I arrived at O'Hare Monday evening! Mom, Dad and I went out for Chicago deep-dish pizza before heading back to Madison.
I've been running around a bit since I got home...today however I'm locking myself in my room and unpacking!
I've uploaded some of my favorite picture memories of my year in France onto Picasa. If you'd like the see them copy and paste the link below!
http://picasaweb.google.com/rachel.appelt/BestOfFrance#
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Time to say au revoir
I don't really believe it, but my last week in France is coming (quickly) to an end.
Last Sunday Katie, Sorcha and I explored the Mont d'Arrées with the guidance of Yuna (who grew up in the area of Bretagne). We hiked around the little mountains (near a big lake that was used for the first nuclear energy plant in France! interesting tidbit). To cool off we went swimming...in a different lake! We ended the day at her parents (gorgous) house with a lovely dinner and a lot of laughing.
Katie and I spent Monday through Wednesday in the Loire Valley; my last little trip before saying au revoir to la France. We stayed in Amboise and visited the chateau there and drank some wine on the bank of the Loire River our first afternoon/evening there. Tuesday we rented bikes in the morning and biked down to Chenonceaux (about 15km). This would have been a really beautiful ride but it rained almost the whole way down there and then started to pour right before we reached the chateau. Tant pis. Katie really liked Chenonceaux. I had been there with Mom in November but I was happy to see it again. A chateau with a very feminine touch thanks to two women: Catherine de Medici (wife of Henri, I think) and Diane de Poitiers (Mistress, Henri gave her the castle as a gift and then when he died she was kicked out and moved to Chaumont-sur-Loire) Our ride back to Amboise was much more agreeable and we were all dry by the time we reached Amboise.
The next day we took the train to Blois in order to catch a shuttle to the chateau of Chambord. This impressive chateau was used as a sort of hunting lodge for bored French royalty and nobility. This chateau had a much much more masculine feel. Big rooms with high ceilings, darker colors, and even a billard room. It had also been used as a prison for a while so, no doubt, that affected the current look of the place. It has 365 fireplaces...so going up to the roof was my favorite part. In the center of the chateau is a double spiral staircase, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. You can go up it, seeing the people coming down, but never crossing them.
We had to leave mid afternoon in order to take a train to Tours. We spent a couple hours in Tours, walking around, looking in stores, and eating some dinner before getting on the train again to head back to Brest.
The last few days I've been doing my packing, bringing things that won't fit in my suitcases into the office for future lecteurs, and other boring things like that. Thursday night however I spent the evening with some friends down in the port on a boat, yesterday afternoon I enjoyed the sun while grading exams, and last night I went to a soirée at the home of our boss/department chair. This afternoon I'm hoping to enjoy the beautiful weather in town or down by the port. I also have to turn in my internet box today :-( This is the last you'll hear from me while I'm in France!
I've had an excellent séjour à Brest and I'm a bit sad to leave. Especially during these last 3 months or so I've felt more integrated into life here; having French people to speak with, and taking advantage of what Bretagne has to offer. I've learned a lot, not just in terms of language and culture, but about myself. I've met so many wonderful people and I'm very thankful that I had this opportunity.
However, I am very much looking forward to my return to the States. I leave Brest on Sunday evening. Spend the night in Paris. Fly to Dublin Monday morning and arrive in Chicago Monday around 17h. I'm having Chicago style pizza upon arrival, getting my hair cut Tuesday morning and I have a job interview on Tuesday afternoon. I'm sure lots of hugging and playing with Maddie will be mixed in there as well :-)
Last Sunday Katie, Sorcha and I explored the Mont d'Arrées with the guidance of Yuna (who grew up in the area of Bretagne). We hiked around the little mountains (near a big lake that was used for the first nuclear energy plant in France! interesting tidbit). To cool off we went swimming...in a different lake! We ended the day at her parents (gorgous) house with a lovely dinner and a lot of laughing.
Katie and I spent Monday through Wednesday in the Loire Valley; my last little trip before saying au revoir to la France. We stayed in Amboise and visited the chateau there and drank some wine on the bank of the Loire River our first afternoon/evening there. Tuesday we rented bikes in the morning and biked down to Chenonceaux (about 15km). This would have been a really beautiful ride but it rained almost the whole way down there and then started to pour right before we reached the chateau. Tant pis. Katie really liked Chenonceaux. I had been there with Mom in November but I was happy to see it again. A chateau with a very feminine touch thanks to two women: Catherine de Medici (wife of Henri, I think) and Diane de Poitiers (Mistress, Henri gave her the castle as a gift and then when he died she was kicked out and moved to Chaumont-sur-Loire) Our ride back to Amboise was much more agreeable and we were all dry by the time we reached Amboise.
The next day we took the train to Blois in order to catch a shuttle to the chateau of Chambord. This impressive chateau was used as a sort of hunting lodge for bored French royalty and nobility. This chateau had a much much more masculine feel. Big rooms with high ceilings, darker colors, and even a billard room. It had also been used as a prison for a while so, no doubt, that affected the current look of the place. It has 365 fireplaces...so going up to the roof was my favorite part. In the center of the chateau is a double spiral staircase, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. You can go up it, seeing the people coming down, but never crossing them.
We had to leave mid afternoon in order to take a train to Tours. We spent a couple hours in Tours, walking around, looking in stores, and eating some dinner before getting on the train again to head back to Brest.
The last few days I've been doing my packing, bringing things that won't fit in my suitcases into the office for future lecteurs, and other boring things like that. Thursday night however I spent the evening with some friends down in the port on a boat, yesterday afternoon I enjoyed the sun while grading exams, and last night I went to a soirée at the home of our boss/department chair. This afternoon I'm hoping to enjoy the beautiful weather in town or down by the port. I also have to turn in my internet box today :-( This is the last you'll hear from me while I'm in France!
I've had an excellent séjour à Brest and I'm a bit sad to leave. Especially during these last 3 months or so I've felt more integrated into life here; having French people to speak with, and taking advantage of what Bretagne has to offer. I've learned a lot, not just in terms of language and culture, but about myself. I've met so many wonderful people and I'm very thankful that I had this opportunity.
However, I am very much looking forward to my return to the States. I leave Brest on Sunday evening. Spend the night in Paris. Fly to Dublin Monday morning and arrive in Chicago Monday around 17h. I'm having Chicago style pizza upon arrival, getting my hair cut Tuesday morning and I have a job interview on Tuesday afternoon. I'm sure lots of hugging and playing with Maddie will be mixed in there as well :-)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Day trip to Plouescat
Katie and Sorcha and I took a day trip with Aurélie to her vacation village, Plouescat. Plouescat is located near Roscoff (which we also visited briefly). We had absolutely gorgeous weather and spent the day walking on or near the beach and visiting Aurélie's grandmother at her 17th century manor house. We also saw lots of artichoke fields! I'd never seen that before. Apparently later on they bloom and have beautiful purple flowers. It was an excellent trip. Here are some pictures!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
"This is what we love about Bretagne!"
The entire day we had enjoyed the fresh air, beautiful landscapes, stone houses with blue shutters and doors, sheep, horses, and rabbits. We were surrounded by the water and could almost always get glimpse of the water on the horizon line. Never-the less, as we biked over a slight hill through the wild countryside of Ile d'Oeussant the breath-taking view of the rocky coast look us both by surprise. After we setting down our bikes to explore by foot, Katie turned and reminded me that "this is what we love about Bretagne!"
Katie and I visited this Island, which is west of the continent (approx 2 hours by Ferry), on Saturday. We had been there before in September with her sailing boys but hadn't adequately explored the island. We got the Ferry at 8h30, spent all afternoon on the island biking from point to point, and returned at 17h. The were so thankful for such a beautiful day. It's a risk to go out to the island because if the weather turns bad you are stuck there until the Ferry returns. It's a great place to go but if you can't hike, bike or picnic then there isn't much to do but sit in one of the few bars, tabacs, crêperies or brasseries.
This island used to be one of the most dangerous spots for ships. Supposedly, the inhabitants used to lure ships towards their island in hopes that they would crash. This allowed them to live off the goods and materials that washed up off shore or that they stole from the boats. Sirens and lighthouses have since been installed to help seaman navigate their way around this rocky island.
We didn't have time to go to the North(west?) tip of the island where you can see seals and puffins! So we might go back again in the upcoming weeks if the weather is nice and we don't have to proctor exams.
Classes ended last week and exams start tomorrow. Between the proctoring, grading and packing I'm still planning to fit in 1) a trip with friends to Plouescat and 2) biking from chateau to chateau in the Loire for a few days with Katie.
I can't believe that I return to the states in 21 days. C'est dingue!
If you want to see more pics check them out on my picasa site by clicking the image below:
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| From Ile d'Ouessant |
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Music in Brittany
It was a normal Saturday in Brest until I noticed tout le monde (lots of people) standing around Place de Libérté. Before I knew it I was watching a parade of Celtic bands! At the end some of the best groups played on stage.
Monday, April 27, 2009
April
I can't believe that almost a month has passed since my last post! This month and flown by!
At the beginning of the month we had one week of class and then it was Spring Break. My boyfriend, Derek, arrived April 9 and was in France until April 20. The time we spent in Brest was very relaxed. Because of the weather and the holiday it was a bit difficult to do a whole lot. I showed him around Brest, we went to Morlaix, visited Océanopolis (where we saw the penguins and seals being fed -- cute!), and I took him to my favorite café on Rue de Siam. We celebrated our anniversary early at a restaurant in Brest called Le Coeur de Briezh (The heart of Brittany). We had a very delicious and enjoyable dinner there for almost 3 hours! During that time we learned that our waitress does country line dancing. Who knew you could find that in France?!
In Paris, we kept ourselves very busy! It was Derek's first visit to Paris and we saw: Champs-Elysée and l'Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay, Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Trocadero Square, Museum in the Centre Pompidou and the Catacombs. We also went to see the British group, Elbow (they are fantastic and if you don't know them you should check them out! http://www.myspace.com/elbowmusic ) They happened to be playing in Paris the weekend we were there. It was an awesome show!
The day we went to Versailles was rainy and gloomy and I wasn't in the best of spirits. However, it ended up being one of my favorite evenings in Paris. We had a glass of wine at Trocadero Square (I'd actually never been there before!). For dinner we ate at this great little restaurant called Chez Agnès near the Champs du Mars before climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower.
There's so much more I could say but I will leave it at that. If you're brave here is a link to the many pictures that we took while he was here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/rachel.appelt/DerekInFrance#
Since then I have been keeping myself busy by applying for teaching jobs back in the States, figuring out how to cancel my various contracts, and trying to make the most of my last month in France. Upon returning from Paris I went to a farewell barbecue (for a friend of ours who is in New York for the next three months). My favorite aspect of the meal itself was the end. Viviane wrapped Camembert in aluminum foil and set in the hot ashes for about 5 minutes. Then we all dipped bread into the melted cheese. Only in France would a bbq end with cheese :-)
Friday afternoon I had a picnic overlooking the water at Petit Dellec (I think that's what it was called!) with Aurélie. Afterwards she took me to meet her horse that I've heard so much about.
Last night I went to see the opera Manon. Musically it was quite good. I was shocked, however, that all the leads used their scores. Unfortunately, it really took away their ability to interact with one another or portray their character.
That brings us to today! I took the bus down to Quimper to deliver a video cassette to a colleague. I was hoping to spend the afternoon there but it was pouring rain. I did manage to get myself a souvenir; piece of Quimper Faïence!
At the beginning of the month we had one week of class and then it was Spring Break. My boyfriend, Derek, arrived April 9 and was in France until April 20. The time we spent in Brest was very relaxed. Because of the weather and the holiday it was a bit difficult to do a whole lot. I showed him around Brest, we went to Morlaix, visited Océanopolis (where we saw the penguins and seals being fed -- cute!), and I took him to my favorite café on Rue de Siam. We celebrated our anniversary early at a restaurant in Brest called Le Coeur de Briezh (The heart of Brittany). We had a very delicious and enjoyable dinner there for almost 3 hours! During that time we learned that our waitress does country line dancing. Who knew you could find that in France?!
In Paris, we kept ourselves very busy! It was Derek's first visit to Paris and we saw: Champs-Elysée and l'Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame, Musée d'Orsay, Versailles, Eiffel Tower, Trocadero Square, Museum in the Centre Pompidou and the Catacombs. We also went to see the British group, Elbow (they are fantastic and if you don't know them you should check them out! http://www.myspace.com/elbowmusic ) They happened to be playing in Paris the weekend we were there. It was an awesome show!
The day we went to Versailles was rainy and gloomy and I wasn't in the best of spirits. However, it ended up being one of my favorite evenings in Paris. We had a glass of wine at Trocadero Square (I'd actually never been there before!). For dinner we ate at this great little restaurant called Chez Agnès near the Champs du Mars before climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower.
There's so much more I could say but I will leave it at that. If you're brave here is a link to the many pictures that we took while he was here...
http://picasaweb.google.com/rachel.appelt/DerekInFrance#
Since then I have been keeping myself busy by applying for teaching jobs back in the States, figuring out how to cancel my various contracts, and trying to make the most of my last month in France. Upon returning from Paris I went to a farewell barbecue (for a friend of ours who is in New York for the next three months). My favorite aspect of the meal itself was the end. Viviane wrapped Camembert in aluminum foil and set in the hot ashes for about 5 minutes. Then we all dipped bread into the melted cheese. Only in France would a bbq end with cheese :-)
Friday afternoon I had a picnic overlooking the water at Petit Dellec (I think that's what it was called!) with Aurélie. Afterwards she took me to meet her horse that I've heard so much about.
Last night I went to see the opera Manon. Musically it was quite good. I was shocked, however, that all the leads used their scores. Unfortunately, it really took away their ability to interact with one another or portray their character.
That brings us to today! I took the bus down to Quimper to deliver a video cassette to a colleague. I was hoping to spend the afternoon there but it was pouring rain. I did manage to get myself a souvenir; piece of Quimper Faïence!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Au bord du mer
I had a lovely weekend in Roscanvel on the Presqu'ile de Crozon. A woman I sing in choir with invited me to her family's house on the seaside. We visited a bunch of forts around the peninsula. The weather was typical crazy Brittany weather; sunny and blue skies then gray, wind and rain...back and forth.
Over the weekend I learned to dig for clams, play crapette and I even helped plant some apple trees.
Sunday morning we went to Mass at a Bendictine Abbey. It was pretty difficult to understand any of the chanting but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
For lunch, when we returned to Brest, we enjoyed the clams which we had found the day before.
Before heading back to my apartment we walked along the water down by the ports in Brest.
It was so great to spend so much time outside this weekend - being surrounded by nature (and military areas) and breathing in pure fresh air!
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