My wonderful, amazing, cliche life-changing study abroad year is at an end, and I find I’ll like to remember all the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit. So for one blog post let’s explore the trips I’ve managed to take since I arrived in Montpellier on August 17, 2013.
Cities I visited: Aix-en-Provence, Annecy, Arles, Avignon, Carcassonne, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Narbonne, Nice, Nimes, Paris, Perpignan, Rouen, Toulouse Continue reading
One of the best things about studying abroad during the fall semester (and the full year!) is the array of Christmas markets than you can enjoy. Europe really does it up for Christmas, and French Christmas markets are spectacular, along with those of other nations’! Here’s a roundup of the Christmas markets I was able to attend in 2013!
Update: Christmas market additions from 2015!
Of course, the that I knew the best is the one near which I lived! The Christmas market was located within the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle- or park at the end of the Place de la Comédie. The two main passages were lined with chalets selling chocolates, jewelry, scarves, Christmas tree ornaments, decorations, hot wine, or food. A big attraction was the ice skating rink located at the front of all the boutiques, with both French and American Christmas carols playing for the skaters. This first Christmas market was where I- along with all the study abroad students- developed a taste for vin chaud, or mulled wine. You can learn more about the Montpellier Christmas market here.
“Les Hivernales”: the name given to the Montpellier market
I am very excited to be writing that after 4 months I`ll be seeing my family! My family will be spending Christmas vacation here in France with me: we`ll spend Christmas itself here in Montpellier, where I`ll show them my stomping grounds and take them on some of my favorite day trips: Aigues-Mortes, St Guilhem le Desert, and the Pont du Gard. After Christmas we`ll pack up and head to Barcelona- stopping at Figueras, Girona, Perpignan, and Carcassonne along the way! I cannot wait! Stay tuned, and Merry Christmas!
Tomorrow I`m starting the adventure I have been dreaming about since middle school: studying abroad.
I`ve mostly packed my bags for one academic year in the south of France; the city of Montpellier will be my home away from home for the next 9 months.
I can`t wait to start doing what I`ve been planning for and working for my two years at Geneseo: living with a host family and communicating primarily in French, traveling around Europe by myself, and taking classes in a French university. Its finally here!
Stay tuned!
A Wanderlust Dossier 