Monsieur, Madame, et Mademoiselle

My parents came to visit me during the second week of my February/March vacation and we completed the French trifecta of titles: Monsieur, Madame, and Mademoiselle Desmond.  I have to say it was quite amusing to hear all three whenever we went- whether we were sitting down at a café or checking into a hotel or simply walking into a shop.  (The term ‘mademoiselle’ may not be used in the near future; more on that here).  So, yes, I’m finally blogging about the fantastic week spent with my parents earlier this month! We visited three places in France together: Paris, Bayeux, and Dijon.

Paris

We started our week in Paris- it was my mom’s second time there and my dad’s first!  We went to many of the famous-must see places as you must do when in the City of Light.  It was nice to be a tourist in Paris again!  I was also able to show them the university where I studied in 2009 and some other parts of the city that are off the beaten path.  Our hotel was in the Latin Quarter which is one of my favorite parts of the city- full of cafés!  It was a big difference from the week I spent in Paris with my Mom in 2007, as I now know the city better.  It was a treat to be in my favorite city with two of my favorite people. Still, there were so many places we could not see (as always in Paris!) so we’ve already decided we have to go back in the future.  (Maybe next time we’ll convince Brian to come!)

The 'rents and I with La tour Eiffel 

Bayeux

Bayeux is small town in Normandy close to the D-Day beaches.  We stayed at Le Lion d’Or hotel which many other celebrities and political figures have stayed at as well. (Including but not limited to: Ethel and Pat Kennedy, Tom Hanks, Charles de Gaulle, Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, etc)  It was really cool!  Bayeux is home to a famous cathedral (the French knew how to build ‘em!) and also the Bayeux Tapestry.  The tapestry tells the story of William the Conquerer- it was amazing to see in real life.  Of course, the World War II sites were the main reason for our stay in Bayeux.  While I had already visited many of these sites before in 2009 this time around we had a private tour guide and I learned so much more!  It was fascinating and possibly more moving than the first time.

Monsieur , Madame, et Mademoiselle
in front of Omaha Beach

Dijon

We finished the week in good, old Dijon.  I was happy to show off my new home to my parents!  They saw my neighborhood, flat, favorite cafés, where I shop, and so on.  They were able to see the old streets I walk on everyday, see the Duke's palace, make a wish at the owl at Notre-Dame de Dijon and so much more!  It's really great that now they can visualize where I am when we talk on the phone and I tell them I met friends at Place de la Lib, that I had chocolate con pana, or went grocery shopping!  The strangest part about Dijon though was sending them off at the train station.  They had to catch a train back up to Paris to head to CDG airport and since I'm usually the one leaving it was pretty bizarre to be staying, standing on the platform waving goodbye. (Now I know how they feel! haha)  

Somehow this is the only pic of the three of us in
Dijon? Rocking our shades outside the hotel.

I really enjoyed that my parents were able to experience a large French city (Paris), a smaller city/town (Bayeux), and a medium sized city (Dijon) so that they could get a real sense of France and French life outside of Paris.  Our week together made me feel older in a good way- I was the one to order food for the whole table every time we went out, sit in the front of the cab and chat with the driver, navigate our way around places, listen to announcements on the trains about delays and so on.  It also allowed for my parents to see firsthand that France truly is another home for me with a different set of customs and social codes that I know how to navigate.  I think we all got very different things out of the week together but the best part about the trip for me was being able to share one of my favorite countries in the world with my parents- it’s one thing to love a place, it’s another thing to share said place with loved ones.

Word of the Post: mémoires -- memories

True Life: I survived my first French haircut

Okay, okay so it isn't a huge accomplishment but for this curly q going to the hair salon has never been simple.  I've had my fair share of cuts that were too short, had uneven layers, or an awful combination of the two.  I recently found a great hairdresser in the U.S. so I've been pretty nervous to get a haircut over here. I mean let's be honest, I waited for college breaks to have my haircut at home after two failed attempts in Maryland so the need to go for a chop in France didn't have me super excited.  Anyway, my last haircut was in December and so I have been well overdue for a trim.  I had been continuously putting it off and until finally, when I woke up and decided today was the day.  I had seen a cute little place near my flat called "Cocoon" and walked in to make an appointment around noon.  They had an opening at 5pm and I took it.  The woman who made my appointment was extremely nice and I told her how I was a bit apprehensive because my hair is so curly, layered, and I don't want it super short.  She told me that when I came back I could fully explain what I wanted and not to worry.  I already felt reassured.  Finally 5 o'clock rolled around and I went back to the salon.  The same woman who made my appointment ended up being the one to cut my hair.  I was nervous for no reason- she did a great job, was patient, and really listened to what I wanted.  She evened out some layers and suggested I cut off more than I initially wanted but in the end my hair is much healthier so that's fine.  We chatted away in French about the weather, why I'm here, what I think of Dijon, etc and she said I spoke great French so even if she chopped all my hair off I would have left feeling fabulous.  Ok, that's a lie but it is really nice to have someone compliment your second language, especially when you're using it in a brand new setting.  I gave her a five euro tip (even though they do not tip here and I was aware of this) and while she didn't expect it, I could tell she appreciated it.  She was really nice and so I'm totally ok with breaking cultural customs so she can go have coffee or something on me!  Little victories like this are what make life abroad so interesting and exciting-  they push you to your limits and make you realize you really can do more than you think!

My 'do.

Word of the Post:  Salon de Coiffure -- hair salon

Vive les vacances!

Remember how I said I had a two week vacation?  Well, it appears that it has been extended 3 days.  I never have class on Mondays (I know, life is rough) and my classes today and tomorrow have been cancelled!  With this bonus time off and the gorgeous weather in Dijon (in the mid-high 60s & sunny!) I’ve already been taking advantage of the “extra” vaca.  Yesterday I met some friends for afternoon drinks and tried my first Monaco:

YUM.

It’s simply delicious- a mixture of light beer, grenadine, and lemon-lime soda.  Perfect for a sunny, spring day.  It’s so nice to be able to sit outside at the cafés and bask in the sunshine with friends.

Today I went to Parc de la Colombière with Jamie where we had a picnic lunch near this "temple":

Pretty, right?

And then we walked around and fed cabbage to the animals in the park!

Donkey!

Goat!

Deer!

Doe!

There are so many other cute/weird/awkward/friendly animals and we’re already planning to go back!  Next time we’ll bring cut up carrots and apples though as the animals prefer those over cabbage.  How spoiled are they?!  Actually, the real question is how spoiled am I?  I know that in the very near future I won't have the free time to wander around a park or sip on Monacos mid-week so it’s times like these that I really appreciate how life here has given me a chance to stop and smell the roses- one of the many perks of my year in Dijon!  I think Alphonse de Lamartine says it best in his poem Le lac:

« Ô temps, suspends ton vol ! et vous, heures propices,
Suspendez votre cours !
Laissez-nous savourer les rapides délices
Des plus beaux de nos jours ! »

Translation:

"O time, suspend your flight! and you, fortunate hours,

Stay your journey!

Let us savor the fleeting delights

Of the finest of our days!"

Lamartine sure had a way with words, didn't he? :) Here's more about him if you're interested-- he was born in Burgundy so now as I'm quasi-bourguignonne I feel all the more proud of his work!

Word of the Post: poésie -- poetry

Genève, Suisse: Un monde en soi

The lack of blogging this month is due to a two week vacation that started February 25 and lasted until March 11! (French teachers really have it made when it comes to vacation time.)

For the first part of the vacation I spent a long weekend in Geneva, Switzerland with some friends.  Geneva’s slogan is “A world of its own” and it couldn’t be more true!  Geneva is a city surrounded by the Alps, includes Lake Geneva, is home to the UN, and every designer brand you can imagine- I have never seen a city like it!

Alice, Me, Amanda, Jim, and Laura in front of
the famous Water Sprout on Lake Geneva

This trip allowed for my first view of the Swiss Alps! I had to pinch myself every time I saw the beautiful mountains as I never truly got used to walking around and seeing the Alps pop up over the city buildings.  It was breath taking!  We could also see the top of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe.  It lies on the French/Italian border and both countries claim it.  (Obviously I’m siding with the French on where Mont Blanc is.)  As someone who is rarely around mountains seeing the Alps so frequently was one of my favorite parts of the weekend!

The Swiss Alps!

Lake Geneva is much bigger than I thought it would be!  So big that part of the city’s public transport even includes multiple boat lines across the lake! (In addition to buses and trams on land, of course.)  One day it was so windy it felt like we were at sea and not on a lake…a wave even spilled into the boat!  Needless to say we got more adventure from this public transport than anticipated!

Part of Lake Geneva with a rainbow over it

View of Lake Geneva (and the Swiss flag!)
from the back of a public transport boat

As cliché as it may be, there really were watches and Swiss Army knives everywhere!  Our hostel even sold Swiss Army knives which was slightly unnerving but honestly you couldn’t turn a corner without seeing these two items in a store window.

Swiss Army knives and watches galore

The streets of Geneva had designer brand stores everywhere.  No, seriously.  Name any designer brand and it could be found there.  I mean it is one of the most expensive cities in the world so I suppose it only makes sense that the products being sold are top quality.  I was going to take pictures of the designer stores but quickly realized that would mean I’d just be photographing almost every store….insane.

Geneva is hands down the most clean city I have visited.  The air smelled fresh, the streets were spotless, and the lake was crystal-clear.  I was constantly having to remind myself I was in a city!

Lake Geneva....not quite like the Charles River !

And it's home to many international organizations, including the UN!  Althought the Palais des Nations was closed due to meetings it was still really interesting to walking around the UN grounds and gardens.  Amazing to think of the various political figures who had been to this very same place!  The Poli Sci major in me was quite pleased.

Me outside of the UN

The UN

Aside from the sheer beauty and the delicious food (cheese and chocolate- Switzerland is like France and Belgium's love child!) one of the most remarkable aspects of the trip was how at ease I felt about traveling to another Francophone country-  it was a nice reminder to appreciate my French.

Words of the Post:  Un monde en soi -- A world of its own