Annecy

My new job has been keeping me really busy.  I've been teaching some interesting topics, and feel like my students have been enjoying them too. I've talked about everything from the street artist Banksy to an event aimed at reinvigorating Colfax Avenue in Denver to internet coming to the Amazon.  Having such a variety of classes this year is really keeping me on my toes.  I also gave out the first graded homework assignment last week, so I'll receive them all back in the next few days.  I'm now on a mission to find the perfect cafe where I can hang out for an afternoon and work on grading!

I feel like I've been working pretty hard lately, so I was excited for the opportunity to join a couple new friends this last weekend to take a day trip to Annecy.  Annecy is a cute little town an hour and 40 minutes north by train from Grenoble.  It's best known for the lake it sits next to and the little canals running through town. 

We arrived around 11:15 on Saturday, and little did we know that a huge festival was happening!  The small street were packed with people enjoying the market stands, food vendors, and music players.  We walked and explored for a while, picking up cheese and sausage samples along the way, before meeting some others for lunch.  It was difficult to find an open table since so many people were in town, but eventually we managed.  Without even ordering, the waiter brought us tartiflette, the menu of the day.  Tartiflette is a regional dish that I've also seen in Grenoble.  It's a heavy, mountain-type food of potatoes, cheese (lots of cheese), pieces of ham, and onions.  It was certainly delicious, but I don't think I could handle it every day.  The tartiflette was followed by a large slice of apple tarte.  Also delicious and a nice dessert.  

With full bellies and happy souls, we continued exploring and went to Lake Annecy.  Along the lake, we could see some golden leaves, showing us that it is indeed changing seasons.  I feel that autumn doesn't have the same feel or smell here compared to Colorado, so it was nice to see a little bit of something familiar.

Eventually we made our way towards the chateau and then to a free exposition of animated films.  We even made our own! By then everyone was starting to drag a little, so we picked up a hot chocolate before hopping on the train for our long ride back home.

It was nice to start exploring this region.  Wherever I go, I think its important to get to know the region that I'm staying in.  Traveling is wonderful, and while I do enjoy going all over the place, when I explore my local area, it makes the place feel just a little bit more like it's where I belong.

Grenoble Sunday Stroll

I'm enjoying my new apartment here in Grenoble.  I finally unpacked and stashed my suitcase, did some shopping for bed linens and food basics, and started exploring my neighborhood.  I'm living with three French girls about a 20 minute walk from the center of Grenoble where all the action happens with bars, cafes, and winding streets.  I'm right next to two tram lines, which is convenient to get to the university, even though I'd like to get a bike to take advantage of the chance to get some fresh air.  Grenoble itself is very flat and bike-friendly; in fact, it's supposedly the flattest city in France!  So after my first payday, a bike is one of the first things on my shopping list.

Even with Grenoble being flat, the surrounding area is picturesque with mountains closing in the city on all sides.  The city is considered the capital of the French Alps region, and Stendhal, a 19th century French writer, once said of Grenoble, "At the end of every road there is a mountain."  To the north is the Chartreuse mountain range, to the south and west is the Vercours, and to the east is the Belledonne.  I'll admit that I cheated and looked that up just now, but soon I'll know it by heart.  It seems to be a right of passage to know which is which when living in Grenoble.  I get a peak of the Belledonne from my bedroom window when it's not cloudy.

Today is Sunday and I decided to have a nice afternoon stroll.  I walked up the main street (in fact the longest street in France - or it would be if it didn't change names a couple times) and past the fruit and vegetable market that I explored yesterday.  I kept going all the way to the Isere River which runs at the foot of the Bastille, a small fortified mountain that is one of the main tourist attractions of the city.  I crossed the river where I thought I would find a flea market.  Alas there was nothing (the website I saw the information on must be outdated), so I stopped by the supermarket there and picked up a couple things to add to my hoard of fruits and veggies at home.  I continued along the quay, pondering over which pizza restaurant I'd be trying first and when that would be.  There must have been 25 in a row!  I continued meandering along the river, eventually crossing a bridge back to the old city.  Being Sunday, the shops were closed.  However, people were still out and about getting lunch or walking around.  A couple outdoor markets were starting to put their unsold goods back into their vans.  After getting lost and finding myself a couple times I headed back to my apartment (hopefully soon it feels more natural to say "home"!).  At foot of my apartment, I stopped in the bakery and picked up their promotion: 3 croissants and 3 pain au chocolat for 2 euros!  Yum yum.

Now I'm in the for rest of the day, thinking about what I should make with my fresh ingredients.  I'm also trying to prepare myself a bit for the six classes I start this week.  I started my first two last Friday at the IAE business school where I am teaching English to masters IT students.  It started a little awkwardly, but then felt good once we got going.  I hope that the rest of my classes starting this week just keep getting better and better as I go along.  Besides the IT students, I'm also teaching undergraduate students at the urbanism school and a mix of both undergraduate and masters students at the language center on campus.  The language center caters to non-majors, so I'll be teaching students from all different disciplines.  Here's to the start of a good week! Wish me luck!

Bisous,
Danielle

Saturday in Ceret

Last Saturday, I spent a wonderful day touring around Ceret and the Pyrenees mountains.

The director of the Maison de l'Europe in Perpignan, where I volunteer, decided to take an Italian girl doing an internship at the Maison and myself on an excursion to see his town and then to explore the Pyrenees and the French - Spanish border.

The Canigou mountain from Ceret

Beautiful blooms

 

We arrived late morning (after some local bus troubles) by means of the regional 1 euro bus (perfect!) and immediately set off on our adventure.  Ceret is known for a few things: its big and diverse Saturday market, its modern art museum, rugby, and cherries.  The director, our guide for the day, loved sharing everything with us as we walked through town.  He showed us where the old city lines were.  We went to the mediatheque which was basically a combination of a fancy library and an art gallery, where they were unveiling the opening to some very cool exhibitions, one in photography and the other in 3D art that was a mix of glass mosaics and metal.  We saw a separate exhibition on 100 years of rugby photography at another stop.  At each place, our guide seemed to know someone, so we met the mayor and the finance guy for the town among many others.

Giovanna and I in Ceret

Giant loofas at the market!

Ceret Saturday market

Showing off Picasso's signature on this fountain in Ceret

Pi (pronounced pee) - k (pronounced ka) - sceau (bucket - pronounced so) = Picasso!! Isn't that clever!!

After two hours of walking, admiring, and meeting people, we were welcomed into our guide's house for a quick refreshment before going to meet his family at a restaurant for a late lunch.  I had a Catalan dish, that was basically an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and pan à la tomate.  It was customary to take a piece of bread, rub it with a raw garlic clove, then rub it with a tomato, and top it with meat.  It was really quite delicious.  I finished the meal with a delicious fondant au caramel and a taster of sweet Banyuls wine. 

After a wonderful meal, we hopped in the car for the second half of our adventure.  We followed a route into the mountains along the Via Domitia.  The Via Domitia was the first Roman road, and it stretched all the way from Italy to Spain.  You can still find traces of it in the Pyrenees between France and Spain.  That's pretty incredible!  Fun fact: the University of Perpignan is named after this route.  Also in this area, we followed a small winding road, which happened to by Napoleon's road where he cross the Pyrenees on his way to Portugal.  Apparently, he never made it though as there was an unfortunate incident in Madrid where many people attempted an uprising and it turned into complete bloodshed.  But for us, it was beautiful views and strong winds that tried to knock us off our feet at each stop.

Following the Via Domitia

As we followed these routes, we came upon a great fortress designed by Vauban, like many of the fortifications in this area.  The fortress is in the shape of a star, and it seems like it's out of a fairy tale with his gate and moat.  We walked around it and admired the views, being able to see both France and Spain in one view.  Just below this fortress, we explored the border town of Perthus, which is divided right down the middle (longways) between France and Spain.  The town itself wasn't particularly beautiful and we were told that it doesn't have such a nice reputation now (i.e. trafficking and other bad stuff), but it was fun hearing about our guide's experiences there as a teenager and how he'd always go to a certain cafe with his friends on payday and such. 

View from the fortress

Finally, our last stop was to check out the end of the Via Domitia where it changed name to the Via Augusta for those continuing into Spain.  At this point, we also learned about the system of "bornes" which mark the border.  They are large columns each with a number ranging from 1 to 602 to physically show where the border lies.  They were designated in the Treaty of the Pyrenees marking the end of the war between the two countries, and to this day, they cannot be removed or altered in any way by either country.

"In memory of all the men and women who in time of fascism took these paths towards liberty" (Or something like that - it's in Catalan!)

Borne #567

Our incredible guide and friend, Jean-Marie

At that point, we were exhausted and it was time to head home.  So we followed the route back down from the mountains, and saw a beautiful sunset on our way back to Perpignan.  It was a very full day, and it was clear how passionate and excited the director was to show us everything.  I'm very thankful to be able to have experiences like this.

Sleepy Sunday

Sundays in France tend to be very quiet.  Stores must remain closed, and only restaurants are legally allowed to open their doors and welcome customers.  When people go out, it's usually to the morning market.  In Perpignan, the marché at Place Cassanyes is truly a people's market, rather than for tourists.  There are many booths piled high with fresh fruits and vegetables, most for one euro per kilogram.  It's advisable to walk through the market and find the best quality before buying, because at such a low price, sometimes the quality can vary.  The vendors yell the prices of their goods, which can sometimes create a frenzy for the cheap foods.  Some other vendors sell fish, eggs, spices, or cheese.  The other half of the market consists of household wares and clothing at very cheap prices. 

This Sunday, I enjoyed a trip to the bustling market.  With only less than five euros spent, I came away with a large bag of goodies including zucchini, eggplant, apples, clementines, lemons, and an onion.  Then on my way home, I stopped in a Catalan bakery.  While I've walked past this bakery many times as it's on the route into the historic center, I've never actually been in.  After one time, I think I have a new addiction.  They have pastries (I bought a layered pastry with almonds and almond cream), a wall full of breads, and other regional specialties.  I can't wait to try the olive bread.

After my morning walk, I met up with a group a friends, and we drove to a small village called Prades.  Prades itself wasn't anything special, especially since everything was closed.  They really keep true to nobody working on Sunday.  However, what led us there was the beautiful scenery.  Prades sits at the base of the Canigou, one of the tallest mountains of the region.  Its peak juts into the blue sky, covered in snow, an unlikely contradiction to the dry and warm village just below.  I hope you'll enjoy the view just as much as I did.