I am officially sick of trains.

Sorry it has been awhile since I have posted anything, this month has been incredibly hectic! I cannot believe that the holidays are nearly here, and I will have been in France for 4 months...that is definitely a scary thought. There are days here that just seem to drag on and on, and then there are days where I realise that 4 months have gone by incredibly quickly. The good news is, I am really enjoying being here, and I don't want the time to go by any quicker!

So anyway, onto news. I have been travelling a lot this month. I counted, and I have been on 18 trains in the last month. That is just RIDICULOUS. I have become really good at entertaining myself in train stations by people watching, or just going for walks around the towns when I find myself stuck somewhere for hours.

I went down south to visit my friend Jemma in Lyon for a weekend. It was lovely. Lyon is a beautiful town with so much to do. It was a bit daunting for a two day stay, so mainly we just focused on being together and catching up. It had been 6 months since I'd seen her, so even if I was in Lyon, we definitely needed a girly film night. We did, however get out, and see the Lumière Museum, as well as a nice walk around the centre part of the city. When we went out for a drink, I was surprised at how many Irish or English pubs there were in Vieux Lyon. Everyone there spoke English! I guess the English caught wind of how beautiful Lyon is, and decided to move. Of course, the one weekend I was there, it decided to downpour in Lyon, and be sunny in Amiens...figures...I had a wonderful time anyway.

This weekend was when the majority of my train rides happened. I took three trains to get to Raon L'Etape to see Emily, as well as three trains back. However, on Saturday, we went to Strasbourg for the infamous Christmas Market (This was four trains, two there, two back...) Strasbourg was absolutely gorgeous. It is the perfect mixture of French and German culture, and there is so much to do. Of course, I felt a little bit of pride when I went, because the city of Strasbourg is twinned with Boston. Both cities have similar winters...absolutely FREEZING. I looked at the weather forecast the night before, and Strasbourg was the coldest place in France at -5 degrees (celsius...I don't know the conversion). However, we bundled up, and met with two of Emily's friends when we got there. The cold did hit me like a ton of bricks, but after awhile, and a few sips of mulled wine, I felt considerably warmer.

The market itself was enormous, spanning the entire city. There was so much to see, it is a bit of a blur in my head. Hundreds of stalls selling traditional fare, as well as plenty of gift ideas for family and friends. It was just mindblowing how many people were there. Needless to say, I have had my fill of mulled wine, crepes, and sauerkraut for awhile.

My trip home took close to twelve hours. We got an early start, so Emily could get to the airport on time. In Nancy, one of our stopovers, it started snowing. Her train was delayed, and while I boarded my train on time, it ran late because it couldn't go full speed. I had no intention of missing my train to Amiens and spending an extra few hours in Gare du Nord, so as soon as the train stopped, I legged it! I somehow made it in the metro, one stop from Gare de l'Est to Gare du Nord, through the corridors, and up the steps in less than 10 minutes. I literally sprinted towards my platform. Not an easy feat, considering I had a rolling suitcase with me! I would like to apologise if I accidentally hit any old people on my way to the train station...I am pretty sure I did. Not exactly a proud moment, but I was running late!

Anyway, this week is super hectic, I've been trying to prepare for exams and finish reports and projects that are due in next week. It is a bit overwhelming, but I will get through it. Then I will be rewarded with several train rides to go visit the family in Brussels, and spend Christmas in Amsterdam!

I've uploaded photos from Lyon, the Amienois Christmas Market, as well as my trip to Strasbourg...check them out!