lauraewade
Laura Wade Joined: August 6th 2005
Logged in: April 28th 2010
Logged in: April 28th 2010
Travel Blog Posts
mom and me
The day after Christmas, my mom and I headed off to Angers, where I studied abroad for a semester in 2003. It was nice to show my mom where I first lived abroad. We had a lot of fun in Angers...although we decided that we shop more in small towns where there isn't a lot to do! We also went to Saumur during out little stay there. Saumur is a really small town about twenty minutes from Angers on a regional train. It's quite a beautiful city. Enjoy the pictures!... read more
Looking good on Christmas day!
Here are some pictures for you to enjoy. We're leaving soon to go back to Angers, the city in which I studied abroad in 2002. I can't wait!... read more
city center
This weekend I headed off to Brugge, Belgium with a friend. Brugge is a small town near the Northern coast of Belgium known for its history and charm. The entire city contains nothing but cobblestone streets, and there are about five different churches and cathedrals with their beautiful towers and bells all in this little city! The city also has a little canal system with all the old fortresses to get into the city still maintained. It was really beautiful, and it was so nice to get away from the city for a little weekend. Brugge was also decorated for Christmas with several Christmas markets and an ice skating rink in the city center. As usual, I enjoyed my favorite Belgian foods: chocolate and french fries. It probably wasn't the healthiest weekend! Now I am anxiously ... read more
This morning, to my surprise, the front page of the International Herald Tribune contained a NY Times feature based in La Courneuve. This is the city in which I teach. So, if you desire a journalistically-written account of my last entry, here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/12/international/europe/12suburb.html Check out that picture of Sarkozy grafiti: there is nothing that the immigrant population likes to discuss more than their hatred of their interior minister. Anytime I want to get my students talking, I just start talking about him. They immediately just spill out into angry French shouting, and I try to get them to translate it. He's a detested figure in these areas. Tonight, on my tram ride back to the metro, a homeless man just started screaming, "Sarkozeeeeeeeeeee" out at everyone. If only I had my camera with ... read more
view from the "main" part of town in my suburb
Here is a belated entry in regards to the riots and working in the suburbs. As many of you probably know, the rioting took place in the parisian suburbs. The layout of European cities is quite different from that of most American ones in that the nicest, most expensive areas are in the city center, and most of the suburbs tend to be the cheaper, slum sort of area. While I live on the Ile Saint Louis In the middle of Paris, I travel to the northern suburbs in the Seine-Saint-Denis area to teach at my high school in La Courneuve. The different between these two areas is remarkable. The minute I step off the metro in La Courneuve, I see a completely different side of France. The buildings in La Courneuve are not beautiful, not ... read more
Chris and Katie
It has suddenly become cold here in Paris. The seasons here change so differently - literally in one week! France doesn't have a big fall with leaves changing like many parts of the United States. Instead, usually the weather instantly changes from warm days to cold days. I can't complain though - I am still loving in this city. My job challenges me, as I don't think I am made to be a teacher, much less a teacher in a low-income school. I've had some interesting experiences throughout this month. My school is located in La Courneuve, directly in the suburban area afflicted with the riots. To everyone who emailed me: thanks for all your concern. I am going to write about the riots soon. I had a hard time knowing what to say when they ... read more
Part of the Hofburg Complex at night.
Wow, I loved this city. I had my doubts about going; I honestly didn't have an initial attraction to the city and didn't understand why Chase was insistent about visiting Vienna. I thought I might as well go - how often would I be able to go to Vienna with someone who speaks excellent German? The whole time I was there, I was amazed at how wonderful everything was. First of all, it was worlds cheaper than Paris. We actually stayed in a hotel, and it was less expensive than all the hostels in Paris. The hotel even had a full kitchen. And the restaurants were affordable, too (another big change from Paris). The food was amazing - and not just the Austrian food. We also had Italian and Indian, and I was convinced to eat ... read more
Aachen Skyline
I met my friend from KU, Chase Richards, in Aachen, Germany to explore this small city. Chase had informed me before that it was mainly a city of "historical interest", so I knew we were in for a good time. Aachen borders France and Germany, and like most border cities, both France and Germany have claimed possession of this city throughout most of history. The French name for it is Aix-la-Chappelle. Charlemagne is buried here, which is the attraction for most tourists. Besides that, however, it is just a beautiful little German city. I was happy to be in Germany (especially with my new tiny amount of language proficiency), and I was happy to be out of the big city for awhile. Especially on the train ride over - the leaves are changing colors in Belgium, ... read more
Centre Georges Pompidou
i promise i will actually travel this week, thus allowing me to really call this a travel blog!... read more
Pere LaChaise Cemetery
...not much, really, but here are some pictures to enjoy. I played volleyball with a bunch of teachers at my school, and I was really nervous about it. As my dad said, "That sounds like it would be embarassing." But actually, for the first time in my life, I felt kind of athletic. I have a week and a half off of work starting Friday for All Saints' vacation. I will be going to more tourist sites in Paris, then heading off to Germany and Vienna with Chase Richards. Hopefully then the blog will pick up!... read more
