A Trip to Metz

Since last Friday I have been on break. So Sammi and I decided to take a day trip on Thursday and settled on Metz (pronounced Mess). We were to meet at the train station at 9:30 to buy our tickets for the 10:03 train. I left the house late, hurrying to the bus station, where in my hurry I got on the first bus that came...which was not the line I wanted. Realizing my mistake I got off at the first stop and hurried back to the first bus stop, arriving just in time to catch the right bus. Happily, our train was delayed and we were still able to make it. Strangely tired at 11 in the morning, I slept the whole train ride.

Wandering through the train station towards the exit we realized we had no idea how to get to the Cathedral, our one must-see stop in Metz. Right next to the exit there was a map of the bus lines and we found that a minibus ran to the major interests of the city, including the cathedral. The only problem? finding where the bus stopped. In due time, we found the stop, the bus came, and we arrived at the cathedral. 

Unfortunately, it was a gloomy day in Metz, so the pictures of the cathedral are pretty dark.

A couple of shots towards the altar.

 Looking towards the stained glass window at the back of the church.

In the nave, looking upward. Apparently, according to Wikipedia (ahem), this is the 3rd highest nave in France, measuring 41.41m. 

About halfway through visiting the cathedral I started to feel nauseous, so right after we stopped in a restaurant across the street to eat lunch. I ordered "Galette Bretonne", which was a heavier crêpe with melted cheese and ham inside, salad on the outside, and an egg, barely cooked in the middle. 

After lunch I felt better, so we set off to see the opera house. Sadly, you can only tour the opera house if you've made an appointment ahead of time. We went back outside and tried to get into another church just across the square, which was closed and which I forgot to take pictures of. 

 Here, however, is a picture of the opera house. It's the part that sticks out a little in the middle. Note how most of the buildings in Metz are yellow.

 A view of the cathedral from across the river. It is, by the way, a Gothic cathedral. If you look closely you can see some flying buttresses off to the left.

 The yellow spire of another cathedral we could see over the buildings. We didn't go to see it, because I was beginning to feel not so well again.

 Back at the train station!

 Look! It's a red building!

A yellow building across from the train station, taken purely to show you more of Metz.

 An interesting looking tower visible from the train station. Visible, that is, when buses were not busy blocking you view at the bus stop.

The next train home wasn't until two hours later. I was feeling pretty ill and weak, so we decided to just stay at the train station. We wandered through a bookstore to pass some of the time. I was surprised to find P.G. Wodehouse and Austen here. I really fail to see how the French, of all people, could appreciate the patently English humour translated into French. I feel like a good deal would be lost in translation and in culture.

I slept the whole train ride home, feeling progressively nauseous and ill as we proceeded. Walking to the bus station in the rain and cold revived me a little, but in the bus, things just got worse. Thankfully, I made it to my bus stop and out the door, before throwing up next to a convenient tree. And from there I stumbled the one block home. Maybe we should blame the almost raw egg? I'm glad Sam was with me in Metz, though, because she took very good care of me!

And tomorrow, my parents arrive! Next post after I get back from traveling to Spain with them.

Salut!

Of papers and overreacting

This morning I turned in my first paper written in French. Thankfully, it was only 3 pages long, though those took me long enough to write! This is my new best friend.

Cassell's French-English dictionary! I think I will call him George, because he slays the great and fearsome dragon: Language Barrier. Well, and George just seems to fit him well, don't you think?


In other news, on Wednesdays I have my French conversation class, which, as the title implies, focuses on speaking, rather than on the written grammar. Today we pretended that the world was going to end, but there was a shuttle that could take 500 people to a new planet. We each chose a profession and then argued for why we should be taken along to continue civilization on this new planet. I chose to be "une boulangére," a baker. I argued that life without good food is not life worth living. I argued that it would be pointless to save ourselves from the end of the world only to starve afterwards. And while it was only pretend, I was at the same time quite serious in my own mind. Thus, I was a little shocked when only 2 out of maybe 12 people voted to take me along. 


These are the professions that were voted onto the shuttle: chemist (to invent new medicines), hair stylist, pilot, nurse, mid-wife, and doctor. Here are the professions left behind: lawyer (I had no problem with leaving the lawyer behind), baker (myself), une patissiére (maker of yummy French pastries. Seriously, what was wrong with these people???), butcher/hunter, postman, and philosopher. I personally voted for almost everyone, except the lawyer. But does no one else see a problem here? We took along professions to help us continue life, but nobody to make that life worth living, nobody to provide those "extras" that are the little joys in life, the little concrete tokens of God's grace and goodness to us. It's not just that I'm slightly miffed that I was left to die, it's that this little exercise seems to reveal a deeper problem in Western society in general. ok, ok, I know. I'm overreacting. I'll get off my soapbox now, before the rotten tomatoes and eggs start flying. 


To end this post on a positive note, I have some more pictures!

Eliott mourning the fact that Mme. Merceris went to a concert without him. Pooor doggy.... ok, I may not sympathize with him much, but I do think he is cute.

Flowers I bought at the market yesterday! (To all my photographer friends, I apologize for the quality of these pictures.) I've been seeing this type of flower so much since I got here, I finally caved and bought one for my room. This is one of my favorite colors. Ain't it purty? They were cheap, so I hope they last. 

And finally, this is the snake that drapes on a contraption in the corner of my room that serves as a towel rack.I think he needs a name, too. Any suggestions?

À la prochaine! 

Faisant une promenade avec le chien

or, Taking a walk with the dog.

Mme. Merceris isn't feeling well tonight, so I offered to take Eliott for his late evening walk.

I walked along the main boulevard just down the block from our apartment, because it's well lit. It is also lined with trees, each surrounded by a square patch of dirt, and parked cars. What I want to know is, why does Eliott insist on walking next to the buildings? Aren't the cars interesting, too? I mean, the cars have been all over the city and must be far more exotic than the buildings, which haven't moved in years. And the trees, those must be covered with interesting scents, too. But no. He has to walk next to the building, and though I offer him dirt-surrounded tree after dirt-surrounded tree, he must do his business on the sidewalk. Nobody picks up after their dogs here, but it still bothers me. *sigh*

I know I promised a post with pics of Strasbourg and another one with pics of Nancy. They will come. But for now, a short post on the illogical whims of French beagles.

Bonne nuit!