Well, I am definitely loving my time in France. This past Saturday, I went to Amiens with my friends Becky, Pam, Bri, Grace, and Mayra and we had a fantastic time. I made an itinerary the night before and got directions to every place we wanted to visit so that we could make the most out of this day trip. We visited the Amiens cathedral which was so beautiful and breathtaking. The architecture alone amazed me. The cathedral of Amiens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and and the tallest complete cathedral in France. I blessed myself while leaving, and I think it's great that I've had the chance to bless myself in many cathedrals across Europe. I feel so close to God when I visit these cathedrals, maybe that sounds overly dramatic, but I really do. After we left the cathedral, Becky and I bought rosaries and almost everyone bought a postcard or two. We then visited Jules Verne's house. This was a lot of fun- Jules Verne seems to have been a very interesting man. Afterward, we went to the Musee de Picardie, which is an art museum and that also houses many artifacts found in Amiens. It was a very small museum, but it was definitely worth the visit. It had some great displays! The only thing that was a bit confusing was that the paintings were not labeled very well. Overall, though, it was beautiful (like everything in Europe, I might add). After a break for crepes, we also saw the belfry and shopped at the market near it. I bought two scarves for 5 euros. That's...well...impressive. They're so pretty! Then, we walked around for a while and saw the canals before catching the train back to Lille.
When we returned, I went with Becky to her host family's son's house. He invited us to dinner because her host family was away at a wedding. It was perhaps the most awkward event of my life. First, they served us aperitifs. Becky and I ended up with Port which we thought was just typical wine. Wrong. It was so strong I wanted to use it as a shot...except that would have been inappropriate. When we finally moved on to dinner, well, we did not know what we were eating. We think it was quail. The dinner was good, but throughout the entire night, we might have said 10 words. It was horrible. And, they kept talking! We woke up at 6:00 to go to Amiens and it was past 11:15 at night when we returned to Becky's place. It was definitely an experience.
Otherwise, I've been enjoying the many wonderful things about France- drinks, inexpensive bread and cheese, and pain du chocolat being on the list. I also had the chance to see one of my favorite French films- Le Diner des Cons with my host.
I think I may be traveling to Bruges soon with Becky, Bri, and their host family. I'm excited! However, next weekend is the Braderie- a HUGE yard sale in Lille that millions of people attend and where everyone shops, drinks, and eats mussels. We'll also probably go to the Musee de Beaux Arts because there is free admission the first Sunday of every month.
I'm loving this life in France, and I'm glad I'm always busy with something :)
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