. He said it might take anywhere from 2 or 3 hours to 2 or 3 days to regain ours since we are a small village.
Soooo, we were booked in a hotel for the past two nights. It was located in Albi and we were able to walk into town. I had my first "bar" experience, but the drinks were SO expensive and no one was there. haha We went out around 8:30-9 and we forgot that is when people eat dinner here. So, we just headed back to the hotel early.
I had my first McDonald's experience here in France. There was one located right beside the hotel and we literally ate this for lunch and dinner both days. Needless to say, I'm sick of McDonalds. haha But, it was crazy! It gets SO packed at dinner time; we figured this was because there are only 2 in Albi and we are used to having like 10 where we live. Also, this McDonald's serves beer! haha Finally, we discovered the French make better McFlurry's than Americans.
This weekend was quite an experience, but we seemed to make the best of it!
Oh and I just recieved a card and a letter from Nan and Pap! I wasn't expecting it and it made my day:)
Pictures soon, promise!:)
We experienced the worst storm that hit France in about ten years. The rain was coming down soo hard and the winds reached up to 120 miles per hour. It was crazy! The power went out sometime Saturday morning and because our water is pumped up the hill by an electric motor, we were out of water. Tim brought us lunch and had us wait around til about 4 to see if the power came back on. To pass the time, we all took part in an exciting game of pictionary! This literally killed about an hour and half of time. After our game, Tim came back and told us that over 1 million people in France had lost electricity. He said it might take anywhere from 2 or 3 hours to 2 or 3 days to regain ours since we are a small village.
Soooo, we were booked in a hotel for the past two nights. It was located in Albi and we were able to walk into town. I had my first "bar" experience, but the drinks were SO expensive and no one was there. haha We went out around 8:30-9 and we forgot that is when people eat dinner here. So, we just headed back to the hotel early.
I had my first McDonald's experience here in France. There was one located right beside the hotel and we literally ate this for lunch and dinner both days. Needless to say, I'm sick of McDonalds. haha But, it was crazy! It gets SO packed at dinner time; we figured this was because there are only 2 in Albi and we are used to having like 10 where we live. Also, this McDonald's serves beer! haha Finally, we discovered the French make better McFlurry's than Americans.
This weekend was quite an experience, but we seemed to make the best of it!
Oh and I just recieved a card and a letter from Nan and Pap! I wasn't expecting it and it made my day:)
Pictures soon, promise!:)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
procrastinatingg!
Well, I'm procrastinating so I'd figure I'd write a quick update. I have a presentation due tomorrow on an artist and I don't really want to start it! haha!
Anyways, since the last time I wrote a couple things have went on. We had our regular schedule of classes on Monday and Tuesday. French is still a little tricky but I'm catching on to a few key phrases I guess. However, my five years of Spanish is definitely hindering my French capability.
Monday was a pretty crazy day. We knew we had class until 12:30 and lunch at the university, but we then found out we had the afternoon in Albi to do whatever we wanted. However, it was a pretty rainy and ugly day!! I didn't dress for the occasion and had on flats with no socks and did not have an umbrella. I ended up buying an umbrella, but I was already drenched. Also, the bad thing is most shops and stuff are closed on Mondays. So, we just walked around the town for the day.
Oh, an interesting note about France is that almost all stores, restaurants, etc. are closed for the lunch hour. If you go into Albi between 12-2 you wouldn't expect to see many places open. I find that very interesting.
Yesterday was pretty eventful! Being inauguration day, the press was excited to hear our thoughts. Also, we found out that the French are soo excited about Obama and are happy for our country. Some news reporters came up to our monastery and just questioned us as a group asking us about our stay here and our thoughts about Obama and the future of America. They also photographed us and will create an article about it. After that, we were given the opportunity to watch the ceremony. However, we don't have cable up on this hill and the quality on MSNBC.com was not very good! So needless to say, we only saw bits and pieces! After that, we had a wine and cheese celebration with some students from the university in Albi and some other people. It was a very interesting day because the French were so excited for us and Obama. It was like a little piece of home here last night. Also, not many people could say they were celebrating the inauguration in France!
Today was our second excursion! It was also rainy today. However, we did drive through a part of France that was covered in snow! It was neat to see the different weather patterns from town to town. Today we visited Conques. I will post some pictures later. It was soo pretty! It was a village and contained a Church. There was also a building that used to be a castle. However, the main reason of the visit was to see the relics. These were gold encasing made with precious stone that contained bones, artifcacts, etc. of saints or religious findings. It was interesting to see.
Alright, well I think I procrastinated enough! haha! Well, that was the sum of the past few days. It's going on two weeks of being here and I feel like I learn something new every day!
Oh, spring break plans are in the making! I think I will be seeing London, Wales, and possibly Rome or Greece!! It should be exciting!
Pictures soon:)
Anyways, since the last time I wrote a couple things have went on. We had our regular schedule of classes on Monday and Tuesday. French is still a little tricky but I'm catching on to a few key phrases I guess. However, my five years of Spanish is definitely hindering my French capability.
Monday was a pretty crazy day. We knew we had class until 12:30 and lunch at the university, but we then found out we had the afternoon in Albi to do whatever we wanted. However, it was a pretty rainy and ugly day!! I didn't dress for the occasion and had on flats with no socks and did not have an umbrella. I ended up buying an umbrella, but I was already drenched. Also, the bad thing is most shops and stuff are closed on Mondays. So, we just walked around the town for the day.
Oh, an interesting note about France is that almost all stores, restaurants, etc. are closed for the lunch hour. If you go into Albi between 12-2 you wouldn't expect to see many places open. I find that very interesting.
Yesterday was pretty eventful! Being inauguration day, the press was excited to hear our thoughts. Also, we found out that the French are soo excited about Obama and are happy for our country. Some news reporters came up to our monastery and just questioned us as a group asking us about our stay here and our thoughts about Obama and the future of America. They also photographed us and will create an article about it. After that, we were given the opportunity to watch the ceremony. However, we don't have cable up on this hill and the quality on MSNBC.com was not very good! So needless to say, we only saw bits and pieces! After that, we had a wine and cheese celebration with some students from the university in Albi and some other people. It was a very interesting day because the French were so excited for us and Obama. It was like a little piece of home here last night. Also, not many people could say they were celebrating the inauguration in France!
Today was our second excursion! It was also rainy today. However, we did drive through a part of France that was covered in snow! It was neat to see the different weather patterns from town to town. Today we visited Conques. I will post some pictures later. It was soo pretty! It was a village and contained a Church. There was also a building that used to be a castle. However, the main reason of the visit was to see the relics. These were gold encasing made with precious stone that contained bones, artifcacts, etc. of saints or religious findings. It was interesting to see.
Alright, well I think I procrastinated enough! haha! Well, that was the sum of the past few days. It's going on two weeks of being here and I feel like I learn something new every day!
Oh, spring break plans are in the making! I think I will be seeing London, Wales, and possibly Rome or Greece!! It should be exciting!
Pictures soon:)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
First shopping experience!
Yesterday we took a bus into Albi and were able to do whatever we wanted! We basically walked around for six hours shopping, eating and just taking everything in. It was an interesting day.
First off, shopping was crazy! There were so many sales! Every store had a sale and it was anywhere from 30-70% off. I got a really cute jacket that was originally 40 euros for 12! There was so much I wanted to get, but I held off because I don't want to spend my money all at once! Haha!
Shopping was a little tricky though! When I went up to purchase my jacket, the cashier started asking/telling me stuff. I had NO idea what she was saying. I just looked at her, looked over at Owen, looked back at her and just smiled. She realized I knew no French and started laughing. The language is obviously a barrier, but everyone seems to be eager enough to help you. For example, Owen and I wanted to purchase cell phones. The guy helping us knew like no English, but he was patient enough to help understand what we wanted. And we got pay-as-you-go cell phones in case they are needed! (Happy Mom?! haha)
Also, I tried my first crepe yesterday. Sooo good! It was a nutella one! Nan, if you're reading this.. I'll probably have you learn the recipe when I come home! :)
Oh, one last thing! I learned yesterday that the French do not have to go to the bathroom frequently?! We walked all over yesterday trying to find a public restroom. The supermarket didn't even have one. Finally, we had an hour left until the bus came so we decided to have a drink at a restaurant so we could use their bathroom! And they are mainly unisex bathrooms!
Overall it was a good day! It was nice to get out and explore on our own. It was also fun to shop some:)
Here are a few pictures from yesterday!
Owen and I in the center of one of the shopping streets in Albi.
Leah, Owen, Shelly and I with our crepes!
First off, shopping was crazy! There were so many sales! Every store had a sale and it was anywhere from 30-70% off. I got a really cute jacket that was originally 40 euros for 12! There was so much I wanted to get, but I held off because I don't want to spend my money all at once! Haha!
Shopping was a little tricky though! When I went up to purchase my jacket, the cashier started asking/telling me stuff. I had NO idea what she was saying. I just looked at her, looked over at Owen, looked back at her and just smiled. She realized I knew no French and started laughing. The language is obviously a barrier, but everyone seems to be eager enough to help you. For example, Owen and I wanted to purchase cell phones. The guy helping us knew like no English, but he was patient enough to help understand what we wanted. And we got pay-as-you-go cell phones in case they are needed! (Happy Mom?! haha)
Also, I tried my first crepe yesterday. Sooo good! It was a nutella one! Nan, if you're reading this.. I'll probably have you learn the recipe when I come home! :)
Oh, one last thing! I learned yesterday that the French do not have to go to the bathroom frequently?! We walked all over yesterday trying to find a public restroom. The supermarket didn't even have one. Finally, we had an hour left until the bus came so we decided to have a drink at a restaurant so we could use their bathroom! And they are mainly unisex bathrooms!
Overall it was a good day! It was nice to get out and explore on our own. It was also fun to shop some:)
Here are a few pictures from yesterday!
Owen and I in the center of one of the shopping streets in Albi.
Leah, Owen, Shelly and I with our crepes!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Some pictures:)
Well, we have been here a week! Last night we cooked dinner and watched a movie in French (with subtitles of course). Today was a pretty easy day. We had a class this morning and have had the afternoon free. Owen and I went on a walk and enjoyed the weather! And instead of rambling on, I'm going to post some pictures for you to see!
By the way, Owen brought along a mascot that will be appearing in our pictures. His name is Mr. Frenchie Toast. So if you happen to see a stuffed french toast, that's who it is:)
Here is the monastery that we stay in on top of the hill.
Here is a closer look at the half we stay in.
Here is the chapel that is connected to the monastery.
The girls in Albi.
The Cathedral in Albi
The Pyrenees Moutains
The Basilica at the excursion
Part of the village that surrounds us & Mr. Toast haha
& last but not least, a picture of Owen and me:)
By the way, Owen brought along a mascot that will be appearing in our pictures. His name is Mr. Frenchie Toast. So if you happen to see a stuffed french toast, that's who it is:)
Here is the monastery that we stay in on top of the hill.
Here is a closer look at the half we stay in.
Here is the chapel that is connected to the monastery.
The girls in Albi.
The Cathedral in Albi
The Pyrenees Moutains
The Basilica at the excursion
Part of the village that surrounds us & Mr. Toast haha
& last but not least, a picture of Owen and me:)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Classes have begun!
Well it's been a few days since I've written, but I'm still here! We've been pretty busy. Classes began on Monday and they are going well. First off, we started French first thing Monday. Our teacher is very nice, but she knows very little English. This makes it kinda rough, but it pushes us to really focus and learn it. So far I can count to twenty, spell my name, and say a few random sentences. Let's just say, five years of Spanish is definitely impacting my French. Haha.
Also, on Monday, we got a tour of Albi. This is the nearby city that we go to for French class and to eat lunch at the university on some days. It is a pretty interesting city. The architecture of the buildings and bridges are so different than back home and very pretty. We were able to see the Cathedral in Albi and it was amazing! The artwork inside was so intricate and beautiful. Also, there are tons of little shops and food places all over the city! Everything is pretty much in walking distance because there's so much to see. It is definitely different from Altoona!
Today we took an excursion to these old Roman ruins. I can't remember the name because it was in French! We saw the remaining foundation of the first church in France. We also saw a Basilica and other random buildings. Besides all of the shops and stuff being closed, it was a good day!
The weather has been pretty nice. It is in the 50's and sunny. I guess it beats the snow back home!
I'll update later with some pictures. (I need some help from Owen!)
Au Revoir! :)
Also, on Monday, we got a tour of Albi. This is the nearby city that we go to for French class and to eat lunch at the university on some days. It is a pretty interesting city. The architecture of the buildings and bridges are so different than back home and very pretty. We were able to see the Cathedral in Albi and it was amazing! The artwork inside was so intricate and beautiful. Also, there are tons of little shops and food places all over the city! Everything is pretty much in walking distance because there's so much to see. It is definitely different from Altoona!
Today we took an excursion to these old Roman ruins. I can't remember the name because it was in French! We saw the remaining foundation of the first church in France. We also saw a Basilica and other random buildings. Besides all of the shops and stuff being closed, it was a good day!
The weather has been pretty nice. It is in the 50's and sunny. I guess it beats the snow back home!
I'll update later with some pictures. (I need some help from Owen!)
Au Revoir! :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
well, i'm here!
First off, I would like to say that the very first post that is on here is from Owen - of course! He helped me set this up and he felt it was necessary to add his own touch to it!
Anyways, I'm in France!! Who would have thought?! So far, it's been nice and relaxing. We haven't done much besides eat, sleep, walk around the village and go to church. Class starts tomorrow and that should be interesting because we start learning some French!
The flight here wasn't all that bad. I'm not a big fan of flying, but I made it! I didn't sleep much at all on the plane ride and I'm still trying to get used to the time difference.
The monastery is very nice! I happened to pick the number for the biggest room and knowing how I pack, that was a plus! The view from the monastery is breathtaking! Owen and I walked around for about two hours today just taking it all in and taking pictures. I'll post some later.
Oh, we have some pets here! We have a goat named Blanchette and two dogs, Brune and Jay-z. I'm not a very big dog lover, but they are pretty friendly.
Church was interesting this morning, everything was in French except the Gospel was translated for us. It was kind of neat because I knew what was going on, but then again I had no idea what they were saying!
Like I said before, tomorrow is going to be an interesting and exciting day. We will have class, meet some students from the university of Albi and tour Albi. I'll be sure to let you know how that goes!
Anyways, I'm in France!! Who would have thought?! So far, it's been nice and relaxing. We haven't done much besides eat, sleep, walk around the village and go to church. Class starts tomorrow and that should be interesting because we start learning some French!
The flight here wasn't all that bad. I'm not a big fan of flying, but I made it! I didn't sleep much at all on the plane ride and I'm still trying to get used to the time difference.
The monastery is very nice! I happened to pick the number for the biggest room and knowing how I pack, that was a plus! The view from the monastery is breathtaking! Owen and I walked around for about two hours today just taking it all in and taking pictures. I'll post some later.
Oh, we have some pets here! We have a goat named Blanchette and two dogs, Brune and Jay-z. I'm not a very big dog lover, but they are pretty friendly.
Church was interesting this morning, everything was in French except the Gospel was translated for us. It was kind of neat because I knew what was going on, but then again I had no idea what they were saying!
Like I said before, tomorrow is going to be an interesting and exciting day. We will have class, meet some students from the university of Albi and tour Albi. I'll be sure to let you know how that goes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
