“Time is very slow for those who wait”

Time is such a strange and extraordinary thing.  It finds a way of passing slowly and quickly all at the same time, particularly while I am abroad.  As of tuesday I will have been here for exactly seven weeks.  This is the longest that I have been away from North Carolina and my family and there are plenty of days when the passing of that time sinks in. Yet, I also feel like there will never be enough time to see what I want to see here, and experience everything that France and Europe has to offer.  I would hate to spend a moment simply wishing it away.

So, I’ve given myself the last couple of weeks to really explore and get settled in Montpellier and then from here on out I plan doing a LOT of traveling.  To sum things up, I have taken ample time to simply wander and find new cafes and places to enjoy here.  My favorite street is one that winds from the center of town; it’s a narrow pedestrian road with lots of little hole-in-the wall cafes, shops, and restaurants, and a beautiful cathedral that’s tucked away just enough so that many people probably come to the city and never see it.  It’s quaint and really lovely.  For me it’s perfect because it’s easy to find, yet just enough off the beaten path that not too many people go there.  The street also leads to one of my favorite pubs, naturally called the Shakespeare.  The pub is warm, with comfy seats and vaulted stone ceilings–the perfect combination of French history, good beer, a taste of England, and a cozy escape from the wind.  The street also ends right by my favorite cafe, which again has the most amazing coffee.  I think that I will honestly miss that the most when I leave here. Sadly we go so often that they know us by name…oops.  All in all, I just love that this city is small enough to not be overwhelming, yet big enough that you can find something new every day.

La jolie rue pietonne

In addition to my random wanderings and coffee drinking, I have visited an art museum, and the zoo FOR FREE.  I tend to prefer many aspects of the American government system (although it certainly has plenty of flaws to go around) yet socialism has proved to have a few perks.  I love that I can have “cultural” experiences with out stretching my college budget too far.  AKA I can see zebras and modern art any time I want……..how awesome is that? And my friends and I found a really cool and cheap ice skating rink.  It feels a bit middle school of us but I’m certainly not complaining. With the music, lights, and skating ramps, it is essentially clubbing on ice.  Perhaps this is not the highest echelon of cultural experiences to be found in France, but we’ll leave those up to the real grown-ups.

Also, My friend Jessica and I toured a local castle called Chateau de Flaugergues.  That’s not exactly something I could do it home!  It was nice little escape from the city; it was close enough that we could get there by foot, but far enough that we could get a taste of the countryside.  The gardens and vineyards were absolutely stunning, and it was a really nice way to learn about the history of the Southern French aristocracy.  We plan on going later in the spring when more flowers are in bloom and we can do a wine tasting!

Chateau de Flaugergues

Garden villa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another neat thing that I did in Montpellier was celebrating an authentic Mardi Gras.  For some reason I imagined that all of France would be like New Orleans with massive parades and parties.  That was not even remotely the case, but nonetheless it was really fun eating beignets, king’s cake, and seeing the festivities.  It was more relaxed than I thought it would be but it was a good cultural experience.  My friends and I went to the carnavale in the center of town, watched the French flag fly, and had a glass(es) of wine before the onset of the Lenten season.  I am glad that I was here for it!

Mardi Gras

This week I am focusing on my mid-terms.  I am struggling through Les Enfants Terribles by Cocteau and a few essays. It’s not exactly the highlight of my experiences here but it’s good that I’m learning.  And more importantly, at the end of the week I will be on break for two weeks!  I cannot wait to visit close family friends in Edinburgh and then more friends in London.  It will also be awesome to visit two new countries and cities, and also to speak English regularly.  After those trips, then I will be going to Dublin the following weekend for Saint Patrick’s Day!  Following that I am planning trips to Spain, Italy, and Switzerland.  I hope to be in Rome/the Vatican when they are selecting the new pope.  It’s crazy that trips like this are even conceivable.  I cannot wait to see where time will take me over the next few months.

Stay tuned.  xoxo,

Claire