Cette semaine est comme un rêve. This week is like a dream.
This week has gone by so quickly, I feel like I've been floating through the week. It's as if I've been playing out the actions, but I still can't really comprehend what has happened this last week in France. I can't believe that I'll be returning to the US in 3 days.
On Wednesday (July 3rd) my family celebrated Independence Day one day early because I was going to be in Bordeaux the next day. We had a typical American dinner- hamburger and french fries. This time, we really had French fries...my family has a frier and so we actually made fries from scratch.
The Fourth of July!!!
Real French fries
Preparing the hamburgers
Anne-Cécile was in charge of the fries! She wore a cowboy hat to match the American theme.
Gilles did the same, although he wasn't exactly right on target with the flag.
My Americanized parents
Even Louis got into the theme by sporting a Minnesota baseball camp and an American flag.
Yum! My first hamburger in one year--I'm glad I waited but it was absolutely delicious!
We also celebrated Elise's birthday. Her birthday was the 28th, but since it was before the Baccalauréat we weren't able to really celebrate it as we would have liked to.
Louis le patissier made some Mars Bars cupcakes
Elise et moi
The gang + Marine's boyfriend, Quentin
Nous sommes fous!
(We're crazy!)
My lovely family ♥
Bordeaux!!!
Finally after waiting my entire stay in France I was able to go visit Bordeaux. I went with Pili and Olof for the day. I was one of the best day trips of my life! We took the train early Thursday morning (the 4th of July) and spent the day exploring the city.
This tower was used for hanging criminals. Yuck, right? It's actually quite beautiful so it's a shame that was it's purpose.
A beautiful church just next to the monument.
Inside the tower
Looking out at Bordeaux from the first story
To left is the downtown of the city
Pili et moi
We stumbled upon a really beautiful day.
The passage ways were really narrow, scaring Olof and me.
There was only one really steep spiral staircase to access the upper levels of the towers. It was kinda scary!
The realization that we still have 15 more flights of stairs to go up.
There were a ton of gargoyles!
In the lowest level of the tower there was a torture chamber. How lovely!
Olof next to the church.
Olof and I trying to perfect our "sorority girl" pose.
I just loved this building because I could imagine Cinderella living there. It looks like it was built for a princess.
Along the river there were beautiful gardens
Since it was a hot day, there were a lot of people playing in the fountain, including this family riding their bikes right through it.
There were a couple of Jaume Plensa sculptures in the city. I realized that I recognized this sculpture because there is one exactly like this one in Des Moines, Iowa.
Olof et Pili
Becky's!
Au café
Today is Pili's 18th birthday but we'd thought we'd celebrate it a little bit early!
(18 ans jeune, beau, et sexy= 18 years old, beautiful, and sexy)
We also found these slippers. It says "I love bathroom"...what ever that's so supposed to imply.
We love this blog!
"I love mon blog"= I love my blog
There was a tiny farmer's market
Hôtel de ville
Some really beautiful famous fountain
Bordeaux is known for their wine!
Quatre sœurs= Four sisters
I thought of my host sisters Marine, Elise, and Mathilde. Together we're 4 sisters.
Wine!
I only realized that it was Independence during the afternoon. I found an American flag and so I took a picture just to prove that I remembered :)
BACCALAURÉAT!!!
The next day, friday we received the results of our the Baccalauréat. To my surprise...I got my Bac! Meaning that I received my french diploma. And to make it even better- Olof received her Baccalauréat, too! I can't hardly believe it. She came to France one year ago knowing not one word in French. I think this diploma is really a testament to her progress. It still doesn't seem real. :D
I found my name on the list!
For the Bac, they post a list of everyone who receives their Bac. If you don't find your name it means that you don't have your Bac or that you have enough points to do a make up session (le retrappage) to try and get your Bac. The "AB" next to my name is "Mention assez-bien" meaning that I received my Bac with honors.
2 very excited exchange students!
A great way to end the school year! Congratulations Olof and also every else who received their Bac (including my host sister, Mathilde, who received her Bac with honors!)
Yesterday, I had to say good bye to all of the other exchange students. It was really hard to say bye to everyone. Although everyone else is still at Châtellerault, the city feels eerily empty without all the exchange students. Their departure made me realize how soon I will be leaving. I had a rough start during the day, but the afternoon was much better. I went to went a lake, Saint Cyr, where I spent the day celebrating the 18th birthday of my friend, Anaïs. It was an absolutely gorgeous! We spent the day picnicking and at the beach. It was a day truly unforgettable.
Today, I said good bye to Marine, my host sister. I wasn't able to see her much during the year (because she goes to university in Saint-Etienne). However, I felt that in all the time we spent together, she really became my big sister. Saying bye to her this morning wasn't easy. I started packing this afternoon. I had some help from two friends, Zoé and Sarah. Zoé (from Châtellerault) and Sarah (from Italy) were both exchange students who lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin last year with AFS. With their experience, they helped me pack and gave me a debrief on my return to the US. My room currently looks like a tornado hit. Even with all the junk everywhere, I still have the impression that my room is empty.
Bisous,
Becca
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