Well, it was an absolutely beautiful week here in Neuchatel! It was nice and warm (although not too hot), and I was able to do a lot of fun things. On Wednesday, I went on a couple of wonderful bike rides. In the morning, I went with the family, and then I went with one of the girls from my French class to ride later on in the afternoon. We took a boat from downtown Neuchatel to another town just about an hour away by boat. It was a beautiful clear morning, and the view of the town is great from out on the lake. So, we got off the boat and biked back to Neuchatel. We stopped at a couple of great little parks on the way back. I am amazed at how many parks there are here, and how nice they are! It was weird, because we rode along the edge of the canton of Neuchatel, so we were just feet away from the German part of Switzerland. People in the Neuchatel part speak French, and their neighbors right across the water speak German. But it was a very nice ride. It was beautiful, and not too challenging! In the afternoon, I rode downtown along the lake. This ride was also very easy, and we rode right along the water, so it was lovely. We stopped for ice cream in the middle of the ride, so of course that was fantastic. I went with the family that evening for a picnic in one of the parks by the lake, and enjoyed lots and lots of yummy bread and cheeses.
I was a little worn out on Thursday from all of my biking, but it was still a very nice day. After a couple of little French tests in the morning, I had a picnic with some girls from Ecuador along the lake. We did a lot of talking in French, so that was good. They tend to lapse into Spanish without realizing it, so I got a little confused at times, but it was very fun to spend time with them and hear all about Ecuador. Now I want to go and swim in the Galapygos Islands and hang out in Quito! Maybe next year...
So, Friday held another French scavenger hunt (yeah!) in the mall here. It was pretty tough, but still a lot of fun. We had to talk to A LOT of people, and got some weird looks because the questions were rather bizarre. Oh, and we had to find this tomato paste stuff (I forgot the name...) in the grocery store and taste it. Apparently, it's a traditional Swiss condiment. So, I tasted just the tiniest bit, and it was AWFUL. It is probably the worst food I have tasted in my entire life. And I was stuck with the taste for several hours. Oh, it was terrible. But, of course, I cleared the taste with a wonderful dinner of pasta and salad!
Saturday was a very productive day! The family left in mid-morning to head to Zermatt. They will vacation there for a week, and I will meet up with them next weekend. In the afternoon, I did a lot of organizing in my room, and lots of cleaning. I got some letters written and some mail sent off, and got to do a bit of talking on Skype, which is always fun. It was a productive yet very relaxing day.
Well, today is Sunday, and I certainly did have a day of rest! I went to church this morning, and came home and took a 5 hour nap! I didn't think I was tired, but I had no problem sleeping! It was very refreshing. After that, I pretty much hung out and did a lot of reading and downloaded several podcasts. Not a real exciting day, but a very restful one.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I uploaded a few more pictures today, so I figured I might as well go ahead and write a little about my morning, because it was lot of fun! So, my french class is divided into 2 segments. The first 2 hours are focused on grammar, while the second couple of hours are more focused on speaking, and we do lots of random activities that are lots of fun. So today, our class met downtown at the "Place-Pury", which is like the center of the town. We got into groups of 4, and were given scavenger hunts to complete. I absolutely LOVE scavenger hunts, so I got pretty excited. Of course, we made it into a competition, so it was even more exciting :). We had to go around and ask questions of the vendors and customers at the little farmer's market that was going on. There were questions about the products, the market, and the history of Neuchatel. It was fun to talk to people, and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Well, our group finished first, so we went and turned our paper in. "Apparently" we had an answer wrong, so we went back out and spend another 30 minutes trying to get the right answer. We kept getting the same response over and over again. Well, turns out our professor had misread the answer... so, meanwhile, another group turned in their answers, and were declared the winners, but technically, we all know who won :). So, even though we had to settle for second place, it was still a blast! Our class got done pretty early, so I went and had coffee with my friend here from Greece. I had a cafe au lait, and it was amazing. So, that was my morning. It was lots of fun, but I am exhausted frrom all that stress of the scavenger hunt, so I think I shall go take a nap...
Monday, July 21, 2008
Enjoying the slower pace of life...
Well, I haven't written any posts in the past couple of days, because I really haven't done all that much, and it has been wonderful! I have been able to do A LOT of sleeping, reading, knitting and journaling these past several days, which I enjoy very much. It is nice to be able to walk slowly down the streets and not worry about coordinating my schedule around tons of different activities. So, I am really enjoying this change of pace.
My french class is going well, and I am having a lot of fun in it. We do all kinds of random and fun activities, and so it's a new approach to learning a language that I really like. There is a lot of speaking that takes place during these activities, so that is often a good boost of confidence. It is still kind of overwhelming, and still very exhausting, but I am enjoying working on my french.
The weather has been gorgeous here, so that is very pleasant. It is sunny and warm, but not too hot and humid. I was able to roam around downtown on one of the afternoons last week, so that was relaxing and enjoyable. I couldn't find the stationary that I was looking for downtown, so I just ended up buying some paper and markers. I will just have to be creative and make little notes to send home to people... But I found the paper and markers at this place called Co-Op City. It is a branch of Co-Op, which is one of only a few "grocery stores" here in Switzerland. It is like a department store, and has all kinds of wonderful things for relatively cheap. That includes chocolate and other wonderful Swiss treats, so I will have to avoid going in there too often!
Well, again... nothing extraordinary to report on. But it has been a very pleasant past couple of days. I have lots of time to relax and catch up on sleep, so I am more than happy about that!
My french class is going well, and I am having a lot of fun in it. We do all kinds of random and fun activities, and so it's a new approach to learning a language that I really like. There is a lot of speaking that takes place during these activities, so that is often a good boost of confidence. It is still kind of overwhelming, and still very exhausting, but I am enjoying working on my french.
The weather has been gorgeous here, so that is very pleasant. It is sunny and warm, but not too hot and humid. I was able to roam around downtown on one of the afternoons last week, so that was relaxing and enjoyable. I couldn't find the stationary that I was looking for downtown, so I just ended up buying some paper and markers. I will just have to be creative and make little notes to send home to people... But I found the paper and markers at this place called Co-Op City. It is a branch of Co-Op, which is one of only a few "grocery stores" here in Switzerland. It is like a department store, and has all kinds of wonderful things for relatively cheap. That includes chocolate and other wonderful Swiss treats, so I will have to avoid going in there too often!
Well, again... nothing extraordinary to report on. But it has been a very pleasant past couple of days. I have lots of time to relax and catch up on sleep, so I am more than happy about that!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Second Week...
Well, another couple of marvelous days here in Neuchatel, Switzerland! I have been able to do a lot of reading, writing, knitting and eating... so I really can't complain! It's been a wonderful week so far. The weather cleared up, so it has been nice and warm. On Monday, we had a fun french class, and then I went to lunch with a girl in my class who is from Greece. We talked for a long time about Greek culture and her life back at home, so it was very interesting and educational. I now I REALLY want to go to Greece! She showed me a couple of pictures, and it just looks phenomenal. So after class, I was in the travelling mood, so I picked up my "Rick Steve's Guide to Switzerland" book, and read up on all that there is to do here. My list of places to visit in Switzerland has become rather lengthy. And then I did some knitting, some reading, and some journaling. All in all, it was just a very relaxing and enjoyable day.
Tuesday was even warmer, and lots of fun! After class, I did a wee bit of shopping. I got some chocolate, some cookies, and lots of postcards to send out. I also just wandered around town and went into lots of the little shops. I ate lunch at a little patisserie downtown, and had some quiche and a little vanilla pastry that was spectacular. The woman there was so sweet and nice, and it just made my day! So when I came home, Cedric asked if I wanted to go with him and the boys up into the mountains to luge. I didn't fully understand what we were doing (because I didn't realize you could luge without ice...), so I agreed. So, we drove a little ways up to the Vue des Alpes and ended up at this really cool place where you can go luging (I don't know if that's actually a word, but I will use it as one). So, Cedric had one of the boys and I had the other, and we got into these little luge cars and the cable carried us up to the top of the track. When you get to the top, you just push the handle forward to go fast, and pull it back to slow down. It was awesome! It was a little scary at first, but by the second and third time, it was just so much fun! The boys liked going fast, so we were cruisin'. It was a blast! The view was gorgeous, the owner of the place was very friendly, and it was just lots and lots and lots of fun!
So today was a very warm day, and I was able to take full advantage of it! I didn't have class this morning, so I slept in and did a lot more reading and writing. After that, I went with Marie to meet up with Cedric and the boys for lunch. It was delicious and I had another one of those marvelous raspberry tarts. So after that, I went to meet up with my friend from Greece, and we had planned on going biking, but it was just too hot. So, we went swimming in the lake instead. It was awesome! The water is clear and beautiful. It was a little cold at first, but once I got used to it, I didn't want to get out. It was a very pleasant afternoon down by the lake. After that, I came home to eat some spectacular fish (thank you very much Cedric... it was delicious. Especially the little ones from the lake). And now here I am. Sitting in my bed and writing this blog. But I am very tired from all of the excitement of these past couple of days, so I will go ahead and finish this up so I can go to bed.
All in all, I am lovin' it here in Neuchatel. Everything would be perfect if I could just transport my friends and family over, and be fluent in french already... but other than that, I am very very happy as is!
Tuesday was even warmer, and lots of fun! After class, I did a wee bit of shopping. I got some chocolate, some cookies, and lots of postcards to send out. I also just wandered around town and went into lots of the little shops. I ate lunch at a little patisserie downtown, and had some quiche and a little vanilla pastry that was spectacular. The woman there was so sweet and nice, and it just made my day! So when I came home, Cedric asked if I wanted to go with him and the boys up into the mountains to luge. I didn't fully understand what we were doing (because I didn't realize you could luge without ice...), so I agreed. So, we drove a little ways up to the Vue des Alpes and ended up at this really cool place where you can go luging (I don't know if that's actually a word, but I will use it as one). So, Cedric had one of the boys and I had the other, and we got into these little luge cars and the cable carried us up to the top of the track. When you get to the top, you just push the handle forward to go fast, and pull it back to slow down. It was awesome! It was a little scary at first, but by the second and third time, it was just so much fun! The boys liked going fast, so we were cruisin'. It was a blast! The view was gorgeous, the owner of the place was very friendly, and it was just lots and lots and lots of fun!
So today was a very warm day, and I was able to take full advantage of it! I didn't have class this morning, so I slept in and did a lot more reading and writing. After that, I went with Marie to meet up with Cedric and the boys for lunch. It was delicious and I had another one of those marvelous raspberry tarts. So after that, I went to meet up with my friend from Greece, and we had planned on going biking, but it was just too hot. So, we went swimming in the lake instead. It was awesome! The water is clear and beautiful. It was a little cold at first, but once I got used to it, I didn't want to get out. It was a very pleasant afternoon down by the lake. After that, I came home to eat some spectacular fish (thank you very much Cedric... it was delicious. Especially the little ones from the lake). And now here I am. Sitting in my bed and writing this blog. But I am very tired from all of the excitement of these past couple of days, so I will go ahead and finish this up so I can go to bed.
All in all, I am lovin' it here in Neuchatel. Everything would be perfect if I could just transport my friends and family over, and be fluent in french already... but other than that, I am very very happy as is!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
My First Full Week!
Well, all in all, this was a fantastic week in Switzerland! On Thursday, I took a tour of the city with some other girls from my French class, and we got to go the chateau here. It is beautiful, and overlooks the whole city. It was the last sunny day of the week, but it was very nice. We ate yummy little buttery stick things (I have no idea what they are called), after being welcomed by a member of the government of Neuchatel. We did lots of walking around the city and through the little streets, so it was tiring, but lots of fun.
Friday was a bit chilly, and we wound up having thunder and lightening in the evening. It was a rather tiring week, with language classes and whatnot, so I took a nice long nap in the afternoon, and did a good bit of reading. I also started knitting my very first hat... so we'll see how that goes.
Saturday was cold, but very nice. I went with Anna and the family to this little garden/park outside of Neuchatel. It was beautiful, and quite unique. All of the materials used at the park were recyclable, so there were towers made out of rubber, and little streams of glass. But it was really fun. After that, we ate a wonderful lunch. I had my first little French pastry of the year! A raspberry torte that was fantastic! I got a letter from home, as well as a sweet CD (Thanks, Jaye!), so that was exciting. After another relaxing afternoon, we bid farewell to Anna. It was very sad to see her go, because it was so nice to have her around! She provided me with tons of information and advice, and was so very sweet and helpful. After dropping her off at the train station, we all went to the park that is close to the house. We came home to.... another delicious meal :)
Today (Sunday), I went to church in the morning. It was a little scary without Anna there, but I was warmly welcomed by everyone who I met last week. I got another little nap in today, as well as a good bit of reading. The rain continues, but it is still beautiful. It is supposed to clear up for tomorrow, so I hope to do a little bit more exploring around town. After a pleasant afternoon, we enjoyed more good food. I met Simeon and Baptiste's "grandmother" (who is really just a friend of Marie's, but a grandma to the kids), and she brought a hazelnut cake. It was... you guessed it... delicious.
So, that recaps the first week of my year here in Switzerland. It was slightly overwhelming and exhausting to do most everything in French, and a little lonely at times, but all in all it was a wonderful week!
Friday was a bit chilly, and we wound up having thunder and lightening in the evening. It was a rather tiring week, with language classes and whatnot, so I took a nice long nap in the afternoon, and did a good bit of reading. I also started knitting my very first hat... so we'll see how that goes.
Saturday was cold, but very nice. I went with Anna and the family to this little garden/park outside of Neuchatel. It was beautiful, and quite unique. All of the materials used at the park were recyclable, so there were towers made out of rubber, and little streams of glass. But it was really fun. After that, we ate a wonderful lunch. I had my first little French pastry of the year! A raspberry torte that was fantastic! I got a letter from home, as well as a sweet CD (Thanks, Jaye!), so that was exciting. After another relaxing afternoon, we bid farewell to Anna. It was very sad to see her go, because it was so nice to have her around! She provided me with tons of information and advice, and was so very sweet and helpful. After dropping her off at the train station, we all went to the park that is close to the house. We came home to.... another delicious meal :)
Today (Sunday), I went to church in the morning. It was a little scary without Anna there, but I was warmly welcomed by everyone who I met last week. I got another little nap in today, as well as a good bit of reading. The rain continues, but it is still beautiful. It is supposed to clear up for tomorrow, so I hope to do a little bit more exploring around town. After a pleasant afternoon, we enjoyed more good food. I met Simeon and Baptiste's "grandmother" (who is really just a friend of Marie's, but a grandma to the kids), and she brought a hazelnut cake. It was... you guessed it... delicious.
So, that recaps the first week of my year here in Switzerland. It was slightly overwhelming and exhausting to do most everything in French, and a little lonely at times, but all in all it was a wonderful week!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
This will be a rather long blog, but it covers my first several days in Switzerland...
I left Portland on July 4th, and flew through Frankfurt before arriving in Geneva. There, I met Cedric Beguin (the father of the family I will be au pair-ing for). With him was Simeon, the older of the two boys I will be watching. He is 4 years old, and his brother Baptiste is 2 1/2. We took the train from Geneva to Neuchatel, which was about an hour. It was such a beautiful train ride! We arrived in Neuchatel on Saturday afternoon, about 24 hours after leaving home. Waiting at the home I will be living in for the next year was Marie (the mother), and Anna (the current au pair). I was able to unpack and get all settled in before eating a wonderful meal.
The next morning (Sunday), I went to church with Anna. It is a french-speaking church, so it was a bit overwhelming, but I was able to meet some very nice people. The day was pretty exhausting, because I had to listen and try to understand a lot of french. It was a bit overwhelming, but things have gotten much better since then. We ate some more delicious food (lots of bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables...), and then did a bit of exploring downtown. I saw the school where I would start my french classes the next morning, and spent some time down by the lake. It is just gorgeous! I was also able to figure out the bus and train system (or so I thought...). I had a nice long nap to catch up on some much needed sleep. We had Raclette for dinner (a typical Swiss meal of melted cheese on top of potatoes). I am not going to lie... much of my day revolves around mealtime here!
Monday morning was quite an eventful one. I got up nice and early to prepare for my first day of french classes. I left the house with plenty of time to spare, and felt confident that I could make it to the school on my own. Wrong. I took the bus from the house to the train station, and got off to take the train, only to find that that particular train will be closed for the month of July. I panicked and started running around. I finally realized that I could take another bus to downtown and then walk a little ways to the school, but I was freaking out about being late. Well, I made it downtown, SPRINTED to the school, and walked through the doors approximately 30 seconds before class started. After all of that excitement, I took a nice easy french test to be placed in the correct class. I was able to calm down and meet some very nice girls that afternoon, so I have a couple of friends to do get coffee with and go swimming with while I am here. My french class went very well, and I have wonderful professors and a really great class full of people from all over the world. Again... more good food on Monday night, and lots of good sleep.
Tuesday was a less eventful day, but wonderful all the same. I went to french class in the morning, and then did a little bit more exploring of downtown Neuchatel. There are so many cute little clothing stores, and lots of chocolate and coffee shops. It is simply adorable. It was a beautiful day, so I sat for a while by the lake and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon. I came home and took a VERY long nap, and caught up on some e-mailing.
Wednesday was one of the most relaxing and pleasant days I have ever had. After a great french class in the morning, I leisurely made my way back to the house for a delicious lunch. I did some reading and listened to some music, and then headed back downtown. I met up with two girls from my french class. Chryssa is a girl from Greece, and Natalie is from a German town in Switzerland. It was a gorgeous day, so we met up down by the lake and walked for a while. We then decided to take the paddleboats out on the lake, which was so much fun. I got some great picutres, and had a really good time. We wandered through the streets of Neuchatel, and came across a cute little ice cream shop. (Although, they don't really have the dairy ice cream here...it's mostly just gelato). I had the most wonderful lemon and raspberry gelatto, and then we continued to walk through the little streets. They are just so quaint and cute! I strolled back on home, and wound up here on the computer, writing this blog. It was a marvelous day!
So, to recap my first week here...
*The city is absolutely stunning, and I cannot stop taking pictures of everything. It is naturally beautiful, and the little shops and cafés are just unbelievably cute!
*It was overwhelming to be surrounded by all this french all of a sudden, but my classes have really helped, and I am feeling much more comfortable about everything.
*It has been such a change of pace from the past several years, but I am really enjoying having the time to read, write, explore, and just sit.
*I have been able to make a couple of friends for the summer, but I miss everyone back at home. If anybody wants to come and visit... there is plenty of extra room here!
*Perhaps most importantly... The food is amazing. It is gourmet, delicious, and (I hope) pretty healthy.
Basically, I love it here. I am happy and getting more and more comfortable with everything each day. I'm sure there are some lonely and difficult days ahead, but I am excited for the year I have in front of me!
I left Portland on July 4th, and flew through Frankfurt before arriving in Geneva. There, I met Cedric Beguin (the father of the family I will be au pair-ing for). With him was Simeon, the older of the two boys I will be watching. He is 4 years old, and his brother Baptiste is 2 1/2. We took the train from Geneva to Neuchatel, which was about an hour. It was such a beautiful train ride! We arrived in Neuchatel on Saturday afternoon, about 24 hours after leaving home. Waiting at the home I will be living in for the next year was Marie (the mother), and Anna (the current au pair). I was able to unpack and get all settled in before eating a wonderful meal.
The next morning (Sunday), I went to church with Anna. It is a french-speaking church, so it was a bit overwhelming, but I was able to meet some very nice people. The day was pretty exhausting, because I had to listen and try to understand a lot of french. It was a bit overwhelming, but things have gotten much better since then. We ate some more delicious food (lots of bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables...), and then did a bit of exploring downtown. I saw the school where I would start my french classes the next morning, and spent some time down by the lake. It is just gorgeous! I was also able to figure out the bus and train system (or so I thought...). I had a nice long nap to catch up on some much needed sleep. We had Raclette for dinner (a typical Swiss meal of melted cheese on top of potatoes). I am not going to lie... much of my day revolves around mealtime here!
Monday morning was quite an eventful one. I got up nice and early to prepare for my first day of french classes. I left the house with plenty of time to spare, and felt confident that I could make it to the school on my own. Wrong. I took the bus from the house to the train station, and got off to take the train, only to find that that particular train will be closed for the month of July. I panicked and started running around. I finally realized that I could take another bus to downtown and then walk a little ways to the school, but I was freaking out about being late. Well, I made it downtown, SPRINTED to the school, and walked through the doors approximately 30 seconds before class started. After all of that excitement, I took a nice easy french test to be placed in the correct class. I was able to calm down and meet some very nice girls that afternoon, so I have a couple of friends to do get coffee with and go swimming with while I am here. My french class went very well, and I have wonderful professors and a really great class full of people from all over the world. Again... more good food on Monday night, and lots of good sleep.
Tuesday was a less eventful day, but wonderful all the same. I went to french class in the morning, and then did a little bit more exploring of downtown Neuchatel. There are so many cute little clothing stores, and lots of chocolate and coffee shops. It is simply adorable. It was a beautiful day, so I sat for a while by the lake and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon. I came home and took a VERY long nap, and caught up on some e-mailing.
Wednesday was one of the most relaxing and pleasant days I have ever had. After a great french class in the morning, I leisurely made my way back to the house for a delicious lunch. I did some reading and listened to some music, and then headed back downtown. I met up with two girls from my french class. Chryssa is a girl from Greece, and Natalie is from a German town in Switzerland. It was a gorgeous day, so we met up down by the lake and walked for a while. We then decided to take the paddleboats out on the lake, which was so much fun. I got some great picutres, and had a really good time. We wandered through the streets of Neuchatel, and came across a cute little ice cream shop. (Although, they don't really have the dairy ice cream here...it's mostly just gelato). I had the most wonderful lemon and raspberry gelatto, and then we continued to walk through the little streets. They are just so quaint and cute! I strolled back on home, and wound up here on the computer, writing this blog. It was a marvelous day!
So, to recap my first week here...
*The city is absolutely stunning, and I cannot stop taking pictures of everything. It is naturally beautiful, and the little shops and cafés are just unbelievably cute!
*It was overwhelming to be surrounded by all this french all of a sudden, but my classes have really helped, and I am feeling much more comfortable about everything.
*It has been such a change of pace from the past several years, but I am really enjoying having the time to read, write, explore, and just sit.
*I have been able to make a couple of friends for the summer, but I miss everyone back at home. If anybody wants to come and visit... there is plenty of extra room here!
*Perhaps most importantly... The food is amazing. It is gourmet, delicious, and (I hope) pretty healthy.
Basically, I love it here. I am happy and getting more and more comfortable with everything each day. I'm sure there are some lonely and difficult days ahead, but I am excited for the year I have in front of me!
The City of Neuchatel
Neuchatel is a French-Swiss town of about 30,000 people. It is in the western part of Switzerland, and pretty close to the border of France. It has a very french feel to it, and it is just absolutely beautiful. Lake Neuchatel is massive, and very clean. It is surrounded by little Swiss towns, as well as forests and mountains. There are lots of beautiful churches, as well as many cute little boutiques. There are tons and tons of cafés! The public transportation is wondeful, so I can get downtown in about 15 minutes. Downtown is right next to the lake, and many streets do not allow cars in them, so you can walk, shop and drink coffee (definitely my kind of place!). There are all kinds of flowers and trees, and the city is very clean. There is a castle not too far from downtown, and you can take the tram up the mountain to get a stunning view of the city. It is just very cute and quaint, yet there is always something fun to do. Many people bike ride through town, or just walk down along the lake. The people are rather friendly. It is just a wonderful place to live!
I have created a blog to keep track of all of my happenings in Europe for this next year. I am here in Switzerland for the next 12 months, learning french and working as an au pair. I am living in the beautiful town of Neuchatel and will hopefully be able to explore many other cities and cultures during my time abroad. There will be lots of pictures and (hopefully) videos soon to come!
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