Luxembourg in summary: sooo what language do I use?

So early Saturday morning we were off to Luxembourg and Metz, France for the weekend! I thought someone had said that the bus rid was 3-4ish hours, nope it was 5. But it made up for me not sleeping the night before so I was rested once we got there. 

This is the ancient roman viaduct right across from our hostel

What I really loved was the mix of architecture old and new

 From above it looks like a fairy tale

So their flag is just the french flag turned on it's side...

Statue of the grand duchess, Luxembourg today is a somewhat of a monarchy

The lovely Cathédrale de Nôtre Dame, tallest building during the middle ages

The grand palace

La meilleure glace, italian ice cream!

So story about language: Luxembourg has 3 official languages German, French and Luxembourgish (a local dialect) and you're supposed to have 3 languages down by age six and at least 4 by age 13. Well, we went to a Mcdonalds where the menu was completely in German, and I ordered in French and some people ordered in English or they talked back to them in English. The signs on everything were all the languages basically, English, German and French. Which was a bit confusing

Oldest pub and it's still in operation, 1691

Castle ruins

And then the next day it was back to France, to Metz!

This was the Centre Pompidou, a modern museum! (Because all the other ones I've been to haven't been contemporary)

The cathedral in Metz has one of the highest nave's in the world

I would say it's the most beautiful cathedral I've been to so far

It is crazy to see the difference between all the other building- same color scheme and same height contrasted with the cathedral looming over everything

A church that's also an abbey

Statue of Paul Verlaine

It was such a fun weekend and I'm still exhausted but it was nice to get out of Besançon for once. It was a taste of spring break that begins this weekend! I just have this week of classes, two weeks of vacation then exams and I'm home which is absolutely surreal.

À la prochaine,

Liz

They said it would be exciting...they were correct

So story time:  I've been living here for quite a while now and it was starting to feel like home, fully adjusting, knowing my way around everywhere, and then something happened. It was a Saturday night and we were sitting in the main square on the church steps like we've done a million times before. When we had just gotten centre ville, Gabby said something about people being crazy that night and boy was she right. While we were walking to get something to eat I went just around the corner to an atm and this group of crazy and obviously very drunk guys threw a water bottle at me which ended up hitting my leg, I didn't think too much of it and I went back to where my friends were ordering food. We then where eating on the church steps when the same guys were getting in my friend's faces who were sitting near the back. My friend Scarlett stood up and started talking to them just to get them to just go away, however this one guy decided to take his phone out for some reason and she threw it. He then proceeded to pull her hair and punch her repeatedly in the face until she collapsed on Robby. They tried to reassure us, and to NOT call the cops, they even stuck around the square but ended up fleeting, they were a huge group. Anna immediately called the cops and explained to them what happened while some bystanders who had been watching kindly stepped in. We were all in complete shock. Because who does that?! To a woman let alone anyone, they also tried to claim it was "alcohol" that caused it, well then don't drink simple as that. I started crying when saw how much she was bleeding and someone handed her napkins and offered her a place to sit in front of a restaurant while we waited for the cops described what happened and then Scarlett was taken off in the ambulance to the hospital. She's fine now and in good spirits with her black eye, she's been a real trooper (you can read her account of the story here). I guess lesson is no matter where you are you've got to be careful, I still would say this place is much safer than Kalamazoo (as college campuses and towns do have crime obviously) but I remember my host mom telling me just how safe France is, and it is reasonably safe I think we were all just really shaken up. I also think we all handled it pretty well for being completely stunned.

 It's a great thing that we're all going away for a weekend in Luxembourg. Then it's one more week of school and then 2 weeks of spring break! I'll be off to Lyon, Dijon and London as well as exhausting my options here in Besançon in terms of exploring and also the color run here! Vacation couldn't come any faster, the warmer it gets out the harder it is to get to class for sure. Especially because this time in Kalamazoo things are just beginning to warm up, time goes by so fast when you're laying by the river with all the French people on a sunny day. It's been 60's even 70's sometimes which feels a lot hotter to me. 

My masterpieces, cooking can be fun when I feel like putting in the effort, and there's actually space in our kitchen to cook on the hot plates (nope no oven)

I enjoy living in a country where you can buy ready made croque monsieurs and crêpes

"American Sauce" really thousand island also called "Hamburger Sauce" haha there also many variations of the "Americaine" sandwich as well

I finally found real actual bacon! "Bacon" here usually is just a thick tougher piece of ham, this was "Bacon Crispy"

Looking up towards the citadel from the park

Les canetons!

And that's all for now!

Bisous, Liz

"Profitez bien!"

So lately (besides missing certain people from time to time) I've been so content and just so utterly happy with living here, fully adjusted. I just love this environment, studying abroad is a great way to learn because you're encouraged to explore, adventure, learn, grow! It's just kind of sinking in that I don't have too much time left here which is quite sad :( so I'm determined to make the best of it!
I'm currently living in the dorms here! I loved my family stay it was amazing, but if I wanted to go anywhere I'd have to move since it's much less expensive. Là voilà ! My tiny chambre which is tiny enough to get cluttered very easily but I can also clean it in 2 seconds which is nice. I live near the gym and sports complex, I also have to walk up and down a hill to get to my dorm...I didn't think it would get worse than Valley 1 my freshman year (last semester I picked a dorm 2 seconds away from all my classes and no hill) but it's fine, by bus it only take about 20ish minutes to get to class. I think living out here and taking the bus has encouraged me to get around even more. Each building has a different mural and the ones closest to me have similar ones:

I get a lovely view of the sunset and the hills every night

So all my american/anglophone friends have been noticing this and I have as well, when I'm writing in English I'll mix up letters, add e's and s' to make things masc/fem/plural which don't exist in English obviously. I'll also forget easy words or take forever to think of a particular word, I also think that French has made me speak more formally or I'm just more aware (also annoyed) at the English language as time goes on.

I got to cross another item off my list this past weekend: A sporting event, a rugby match! Our professors plays in a female team and she invited us, and there was a reception at the club house afterwards.

So I never tried this until I was in the dorms and now I love it, it's called Kebab, it's not the kind on the stick though. It's roasted turkish lamb meat, I never thought I'd try lamb and now I'm addicted.

I finally bought a macaron here! And from Paul, it was giant and raspberry and so delicious

A few weeks ago there was a carnival here with floats, bands and all! A band even played "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes which was a stand cheer in high school for me!

And confetti everywhere!

Everywhere you turn you find something new, this is the biggest park in Besançon and also a historic monument. Supposedly Louis the 14th ate here during the siege of 1674, now it's private property and closed to the public.

This is actually a trompe l'oeil, the windows aren't real

Sitting by the river in between classes has been one of my favorite things to do lately 

The weather has been absolutely perfect here 60's alll the time, even a bit hot for me! And still french people still wear coats and scarves although the younger ones are starting to actually just wear shirts.
As for spring break...which is coming up! The weekend before I'll be in Luxembourg/Metz on a trip organized by the CLA. Then for break day trips to Lyon and Dijon, and in between exploring more of Besançon. Then that following week I'll be in LONDON ENGLAND! AH then I'll be back here for the color run with all of my friends. I am so excited, also time is flying by, this is the fastest semester EVER! Last full month already which is crazy. As my host mom Sylvie and others have said "Profitez bien!" basically, make the most of or take advantage of everything.

Bisous bisous,

Liz