My new apartment and other highlights of my 3rd week in Lyon!

Lots has happened in the past week. To begin with, I finally moved out of Les Carres Pegase, carrying about 80 pounds of luggage (it's good...builds character), into my new apartment that I'm sharing with a French student, Caroline. I live on pretty busy street, with lots of patisseries, chocolateries, and bridal shops. Those are pretty tempting to walk by every day (especially discount bridal, I just get the urge to elope with someone all the time - too bad for Rob). It's about a 20 min walk to Lyon 2 from here, so it's a perfect location.

These are the views from my window!




But let's not forget the best part, the marble fireplace.



The day I moved in, we ended up having a little soiree that a lot of my American friends came to - it was fun, I got to show off my new apt and then go out this place that Caroline had been raving about, le Sirius. It's a dance club...on a barge. How awesome is that? They also played some really dance-worthy music, not just the typical hip-hop stuff you get at parties back home, so I had a great time.

On weekends, the local merchants have an open-air produce market. It is really crowded and all the little old ladies bring their snazzy little wheelie bags and lazy dogs. The farmers bring all their produce, but not only that, they bring fresh cheese and sausage too. I'm not so hot on buying meat there, but everything else looks so delicious and fresh! You can buy a huge bowl of [insert vegetable here] for about $3-4 and have a meal for an entire week out of it. Scrumptious!

That day was also eventful because ever-smiling MaryJoBateman from UVA took everyone out to lunch in Vieux Lyon. That was the first time I had been to the historic district! It's great! It's a little touristy (i mean, come on, the shops are open on sunday!) but it's really quaint, and a nice place to take a little stroll. Again with the crepes and the free food. Man, I love meals that UVA pays for. BTW, this woman from uva has a great job. She gets paid to visit exchange students in France. That's her job...I mean, for real? Can I major in that?

It was the last week of Prune, so that was not so eventful...I'll miss Herve and his grimaces though. And even Parry and her ugly sweaters, in a way...Okay, really not that much when I think about all the plans we had to write.

French entertainment:
While Ive been here, Ive had the delight, urm, right, of seeing many American tv shows and movies dubbed into French. Now while this might seem comforting at first, it is a little unnerving, because there I am, watching Lord of War (good movie, btw) with Caroline and her friends, expecting to hear the voice of Nicolas Cage, but no, it is some French voice-over actor whose lips don't match up. I say it is far more satisfying to see real French movies, because the lips and the dialogue make a little more sense. Plus it seems to me that French entertainment doesnt have as many convoluted subplots as American shows do, so it is easier to follow. The other night I watched a movie called Tanguy,which is about a guy who has been living in his parents house too long and they want him out. That's the entire movie. Seriously.

Now for another night, UVA decided that they just have too much money and wanted to take us out to eat AGAIN. Well, fine. Be that way, rich university. See if I care. So it was a lovely affair at one of Lyon's best restaurants, with all the courses and forks and waiters necessary. I had a Moroccan-inspired dish, which was dee-lish (I love me some couscous). Photo ops ran rampant...





A lovely evening it was, and it was clear enough to afford us some truly stunning views of Lyon, we put our fear of heights behind us and rode....

Le Carousel Allemand....





Scottie and Laurel can't keep away from each other.

Fourviere and Vieux Lyon at night (the most magnificent architecture in Lyon, in my opinion)


Upcoming plans: Maison de la Dance, and maybe the European Figure Skating Championships? Geneva (where maybe I'll learn to ski), and Paris? Barcelona sometime in the future?