Mary-Est-En-France

Grenoble, Sassenage

Started the day with a short class period. We discussed “gros mots” (swear words) and differences in language based on age and gender.

After class we had an hour break before leaving for Sassenage. We had been promised swimming, so most of us thought it would be a small beach on a lake. However, we were surprised to find that we would be climbing up the mountain to a rushing river. We all clamored down the final rocks to an area where several waterfalls had created a small pool. The water was absolutely frigid. Compared to the oppressive heat the rest of the week, it was wonderful.

We returned to town, got a small ice cream as a group, and went our separate ways for the evening. The night ahead of us promised to be exciting, as the US was playing France in the quarter finals for the world cup! Several of us met up around 6:30 for dinner near my house. We chose one of the many Italian restaurants lining the river and each of us got pizza. It was delicious! I’m sure I’ll go back. We walked across the river to Shakesbeer, a small pub that had several TVs so we could watch the game. It was a great environment. We were able to squeeze over 10 of us into a booth and we happened to sit by a group of American ex-pats. The game was intense, but the US won 2-1. After the game ended, we headed out for drinks and dancing. I thought it was interesting that both bars were pirate themed.

Grenoble

Started the blazing hot day bright and early. I sat down to breakfast with Janine and we discussed the first round of presidential debates in America. She told me that she and her partner love American politics and find them fascinating. We decided to talk more at dinner. I returned to my room to finish some linguistics homework and watched highlights from the debate when I had finished.

I decided to leave early around 10:45am for class at 12 so I would have time to catch the tram and get lunch at the university. As I rounded the first corner on my way out the door, someone called my name. I was surprised to see Jillian and Brenna eating breakfast in the café across the street. They had come from a nearby market and decided to stop on their way to class to eat. I sat down for an early lunch with them and we made it to the university with plenty of time to spare.

In class we discussed connotations of words and the different meanings within words that make them distinct from others. As the professor did individual check-ins outside the classroom, we played 20 questions in small groups to demonstrate the concepts we had been discussing. I was able to stump the group, as they were not able to guess the first female secretary of state. We ended class early to visit a local historical site. We marched across town as a group. The visit was to a church that had been a religious site for many hundreds of years. There were multiple layers of the church which were highlighted by maps and lights above. Apparently there were over 1,500 people buried there.

After class we decided we would meet Friday for dinner and to watch the US vs. France soccer game. The heat was oppressive, so we stopped by a small ice cream stand. Joyce, Tara, Ruby, and I split off from the group to explore the town. Early on in the adventure, Ruby and I got separated from the others and we continued on throughout town. We got snacks at Monoprix in a small mall and took advantage of the wonderful end of June sales before heading home.

The first course tonight consisted of a salad of shaved carrots and shredded tuna with a mustard sauce. The main dish was fresh peas, onions, ham, and potatoes. It wasn’t very pretty on the plate, but it tasted amazing. I’m continuously amazed by how good such simple things taste here. We sampled cheese and had a cup of cool apricots for dessert. Over dinner we had some great discussions. For my homework I was supposed to ask if gender creates differences in how the French language is spoken. Their consensus was that women speak much better than men, but much more softly. We discussed Gilbert’s career as a train conductor. He worked for over 30 years and always marveled at the quality of American machinery that was shipped over for the French railway system after WWII. Janine mentioned that I enjoy discussing politics and Gilbert lit up. He admitted he loves American politics and has been following them since the JFK assassination. Both Janine and Gilbert said they dislike Trump. They feel that he is rude and dangerous. They both mentioned that they felt he was destabilizing the world economy, something that made them angry and anxious.

After dinner we sat down and watched the football match between England and Norway. It was fun to watch. England won 3-0. Gilbert was surprised that the women acted so similarly to men when they scored a goal. He was excited when I told him I used to play on a soccer team.

Grenoble

This was the hottest day we have had to far. According to the news report we were the hottest city in France. It is because heat is trapped in the basin surrounded by mountains here.

We started the day with a scavenger hunt hosted by the housing agency that placed us with our families. It was actually a good bonding activity. It gave me the chance to walk around for about an hour and a half with other UM students as we searched for hotspots in the city. On our “chase trésor” we found a flower garden, a few museums, monuments, and a tourist office. I would like to go back to several of the places we found. My group agree we would like to go to a bar on Friday night to watch the football game between the United States and France. I am excited for the chance to bond with everyone. We ended the chase at a small café near my house and we were treated to a refreshing violet lemonade by our professor. Before class we all grabbed sandwichs and apricots at Monoprix.

In class we talked about the building blocks of linguistics. We were there until about 3pm before we were released for the day.

After class I walked around near my house to look for good clothing sales. I realized I had not packed enough clothing for the heat and decided to take advantage of the sales. I asked Janine about the sales and she said they were likely because this is the time of year everyone leaves on vacation and the stores want to take advantage of people packing and leaving town. I bought two or three tank tops and a breezy looking shirt that I am excited to wear. I might go out and look at other places before the end of the week.

For dinner we had a salad with fresh greens, vinegar, and boiled eggs. I wasn’t sure about it at first but I gave it a try and actually liked it! (Just not the smell, RIP to my nose.) I was craving pasta all day so Gilbert must have read my mind. We had ravioli with porc inside. I actually had never had that before so it was interesting to try. The sauce was light and cheesy. For dessert we ate cold cherries from the market. At dinner we talked about mistakes people commonly make when speaking French that frustrate them. They said mistaken negation and wrong conjugations are the most annoying. We moved onto soccer where we discussed the controversy with the US women’s team not wanting to go to the White House after they win the finals. Then Gilbert talked about his days in the military and how impressed he had been as a young man by the quality of American soldiers’ gear and cars.

Grenoble

This was our first day of UofM classes during the program. Because classes at the local university have not started, we have an intensive week with our UM class. The period started at noon, so it was easy to get to the university on time using the tram system. My class played ice breakers to open up about our feelings regarding the program before moving into our first discussion on linguistics. I hate to say it, but from what I have seen so far, linguistics is just not the field for me.

After class I left with Daniel and Roy to find a place for lunch. We wandered around town for roughly an hour before Daniel announced he was just looking for a Monoprix sandwich. I led them to the store and we got snacks together before going our separate ways to relax and do homework. During our walk we got to see stores around town, new restaurants, and monuments.

For dinner Gilbert switched things up. We had fresh melon slices, cheese, and ham for our first course. The melon was probably the best I’ve ever had, sweet and juicy. Our main course was chicken stuff with herbs with a side of fried peppers and vegetables. We ate apricots for dessert.

Grenoble

My first full day here! I got up around 7:30, Gilbert had said that we would be having breakfast around 8 am so I wanted to be up and ready by then. It turns out that breakfast is not as formal as I though. We had our bowl (yes, bowl) of coffee with sliced baguette (every meal has baguette) and jam. It was yummy.

I left with Janine to walk to the bus. She showed me the tram and told me which stop to take. I headed off to orientation, arriving early. We had our orientation until about 12pm that day. Afterward, the group headed off to a nearby park for a picnic lunch. We ate sandwichs, fruit, and cookies in the grass.

The main activity for the afternoon was a trip up the mountainside in the bubbles. Grenoble is completely surrounded by mountains, which is beautiful but unfortunately makes the city very hot. We got to take some photos and enjoy the already scorching weather when we reached the top.

To cap off the day, we got ice cream as a cohort. A few of us left together and bought some much needed supplies at the Monoprix down the street. I returned home to finish my homework for the next day.

For dinner I had a salad of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and vinegar. Our main course was ham and fried potatoes, and our dessert was a small cup of peaches.

I sat for a few hours and watched the news with Gilbert and Janine before heading to my room for the night.

Paris, Grenoble

We left Paris early this Sunday morning. We waved goodbye to the good little cat that sat across from our window at the AirBnb and left the neighborhood behind. We walked to the nearby Gare de Lyon to find our train. It was fairly easy, we found it and settled in for the three hour ride.

We arrived in Grenoble at roughly 12:41 pm. In the station we ran into Ruby, a girl I knew from school. We walked together to the McDonald’s where we were meeting Miranda, the contact for our program. I discovered that my family was not arriving until 6pm that day because they had been vacationing in the south of France.

They arrived a little earlier than expected. We grabbed my bags, loaded them in the car and zipped down the street to their apartment. I have never lived in an apartment before, but I had seen the ones my friends occupied at home. Compared to those, this home was like a palace. A kitchen, formal dining room, five bedrooms, a salon, two full baths, and a spare room. Wow! I got a bedroom to myself with a connected washroom and toilette. Down the hall the shower and bathtub were mine too. Luxury!

I was happy to discover that while other families were full of young children, there were none in mine. Only Gilbert and Janine. We ate dinner the first night around 8 pm with their two adult children who had come to visit from Paris. There was a fresh salade with vinegar, a tomato with cooked beef, and riz with butter. It was delicious. I was excited to learn that Gilbert considers himself a lover of cooking. For dessert we had small fruit cups, somehow more delicious than those in the US.

Paris

Our final day in Paris, how sad! We made it count, don’t worry. While Friday was the “day of death” we affectionally called Saturday our “day of art.”

Because it was the weekend, our favorite boulangerie was closed. Instead, we returned to the café we had visited Thursday morning. I tried a pain au chocolate and had another iced coffee. From there we took the Metro to l’Orangerie, a museum near the Place de Concorde (aka where the French king was beheaded during the Revolution of 1789). The museum was refreshingly small compared to the others we had been to earlier in the week. The top floor housed a series of Monet’s water lilies, which were stunning. I was so thankful I had been to his house before I visited because it truly enriched the experience. Downstairs there were works by other famous impressionists. Renoir’s works were my favorites.

From there we walked up the street, visited the bridge in front of Les Invalides and near the Grand Palais. We took photos of the golden statues and watched as over 20 vans of gendarmes rolled by with their sirens on. We walked across the bridge and made our way to the Musée d’Orsay. This museum housed statues, impressionist works, furniture from different periods, and models of iconic buildings in the city. We got to see Van Gogh’s self-portrait among other gorgeous items. I thought it was neat that we got to go out on the roof. We had an excellent view of the Louvre and the Seine.

Our next stop was the Opéra Garnier. This building inspired the Phantom of the Opera. It is stunning both inside and out. We arrived just before closing so we were only able to look around for about 20 minutes. However, we were able to see wonderful chandeliers, paintings, and costumes.

We went to the AirBnb, took a short break, and headed back out to the Atelier des lumières. I was certainly not prepared for what we saw. The building was a converted former factory. The walls and floors had been painted a dull color, pools and levels installed as well. The show consisted of music being played in sync with moving images from famous impressionist paintings and photos of the artist’s life. My description cannot give justice to the incredibly moving nature of the show. Throughout the piece, you could either sit or move around to see it from all angles. How you experienced the piece truly changed depending on where one sat.

Paris

We started the day bright and early, despite our exhaustion from our non-stop schedule finally setting in. After popping into our boulangerie for breakfast (flute au chocolat and croissant) we walked to the Père-Lachaise cemetery. There we saw the graves of Molière, Edith Piaf, Chopin, and Jim Morrison.

Our next stop was the Sainte Chapelle. This site was literally breath-taking. I gasped when I stepped inside the chapel, it was stunning. The ceilings were high, painted in bright gold, red, and blue. Stained glass depicting scenes from the Bible stretched the entire length of the room. There was a golden alter at the front of the room. I could imagine kings going to worship there. The amount of work that must have gone into such an extraordinary building is unbelievable.

After Sainte Chapelle we made our way towards the Panthéon, which houses the tombs of important literary and political figures in France. We stopped for lunch at a Crêperie, getting in and out for our fastest meal here so far. The outside of the Panthéon is stunning, but the interior was awe-inspiring. There were high ceilings, intricate monuments, and beautiful works of art. We followed the steps into the crypt and saw the tombs of figures like Voltaire, Louis Braille, and Aimé Césaire.

We trekked across town to Les Invalides. A military hospital, now museum, commissioned by Louis XIV that is also home to Napoleon’s tomb. There we visited exhibits on the American Revolution, the Franco-Prussian war, Napoleon’s campaigns, old battle equipment, and more. I was moderately creeped out when we happened upon Napoleon’s horse among the artifacts. Apparently, the horse had been with the emperor throughout several battles and when he died he was stuffed and preserved. After our time in the museum we followed the path to visit Napoleon’s tomb. It was once again stunning. The weather was much more cool on this day than that of my original visit because it had rained the night before. The air in the tomb was positively chilling.

Our final destination was the Paris catacombs. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect during the experience. We waited about 45 minutes in line, making it in just before closing. We marched silently in a line, deeper and deeper under the city. Finally, we arrived in a chamber with a low-hanging ceiling. There were large signs that explained the overcrowding of Paris cemeteries and the expansion of the city. It was interesting to learn that research was being done on the bones each time sections needed restoration. Researchers had apparently found that there was a relatively low incidence of disease among those they had already studied. We walked past and were greeted by French signs about death. It was definitely eerie. I was amazed by the number of bones. Over 2 million people were entombed here. Some bones made designs like alters, crosses, or hearts. Some skulls had evidence of bullet holes or were cracked after their move. It was frightening at times to shine a light and see pines of bone stretching out indefinitely into the distance behind locked gates. Because of our time in cemeteries, tombs, and the catacombs we nick-named this day in Paris the “day of death.”

Giverny, Versailles

I wasn’t sure about how this day would go initially, but I’m thrilled with how it turned out. We decided before we came to France that we would book a guided tour for Monet’s house in Giverny and the Versailles palace. We woke up so early in the morning that our boulangerie wasn’t open for the day! Not to fear, we checked in with the tour and had an hour before boarding so we found a café near the Louvre and sat down for breakfast. The place was small and chic, filled with modern furniture and decor. I had a croissant and a “café infusé à froid” which is essentially just an iced coffee. We boarded the bus around 9:15 am. Our guide for the day was a man called Jean-Louis. He was a tall, skinny man with very blonde hair in a bowl cut. Whenever he got irritated with the Americans he muttered in French to his coworkers in the front of the bus, not knowing some of us could understand him.

We arrived at Giverny about 40 minutes later. I had been hesitant about this part of the journey because I don’t know much about Monet and didn’t understand why his house would be interesting to see. After my experience, I can certainly say it a must-see for anyone who loves flowers and artwork. We were led through both the Japanese gardens and those on the other side of the road near Monet’s home. We had the chance to see the water lilies that Monet painted, take pictures on the Japanese bridge, and to explore the bamboo forest planted there. We learned that today there are only 5 full-time gardeners on the estate which is now managed by the French government. After our time in the gardens we got to explore the house which Monet shared with his second-wife and their many children. Many of the rooms were color coordinated with bright yellows, pinks, and blues. Japanese artwork and other impressionist work hung on the walls.

We left Giverny for lunch at an old mill. There was a small tuna dish, chicken, followed by and apple tarte for dessert. I wasn’t really impressed by the food, but enjoyed the scenery and a chance to sit down.

We were off at last to Versailles! I was excited for this part of the trip because I had learned parts of the palace that were under construction during my 2016 visit had opened again just weeks before our return to France. We were able to see the cathedral, the queen’s apartments, the hall of mirrors, the gardens, and the king’s apartments. All were stunning. Gold was everywhere. We learned that the French government had redone the front gates of the palace with real gold. It had taken them over 100,000 gold leafs to do so. After our time inside the palace, I was eager to explore the gardens. I hadn’t been able to see either the Grand or Petit Trianon on my last visit, so I wanted to make sure I did this time. Unfortunately, we had roughly 40 minutes and were unable to find either of them before time expired and we had to make our way back to the bus. The fountains we passed were beautiful so I am happy we did get to see those. This just gives me a reason to come back!

We returned to Paris around 5:45 pm. The sun certainly had not set, so we wanted to explore more of the city. Jillian hadn’t seen Notre Dame yet, so we walked over. We saw cranes surrounding the back of the structure, netting over the rosettes, but it was otherwise gorgeous. We attempted to visit the bookstore “Shakespeare and Co.” but it was closing for a private event as we arrived.

Deciding it was probably more expensive to eat dinner next to Notre Dame, we thought it was best to return to the neighborhood near our AirBnb. We stopped on the way home for Thai food. I’m not entirely sure what I ordered, but it was certainly interesting. There was cooked meat inside small charred husks that I dipped in a pepper sauce. We learned tonight that you must ask French waiters for the check or they will not bring it to you (thank you, Google). We were able to pay and leave much more quickly than dinner on previous nights.

Paris

Jillian and I started the day with breakfast at the boulangerie down the street. I had a croissant and a strawberry tart (absolutely full of butter, delicious). We decided that to eat we would walk to see Victor Hugo’s house and the park that was nearby. We got a little turned around, saw a few cute churches along the way, and then sat down to eat on a park bench. The sun was shining and birds were singing. We watched the fountains in the park glitter. Preparations for an event were underway at the center of the park, so we were unable to see the statue of king Louis XIII. We wandered across the street and found Hugo’s house. It was very nondescript, just a simple brick building with nothing but a small plaque to indicate that he had been there. Sadly, the building was under construction and we were unable to take a short tour.

Next stop: the Arc de Triomphe. On our way to the landmark, we stopped at the Hôtel Sully. We saw a beautiful garden surrounded by a quaint but beautiful castle. The Arc was simple to find using the Metro line 1. We first stopped outside the traffic circle to pose for pictures and take in the view. Then, we followed the crowd underground so we could cross the traffic and stand next to the monument. We saw the memorial to the unknown soldier where a flame is relit each night, we saw plaques devoted to the Republique de France, and plaques that denoted important French conquests. The carvings in the walls were much bigger than I had realized.

We traveled onward to the Eiffel Tower. Though I had been to Paris before, I had never had the chance to see the iconic landmark. The area was surrounded by men selling small trinkets like miniature towers and hats. Jillian and I stepped in line, had our bags searched, and walked under the tower. It was incredible. I was amazed by the complexity and beauty of the structure. Though we had originally planned to go to the summit, we decided it would be better to wait as lines for the elevator were over and hour long.

Instead of summiting the tower, we decided to move up our visit to the Louvre. We took photos in the square outside and headed in through the glass pyramid. At this moment, I was particularly happy that we had purchased museum passes in advance. We were able to skip huge lines here and at each of the other museums we visited without a problem. On our first trip inside we saw the top floor of the building which was filled with paintings from Europe in the 16th century. I hoped to find some paintings that suggested prevalent gender norms at the time that I could use in my thesis. Thankfully, I did! I was also thrilled to see portrait series that queen Marie de Medici had commissioned. They spanned the entire length of a room from floor to ceiling. They depicted important events in the queen’s life and propped up her reign for the public. We searched for famous portraits of kings, but discovered after asking a guard that they were out for renovation work.

We left the museum and made our way into the Jardins Tuilières for lunch. We grabbed a small table near a pond filled with white statues. Though our waiter seemed stressed and entirely irritated with American tourists, we enjoyed our first opportunity to sample savory crepes. For dessert we tried ice cream from a nearby stand. We both ordered entirely in French as the woman behind the counter had become irritated with an American woman who refused to try to speak French as she ordered.

We decided we should return to the Louvre to take it off of our list of sights to see. I made sure that Jillian got to see the Mona Lisa. The room it was housed in was under construction, all the other works had been removed and the painting sat alone amid a crowd of smelly tourists. It was almost muggy inside the building because of the summer heat and swarms of people. We followed the crowd out of the room and down the hall to discover a long room filled with oil paintings. I saw many works that had been featured in my “France in Modernity” course. To finish our day in the museum we made our way through the rest of the rooms on the floor seeing objects from Egypt, Greece, and the Versailles palace.

After escaping the crowds at the Louvre we made our way back to the Eiffel tower. It was worth going after 5pm because the crowds had certainly thinned. We waited about 30 minutes in line for the elevator before going up. It was a tight squeeze in the box, but we made it. I thought the height of the summit was absolutely terrifying. There is a small deck below the final summit where we took pictures. It was strange knowing were were 281 meters in the air. The very top floored is glassed in. We could see storm clouds below us, progressing through the city and knew they would on us momentarily. Sure enough, within minutes of arriving at the top of the tower we were encased in clouds. Rain pounded against the windows. Jillian and I decided it was time to return to the ground, but found that the elevators were not allowed to run during the storm. We waited it out for a few minutes before finally being allowed to descend. In the elevator we could see a rainbow shining over Paris. It was gorgeous.