At long last I am in my host-city, settled into my new house with a new family.
I can't even begin to describe how tired I am. I feel like I'm floating in a sea of new things and foreign language. Everything this week has been a complete blur.
This morning most of the group went off to see the Eiffel Tower. I have been to see it both at night and in the day, so seized the opportunity to sleep in and take my time with breakfast. Around 11:00 a small group who stayed behind decided to visit Shakespeare and Company! It was absolutely amazing. So many famous authors had written here! AHHH! I was disappointed when I discovered that most of the books for sale had been imported from the US, so I didn't purchase anything. I did take advantage of a small typewriter upstairs and made myself a little memento on the back of a calling card. ;) Unfortunately, I couldn't take too many pictures either. The best way to describe it is: tiny, cramped, old, historic, and awesome.
After that, we stopped at an open market and strolled the isles. Scarves, jewelry, fruits, veggies, and more poured out of little stands near a strip of store fronts with the owners proudly displaying their wares. It was very cool and I had a huge desire to buy a ton of fresh foods and cook up a delicious meal. Too bad I didn't have the chance! Instead I grabbed a Tartinne au Champion (sp?) for lunch.
At the last minute we decided to make a run for the most famous ice cream in all of Paris, Berthillon. However, when a Parisian tells you something isn't far....it's probably at least twenty minutes away by foot. We did not make it to the actual store, but grabbed a cone at a small shop that sold the same brand. We pretty much ran back to our hotel to make it to our shuttle on time! On the way, we ran past some really awesome street performers that I wish we could have stayed to watch. One man was playing with a crystal ball in the style of David Bowie in the movie Labyrinth!
We made it to the hotel just in time for the bus to the train station. We hopped on the train with ease, and rode first class for three hours to Grenoble. I've never been on a train so it was a pretty great experience. I've heard from others that trains are a pain, but I think I quite enjoy it.
When we got off the train, our host families were there to meet us! I was the first to go, and Genevieve greeted me warmly. She drove me to the apartment complex, and we spent the time in the car getting to know each other. She works for the office of multicultural affairs here in Grenoble, and handles their finances. She works very often, and likes her job. She's lived here for ten years, and has been married to Christian for 28! They have a son who is 26 years old, but due to a bicycle accident he is handicapped. He comes to visit once every week.
She introduced me to Christian and their three cats, and showed me the apartment. It is beautiful! I hope to get pictures for you tomorrow. She also introduced me to her neighbor, Bridgette, who is very friendly and helpful. For dinner we had beef, potatoes, and carrots cooked in white wine and heavy cream, poured over rice. It was delicious! I did my best to converse with them. It was of course, a little awkward, but they are very patient with my poor French, and offer many helpful corrections. They each speak enough English to help me when I get stuck. :)
For now I am off to bed. I'll hopefully post more tomorrow! <3
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