A bientôt!

This past week was my last in Lyon!

I made sure to do an extra couple tours of the city, trying to savor the last few days in the beautiful place I learned to call home! I got in a little more Christmas shopping, enjoyed lots of chocolat viennois, and visited my favorite restaurant with a few friends one last time before I began packing.

The weekend started off with a raclette soirée hosted by one of the French friends I had met in my classes, Lucie. Raclette is both a cheese and a Swiss dish (heating the cheese and it scraping off when it's melted), which is very popular in France. It was similar to fondue, but much better! A small group of us huddled around the special raclette grill, loading our individual trays with slices of cheese and charcuterie. When the cheese was melted, we would pour it on to our boiled potatoes before eating. It was so much fun, it was the first time I had ever 1) tried raclette and 2) been to a raclette party so I was so happy I had the chance right before I left.

I forgot to take a picture of it but this is essentially what it looked like:

Thank you, Wikipedia!

The day before I left, my host dad made the family one of his special dishes: homemade frites and a roti de boeuf. With a cool, shredder-like contraption, he sliced the potatoes very finely and put them in his deep-frier (which is strategically placed on the balcony so the house doesn't smell like fries, but the block does). They were so delicious!

We spent the rest of the day together, relaxing and then playing boardgames and decorating their Christmas tree. I couldn't have asked for a better end to my incredible semester.

I miss you already, Lyon.

C'est la fête!

This weekend was the annual Fête des Lumières in Lyon! The city's buildings, streets, parks, and squares were illuminated with 70 light installations and the result was actually magical.

Pi Beta Paris

Yesterday, I took the train up to Paris to see a few of my Pi Phi sisters, who were visiting for the weekend. It was incredibly fun to be reunited with them - I'm so happy a group of us were able to meet once abroad before heading home!

Agradesida - Thanksgiving in Barcelona

This year, I spent Thanksgiving in Barcelona with Sara and Lise! 

I truly have so much to be thankful for this year. Not everyone gets to spend half a year abroad and I know I have my parents to thank for an adventure of a lifetime, as well as my closest friends for supporting me every step of the way. Distance really does mean so little when you love someone so much! 

Lounging in Lyon

This weekend was the first in many that I spent in Lyon. The festivities began with Amber's 22nd birthday celebration! We had dinner at Brasserie Georges, a big Lyonnaise restaurant in town. It was so much fun, the restaurant was bustling and they even had a group of trumpeters that would play every 20 minutes or so. They weren't that good, but it was still fun to watch them blow into their instruments. Dinner was delicious and the company was incredible. Happy birthday Amber!

The next day, Danielle and I met up to see a few places in Lyon that I haven't visited yet. It was one of the most beautiful fall afternoons I've ever had - the air was so crisp and the whole city was lit up by the sun, who decided to make a rare appearance.

Walking across the Rhone

We took the funiculaire to the top of one of the hills in Lyon so I could see the basilica that looks over the city. The view from the top was incredible, as well as the inside of the church. Since the sun was setting, everything inside had a green-bluish glow that made it seem almost as if we were underwater. By the time we came out, it was already dark, but we still made our way over to see the ancient ruins nearby. I'm so happy I finally made it up the colline qui prie before leaving!

The view from Fourvière

Our outing ended with macarons from a cute boutique Danielle knew about near Bellecour. The store was tiny, but featured an array of interesting flavors so we bought one each to enjoy before heading home for dinner.

Chocolat-orange for me and pistache for Danielle!

A Few of My Favorite Things

This past weekend, I visited Austria with Annalisa and Sara!

Poffertjes, Pancakes, & Stroopwafels

The last few days of Toussaint break, I met Sara in Amsterdam!