I thought a few pictures of random events would make a nice supplement to the general life update of the other post!
Making cupcakes with friends! None of us had an actual cupcake pan, so this is what happened.
My contribution was making icing and wearing a cupcake wraper on my head so I looked like Abu from Aladdin.
In case you were wondering, this is what it looks like when I'm unlocking the door to my apartment.
Celebrating 2 Birthdays at a friend's parent's country house 30 minutes from Nevers
The house was pretty old, and still being remodeled in some places, making for interesting photo opportunities.
During a short jaunt to Paris I visited St. Chapelle for the first time (for FREE, btw. Being a teacher in France has many perks) It was nice, to say the least.
The only people in Nevers celebrating St. Patrick's Day
The owner of the local Pub had some free St. Patrick's Day things behind the bar, just waiting for people who knew what day it was. Of course we put on everything he gave us!
Yes, the blog is back!After a great deal of neglecting I have finally gotten around to updating!Sorry….
A good deal of things have happened since I last posted, and although alot of this might just be repeating what some of you already know, I thought I should mention a few highlights for good measure.
1. It’s finally spring!At least it is for the time being—2 weeks ago it snowed unexpectedly causing a great deal of disappointment—but in general it has been lovely here.I haven’t needed a jacket in about a week, the sun is shining, daffodils are blooming along the Loire, and my friends and I have been spending as much time as possible outside having picnics, going on walks, etc. and we’re looking forward to the canoeing rental place to open in April so that we can go canoeing on the Loire.
It no longer looks like this outside....
2. Spring vacation is coming!Saturday April 3-Sunday the 11th is yet another vacation for the French Education system.I, along with two British friends, and one German friend, are going to spend most of our vacation touring the South of France.Toulouse, Montpellier, Avignon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, and Menton!I’m really looking forward to visit new parts of France, and of course to spend some time by the beautiful sea.Expect postcards, blog posts, etc. following the trip :-)
Nice should be nice. Hahahahahahaha....
3. The arrival of Spring Vacation means that my time in France is almost done!My last day of work is April 30th, then May 5th I will fly from Paris to New York City and spend about a week there seeing friends, going to museums, laying in Central Park, etc.Then I will fly from New York to Lexington to see family and friends, and to load up a rental car and move all the stuff I’ve been storing in Gretchen and Ted’s attic for the past year to Wichita.No solid plans for the summer just yet, however, all the stuff that will be moved from Gretchen and Ted’s will travel from Wichita to Tucson Arizona in late August (Tucson is nice in August right????) Which brings me to update #4….
4. The nightmare that was grad school searches, applications, and decisions is FINALLY OVER!I’ll be starting at the University of Arizona this fall!
Every other Wednesday, I only have to teach one class in the morning. Normally this is just another day to run errands, read a book, etc. But sometimes, the freedom in my schedule gives me a chance to make spur of the moment decisions to go along with friends on day trips. Two weeks ago I took just such a trip to the city of Moulins! The main Cathedral in Moulins
In college I took an art history course on the Northern European Renaissance, and I was so excited that a work that I had studied, "The Moulins Triptych" was still in the Cathedral, rather than in a museum!
We had to wait for the 'keeper of the church' to be free so he could let us into a side room in the Cathedral where the painting is kept. Awesome.
Moulins is also well known for Art Nouveau architecture
Like Nevers, Moulins is also on the Loire river
We escaped the cold in the national museum of theater costumes. There was a exhibition of costumes from the Ballet Russe, and we thoroughly enjoyed playing in the kids area...
Working for a school has its perks, especially when it comes to vacation time! I had two weeks and was lucky enough to have the time/tickets/connections etc. to spend my vacation in Paris and then go home to Wichita Kansas. I spent three days in Paris with a friend who is studying at the American University of Paris and then flew back to the US. After a minor delay in Chicago (canceled flight, and a night spent in a airport hotel...) I was finally able to return home! Below are some highlights of my Christmas vacation:
It snowed the day I left Nevers for Paris, making it really feel like Christmas time
The front of my building For some reason they didn't turn the water off of the fountain.... The bright lights of Nevers The even brighter lights of Paris We froze outside watching the light show, but it was worth it! Short trip to the Musee D'Orsay Wonderful Art Nouveau Revival exhibition
Kelly and I by the Seine Christmas Eve in Wichita Mike, Christmas morning Chris, Holly, Mike and Mom, Christmas morning
Dad on Christmas day Mom, Gretchen, and Ted, Christmas Day In front of the Christmas tree, New Years Eve Getting ready to leave for the airport, sheep trying to stow away back to France....
Starting to decorate downtown Nevers Sarah and I getting close with some decorations outside our favorite cafe For some reason most all the lights are red....kind of says more "satan" then "santa"
Decorations inside a cafe The cute tea house was filled with decorations and even had a Christmas tea! tea house the Christmas Market in Orleans during the day Orleans! Drinking hot wine at the Christmas market
Dinner!
Making Christmas cookies Waiting for space in the oven German cookies with jam ready for the oven! Icing! We might have gone a little overboard...
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been a little harder to get in touch with than usual, if you’ve tried to call me recently my phone hasn’t worked. This is because I am living in Nevers France working as an English Language Assistant until the end of April, 2010. Having a blog seemed like the easiest way to disseminate stories, photos and updates to interested parties while I’m here, so voila—this is my blog.
Making cupcakes with friends! None of us had an actual cupcake pan, so this is what happened.
My contribution was making icing and wearing a cupcake wraper on my head so I looked like Abu from Aladdin.
In case you were wondering, this is what it looks like when I'm unlocking the door to my apartment.
Celebrating 2 Birthdays at a friend's parent's country house 30 minutes from Nevers
The house was pretty old, and still being remodeled in some places, making for interesting photo opportunities.
The only people in Nevers celebrating St. Patrick's Day
The owner of the local Pub had some free St. Patrick's Day things behind the bar, just waiting for people who knew what day it was. Of course we put on everything he gave us!
