Toussaint Part Three: SO Much Shorter Than the Other Two

While in Avignon, we took a day trip to Nîmes, home of the oldest and most intact Roman ruins in all of Europe--so cool :)

We started our day off on the wrong foot when we bought 2€ coffees that the bus driver wouldn't let us take on the bus.  We chugged two mouthfuls, then got sourly onto the bus with scalded tongues and still no energy.  It was a very short trip, and we arrived in Nîmes right as the skies let out a deluge like we'd never seen.

We--miserable, cranky, soaked, and caffeine-deprived--made our way toward les Arènes, the Roman ruins, and stopped in an adorable café on the way.  There, we had the most incredible food--and the most incredible service--we've ever had in France, and the timing was perfect--we were about to kill each other/ourselves :P

Mmmmmmmmm :)

After our fantastic lunch, we shopped around for a little bit (and bought more postcards than we thought humanly possible.  We've all just started this new program called PostCrossing.com where you send and receive postcards from all over the world.  For that, our postcard binge was almost justified....but not quite :P)

We finally made our way to the Roman ruins, but it was raining so hard that mostly we just swordfought with our broken umbrellas... 

...pretended we were bulls...

 
...and laughed at the well-endowed matador statue...

 

The other girls eventually made it up into the old Roman Arena, but since I'd already visited the one in Arles (and wanted to save 9€), I spent the next couple of hours reading and writing postcards in the most adorable café that sold the tiniest croissants I've ever seen!   

You can't tell, but they're only about an inch long.  (That's what she said?)

It was a fun day trip, and I'd love to go back when it's not flooding :)

Toussaint Part Two: the Debacle(s)

Lyon?  Question Mark? 

After we left Dijon, we took a train to Avignon via Lyon.  It was an evening train, which was a nice change from the incredibly early trains we’d caught during the rest of our vacation.  In a cruel twist of fate that was partially our fault but mostly the fault of French grèvists and their disruption of train schedules, we arrived in Lyon too late to catch our connecting train…which was the last train of the night.  After learning that the train station was about to shut down for the night, too, and that we couldn’t just stay there and play card games until the following morning, Maxine and I ventured out into the cold, wet night to find a last-minute, cheap hotel for 4 travel-weary, cranky American girls. 

Not an easy task.

We found an available room at one of the hotels next to the train station.  The man at the reception desk understood our plight (as he, too, had missed trains, grâce aux grèves) and told us that he could technically squeeze 4 people into a room for 2, but only if we were ultra quiet and out of the room before housekeeping came at 6 a.m.  We agreed to his explicit terms but wondered about the secrecy; turns out that putting more people in a room than that room can actually hold is against the law, and he could lose his hotel license. 

Needless to say, we didn’t make a sound.  We were grateful to have a bed (and two spaces on the floor) to sleep away our remaining 5 hours in Lyon. 

At 4:45 a.m., we woke up, got all our stuff together, and checked out of the hotel in time to catch our 5:38 train to Avignon. 

Basically, this is all we saw of Lyon.  

The futuristic train station at Lyon, alight in the reflection from our hotel's cheap neon sign.  (Don't forget you can click on the pictures to biggen them!)

  As soon as I get the bad taste out of my mouth, I’d love to go back and see more :)

Avignon, At Long Last!

We slept fitfully on the trains to Avignon; both of them were unheated, which seemed an inhumane insult to add to our injury.  Still, sunshine and blue skies greeted us in Avignon, and after a quick café we set out to find our hotel. 

Avignon's main gated entry--and the welcome sight of blue skies!

It was only about 5 minutes away on the main birch-lined road (which reminded me intensely and nostalgically of West Harpeth), and after we checked in to our room (a strange purple Gothic tower affair), we passed out for a long nap. 

Knowing that the day of our arrival was also our only day of sunshine, we only slept until noon, then got out of bed and went exploring.  We walked north along the main street until we reached a large plaza full of cafés and restaurants and even a carousel; we chose one restaurant at random and sat down for lunch, and though the service left a lot to be desired, the food was good and we were happy to finally be in the sunshine!  

The crowded plaza where we ate lunch.

 After lunch we walked toward the Palais des Papes in its huge, tree-lined courtyard dotted with souvenir shops and sculptures. 

Palais des Papes, built in 1335 and considered the most important Gothic palace in the world. 

Before we even got to the courtyard we heard accordion music; someone was playing the music from Amélie, which, if you know me at all, you know is my favorite French film of all time.  I had a transcendent moment in which all the trials and tribulations we encountered in getting to Avignon were all worth this one moment in the sun with my friends and an Amélie-esque soundtrack.  It was perfect :)

This quintessentially French woman absolutely *made* my vacation.  The Asian tourist next to her...not so much.

We continued up the hill behind the Palais des Papes and saw the WWII monument.  It’s such a humbling experience to see the engraved names of people from a particular city who died at the hands of the Nazis or the Vichy regime.  In the States it all seems so remote, but the French were truly at the center of that piece of history.  The memorials that they’ve set up so that people don’t forget what the country went through are really touching.

Further up the hill we could see the infamous Pont d’Avignon down below us; apparently it doesn’t even go anywhere anymore.  After a particularly destructive flood in the early 1600s, the bridge now only has 4 of its original 22 arches left, and it stops in the middle of the Rhône River.  Efficient, Frenchies.  Reeeaaallll efficient. 

The Pont d'Avignon on its ill-fated journey across the Rhône, plus vineyards in the foreground.  Mmmmm, wine :)

At the very top of the hill was the real treasure: Rochers des Doms, a hidden garden with fountains, statues, a café, and the most adorable pedal toys I’ve ever seen.  

 

Can you honestly tell me you've seen something cuter than this?  I'd like to see you try. 

We climbed to the top of this cool waterfall thing to have a gorgeous aerial view of the city and its surrounding geography.

I felt like Ariel in her undersea grotto!

 The day was so clear that we could see for miles in every direction.  And look, ma—fall foliage! 

 

  

We had an ice cream and bought SO many postcards at the café right next to the pool with the sculpture in it; the server was so much nicer than anyone we’d encountered in Nevers, and we attributed it to the fact that we were further south.  Also, the sun was out, and it was a beautiful day; maybe if Nevers got more of those, the people would be nicer!

Cassis (black currant) is my new favorite flavor of ice cream.  Plus, it comes with a pinwheel!

Instead of paying 15€ to walk out onto the Pont d’Avignon (which, need I remind you, doesn’t go anywhere?!), we decided to camp out on the banks of the Rhône just beside the bridge and change the lyrics of the famous song to reflect our amendment; instead of “Sur (on) le Pont d’Avignon,” we danced to “Pres (near) du Pont d’Avignon.”  It was pretty magical :)

We sat on the banks for hours, watching the sunset over the river.  A riverboat passed by us, all lit up, showing the other end of the bridge to (even more) paying customers.  A sweet old man came by with two bags full of baguette cubes that he threw to the ducks in the water below us.  He and I talked for a long time; he was really interesting, and had a lot of good stories to tell, and was obviously grateful for the company.  

He says the problem with young people is that they pretend to listen to his stories and don't retain anything.  I'm determined to prove him wrong.

By the time we left the bridge, it was dark.  We passed back through the plaza with the carousel where we ate lunch, and it, too, was all lit up.  You know I have a weakness for bright lights :)

The carousel and City Hall, all lit up at night.

 After that first day of sun, it poured for the rest of our trip.  We only left our hotel room to grab a quick café or chocolat chaud, or to pick up a couple of baguettes and some cheese and wine for our dinner.  Over the next four days, we took one day trip (a rainy debacle of its own, to be told in great detail in the next blog entry) and watched 3 movies and the entire first season of Glee. 

We spent Halloween in Avignon, which was a bit of a sobering experience.  We didn’t expect anything major to happen—at least not the way it happens in the states—but it was still raining and we couldn’t summon the energy to go to a nearby bar that was having Halloween karaoke, so instead we stayed in and watched the classics: Hocus Pocus, Young Frankenstein, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Also, Maxine’s awesome French phone let us know at midnight that it was Halloween by changing all our avatars to little pumpkins.  Adorable :)

Gives new meaning to the name Punkinhead, doesn't it, Dad?

There's only one more entry to include about les vacances de Toussaint, and that's our day trip to Nîmes.  This post has gotten far too long as it is, so expect it in the next one.  À très bientôt!

The Toussaint Debacle, Part One

The French educative system always catches me by surprise.  We arrived at the end of September, started working in the middle of October, and only worked for one full week before we left for a 10-day vacation.  It's certainly a system that I can get used to ;)

Early in the season we'd begun to make Toussaint vacation plans: our OFII (Office of Immigration) appointments were scheduled right in the middle of the Toussaint vacation, so we had to go to Dijon to take care of those.  After that we planned to spend a couple of days in Grenoble, then head to Avignon for a few days before returning to Nevers in time for classes to begin.

But then we were cruelly reminded of an age-old, yet amended, caveat: "If you want to make the French laugh, tell them your plans."  In response, they'll tell you, "There's a national strike.  You're not going anywhere."

Dijon

Our first train to Dijon was cancelled, but luckily there was another one immediately after it, so the girls whose OFII appointments were on Tuesday made it to the city in time.  While they were in their doctor's visit--which apparently involves some sort of lung scan, topless, against a metal plate with actual circles that indicate where to place your boobs...?--another friend and I explored the old city of Dijon.  It was so beautiful :)  My favorite square, Place François Rude, had this adorable Tudor-style building (renovated as a restaurant), a fountain/sculpture, and a carousel. One day we were there, it also had a group of kindergartners all eating cotton candy.  So cute!

Place François Rude

We revisited the same cathedral with the chouette (good luck owl statue) as we did the first time we were in Dijon; the sun was out and the sky was blue and full of puffy clouds, and we enjoyed several hot chocolates from several different salons de thé.  We decided the one from here was the best :)

Maison Milliere had the best hot chocolate...

...not to mention delicious crêpes!

 

We also went to the Musée des Beaux Arts, which was free to enter.  They had an impressive collection of Egyptian artifacts and a bunch of beautiful sculptures, which are a personal favorite of mine.  They also had a great exhibition by local artists, which is always fun to explore.  We eventually ran into this guy playing his accordion on the street; I imagine he's a local, too :)

From Dijon, we were on our way to Grenoble!  But our original train to Grenoble was cancelled (surprise!), so we decided to go straight to Avignon and just spend a few more days there.  That turned out to be much more difficult than we'd planned....

Tune in soon for Toussaint Debacle, Part Two!

Now *I'm* Fait-ing La Grève...

Contre blogging!  Rabble rabble rabble...

Well, really, I was on vacation, which is why I've been remiss in posting.  Worry not, numerous readers (ha!), I'm back and raring to go.  In fact, I have so much to write about, I'm going to include it in several posts.  Ready?  GO!

First Week of Teaching

We spent a week "observing" in our various classrooms before actually getting up in front of the kids.  I introduced myself, told them where I was from, answered some general questions ("Have you ever met Michael Jackson?", "Do you eat food in the United States?", and "Do you know how to speak American all the time?" were some of my personal favorites.) 

The French primary school system is divided into 5 classes--CP, CE1, CE2, CM1, and CM2--which basically correspond to 1st through 5th grades.  As a primary school language assistant, I have a mix of all of these classes (except the CP [1st graders] because my résponsable removed some of my teaching hours to allow time for the 40-minute round-trip commute to my schools every day.) 

I teach a mix of kids, aged 7-11, in three separate schools.  Their levels of English vary between grades, certainly, but also drastically between schools.  One of my favorite teachers, Sophie (who drives me to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and invited me to her house last weekend for a 6-hour French Sunday roast), speaks English really well; she teaches CM1, and her students have the best grasp of any of my classes.  Another teacher, who speaks English with absolutely no confidence, teaches CM2, and her students--who are older--don't understand anything I say.  It's amazing how little of a national curriculum there is; they seem to want the kids to speak English fluently at an early age, but have no idea how to make that happen.  I guess that's the job of the English assistant!

The following week I took some materials to teach the students about Tennessee; I brought pictures of the TN flag for them to color, plus a map of the state and a map of the USA so they could try to find TN within the country.  Some classes did really well, others not so great--one entire class was convinced that California was the state whose shape best corresponded with the shape of TN.  The students were all amazed at how many states there were, and the ones who made the connection between the 50 states and the 50 stars on the flag were SO proud of themselves.  I also taught them about Mule Day, cowboys, country music, and BBQ--I think it was a pretty successful lesson :)  Next, Halloween!

Speaking of Halloween....

Tarte à la Citrouille (Spooky Version)

The Special Ed teacher at one of my schools approached me on my first day and asked me to send her some American recipes so that her kids, who have a cooking class once a month, could try their hand at something "foreign."  I sent her the recipe for pumpkin pie, because 'tis the season, and also for Rice Krispies Treats; that one came via special request from her students.  She promised me that she'd let me know when they had their cooking class so I could join in...which, of course, is right up my alley.

During the first week of "real" teaching, she let me know that Thursday was the day the cooking would go down, and that I was welcome for as much of it as I could attend.  Thursday is the day I'm at one school from 8h30-16h00, but most of that time is free between classes (just not enough free time to take the 20-minute bus back to Nevers), so I hung out at the school all day and was available for the entire thing.

First, the kids gutted the pumpkin (hilarious), cooked it, and started measuring out all the ingredients.  While the pumpkin was cooling, they copied down the recipe, and alongside it a message--in English, which many of them had never even seen before--that briefly described the tradition and history of pumpkin pie.  The whole thing just made me hungry :P

It was really fun watching these kids cook.  They'd never separated an egg and didn't know to keep the shells out of the bowl; they were astonished to see egg whites and sugar beaten into "stiff white peaks;" they were so impatient for the pie to come out of the oven, and we had to distract them with game after game while it cooled! 

Finally, it was cool enough for them to decorate it.  

Even though they'd made it with their own hands and seen all the ingredients that went into it, a lot of the kids were still pretty skeptical about eating pumpkin--something that's usually reserved for soups and casseroles and certainly NOT pies. 

Still, almost everyone tried it, and everyone who tried it liked it, so I call the mission successful! 

Hopefully I'll be included in next month's cooking class, too.  Maybe we'll attempt a turducken :)

On Fait La Grève! And Other French Goings-On

I've been in Nevers now for three weeks, but I haven't written much here because I've been having such a hard time and didn't want my pessimism to bring down the mood of the blog. Now, though, I've gotten a bank account, social security, a phone, AND I've gotten better from being sick, so I'm here to bring you the juicy details of a Year in France :)

First, some photos of my new friends in France.  Before we started working, we had loads of free time, so we went exploring along the river...

and in front of the Palais Ducal, which now houses the Mayor's office, Tourism Office, and a ceramics musem. 

We came across a street market one Saturday that was full of people selling their homemade stuff; there were cheese and sausage makers, booksellers, cake bakers and woodworkers, even a blacksmith, all out in the street showin' off their skillz.  There was even a contest to guess the weight of a dried, cured ham, and if you guessed right, you got to take home the ham.  Of course I entered it :)

Then there was this guy, who was playing a SAW as a musical instrument!  Now THAT'S talent :) 

A couple of weeks ago we traveled to Dijon for our pedagogical training; the visit was short, but we got a nice little glimpse of Dijon.  Mostly we hung out by the cathedral and rubbed the owl repeatedly, who is said to bring good luck.  Looks like he's brought a lot of luck; his poor features have been rubbed into blobbiness.

Last week we observed in our classrooms before actually starting teaching. I was surprised at how little English the students knew, even the CM1 (the equivalent of 5th grade). When I said, "Good morning!," they said "Hello," but when I asked, "How are you?" they all said, "Yes." I still don't understand that one :P There were a couple of widespread language mishaps--"ten, eleven, twelve, twelvety-one"--so it looks like I've got my work cut out for me! Still, I've committed myself to the mantra that, even though my work may not necessarily help them learn English, as long as I make the learning fun, they'll remember something.

I hope.

Either way, this is going to be fun! It's interesting to think back on what I remember from school when I was their age--obviously not a foreign language because that's not part of the general public curriculum in the States--but other things that stuck out (the Shirley method, the 50 states song, etc.) that might help them remember some things from their English studies. Then again, when teaching a second language to 5th graders, you have to operate at about a 1st grade English level. Still, I'm getting the hang of speaking slowly, using gestures, and resorting to French in the classroom when I get blank, glassy-eyed stares.

So far I've only actually been in the classrooms of two of my three schools, because last week one of them was closed (and had the courtesy to tell me beforehand, unlike any of the other poor girls' schools!) for la grève--the STRIKE. Even people who know nothing about French culture know that they're famous for their strikes--they strike when the mood strikes them, you could say ;) On Tuesday, everyday life shut down all over France when people demonstrated against raising the retirement age from 60 to....wait for it......62.

This relatively simple legislative slip-up got us all a day off work, though, so we can't complain too much :P The main road in Nevers was blocked off to traffic, there were bands and DJs in the streets, and everyone had bright orange vests and stickers and flags--it was amazing to see so many people come together to support the same cause. Of course, we wondered about the effectiveness of it--if you're always on strike, who takes strikes seriously? But this strike in particular interrupted the train and bus system, as well as fuel reserves in big cities, so it's demanding action NOW or the merde is going to hit the fan!

To save money we've been having a lot of "Bread Wine and Cheese" nights--usually at my apartment because it came with 2 chairs instead of 1 (classy!).  Sometimes we even watch episodes of Glee :)  It's so nice to have other English-speaking people here, and the other assistants are SO nice--they really are a saving grace in what can sometimes be a dreadful cultural cesspool. 

Even Diesel likes wine and cheese night :)

Speaking of my apartment, I have some photos of that, too--it's so typically French it's laughable!  One full wall is made of corkboard...

 

And it has the smallest kitchen....

 ...and bathroom...

that I've ever seen.  Still, it's a perfect size for one person, though there are some couples who stay here together and I can't see how they do it! 

Next week is the Toussaint holiday (10 days!) and we're really hoping we can make some travel plans that aren't interrupted by la grève!  We're thinking Grenoble, or maybe Bordeaux...really, the whole of Europe is our oyster :) 

Welcome to Nevers Nevers Land :)

I've been in France for just over a week now, and things are settling in--I'm starting to feel at home!

My travels to Paris were tumultuous to say the least; I got lost, changed plans, hefted heavy suitcases, stumbled exhaustedly around the airport...then ran into a Parisian friend who bought me breakfast, carried my bags for me, and escorted me to a hotel so I could sleep off my crankiness. Tarik--I owe you a big one :)

After being in Paris for just over 24 hours, I caught the train to Nevers. It was only about a 2 hour trip, which is good to know--if I'm ever bored for a weekend, Paris is just a train ride away! And next time I won't have nearly as much baggage ;)

I arrived in Nevers just as the sun came out; a fellow assistant whom I'd only met online came to meet me at the train station and told me that she hadn't seen the sun yet, so having it follow me from Paris was a nice treat :)

Now I'm settled into my apartment (with a gorgeous late-afternoon view of the cathedral!) I'm also really close to the River Loire, which is great. I've finished the paperwork for social security, having a bank account, and getting a phone, plus the immigration paperwork; I've made friends, gotten drunk, spent too much money, and already considered buying a new pair of shoes--it's like I'm French already!

I've visited all my schools so far, and they seem great. The children are aged 7-11, and I'll be teaching them English with the help of their professors. I alternate among 3 schools, one of them in Nevers and two of them out of town in Fourchambault, so my travel time will be included in the maximum 12 hours I work per week. Our schedules are supposed to be finalized today, and that will make it even more real!

So far no major mishaps have happened (which is WEIRD for me--remember when I slept in a soup kitchen? Remember when I got locked in a bathroom as it was being disinfected?!) but I know they will ;)

Until then, I'm content to enjoy my drawn-out French vacation :)

T-Minus One Week...

Today marks one week until I fly to France. I've finally made it past the "Oh-my-God I'm going to die" feelings and have landed safely in the "This is going to be the biggest adventure of my life" realm.

I was thrilled when I first got the job, then got anxious as the deadline got closer and closer and I still had no information (thanks, French government. I must say, I love the French way of life--2-hour lunch, 30-hour work week--EXCEPT for the fact that it also applies to the people who run the country. Still, France is still standing, right? The cogs in the Machine are still turning, right? And I'm still moving there!)

Finally, after waiting for ages to find out when I leave, where I'm going, which schools/age groups I'll be teaching; after waiting for the consulate to issue my visa and return my passport; after endless days of shopping for "professional" clothes, new glasses and contacts, shoes, teaching materials, gift, etc....I'm thrilled again :)

So, here's the final recap:

I'll be working in Nevers, France, in the Nièvre region near Dijon.



It's situated near some cities I've never traveled to, but I'm dying to visit all of them before I come back to the States!



The region is famous for its wines (namely Pouilly Fumé, made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, which I've never even heard of but am EXCITED to try), its faience ceramics, and, being so close to Dijon, its mustard.

Nevers itself is famous historically for being the Loire depot of Julius Caesar in 52 BCE (then it was called Noviodunum). Even though the Aedui at Noviodunum burned the city after Caesar's failure before Gergovia, Nevers became the seat of a bishopric at the end of the 5th century. Even today, many of the buildings and houses are from as early as the 14th century!



The palais ducal (ducal palace) is one of the main sights to see in Nevers; part of it has been transformed into a ceramics museum.



Though the Nièvre region is rural, with on average 50 people per square kilometer, the population of Nevers is one of the largest in the département at about 41,000...soon to be 41,001 :)

I'm so excited to share all my adventures on here with anyone out there who's reading. If you have any comments (or suggestions for places to visit!), please let me know! My plan is to do, see, taste, and try everything I possibly can in the next seven months...so help me out! Looking forward to hearing from all of you :)