I have so many stories and yet no time to tell them! My mom has been here since the 6th of October, so we've been busy busy busy (which obviously leaves no time for updating), and the night before she arrived my laptop decided to stop working.
It only opens in 'Safe mode with networking,' which means no sound or microphones, and everything is super-sized. I've at least been able to go online, but no tv shows, music or movies, and no skype either... But my mom is taking my laptop with her tomorrow when she leaves for Minnesota, and is then shipping it to Winona to fix. Hopefully I'll have it back within a week.
But until then, you will have to wait anxiously for pictures, and me hoping I remember all the stories that go with them! Sightseeing with mom and a weekend in Aix! I'm also off to the Loire Valley Chateaux this upcoming weekend.
So I can't upload my new pictures until I get my laptop back, but I am anxiously awaiting it's return, and it hasn't even left yet. Here's wishing you a safe journey, laptop!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Friday, October 5, 2007
it's already october?!
I've been back from the Northern Coast of France for a week now, but unfortunately I don't have many pictures due to my broken camera. But I have a few that I stole from others!
The weekend was a really nice break from hectic Paris life, except for the hours and hours we spent in a bus. We rode about 4 hours to Rennes, the capital of Brittany, where we had a little tour and time to eat lunch. We ate at a galette and crepe restaurant (the specialty of the region) and it was a good time. I had a ham, mushroom and cheese galette (which is just a savory crepe). It was good, but I definitely like the crepe I got from a stand set up in the main square right before we left. I was adventurous and got a "Salted Caramel Butter Fudge" crepe- which really ended up being a crepe filled with what tasted like a melted handmade wax-paper wrapped caramel. It was amazing! I think that caramel is a specialty of the region as well.
Then we hopped on the bus for another 2 hours or so and went to St. Malo. St. Malo was definitely my favorite part of the trip. It's a small fortified town that was the only stronghold left against the British in the north during the 100 years war. It was the cutest town I've visited, and was right on the English Channel. The fresh sea air was such a welcome change from city air.
The view from the ramparts
That night we stayed across a small bay in a town called Dinard, also completely adorable. It was one of the first towns with 'vacation homes' for the British. Our hotel was about 2 minutes away from the Channel, and some girls and I went at midnight. It was an amazing experience! We put our feet in the water and the stars were out, and there was just the right amount of briskness to the air. It was so unbelievable that I was putting my feet in the ENGLISH CHANNEL! It's so amazing to be seeing different parts of the world like I get to!
The next morning we ran back to shore for a few minutes before re-boarding the buses yet again, and then it was a one hour trip to the Mont St. Michel. The Mont really was breathtaking, but it seems more touristy than St. Malo. It was still stunning all the same. We arrived at high tide, and in the past (before the road was constructed) when it was high tide, the Mont would be an island! Pilgrims to the Abby had to cross the sand (and quicksand!) by foot during low tide, and then stay on the island until high tide had passed.
We spent a few hours there, and then started back for home. About halfway back to Paris, we stopped in Beauvron-en-Auge (that might be spelled wrong) for a typical snack from Normandy. We had tarte tatin (an apple tart) and some cider that, according to our guide, was stronger than the cider you buy in shops because it tasted of the "country." I didn't finish mine, haha. It was a cute little village that we stopped in, and was where many soldiers were air-dropped during WWII. I'm constantly in awe at how much I'm surrounded by history everywhere I go. I love it.
The 3 1/2 hours home after that were uncomfortable and seemed to take forever, and it felt so nice to be back and out of that bus. The school week always flies by for me, I don't have any idea where the days go. On Monday I went to the Chanel and Hermes headquarters for my Haute Coture class (and felt very poor!) and Thursday we walked around the Marais for Architecture. Fashion week 2007 has also been going on this week, so some of the kids in the program have been trying to crash Fashion shows.
Amee and I were tired of not going out and doing things in Paris, so we went to where the Alexander McQueen fashion show was tonight, and got there after it ended, of course. We decided to walk around anyway, and found some fashionable looking people leaving one of the doors. I decided to take my chances, and just walked in and asked the security guard if i could go in and look at the runway setup. He was like, Sorry it's not allowed, but we chatted a bit and then they let us back!
It was such a beautiful set up, I only wish I could have seen it with the lights off. But how many people can say they walked the runway where the Alexander McQueen show was?? Now I can!
And to make things even better, my mom is arriving tomorrow! So don't expect an update for a while, because we're going to be busy busy busy! Times are good in Paris, that's for sure.
The weekend was a really nice break from hectic Paris life, except for the hours and hours we spent in a bus. We rode about 4 hours to Rennes, the capital of Brittany, where we had a little tour and time to eat lunch. We ate at a galette and crepe restaurant (the specialty of the region) and it was a good time. I had a ham, mushroom and cheese galette (which is just a savory crepe). It was good, but I definitely like the crepe I got from a stand set up in the main square right before we left. I was adventurous and got a "Salted Caramel Butter Fudge" crepe- which really ended up being a crepe filled with what tasted like a melted handmade wax-paper wrapped caramel. It was amazing! I think that caramel is a specialty of the region as well.
Me and my Crepe!
Then we hopped on the bus for another 2 hours or so and went to St. Malo. St. Malo was definitely my favorite part of the trip. It's a small fortified town that was the only stronghold left against the British in the north during the 100 years war. It was the cutest town I've visited, and was right on the English Channel. The fresh sea air was such a welcome change from city air.
The view from the ramparts
That night we stayed across a small bay in a town called Dinard, also completely adorable. It was one of the first towns with 'vacation homes' for the British. Our hotel was about 2 minutes away from the Channel, and some girls and I went at midnight. It was an amazing experience! We put our feet in the water and the stars were out, and there was just the right amount of briskness to the air. It was so unbelievable that I was putting my feet in the ENGLISH CHANNEL! It's so amazing to be seeing different parts of the world like I get to!
The next morning we ran back to shore for a few minutes before re-boarding the buses yet again, and then it was a one hour trip to the Mont St. Michel. The Mont really was breathtaking, but it seems more touristy than St. Malo. It was still stunning all the same. We arrived at high tide, and in the past (before the road was constructed) when it was high tide, the Mont would be an island! Pilgrims to the Abby had to cross the sand (and quicksand!) by foot during low tide, and then stay on the island until high tide had passed.
We spent a few hours there, and then started back for home. About halfway back to Paris, we stopped in Beauvron-en-Auge (that might be spelled wrong) for a typical snack from Normandy. We had tarte tatin (an apple tart) and some cider that, according to our guide, was stronger than the cider you buy in shops because it tasted of the "country." I didn't finish mine, haha. It was a cute little village that we stopped in, and was where many soldiers were air-dropped during WWII. I'm constantly in awe at how much I'm surrounded by history everywhere I go. I love it.
The 3 1/2 hours home after that were uncomfortable and seemed to take forever, and it felt so nice to be back and out of that bus. The school week always flies by for me, I don't have any idea where the days go. On Monday I went to the Chanel and Hermes headquarters for my Haute Coture class (and felt very poor!) and Thursday we walked around the Marais for Architecture. Fashion week 2007 has also been going on this week, so some of the kids in the program have been trying to crash Fashion shows.
Amee and I were tired of not going out and doing things in Paris, so we went to where the Alexander McQueen fashion show was tonight, and got there after it ended, of course. We decided to walk around anyway, and found some fashionable looking people leaving one of the doors. I decided to take my chances, and just walked in and asked the security guard if i could go in and look at the runway setup. He was like, Sorry it's not allowed, but we chatted a bit and then they let us back!
It was such a beautiful set up, I only wish I could have seen it with the lights off. But how many people can say they walked the runway where the Alexander McQueen show was?? Now I can!
And to make things even better, my mom is arriving tomorrow! So don't expect an update for a while, because we're going to be busy busy busy! Times are good in Paris, that's for sure.
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