Category: Memoir Publisher: Create Space Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN-10: 1480157422
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 198
Copyright: November 2, 2012
ISBN-13: 9781480157422
This is based on a travel blog I began writing in 2007 under the alias of Citizen of the World on travelblog.com about my 2006/2007 academic year abroad in France and my travels through Europe.
Based on the travel blog under the alias of Citizen of the World (Danielle S.) aka Danielle Swisher on travelblog.org, this is Ms. Swisher's memoir in her own words regarding her experiences and the knowledge she obtained while studying abroad in Dijon and Aix-en-Provence, France during the 2006/2007 school year. This memoir also contains details about Ms. Swisher's travels to seven European Countries: Poland, Belgium, Monaco, Norway, Italy and Spain, as well as her travels throughout France.
The blog entries have been edited and adapted for publication as a memoir, including some of Ms. Swisher's personal photos of some of the sights she saw.
Excerpt
Chapter 1: First Two Months at CIEF
On August 24, 2006, I arrived in Lyon, France via plane at the St. Exuperey Airport from Frankfurt am Main, Germany and Miami, FL respectively. I had plenty of time before my train ride from Lyon Part-Deux to Dijon because I had a two-hour layaway, so I decided to take a coffee break. I went over to a small cafe in the airport that also served pastries. I ordered along with my espresso, a tarte au citron (lemon tart), and fromage blanc (lit. translated as white cheese). The tarte au citron was very good; it had a very strong lemon flavor and the texture of the custard was very soft and creamy, however the crust was too hard to eat with a fork. I had no choice but to eat the rest of the tart by using my hands. The crust was edible and had a pleasant taste, it was just as hard as a cookie. I then tried my fromage blanc, which tasted and looked like thin yogurt. The cashier put sugar on top of it upon my request after I was asked if that's how I'd like it presented. The sugar did help to cut the fromage blanc's tangy flavor, which I enjoyed however I had no choice but to save the rest for later because I was full after eating the tarte au citron.
After leaving the cafe I headed towards the airport's exist to search for a taxi. Thirty minutes later, I arrived at Lyon Part-Deux. My first priority was to exchange my e-tickets from Eurail's website which I had purchased a month earlier. The ticket booth area of the train station was rather empty at the time so I was able to exchange my tickets quickly. I now had to look for my platform, however I wasn't sure which one it was. I finally found the information office, where one of the employees explained to me where I needed to go.
Forty minutes later, my train arrived. I was traveling second class for this trip, in a compartment. My train was scheduled to arrive in Dijon an hour and forty minutes later, which gave me plenty of time to relax. However, fifteen minutes away from Dijon, I got confused at got off at the train station in Nuit Saint Georges! I immediately went inside the train station to confirm my current location and see if I could use my ticket. I was told that was impossible since the next train would not arrive for another hour, so I had to purchase a new one. The ticket was only 4 euros, not too bad, but I was now waiting an extra hour more than I would have if I had stayed on the train.
All I could do now was to remain seated and wait. The train station was tiny; it was literally one room in its interior with only two tracks on the outside for trains going north or south. There wasn't much seating inside so I decided to sit on one of the benches near my platform. For the first thirty minutes I was seated alone. I didn't have a book to read so all I could do was people watch. I saw a few people walk around inside and outside the station, and at one point the station's conductor took a bicycle ride from one track to the other and back.
My solace was ended when this very interesting middle-aged woman decided to sit next to me. She was very friendly; she immediately greeted me with a bonjour and I responded back. However, what made her interesting was the fact that her sandaled shoes contained purple-stained feet. I asked her, "why are your feet purple, madam?" She responded back saying that she was making wine I think or it might have been creme du cassis. I then asked her more about this enterprise. Apparently her family was in the alcohol making industry, but she told me that this was a common thing in Nuit Saint Georges. She then changes the subject asking, "So where are you going?" I told her that I was traveling to Dijon to start at what was going to be at the tie a year-long study abroad at CIEF at the Université du Burgogne. She then said that she was going there too, but to see her son, who was living and working there. She then asks where I'm from. "I'm American," I told her. "Oh," she said. Then there was silence. I then decided to ask her about Dijon and how long the trip would take via train from here. "It will only take 15 minutes," she says, "It's very close." I then nod and begin to daydream about what my hotel accommodations would be like. The reason why I was thinking about the hotel at this point because I was looking forward to taking a shower and get to a nice warm, comfortable bed. She and I went together on the train; however our conversation and companionship ended once we got on because our tickets designated assigned seats.
Fifteen minutes later, I arrive at the Dijon-Ville train station. The time was around 6 PM GMT. I took a taxi from the train station to my hotel. Once at the hotel, I take a few minutes to lie on the bed. At this point, I was starting to feel jetlag and fatigue from my trip, however I was also hungry. I finally gathered up the strength to go look for a place to eat, or at least to get take-out. I finally found a small sandwich shop a block from my hotel. I asked them if I could do take-out, and they said that I could. I ordered a tomato-cheese tart and an Orangina to drink. I was about to go back to my hotel, when I decided to wander around a little bit. Ahead of me I could see a huge, Gothic cathedral. Since it was my first time in Europe, especially France and Dijon, I just had to take a glimps inside.
I went inside of what I later found out was the Cathedral du Notre Dame. This was the first time I learned that every French town has a Cathedral du Notre Dame, and Dijon was no different. Once inside, I just couldn't get over how tall it was inside! The cathedral had numerous columns and buttresses holding up the ceiling, which had a concave oval shape to it. Around the walls, were original tapestries dating from the 12th century, still in good condition. There were a few shrines, one to the Virgin Mary, entitled "La Dame Noir" or the Black Virgin Mary. According to the inscription below, this she is considered an iconic figure of Dijonais history since the 12th century because she is credited with protecting the city from harm. One of the most noted legends related to her, was during WWII, when the Nazis tried to invade. According to legend, before the Nazis were scheduled to come, the Dijonais prayed to the Black Virgin Mary to protect their city. A few days later, the Nazis changed their mind about invading Dijon and went somewhere else. The people, therefore, credited the Black Virgin for granting them safety. I remember being touched by this story, especially since I am Roman Catholic. Right after this brief tour, I decided to go into a little boulengerie next door, where I bought a baguette. On my way back to the hotel, I passed an area known as Les Halles, which features an indoor market which has existed since the 14th century I believe. Right across the street, was a butcher shop that I frequented for the majority of my trip. I'm not sure if it's still there, but they had a wonderful selection of meats, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, wine, chocolate and other delectable treats representative of the region. I remember buying some chocolate and cheese, and I think I bought some water too. However, after this purchase I went home, and ate my humble dinner (note the cheese, bread and chocolate were for later, I only ate the tart and drank the Orangina). The tart was very simple; it tasted like tomato, goat cheese, egg and Dijon mustard in a flaky, puff pasty crust. For those of you unfamiliar with Orangina, it's an orange flavored soda commonly found in France and Belgium. I will admit I fell in love with that soda the moment I tried it and ever since I have made an effort to buy it when I see it in the US. It tastes nothing like Slice or Fanta Orange; it does tastes like fresh squeezed orange juice with seltzer water-it's very refreshing, tangy and tasty! After dinner, I watched some TV, called my mother and then went to sleep.
I woke up the next day feeling refreshed. I still felt the effects of jetlag, but not as severely as the day before. However, I was ready to do a bit of sightseeing. I was not due to see my host mother for another two days, so until then, I decided to explore as much of Dijon as I could. Before arriving in France, I had done research regarding recommended sites, as well as requesting a brochure from the Dijon Board of Tourism. One of the sites I was most excited to see was the Musée Archeológique, because it was an old monastery and an archeological site.
On my way to the museum, I came across the Palais des Ducs, or the Duke's Palace, which also houses the Musée des Beaux's Arts (Museum of Fine Arts). Apparently there has been a building at this site since the 13th century; however the facade as well as from what I could see indoors was from looked like the 18th century. My tour of the Dukes Palace was very quick; I walked through the back entrance closes to the Place du Cathedral. After looking upstairs I then passed through some doors that took me to a courtyard. It is there that I found the Musée des Beaux Arts. I believe entrance to the museum was free; however I don't remember much of my first visit. I did visit later on through a tour that one of my teachers at my study abroad program sponsored for students at CIEF where I got to see more of its exhibits, however during this particular visit not much seemed to little that I saw that was memorable for me. I eventually found my way to the Musée Archeológique, which was one of my favorite museums ever! Here's why:
it's free
it's an authentic monestary, which contains artifacts and information which describes what it was like living as a monk during the Middle Ages there. I just found that to be really cool and interesting, and my photos were incredible.
The next day, I just spent a lot of time walking through centre-ville, or downtown; this is a common term for historic districts throughout France. I just couldn't help it because everywhere you looked, there were historic buildings, that dated from the 11th century to the present day. It is through this architectural and historical mix that I found here that helped me to fall in love with Dijon.
A day later, my host mother came to meet up with me at the hotel. I spent that day, and every other day after that getting used to living with her, to finding my school and to my new life there. In my old blog entries I did go into detail about my experiences in my program and my host mother, however in my revisions I have chosen to keep this information private. I will divulge the fact that I only lived with her for two months and then moved alone into a dorm at the international student residence, located in the Parc des Sports neighborhood. I lived there until I moved down to Aix-en-Provence in January 2007. However, I will give the following advice: if you have a problem with your host family, don't be afraid to move out. Get in contact with your program like I did, and tell them that you'd like to move. It's not worth it to stay with someone you don't get along with. I'm happy that I moved out when I did; I was better for it.
As for my study abroad program CIEF, I wish not to discuss that in detail because I was unsatisfied with my experience. I learned more French interacting with people in the streets than with this program. All my friends left after the first month, and after that time period it was hard for me to socialize outside of class with fellow students. It was impossible to transfer from taking classes in this program to studying full time at the Université du Bourgogne unless one matriculated starting in September, which was a problem for me because I had hoped to study full time at the university as well, but starting in Spring 2007, not Fall 2007. Instead I was stuck in the intensive French language program. A word to the wise: do more research before you choose a program and go abroad. Set your priorities and make sure you can do the things you want to do before you make the investment because you could end up stuck in a program that is disappointing.
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