Thanksgiving

This month has passed much faster than the last, and now, at last, I have some form of a weekly routine. I've gotten the hang of my teaching work schedule, I've started running again, I'm provided regular balanced meals with my host family.

Since moving to the little village to live with my host family, and since settling into a routine, I haven't seen a lot of the other English teaching assistants. Last Friday, we were all summoned to Reims for a medical visit and to have our visas validated by the office of immigration. Rubbing shoulders with them again made me think about how blessed my situation is.

Living with the host family, I don't have to worry about searching out French friends to make the experience worth it--every day back at the house is great practice for my French speaking skills. I don't have to trek to the laundromat and shell out money--actually, my host mother took my laundry and did it. I can't complain about not having an oven or eating alone--there's a fully equipped kitchen, groceries, and we eat home-cooked family dinners every night. It's true that I had to give up some independence-I rely on them for transportation, so I have to plan it with them if I want to leave the village. And, it really is a tiny town. To many other young people it might seem deathly boring - and there certainly is no nightlife or other college students. But there's a boulangerie-patisserie-chocolatier (yum), a supermarket, a post office, two churches, a library, at least one park where I can run on trails, and maybe three shops. That's really about all. But that, with the internet and a host family so I'm not lonely, is plenty for me.

Speaking of things I'm thankful for...today I am writing from, not Châlons, not my little village, but the southwestern part of France where I am visiting Helen Hunter for Thanksgiving! I arrived this morning, after a night train and a train ride through the rolling countryside. (There are HILLs here! What a change from the flat terrain of the Marne department.) I asked to reschedule my two Friday classes so that I could come, and I'm so happy and grateful that I can be with her for Thanksgiving and see the town she's living in.

Back to Châlons

Back in Châlons, I noticed the leaves turning and falling. It's been getting colder (and rainy). To me, it seemed so odd to come "home" from vacation and still be in France. 


But, my life has been getting less odd because after the vacation (and after my first paycheck), my work finally started to take a regular form! My week was full of early mornings and English courses. Some went surprisingly well, and others did not work out as envisioned. Like the one where I told students to introduce themselves and they told me they already had, last week (oops!). There were highs and lows. I feel unprepared, not only because I haven't been trained in teaching English but also because I don't know what the students know (how to speak to them, what level activities to give them, what they will respond to...). I think being flexible and willing to improvise is important, but it also helps me a lot to have full-out lessons planned (with backup plans--because sometimes cool ideas flop!). After getting organized and arming myself with activities, I feel much less distraught. :)

I got to come along on a field trip to Paris on Wednesday and Thursday. One of the English teachers is participating in government-funded program bringing together high schoolers from six European countries (France, Germany, Spain, Romania, Turkey, and Poland), and selected students come to meet the others in each country--this fall, France took the first turn. It was a lot of fun to have a free ride to Paris and do some sight-seeing! I also got to make the acquaintance of another assistant, a Londoner teaching English in Germany, and we were pals for the trip. I enjoyed shopping around with her at the Galeries Lafayette, and of course chatting in cafés when the weather was uncooperative. :)


In other news, I stayed the weekend with the host family, met the four girls and three huskies -- and after the work week, I moved out of the foyer on Friday November 12th! =D

Thoughts on Travel

Upon returning, I wrote down a few thoughts I had about traveling: 

Travel should be eye-opening. Noting differences in France and in Italy (in city lay-outs, history, art, the way of speaking and topics of conversation, and more) makes me see Auburn, myself, and Americans as a whole more clearly, whereas before I just didn't think about it. 

How can you think about how things are, about what your way of life really consists of, if that is all you know--unless you can either imagine other ways of life-- OR --(for less brain work) experience a completely foreign way of living?
You realize, when you're uncomfortable in some way, what it is that you usually take for granted. 

When you learn about another place and its history, it makes you think about that of your own home. You meet people who talk of things that you know nothing about, yet who know nothing about what you would normally talk about. And you realize there is so much to learn...

Venice

HH, Michael, and I arrived Sunday night in Venice for the last leg of our trip. Unfortunately, it was rainy and cold. Fortunately, our bed and breakfast had an old European romance and we received the advice to sleep in, music to my ears! (This was because the streets flood. The Venice we saw was one wet city!)

We went out to get dinner, but without our trusty Rick Steves, we were lost - you might even say trapped - tourist trapped! It is easy to fall into tourist traps in Venice, a city whose economy is based on tourism. We really thought the café we chose looked likely to be good...until we noticed the lack of Italians, the Asian waitstaff (who seemed to be microwaving things), and the menu written in four languages with suspicious asterisks. (*Something I picked up on while in Rome was that the use of frozen food in Italian restaurants must be indicated by an asterisk.) Our food was lamentable, but at least we had each other and our jokes! (And really, who should be complaining about being in the lovely and romantic city of Venice?) Afterward, we consoled ourselves by stopping for hot chocolates and Halloween cookies. =)

In front of St. Mark's Basilica

All Saints' Day dawned (still rainy), and we went to mass at the Basilica de San Marco. Inside, we looked up to see gold, gold, gold...the ceiling was covered in beautiful mosaics and domed arches.
Just next door to the basilica is the Doge's Palace, showing how very close church and state were back in the day in Venice. The Doge's Palace reminded me of Versailles with its ornate apartments and state rooms, decorated using symbols of power like Greek or Roman deities. The palace was also decorated with many paintings of kneeling doges (who wear gold and fur, and a special hat), and the largest oil painting in the world (Il Paradiso) in the Grand Council room.

Doge's Palace

St. Mark's Square

Still within the Doge's Palace, we saw the Council of Ten room from which prisoners were sentenced (complete with secret-passage to the dungeons), and walked over the "Bridge of Sighs" connecting the palace to its prison cells. An enjoyable and interesting visit! Another great visit was the Frari chapel, full of artwork (especially by Titian).

After bidding adieu to HH, I had one more day to spend in Venice before my night train, so Michael and I walked around, and found some quaint neighborhood squares and alleys (the more authentic Venice, we speculated). We also went on a search for a church called St. Barnaba (in an Indiana Jones movie), and inside it we discovered a Da Vinci exhibition.

In Venice, it is so peaceful walking around and over bridges, and never worrying about crossing the street...because there are no cars!  (Contrary to Rome, where I was constantly afraid of being run over -- you'd think there are no traffic rules!) Everyone also says it is a romantic city, and by the time we got to it, I already missed Mitch. Even though Venice was not my favorite of the cities visited--partially because of the rain, and also the fact that we couldn't find such good food as in Florence--it is a unique place and I'm grateful I had the chance to visit it!

Florence

Florence, more than Rome, charmed me. Rome is impressive - it has been, and is still, an important city - Caput mundi! It is awe-inspiring. But Florence is more walkable than Rome, and the Duomo church is stunning, and the shop windows are distractingly well-presented, and even at night people are walking--it's well lit and well populated so that it feels safe to walk at night, and it just feels right to stroll around and be a tourist! We also found very good food in Florence. Mmm! Maybe that is what really won me over. ;)

In Florence, HH and I met up with Michael, another Catholic friend from Auburn. It was great to be three Americans together in Italy. Michael has been during research in Europe, and had already been around Florence enough to show us the way--ahh, no more poring over our map everywhere we go!

Facade of the Duomo church

We saw Santa Maria Novella first--a beautiful, art-filled church right across from the train station. Discovering the interior-- chapels, side rooms, behind the altar, all the nooks and crannies -- was incredible because it seemed that every surface was painted and decorated. We left as the church was closing to visitors, and decided to stroll around Florence before getting dinner. The Duomo is tall enough that we could find our way simply by looking up. We saw the doors to the Baptistry right in front of the Duomo church, one of the many "things from art history class" that I got to see in person!

In front of Florence's Baptistry

We detoured by Palazzo Vecchio, the former home (or rather, fortress? It is one very secure looking castle!) of the De Medici family, and then found dinner at Trattoria Nella. It was delicious!! Best meal. I ordered the plate of the day, crab ravioli, and finished with the house-made panna cotta.

The next day was a serious museum day - we had appointments at both the Accademia and the Uffizi galleries. The highlight was seeing the GIANT (haha, get it?) "David" statue, and other sculptures by Michelangelo, at the Accademia. The Uffizi gallery, though exhausting, impressed me with its chronologically-ordered artworks, room by room (by room by room), showing development of artistic styles--including Giotto's early-Renaissance golden Madonna and Child, a great Botticelli room featuring the Birth of Venus, Da Vinci's Annunciation, and Titian's sensual Venus of Urbino, among many others.

Then, for recovery, we had gelato and cappucinos, and ogled the jewelry sold on the Ponte Vecchio. Gemstones and gold! Ooh!

The Arno river and Ponte Vecchio

The next morning, we went to mass at the Duomo. We had some pizza and cannoli, and escaped the rain inside the Duomo museum, which I enjoyed very much. It covered the history of the church's architecture (a church has been in the spot a long time, but not always with the huge dome and fancy facade), and it holds Michelangelo's last Pièta and Donatello's wood-carved Mary Magdalene, along other beautiful sacred art (many things that at one time or another adorned the church).

Rome-ing around in Roma

Upon our arrival in Rome, HH and I got lunch and a coffee. I walked up to the coffee bar and asked for a latte, as well as a cute little jam-filled cookie. When the waiter came with our order, beside my cookie stood a glass of milk, with a packet of sugar. Steamed milk. Then I remembered...latte means milk! If you want a latte you need to ask for a caffe latte! Ohhhh. It's not like in America. When in Rome...

Our first stop was Santa Susanna, the American church in Rome, where we picked up tickets for the papal audience the next day, and we heard mass in English! It was so comforting to not be straining at every word. Even though Santa Susanna isn't a particularly notable church for Rome, look at how beautiful it is! In the guidebook, I read that there are so many churches in Rome that it would take a full year to see them all if you visit 17 per week! After, we had a relaxed dinner (pizza for me) at a place promoted by our hostel's owner, Isla della Pizza.

Wednesday morning was the Papal audience. It was really cool to see Pope Benedict in person! And also pretty neat to see how many Catholics united in Vatican city to do just the same thing--pilgrimage groups from all over the world were there with us! By the way, you may have received a special blessing--at the end, the pope prays over and blesses everyone there and their families and loved ones. :)

After getting tickets for our next train rides, and grabbing lunch, we went to do some church-seeing--one of my favorite things--I especially enjoyed seeing such historical and architecturally beautiful churches! We peeked in the nearby Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. I was amazed at all the open space within--a different feel than a straight and narrow Gothic nave lined with columns. We walked southeast, to Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni (St. John Lateran), which is the oldest of the Papal basilicas, consecrated in 324.

Approaching Santa Maria Maggiore

Interior -- beautiful mosaics, some dating from the 400s A.D.!

Belltower and statues above St Maria Maggiore

A view of the altar (and crypt) in St. John Lateran. 

At some point during the day, we stopped at a cafe in exhaustion, and had the best cannoli ever! I also succeeded in getting an authentic Italian caffe latte! :)

Wenesday evening, we met for a dinner with Jonas, a German guy staying at the same hostel as us. He took us to Trastevere, a quaint and quieter neighborhood of Rome. Jonas is an art history Ph.D. and he showed us a pretty church (with medieval mosaic artwork), Santa Maria de Trastevere. We also found more authentic Italian food in this quarter of Rome, and had a very nice dinner (HH and I split an apple and cheese salad and a pizza). It was great to have him along, because he knew Rome and knew Italian, and was quite interesting to speak with. He told us some cool stuff about art history and his career path, and we discovered that he was about to be a father with his girlfriend of 11 years (who, incidentally, was also in the art history field)!

HH and I agreed that in order to see the "essentials" we had to do some more serious sightseeing the next day! We began Thursday with a mass (in Italian--during the homily I tried to understand, mostly by watching hand motions-Italians DO talk with their hands!) and confessions (in English, whew) in St. Peter's. We saw Michelangelo's famous Pièta, and marveled at the beautiful dome, etc.

Touching St. Peter's foot

Then we entered the formidable Vatican museums! We tried to stick to the essentials because there is so much amazing artwork there that we knew we wouldn't make it through all of it. We saw the School of Athens and other frescoes by Rafael, and of course, the highlight is the Sistine chapel which really was incredible. After, we had lunch on the Spanish Steps, watching old men feed pigeons. We tossed coins into the Trevi fountain and picked up some delicious gelato to eat there. It was actually warm enough in the sunshine to enjoy it! Going south for the vacation was a great idea.

Fortified by our cones of gelato, we trekked to the Colosseum and Roman forums, and imagined the historical figures whose steps we were tracing...like the gladiators. In fact, we got roped into paying for pictures with a couple of gladiators!! (My fault because I was trying to sneakily take a photo of them...)

We began walking back, stopping at the Pantheon and the Piazza de Navona. As the sun set over Rome, on our last night there, we caught an amazing view of the dome of St. Peter's.

Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza de Navona

After all that, we were worn out sightseers and decided we deserved to pick up some delicious Roman pizza and retire to our room to watch...GLEE! What a great day, to end a great Roman holiday!

I love Paris in the springtime, I love Paris in the fall...

Monday morning brought a nice hot shower in a private bathroom (ahh), then HH and I revisited our old haunts in the area of Paris where we studied. We found the convent of the Holy Family, where Auburn study-abroad students are welcomed, and HH, bolder than me, rang for Soeur Marie Josephe, our hostess during study-abroad. We came in and had a chat with her, and popped into the chapel--the whole place brings back pleasant study abroad memories. Next I finally succeeded in buying a French Magnificat so that I can follow the responses and readings in mass, and then, hungry, we picked up breakfast at our tried-and-true neighborhood bakery and ate in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

After we took care of some business - printing airline tickets in an internet café - we picnicked on the Champ de Mars, in the cold wind, watching tourists. To thaw out, we took a much-needed "pause-café," or coffee break, in café La Terrasse. Then, since I needed a new duffel bag, and have often read about the "marché aux puces" (flea market) in Paris, we headed to the Porte de Clignancourt, where we saw booths holding everything from leather coats to cheap lingerie, and we met with long-winded "sales"men at a booth where I failed in my attempt to haggle for a leather bag. However, I found a plain but cheap canvas one, which has served me well! 

Another famed Paris sight that we'd had yet to see was the Père LaChaise cemetary, so we hopped back on the Metro to get over there. It was a somber place, very large and quiet, full of autumn leaves and closely-packed stone monuments. HH and I called it a fitting excursion for our Toussaint vacation, a vacation given to us for the holidays of All Saints' and All Souls'. We saw the graves of some very famous people buried there (Délacroix, Proust, Wilde, Abelard and Heloïse, Chopin, and Jim Morrison (what is he doing there? haha)), as well as those of countless French families, some very ancient, with chapels built above them in Gothic style (so that loved ones could come pray for their deceased), and some very recent, covered in flowers and bearing messages from family. I wondered if, back home, Mom's gravestone has arrived, and I wish I could step out of France to put flowers on hers. I brought and wore an old sweater she gave me, one she probably wore when she was my age, and I like to imagine that I'm taking her with me, as much as I can.

After that, we rushed dinner in order to get over to Sacré Coeur for a night of adoration (which conveniently also means inexpensive lodging), but what an ordeal we had. I felt sick, so poor HH was stuck trying to figure out, with help from the sisters there, a do-able way to get to the airport on time in the morning. Well, at least they said that they'd pray for us in the morning...(A little worrisome! or should I have felt reassured?). And, somehow (by the grace of God--or if you don't believe that, by more than a few absolutely incredible strokes of good luck the next day) we did manage to make it to Rome! Despite the fact that as hard as we tried, and as much help as we had (from a couple of French ladies in the Metro, and a helpful Frenchman at the train station)...we did not get to the gate until 9:33am, and our flight was supposed to have left at 9:15! Whew...I guess the night of adoration was meant to be! And it was a truly powerful experience, one I'm very thankful to have had -- to be in the candlelit interior of Sacré Coeur basilica with the Blessed Sacrament, putting aside thoughts and griefs and worries to be silent and just adore. 

Rendez-vous in Paris

Sunday started my vacation with HH. We met in Paris, where we studied abroad together two years ago...Paris!

My train arrived in the morning, and so I had most of Sunday to spend in Paris alone. My first stop: the Louvre. And one of the first things I saw? A couple posing in a kiss. Typical. What is it with these people? I have only been to Paris with girls, and it is obviously the city for lovers instead. 

Specifically, the first thing I did was seek out Starbucks. Ahhhh, something familiar. Mmm, a huge "mocha blanc," a thoroughly non-French type of coffee! I relaxed and people-watched. (The Louvre is ideal for this--an international pocket full of people speaking all sorts of languages, where I heard more German, Chinese(?), and Spanish than French!) And I thought to myself, "Paris is still magical!" I didn't imagine it, I didn't only love the Paris of my sheltered study-abroad situation--I'm back, things have changed, life seems harder, circumstances are different, but I am still infatuated! Enchanting city. 

Anyway, back to the Louvre. It was a good choice, because I stowed my bag for free before proceeding to the hotel to check-in. I went to one wing, the one with all of the Italian paintings and the French Neoclassic and Romantic paintings (works by David, Ingres, Géricault), some of my favorites and most-studied in art history. Most tourists go to this wing for the Italian paintings - specifically, to see the Mona Lisa.

Me with the Raft of the Medusa, by Théodore Géricault

After check-in, I wandered to my favorite part (the heart) of Paris. The Ile de la Cité, this little island in the Seine river, is the oldest part of Paris, the point from which the city spread outward until it became the huge capital of France that it still is today. I said bonjour to Notre Dame de Paris, sitting on the isle and still charming me, even after I've studied and now seen churches built on a more impressive scale (ahem, like the cathedral of Reims)! I found Shakespeare & Co., a nearby famous English bookstore plus library, and stumbled upon the small but quite old (of course) St. Julien le Pauvre while eating a galette. This was the second galette I've had, and they taste kind of funny--they are basically whole-grain crêpes with savory fillings. I also went to see Saint Sulpice, a church in the Latin quarter that I've never visited, but it was (still) undergoing restoration work. The fountain in the square was pretty though--I liked the golden rays of the setting sun on the water...

Fountain of Four Bishops, Place St-Sulpice

Later on, I met up with HH at the train station, and, pushed for time, we dropped her stuff at the hotel and ate dinner at a café downstairs before taking the Metro to Sunday night mass at Sacré Coeur. Even though we had to eat a quick, "rien de spécial" dinner, it was great to catch up and compare our experiences as English assistants, and so nice to see her again--a familiar face and an Auburn friend! To be able to be with a real friend and someone who has known me longer than a few weeks, was something I appreciated so much! :)

Les petites choses charmantes

Pre-vacation, I took time to appreciate the "little things" while the "big" strike was going on.

Like the tiniest dictionary and the beauty of French words set into pretty metaphors...(even if I have to look up half the words...)

And the careful wrapping of a bakery treat...

Which opens up to show "une réligieuse" (a nun). See her?

P.S.  I'm working on putting together posts about my vacation! It was wonderful, and now I am safely back in France. :)