Je fais 'Le Pont'

So, as it seems around the world, today is Armistice Day or Veteran's Day. While this day gives us a day to think about those who fought in battle or those who are serving today, it also gives us time to do....well...nothing. No school, no classes, what is a girl to do? Stay in her room all day watching reruns of 'Top Chef'? While I have selected that option before, I decided that today I would make a day trip up to Lille, the capital city of the northernmost region, Nord-Pas-de-Calais. This was especially fitting considering that Lille is the birthplace of France's former President and founder of the 'Cinquième Republique', or 'Fifth Republic'. Not to mention he was a powerful general in the fight against the Nazis in World War II. So...I hopped on a train, and headed up north. (Even more North than I am now!)

To be honest, I do not think the weather did this city justice. I think I spoke too soon in my last post, when complaining about the weather here. The rain and wind in Nord-Pas-de-Calais is nothing short of violent. There were several times I was slapped in the face with someone's runaway umbrella. I would really like to go back when the weather clears up, so that I can take a walking tour around the city, and see everything up close.

Luckily, the tourism office was open, and my friends and I went to find something to do on a 'jour férié', or national holiday. We assumed pretty much everything would be closed. However, we got lucky and found out that the tourist office runs bus tours every hour. Normally, riding around a city in a minibus isn't my thing, but it was cold and rainy and it seemed like a pretty great option. So, I saw most of Lille's most interesting sites (including Charles de Gaulle's birthplace) in a comfy warm 50 minute bus ride. The bus also had an audiovisual tour (which I listened to in French, of course) and I got to learn a bit about the city.

Although I was only there for 6 hours, I really enjoyed my daytrip, and I think it has whet my appetite to go back and see more. On my to do list are 'La Piscine', an art museum that is housed in an 1900's bath house, and a walking tour around Vieux Lille, the old city. I also feel as though I should give the regional dish, 'Moules Frites' 'Mussels and French Fries' a try, even if I am not particularly fond of shellfish.

I should mention that I have an EXTREMELY long weekend, this week. To be honest, my weekend has been the majority of the week. I do not have classes Wednesdays or Fridays, and by some freak act of nature, this national holiday, and my Spanish teacher's absence Monday, all fall into the same time frame. So I shouldn't really call it a 'weekend'. I should probably just call it a vacation. The French, however, have a name for this type of weekend. It is called 'Faire le Pont' or 'To make the bridge'. Usually what this means is that if there is a national holiday on a Thursday, someone will 'fait le pont', and make it a long weekend. In my case this was unintentional, but it did not stop my French friend Alicia from teasing me and saying 'tu vraiment fais le pont cette semaine!' or 'You truly are taking some time off this week, aren't you?'

I also want to add that my network here seems to block me from putting up any sort of photos in my blog. I have a flickr account, where you are all free to look at the pictures I have put up from my days here in Amiens, to my other travelling adventures! Enjoy! The website is http://www.flickr.com/photos/ebamiens/

à plus mes amis!