Hi, everyone!
It’s been a while since I last posted. This post is going to be less organized than my previous ones—more of a flow of consciousness. I don’t have a specific topic to address but will rather touch on a handful of different subjects.
My weeklong break vacation, which I referenced in my last post, was surreal. I spent four days in the Provence region in France where I visited Avignon, Orange, Arles, Nîmes, Pont du Gard (one of the best preserved ancient roman aqueducts in the world!), and Saint-Rémy de Provence. I then spent a day in Lyon, after which my friends and I traveled to Alsace to visit Colmar and Strasbourg for the last three days. I won’t go too much into the details of the trip, but I have included some images below. Nantes is great and my IES classes are chugging along, but I do have to admit this vacation week has been one of the highlights of the semester. Southern France was a dream, and if I ever return to France for a prolonged period of time, I would like to spend it there.
The Pont du Gard. Fun fact: this monument is pictured on the 5 Euro bill!
A beautiful city square in the heart of Lyon, near Place Bellecour
My friends and I outside the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg.
Next, I have a fascinating story to tell about my last dessin (drawing) class session here at the Beaux-Arts University. For context, this class is one of the classes I am not taking through IES, and is located at the fine arts university on the Ile de Nantes, an island in the middle of the city on the Loire River. This past week, the class was in a different room than normal, with stand-up easels for portrait drawing placed around the edge. Upon entering, we realized there was a live model in the class for us, and she was standing in the middle of the room wrapped in a sarong. You can probably guess what happened next. Without any prior warning, our class was going to spend two hours doing live portrait drawing of a nude model. This was a shock to all three of us, and I won’t lie and say I wasn’t uncomfortable. However, after setting up my easel and picking up my charcoal, I realized I was going to go for it. I’m in France, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. France is known as a haven for art and portraiture, and frankly, what could be more fitting than this? Yes, it was uncomfortable. Yes, my portraits didn’t look amazing and I am still developing my art skills. Yes, it was odd when the model walked around the room after each round to look at our renditions of her. But, isn’t that what study abroad is all about? I was pushed far out of my comfort zone and took it in stride, and now I have a great story to tell in the future.
Finally, I want to tell you about SUAPS, the sports activity program at the University of Nantes. Students can purchase a semester pass for 50 euros, which gives them access to three different sports. I personally have been doing yoga on Monday evenings. I have a class at the university until 15h (3pm) on Mondays, then spend a few hours in the library before going to the yoga class at 17h30. I have been doing yoga off and on since middle school and was thus excited to try it out in France. There is something incredible about doing yoga abroad; the instructor teaches the class in French, the yoga positions are often new and unfamiliar to me, and sometimes I become lost…but, as I hold a downward dog and glance around me, I realize how similar it is to the classes I have taken in the US. I am across the globe, in a new and still unfamiliar culture, but here I am connecting with others through movement and breath. It’s grounding, calming, and beautiful. I will admit, my back is a bit sore after today’s practice and I know my thighs will be on fire tomorrow, but that’s a small price to pay for something so wonderful.
Walking into the main SUAPS building to go to my yoga class
I will be updating my blog soon with a post before the end of November. Until then, stay safe and healthy.
À bientôt,
Ella