France is the best! I love it! It's beautiful! You walk down the streets, and all around, people are speaking in the most fantastic language of French!!! Which was not entirely unexpected, but still thrilling nonetheless.
After sleeping for a solid eleven hours and thirty minutes without stirring even once, I felt largely refreshed and rejuvenated for my first full day which thus far has included: a joyful realization upon awakening that I am here, in France, and that there are ginormous and breathtakingly beautiful mountains out my bedroom window, and that these mountains constitute a part of the Alps which really does make it all the more fantastic...indeed I've found it very necessary when I'm in my room to look out the window approximately every two minutes just to make sure the mountains are still out there; being the recipient of much gracious McCropder hospitality - breakfast with the Faders and lunch with the Cropseys; about an hour unpacking and settling into my adorable little dorm room that I am quite enamored with; and a grand time with new friends walking through town, hiking up part of a mountain to a castle and a chateau, scaling castle walls, and sliding very rapidly down (in squatting position) an old and extraordinarily slippery (due to a thick layer of algae) water duct that was coming out of said castle!
View from the château!
At the airport in Lyon yesterday!
Scaling up the castle wall!
Mountains, beautiful mountains, everywhere in sight
Trying (and ultimately failing) to scale the tree!
Albertville is beautiful!!!!!
Unbelievable. Mountain climbing, castle wall scaling, and water duct sliding all on your first day?! You are living a life full of exclamation points.
ReplyDeleteGood thing moms don't get jealous of their children's adventures :-)
It is beautiful! Have you checked recently to see if the mountains are still there?
ReplyDeleteWow! That is quite a lovely view. I don't think you'll ever get tired of it or take it for granted. Are you going to go sining in the mountain meadows?
ReplyDeleteI truly hope to go singing in the mountain meadows!!!!
DeleteYou better go swimming in the mountain meadows!!!
DeleteSliding down aquaducts (and the like) seems to be common theme between Haiti and France. I especially appreciated the tree that you attempted to scale - that living thing could be 500 years old or so.
ReplyDeleteLife here in Saline goes on as it has before. Ben is at the robotics kick off meeting. Si went to the library while I ran errands. You sold two copies of Fierce Compassion so far today. Si and I will work on tree cutting and algrebra. Julia McCammon came over for a sleep over. Clara will visit Hannah to help with some cleaning. Will head to the Paternosters' tonight for dinner and games.
Pip's cello recital is tomorrow. Birthday cake and candles will be coming for Olivia. Yie Yie and Nai Nai will be heading to NM on Tues.
Love you.
Dad
Awesome! Love it! Thanks for giving me a glimpse of France as I'm sure I'll never see it myself!!!! Enjoy!!!
ReplyDeleteYou never know!!! I never EVER thought that I would ever get to go to Europe! If you had told me that I'd be here a year ago today, I literally would have laughed in your face and wouldn't have believed you for a second! But still, I will enjoy it for you. There is a picture of a certain fifth grade class with its wonderful teacher ready to be hung up on my wall in my dorm room!!! :) you are on my mind and in my prayers!
DeleteOnly in Europe. This gap year is the best thing you have ever done for yourself.
ReplyDelete