mardi, novembre 21, 2006
La Fac d'Orsay
After a couple of weeks in my new lab, it is starting to feel like home (so is the train on which I spend two hours a day, but that is another gripe), though with significantly less sitting around thinking about cakes and shopping. The work is quite fun and it is a much more positive and motivating atmosphere than the last lab, so if it weren't for the ungodly hour of getting out of bed it would be fabulous! As it is, it is merely almost fabulous.
The university is set in gorgeous grounds, previously the estate of the Renault family château before they had everything they owned confiscated due to some un-patriotic behaviour during WWII- everything including their little car company and their castle and the grounds it sat on. The government kept the car company and gave the grounds to the university building club and sixty odd years later, here we are!
One of the little paths I take through the uni, following the other people taking the same paths! Very pretty, but not kind to equally pretty shoes, sadly not so appropriate in the veritable countryside.
The comparison with Jussieu, the previous uni is astounding. That is worth another post of its own. For now, suffice to say that I am off to a good start here at Orsay and enjoying it very much.
Now I'm off to bed to dream about trains.
The university is set in gorgeous grounds, previously the estate of the Renault family château before they had everything they owned confiscated due to some un-patriotic behaviour during WWII- everything including their little car company and their castle and the grounds it sat on. The government kept the car company and gave the grounds to the university building club and sixty odd years later, here we are!
One of the little paths I take through the uni, following the other people taking the same paths! Very pretty, but not kind to equally pretty shoes, sadly not so appropriate in the veritable countryside.
The comparison with Jussieu, the previous uni is astounding. That is worth another post of its own. For now, suffice to say that I am off to a good start here at Orsay and enjoying it very much.
Now I'm off to bed to dream about trains.
dimanche, novembre 12, 2006
Overbookée
Oh, for the hours of freedom of yesteryear! How far away they seem!
This is just a quick update to assure you we're still alive, but that I have been too busy at my new job to even think about posting stuff here. Add together a slightly hyperactive boss, two or more hours of commuting a day, having to think in french for nine hours a day and to remember thirty new names I can't even pronounce properly, and you have a tired Jenny. But aside from the tiredness, it is going really well, and I am so far enjoying the new job. The people are really friendly and the work is interesting and starting well, so hopefully it should be a good stage.
Anyway, today is Sunday and the microwave just pinged so I'll leave further details 'till the next time.
This is just a quick update to assure you we're still alive, but that I have been too busy at my new job to even think about posting stuff here. Add together a slightly hyperactive boss, two or more hours of commuting a day, having to think in french for nine hours a day and to remember thirty new names I can't even pronounce properly, and you have a tired Jenny. But aside from the tiredness, it is going really well, and I am so far enjoying the new job. The people are really friendly and the work is interesting and starting well, so hopefully it should be a good stage.
Anyway, today is Sunday and the microwave just pinged so I'll leave further details 'till the next time.
dimanche, novembre 05, 2006
Châteaux a-go-go
Taking full advantage of the last of my unemployment freedom and Alex's plentiful holiday time, last weekend we took a 5-day tour of the Loire Valley, about 200 km south-west of Paris, famous for lots of castles and tasty wine.
We stayed in the pretty town of Blois, ate and drank lots of good stuff, relaxed, visited lots of gorgeous châteaux... oh, and risked life and limb when I got behind the wheel of a rental car for my first experience in driving on thewrong right side of the road! Obviously the rental agency weren't as worried as I was, because they didn't even accept my offer to show them my drivers' licence or my passport: Mr Visa was the only card they cared about.
Contrary to what I imagined, it wasn't so hard! Changing gears was okay, round-abouts were okay, parking was okay, figuring out the speed limit was hard (lots of signs with a speed limit crossed out, ie. when leaving a town, 50 with a cross through it, but not many signs telling you what the 50 turned into!), and remembering which side of the car to get in was hardest of all! We hired the car down there though, after catching a train there, so I didn't have the joy of driving in Paris traffic, instead mostly small country roads taking us to an array of amazing fairytale castles.
Alex admires the view from Blois Château.
Me and my baby.
Château Langeais, a medieval fortress complete with drawbridges!
Château Azay-le-Rideau.
Château Ussé: apparently the inspiration to Sleeping Beauty and therefore equipped with a bit of a cheesy staging of the sleepy lady.
An interesting carving on the chapel attached to Château Ussé...
A new friend and I flex together.
Chateau Chenonceau, one of the favourites. It spans the river and during the Second World War, one side of the river was occupied by the Nazis and one wasn't, so the Frenchies could escape over it to safety.
Alex on a drawbridge.
So cold...
Château Cheverny, the real life castle from Tintin!
We even managed to get home a couple of these on the train...
Castles and wine and no car accidents, what more could you ask for? Cheers!
We stayed in the pretty town of Blois, ate and drank lots of good stuff, relaxed, visited lots of gorgeous châteaux... oh, and risked life and limb when I got behind the wheel of a rental car for my first experience in driving on the
Contrary to what I imagined, it wasn't so hard! Changing gears was okay, round-abouts were okay, parking was okay, figuring out the speed limit was hard (lots of signs with a speed limit crossed out, ie. when leaving a town, 50 with a cross through it, but not many signs telling you what the 50 turned into!), and remembering which side of the car to get in was hardest of all! We hired the car down there though, after catching a train there, so I didn't have the joy of driving in Paris traffic, instead mostly small country roads taking us to an array of amazing fairytale castles.
Alex admires the view from Blois Château.
Me and my baby.
Château Langeais, a medieval fortress complete with drawbridges!
Château Azay-le-Rideau.
Château Ussé: apparently the inspiration to Sleeping Beauty and therefore equipped with a bit of a cheesy staging of the sleepy lady.
An interesting carving on the chapel attached to Château Ussé...
A new friend and I flex together.
Chateau Chenonceau, one of the favourites. It spans the river and during the Second World War, one side of the river was occupied by the Nazis and one wasn't, so the Frenchies could escape over it to safety.
Alex on a drawbridge.
So cold...
Château Cheverny, the real life castle from Tintin!
We even managed to get home a couple of these on the train...
Castles and wine and no car accidents, what more could you ask for? Cheers!
