Bonjour! I am living in Lyon, France for 10 weeks this winter through a Dartmouth Language Study Abroad program. I am studying French language, literature, and civilization while staying with a host family. I am excited to share my experiences overseas with you through this blog! In my first post, I describe my adventures in France this past weekend.
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On Friday night, I was ready to enjoy myself at the Rallye Bourgonde party at Le 42 Discotheque in Lyon after a long week of intense French classes. Rallye Bourgonde is a posh party-planning group for young members of the Lyonnaise borgeoisie. I spent most of the evening trying to peer through cigarette smoke to admire the chic outfits of the willowy fashionistas around me– and to check out the dark, brooding, and very handsome French boys!
On Saturday, I caught a train for Arles, a delightfully quirky town in the south of France, with four friends from Dartmouth. We spent the morning meandering through the marketplace. Beneath the bright red umbrellas hovering over the small shops, I found everything from flavorful fromages and exotic spices to rescued puppies and live chickens cramped insides crates.
After enjoying a classic French picnic (composed of the baguette, camembert, and rosé wine that we had purchased at the market), I wandered through the cobblestone streets of the colorful Provencaltown. Pastel-colored shutters and tiled roofs adorned the otherwise lop-sided, worn down buildings. Laundry and tree shrubs playfully dangled out of windowsills above me.
Gregg, a self-professed member of “the cult of Rick Steves” (the famous travel writer), highlighted the city’s historic and cultural landmarks for the group. Arles is a paradoxical city, famous for having witnessed both the triumph of Rome and the tragic downfall of Vincent van Gogh. We explored the ancient Roman ampitheatres, and posed for photographs in the cityscapes that inspired the troubled artist. Van Gogh captured Arles brilliantly with his bold, bright brushstrokes— most notably in Café Terrace at Night and Starry Night Over the Rhone.
On Sunday, we explored nearby Aix-en-Provence, a fairly large city that is noteworthy for its thousand fountains and for its native son—famous landscape and still-life painter, Paul Cezanne. The highlight of the day was ascending Les Lauves hill and enjoying beautiful views of Montagne Saint-Victoir from the top. It was remarkable to find myself in the setting that deeply stirred the brilliant artist, and which continues to move millions in museums around the world through his work!