De L'Univers Hotel Arras

... démontés et empaquetés dans des cartons, une remorque, un réchaud et une popotte, des vêtements pour tous les temps, des éléments de rechange pour le vélo, une trousse à pharmacie et une brosse à dent :)

Attention top chrono : J-23h

On vous embrasse tous très très fort.
Vous allez nous manquer quoique....!
N'hésitez pas à nous écrire et à commenter nos images.

Hasta luego amigos.

Joséphine

I just arrived in Lille just over an hour ago by TGV (in right around an hour from Paris, super fast). I got a bit lost arriving to my new host's house, but here I am, safe and warm. I'll stay here till Friday, when we carpool (two groups in two cars) to a big CS weekend meeting in Rotterdam. There I should be able to meet up with my host in Hague (about 20 or 30 minutes away).

The last few days were ...

... in the last two weeks:
A hell of a lot of rain,
Starting back at school and having loads of lessons cancelled / teachers not turning up (wooppee!!)
Erin's 22nd birthday and a night in the sleaziest French club I will probably ever come across (and will most likely not return to)
The purchase of a printer
11/11 - Remembrance day in Lille (photos attached)
Confiscating a girl's phone in a lesson and then hearing my own go off in my bag!
Preparations to go to Paris!!

... and lovely and many people seem to use it as a place to go running, so I will be sure to go back with my trainers on!

When my parents had left there were only 3 other British girls left in my residence, so the following day we went to the cinema to see "Mademoiselle Chambon", a typical French love story with very little dialect (which made it easier to understand), and an unhappy ending. I enjoyed it!

This week I have also been to ...

As busy as a beaver

The last two weeks seem to be a bit of a blur to be honest, it feels like I've accomplished very little in a rather large space of time but as I look back, a lot has been crammed in!

First of all, work! Last week I was still observing classes. Fortunately I was able to meet more of the English classes and only went to one French class which I did find quite useful.

Students at Sévigné don't see English as ...

... of Snider Road which runs along my farm. The slippery, gummy clay under foot and the soft warm rain caressing my face felt like home and I felt very close to William Norton as I ran to "meet" him. I hoped that this peaceful setting was a comfort to his soul as I imagined the horror of his last days alive. To this day there is evidence of the enormity and severity of his war time terror. The rain, which had been falling all night, was washing away dust to reveal shards of ...

... Notre Dame was used only by the French in 1914/15 - it wasn't until later that the Allies came to France to assist the French - by this time - the French had accumulated some 350,000 killed - and they were getting hammered. The Germans had come through Belgium and wanted Paris. France was in strife. We stopped and had a discussion in a small Allied cemetery about 60min out of Arras - towards Vimy Ridge - we saw the graves of ...

... Ok, enough with the erudition and back to Percebes - that night I went to a number of restaurants to try and find them, without any luck until I eventually found Casa Camilo, where I had Caldo Gallego (similar to Caldo Verde in Portugal), boiled Percebes, an empanada (pastry like Sicilian schiacciata) of bacalao and sultanas – only place outside Italy I’ve eaten a dish of fish with dried fruit; tarta de Santiago (a dry crumbly almond tart) – a ...

... in good time. We were welcomed by an English couple that cater specifically for bikers. A beer and a chat and we were ready to hit the town. We found a cafe and had a 1664, which Chris could order in French, impressive! a few of those later and food was on our minds, we walked what must have been at least 6 laps of the town looking for somewhere that was open but everything apart form the kebab shop and a pizza ...

... cold hard French look of distrust. What the French have in culture and good taste, they lack in friendliness, no doubt about it. It's all good though, doesn't mean I've sworn off France, but it is quite interesting to learn about people of the world while you're traveling. We walked past a stand of live farm animals. I have to admit that the little ducklings and chicks were the cutest things I've ever ...