It's been nearly two years since I left for Nantes and started writing "The Blonde Abroad" blog, and I'm thrilled to report that it's time for me to go abroad once again. I'm not crossing the ocean this time, but I'm headed north to Toronto, Canada to begin a new role with my company. I just learned that the move was officially going to happen about a week ago, and I've been going crazy with excitement for the past week.
I've never been to Toronto, but everyone I've talked to has had nothing but great things to say about it. A few of my co-workers did a few weeks-long projects with our client there, and absolutely loved the city. They said it should especially be a good fit for me, as it's a foodie's paradise :)
I've spent some time researching apartments and trying to figure out the neighborhoods that I might want to move to. I don't yet know what my relocation package will cover, but I expect that it will be communicated to me in the next week or so. From what I understand, the cost of living is quite a bit more in Toronto, but I do pretty well with budgeting, so I'm not too concerned. I just have to be realistic about what I really need versus what I can afford. I'll be visiting Toronto for a week in July, and then I make the big move a couple weeks after that so I can start working up there on August 1. Can't wait!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Journey Comes to an End
It's about 11:00 p.m., and I'm in the lobby of the Radisson Blu Hotel near the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. I can't believe this expeience is actually over. About a month ago, I was definitely ready to go home, and while I'm still very excited to go spend Christmas with my family and see my friends again, it felt very odd to be on the train from Nantes today knowing that I probably wouldn't be going back.
This past week absolutely flew by. I had 6 exams, one each on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, plus two on Thursday. Some of them were extremely theoretical, which I think defeats the purpose of an MBA program in a way, but that's how they do things here guess. I think I did fine on them anyway.
Friday after our marketing exam, the classmates had arranged for a farewell lunch for Pan and I, since we were both just here for the semester. 19 out of 20 classmates showed up, and it was the first time since the first week of class that all of us were able to just enjoy spending time with each other without the stresses of class getting in the way. We spent about two hours just chatting and reminiscing about the past three and a half months. We complained about some of the classes and assignments, but mostly we shared our fondest memories. The classmates got me a very cute snowman to take home and remind me of the time I spent here, and even more special was a card that they all signed. They had some very kind words, and I realized on Friday just how much I am going to miss all of them. As with any group of 20 people that spends more than 40 hours a week together, we had our frustrating moments, but it was such a wonderful group of people who all had so many unique experiences to share.
Later on Friday night, I went out to dinner with Cherif, Xavier-Freddy, Pan, Ying, Carlo, Jerome and Jerome's friend. Had what I thought would be my last gallette and crepe in Nantes, and then we went out to a bar and had a few more drinks. We ended up staying out until 3:30 a.m., but it was absolutely worth it to spend just a few extra hours with my favorite people from the program!
On Saturday, I did the last bits of Christmas shopping that I needed to get done, and then packed for most of the evening. Saturday night, I went to Gihad's for some drinks and dessert, and then we headed out to a karaoke bar. I sang "I Love Rock'n'Roll" and a lot of the crowd was singing along, so that was a great time. We left around 2:30, and I went home and went to sleep.
Got up this morning and wrote my section of a group paper that is due in January. I vowed to myself that once I got on the plane, I would not think about Audencia academics every again, and now I don't have to!! I had been trying to contact Leslie throughout the week as the hot water and heat in the apartment was nowhere to be found (except I did have heat in my bedroom). She told me Thursday she would come over Friday to fix it, but of course sehe never did. I was sure I would end up leaving today without even seeing her, but she called at 5:15 and asked when i was leaving. I told her 5:45, and she actually showed up. I made a quick comment about how cold my shower was, and she didn't seem to think anything of it. What a girl. Xavier-Freddy came to pick me up at 5:45, and waited with me at the train station until my train to Paris came in.
Easy trip into Paris, and now I just have to relax tonight before my flight at 12:15 tomorrow. My uncle will pick me up in Chicago, and then it's a week with the family.
I'm sure I will do some more reflecting on my exprience during the flight tomorrow, so I'll have one final post once I get back to the States.
This past week absolutely flew by. I had 6 exams, one each on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, plus two on Thursday. Some of them were extremely theoretical, which I think defeats the purpose of an MBA program in a way, but that's how they do things here guess. I think I did fine on them anyway.
Friday after our marketing exam, the classmates had arranged for a farewell lunch for Pan and I, since we were both just here for the semester. 19 out of 20 classmates showed up, and it was the first time since the first week of class that all of us were able to just enjoy spending time with each other without the stresses of class getting in the way. We spent about two hours just chatting and reminiscing about the past three and a half months. We complained about some of the classes and assignments, but mostly we shared our fondest memories. The classmates got me a very cute snowman to take home and remind me of the time I spent here, and even more special was a card that they all signed. They had some very kind words, and I realized on Friday just how much I am going to miss all of them. As with any group of 20 people that spends more than 40 hours a week together, we had our frustrating moments, but it was such a wonderful group of people who all had so many unique experiences to share.
Later on Friday night, I went out to dinner with Cherif, Xavier-Freddy, Pan, Ying, Carlo, Jerome and Jerome's friend. Had what I thought would be my last gallette and crepe in Nantes, and then we went out to a bar and had a few more drinks. We ended up staying out until 3:30 a.m., but it was absolutely worth it to spend just a few extra hours with my favorite people from the program!
On Saturday, I did the last bits of Christmas shopping that I needed to get done, and then packed for most of the evening. Saturday night, I went to Gihad's for some drinks and dessert, and then we headed out to a karaoke bar. I sang "I Love Rock'n'Roll" and a lot of the crowd was singing along, so that was a great time. We left around 2:30, and I went home and went to sleep.
Got up this morning and wrote my section of a group paper that is due in January. I vowed to myself that once I got on the plane, I would not think about Audencia academics every again, and now I don't have to!! I had been trying to contact Leslie throughout the week as the hot water and heat in the apartment was nowhere to be found (except I did have heat in my bedroom). She told me Thursday she would come over Friday to fix it, but of course sehe never did. I was sure I would end up leaving today without even seeing her, but she called at 5:15 and asked when i was leaving. I told her 5:45, and she actually showed up. I made a quick comment about how cold my shower was, and she didn't seem to think anything of it. What a girl. Xavier-Freddy came to pick me up at 5:45, and waited with me at the train station until my train to Paris came in.
Easy trip into Paris, and now I just have to relax tonight before my flight at 12:15 tomorrow. My uncle will pick me up in Chicago, and then it's a week with the family.
I'm sure I will do some more reflecting on my exprience during the flight tomorrow, so I'll have one final post once I get back to the States.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Mother-Daughter Vacation!
Just got back yesterday from a whirlwind trip around Belgium and France with my Mom. We had an absolutely fantastic time, and I wish she could have stayed longer!! Here's the very long recap:
Mom arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport around 11:15 on Saturday.
I was there to greet her and the first thing she told me is that she was exhausted. Apparently the guy in front of her on the plane reclined his seat as soon as he could, and she couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. We had a 1.5 hour trip to Brussels that afternoon, so we figured she'd be able to sleep a bit on the train. We headed out of the airport and got to the Paris Nord train station. Our train wouldn't be leaving for a couple hours, so we headed across the street to get some lunch, and each indulged in a croque madame, which is a huge grilled ham and cheese sandwich covered in more cheese and an egg. Absolutely horrible for us, but I'd been eating salads for a few weeks leading up to my mom's visit just so I could enjoy whatever food we found along the way and not feel guilty about it.
BRUSSELS
Trip to Brussels was very quick, but Mom did sleep for most of it, so that was good. We booked a bed & breakfast that was a little bit out of the center of town, but Mom had been e-mailing back and forth with the guy who owned the place, and he seemed like a very interesting person. The B&B also looked like a unique place to stay, so we were quite excited to get there. We got directions from the train station, and it was about a 10 minute trip on the metro to the closest stop to the B&B. We arrived at B&B Zinneke without too much trouble, and were welcomed by our host, Gert. He was very sweet, and did everything he could to make us feel at home. Our room was on the 4th floor of a building, and it was decorated as an ode to Jaques Brel... a famous singer-songwriter from Brussels. I'll try to post some pictures once my mom sends them to me!
That night we headed out to our first Christmas market, but to get there, we had to struggle to figure out how the metro worked. The closest stop to the B&B was Simonis, but there were two stops for Simonis... Leopold and Elisabeth. Turns out that the lines connecting to Simonis are in a loop, so we ended up going the wrong direction first, and it took us about 30 minutes to get to the Christmas market, when it should have taken 10. Once we got there, though, it was a very pretty sight. All sorts of booths selling various things, from food to candles to clothing.
Our only purhase that night, though, was Vin Chaud (hot, mulled wine with different fruits and spices). Absolutely delicious!!
We saw the ice skating rink, a couple of merry-go-rounds, and a ferris wheel. It was fun to just watch all the little kids having a great time on the ice and on the rides.
We headed back to the B&B after a while and found dinner at a place down the street. The menu was entirely in French, and I could only read some of it, but we both ended up with delicious dishes with chicken and curry (supposedly a southwestern belgian dish, but I don't know about that).
The next day we woke up to a great breakfast of pastries, yogurt, fruit and cheese. Unfortunately, the weather that day was not cooperating. It rained very hard most of the day, and it put me in a bit of a bad mood. I hated being in a sour mood since my mom was there and it was her vacation, but I let the bad weather get under my skin more than I should have. We did find a godiva chocolate shop, where Mom got some chocolate covered strawberries and I got some hot chocolate. She loved the strawberries, and the hot chocolate was a pick-me-up for me.
We found a flea market, but it was just full of junk really. I really needed to get out of the wet and cold, so we found a bar that my friend Jerome recommended. The Delirium Cafe had 2,400 types of beer!! Ridiculous. My mom and I each started with a cherry beer, and while she sipped hers, I finished mine and moved onto a coconut beer. Very different, but both tasted great.
After the beer, we went to Chez Leon to have our Mussels in Brussels, which my brother told us we had to try while we were there. We started with Lobster Bisque, which was more brothy and less creamy than what we're used to in the States, but perhaps that's how it's really supposed to be? We also ordered mussels, but we didn't know they would be fried, and neither of us was very impressed. Oh well. At least we can say we ate them.
We headed back to the Christmas market, and got some more hot wine. On our way back home, I started to feel a little sick, but we got to bed and I figured I'd be better by the next day. I was ok the next day, but Mom was not feeling well at all. We had another breakfast with pastries, and then headed out to find Mary's Chocolates, which was supposed to be one of the oldest and best in Brussels. We found it, and while we'd planned on doing the tour, Mom needed to head back to the B&B to rest up some more. I bought a bar of chocolate, but to be honest I don't feel like we missed out on much by not doing the tour. After Mom got some rest, we headed back out to see more of the city. The center of town was very pretty, with some nice old buildings.
We found Mannequin Pis, which is a statue of a little boy relieving himself in a fountain. We both expected the statue to be much bigger, but at least we saw it. Had sandwiches for lunch since neither of us was terribly hungry, and then just wandered some more. The big church in the middle of town had a nice lights and music display at night, so we took pictures of that.
The next day, Mom was feeling absolutely terrible, and we were supposed to catch a 5-hour train ride to Strasbourg. She rested a bit longer while I headed out to get a few souveniers and some chocolate, and by the time I got back to the B&B, she was up and ready to go to the train. We said goodbye to Gert, and then we were off. The train to Strasbourg was uneventful. We had our own compartment, which was nice, and Mom was able to get some more sleep. About 1 hour before we arrived in Strasbourg, the lights and heat in our compartment went out. We sat in the dark for about 30 minutes until the conductor told us that we could move up to the front of the train for the rest of the trip.
STRASBOURG
When we got into Strasbourg, it was pouring rain, but I was determined to keep my spirits up now that we were in a new city. We took the tram to our hotel, and were very pleased with our room. It was essentially a suite, with a separate area for my mom and for me, plus a very nice bathroom. A great deal for the price too! It was late after we'd gotten settled, so we decided to go out for some dinner. The rain had stopped for the most part, so it was a nice walk to the center of town.
My mom had found a place called "L'Epicerie" which was supposed to be good food for a good price, so we went there. Each had a glass of wine and tartines (open faced sandwiches). Mom had salmon and horseradish (seemed like an odd combination to me, but she said it was good), and I got tomato, mozzarella and pesto. For dessert, she had chocolate mousse and I had a chocolate cake with some type of spiked icing. Tasty, and very filling. Got a good night's sleep, and were up the next day to find the Christmas markets that Strasbourg is so famous for.
We first stopped at a little cafe to have some pastries and coffee, which were good. Strasbourg had about 10 Christmas markets spread throughout the city, and we just walked all over the place to explore them. The Christmas markets in Strasbourg seemed much more local and authentic than what we found in Brussels. Saw some arts and crafts types of things that we kept in mind for gifts. We also found some very fun hats!
That night we went on a boat cruise of Strasbourg, and it was very interesting to learn more about the city's history. It was also nice to get off of our feet for about an hour and a half while still exploring the city.
We found a great restaurant that served authentic french food at a good price. We had some wine, delicious homemade soup, boeuf bourguignon and a yummy creampuff type pastry for dessert. We made our way back to the hotel after that, and got ready for our trip to Colmar the next day.
Colmar is about 30 minutes from Strasbourg by train. It had five different Christmas markets throughout the city, and they were also very nice. Mom found a few gifts for some family members, and we just got lost in the city... literally. We kept going in circles, even after trying to follow the map.
We stopped for lunch at a local cafe, and each had a quiche. Far too big, but still tasted good. Once we figured out how to get out of the main part of town, we had some time to waste before the train went back to Strasbourg, so we stopped in a chocolatier for some dessert. Mom got a chocolate eclair, and I got some type of chocolate mousse dessert served in a glass with an apple crumble on the bottom. Both were met with rave reviews.
Once we got back to Strasboug, we headed back to the Christmas markets to find the last few gifts we wanted to get for people. Found another excellent restaurant for dinner, and while I couldn't read the menu perfectly, we both had great dinners. Mom got Escalope de Veau (essentially veal scallopini), and I got a local specialty called "Choucroute" which is saurkraut served with sausages and ham. I'm not usually a saurkraut fan, but this was a very good meal.
PARIS
The next day we headed to Paris. Got into the city around 1:30, then had to get to our hotel on the Champs Elysee. We arrived before the normal check-in time, so the room we were supposed to have wasn't ready. Instead, we were upgraded to an executive suite. Perfect!! We had a full day planned, so we only stayed in the room long enough to drop off our luggage and then we were back out on the town. Our first stop was Angelina's, which is famous for its African hot chocolate. It's 7 euros a cup, but by all means, absolutely worth it. It's incredibly thick and rich, and essentially tastes like someone melted a chocolate bar, poured it into a mug and served it with fresh whipped cream. It was amazing.
Mom also got an omelette to eat, while I got another quiche. Both were good, and incredibly filling.
The last time my mom was in Paris, she got to see the Louvre from the window of the Musee D'Orsay, so this time, we headed from Angelina's to the Louvre so she could see it up close. She was amazed at just how big it was. I don't think I realized how enormous it was until I was there with the Milan kids a couple weeks ago, so I'm glad she got to experience it too.
Next, we went to Montmartre to visit the artists there. Such a unique area-- it's really how I imagine Paris was be before it became such a tourist area. We made our way down to Pigalle next, so Mom could see the Moulin Rouge at night. When we were here with dad and tim in 2002, we thought Pigalle was a bad part of town, so we essentially just took a quick picture and left. Now that I've been to the area a few more times, we felt much more at ease, and took some pictures.
Next stop was Galleries Lafayette because I had heard that the Christmas tree in the middle of the store was enormous and really pretty to look at. The metro stop took us right into the shoe department, which my mom told me was supposed to be the largest shoe department in the world. Needless to say, she was quite excited about being there.
The whole time, she kept saying "This is just so neat", and "Oh I would just love to go on a shopping spree here." Like a little kid in a candy store. I loved seeing her that excited! The tree was quite spectacular, but walking around the different departments was more fun. They even had a little section dedicated to clothes based on the Muppets. I really wanted this dress :)
After Galleries Lafayette, we walked back to our hotel, which was quite a bit further than we'd thought, but it was good exercise! Got changed for dinner, then headed back out. We went back to the same place that I went with Celina, Joe and Sarah, and it did not disappoint. My mom had the pumpkin soup and duck, and I had a mackerel salad and some scallops. A perfect final dinner for the mother daughter vacation!!
After dinner, we stopped to take pictures of Notre Dame, which had a really nice tree set up in front.
From there, we went to the Eiffel Tower.
We got to see it sparkle, which was fantastic! Mom seemed to really enjoy it, as did I.
We ended our night at the Arc de Triomphe, took some more pictures there, and then went back to the hotel to settle in for the night.
We got up Saturday morning, found some breakfast at Brioche Doree down the street from the hotel, and then headed to the airport. Mom got there in plenty of time, and got checked in. We reminisced about the trip for a while, and then she was off to catch her plane.
The week went soo quickly, but it could not have come at a better time. Now I just have to get through this final week with 6 exams in 5 days. Not looking forward to it, but I am so excited to go home and see my family after it's all said and done! Wish me luck for the next few days!!!
Mom arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport around 11:15 on Saturday.
I was there to greet her and the first thing she told me is that she was exhausted. Apparently the guy in front of her on the plane reclined his seat as soon as he could, and she couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. We had a 1.5 hour trip to Brussels that afternoon, so we figured she'd be able to sleep a bit on the train. We headed out of the airport and got to the Paris Nord train station. Our train wouldn't be leaving for a couple hours, so we headed across the street to get some lunch, and each indulged in a croque madame, which is a huge grilled ham and cheese sandwich covered in more cheese and an egg. Absolutely horrible for us, but I'd been eating salads for a few weeks leading up to my mom's visit just so I could enjoy whatever food we found along the way and not feel guilty about it.
BRUSSELS
Trip to Brussels was very quick, but Mom did sleep for most of it, so that was good. We booked a bed & breakfast that was a little bit out of the center of town, but Mom had been e-mailing back and forth with the guy who owned the place, and he seemed like a very interesting person. The B&B also looked like a unique place to stay, so we were quite excited to get there. We got directions from the train station, and it was about a 10 minute trip on the metro to the closest stop to the B&B. We arrived at B&B Zinneke without too much trouble, and were welcomed by our host, Gert. He was very sweet, and did everything he could to make us feel at home. Our room was on the 4th floor of a building, and it was decorated as an ode to Jaques Brel... a famous singer-songwriter from Brussels. I'll try to post some pictures once my mom sends them to me!
That night we headed out to our first Christmas market, but to get there, we had to struggle to figure out how the metro worked. The closest stop to the B&B was Simonis, but there were two stops for Simonis... Leopold and Elisabeth. Turns out that the lines connecting to Simonis are in a loop, so we ended up going the wrong direction first, and it took us about 30 minutes to get to the Christmas market, when it should have taken 10. Once we got there, though, it was a very pretty sight. All sorts of booths selling various things, from food to candles to clothing.
Our only purhase that night, though, was Vin Chaud (hot, mulled wine with different fruits and spices). Absolutely delicious!!
We saw the ice skating rink, a couple of merry-go-rounds, and a ferris wheel. It was fun to just watch all the little kids having a great time on the ice and on the rides.
We headed back to the B&B after a while and found dinner at a place down the street. The menu was entirely in French, and I could only read some of it, but we both ended up with delicious dishes with chicken and curry (supposedly a southwestern belgian dish, but I don't know about that).
The next day we woke up to a great breakfast of pastries, yogurt, fruit and cheese. Unfortunately, the weather that day was not cooperating. It rained very hard most of the day, and it put me in a bit of a bad mood. I hated being in a sour mood since my mom was there and it was her vacation, but I let the bad weather get under my skin more than I should have. We did find a godiva chocolate shop, where Mom got some chocolate covered strawberries and I got some hot chocolate. She loved the strawberries, and the hot chocolate was a pick-me-up for me.
We found a flea market, but it was just full of junk really. I really needed to get out of the wet and cold, so we found a bar that my friend Jerome recommended. The Delirium Cafe had 2,400 types of beer!! Ridiculous. My mom and I each started with a cherry beer, and while she sipped hers, I finished mine and moved onto a coconut beer. Very different, but both tasted great.
After the beer, we went to Chez Leon to have our Mussels in Brussels, which my brother told us we had to try while we were there. We started with Lobster Bisque, which was more brothy and less creamy than what we're used to in the States, but perhaps that's how it's really supposed to be? We also ordered mussels, but we didn't know they would be fried, and neither of us was very impressed. Oh well. At least we can say we ate them.
We headed back to the Christmas market, and got some more hot wine. On our way back home, I started to feel a little sick, but we got to bed and I figured I'd be better by the next day. I was ok the next day, but Mom was not feeling well at all. We had another breakfast with pastries, and then headed out to find Mary's Chocolates, which was supposed to be one of the oldest and best in Brussels. We found it, and while we'd planned on doing the tour, Mom needed to head back to the B&B to rest up some more. I bought a bar of chocolate, but to be honest I don't feel like we missed out on much by not doing the tour. After Mom got some rest, we headed back out to see more of the city. The center of town was very pretty, with some nice old buildings.
We found Mannequin Pis, which is a statue of a little boy relieving himself in a fountain. We both expected the statue to be much bigger, but at least we saw it. Had sandwiches for lunch since neither of us was terribly hungry, and then just wandered some more. The big church in the middle of town had a nice lights and music display at night, so we took pictures of that.
The next day, Mom was feeling absolutely terrible, and we were supposed to catch a 5-hour train ride to Strasbourg. She rested a bit longer while I headed out to get a few souveniers and some chocolate, and by the time I got back to the B&B, she was up and ready to go to the train. We said goodbye to Gert, and then we were off. The train to Strasbourg was uneventful. We had our own compartment, which was nice, and Mom was able to get some more sleep. About 1 hour before we arrived in Strasbourg, the lights and heat in our compartment went out. We sat in the dark for about 30 minutes until the conductor told us that we could move up to the front of the train for the rest of the trip.
STRASBOURG
When we got into Strasbourg, it was pouring rain, but I was determined to keep my spirits up now that we were in a new city. We took the tram to our hotel, and were very pleased with our room. It was essentially a suite, with a separate area for my mom and for me, plus a very nice bathroom. A great deal for the price too! It was late after we'd gotten settled, so we decided to go out for some dinner. The rain had stopped for the most part, so it was a nice walk to the center of town.
My mom had found a place called "L'Epicerie" which was supposed to be good food for a good price, so we went there. Each had a glass of wine and tartines (open faced sandwiches). Mom had salmon and horseradish (seemed like an odd combination to me, but she said it was good), and I got tomato, mozzarella and pesto. For dessert, she had chocolate mousse and I had a chocolate cake with some type of spiked icing. Tasty, and very filling. Got a good night's sleep, and were up the next day to find the Christmas markets that Strasbourg is so famous for.
We first stopped at a little cafe to have some pastries and coffee, which were good. Strasbourg had about 10 Christmas markets spread throughout the city, and we just walked all over the place to explore them. The Christmas markets in Strasbourg seemed much more local and authentic than what we found in Brussels. Saw some arts and crafts types of things that we kept in mind for gifts. We also found some very fun hats!
That night we went on a boat cruise of Strasbourg, and it was very interesting to learn more about the city's history. It was also nice to get off of our feet for about an hour and a half while still exploring the city.
We found a great restaurant that served authentic french food at a good price. We had some wine, delicious homemade soup, boeuf bourguignon and a yummy creampuff type pastry for dessert. We made our way back to the hotel after that, and got ready for our trip to Colmar the next day.
Colmar is about 30 minutes from Strasbourg by train. It had five different Christmas markets throughout the city, and they were also very nice. Mom found a few gifts for some family members, and we just got lost in the city... literally. We kept going in circles, even after trying to follow the map.
We stopped for lunch at a local cafe, and each had a quiche. Far too big, but still tasted good. Once we figured out how to get out of the main part of town, we had some time to waste before the train went back to Strasbourg, so we stopped in a chocolatier for some dessert. Mom got a chocolate eclair, and I got some type of chocolate mousse dessert served in a glass with an apple crumble on the bottom. Both were met with rave reviews.
Once we got back to Strasboug, we headed back to the Christmas markets to find the last few gifts we wanted to get for people. Found another excellent restaurant for dinner, and while I couldn't read the menu perfectly, we both had great dinners. Mom got Escalope de Veau (essentially veal scallopini), and I got a local specialty called "Choucroute" which is saurkraut served with sausages and ham. I'm not usually a saurkraut fan, but this was a very good meal.
PARIS
The next day we headed to Paris. Got into the city around 1:30, then had to get to our hotel on the Champs Elysee. We arrived before the normal check-in time, so the room we were supposed to have wasn't ready. Instead, we were upgraded to an executive suite. Perfect!! We had a full day planned, so we only stayed in the room long enough to drop off our luggage and then we were back out on the town. Our first stop was Angelina's, which is famous for its African hot chocolate. It's 7 euros a cup, but by all means, absolutely worth it. It's incredibly thick and rich, and essentially tastes like someone melted a chocolate bar, poured it into a mug and served it with fresh whipped cream. It was amazing.
Mom also got an omelette to eat, while I got another quiche. Both were good, and incredibly filling.
The last time my mom was in Paris, she got to see the Louvre from the window of the Musee D'Orsay, so this time, we headed from Angelina's to the Louvre so she could see it up close. She was amazed at just how big it was. I don't think I realized how enormous it was until I was there with the Milan kids a couple weeks ago, so I'm glad she got to experience it too.
Next, we went to Montmartre to visit the artists there. Such a unique area-- it's really how I imagine Paris was be before it became such a tourist area. We made our way down to Pigalle next, so Mom could see the Moulin Rouge at night. When we were here with dad and tim in 2002, we thought Pigalle was a bad part of town, so we essentially just took a quick picture and left. Now that I've been to the area a few more times, we felt much more at ease, and took some pictures.
Next stop was Galleries Lafayette because I had heard that the Christmas tree in the middle of the store was enormous and really pretty to look at. The metro stop took us right into the shoe department, which my mom told me was supposed to be the largest shoe department in the world. Needless to say, she was quite excited about being there.
The whole time, she kept saying "This is just so neat", and "Oh I would just love to go on a shopping spree here." Like a little kid in a candy store. I loved seeing her that excited! The tree was quite spectacular, but walking around the different departments was more fun. They even had a little section dedicated to clothes based on the Muppets. I really wanted this dress :)
After Galleries Lafayette, we walked back to our hotel, which was quite a bit further than we'd thought, but it was good exercise! Got changed for dinner, then headed back out. We went back to the same place that I went with Celina, Joe and Sarah, and it did not disappoint. My mom had the pumpkin soup and duck, and I had a mackerel salad and some scallops. A perfect final dinner for the mother daughter vacation!!
After dinner, we stopped to take pictures of Notre Dame, which had a really nice tree set up in front.
From there, we went to the Eiffel Tower.
We got to see it sparkle, which was fantastic! Mom seemed to really enjoy it, as did I.
We ended our night at the Arc de Triomphe, took some more pictures there, and then went back to the hotel to settle in for the night.
We got up Saturday morning, found some breakfast at Brioche Doree down the street from the hotel, and then headed to the airport. Mom got there in plenty of time, and got checked in. We reminisced about the trip for a while, and then she was off to catch her plane.
The week went soo quickly, but it could not have come at a better time. Now I just have to get through this final week with 6 exams in 5 days. Not looking forward to it, but I am so excited to go home and see my family after it's all said and done! Wish me luck for the next few days!!!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Final Countdown!
My mom's going to be here in less than a week, and I am so excited. I just have a lot of school work to finish up before she gets here. It's a lot to get done in a short time, but the fact is, it will get done (hopefully without me losing too much sleep), and then I can relax and enjoy our trip to Brussels, Strasbourg and Paris to see the Christmas markets!
I experienced my first Christmas market yesterday at Place Royale in Nantes, and I know we are going to have such a great time in the other cities. There are so many different stands set up, each selling something unique. I got some great gift ideas, but I'm going to wait until I've seen what Brussels, Strasbourg and Paris have to offer before making any purchases.
The Christmas market put me in the holiday spirit, so all weekend I've been listening to online radio stations playing Christmas music. Can't believe Christmas is less than a month away, but it will be so nice to get back to the USA and spend the holidays with my family in Chicago. Plus, I'm sure we'll watch "A Christmas Story" at least a couple times, and that always puts a huge smile on my face!
Back to homework for the rest of the day, but the countdown continues!!
I experienced my first Christmas market yesterday at Place Royale in Nantes, and I know we are going to have such a great time in the other cities. There are so many different stands set up, each selling something unique. I got some great gift ideas, but I'm going to wait until I've seen what Brussels, Strasbourg and Paris have to offer before making any purchases.
The Christmas market put me in the holiday spirit, so all weekend I've been listening to online radio stations playing Christmas music. Can't believe Christmas is less than a month away, but it will be so nice to get back to the USA and spend the holidays with my family in Chicago. Plus, I'm sure we'll watch "A Christmas Story" at least a couple times, and that always puts a huge smile on my face!
Back to homework for the rest of the day, but the countdown continues!!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Things I'm Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Needless to say, I didn't really have much of an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving here in France. We had a full day of Human Resources Management class, and while it was interesting, I was slightly distracted throughout the day by all of my friends' status updates on Facebook telling me just how amazing all of their Thanksgiving meals were going to be. Jealous!
I am celebrating a little bit in my own way-- I had one bottle of the wine from Jerome's family's winery leftover from earlier in the semester, so I decided today would be a good day to open it. I've had a couple glasses, and it's put me in a good mood.
While my experience here has definitely had its frustrating moments, I still have so much to be thankful for:
1. The people I've gotten to know.
My classmates are all from very different backgrounds, but I have learned so much from them and all of their experiences. It has been a great opportunity to get a new perspective on business, especially since many of my classes are repeats of classes I already took at Fisher.
2. The places I've visited. Before school even started, I had a chance to meet up with Dave and Justin in Madrid, and that was definitely a nice mini-vacation to start off my time in Europe.
Oktoberfest has been the highlight of my time here, hands down. It was incredible to be with so many of my Fisher classmates and to experience that ridiculously crazy environment together. I'm so excited to get back to OSU and see them all again!
My trip to Milan to see Celina, Margaret, Joe and Sarah was also a nice break. At that point, I was getting quite frustrated with things in Nantes, and I needed the "midwesterner" time with them.
I also loved visiting Paris with the Milan kids (minus Margaret) a couple weekends ago-- we saw so much in such a little time, and they always know how to make me smile!
My trip to Chaillevette with the classmates was also a really nice time. It was great to see a new part of France and to get to know my classmates outside of the classroom.
Clisson was great too!
3. French food.
Though I haven't gone out to eat all that often, the times I have enjoyed a meal in a French restaurant have never disappointed. I am going to miss gallettes and crepes once I get back to the States. While there's a great creperie in Cincinnati, the crepes there really don't compare to the real thing. I am also going to really miss the smell of the bakeries here. I try not to indulge in too many pastries, but just smelling them is often enough to make my mouth water!! I will definitely be eating more French food when my mom comes to visit, so I'm sure this will make me even more thankful!
4. French wine.
Not only is it delicious, it's also ridiculously cheap here. My roommate has been buying bottles for less than 3 euros, and has been kind enough to share with me. Visiting Jerome's family's vineyard also gave me a much greater appreciation for the wine-making process.
5. Skype. Thanks to this amazing technology, I have been able to keep in touch with my family and friends throughout my time here. I could always use e-mail, but it has often been a really great pick-me-up to hear a familiar voice on the other end.
6. Speaking of familiar voices, this trip has made me even more thankful for my family and friends. They have been there for me when I wanted to go on and on about my amazing trips throughout other parts of Europe, as well as when I wanted to vent my frustrations about some things. They are such a wonderful support system, and I'm so excited to see them all again soon! In fact, Mom's coming in 8 days!!!!
7. dunnhumbyUSA As I mentioned a few posts ago, I did receive a formal offer from dunnhumbyUSA to work with them after I graduate from OSU. I'm pleased to say that I have accepted the offer and will be moving to Cincinnati in late June. I love the company and the people there, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds.
8. This experience as a whole. My time in France is one that I will never forget. It really has helped me learn more about who I am and what I want out of life. I have started to recognize more and more what is actually important, and what I should let go of, and I'm not sure that would have happened in the States. My time here has been far from perfect, but I still feel fortunate to have had the experience.
Needless to say, I didn't really have much of an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving here in France. We had a full day of Human Resources Management class, and while it was interesting, I was slightly distracted throughout the day by all of my friends' status updates on Facebook telling me just how amazing all of their Thanksgiving meals were going to be. Jealous!
I am celebrating a little bit in my own way-- I had one bottle of the wine from Jerome's family's winery leftover from earlier in the semester, so I decided today would be a good day to open it. I've had a couple glasses, and it's put me in a good mood.
While my experience here has definitely had its frustrating moments, I still have so much to be thankful for:
1. The people I've gotten to know.
My classmates are all from very different backgrounds, but I have learned so much from them and all of their experiences. It has been a great opportunity to get a new perspective on business, especially since many of my classes are repeats of classes I already took at Fisher.
2. The places I've visited. Before school even started, I had a chance to meet up with Dave and Justin in Madrid, and that was definitely a nice mini-vacation to start off my time in Europe.
Oktoberfest has been the highlight of my time here, hands down. It was incredible to be with so many of my Fisher classmates and to experience that ridiculously crazy environment together. I'm so excited to get back to OSU and see them all again!
My trip to Milan to see Celina, Margaret, Joe and Sarah was also a nice break. At that point, I was getting quite frustrated with things in Nantes, and I needed the "midwesterner" time with them.
I also loved visiting Paris with the Milan kids (minus Margaret) a couple weekends ago-- we saw so much in such a little time, and they always know how to make me smile!
My trip to Chaillevette with the classmates was also a really nice time. It was great to see a new part of France and to get to know my classmates outside of the classroom.
Clisson was great too!
3. French food.
Though I haven't gone out to eat all that often, the times I have enjoyed a meal in a French restaurant have never disappointed. I am going to miss gallettes and crepes once I get back to the States. While there's a great creperie in Cincinnati, the crepes there really don't compare to the real thing. I am also going to really miss the smell of the bakeries here. I try not to indulge in too many pastries, but just smelling them is often enough to make my mouth water!! I will definitely be eating more French food when my mom comes to visit, so I'm sure this will make me even more thankful!
4. French wine.
Not only is it delicious, it's also ridiculously cheap here. My roommate has been buying bottles for less than 3 euros, and has been kind enough to share with me. Visiting Jerome's family's vineyard also gave me a much greater appreciation for the wine-making process.
5. Skype. Thanks to this amazing technology, I have been able to keep in touch with my family and friends throughout my time here. I could always use e-mail, but it has often been a really great pick-me-up to hear a familiar voice on the other end.
6. Speaking of familiar voices, this trip has made me even more thankful for my family and friends. They have been there for me when I wanted to go on and on about my amazing trips throughout other parts of Europe, as well as when I wanted to vent my frustrations about some things. They are such a wonderful support system, and I'm so excited to see them all again soon! In fact, Mom's coming in 8 days!!!!
7. dunnhumbyUSA As I mentioned a few posts ago, I did receive a formal offer from dunnhumbyUSA to work with them after I graduate from OSU. I'm pleased to say that I have accepted the offer and will be moving to Cincinnati in late June. I love the company and the people there, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds.
8. This experience as a whole. My time in France is one that I will never forget. It really has helped me learn more about who I am and what I want out of life. I have started to recognize more and more what is actually important, and what I should let go of, and I'm not sure that would have happened in the States. My time here has been far from perfect, but I still feel fortunate to have had the experience.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Trip to Clisson
As of today, I have exactly 4 weeks left in Nantes. I will be leaving for Paris on December 20, staying the night at a hotel near the airport and flying out December 21 at 12:15. Can't believe how fast it's gone.
Since my time is winding down, my classmate Laurant was kind enought to plan one more trip for me and some of the other classmates. He suggested that those of us staying in Nantes should take the 12:05 train from Nantes to Clisson (only about 15 minutes), where we would meet him and his daughters for lunch, and then go to visit a medieval castle in the town. In total, 14 people said they would participate in the trip.
When I got on the train, my classmates were nowhere to be found. Got one text message from Pan, who said that she would meet us at the restaurant.
When I got to Clisson and met Laurant and his daughters, I found that I was the first to arrive. At least no one here can ever accuse me of being tardy. Four more of my classmates (plus one child) were set to arrive by car around 12:30, and our reservation at the restaurant was for between 12:30 and 1. We got ahold of the classmates coming by car, and found out that they would be arriving late. We tried to reach our other classmates, but none of them got back to us. Pan missed the next two trains to Clisson, so she said she would meet us after lunch at the castle. Needless to say, it was a bit of a logistical nightmare for Laurant.
When the car full of classmates arrived, there were only three classmates plus a child. Apparently the fourth had gone out the night before, had a little too much fun, and wasn't feeling so well yesterday morning. Poor guy.
We finally sat down at the restaurant at 1:30. They had prepared a table for 14, and there were only 8 of us. The host didn't even seem upset by it... but they did tell us that we would have to order off of the menu du jour because of the reservation we had made. For my appetizer, I ended up getting potage (thick soup) made up of pureed vegetables that had a distinct mushroom flavor, and was served with a side of homemade crutons and shredded emmental cheese. It was delicious. My main dish was asparagus wrapped in chicken served in a mushroom sauce with green beans. Also very good. For dessert, I ordered the house specialty which was a muscadet cake with a dark chocolate crust and a side of creme anglaise. The cake itself was very light, but also very flavorful. For 15 euros, it was a pretty good deal.
Our next stop was to the castle of Clisson. It had two parts, one of which was constructed 1,000 years ago. Much of it has either been destroyed or fallen apart since then, but what we were able to see and walk around in was quite impressive. I'm getting a bit tired of all these castles, but the fact that they're still standing after 10 centuries is still amazing to me.
Our tour guide was a cute older French man who was very excited about the castle. He showed us a well where 18 people were thrown down and drowned as punishment for crimes, and he said that he got to be there when they excavated the skeletons in the 1960s. Not the most pleasant of stories, but a part of history nonetheless.
He also showed us the "kitchen" which were two huge fireplaces. They were the original brick ovens, but could hold an entire cow to be cooked. Crazy!
The rest of the tour showed us the more modern part of the castle, which is still several centuries old. Here's a 500-year-old oak door that is still in tact today.
Overall, it was nice to get away from Nantes for a while and to see the historical castle. Unfortunately, once I got home, I had several assignments waiting for me.
So far, my individual assignments for both Human Resources Management and Organization Behavior are finished. Now I just have to start some group papers and get them done before my mom comes in less than 2 weeks!! I'm so excited for her visit, and I'm sure that all of this work will make the time fly.
Since my time is winding down, my classmate Laurant was kind enought to plan one more trip for me and some of the other classmates. He suggested that those of us staying in Nantes should take the 12:05 train from Nantes to Clisson (only about 15 minutes), where we would meet him and his daughters for lunch, and then go to visit a medieval castle in the town. In total, 14 people said they would participate in the trip.
When I got on the train, my classmates were nowhere to be found. Got one text message from Pan, who said that she would meet us at the restaurant.
When I got to Clisson and met Laurant and his daughters, I found that I was the first to arrive. At least no one here can ever accuse me of being tardy. Four more of my classmates (plus one child) were set to arrive by car around 12:30, and our reservation at the restaurant was for between 12:30 and 1. We got ahold of the classmates coming by car, and found out that they would be arriving late. We tried to reach our other classmates, but none of them got back to us. Pan missed the next two trains to Clisson, so she said she would meet us after lunch at the castle. Needless to say, it was a bit of a logistical nightmare for Laurant.
When the car full of classmates arrived, there were only three classmates plus a child. Apparently the fourth had gone out the night before, had a little too much fun, and wasn't feeling so well yesterday morning. Poor guy.
We finally sat down at the restaurant at 1:30. They had prepared a table for 14, and there were only 8 of us. The host didn't even seem upset by it... but they did tell us that we would have to order off of the menu du jour because of the reservation we had made. For my appetizer, I ended up getting potage (thick soup) made up of pureed vegetables that had a distinct mushroom flavor, and was served with a side of homemade crutons and shredded emmental cheese. It was delicious. My main dish was asparagus wrapped in chicken served in a mushroom sauce with green beans. Also very good. For dessert, I ordered the house specialty which was a muscadet cake with a dark chocolate crust and a side of creme anglaise. The cake itself was very light, but also very flavorful. For 15 euros, it was a pretty good deal.
Our next stop was to the castle of Clisson. It had two parts, one of which was constructed 1,000 years ago. Much of it has either been destroyed or fallen apart since then, but what we were able to see and walk around in was quite impressive. I'm getting a bit tired of all these castles, but the fact that they're still standing after 10 centuries is still amazing to me.
Our tour guide was a cute older French man who was very excited about the castle. He showed us a well where 18 people were thrown down and drowned as punishment for crimes, and he said that he got to be there when they excavated the skeletons in the 1960s. Not the most pleasant of stories, but a part of history nonetheless.
He also showed us the "kitchen" which were two huge fireplaces. They were the original brick ovens, but could hold an entire cow to be cooked. Crazy!
The rest of the tour showed us the more modern part of the castle, which is still several centuries old. Here's a 500-year-old oak door that is still in tact today.
Overall, it was nice to get away from Nantes for a while and to see the historical castle. Unfortunately, once I got home, I had several assignments waiting for me.
So far, my individual assignments for both Human Resources Management and Organization Behavior are finished. Now I just have to start some group papers and get them done before my mom comes in less than 2 weeks!! I'm so excited for her visit, and I'm sure that all of this work will make the time fly.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Roommate
So after a blissful month and a half of having this entire apartment to myself, I just learned tonight that I will be getting a roommate on Saturday. He's an older gentleman named Darren, a doctor from the UK. I met him when he first came to look at the place, and he seems nice enough. At this point, I don't even care, as I'll be out of town for a week when my mom visits, and he will be moving out 3 days after I return. So in total, he'll really only be here for about 2 and a half weeks while I'm here. No big deal.
I guess what really surprises me about the whole thing is that Leslie was actually able to find someone willing to pay 350 euros for rent. The room has no door, just a curtain, no dresser, no internet connection (unless Leslie can figure out how to configure the wi-fi here-- I use a cable), and a lawn-chair bed. I probably have to explain what I mean by that last phrase. Picture a lawn chair that you might find on the beach-- a tube frame with fold-out legs that sits about 6 inches off the ground. Strips of plastic going from one side to the other to support a 3-inch thick "mattress." I thought I had it bad when Leslie exchanged the big queen size bed I had when I first moved in for the futon I sleep on now. Guess I should be thankful now that I know what my other option was.
60 hours left of class-- too much to do and not enough time to do it all, but trying my best to stay motivated!
I guess what really surprises me about the whole thing is that Leslie was actually able to find someone willing to pay 350 euros for rent. The room has no door, just a curtain, no dresser, no internet connection (unless Leslie can figure out how to configure the wi-fi here-- I use a cable), and a lawn-chair bed. I probably have to explain what I mean by that last phrase. Picture a lawn chair that you might find on the beach-- a tube frame with fold-out legs that sits about 6 inches off the ground. Strips of plastic going from one side to the other to support a 3-inch thick "mattress." I thought I had it bad when Leslie exchanged the big queen size bed I had when I first moved in for the futon I sleep on now. Guess I should be thankful now that I know what my other option was.
60 hours left of class-- too much to do and not enough time to do it all, but trying my best to stay motivated!
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