Bienvenue!

Hey,
If you're reading this I've probably personally given you the URL, so no need for corny introduction stuff. I'm studying in Aix-en-Provence, France from January to May of 2009. 'Aix' is pronounced like the letter 'x', by the way, hence my incredibly poor pun in my blog title.

So what am I doing writing in this thing before I've even left the US? Well, I'm only a sophomore at Pitt and I figured some of my friends would study abroad after me, maybe in France. Maybe writing about the visa process, finding airplane flights, etc. would be useful. Also, I know a lot of my extended family didn't hear a lot about my first trip to Nantes, France this past summer. And I'm sure I'll be referencing my time there a lot once I'm in Aix, seeing how it compares.

My summer in a nutshell: I went for six weeks with a Pitt professor, Todd Reeser, and his partner Thomas (they're awesome); two Pitt TAs, Eléonore and Charles-Louis; and probably 20 other Pitt undergrads, including friends from previous French classes at Pitt, Anna, Teresa, and Andrea. We spent 4 days in Paris as part of our orientation and then went to Nantes to meet our host families.

I stayed with the Vincents, a couple in their 60s (I think, I never dared to ask), Roselyne and Jean-Noel, with a 20 year-old daughter Charlotte who was home for the summer from college. They had a dog named Gypsie, a cat named Myrtille ('blueberry'), and a rabbit named Cajou (or something like that). While I was there they also got an adorable golden retriever puppy named Dubai. Unfortunately, Gypsie died, at the age of 13, I think, a couple months after I left. Also, Charlotte is a very dedicated horseback rider. She drove several times a week out to the country to ride her horse and I think she competed in the 'Championnat' of France.

In Nantes I mostly hung out with Anna and Teresa. We tried to speak French as much as possible, even when it was just us Americans. I took two courses that will go towards my French major at Pitt, 'The French in the 21st Century' and 'Art History of France,' and a short, weekly seminar on the business world of France. Our group went on two excursions to the chateaus of the Loire Valley and then Mont St. Michel and St. Malo. Nantes itself was great, not too big and not too small. I visited several of its parks and museums and just explored in general.

After six weeks in Nantes I left the rest of my Pitt classmates to go to Geneva for ten days. I stayed with our very close family friends Holly and Andre. I have to admit, I wasn't the most ambitious tourist while in Geneva, but I did get to swim in the Rhone several times (it was amazing!) and walk up the tower of the old cathedral there. Also, Holly and Andre were so gracious as to take me to their chalet in the Swiss Alps, where I got to pet a cow and climb a little Alp. I have to admit, the Alps put the Adirondacks to shame, at least in terms of magnitude.

Okay, I don't want to make this too long. Depending on how quickly I can figure out Blogger I'll add some pics from Nantes and Geneva.

Maggie B.

Top: the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Middle: My bedroom in Nantes.
Bottom: Geneva, Lac Léman, and the 'Jet d'eau' (That big fountain thingy).