Mary-Est-En-France

Saturday

It was absolutely beautiful outside at a balmy 60 degrees. We decided to start our morning with some bagels. I knew just the place! Bagelstein was the shop located directly behind my old tram stop on the way to the University of Grenoble. I would stop there sometimes before class. Each of us picked out our own bagel and toppings. We chatted with the owner while we waited for the order. Hearing our accents, he asked where we were from and we had a conversation about it. When we got our orders, we walked over to the jardin de ville to eat.

After breakfast, a college friend of Maggie’s met up with us. Nick is also an assistant and happened to be in town for the weekend as well. The group decided that we’d take the boules up to the Bastille so we could walk around. It was only a few euros, so it was a great deal.

We arrived at the Bastille and were rewarded with stunning views of the Verdun mountains and the Chartreuse mountains. The entirety of the city was visible. Clouds hung over the far ridge. Snow in the mountains was just gorgeous. I was excited to pick up a few gifts for my friends in the gift shop.

After some time in the sky, we decided to hike down the mountain. It took about 30 minutes and was a relaxing little jaunt.

All of us were a bit peckish after our hike, so we made our way back across the river to grab a bite to eat.

We ended up being able to each get something different. I got sushi, Maggie and Allie had burritos, and Nick was able to get tacos. I led us through the construction near Place Notre Dame to the botanical gardens where we enjoyed our lunch. Nearby, there was a wedding party celebrating. It was pretty cool to see everyone so happy and dressed up.

When we’d finished eating we went over to the park Mistral to see the iconic Mistral tower. This is the place where they shoot off fireworks on July 14th, the French national holiday.

Determined to get some beer fresh from the tap, we made our way back to the Place St. André to La Table Ronde.

Around 5:30 we decided it was time to get our wine for the night and head home. We said goodbye to Nick and went our separate ways.

We made it to the apartment to discover our host had occupied the table. We ordered our food from the burger place below and had to sneak it past them into the room. Although we knew they had to know we were eating in the room, we felt way to awkward to go out and eat with them. The burgers were great, even if we had to eat like fugitives. The rest of the night we chilled and listened to music while we played Cards Against Humanity.

Friday

I spent the morning packing and getting everything together for the weekend. I cleaned thoroughly before I headed out on the 12 bus to Meyzieu. I felt like an expert when I arrived in Lyon Part Dieu and was able to find my train with ease. The train ride was about an hour and a half to Grenoble. I enjoyed watching the mountains pass by. I arrived about 3pm at the Grenoble station.

I walked down the streets without needing a map. I knew exactly where I was going. I felt like I was returning to my second home. Our apartment was on the Place Victor Hugo. I had been excited to sit and watch the fountain for a few minutes, but I discovered that the entire park was under heavy construction. What a disappointment.

I waited about a half an hour before the Airbnb proprietor let me in. She met me at the door and I realized that she and her husband would be staying there with us and we would not have the place to ourselves. Awkward. When I entered, she insisted I take off my shoes and put on slippers. I hate slippers in general, but having to put on a strangers shoes gave me the creeps. She gave me a tour of our rooms and told me that even though we booked three beds, she’d only give us two because she didn’t want to do extra cleaning. Thinking the tour was over, I moved to put on my shoes so I could walk around town for a bit. However, the host beckoned me into the kitchen and insisted I have a cup of grapefruit juice. She told me that her husband worked for a company that sold technology to American science labs and that they were struggling to find French students to work in America for them as vendors. She criticized American environmentalism, healthcare, and schools. It was a rough crowd. The others finally arrived and freed me from the table. We left quickly to explore and get dinner.

When we were out we passed a small book sale in front of the St. Louis church.

We discovered that La Table Ronde was serving beer from the tap and letting people walk around with it. We decided that Saturday night we would come back to enjoy one in the square. On our way back to the apartment for the night we stopped and picked up dinner from a Thai place.

We got back to the apartment with our food and our host let me know that she expected us to eat at the table. Strangely, she refused to speak in French to anyone in our party except for me. She left the table and let us eat, but seemed to be constantly in and out of the room as she did chores.

After dinner, we listened to music and Satre’s “No Exit.”

Thursday

Wow! Finally a day to myself! My little introverted self was so happy. Really, I thought there could be nothing better than chilling out and watching TV all day. That is, until my landlord knocked on my door. Luc appeared with a HUGE box in his hands. A package from my parents!! He let me know that his wife would be out of town for the weekend, but I should just holler downstairs if I needed anything. I assured him I would and he left a beautiful bottle of port with me.

I immediately ripped apart the package to find it stuffed full of yarn and other essentials that I’d requested. I was so excited! Now I could spend the entire day crocheting. I decided that I would use the yarn to make some baby blankets for Anne and Luc because their sons are still having babies. They would be my occupation for now and my going away present later on. I turned on Arrested Development, popped open my bottle of blueberry wine, and settled in.

In the evening, I asked the girls if they were interested in going to Grenoble for the weekend. My visa health appointment was on Monday and I thought it would be nice to spend some more time in the city. Everyone agreed, so we bought tickets and got our Airbnb set up.

I enjoyed a nice call with my parents and the cat before heading to bed.

Wednesday

Made it out to the car at 8am. We were off to a rough start because Janja forgot to charge his phone the night before and was in a bad mood. The first leg of our journey was about an hour and a half drive into the mountains. The views were stunning. I was a bit surprised when I realized that the first stop of the day was a winery! We met up with the Bodet family friends there. The mother lived in the States for about fives years, so she spoke great English. While we were at the winery, we got a bit of a tour around the vineyard and had a private wine tasting! The host showed us how the bottle all the wine and how the put the labels on, which was pretty neat.

After our tasting, we set off at breakneck speeds down tiny mountain roads toward a little fromagerie in Epernay. The roads reminded me of driving through California when we were on our way to one of the national parks. I remember them being so windy that Grace got sick- I hoped that I wouldn’t get sick on this trip. Luckily, I made it through. The mountains looked down on us from all sides. The town had a bear theme going on. At the campground where we parked, the sign had bears painted on it. There were posters around town that had a bear themed mystery for kids to solve. Finally, there was a cavern bear museum that you can learn more about here.

After everyone got their fill of cheese, we left to “fait le luge.” When Mme Bodet said we were going to do the luge, I thought we were going to be doing the Olympic sport. I worried and worked myself up all night. I did not know how to do the luge. I was genuinely surprised to learn that it just meant me were going sledding. Whoops! Still, it was incredibly fun. This was definitely the most unique sledding I’ve ever done. Who else can say they’ve been sledding in the middle of the Chartreuse mountains?! We had a lovely mountainside picnic for lunch. After eating, Janja was determined to set up a ramp and get some air on the sled. The snow was melting a bit by then, so it didn’t work super well. He had about two good runs before we got back on the road.

On the road again, we eventually came across a closed down ski resort. Skiing is a really really popular activity in France. I think almost everyone I know here goes several times a year to ski. The French government has closed ski lifts, so the resorts are not functional right now. Instead, people are using some of the smaller slopes for sledding! We stopped to do a few more runs. Unfortuantely, none of us realized that the snow was iced over. I did the first run and wiped out harder than I ever have before. I went FLYING and tumbled past a little girl who looked on in horror thinking she was about to get squished. My entire body HURT the next day. The two little boys in our group got stuck at the bottom of the hill because they couldn’t stand up and a random adult stopped to help them.

It was nearing curfew, so we got back on the road. I stared out the window in amazement as Mme Bodet narrated all the things we passed. I loved seeing the little mountain villages. It absolutely amazed me that we were so close to the edge of a giant cliff.

We arrived home and I went back to my apartment, completely exhausted. I was happy to have a call with my family. I got to see my cat curled up with a bunch of my yarn on my bed.

Tuesday

I met Catherine outside at 10am. Our first stop was the Gendarmerie Nationale in Pont-Chéruy. I learned that local police in France do not have the ability to deal with thefts, instead you have to go to the national police. Why they cannot both deal with thefts, I do not know. I’m pretty sure you can go to the state police to report a theft in the US, right? Anyway! Catherine and I sat and filed the report with an officer. I gave all the details down to the time I was on the train platform and the location Find My iPhone reported. The phone is not unable to be used with any of the networks in France because it has been registered with the police. Still, it seems unlikely that I’ll get it back.

We made a brief stop at the bank to withdraw some cash. I still haven’t received a debit card, even though I opened my account January 8th. It typically takes a week to receive a card. Catherine complained loudly at the woman behind the desk and set up an appointment for the 26th so I could chat with the bank councilor about the issue. I asked why I needed an appointment and couldn’t just complain by email, but Catherine insisted it needed to be done in person. That’s just the way things are done in France.

Our next stop was the phone company. I bought a new SIM from them and got it in a little envelope so I could use it immediately when my new phone came in.

Finally, we headed to Eleclerc so I could get some food for the week. The store was absolutely packed. It was difficult to navigate the aisles and find what I wanted. Catherine insisted that we share a cart, increasing my stress. She kept trying to throw cans of food on top of my bread- I finally had to just carry it along with me. I grabbed a few comfort foods even though they were more expensive so that I’d be able to relax a bit later that evening.

When I got back to my place, my landlady came by with her grandkids to deliver a package to me. It turned out to be my new phone! I got to work setting it up as best I could, but I realized I didn’t have the tool to pop open the SIM card. I knew that Mme Bodet’s son would have one and resolved to go over for dinner later that evening.

I went over around 7:30. We watched the fun singing show together and a bit of the news before going to the table. We talked about the visit to Lourdes and everything that happened with the phone. I gave Mme Bodet a little rosary that I dipped in the holy water for her. We had a delicious dinner with red wine. As we watched the arts report on TV, I got Janja’s help with my phone. Mme Bodet let me know that she told some of her friends I would be coming with them to the mountain the next day. I would need to be ready by the car around 8am. I laughed and said okay, even though I was socially drained from the week I’d just had.

I had a lovely call with some friends before heading off to bed.

Monday

I woke up early and crossed the street to the imaging center for my appointment. As part of the visa approval process, you are required to get an x-ray of your lungs done to confirm you don’t have tuberculosis. I signed in at the front and showed my ID to prove that I was on their list for free scans. I was sent to the back waiting room which was chock-full of people waiting. The sign on the door indicated that they did a series of things in the office including dental care- strange. I waited about an hour before being called back. I was shocked that I didn’t get a little paper gown for my scan! I felt so uncomfortable having to be half nude in front of a complete stranger while I got a lung scan! When I was done, I had the pleasure of waiting for another half an hour for my printed results before I headed out.

I met Alli back at the apartment. She brought down my things and we headed downtown to buy a ticket for the train home at the station. That was easy enough (and pretty cheap with my carte jeune). We had plenty of time before I headed out, so we walked further down the block to pick up some lunch. We landed on a cute little boulangerie. I got a chicken pesto sandwich and Alli had some pasta! We each got a little dessert and drink. It was pretty warm outside compared to the previous few days, so we enjoyed our lunch in the park. As we ate, we got to enjoy a beautiful fountain.

At the appropriate time, Alli walked me back to the station and got me on my train to Lyon. It felt like the ride lasted forever. I finally arrived at Part Dieu station and was able to hop on the tram back to Meyzieu. Mme Bodet was waiting there for me patiently. It was such a relief to see her after the week I’d had.

The moment I got into my apartment it felt like a load of bricks fell off my shoulders. I collapsed on the bed- completely overwhelmed. I took my time to make dinner and then got logged onto my computer to let everyone back home know that I was alive.

Tuesday would be a day full of errands with Catherine.

Sunday

It was absolutely frigid when we went down the street to pick up items for our Valentine’s Day brunch. We got fresh croissants, a bouquet of festive flowers, some rosé, and snacks for later in the afternoon. Lidal was absolutely chaotic and I was happy to get back up to the warm apartment.

Maggie and Jenni arrived around 11am and we started cooking. I made home fries, Alli made pancakes from scratch, Maggie made Eggs Benedict, and Jenni sliced up some fruits for us to enjoy. We had a good laugh when everyone arrived and we noticed that each person had brought over some wine, thinking no one else would. We decided to start a wine reviewing page on Instagram. If you’re interested in seeing our absolutely nonsense reviews, check out @ _lets_wine_about_it!

After we were done eating, we relocated to watch some cheesy movies. We started with Valentine’s Day, which was shockingly enjoyable. Maybe I just think Jennifer Garner and Ashton are just a delight- who knows? Staying on the theme of star studded movies, we threw on Love Actually next. Realizing that we’d need some dinner, we ordered Domino’s and another bottle of wine. We enjoyed a few episodes of New Girl before Maggie and Jenni went home for the evening.

Feeling tired, I turned in early so I could be well rested for my visa medical visit the next day.

Saturday

It turns out that I can sleep incredibly late when I don’t have an alarm of any kind! Midday approached as Alli and I headed downtown Valence to pick up our food for the day. It was bitterly cold, so we decided against climbing up the local mountain to see a castle. Instead, we hit up the market for beef stew supplies. We grabbed beef shoulder, carrots, fresh sourdough bread, and some handmade pesto pasta (to eat for lunch). Our next stop was Monoprix for the wine (I miss Monop!).

When we got back, we enjoyed our wonderful artisanal pasta and started prepping for the stew. We invited Maggie and Jenni over to help us eating everything that we bought. While everything cooked for a few hours, we watched Bridgerton and enjoyed some wine. Dinner was absolutely fantastic. We made plans to meet again on Sunday for a Valentine’s day brunch. Very excited!

Alli and I hung out the rest of the evening and then I went to bed early. Even though it had been a really fun day, I felt disconnected from everyone at home and down in the dumps. I worried about all the consequences that came with losing my phone.

Friday

A day fated for disaster. We got up early and cleaned the apartment. The Airbnb host arrived and offered to drive us to the train station. He told us that if we ever came back to the city, he hoped that we would rent from him again. We arrived at SNCF super early, so we grabbed vending machine snacks and settled in.

Our first train arrived at last! I watched some movies on the train and chilled out. We piled onto the platform in Toulouse and made our way over to the next train. The waiting area was crowded and I felt uneasy. Still, everyone seemed far enough away so I didn’t think I was in any danger. I checked my phone and then hopped on the train. I sat down to send a text to the group that a family with screaming kids was right behind me, only to discover that my pocket was empty. My heart sank. I hoped desperately that the worst had not happened. I searched the surrounding area like my life depended on it. Sadly, it was to no avail. My phone was gone. I was pickpocketed at the station.

Thankfully, Jenni was on the train with me. I was able to use her phone to sign into my iCloud account. I located the phone in Toulouse and started setting off alarms on it. I locked the device. My concern at the moment was my train ticket. We had one more connection and I had no proof that I had a ticket for either this ride or the one that followed. I sat and cried in front of a train full of strangers. I felt completely adrift.

We met up with the others at the next station and told them what happened. I struggled to keep back tears. We formulated a plan for the coming ride. Thankfully, the comptroller was able to find my ticket using my birthday, so I didn’t get fined. I planned to stay with Alli the rest of the weekend. I used her phone to contact my dad back in the states. I told him that I would give him more details when we got back to the apartment and I could use Alli’s computer.

When we at finally arrived in Valence, it was absolutely freezing. It had to be around 20 degrees- the coldest it’s been in France. There were thick snowflakes falling from the sky.

I spent the rest of the night freaking out and reaching out to everyone I could to let them know what had happened. My biggest concern was accessing my email. The University of Michigan has a required 2-factor software that makes your account impossible to access without a verified device to approve your login- now my verified device was gone.

Thursday

The Feast Day of St. Bernadette! We got up early so we could eat breakfast and make it to the 10am French Mass in the underground church.

We made our way through town and discovered that- lo and behold- all the shops were open! I chuckled.

Absolutely frozen after an hour of standing in the basement, we finally escaped to the above ground. We found the gift shop and scoped out what we’d be interested in buying there in case we couldn’t find anything in town.

We were all tired and freezing by the end of the day. Everyone settled in for an afternoon nap. When it was finally time for dinner, we made pasta and toasted cheese bread. There was wine and music for the rest of the evening.