Bienvenue en France!

Let me start off by telling everyone how different the keyboards are here. The a and q are switched, as are the z and w. The m is no longer next to the n, and you need to use the shift in order to end a sentence with a period. All the numbers can only be typed if you use the shift key, but you have all the symbols for different money. This is a good way to kick the contraction habit.

But let us move on to fun things. My flight was long, but I did enjoy my layover in Amsterdam. I went to the Anne Frank House, but it was closed so I just took a few pictures of it and then had lunch at the cafe next door. I did not get to spend very long there, so I just headed back to the airport and waited for my flight to Geneva. I slept that entire flight. Then again, running on 24 hours of being awake, I was entitled to a little sleep.

The train in Geneva was not as easy as the airport. When I discovered that my train to Chambéry was leaving from a different station, I jumped on a bus, but I found out soon that I was on the wrong bus. Thankfully the one I needed crossed the same route I was on, I just jumped off and caught the bus I needed. I made it to the station before my train left, and soon I was on my way to Chambéry. I can't say much for that journey because I slept the entire time. When I arrived, I met Ufuk and Guillaume who took me to my residence. Then I was alone. After unpacking, I walked around to try to find a place to eat. All I found was a pizza place, so I got a small pizza. When I got back, I found my roommate there and we got to talking. Her name is Breanna and she's from Iowa. She was really nice and we stayed up talking until close to midnight. Then we got up in the morning for an adventure around town.

We walked to the market they have here every Saturday, and I got some delicious, ripe, red strawberries. The greatest fruit I've ever tasted, hands down. Then we walked to the old part of the city and went by the Hotel de Ville where we saw some street performers. Then we saw the Fontaine des Elephants (Fountain of Elephants) which is known as the Eiffel Tower of Chambéry. After that, we wandered some more around the old part of the city and ended up in front of the Chateau des Ducs de Savoie (Castle of the Dukes of Savoie) before we split off for lunch. I ended up going with the group that had the real French meal at Le Sporting. It took almost three hours for the entire meal--and we left as soon as we were done eating. I got the menu du jour (meal of the day) and got the chicken that was served with potatoes. The dessert was delicious. It was vanilla ice cream with a black cherry liqeur sauce. One of the students, David, kept remarking on how great it was and how it should be illegal in the US. He's a very funny guy.

I also made friends at the table. There's Lydia from Kansas, Krisdeena from Iowa, Greg from Pennsylvania, and Bree from Pennsylvania as well. It was a great meal with great people. Afterwards, we all split up and took over the town. Lydia and I went to the shops and I ended up buying a pair of flats for 6€. They are so adorable. Later that night, we all met Guillaume and went to the O'Cardianls Irish Pub for a drink. I ended up getting a Sexo con Lucia. It was very fruity and very delicious. Then a smaller group of us (me, Breanna, Lydia, Greg, David, Andrew, and Marissa) went to the other pub, O'Pogues, and just hung out for awhile. They had beer, but I'm not a fan of that drink so I just sat and hung out. Then we headed back to Breanna and my room for a dance party that ended up being rather low-key since we were all tired. It ended shortly after it began, and we all went to bed to prepare for the next day.

Sunday was a great day. We traveled up the mountains to a small cheese factory for a tour. I bought a half of a half of a wedge of the Tome des Bauges. It looks gross and moldy on the outside, but on the inside, it tastes like the combination of white cheddar and parmasan. Then we kept driving and spend the day in Annecy. There, I had the most delicious crèpe I have ever tasted in my life. We walked around the city (which is older than Chambéry) and ended up by the Chateau d'Annecy. It cost money to go inside, so we just took pictures of the outside and headed back down to the city. We ran into a woman who noticed we were English and was so happy to see us. She even hugged David (because he's from Chicago) and I took a picture of her. She was sweet. Then we got some tasty ice cream and ran into another man who loved America. After we chatted with him for a few minutes, we all walked around Lac d'Annecy. It's right at the foothills of the Alps, so it made a stunning view. It was so picturesque, I took a picture every few feet. When we had made it about three-quarters of the way around the lake, it started to pour rain. We walked quickly back and stood under the cover of some trees. After the rain stopped, we booked it back to the bus. I fell asleep on the way back and didn't wake up until we were back in Chambéry. I had dinner with Lydia and spent the evening writing postcards to friends and family I still need to send out.

This morning, our classes started. Since the Université de Savoie doesn't have school during the summer, most of the campus is shut down. Thankfully, the library is open, so I can catch up with the world. But we all stay in the same building from 9:00 to 12:00 every day and are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. I was placed in the intermediate level with Lydia, Greg, Andrew, and ten other people. Today we spent the day getting to know each other and getting in the groove of our French again. I am so excited, I can't wait for tomorrow!

Since we know when our classes are, and what the ISEP group has planned, groups of people have been getting together their own plans. This weekend, I am going with a group to Italy. We're traveling to Milan and spending the night before we spend the rest of the weekend in Venice. Next weekend is the ISEP trip to Paris. The following weekend, I think a group of us are going to go to Nice. After that, who knows!

All I know is that I'm having the time of my life and I never want to leave. Vive la France!