Dijon Diaries

Bonjour! My name is Gabby Scott and I am a junior at the University of New Hampshire. I am spending my summer studying in Dijon, France and will be sharing some of my experiences along the way!

[scottgabby]

La Fête nationale et la Coup de Monde

LES BLEUS ONT GAGNÉ ! This weekend in Dijon was crazy! France’s national holiday, Bastille Day, on July 14th coincided with the World Cup final. Friday night, my friends and I went to le bal de pompiers (Fireman’s Ball) in Dijon. The fire station in Dijon is open to the public and they have a stage set up with live entertainment that goes on until 4 AM!! Les bals des pompiers occur in cities all throughout France during Bastille weekend.

On Saturday, the city had fireworks at Lac Kir and they were absolutely beautiful! My friends and I got there two hours early so we could get good seats on the beach to watch them.

Sunday was my favorite day of the weekend by far, however. We decided to go to a bar in the heart of Dijon and watch the France and Croatia game alongside locals. After France had won, the city sprang alive with people celebrating the game. The city center was shut down, no buses or trams were available because they couldn’t get through the masses of people. My friends and I went to Place de la République and there were people who had climbed to the top of the fountain! The chaos ensued all through the night, as the French people celebrated France’s second ever World Cup win, the last one being in 1998.

I think this weekend has been my favorite during my time in France. Being able to experience France’s national holiday and celebrating France’s World Cup win allowed me to have an even greater understanding and appreciation of their culture and heritage.

[scottgabby]

Château de Versailles

Our train back to Dijon didn’t leave Paris until 7 pm so Ros and I had plenty of time to go to Versailles for the day. We took the metro from the city and it was about a 45 minute ride. Again, we bought our tickets online. However, we still had to wait two hours outside before we could get into the castle’s gates! If you plan on going to Versailles, make sure you leave ample time for the metro ride and be prepared to stand in line, even having purchased your tickets before.

Once we were inside, I was blown away by the beauty and the vastness of the castle’s grounds. We started by walking through the castle itself. There is route outlined that you can follow to make sure you see all of it. Inside, my favorite room by far was the Hall of Mirrors! It was so beautiful and it was chilling to know how much history that room has seen. (The Treaty of Versailles was signed there in 1919). My picture definitely doesn’t do it justice.

Ros and I had to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time because we had not anticipated the two hour wait prior to entering. We prioritized seeing the Domain of Marie Antoinette, which was built for her in 1783 as a wedding gift from King Louis XVI. The Domain houses the Petit Trianon and vast gardens. Additionally, Marie Antoinette had a small village built for her and her friends so that they could pretend to live like peasants, called the Hameau de le Reine. It’s not a surprise that French commoners were angry by the wealth and power the monarchy held, their own queen had a vacation retreat she used just to mock their lifestyle!

On our way out of Versailles, the fountains had turned on. The fountains don’t have water every day and your ticket will cost more on days the water is on. We didn’t have much time to enjoy them because we had to get back into Paris to catch our train home, but I managed to take a few photos before we left.

[scottgabby]

La Louvre

Because who can go to Paris and not visit the Louvre right?? Ros and I bought our tickets in advance for the earliest morning slot. Our plan was to get into the Louvre as early as possible and then run to the Mona Lisa so we could have the best chance of seeing her without a ton of other people. For the most part our plan did succeed and we were able to push our way to the front with ease. She was a lot smaller than what I had pictured in my head, but it was amazing to finally see her in person.

Ros and I knew in advance we wouldn’t be able to see everything in one day, so we had a game plan going in as to what we wanted to see and how to get there. In order of the pictures I’ve posted are: the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Hammurabi’s Code, Michelangelo’s the Dying Slave, the Venus De Milo, and lastly Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, which was in a special exhibit in honor of France’s upcoming Bastille Day.

It took us all day to conquer and we got lost quite a bit. I seriously underestimated the size of the Louvre before I actually got there! I don’t have words to adequately describe the beauty of the Louvre, but it is something that I will treasure for a long, long time.

[scottgabby]

Paris et La Tour Eiffel

 This weekend I went to Paris with my friend Rosalyn! (How cool is it that I can just casually say I went to Paris for the weekend???) I have a lot to write and tons of pictures to share so I am going to split this into multiple posts.

We left Friday after our class and our round-trip tickets cost us about $60 US dollars. Not bad, considering we were able to take the TGV (which is the high-speed train) and it was only an hour and half to get there. After arriving at the Gare de Lyon (thankfully without any strike incidents), we checked into our Airbnb in the 1st arrondissement, which is also home to the Louvre museum. We were able to book our Airbnb for two nights for the both of us at $200 US dollars. It was a pretty good deal, until we arrived and realized we had to climb seven flights of stairs in 100 degree weather. But hey, it’s all part of the experience right :)

After checking in, we headed to La Tour Eiffel. (Pro-tip: Always buy your tickets online, in advance for major tourist attractions. We did and were able to skip the line to get to the top. The people who didn’t buy in advance were waiting up to two hours!!!!) I can say, wholeheartedly, that seeing the Eiffel Tower in person was one of the most amazing moments of my life. Being able to go to the top and have a view of all of Paris literally took my breath away. C’était incroyable !

Ros and I were so struck by Eiffel that we returned at night to watch it sparkle. We stopped at a small grocery store and bought some food to have a picnic in the park below. A great way to save money and enjoy the view for free at the same time!

Since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of going to see the Eiffel Tower and this weekend it finally came true!

[scottgabby]

La Fête de la Musique

Dijon just had their annual La Fête de la Musique, which they hold every summer. Dijon officials close the roads to traffic and open up the city to pedestrians. On every street corner there is a live band playing music that ranges from classic rock, to opera, and even a Santana tribute band. In the heart of the city, at Place de la Libération, there is a much larger stage that has bands playing until 2 am. The festival was so much fun, so far it was one of my favorite nights in Dijon yet. I only stayed until midnight because I had to catch my last bus home, but I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the night. If you ever find yourself in Dijon, France in the summer, definitely try to plan your travels during La Fête de la Musique, it is something that should not be missed!

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Lyon was beautiful!! I went with four of my friends and we rented an AirBnb in the 6th Arrondissement, placing us within walking distance of all of Lyon’s main attractions. We were able to take a bus to Lyon from Dijon for 20 euros round trip. My favorite part of the weekend was visiting the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière that sits on top of a hill overlooking the city. We also visited the Vieux Lyon, which is the city’s oldest and most authentic district. It was extremely crowed so we didn’t stay for long, but long enough for me to try some pain au chocolate :) Another cool site was Place Bellecour. It is a giant square in the center of Lyon and houses a statue of King Louis XIV. During our visit, Lyon was celebrating its Gay Pride Days in the square. It was nice to see the LGBTQ+ community being celebrated around the world

I loved visiting Lyon, but I was happy to get back to my home in Dijon. With every passing day, I am falling more and more in love with this little city and its people :)

[scottgabby]

Allez les Bleus !

In honor of the beginning of la Coupe du monde (the World Cup) this week, here is a photo of Ellis, Charlotte, and I showing our support for France.

I’m heading to Lyon this weekend with some friends so stayed tuned for another blog update soon!

Allez les Bleus !

Gabby

[scottgabby]

Lac Kir

Some of my friends and I went to Lac Kir in Dijon this weekend. It’s an artificial lake, but that doesn’t take away from its beauty. My friends and I stayed on the beach part, but there’s a biking and walking trail that goes around the lake, gardens, playgrounds, and a volleyball area as well.

I’m going to use this post to introduce you to some of the friends that I have made so far. Starting on the left is Chris. He goes to school in Alabama and hopes to teach English in Europe soon! Next is Hayden, who I go to school with at UNH. He is a political science major. He is also the guy who kept me from crying in the middle of Paris when we kept missing our trains. Next is yours truly :) As for me, I’m learning French because I want to pursue an advanced degree in English Literature, which requires me to learn a foreign language. Next to me is Anna. She is from Greece and is learning French because she wants to be a tour guide in Athens. In the blue shirt is Rosalyn. She goes to school with Chris and is studying to be a nurse, but she is minoring in French, too. Next to Rosalyn is Schuyler and Iba. They both go to school at UNH, too. Schuyler has studied abroad in France before and is learning French because he is majoring in International Affairs. Iba is from Senegal originally. He graduated this year, but he majored in French and is studying here to finish his degree requirements. Iba speaks French beautifully, so beautifully that locals don’t even switch to English when he speaks!

I’m really enjoying my time in France and am so thankful that I’ve met all these amazing people to share it with.

Salut,

Gabby

[scottgabby]

Dijon

Today after class, my friends Rosalyn, Ellis, Charlotte, and I took a small tour of the city. Rosalyn is from Mississippi and she is studying here because she is minoring in French back home. Ellis and Charlotte are from the UK and they both study French and Italian and are studying in Dijon as part of their degree requirements. They’ve been here six weeks already, and were more than happy to show Rosalyn and I around.

Of course my phone died during our impromptu tour, so these photos are courtesy of Rosalyn. (Thanks, Ros!) The first photo is the outside of the Palais des ducs de Bourgogne in downtown Dijon. It served as a palace for royals during the 17th and 18th centuries. It has since been renovated into a museum and also houses Dijon’s city hall. The second photo was taken in the museum part of the building. The museum is home to the tombs of the Dukes, Philip the Bold and John the Fearless. The picture doesn’t do it justice - definitely a must see if you ever make it to Dijon.

The third photo is the Porte Guillaume monument in the middle of Place Darcy. We are unsure about its history, but I’ll ask my professors about it and share any updates. It’s a popular meeting spot amongst locals and it’s the designated meeting spot for my friends and I whenever we are going anywhere in Dijon.

The last two photos were taken outside the Notre Dame de Dijon, which is home to the infamous chouette de Dijon (owl). Legend has it that if you touch him with your left hand and make a wish, it will come true. Obviously I had to take part in the tradition. Can you guess what I wished for? :) 

À la prochaine,

Gabby

[scottgabby]

Bonne Sieste!

I took my French language placement exam yesterday and placed in the 3rd level, out of five. My first class went well. I don’t have any fellow UNH students in my class, but I’ve met lots of people from around the globe, ranging from Taiwan, to Russia, to Ghana, and more. I have French class 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and class 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Wednesday and Friday. So far one of my favorite things about France is that their lunch breaks are two hours long, giving you ample time to eat and take a nap. In fact, when our professors stop for lunch they say “bonne sieste!”, which means have a good nap. I think us Americans need to take a page from the French’s book. I would be way more productive at school if napping was a part of our curriculum, too.

It’s hard to make out in the photo, but on my way home from school today I saw a car with a “This car climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker on the back. How cool is that?! The world isn’t that big after all.

À plus tard,

Gabby

[scottgabby]

Ma famille d’accueil

During my time in Dijon, I am staying with a “famille d’accueil,” or host family. My host mom’s name is Amélia and she lives with her husband Fernando, their 20-year-old daughter Chiara, and their cat, Blue. Amélia and Fernando don’t speak English, so I have definitely been putting my French language skills to the test. I can usually understand what they are saying as long as they speak slow or if they repeat themselves a few times. And if all else fails, Chiara learned English in school so she can translate or we turn to google for help. Amélia and Fernando are so patient with me and have welcomed me into their home with open arms.

I took French throughout high school and took FREN 503 at UNH, which is their intermediate level. I took that class over a year ago and have begun to forget a lot of French vocabulary. However, I’ve only been in France for a few days and I’m already starting to remember most of what I learned and am picking up on new words and phrases too! Nothing like an immersive program that makes you learn a language and fast.

I’ve added some photos of my bedroom if you want to see. It has a beautiful little balcony that I’ve been using to catch up on my reading, too. Tomorrow, I am going to the Université de Bourgogne to take my French language placement exam for my classes so stay tuned for a blog update after!

Au revoir,

Gabby

[scottgabby]

Bon Voyage!

I’M HERE!!! It only took 18 hours, two missed trains, and one cab ride later. I traveled to France with another student from UNH, Hayden. We met at Logan Airport in Boston and flew to Dublin, Ireland for a quick layover and then continued onto the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Unfortunately, because our layover in Dublin was only an hour long, our luggage never made it onto our flight to Paris. (Thanks Mom for making me pack a change of clothes in my carry-on).

While trying to make a claim for our luggage, we missed our train to Dijon. And when I say we missed our train, we barely missed it. In the words of Hayden, “the conductor looked right into my eyes and shut the door anyway.” We were able to switch our tickets, but the new train was departing from the Gare de Lyon, in the middle of Paris. We decided to take the metro from the airport to the station. However, unbeknownst to us, France is currently in the middle of rail strikes, and the Gare de Lyon stop was not being serviced because of it. So we missed our train, again.

I was no longer trusting of Paris’ public transportation system, so we took a taxi to the Gare de Lyon to catch the next train. Our taxi driver didn’t speak English, so it was the first time I was able to practice some French and he pointed out some of the main sites of Paris to us. (Most people in Paris speak some English and if they sense you aren’t a native French speaker, they will switch to English automatically.)

We successfully got on the next train to Dijon and three hours later, I’m here. I arrived at 11:30 pm. (France is six hours ahead of EDT.) My host mom met me at the train station and drove me home. I ate dinner and finally was able to go to bed after being awake for more than 24 hours! I will write more about my host family later. But for now, though there were some obstacles in getting here, they certainly made my voyage to France memorable and I’m so excited to begin my journey abroad. I am beyond blessed to have been given this opportunity and I can’t wait to share more with you later!

 À bientôt,

 Gabby

[scottgabby]

Bienvenue! My name is Gabby Scott and I am an upcoming junior at the University of New Hampshire, where I study English Literature. This summer I will be studying French in Dijon, France for eight weeks. I started this blog so I could share my journey abroad with you :)  Stay tuned for updates as I navigate through life in Dijon and more!