The last several days...

Sunday I went to La Rochelle with the professor and her husband and daughter (Juliette, 8).

La Rochelle is an old port that was a bastion of protestentism in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. The most interesting buildings here are old stone towers, which were used as military posts. Within the towers, there is a labyrinth of stairs.


This was our last day of rainy and cool weather. Since Monday it has been sunny, hot and humid.







Monday night we had dinner together and it was paid for by UT. You can see a free dinner puts us in a good mood. The food was excellent.

The two students closest to the camera are French. They also attend the Bordeaux Business School.







Tuesday we went to visit the Airbus facility near Toulouse, where the new A380 airplanes are being assembled.

The A380 is a double-decker and can seat up to 800 passengers, or 550 with casino, bar, and lounge included.

It was interesting to see the sheer size of the planes. Comparing the plant to Ford, it is much cleaner, newer, and more efficient.




We also visited Carcassone on Tuesday, since it is not far from Toulouse. This was very interesting! The medieval walled village is even older than Sarlat. It was the home of the Cathars who were not Catholics and spoke a different dialect. Despite the many fortifications, the Catholics eventually took over.








Wednesday was great. We went to wine tasting school. It lasted about 2 hours, and we learned essential things about tasting and appreciating French wine, which is very complicated.

There are many, many regulations in France concerning every aspect of the wine, from the vine to the label. So, there are over 450 appelations (regions), and within each appelation several specificities and, of course, different vintages. You need a really big book to figure it out.

Sarlat

Today I took the train and visited this village called Sarlat. It is in the Dordogne-Perigord region and some of the buildindgs date back to the 11th century.

There was an open-air market, which is held every Wed. and Sat. They sell hand made crafts and regional delicacies (foie gras, confit, black truffles, wine).


The area is one of the longest inhabited in Europe.

I was surprised so many people here speak English. It is probably due to the fact that many British people buy homes in the region.



There were many, many real estate offices in Sarlat, selling these stone houses that are hundreds of years old. It seems all the natives are moving to the cities, so there is a lot of property available.

I was surprised to learn people drive on the same side of the road here as we do. I guess it's the UK that drives on the other side.

American food in France is funny. Hot dogs come on a baguette, and cheese pizza comes with goat cheese and bleu cheese too.



On the way back to Bordeaux, one of the villages along the train route was holding a bocce tournament (the French call it boules).

I got back to Bordeaux around 8:30 tonight. Restaurants here don't open until 7:30!, but after that a restaurant is the only place to get something to eat. No grocery stores, bakeries, or quick/to-go food places are open.

More photos of the 1st week

Finally, the professor has posted her photos of the first week. I copied some of them here.

This is a photo of our first dinner together Sunday night. There are many outdoor cafes like this one.

Last night I was very happy to find a plain cheese margherita pizza. I also found a simple pasta place today which is good and plain. So much of the food too rich for me.




This is a photo of our tour of the city. It was really windy and rainy during the tour. We are standing under an old medieval gate to the city.

On the right is Matthais, the international coordinator at the Bordeaux Business School. He is german, but speaks very good French and English (though with a German accent).





This is a photo of our third day in Bordeaux (Tuesday), when we had lunch with some French business students who study at the Bordeaux Business School.


The food at the business school is horrible! They gave us two days worth of coupons to eat here, but I don't think I'll be using the other one, except for water and yogurt.

The yogurt here is really good. It is not low fat and it does not contain corn syrup.



This is a photo of me on Tuesday afternoon when my bag finally arrived! I had to hurry and buy an outfit at Zara, a european retailer like the Limited, but cheaper. The stores close at 8 o'clock, on the days they are open at all.


Below are photos of a night out to dinner (I usually order whichever dish includes goat cheese), a group photo after our tour of the Ford plant (tip: don't invest in Ford), and finally a group photo at the business school.


Today, Friday, there was sunshine and it was about 70 degrees. Right now I am watching Desperate Housewives dubbed into French. The French love Desperate Housewives!

Cultural Differences/Similarities

This picture is of a small street where there are only small restaurants. They reminded me of Pasta Trio.

One thing I found is different in Europe is their directions. While in the us we use an upward pointing arrow to indicate one should go straight ahead, they use a downward pointing one. I spent quite a while in the Paris airport looking for the stairs to go down.

There is a modern tram that runs throughout the city. It uses new technology so that there are no wires above. The electricity comes from the ground, but only when the train is over the rails, so there is no danger for pedestrians.

At the grocery stores, you have to pay for a bag (or bring your own). This is done for environmental reasons.

This is a picture of me at the fair, taken by my French friend Sebastien. The fair (not like ours with rides) has many exhibits and vendors from various countries.

Unfortunately, I was not feeling well during the fair because I got motion sick from the bus. I never get motion sickness, but the bus drivers here are crazy! And, there are lots of potholes in the roads. I don't have any problems with the trams, though.

Many things here are less expensive than in the US, such as wine, cheese, and bottled water (and other non-imports). But, eating out is pretty expensive, especially with the exchange rate right now. We have been going to the grocery store often.

Here I met up with my friend Guillaume (also from my French conversation class). He is the tall one in the beret. There is also (L->R) my roommate Kat, one of Guillaume's buddies, Dana (UT), and finally Chris (UT) on the right.

There are a lot of college students in Bordeaux, so the college area (Place de la Victoire) is fun at night.

Ma valise est arrivée aujourd’hui !

My bag arrived today!

I got to France okay, unfortunately my bag did not. 2 other students also have lost bags (too many connections b/w Knoxville and Bordeaux), and my roommate lost her wallet. They said they have located my bag and it is on a flight to Bordeaux, but they have not yet delivered it. Seeing as they are French, I'm sure they will take their time.


Here are a few students from our group in front of the Bordeaux Business School (where one
can earn a Wine MBA).






This reflecting surface is made by spraying a mist on the stone ground every 10 minutes or so.





The professor told us it would be 80 degrees, but it is 60 degrees, rainy, and very very windy. However, it is supposed to clear up Wednesday.

Bordeaux is a very beautiful city with lots of old buildings, stone paths, and patisseries.



This is our tour guide. She spoke very good English, and told us all kinds of historic tidbits.

I'm having a great time, but am worried about my bag (and tired of wearing the same clothes for 3 days). I will let you know when it arrives.

Raining and cool here, too

It rained here yesterday, and was much cooler than before you left. Hopefully, your rain is finished. Glad you got your bag! I love the pictures and commentary!