Blogs from Rhône-Alpes, France, Europe
May 1st 2012
May 1, 2012 The sun is shinning, seems to be a pattern, rains when we are walking sun when we are driving. Today we leave Lyon and head south to Roquemare and Chateauneuf-du-pape, the region of my favorite wine. We started by going back to the site of our French lesson to buy some croissants for the road, but we forgot it was May day (Labor Day) so most stores were closed (of course the Domino’s next to it was open, but I don’t eat it at home, hell will freeze over before I eat it in France.) We walked looking but did not find anything open, so we just headed out of town. Getting out of Lyon was quite easy, hug the river until you got to the sign for the auto route. Today are ... read more
April 30th 2012
April 30 French lesson This was our first full day of real site seeing. Jerry had planned a full day walking tour of Lyon. Our morning started with café from the hotel, strong as is most French coffee. We then headed out. Our first stop was a small Artisan Patisserie a block from our hotel. Everything looked very good, the owner, spoke little English but more than our French, we ordered in French and she helped us with our pronunciation and taught as the proper way to say what we ordered and how to actually order it. It was a slow day, being a Monday, so she had the time to help us out. We got our food then headed for St. Jean (yesterday I said St. James I was wrong) and the starting point of ... read more
April 29th 2012
April 29, 2012 Final Hours in Dijon We slept in until 10 am, still a little jet lagged, but getting better. We ate our croissants we purchased yesterday and just dinked around for a while. Took our time packing, folding the clothes we washed (they did finally dry the old fashion way) and getting ready to go. We were so tired last night we stayed in and just snacked on pate and cheeses we had purchased earlier that day after our lunch. It was all very good as were the three bottles of burgundy (2 red 1 white). In between blogging and eating I feel a sleep regularly. While Jerry finished getting ready I walked to the AMT to get the money to pay for the room. The room was a very good price for the ... read more
April 24th 2012
We still have serious Jet Lag. Susan and I both woke up at 3:00 a.m., but she was able to get back to sleep with the help of some hot milk, while I went to the little kitchen to surf the web and learn more about Grenoble. Rebecca says that she feels that Grenoble is her home town and that she could live here all her life. Yet she says she is coming back to the little Canadian town of Kamloops in early August to finish her degree. By 7:00 a.m. I was walking the streets as Grenoble came alive – street sweepers, little delivery vans dropping off beer kegs or produce to restaurants, and finally school children and workers filling the streets. By 9:00 a.m. Susan joined me and we explored the historic sites of ... read more
European Spring Break 2012- Traversing Lyon, France
Published: April 17th 2012Europe » France » Rhône-Alpes » Lyon
April 17th 2012
An early train ride from Marseille to Lyon results in about 5 hours of touring the city of Lyon before checkin at the Hotel du Helder. The alleged "gastronomic" centre of France, it hosts a large collections of ethnic foods, people, and cultures that are present in the diverse neighborhoods and foreign cuisine, that I was eager to experience.... read more
April 9th 2012
The single worst thing about a holiday is the ridiculous time you have to get up in order to leave. At 4am last Friday my alarm rang out loud and true and I rather grumpily extracted myself from the warm fluffiness of my beautiful bed. Rachel, as ever was bright and breezy and up and showered before my feet even touched the floor. My morning took a turn for the worse when I decided to knock the pint glass of water on my bedside cabinet all over the floor. Soon enough, our taxi to Gatwick was waiting outside and as is customary for Rachel, she spent the next hour worrying that we wouldn't get to the airport on time and whether the taxi driver was going the right way! An uneventful breakfast and flight to Lyon ... read more
April 6th 2012
Was ik al niet de knapste in ons dorp, nu ben ik naar de onderste regionen gezakt. Een week geleden kon ik mijn voet niet hoog genoeg optillen om over een rimpeltje in een tapijt te stappen, waardoor ik voorover ben gevallen en met mijn knieën en mijn voorhoofd op de tegelvloer ben gesmakt. In eerste instantie schrok ik het meest van de val zelf en was ik blij dat ik mijn armen zo hield dat daar niets gebroken is. Er was wel een velletje kapot op mijn voorhoofd en dat onbetekenende wondje bloedde als een rund. Dus dat leek op dat moment het ergste. Ik had behoorlijk pijn in mijn hoofd en in de knieën, buiten de hartkloppingen van de schrik. Meteen met betadine en gaasjes de wond gedept en al snel kon ik er ... read more
March 10th 2012
This trip has truly been the most amazing oppotunity. When applying to graduate school, I never imagined getting to travel to Europe and meet fascinating people would be a part of my education! Over the past few weeks, I've gotten a chance to do some traveling around france and see some incredible sights. Two friends of mine from the states visited, and I had a wonderful time while they were here! I was actually co-authoring papers with both of them, so we took the opportunity to write while we were watching the french country side go by on train rides, or sitting beside the medeteranian sea, the eiffel tower, or the french alps. I'm pretty sure those are the best "offices" I've ever had. The innovation project seems to be going very smoothly over here. The ... read more
February 29th 2012
Over the past two weeks, I've managed to really settle into daily life at GEM. However, I've really felt like part of me has not left Georgia Tech! I'm finishing up a teams seminar at Georgia Tech next week (I've been attending the class virtually from 8:30 to 11pm from my hotel room) and have been collaborating with the researchers at Georgia Tech, George Mason and Northwestern University on various papers. Not only am I studying globally distributed virtual multiteam systems, I definitely feel like I am a part of one now....with all of the challenges inherent in these systems. When students working on their projects say that they have trouble scheudling and attending meetings across the six hour time difference on a regular bais, I completely understand. I am also really enjoying meeting new people ... read more
Annecy and a little taste of home
Published: February 24th 2012Europe » France » Rhône-Alpes » Annecy
February 24th 2012
I have moved further into the Rhône-Alps region and planted myself in what I assume would be considered the foothills of those enormous and somewhat daunting peaks. My village of choice, Annecy has the best of both worlds: slow flowing rivers crisscross the old town leaving old buildings to open right on the water and after losing yourself in the very medieval-feeling alleyways you exit back out into the sunlight right smackdab on the edge of a lake. You're at the head of a valley and further on to either side mountains rise, their tops covered in pure, untouched snow. I chose to take advantage of the fine, sunny weather we've been having (currently no freakish storms) and took myself on a little hike up around the hills on the lake. Yes, me, the self-proclaimed city ... read more
