The Apartment Hunt Continues

I was hoping that I could give some positive news about the apartment hunt by now, but alas, French bureaucracy is a nightmare. I've moved from Joshua's apartment to a nice empty room at Nico's impermanent lodging. Nico is one of my future roommates and it was very generous of him to offer the room. Otherwise, I would be out on the banks of the Garonne with 100 pounds of clothes and not one thing to wear. In the meantime I've been exploring Toulouse, registering for classes, and trying desperately to understand colloquial French.

A candy shop.

Kind of a typical French fountain in the centreville.

A really complex astrolabe at Musee Paul Dupuy.

A globe from the 17th Century. Africa and Europe looked almost perfect. North America, on the other hand, was a series of small islands.

An governmental ordinance from the Renaissance requiring that all clocks be divided into sections of five in order to forget "backwards Gothic ways."

Some friends of Joshua's came into town and we ate out at a nice restaurant. I know I've said this before, but this was the best meal I've ever eaten! Unfortunately, after the gluttony, I felt so nauseated that I honestly considered leaving the table.

Course I: Salad with stuffed peppers

Course II: Strips of duck with potatoes

Course III: Coconut custard

The famous Toulouse sunset from Joshua's window.

Joshua, Maria, and I went to the city hall looking for the museum inside. This was the conversation we had with a Capitole worker.

Man: Hello. Are you lost? What are you looking for?

Joshua: We are looking for beauty.

Man: Ah. Take a left just there and then another left.

Only in France.

The museum inside the Capitole.

My friend attended a wedding in this room.

Place Wilson

The carousel at Place Wilson. This one has two stories.

Absolutely disgusting packaged pig hooves at the local equivalent to Walmart. Just to the left of them are packaged pig ears.

An outdoor vendor selling art by the Garonne. A few minutes later, it started raining and the vendors scrambled to cover everything.

A typically French picnic.

Pont Neuf over the Garonne.

We attempted to have an nice autumn picnic, but got rained out. We moved to the tunnel when our plates overflowed.

"Merde!" yelled Joshua when the new picnic site was ruined by miniature rivers.

Picnic site #3

À bientôt !

La Ville Rose

After literally six months of paperwork and toil I am happy to say I have arrived in France!  This year I am an exchange student at l'Université de Toulouse le Mirail.  We haven't started classes yet because there was a long strike last year and students are just now taking final exams.  Without university, I am free to wander the city at my leisure... and desperately search for an apartment in a city already over-saturated with homeless students!

Lovely flowers on one of my ten or so visits to l'agence.

My friend Joshua, a professor of English at the Mirail, has graciously let me stay with him while I search for lodging.  This is the fountain just below his window.

Le Capitole of Toulouse.  Just two blocks from Joshua's apartment.

By le Garonne with a view of Pont Neuf in the background.  I suggested swimming, but apparently the water is radioactive or at least toxic?

Une galette at the Crêpophile.  It is a crêpe with cheese inside and your choice of other ingredients.

Crêpes for dessert.  Maria looks happy.

Racist artwork at a children's horror house.

Une momie!

At the open air market.

In Joshua'a miniscule, yet colorful kitchen.

Joshua, an amazing cook, slaving away over the little gas burner.

More soon as the search for an apartment continues!

Calgary--North, to the Future!

Last weekend, my friend and I went on a road trip extravaganza to Calgary.  We had a great time, managed to find Canada, and saw some horses as well.

After learning the hard way that Tess is not a talented map reader just as I am not a talented driver, we switched spots, turned the map right side up, and took a sharp right to the north.  Here we see the over-caffeinated speed fiend herself! 

Glacier

It seemed like it might be faster to drive through Glacier National Park than going around.  It was slower, but absolutely gorgeous.

Tess navigated Going-to-the-Sun Road without falling off once.

Emotional support on the narrow little road.  

Spruce Meadows

Our main reason for going to Canada was to attend Spruce Meadows, an international show jumping event.  

This fence demonstrates the highest recorded jump in the six-bar competition at Spruce Meadows--considerably taller than Tess.

Two years ago, Tess competed at Spruce Meadows with her horse Talouse. 

The Canadian's favorite, Ian Millar, jumping over the Canadian flag.

We stayed at a youth hostel in downtown Calgary.  On the one hand, it was great because we met other young travelers and had a more authentic Canadian experience.  On the other hand, the crazy, mumbling German woman one bed over and the crowds of homeless who gathered outside of the soup kitchen next door kind of scared us.   

Downtown Calgary

The Chinese restaurant where I learned that "baby corn" are not actually young corn.

Rice explosion!

Road Trip Part Deux

 This was my interaction with American border control:

Faceless Man:  Do you have any fruits, vegetables, or alcohol?

Me: No.

Man: No alcohol?

Me: No.

Man: Do you have any alcohol in the trunk?

Me: No.

Man:  Please remain in your vehicle as I search your trunk.  Searches trunk.  Finds... no alcohol.

Some extreme car stretching.

Livestock at Large

We had so much fun on our trip!  I was incredibly sad to leave Montana and Tess behind when I left for France last week.  The only solution is for Tess to come to Toulouse so we can do road trips around the Mediterranean.