2 Day Trips and 1st Day of Classes

The point of writing that long blog last week was so that this one wouldn't be as long.  However,that's impossible as I've been extremely busy lately.  I went to beautiful Sete on Friday, followed by a magical day in Tarascon, both accompanied by the wonderful Emily.  While Sunday was terribly uneventful, today was the first day of classes, which turned out to be as perfect as classes could get.

1) On Friday, Emily and I took an early train to Sete for only 8,20Euros round trip, which is ridiculously inexpensive.  Then we saved more money by having a huge "formule" lunch for only 13,50.  It was so much food I didn't even eat dinner that night!  The food was great - I got shrimp cooked in garlic (like Mommy makes with angelhair pasta!), which was really good except for the fact that the heads with eyes and all were still attached.  So after cutting the heads off and taking the shells off I could eat in peace.  For my main dish, I got some kind of fish.  I think the French like leaving their food looking like how they caught it, because my fish looked like a fish!  So once again, after opening him up and covering the head with some other food on my plate, I ate in peace!  The only problem was that there were a million teeny tiny bones, so Emily and I had to take tiny bites to ensure that we didn't eat any!  They were the smallest fish bones I've ever seen - like the size of a piece of hair!  But it was very tasty.  With that, I also had a tomato provencal, some yellow string beans and a baked potato with a tad bit of sour cream on it.  But I dipped it in my rouille sauce, which is absolutely amazing.  It's like mayo/sour cream but better!!  For my dessert, I had Baba du rhum.  So good!!  It's a little cake cooked with rhum topped with whipped cream and mine even had a touch of strawberry syrup!  Sooooooo good!!

We also had a little adventure in Sete: we walked up a ridiculous hill and a million steps to get to the top of a little mountain where there's a huge cross and a chapel.  It's called Mont St-Clair.  And the view was just gorgeous!!  Pictures are up on Facebook :)

Afterward, we wandered over to a navette store that's been open since 1913.  I got a huge bag for 4,50 and they are absolutely amazing!  Dipping them in coffee (or nutella) is heaven!!  I might be going back just to get some for home!  We also wandered around the town for a while, which was so pretty.  However, around 5:45 we headed back to Montpellier, as we figured we'd have a long, busy day at Carcassonne Saturday.  But alas, those dreams were dashed when we discovered that the earliest train to Carcassonne on a Saturday is at 11, so we wouldn't even arrive until 1 or 2.  Then we'd have to take a 7 or 8 o'clock train back that night!  Am I wrong when I say it would be better to spend a whole day in Carcassonne?!?!  So we decided to put that off until this coming Friday (however, that dream may also be dashed as it's supposed to be one of the rare occassions where it decides to rain in southern France).  Instead, Emily and I went our separate ways and researched where we should go Saturday.  I ended up planning a little trip for when Carl comes, but Emily made a list of towns on the train line, so I looked at them and picked two and she picked two and we ended up both picking Tarascon, so that's where we went!

2) Tarascon is probably my favorite place I've visited so far, right behind Saint-Guilhem-Le-Desert.  It's a tiny little town with a castle!!  When we first arrived, we set our usual goal, which is to find the tourist office.  However, much like in Sete, we couldn't find it and got diverted elsewhere.  This time we were diverted to a castle.  It is the Chateau Royale de Tarascon, built by le Roi Rene a long time ago.  My first real Medieval Castle!!  (Avignon can't really count - it's a pope's PALACE).  So we toured this castle and I (quite literally) took hundreds of pictures.  Only a handfull are up online because I figured people would get bored with pictures of castle architecture.  So if anyone is interested you can see them when I get home (I'll probably force you to look at every single one of them even if you don't want to muahahaa). 

After the castle visit (where I ended up buying a little book about castles and a knight pen - see Facebook photo!!), we looked for lunch, but as it was around 2 o'clock, the places that were still open weren't serving food anymore!!  Lesson learned!!  Eat first, visit castle after!!!!  So we ended up going to the grocery store and buying a picnic for ourselves.  The best part was that when we were full and had half a baguette and a huge block of goat cheese left, Emily saw a homeless guy and said we should give it to him.  Afterall, it was too hot out to keep the cheese in our purses and who wants to carry a baguette around while you're exploring?!  So we gave him the food and he was so happy!  It was probably the best moment of this stay in France so far :)

Then we found the visitors center and visited a gorgeous old church (St-Marthe) which is named after the Saint who tamed or killed this monster thing that lived beneath the town and ate people!  I hope that's a true story, because it reminds me a knights slaying dragons and there is a castle!!!!  We also visited a cloister museum about this order of nuns, which was actually really interesting - they are celebrating their 400th anniversary this year - 400 YEARS!!!!  WTF?!?!  We then wandered around and saw some other sites and then finished the visit at the pastry shop!  I got a cream puff thing with honey over the top!!  SO DELICIOUS!!  More photos of that can be found on Facebook. 

So Tarascon was definitely successful.  Emily and I decided we should have that castle and if not, then a better one.  Especially since I was able to master the spiral staircases and make it all the way up to the top!!!!  And I didn't even faint!!!!

Sunday was extremely uneventful.  I talked to Carl on Skype and when we weren't webcamming, we were IMing on Skype. 

3) Classes started today!!  I was pretty nervous, not gonna lie.  I don't think I've been nervous for classes starting since freshman year of high school.  I think it's because I've always had people with me - especially at Buff State: Kelly's always been in several of my classes and we always drive in with Anna, especially the first couple of days.  So I got up extra early to get to campus extra early to make sure I could find my building and my classroom for my first class (Medieval History from 10:15-1:15).  But I lucked out - I walked into the building, and there was Maria from the presession!  We were so happy because we were both nervous and then when we sat down in the classroom, another girl named Sarah from the presession showed up, so it was much less nerveracking.  Not to mention, our prof is really nice.  He's probably in his mid-30s and is really into medieval history (which is just fine cuz I'm a total nerd when it comes to that kind of stuff!!), and he told the class that if there were any international students that we could talk to him during our 15 minute break.  So the 3 of us went to talk to him and he was awesome - he said if we have any questions, just to ask him after class or email him.  And then he took our emails so that if he gives an assignment, he can email us more instructions because he knows it might be difficult for us at first!  Yay!

My second class was Grammar, which is done by the international institute on campus.  So I was placed in the upper level based on my grades from the presession.  Maria was in that class, too!!  The prof is cool - she's probably around Mommy's age and was born in Croatia, grew up in Australia, and then has lived in Montpellier since she got a scholarship to study here for college.  She's a good prof from what I can tell, too, so that's good.  I have that class Monday and Tuesday from 2:15-3:45.  Monday's we'll be doing mostly grammar stuff and Tuesday's will be writing, so I still have a week to do homework and what-not.  Plus it gives my brain a rest, because the grammar every day for 3 weeks just about killed me during the pre-stage!!

Then I did some grocery shopping and here I am!  Tomorrow is Religious Anthropology from 9:45-12:45 and then Grammar.  I hope it's as successful as today!!

I'll try and post again by the end of the week!  Luvvies to all!

-Heather