Désolée, j'étais mangé par mon université...*

* Sorry, I was eaten by my University...

Hmm, it would appear that my blogging skills are as good as my texting skills, ie. full of good intentions but lacking somewhat in the action department - my apologies.  You will doubtless be glad to hear that I managed to fight off the beast which is the various Sécretariats of the Université de Nantes, and I'm fairly confident that somebody knows I exist ^__^  Huzzah.  Existence being established, I can now move on to more pleasant activities.  The problem with journals, whether in electronic or paper form, is that they require more attention than a Tamagotchi and so while I am sure that the past 6 weeks have been bursting with excitement, it's all blended into a blur of overpriced beer, overpriced cinema trips and pain au chocolat which were not expensive enough!  Here are some of the best bits;

 Rings on the Île de Nantes - avid readers may remember that this is where the amazingness that is the Elephant can be found.

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 Château des ducs de Bretagne - Everyone likes to walk along walls, especially when they're Erasmus students armed with cameras and a keen interest in reading all signage.  We didn't visit the museum but it's on my to do list.  Underneath 'eat own weight in crêpes' obviously.  The museums in Nantes are all free on the first Sunday of each month, however, so perhaps worth bumping above what could be a very expensive, albeit delicious, exercise.

'Lieu Unique' or the LU Biscuit factory - Nantes' equivalent to the Custard Factory, the toilets are just as disgusting but I like to think the ambience and clientele are perhaps a little more sophisticated...  

I mean, it has a TOWER with guilding and sculpture stuff on and everything!

The French love English SO much, they even graffitise in it <3  Perhaps I shall use this as a fun, visual aid in my essay on the future of the French language...

These are bicycle lights, kindly modelled by Louisa and Jocelyn - Just in case we decide to take up cycling to University, which I certainly won't be anytime soon NOT because of laziness you understand, but simply because the roads are full of Crazy French Drivers and trams O__o

Cheeky taster of what you have to look forward to next time, namely karaoke and boats.  With VIDEO *cue oohs and aahs*  Providing that the internet lasts that long, am seriously convinced that France hates all things internet-related and would much rather return to writing everything down, which they can then process in their many, MANY offices all of which close for ridiculous amounts of time for such triffling activities as Eating Lunch.  Pish.  Anyway, come again soon ^__^

French idiom du jour = avoir la gueule du bois (to have a wooden mouth -> to be hungover)

Losing my post virginity

I arrived in Nantes two weeks ago but have been rather internetless, as well as obviously being busy living the life of a super cool Erasmus student.  I jest, in fact I seem to have aged dramatically since my arrival en France and now find myself discussing the benefits of early nights with Jocelyn on a frequent basis.  Jocelyn is another student from Birmingham and we both live in Cité Casterneau (a university residence) which is on the East side of the city.  There are quite a few Erasmus students living here, which is good as the French students seem to be either incredibly studious or just really like their rooms...  Speaking of being studious, we are on a Reading Week at the moment and I really should be making a start on my pile of French literature before term starts on the 19th so I shall leave you for now with some photos of Nantes.  But do come back again soon!

 < Les Machines de L'île.

It's a wooden elephant, about 12m tall and he WALKS!  As well as fluttering his eyelashes, waggling his ears, trumpeting and squirting water - he is simply wonderful ^__^  Les Machines are inspired by the writings of Jules Verne who lived in Nantes, you may be most familiar with his book Around the World in 80 Days.

 


Admittedly he can't walk very fast, but it's so much fun!  Apparently they are making him a female friend...

 There has been a big music festival going on along the river banks in the centre of town.  These cranes are from the Japanese Garden there, they had a zen garden and everything - Obviously now have no need to go to Japan to visit the Boy!

 Marnie and Pierre

Fear not, these are not a replacement for Henry and Freddy!  They are included here to represent Ikea and just how important it is to Erasmus students. *pauses for a moment reverentially*  You may scoff, but when you arrive in a new country with not even a PLATE to your name, you soon come to appreciate the small pleasures in life that come from owning crockery and PILLOWS - Come on France, lose this square shaped rubbish, we want RECTANGLES!  Sigh.


 < Token picture of Nantes city itself!  This is a shopping centre which dates from 1800 or something crazy, it is very beautiful.  The city centre is really nice in general, full of cafés and little shops to whom one can donate one's student loan with little difficulty, especially recommend Place de Bouffay for this.  Or Fnac.  Or any of the boulangeries...  For the record, I have been swimming today AND walked all the way round the corner to La Poste so it's definately time for another pain au chocolat.

French idiom du jour = avoir d'autres chats à fouetter (to have other fish to fry / cats to whip)