En Continuation

Done with the first week of classes and I still love the Abbey -- my class schedule is a bit more demanding than I expected, and I'm in class from 8:15 am to 4:00 pm with very few breaks, but I get out with plenty of time to wander around Pontlevoy and the Abbey grounds (photos below!), which is nice -- and it's only a five week session, so it'll fly by. Next session I only have two classes, so I'm hoping to get out and use the bikes they have at Le Commerce to explore a bit further out too.

So far, I feel like a lot has happened in such a short period of time: I met my host family, who is really sweet, and I'm very excited to spend time with them and learn more French! We're having lunch on Sunday, so hopefully I'll pick up some French cooking tips as well :)

I'm also learning a lot about Southern culture since there are so many people on this program from Mississippi and Louisiana! Today I learned that fried alligator is a popular dish, how to eat a craw fish, and that Cajun and Creole are not the same thing. Like I expected, it's a bit of a two-way culture shock, but I'm really enjoying it.

 My French is also a lot better than I thought -- I've been able to hold my own in the supermarket, bakery, pharmacy, and Le Commerce: the four main destinations in Pontlevoy, so I think I'm doing pretty well so far. Hopefully by the end of the trip I'll be able to comprehend a bit more than I do now; I'm at a point where I can mostly read and translate the language, but it's hard to speak and understand what others are saying (mostly I just smile and nod and hope I'm not agreeing to anything illegal :P)

I'm so excited to go to Tours and Chateau Chenonceau tomorrow, but for tonight I'm just going to try to figure out the French washing machines and do some reading for class.

A bientôt!