Off you go!

You know, I realize that these blog posts make it sound like I'm on a neverending vacation. I promise I'm actually doing work here...yes, it's true. Combined with classes, homework, chores (I'm handwashing for the next 9 months!), it's a wonder I'm able to do anything else. By the end of this trip I'll be set to be the perfect housewife. However, I most definitely make time for fun, and even blogging. Am I good or what? That being said, I'm doing so much that it's impossible to tell everything I do, but I'm happy to give the high points and leave out the mundane stuff. Besides, who really wants to know what I did in grammar class today? But in case you do care to know, one of my grammar teachers is a rotund, balding French gentleman with grey hair who wears a bow tie to class. I want to hug him. He's just that adorable. And he actually makes grammar fun to go to (mais non!).

But what was the coolest part of this weekend? Besides clubbing on Friday and the beach on Sunday? I traveled! Approximately 25 minutes by train is the city of  Nîmes. It's very easy to take the trains in France. I was amazed. You basically go there, buy a ticket from a vendor to anywhere you care to find yourself, and off you go!

Oh, just another boring day on da train, seeing new places...time for a nap.

The reason we decided on a lark (as in, the night before) to go to this random city is because of this huge bullfighting festival that goes on there a couple times a year, called the Féria de Nîmes. As a result, the city was positively buzzing.

 

 Ah! We missed the party! Let's go find it!

Don't worry, that picture is misleading. This is what we saw when we first walked outside the train station, and we were a little disappointed. But, as it turns out, the fun wasn't going to find us...we had to find the fun!

 

 Balloons? Lots of them? Much better.

 

So, once we got downtown, we saw this awesome arena where they hold the bullfights. It was expensive to go in and see, so we decided as a group (me and my friends-we speak French together!) to skip the fight and just enjoy the city.

 

 Enjoyment. =)

I took plenty of pictures, lots of video (there were musicians everywhere!), and we even attempted to do some shoe shopping. However, my big feet aren't the easiest to find a size for. Those dainty European women...sigh. But we had fun regardless.

 

 This is our new friend. We felt sorry for him. Observe the bizarre growth on the groin. I say cancer or a birth defect, because something ain't right about the positioning there. He wouldn't talk about it.

Haha, jokes aside, I'm super happy to have friends here. It's nice when they're the ones inviting you out all the time, and not really caring that you can't speak quite as well as they do (not that it matters much in the bar musicale!).  It's made it a lot easier to transition to life here without missing home quite so much when I'm alone in my room with nothing to do (which doesn't seem to be happening often, thank god, since the internet here is near nonfunctional at night).

So to make up for the sad lack of blog posts the past few days- the only time I seem to have to do these is at night, which doesn't work- here are some more photos of Nimes!

Bullfighting blanket? Tacky?

 

Tacky. Delightfully so!

At any rate, I'm super glad I got a chance to check out life outside of Montpellier...I will be making more travel plans soon, probably to "cooler" places than Nîmes, but I think I prefer sometimes just seeing the France that tourists usually don't. It's why I have plans for a big bike adventure this coming weekend, just to see where I end up. You can go for miles safely as a pedestrian here, so I think that could be a lot of fun.

 

Biking through here? Not a chance!

 

Don't worry, I've got plans to leave the country eventually. I'll let you know how my illegal immigration plans go. If you have any suggestions of the best city to hide in, let me know. ;) Anyway, I'll be putting up some fun video later. For now, I leave you with my last shot of Nîmes:

 

 

Until next time =)