My Last Week

12/12-12/18

Outside of the Museum 

So this post is about my last week in Lyon.  It has truly been a fantastic experience.  I have gotten to meet a lot of new people from all around the world.  My education at ISARA has been interesting, and fun!

So this week was the final paper and presentation of the Valrhona Chocolate project!  Lets just say that everything got turned in.  It has been an interesting and challenging project.  That aside getting to know my team has been the best part.  I will miss these girls when I return home.   Another thing that happened this week, was that I took the TFI (European french standard exam).  Regardless of how I do,  I am very proud of my self for answering all 180 questions on time.  The test is split into two parts, and the last part is the hardest.  The last part is 90 grammar questions, that are answered in home hour.  I finished answering the last question just as the teacher called time.  There were also some really great people in my french class that I will miss.  After the test we were all super brain dead!    But we pulled off this perfect selfie in front of the school.

Valrhona project girls (Me, Xiyu, Camila)

After TFI, last time at ISARA 

This week there was a field trip to Savoir Lactée.  They are a dairy production facility, that has an interesting whey utilization method.  They use micro filtration to make sure that the liquid that is leaving their plan is basically water.  With the other part, they use it to make whey powered, and energy.  They methanate the left over to generate energy for their plant.  At the end of the tour we all got to take home some butter!

Friday night was my last dance class, and I am sad to be leaving.  I have improved so much while at this dance studio.  I will always remember the technique help I have gotten here, and the teaching style as well.  After dance I got to go and celebrate the end of school with the graduating class of ISARA.  I met Clara and Maëlle at a party and we got to hang out all together one last time.  One interesting thing that happened was when we went to go to this night club, there was a VERY long line.  We waited in the cold for about an hour and then decided that we just wanted to go home.  I went to call and Uber, but they were on strike and so the price was ridiculous for how far I was going. So I proceeded to just walk home!  It took me about 20 minutes to get home.  Since I was walking by my self at one in the morning, it was just a tiny bit scary.  To not be scared I proceeded to sing under my breath the entire way.  I sang everything form Taylor Swift to Sound of Music.  Thank goodness no one is out at one in the morning, or else they would have thought I was insane!  I made it home no problem and got to get all snuggled in my bed and warm up.

chocolate covered apple

I went to a Christmas market on Saturday to pick up some Christmas presents!  I ate this delicious chocolate covered apple!  It was a nice market with a lot of cute stalls to visit.  I would talk about what I got, but some of the people read my Blog.  

Side note for the week is that I went to the bank to close my account before I left, and when I got there they were Fencing in the bank.  I think it was the french Paralympic team?  Anyway it was kind of funny to see these bankers dressed in fencing gear and poking each other with mettle sticks.

Fencing at the Bank

 On Sunday I went the the Contemporary Art museum with Clara and Rachel.  This was basically my last outing in Lyon. I am great full that I got to hang out with my friends one last time!  At the museum there were three exhibits.  The first one was the best, and it was about street art.  The second exhibit was in three parts.  The first was advertisement, followed by rows of postcards and letters.  Then there was this tiny house that you went in and there was just a lot of creepy things in it.  Then there was a room that had a net in it and then you went in side.  There were birds inside the netted area.  The last exhibit was horrible.  This artist liked doing stuff with blood/human pain.  It was horrible.  When I got home I got to eat RABBIT!!  It was delicious!

Now it is time to say good bye to Lyon, and hello to Paris!  I leave on Monday to spend 2.5 days exploring before officially flying back to the US.  I will hopefully have one or two more posts about my time in Paris, then I will officially be signing off from this Blog!  Thanks to all that have been reading it.  I have had a lot of fun writing it as well!

Clara

Clara, Me, Rachel

Street art "thinking mind" 

Street art

Inside the weird house

Rock sculpture

Rocks drawn and sculpted 

Thinking artist

Birds in the museum 

More Birds 

Another bird

Last bird photo

A sculpture

Turtle sculpture eating a tomato 

interesting sketches

Rabbit with carrots

Face Swapping Fun

12/5-12/11

Fête des Lumières, Viking boat

The fist thing that happened this week was I went to the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon on Wednesday.  I went to see an exhibit on Matisse. A brief overview of this exhibit! He started off just copying others great painters paintings, during his academic years and early career.  He became fascinated with the African style of art, and sculptures.  Following this phase, he became interested in drawing moving motions, and backs.  There was a whole room just for the sculptures of his models backs! His movement drawings were interesting because he would draw the starting pose of the model, then would sketch on top of it the motion that she was doing. After the motion phase, I came to the fruit painting stage.  He painted fruit and plants, but mainly he painted oranges.  His detained pictures of oranges is still one of his most noted contributions.  Next, he moved around with his family, and he entered into a live model phase with three different girls (two from France, and one from Russia).  His last collection was back to plantings and sketches of fruit. Following this exhibit is where it got interesting.  So I went to the museum alone, and those who know me, know that I am a bit directionaly challenged.  I continued on to the perminate exhibits on the 19th century paintings, and got lost.....  Since I was lot I proceeded to take these photos!

This photo was with an angry old lady

Throwing some shade

SWAG

George Washington look alike??

There were different tour groups in each room, so I was trying to not look completely weird and would take them secretly where the people couldn't see me.  I think the head sculpture with my face on it looks like George Washington.  In conclusion.......... DON'T let me go to museums ALONE!!

In Lyon there is a festival that takes place from the 8th to the 10th of December called the Fête des Lumières. This festival is a celebration of Mary for saving the Lyon.   On Thursday, we lit candles in our windows, to signify the start of the Festival.

 I went out with friends on Friday to see some of the different light shows around Lyon.  Everything was so pretty and amazing! The light shows are projected on the fronts of the historic buildings around Lyon.  I started off watching one that was projected on a Ferris wheel in Bellecour.  It was like the roller coaster game at an arcade.  Next, I saw a show that was projected on Saint-Jean Cathedral.   This one was beautiful because the lights were making the  church looking like a sketch.  Then "paint tiles" kept being put on and taken off to change the design of the church.  Here is a video of the show at the church (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xduRML9EUo).  

Also earlier on Friday,  I went to a Starbucks to chill a bit before dance.  I got a supper delicious hot chocolate, but the best part comes when I saw my name on my cup.  Now, I am not making fun of the Barista.  It is just that I have a running count of how people spell or say my name.  Those with different names understand the struggle.  We now I guess my nerm is Deria!!!

My nerm is Deria

Fête des Lumières candles at home

I hope you guys enjoyed the posts, because I only have one more Sunday post left and possibly two for my trip to Paris.  My time in Lyon is coming to a close and a am truly sad to be leaving, but thankful for the friends, and memories I have made!  Catch you guys next Sunday!!

Christmas Time

11/28-12/4

Christmas Decorating 

This week at school, I had the final presentation for a pancake batter that can be sprayed directly into the pan.  We had to look at how to make  the product in a  more sustainable way, and our team did really well with the presentation.  I also went to a conference called Pollutec. At this conference there was a lot of different companies that were presenting on the different ways their companies have decreased their carbon foot print.  I attended three short talks with Clara and two others from school. The first was about circular economy and how we can apply that to waste management.  The second was about machinery (i didn't really understand it all).  Then the third one was about the traceability of compost.  This company really worked on the education and accessibility for their customers.  They also implemented plans to track what happens at each stage of the composting process, so that farms that use their compost have a record of how their compost was made.  I enjoyed this talk the most. The company (Suez), had a different look at how the process of compost should be addressed.  After this talk Clara went around and looked at some of the booth that were around the expo.  We also got free pens and food from them!

Skyping in to watch the Nutcracker

Ballet on Friday was fun again because there were two babies at the studio with their mom's.  One was with the accompanist and the other was with the teachers daughter.  These babies didn't make a sound while we were dancing.  They just looked at us with large eyes and were looking around (this was the distracting part because they were so cute).

Saturday morning I was Skype in to the Little Ballet Theaters dress rehearsal for the production of their Nutcracker!  It was between 2-5 in the morning for me, but it was worth it!  I got to watch my sister and dad dance.  She completely nailed her handsprings and back flips!! My dad rocked it as Father Christmas in the first scene!  I have not missed a Nutcracker since I danced in it at a child, and a 9 hour time difference and 8635 km was going to be an issue.

So now that I am in the Christmas Spirit, it was time to do some decorating.  Tomorrow at Church there is a Christmas song sing along with the Christmas story being read in different languages (last year it was 15 different languages).  I got to string lights on Christmas trees, make bows (they are still as good as the ones I made for Dance Team!!), and added different Christmas decoration around the sanctuary.  We listened to Christmas music and danced around.  When everything was all decorated we went to Subway across the street (it was a tradition).

This coming week is all focused on the last project with Valrhona chocolate, and working on getting things ready to come back to the US (18 days)

Food and Friends

11/21-11/27

Top of the Mountain

So on Wednesday during the first class the fire alarms went off and we had to evacuate the school.  We all were super annoyed at the fact that we had to stand outside in the freezing cold while the drill happened, but then fire trucks started to arrive and they used the ladder to rescue someone on the top floor.  So now we think that there might be an actual fire inside.  However two days later they finally tell us that this was a full drill and that they firemen were call to perform their part of the drill so that ISARA administration could see if there were any holes in their plan. 

Thanksgiving Day!!!  So, after my French class I had to race back home to change.  I literally had time to throw on a nicer top, freshen-up a bit, and grab my jacket and purse and run out the door.  I was impressed with myself because I hoped on the same bus that I road to my house!  At

Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving, I had fun catching up with everyone, and I also invited Clara with me.  The food was amazing!!  To start it off we were served pumpkin soup with bacon, and could choose between a red wine and a white wine.  The main course was turkey with cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, stuffing, mash potatoes, and gravy.  Then for dessert we had Oreo cheese cake.  After dinner I got to skype home and see everyone gathered for thanksgiving back in Oregon!  I then had to pack for my weekend trip to Maëlle’s house.

  

So Friday after getting Maëlle’s house I went to archery practice with her!  I did fairly well I only missed hitting the target once.  I had a lot of fun going to the archery practice.  Maëlle’s mom was super nice and made some wonderful risotto for dinner.  Then for dessert I had some homemade applesauce with Boudoirs.   

me and my bread

Saturday started off with going to a market in the center of Moirans with Maëlle, and her mom.  It was a total Beauty and the Beast type of town.  We first stopped at a fruit stand to pick up apples and pears, then continued to Meat store.  There I got to see some new food.  We went there to pick up meat for sandwiches on the hike.  I ended up getting Rillettes d’Oie (goose thing), and Pâté Forestier (mushrooms and pork).  Next to get some cheese.  Here I got to taste some different cheeses that I had not tried before.  The first was Abondance, then Tomme au Marc de Raisin (fermented raisins around cheese and tastes like earth). Next I got to ask for Tomme de Chartreuse, and the lady at the counter actually understood what I asked for!!!! Then the last piece of cheese I got to try was Reblochon (pue-le- pied) or stinky feet cheese.  It tastes way better than it smells. After cheese, we went to get the bread!  When we got to Artisan Boulanger, where we could also get the dessert for the hike.  I got des lunettes de chocolat.  This dessert has two cookies that have chocolate in the center, with powdered sugar and chocolate powder on the top.  After we got all the food for the hike we headed back home to get ready.  

My cairn

Now it was time to climb a mountain in Vercors called Le Moucherotte.  The summit is at 1901 m (we climbed 600 m of the total height).  We stopped a little more than half way to have lunch and I loved the goose thing and the Pate, and all the cheeses that we had gotten at the market.  We saved dessert for when we would make it to the summit.  On the way up the mountain I got to rap a little Hamilton, and explain some American history, as well as learn some history about France and specifically the region where we were.  Getting to the top of the mountain was so great, the view of the alps was breath taking!  We made it to the top and I got to enjoy my dessert.  However, I was not able to eat if gracefully.  The coco powered and powdered sugar got everywhere, but it was so delicious, so it did mater.    I also built cairn, which is a tower of stones that indicate that the summit is at that point.  This was used to help hikers when it snowed a lot fined their path.  This is a tradition to do when you summit the mountain.  So I now can check climbing a mountain in the Alps off my bucket list (GO Me).   

Due to the hiking, we watched a movie and drank hot chocolate afterwards.  We watched Snow Dogs, and it was a great Disney movie to watch curled up next to a fire place.  In the evening I got to try vegetarian chicken nuggets, which  is something that I have never eaten or tried before.  They were so good!!!  If no one told me that they were made out of I would think they were normal chicken nuggets.  

fog rolling through the hills

Starting off our hike

SNOW!!!

On top of the Mountain

We made it

At the summit

 Sunday was a day of exploring the history of Moirans.  Maëlle took me into town to see the old city wall that protected the city including the last standing guard tower.  I also got to see the old church that was built around 1014.  It is now closed to the public because they found some old bones under the floor.  The next place we visited was part of the old convent and the Paris house (four brothers that were very powerful in the town).  Now it was time for Lunch, I have been looking forward to this lunch all weekend.  We started off with a meat fondue called Fondue Bourguignone, where there was a pot of boiling grape seed oil that you just took a piece of meat on a skewer and stuck it in until is was cooked the way you wanted it.  We had red wine for the meat fondue.  White wine for the cheese fondue and it was called Sancerre. Also we had a cherry alcohol called Vin de Griotte.  This drink is made of cherry tree leaves soaked in white wine and liquor. This drink is Maelle’s grandfathers recipe, and no one really knows what is in it.  Then we had a cheese fondue called Fondue Savoyarde, that had Beaufort, Comté, Abondance.  For this one, I took a piece of bread and then dipped it into the delicious cheese mixture.  The for dessert I had more homemade apple sauce, madeleines, and meringue.

I had a great weekend with Maëlle's family and am now ready for all the final papers and presentations that are to come in the next couple of weeks!!

Fondue Bourguignone

Fondue Savoyarde

madeleines, and meringue

Guard tower

The old wall for protection

Gardens 

TickTock

11/14-11/20

Organ pipes at the Sagrada Família 

So sorry for not posting this at my normal time on Sunday (sorry Grandma)!! I have only 4.5 weeks left till I return to Oregon!! The time has gone by so fast.

This week was not very interesting (just school). However, two things happened this week that were cool.

The first was at dance.  On Friday I have a ballet class and I have seen a lot of improvement over the past two months.  My technique has improved, I can now do triple turns on both the left and the right (for those of you who are not dancers this is very good).  Another thing is the teachers that have taught the class are very direct and I have been getting some really great feedback and have been able to strengthen my ankle enough that I think I can go on point again.  Another funny thing was that the accompanist started to play the Star Spangled Banner at the end of class, and I sang half of it (he didn't know the second half).  

The second thing was I got to watch Rent the musical.  There was a taping of the 2008 Broadway production on YouTube.  I had never seen the whole musical before.  I had only heard the famous 525,600 minutes song, and Take Me or Leave Me.  I recommend watching it!  I loved the actress who played Mimi, and I am pretty sure that the actress plays Angelica Schluyler in Hamilton the American Musical.

I look forward to this coming weekend because I will be going to a friends house in the mountains and possibly playing in the snow :)

Barcelona Day Three

11/12-11/13

I touched the Mediterranean Sea!

Day 3

View from the top of Castell de Montjuïc 

This was the last day in Barcelona…… we still had so much to do!  We started off walking along the beach.  I got to touch the Mediterranean Sea!!  I didn’t go swimming because it was the start of the day and we had a lot of walking to do. It was nice to be at a beach again! After the beach, we took a bus to the Castell de Montjuïc.  This castle is a military fortification and is well positioned on the mountain to where you can't see the castle until you are at its doors.  We had a tour guide for this visit as well, and she was amazing!  She made jokes and had pictures to show us about the evolution of the castle and of Barcelona.  One interesting point is how the castle got its name.  There are two theories on how the mountains and castle got its name. The first, is that it is named after the roman god Jupiter, and the name just got shortened until it was Montjuïc.  This theory is supported by some artifacts that were found by archaeologists on the mountain.  The second theory is that it is called Mountain of the Jews, because archaeologist discovered a Jewish cemetery below the castle. The second theory is more accepted then the first. 

Castell de Montjuïc gardens through cellar window

As part of the tour we got to see the water reservoir that was made when the fortification was built.  The original castle was built in 30 days because, the people of Catalonia needed to defend their city from King Philip V when he was uniting all of Spain.  Then during the Spanish revolution they build the fort that we see today.  Another part of the tour was to go to the dungeon (torture rooms), however, archaeologist have found some drawings on the walls of the cells and they were closed to visitors.  We also go to go up the signaling tower to get a fantastic view of the city.  This castle use to use a mast to signal to the city of approaching ships by day, and fire by night.

After going through the different rooms in the castle Clara and I walked down the mountain to go and see Olympic stadium/park.  Since it was night we could not go into the stadium, but I got to see the track and the Olympic park leading up to the stadium.  They had fountains going with lights, it was very pretty.  We continued down the mountain because there was a fountain light show at the base of the mountain.  When we got to the fountain there was a hip hop group preforming.  They were so funny, they actually put on a 10 minute show.  The fountain show was beautiful they played English and Spanish songs.  After the show Clara and I went to find dinner at this shopping center that use to be a coliseum for bull fighting.  We found a restaurant at the very top of the mall. There we both had some sangria (you can’t go to Spain and not have sangria), and  I had this rice and Catalan sausage with vegetables dish.  Then for dessert I had coffee and chocolate tiramisu! 

Olympic Park

Today was a great day to end the trip on.  I enjoyed the whole trip and was sad to be going home.  The next day we went to the cafe we went to the first day next to the Sagrada Familia to get lunch for the bus ride.  The bus ride was not too bad, and we got back to Lyon without any issues. 

Fountain show at the Magic Fountain

Fountain show

Dinner at the coliseum