Around Grenoble

I haven't done anything extraordinarily exciting in the last week, but I have seen some beautiful things within Grenoble. The weather has definitely gotten colder, and I bought a cozy winter jacket downtown last week.

A view of the mountains from campus

The protests and strikes have been full force, as usual, and the tram, student cafeterias, and other things have been closed for various days of the week. Apparently it is typical to have so many strikes like this in France, it's just that this one is particularity important to the French people. Also, I have not met one French person who likes Nicolas Sarkozy.

Manifestation (protest) that was blocking the tram

It was Shoko's birthday last week, so a lot of people in my class got together at her residence and celebrated.

I always happen to be wearing that green shirt when I post pictures of myself...

I promise that I have more than one shirt in France!

Food and drinks, including Coca cola, of course

D'ou viens-tu? Tennessee, Washington, North Carolina

I like food.
In France, I really like food.
This pizza was excellent.

Every morning there is a market downtown where vendors sell fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables that I would say are the same or cheaper than at the supermarket. I like to go there to get produce when I can as well as pick up a baguette from the boulangerie next to the Notre Dame Musee stop. In fact, yesterday I took the tram to Notre Dame just so that I could buy a baguette for .90 euro from that very boulangerie. I think it is my favorite, especially when the bread is warm.

When I have dinner in the kitchen most nights with people in my hall, sometimes they think what I eat is weird. I like to have eggs and cheese in a tortilla or a sort of egg scramble, but they think that is super strange. Also, tea with milk is apparently so weird, and so is cheese in soup. Today I found out that you always eat cheese before dinner and never after. Lots of people eat yogurt for dessert, and dessert is usually essential.

Part of the market.

My basket of fruits and vegetables...I think it was about 5 euro including the avocado that was a little pricy

I thought I would also include some things that I typically see around the city:

A window displaying slippers. Slippers are very important to French people

A puppet in the window at a shop in the historic district

Street corner

A very adorable book shop
Another beautiful Peugeot

Interesting restaurant/shop with Tunisian cuisine
Historic street
What would Grenoble be without graffiti?
So good.

Today I walked up to the top of the Bastille because it was so beautiful outside even if it was a little chilly. Also, I hadn't seen the view of Grenoble during the day, so I thought it might be cool, especially since it recently snowed in the mountains.

Near the base of the walk up to the top

En route, between all of the stairs

The day view of Grenoble from the Bastille

A little grotto built in the 1800s that is at the top of the Bastille

Inside the grotto

The other end of the grotto

Walking up to the very top after reaching the lower part of the Bastille
Almost to the top!

View from the top. If you look really, really hard, you can see Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe.

On a completely separate note, there is a store in France called Decathlon that sells clothes and gear for just about every sport. This week there was a winter sport sale and there was a bunch of super cheap ski and snowboard equipment.

Skis for 5 euro to 10 euro

A price tag on one of the more expensive pairs of skis, but still a lot cheaper than the original price...800 euro?!

Original price of 970 euro for a pair of skis