Wrapping it all up

My last few days at Acquigny mostly consisted of weeding, though we did need to stake the dahlias in the potager. We had some good lengths of bamboo, and I learned a new knot that holds the bamboo perpendicular to one another supposedly without slipping down the vertical pole. It wasn’t that complicated, so I felt a little silly that I didn’t already know it. I also had to prune back the kiwis, which were escaping their allotted space on the wall. Interestingly enough, they don’t actually use any of the compost that’s being built up as we stash cut plant material. Adrien said that he tried to have a big compost pile once, but that there was no way he could turn it periodically so it would be useful, and multiple smaller piles would take up too much time.

Sometimes I actually do work!

Replacement non-compost pile

Lisa and Monsieur left yesterday night on the train to Paris, so tonight it was just me and Madame. We went out to a restaurant just down the road and had some lovely seafood dishes. We hadn’t had any at all while Lisa was at the Chateau because of an allergy and I adore seafood, so it was refreshing.

When my family came to visit, I exchanged my one enormous suitcase for two smaller duffles and sent a few things back home with my mom. Having packed everything this time around, it should be much easier to handle on the train!

Tomorrow morning, I’ll take the train to my final placement at Vauville. All the photos I’ve seen are fabulous, so I’m really excited to see it!

Free weekend at the Chateau

I have the weekends free while at Acquigny, but my fellow intern Lisa doesn’t. So while I’m try to even out my farmer’s tan so I won’t look ridiculous for my brother’s wedding in September, I try and keep her company while she sits out next to the gate selling tickets and giving visitors orientation. Her French is so good!

Look at her go!

Normally, we eat fruit from the garden for dessert, but we’ve both been craving some chocolate and baked goods, so while she was working I took a walk down to the bakery to pick up some sweets for us. They taste even better when you haven’t had them in a while. One of the pastries that you often see in the bakeries is called a Religieuse. I thought they might have called it that because they’re so good, eating one is a religious experience. Alas, Lisa informed me that it’s because they supposedly look like nuns. I like my explanation better. Not to disappoint the d’Esnevals (and also because they’re delicious), we spent a long time picking cherries for dessert as well.

This weekend, we also spent a lot of time with the guardian’s children and the puppies. They’re really sweet girls, and they named their dolls Lisa and Dana. I’m sure it only lasted the weekend.

On Friday evening, I had received an email from one of my numerous job applications that they wanted to do an on-site interview. After some explanation why that wasn’t possible, we set up a video interview for Sunday, which went really well and ended with a job offer! Woohoo! I need a few days to think about it, but I’m thinking the job is perfect for what I want.

Family Visit Part 2

Tuesday morning, Lisa joined us in the car for a two-day trip to Lower Normandie. We started off the day seeing the Bayeaux Tapestry (at normal viewing speed for me instead of break-neck), a little bit of town, and the Museum of the Battle of Normandie. In the afternoon, we travelled out to Brecy so my family could see the first place where I worked and meet Michel and Katie that I spent so much time with. We also got to meet Kelsey, who just graduated from the University of Georgia and did her first month of the internship at Acquigny. She hardly speaks French at all, so we dragged her along with us for the tour of the gardens so she could get some time in English. The little kitten that I had found before had grown a lot in a month! He definitely still remembered me though. We stayed and chatted with Michel and Katie for a good while after the visit. I miss them!

After Brecy, we drove back to Caen to see if we couldn’t fit some visiting in before the hotel. We found Abbaye aux Hommes without too much trouble, but it was too late to get inside. Afterwards, we found some lovely restaurants next to the ducal castle, and then headed to our hotel.

Abbaye aux Hommes

In the morning, we struck out for Mont St. Michel! It was a bit of a drive, but totally worth it! I’m pretty sure the whole island outside of the abbey at the top exists purely for tourisms sake, but that doesn’t make any of it less striking. We didn’t want to hang out too long after we had toured the abbey, so we made it back to Caen in time to explore the ducal castle, eat dinner, and see the exterior of Abbaye aux Femmes. My Aunt Carolyn really loves the history around the time of William the Conqueror, so she gave us all some history lessons. We got back to Acquigny late that night.

Approaching from the road.

Some gutsy birds, and what mostly the views look like inside town.

Seiously?! This thing is HUGE!
And that's already from the top of the stairs.

With my mom and my aunt. View looks out are AWEsome!

Chapel in the Abbey

Cloister

Love the details!

Hampster wheel for the prisoners to lift up supplies to the abbey.

Ducal Castle at Caen

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Abbaye aux Femmes

Abbaye aux Femmes

Thursday morning, we headed back to Rouen so my family could see some of the sights. It was a pretty abbreviated tour, and we got a little lost in town in the car. But we hit all the big sights, and made it back to the train station in time to turn in the car, though we got on separate trains. It was a hastier goodbye than we had hoped for, but I’m just glad we got to visit and see the sights in France together at all!

Family Visit Part 2

Tuesday morning, Lisa joined us in the car for a two-day trip to Lower Normandie. We started off the day seeing the Bayeaux Tapestry (at normal viewing speed for me instead of break-neck), a little bit of town, and the Museum of the Battle of Normandie. In the afternoon, we travelled out to Brecy so my family could see the first place where I worked and meet Michel and Katie that I spent so much time with. We also got to meet Kelsey, who just graduated from the University of Georgia and did her first month of the internship at Acquigny. She hardly speaks French at all, so we dragged her along with us for the tour of the gardens so she could get some time in English. The little kitten that I had found before had grown a lot in a month! He definitely still remembered me though. We stayed and chatted with Michel and Katie for a good while after the visit. I miss them!

After Brecy, we drove back to Caen to see if we couldn’t fit some visiting in before the hotel. We found Abbaye aux Hommes without too much trouble, but it was too late to get inside. Afterwards, we found some lovely restaurants next to the ducal castle, and then headed to our hotel. 

Abbaye aux Hommes

In the morning, we struck out for Mont St. Michel! It was a bit of a drive, but totally worth it! I’m pretty sure the whole island outside of the abbey at the top exists purely for tourisms sake, but that doesn’t make any of it less striking. 

Approaching with the car

Gutsy seagulls abound in the typical island views

This abbey is HUGE, and the photo is from the TOP of the hill

Me, mom, and Aunt Carolyn looking out

Beautifully done chapel

The double layered columns added great dimension in the cloister

And had such detailing!

Hamster wheel for the prisoners to haul up
provisions and stones for building the abbey

We didn’t want to hang out too long after we had toured the abbey, so we made it back to Caen in time to explore the ducal castle, eat dinner, and see the exterior of Abbaye aux Femmes. My Aunt Carolyn really loves the history around the time of William the Conqueror, so she gave us all some history lessons. We got back to Acquigny late that night.

In the ducal castle in Caen

Everyone loves castle ruins!

View from ducal castle ramparts

Abbaye aux Femmes

Abbaye aux Femmes

Abbaye aux Femmes

Thursday morning, we headed back to Rouen so my family could see some of the sights. It was a pretty abbreviated tour, and we got a little lost in town in the car. But we hit all the big sights, and made it back to the train station in time to turn in the car, though we got on separate trains. It was a hastier goodbye than we had hoped for, but I’m just glad we got to visit and see the sights in France together at all!

Family Visit Pt. 1

My mom and aunt are here to visit! On Friday night, I took the train to Paris to meet up with my friends the Alexes who happened to be in Paris. It was such a relief to see familiar friendly faces! I didn’t meet up with them until 11pm, and mostly we spent time just catching up. We took a walk down the street to see the Moulin Rouge and the… colorful adjacent street filled with neon lights, and then ended up at a café for some wine on a more reputable street. It was just what I needed since I’ve been feeling pretty homesick. I was too excited to see people I knew, so I forgot to take pictures.

We were on the tippy top floor.

Spiffy place. My aunt is even more of a crazy planner than me!

Saturday morning I met my mom and Aunt Carolyn at a hotel around noon, and we were off to explore Paris! We stayed 2 nights and hit up a lot of the great sights – Notre Dame, Berthillon ice cream (It really is that high up on the list), the Eiffel Tower, and the view from atop the business office tower at Montparnasse, among others. There was also lots of delicious food. Everyone talks about how awesome Paris is, but I didn’t have high hopes for the visit. I just don’t love huge cities, and most of them all seem alike to me. I’ll say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

Arc de Triomphe!

Tour Eiffel!

Why yes, it really is huge enough to span a 4 lane road.

And wow, there really ARE armed guards everywhere!

The Pantheon!

Paris from Above.

Can I have this staircase? I don't care if it comes with a church.

Monday morning, we hopped on a train to Rouen for a rental car, but not without stopping at Giverny to visit Monet’s Garden and the nearby Impressionist museum! Honestly, I was disappointed with the garden as a whole, for most of it just seems like a jumbled, overgrown mess to me. But the waterlily pond was quite stunning. My expectations of the day were turned on their head, because I had a great time at the impressionist museum. Almost all of their space is for changing exhibits, and the current exhibit is by a Japanese artist that has taken an immense amount of inspiration from Monet and created a lovely mix between that and more traditional Japanese painting techniques.

Monet's garden.

Plenty of art students sketching at the water lily pond.

This part was actually worth it.

After some trouble getting a hold of the rental car, we were on our way back to Acquigny so my family could see where I was working. We had an amazingly smooth trip out of the city and I’m proud to say we found our way without getting lost once!