I'm going to wish you all good luck from the outset as this will probably be a long one... I've got just over 2 weeks to cover, and they've been a busy busy busy few weeks! Not really sure where to begin either, but guess I'll just go in chronological order.

So firstly going back to the last week of August, which seems like so long ago now as so much has happened since. I spent the Monday evening at O'Callaghans (too much of a regular thing..) with Antoine and friends since it was his last week in Grenoble and probably the last time I'll see him until the holidays, which is sad because we always had a great time chilling out or going to the mountains or whatever. Also going to miss his crazy antics - see a previous post for post-night out, jumping in plants pictures. But I'm sure the holidays and our next encounter will come around quick enough as time just doesn't stop here.

Then the Wednesday evening, I had my first experience of a co-voiturage trip (car sharing) as a means to get to Lyon for the evening to see New Found Glory! The co-voiturage idea is quite a big thing over here with many websites and things set up for doing and promoting it, whereas I don't really think we have the same thing in the UK, especially with everyone's constant safety concerns. But it was a really good way of getting to and from the gig, rather than having to rely on public transport, and even more so because the guy was also going to the gig himself so we went direct. And also out of this, I've now got a friend in Grenoble who's into similar music as me and a good contact for music events going on here. Awesome! Otherwise yes I did go to the gig on my own and once I got in the venue I didn't actually see the guy I went with until after. But actually I enjoyed going alone because you don't have to worry about where anyone else is and you can have an awesome time without worrying about what anybody else thinks about your dancing or singing or anything. And of course I wasn't the only one there on my own and actually got chatting to a couple of people which was cool. I found it very strange though being in a gig environment with American bands who were obviously talking and singing in English, but then remembering every now and then that I was in France and surrounded by people talking French. Was pretty bizarre. But it was definitely funny when the bands would say something and the crowd just didn't react because they didn't actually understand what was said, which especially happened with the support band We Are The In Crowd. Too funny for me that I think I spent most of their set laughing. But yeah, New Found Glory were obviously awesome! The venue was tiny and there wasn't even a security barrier, which was strange for me having already seen them at Reading fest a few years ago and at Southampton Guildhall last year where there were, of course, barriers and security. This meant that when I got right up centre front, I was literally touching the stage. Too good! And also the French are insane. So many of them getting onto the stage and just throwing themselves into the crowd and some of their forms of moshing and mosh pits and stuff were brilliant. Such an awesome gig and I'm so glad I went even though work the next day wasn't the easiest thing ever. Totally worth it. Check out the video below of My Friend's Over You, the first song they played for their encore. The crowd went mad for this one!

Then I didn't do too much the Thursday evening because I was pretty worn out from the gig as well as work, and Friday evening I basically got ready for my parents first visit to Grenoble, as they were arriving the Saturday morning. 

So my parents arrived about midday on the Saturday. The fact that they drove here from the UK is further proof that my dad is crazy - wouldn't have him any other way though. Literally the best thing to see them and get to spend the whole weekend with them after having not seen them for just over 2 months! Saturday we went out for lunch, and I even got them to try more French style food rather than the usual pizza or McDonalds sort of thing they'd opt for on holiday. Very proud of them haha! Then we explored Grenoble, had a walk around and obviously went up in the télépherique to the Bastille so they could see the views across the city. Then Sunday, we went for a drive just outside of Grenoble and explored some of the mountains which is always a good thing. My parents had the exact same reaction and feelings as when I first went up into some of the mountains. The views are just unbelievable and so beautiful, no matter where you are. Then we went up the funiculaire at Saint-Hilaire-de-Touvet, which is basically a hill train and this one is like the steepest in Europe or something. So there were more gorgeous views from up the top of the mountain there. That was also something that I'd wanted to do as I would always see it on my way to/from Aix Les Bains. Then after that we went back to their hotel and my mum redyed my hair for me as my roots really needed doing. That brought me back down to earth a bit as I realised that they were on holiday but it was still just everyday life for me despite the weekend feeling very much like a holiday. Then the Monday, I went back to work but met up with my parents for lunch to see them for the last time before they left to travel back up through France and enjoy the rest of their week.

Next to the fountain in the Notre Dame area of Grenoble with mum

Funiculaire 

Monday evening, as per, I went to O'Callaghans but this time with Liv, Ellie and Elliot who had just arrived that weekend. Had a few drinks there and then walked around a bit and ended up having a drink in the London Pub too. Nice, casual evening but always good :)

Not much happened on Tuesday, and I originally thought nothing would happen on the Wednesday but I ended up with too much choice of what to do after work instead. I ended up going to the spa for a few hours with Fabien and then we watched a load of Big Bang Theory episodes in French as he's not seen them before. I've definitely seen some of those episodes too many times though, thank you E4.

Then Thursday evening I went to Laura's and we baked a cake for her pot de départ (like a little leaving do) the next morning. We used an English recipe and trying to find some of the ingredients was actually harder than imagined. Does buttermilk exist over here? Who knows! But anyway, we still managed to make the cake successfully and it was pretty good! Better than Fabien's tarte au citron of course!

Friday evening, I hopped on a TGV and headed to PARIS to go and see Lucy! The journey was useful as it gave me the chance to nap and recharge before getting there, and then we had a nice casual evening with some of her friends. The Saturday we got up pretty early as we thought it was better to start early and fit in as much as possible. We started by going to the Sacre Coeur and having a walk around Montmartre. After that, it was almost lunch time so we went to a restaurant called Chartier, which is impressively cheap for being in Paris – paid about 11€ for 2 courses, not bad eh? - and is also set in an old railway station, so it has a wonderful design. It wasn’t much like having lunch in France though as it was all very rushed. The food comes very quickly, within minutes of ordering, and then when you finish they are very quick at clearing up as they obviously want to free up the table for more customers. That’s obviously how they get away with such low prices but still manage to make money. But still, it was nice and the fact that it was quick gave us more time to explore. After lunch we went to the Pompidou centre. I really wanted to go as I wanted to see the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition as he is probably one of the only artists I really know (alongside Gaudi), and I love his work – so simple but pretty striking. The actual building itself definitely sticks out like a sore thumb in a city as beautiful as Paris though! Inside, we firstly went to the Roy Lichtenstein exhibition, which was pretty cool, and then we just had a general walk around the rest of the place. I actually found the whole place really interesting even though I’m not really one to go to museums or galleries, and I think Lucy and I both felt very cultured for the afternoon. So I’m definitely glad we went and had a look around there. After that we briefly passed by Notre Dame and also took a walk to a kind of non-touristic area of Paris that Lucy really likes. Then we headed to the Eiffel Tower which I think just has to be visited if you’re spending any amount of time in Paris. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been - although I still haven’t been up it yet – but it’s still good to just pass by and see such an iconic symbol of the city.

On the escalators in the Pompidou centre

Standard Eiffel tower piccie!

After staying around there for a bit, we headed back to Lucy’s to get changed and get ready for the evening. Time to go and see Paramore for the billionth time, but this time in Paris! Lucy went and met up with some friends for the evening while I headed to Le Zenith – yes I went to a concert on my own again… I quite like it though. My 16 year old self was really excited to go and see them as it had been a while since the last time, but I was worried that I’d be one of the oldest people there. Fortunately I wasn’t and there were quite a few people of a similar age. I just find it funny though how in France they are basically unknown, whereas in the UK everyone has at least heard of them. Anyway, I got there just at the end of the support band’s set (had never heard of them and wasn’t fussed) and the first thing I noticed was the fact that in the middle of the standing area there was a little kiosk selling drinks and snacks, but most surprisingly baguettes! Only in France would you ever find that! Paramore came on not long after and played a mix of songs from their latest self-titled album mixed with some older songs off of the other 3 albums. The concert was really good but I’m definitely starting to outgrow Paramore, as much as I don’t want to admit it. Unfortunately the new songs (except for Part II) just don’t have as much energy and just aren’t as good as the older songs. But they were a big part of my teenage years and All We Know Is Falling is still one of my favourite albums. I’m just not sure if I would go and see them again. Although saying that, I probably would still go just because I could. After the concert, I got back on the metro to go and find Lucy and then not long later we headed home as we were both pretty tired from the day.

Paramoreeee!

The next morning we slept in a bit and then I got the TGV back to Grenoble about midday. By the time I got home that afternoon I was pretty knackered from the week, the weekend and the travelling so I had a nice relaxing evening chez moi.

The second week…
The Monday evening I obviously ended up at O’Callaghans again – definitely too much of a regular thing – but this time with work friends as a way to get everyone together before a few of them leave. Again it was really nice to chill out and have a drink, and then after we went for a meal at a restaurant called Pasta Cosi which was nice.

Tuesday evening, the English lot came over and we made a roast dinner. It was too yummy! Haven’t had a roast in a few months so it was even better. Was also good to chill as it was a lot more relaxed than most of my other evenings recently as I didn’t have to go out and it didn’t include getting home late as most of the other evenings did.

Wednesday evening, I was meant to go out but I was so knackered after work that I got home and napped and then didn’t do much after that.

A similar thing happened on the Thursday as I was meant to go out and meet up with a friend but it was very unorganized and I ended up napping and sleeping much longer than originally planned… oops.

Friday was Laura’s last day at work, very sad times! So to make up for her not being here this week, I ended up spending basically the whole weekend with her. Friday evening was very casual, just having a few drinks and chilling out at a friend’s house. Then Saturday, we had a bbq over lunch, which is possibly the last one of the summer since the weather’s starting to change. But fortunately the weather was so good on Saturday which made a change from the cold week we’d had. Then in the evening we went out for a few drinks. We started at a really casual, chilled out place called Les copains d'abord for a few beers. It's a place I've not been to before but I really liked it. Then at midnight we went to another bar, that I don't know the name of at all, and here we spent the rest of the evening doing shots of TNT which is a mix of Chartreuse (a liqueur produced around here), vodka and orangina. Actually quite nice and something I'm sure my sister will want to try when she visits - alcohol and orangina, I'm sure she'll love it ha. But the strange thing about it was it was still such a casual situation, just sat around chatting, yet we did so many shots.. such a good evening though. I stayed at Laura's that evening as I wasn't going to walk home alone at like 2/3 in the morning, and I ended up having a massive discussion about nuclear power at like 5am with one of the others which was actually really interesting. I'm not too sure why but since I've been here I've found nuclear power more interesting. Possibly due to all the Fukushima stuff going on. But I remember studying it at French A Level and thinking it was the most boring thing ever. Anyway, I headed back home on Sunday. It rained basically all day so I slept a bit more when I got home and then for once I did nothing and just relaxed. 

And then today I felt nice and recharged ready for the working week to begin! :)

Looking forward to seeing what the next few weeks have in store! Already have choice for what to do this weekend and not sure what to choose argh!

I want to congratulate you if you've made it to here. This is one extremely long post haha... I apologise but I guess it does cover like over 2 weeks worth of stuff, so sorry not sorry :)

Hopefully I won't leave it so long next time...

A bientôt!

Despite the weather not being as good as normal, this weekend has been awesome. The weather was still great on Friday, so after work me and Fabien went to the lake and went kayaking. It was so much fun! A great way to spend time on the lake; a great way to spend the evening and it was good to see more of the other side of the lake rather than the Aix-les-Bains side where we normally go. I was so so close to not falling in the lake for once - we often take inflatable mattresses and I don't think I have ever managed not to fall off at least once... - but then when it came to getting out of the kayak, obviously I fell in. Brilliant. Fabien thought it was hilarious and even later in the evening he kept laughing about it.

Afterwards, we got back in the car and headed up into the mountains as he wanted to show me what is most possibly one of the most beautiful views I've seen. It was magnificent. The view over the lake was insane (see picture above and pictures below). I honestly could've happily sat there for a few hours just looking at the view.

The weather forecast for the weekend was really rubbish - all rain and storms. But when we got up on Saturday morning we found that the weather was still pretty good, so we had a bit of breakfast and then headed straight to the lake for a quick swim. For the first time I jumped in first time without any hesitating. So proud of myself haha! Not really too sure why I hesitate normally. Possibly because I don't swim often and so I'm not as strong a swimmer as I was when I was younger. Anyway, so we did a bit of swimming and then headed to a spa afterwards; pourquoi pas. Spent about an hour or so there and it was so nice to just relax and spend a bit of time in the sauna and in the jacuzzi. Also it was good to be inside as it soon started tipping it down outside. Afterwards, I was so relaxed that I'm sure I could've fallen asleep standing up.

The rain and storms continued for the rest of the day so I didn't do too much in the afternoon, but the morning had basically tired me out anyway. I'm currently making my way through all of Breaking Bad, so that was a good way to spend the afternoon.

Again today the weather's not been as bad as expected but it's still not great. So earlier I went to the cinema to see Jeune et Jolie (see trailer below) which I was planning on seeing at some point. It was really good and I'd recommend going to see it! Also despite it all being in French without any subtitles, I didn't find it difficult to follow which I'm hoping means my time spent in France so far has been well worth it already. If you're in France or if you get the chance, go watch it!

So yeah, I'm going to finish this post off here as I'm heading out soon to make the most of the rest of the day.
Hope everyone's had a good weekend!

A bientôt!

One of my favourite things about being in France definitely has to be how cheap a nice bottle of wine is, as well as how often they have a "petit apéro". I love a petit apéro with friends, although it's true that sometimes it ends up being not so petit...

Anyway staying on the subject of wine, I went out with a friend on Tuesday night to a small bar in the city centre. This bar was pretty small and had an intimate atmosphere: a place you go to meet, chat and have a drink with friends and possibly to dance a little. But the best thing about it was that it's basically a wine bar, where they have a wide range of different flavours of wine - from blueberry, to salted caramel, to spiced mango, and many others. I only tried the spiced mango flavour, which was pretty good, so I definitely plan on going back to try some of the others.

But for me, the weirdest thing about it was walking into the bar. The atmosphere was pretty intense as soon as you walked in and it was filled with young people. There's a lot of young people in Grenoble, but everywhere you go you always seem to come across a variety of ages, and normally older people. Even when I went to Nox (a nightclub here in Grenoble), there were quite a few older people or just generally weirdos. Yet in this bar there were only normal, young people. It was great and it was what really made the atmosphere. Got to meet some of Antoine's friends too and it was so good to be out with such a good group of people. And despite it being a Tuesday night, I managed to get up for work without too much trouble the next morning. I don't think some of the others managed so easily though, especially the few who apparently ran around Grenoble, at like 3 in the morning, totally naked. Hmm, great idea... or not.

A bientôt,
Robyn

Rocking the sunglasses in the club look haa

Olivier decided to take a quick dip in the fountain

A good way to describe Tuesday night - Antoine and Olivier after having jumped on/into a bush

After having 4 weeks off after my 2 week debut with the company, I was ever so glad to head back to work this week! 4 weeks is the longest holiday I've had in over a year, so by the end I didn't know what to do with myself. But a nice easy first week back, thanks to a bank holiday today and a jour de pont tomorrow, meaning 5 day weekend! Woohoo!

But work was strange this week. On any given day, there was, at most, 7 of us in the office rather than the normal 30-40 people. It's funny how they all take their holidays at the same time. I don't think the UK could ever just shut down like that. I'm sure it would cause chaos. But despite it being really quiet possibly being a negative thing, it fortunately gave me time to get everything sorted such as my account on the computer network and moving everything into the new office.

I'm sure you don't really want to hear about work though, so instead I'll give you a round-up of everything else I've done so far...

When I first arrived, I gave myself a bit of time before I started work to get things sorted, such as a bank account, insurance for my room and a phone. I found all this easier than I thought I would and it didn't take very long either. However, they do like their paperwork so be ready to sign your life away if you're heading out here!

Within the first few weeks, I spent a lot of time getting used to the city, especially the centre where there are little streets going off in every direction. At first, I often found myself going in circles, but surprisingly it didn't take that long to get used to it in the end. Although admittedly I do sometimes still find that I've gone the wrong way to get to something/somewhere.

Every weekend so far has consisted of getting out of Grenoble and seeing a friend (and colleague) and going to a lake. I've never really been one for swimming, but the lake is possibly my favourite place here. With the gorgeous weather, it's so nice to go to the lake and go for a swim or relax on an inflatable on the water for an hour or two. And with the back drop of the mountains (see picture above), it's so beautiful and peaceful. We've also had a bbq a few times before spending the afternoon at the lake, which makes it feel like a proper summer's day.

Bbq chez Fabien before the first ever visit to the lake

But whether it's a group of us or just the two of us, it's always a good way to spend the day. Even if it's just for an hour in the evening, the whole afternoon, or the first thing to do after getting up in the morning, I will always jump at the chance to go. The only thing I could ask for is that I lived a bit closer!

I also spent a day in Annecy with Fabien, his sister and some others for the Fête du lac which was pretty cool. Spent the afternoon by/in the lake at Annecy, had a little apéro (since Fabien can't seem to go a weekend without one) and something to eat, before heading out to see the fireworks. And these fireworks were awesome! Definitely the best display I've ever seen! They went on for about an hour & 15 minutes, and rather than just setting off as many big fireworks in the time as possible, it was all planned so well and was so good to watch. The theme was l'arc du ciel (rainbow) and it was just awesome. Afterwards we stayed and had a few drinks in the town since there were so many people there for the event that getting out would have been impossible straight after the fireworks. Then I had to drive Fabien and his car back to his at like 1am, as he had had a few too many - which is not the first time this has happened (I thought I was quite a lightweight, but apparently not haha) - while he slept in the passenger's seat and I didn't really know where I was going! Fortunately I managed to take the right exit from the motorway and we got there successfully. Then the next morning, we got up and went straight to the lake! What a great way to start the day!

Within the weekdays of my holidays I did a mix of things:

• I obviously went to the lake a few times in the late afternoons/evenings as I just can't stay away
• I went up into the mountains a few times with another friend to see the beautiful views and also once for a picnic
• I explored Grenoble some more and of course did some shopping 
• Spent a lot of time in the park relaxing/sunbathing/reading magazines
• Helped another colleague move apartment 
• Went out to see one of the summer spectacles in town which turned into a spontaneous evening of drinking, going to The London Pub and then lying on the grass in the park at like 2am 
• Did a bit of ice skating to cool off a bit from the heat
• Baked lemon meringue pies, cheesecakes and more (YUM!)
• Went out for drinks and a meal, as well as had people over for drinks as a leaving do for Nick
• And also went out to a club called Nox, which wasn't all that great but it was a pretty funny evening. Also if someone could explain to me why there's a need for a shower in the middle of a club, I'd be very grateful haha!

Well done if you've made it to this point! I definitely need to work on making short and snappy posts!
I'm sure I've forgotten to mention other things that have happened in my first month here but I've definitely mentioned the most important. Now to see what this long weekend has in store for me... no doubt I'll end up by the lake at some point.

Bisous,
Robyn

So after having been here over a month already, I realised it was about time I started a blog already! My original plan was just to take a lot of photos to illustrate my year abroad, but I've found that I've been making the most of every moment rather than thinking too much about taking photos.

On the morning of the 27th June, I grabbed my bags and hopped on a plane over to Grenoble, in south-west France. This was it: the start of my year abroad. I remember when starting university, and even before that when choosing my university, thinking about how excited I was for the year abroad aspect of my course even though it was so far in the future. But now here I am and I can't believe how quickly it's come around! And I know this year will fly by just like the others have, so I am going to make the most of every second pour ne pas louper une miette de la vie en France. 

I have never really wanted to live with the stress of a big city like London or Paris, so Grenoble was the perfect choice for me. It's big enough that there are plenty of things to do, but it's also easy enough to escape to enjoy the mountains, countryside, lakes and smaller towns. I'm living in a colocation, thus sharing an appartment with 3 others. It's pretty simple but I have a good sized room and everything I could possibly need, as well as living in such a convenient place. I basically live next to the Parc Paul Mistral (the main park in Grenoble), which is great to visit to enjoy the sun and to relax. And also all throughout the summer, there have been many activities and events taking place there, meaning it's always lively and there's always something to do. As well as this, it only takes me about 20 minutes to walk into town, or 20 minutes in the other direction to walk to work. It couldn't be much easier than that! Or if I'm feeling particularly lazy, it's so easy just to hop on the tram to get around.

Unlike most people, I'm lucky enough to get to spend a whole year over here rather than just 9 months. I'm working as an English teacher in a company (Schneider Electric), which involves working on a 1-1 basis with adults from within a particular department in order to help them improve their English skills which are becoming more and more important in business, especially due to working on an international scale. Despite speaking English in lessons, the language of the office is French therefore during lunch breaks, coffee breaks, and generally anytime outside of lessons I get to use and improve my French skills. And hey, you'd be surprised with the amount of things you learn about French, as well as about English, just from within the English lessons themselves! The only possible downside is that I am working with people who are mostly aged 30+, but everyone is so friendly that I couldn't be happier. And fortunately there are a couple of younger people closer to my age who I get on really well with.

Anyways, I think I've rambled on enough for an introduction! I will be sure to post again soon to talk about some of the things I've done so far and possibly to post some photos!

A bientôt!
Robyn