Category: France

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Europe France Research Grant

Strasbourg: History Museums and Bees

Hello again from Strasbourg!

First of all, I’d like to talk about how nice everyone here has been.  Out of the many emails I’ve sent out requesting interviews, it’s true that most of them never got responses.  But of the people who did respond, they’ve been amazing.  This week, I met a man who’s an expert in furniture, and he printed out all of the French expert rules for me, told me about all of his cases, and showed me his furniture workshop.  And then, at the end, he asked me if I’d been to the Musée Historique, and upon finding out I had not, he called up a friend of his there and got me free admission!

And the Musée Historique was very cool.  Their headsets were location based, so when you stood near a section of the exhibits, that piece of information would play, and it would keep moving on as you walked through the museum.  Plus, I learned a lot about the history of Alsace.  Although I knew it was culturally partially German and partially French, I hadn’t realized how much the territory had actually changed hands!  In particular, the section on World War II talked about how Alsaciens were seen as Volkdeutsch instead of French, but many Germans didn’t consider them to be German enough.  There were also some pictures of places in Strasbourg where they’d had Nazi rallies.  It was strange to see the same places I’ve taken touristy pictures in the museum as part of the exhibit.

I’ve also done a few other touristy things this week, including walking around the European Institution section of the city and going to the Alsacien Museum, which was overall a little disappointing but had a lot of artifacts from Strasbourg through the ages.  I also went to the Parc de l’Orangerie, which is currently my favorite place in Strasbourg!  It had a mini zoo that contained storks, flamingos and a lot of other birds, a small lake where you can rent boats, a garden area with beautifully arranged flowers, and a lot of cafés.  I went to a café for lunch and I got a sugary drink that attracted a lot of bees, much to the chagrin of the other customer at the restaurant, who spent half an hour laughing at me as I flailed around and attempted to swat the bees away with my napkin.  That incident aside, I will definitely be returning to that park again before I leave Strasbourg!

Anyway, I’m off to Bordeaux on Monday, so my next post will be about that trip!  À bientôt.

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Europe France Research Grant

Strasbourg: I Almost Walk To Germany

Bonjour!

Yesterday I did some more sight seeing in Strasbourg, including walking over seven miles to see a new side of the city!  While my feet hurt, it was cool to see a different area from the places that I’ve spent time in so far.  I checked out the National Library, several churches, and got pretty close to the German border before I turned back.  I finally went inside la Cathedrale Nôtre Dame de Strasbourg, which has some pretty awesome stained glass and gorgeous Gothic ceilings.  There are some nice cafés in that area as well, so I had some delicious chocolate crêpes.

Being here in the summer has made me miss a few things about the US.  Namely, air conditioning and window screens.  I’ve had a summer with no air conditioning before, when I lived in Maine for ballet camp.  That one was worse, because we were dancing eight or more hours a day, but it’s never a pleasant experience to feel hot and sweaty all the time.  And it’s hard to sleep, because I like to sleep under sheets but Europe only believes in comforters.  Which are definitely too hot for this summer.  And as much as I want to have the windows open, that involves allowing flies and mosquitos in the room.  Every night this week I’ve woken up to another bite….

 Besides the heat, though, I’ve been fairly productive with my research and looking into jobs and my other summer goals!  I’ll keep you posted.

À bientôt!

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Europe France Research Grant

Strasbourg: Parlez-Vous Français?

Bonjour from Strasbourg!

I’ve spent the last week exploring the city and starting my research, which involves a lot of sending emails to try to get interviews (at varying degrees of success).  I had my first interview last Thursday, which went incredibly well!  The woman walked me through their system, helped me refine my questions, and made sure to speak slowly and write down the important details for me.  Considering how nervous I was, it was nice to have such a good experience to start everything off!

I’ve been busy trying to immerse myself in the culture as well.  The weekend before last, there was some kind of festival, so it was as though the entire city had been turned into a giant garage sale, which was fun.  And on Tuesday, I went to an event that was essentially like multilingual speed dating, where people who want to work on English and people who want to work on French meet up and speak in 7-10 minutes in each language.

This past weekend, I went and visited the Strasbourg Modern Art Museum, as pictured above.  As I’ve mentioned before on this blog (see the Guggenheim Museum), modern art is hit or miss for me.  There was a whole exhibit on the the history of modern art, that started with my favorite style, impressionism, and then went through different phases, including everything from cubism to stained glass until it got to the extremely modern part, where I counted four canvases painted entirely black.  There was also a sculpture that looked like a twisted churro, a section with a lot of pencils that I think had something to do with the Cold War, a dress made out of dried cow organs, and some rocks arranged in a giant circle.  It’s always a bit unsettling in a modern art museum, because you never know what to expect when you round the corner.  In one exhibit, there was this room off of the main section.  When you walked in, it was very dark, with black walls and a single light bulb illuminating the room.  What made it interesting was the soundtrack of loudly crashing waves, so it felt as though you’d walked under the deck of a ship.

Now I want to talk a little about the French language, because that was the #1 question I got when I told people about this project.  It has been a challenge, as expected.  As a little background, I started taking French classes at the age of 12, because I wanted to start a foreign language and I had this crazy idea that taking ballet classes would make it easier.  I continued until my senior year of high school, when it stopped being offered.  When I got to Northwestern, I took two quarters more to obtain my required proficiency and didn’t continue.  I was over the comprehension videos about cheesemaking, the endless conjugation charts, the nitpicking grammar, the professor who seemed upset when my class was not already fluent… and then I studied abroad, and was reminded why I took French in the first place.  I sat in my Danish classes and realized I liked taking foreign language classes, and when I visited Paris I decided that if I was brave enough to speak to French speakers, I could handle taking another class at college.  And then, I upped the ante by applying for this project…

The years of French class have mostly prepared me for this.  I’ve had conversations with people.  In the airport, over lunch, with my Airbnb hosts, at the interview.  There’s still a part of me that’s scared of talking to people, and I wish I could casually respond when I’m on a train and it gets delayed and the person next to me asks me a question.  I wish I could go into a shop and not freeze when they ask me if I need help finding things.  I often understand what’s going on, but responding quickly is difficult.  I think having these conversations has been good for me, though, and I’m hoping by the end of the summer it won’t be so scary.

À bientôt!

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Europe France Research Grant

Marseille: Hotter Than Hell, But Much Nicer

I spent three and a half days here and had a lovely time.  Part of my goal was to go to the French Riviera and go to the beach!  Mission accomplished.  I also got to soak up some of the regional culture of Southern France.

My first day there I didn’t do much, because I had that interview that I was supposed to have in London until I lost my voice.  I still sounded pretty hoarse, but hopefully it went well!  I did head up to the grocery store, which meant I got to check out my neighborhood a little.

Marseille is different from anywhere I’ve ever been.  It’s definitely not the picturesque petite village that comes to mind when you imagine Provence.  It’s not the same as the sleepy beach villages in Spain, nor does it conform to the European cities I’ve visited before.  It’s not conventionally pretty in the same way as Paris or Strasbourg.  There’s an edge to it, a certain grittiness and realness that you don’t find in places overrun by tourists.  And when I say grittiness, I don’t mean to imply that it’s unsafe.  In fact, it felt very safe, and everyone I talked to was very friendly.  I mean that the walls are covered in graffiti, and the buildings are a bit run down.  It doesn’t have the same glass and steel offices in the skylines.  In fact, if it wasn’t for the graffiti and cars lining the streets, I might feel as though I’d stepped back in time.

Now, I didn’t do all, or really any, of the touristy things in Marseille.  First of all, it was incredibly hot while I was there, and my apartment had no air conditioning.  However, I also reveled in a few days with no responsibilities.  When I don’t have places to be, the pace of Mediterranean life is perfect.  I spent time at the beach, at the Vieux Port, and at cafés behind the apartment.  And most of my time I spent… just walking.  Wandering through the streets, stopping in stores.  Examining the different winding roads.

I don’t have any truly great stories from Marseille.  Once a woman bounced a basketball at me and asked me throw it back to her, a man at a café shared a laugh with me about a bird stealing a French fry, I took a picture of a man from Dubai who was a little upset that he hadn’t actually beat the summer heat.  Those are the most interesting things that happened to me.  Mostly I just observed, and relaxed, and put my water bottle in the freezer to try to stay cool(er).

Here’s your French word for the day: la plage.  The beach.  I put my feet in la mer, or the sea, and managed to get a few more tan lines.  All in all, a nice trip.  I’m back in Strasbourg, which has finally lost its heat wave!  I’m looking forward to my first interviews later this week, and I’ll hopefully get the chance to explore more of this city as well.  À bientôt!

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Europe France Research Grant

Strasbourg: Celebrating Bastille Day

Hi!  So it’s been a week and a half since I last posted.  It’s been a pretty busy time for me, as you’ll see in the next couple posts.

Here are some Bastille Day fireworks for you!  I got to go watch, and then there was live music and people danced and it was pretty cool.  One thing that surprised me, though, was the lack of flags?  I think I saw one.  Which is not much compared to Independence Day in America, or literally any day in Denmark.  I guess the French aren’t as crazy about their flags?

Anyway, after that, I had a couple days in Strasbourg of sending emails to people I want to interview for my research.  I also caught a cold at this point- unsurprising due to my recent international travel, but unfortunate timing considering I managed to lose my voice for the only time this summer that I truly needed it, for a Skype interview that I was lucky to get rescheduled.  For the weekend I headed off to London for a few days, and then to Marseille.  Quite the dichotomy.  As of late last night, I’m back in Strasbourg and prepping for a couple interviews for later this week.  After a week of traveling, I think it’s time to make myself a schedule so that I can actually be productive.

Posts on London and Marseille are in the works!

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Europe France Research Grant

Strasbourg: First Impressions

Bonjour from Strasbourg!

My flight landed yesterday morning, and then I had a long day at the airport waiting for my TGV train.  I ended up using my French skills to talk to a French couple, which was a huge confidence boost for me.  Also, back when I first started French classes in 7th grade, I assumed that I would never need to worry about the pronunciation of the alphabet?  I was totally wrong.  The French couple asked me about American slang that they noticed on a trip, and wanted me to spell it out.  So I guess that stupid catchy alphabet song did eventually pay off.

Thoughts on the TGV train: first of all, amazing how quickly I could get across the country.  Major props to the French on that.  However, it is slightly terrifying to pass another TGV train.  But overall, a good experience, the train was super comfortable and clean.

From there I took a bus to my Airbnb, which is a nice small apartment a bit outside of the city.  The people I’m living with, a woman and her daughter, have been very welcoming, and I’ve been able to practice a bit of my French with them as well.  They have a cat, which is a new experience for me since my family has always had dogs.  Last night the cat stood outside my door for several hours and stared at me, and this morning it pushed open my door so it could lay under my bed for about an hour.  Is this how cats always are?

This morning I headed into the city for the first time.  I went to a café for a pastry, and got the chance to speak to a few French people again, who were very understanding at my struggles to put together coherent sentences and just spoke slowly to me in French.  Then I wandered around for a bit and ended up taking a boat tour.  The information wasn’t exceptionally useful, but it was a great way to see different areas of the city, from the historic city center to the more modern section with the UN headquarters.

Tonight, my Airbnb hosts are taking me to go see the fireworks for Bastille Day!

Overall, I think it’s going well.  My French is definitely going to get significantly better.  I’m not always that confident about my ability to speak to people, but everyone has been so understanding and wonderful so far.  I can’t wait to see more of the city and start reaching out to people for my research!

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Europe France Study Abroad

Paris: Everything I Dreamed It Would Be And More

Five days was not enough.  I fell completely in love with the city.  It was vibrant and gorgeous, and for the first time since coming to Europe I could actually communicate properly with people in their native language.  I never thought I would be excited at being able to read advertisements and other signs on the street…

Strangely enough, though, there was a little culture shock.  When I first got on the train it struck me as so inconvenient that I would have to put my ticket in the machine, since in Denmark they just assume you’ve paid.  I realized I’ve lost my ability to jaywalk.  And, as I walked by a shop, someone who worked there said “Bonjour!” and it took me an absurd amount of time to respond since Danish people would probably rather vote for a Republican than talk to a stranger on the street just to say Hi. (yes I’m totally exaggerating no Dane would ever vote for a Republican)

My first day I went to the Louvre and wandered around until I reached my daily art limit.  Then I walked through the city along the Seine and soaked up the beauty of the city.  That night, Kelcy took me to the Eiffel Tower to see the lights as they sparkled and L’Arc de Triomphe, and I could barely contain my excitement at seeing the two most iconic monuments in Paris.

The next morning, Kelcy had to go to class and so I met up with Chen He, my friend from Northwestern.  We went to some of the less touristy spots, like a taxidermy shop/museum (“Do you like dead animals?”) and France’s oldest library!  It was great to get to see some places I wouldn’t have necessarily explored on my own, and after that I met up with my Impressionism class.  We went to the Opera Garnier and got a tour of that, which was beautiful.  I wish I would have been able to see a show there!

After that, we had free time, and I had my most successful encounter in French to date.  I went to one of the really nice department stores, and went to the bookstore part because I decided I wanted another book in French.  In the mystery section, I found Agatha Christie, and figured I could get And Then There Were None.  Except it wasn’t called that, so I had to ask a sales assistant, which meant I had to give a few details of the plot so that he could tell me what the French name was.  Dix Petits Nègres, if you’re interested.  Political correctness is not Europe’s strong suit.

The next day we got a sightseeing tour and then headed to Versailles!  It was beautiful, but honestly after seeing the palaces in Russia I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be.  The Hall of Mirrors was cool, and I think the gardens would be amazing if they had flowers (that’s the struggle of visiting during November….) but overall, most of the rooms seemed fairly normal.  Later that night, I went back to the Louvre and finally saw the Mona Lisa.

The art didn’t stop there, because our next morning started with Musée de l’Orangerie, which had Monet’s water lilies, followed by Musée d’Orsay with most well known impressionist works.  It was pretty awesome to see art where I knew the pieces and their context, and impressionism is my favorite movement (based on my very limited knowledge of art).  This was followed by more free time, in which I went with a friend to the catacombs.  I’ve now seen more bones than I ever expected to, although the basement part of Hamlet’s castle was actually far creepier.  It was definitely worth the visit though!

The final highlight of the trip was our Seine dinner cruise.  Everyone got dressed up and we had three hours of floating down the Seine, with a three course meal and quite a bit of free wine.  The views were lovely, as was the company and the alcohol.  Afterwards, Alanna and I went to find a bar to experience Parisian nightlife and we ended up finding a wine bar!  The atmosphere was relaxed and the bartender recommended a very good light red wine.  We felt very classy and French, and he even gave us a 3 euro discount at the end of the night so that was exciting.  (But also confusing.)

My last morning, I went to part of the mass at Notre Dame.  The music and stained glass windows were very beautiful.  After I left, I went to L’Arc de Triomphe again to climb it, which had amazing views of the city.  I took a lot of selfies.  When I got down again, Kelcy took me to Shakespeare and Company and then I spent the rest of my time wandering around the Latin Quarter before meeting up with my class once more to head to the airport.

Everyone says Parisians are rude, that they’re the New Yorkers of Europe.  Having never been to New York, I can’t really make that comparison, but the Parisians I interacted with were not rude.  I usually spoke to them in French, and they apparently deemed it acceptable.  In fact, the one person I talked to who switched to English asked me in French first if we should switch to English (which was great since I was getting directions).

Overall, it was a fantastic five days.  Paris is my favorite place I’ve ever been to, and I know I’ll be back.

À bientôt, Paris.  Je t’adore.