I started this on Saturday, but got tired so I am including Sunday and finishing it up together! I have found this neat little site, http://www.ville-limoges.fr/?langue=en-gb, that has tons of places and things to do in Limoges. I decided today to visit a church, Eglise Sacre Coeur, and walk around some more to familiarize myself with the city. As I walked outside to mail some postcards, I met a friend, Didiot, who asked me what I was looking for and so we talked for a bit and he gave me some directions. I did have my map, but since I couldn’t even place myself on it, it isn’t very much help. I got on the bus and headed toward Sacre Coeur, which ended up being right in the centre ville. It was further than I thought! I got off and began walking when I saw a sign and thought "Oh good! A sign so I don’t even need my map!" Well, somehow I didn’t find this church. I went right where it was pointing, but I guess not in the right direction. Eventually, after using my map and finding an alternate street to take, I found it! It was beautiful! Huge inside with these gorgeous stained-glass windows, a nativity scene, candles to light, and lots of handouts. I wanted to light a candle for my Nana because she told me to, but I didn’t have 1 euro and that is what it cost. I was the only person in there, besides the "father" and so I didn’t know if I was supposed to be in there or not. I also wanted to take pictures but didn’t know if that was appropriate so I went for the no and skipped them. Here are some of the outside of the church though. There are many more churches throughout Limoges I am sure I will visit. I decided it must be a French thing to have Sacre Coeur in each city because Paris has one too.
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| Looking at the church, the right side but to the left of the picture below. |
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| The front steps. |
After this I decided to just keep walking and see what all I could find. I was in front of the theatre so I used that as my point of reference. I saw this tall pointy thing and wanted to find out what that was. I walked forever and ever until I found it. It ended up being Limoges Benedictions. Turns out, on Sunday I discovered it was the train station!
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| For some reason my camera turned it blue, but it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! |
Now I know why it was so beautiful! I didn’t walk too close to it because people were coming in, but there was a park that I was in just across the street so I admired from afar. I then recharged my cell phone with minutes I bought from the Tabac shop, which is similar to a gas station, without the gas and more magazines. They have Chupa Chups, these suckers my sister and I used to eat all the time when I was little. I got one of those but it didn’t taste the same as I remember it tasting. Oh well, A for effort. Next I hiked back uphill to the theatre and found a little bar that I wanted to go have a glass of wine in. I ordered a rose, and a "tortilla avec les legumes".
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| Beau Mayne...Bordeaux AOC. |
My wine was good, but not as sweet as I would have liked. The tortilla thing was good as well but definitely not what I expected by any means! After finishing up, I decided it was time to head back home. Walking back, I found this nice little thing on the side of a wall next to a pharmacy, and I found it quite amusing, and apparently there are everywhere, but this is the first one I have seen!
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| It is a condom machine. I guess even if the pharmacy is closed, for 2 euro you can get protection and some glovin' for your lovin'. |
I took the bus back and noticed a definite cold front coming in. I had been perfect all day but walking home I was freezing! I am about to go make some spaghetti-type dish for dinner. I plan on watching some Jonas episodes in French tonight, without subtitles this time, and going to bed. I’ve already read two books, and I think I should divide my time more productively than to Chelsea Handler’s life, as amusing as it is. I must say, I am quite the chef.
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| Considering what it is I cook on, I do pretty well! |
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| Bon appetit! |
After dinner I Skype-d with my mom, sister, and brother-in-law. It was good to talk to them, even though the video wasn’t too clear. I even got to see Sassi! I tried to go to sleep after finishing my study abroad book, but I was not tired. I started reading "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang". My Chelsea Handler non-addiction did not last. Soon I got a text message from Heather (the American teaching English here) asking if I wanted to go to the mall with her and Lelani (the South African girl). Of course I said yes! I was so excited that then I really couldn’t sleep! Finally I fell asleep and got up this morning (Sunday) to ask Kristen if she wanted to go, but I couldn’t find her in her room. Her boyfriend left today so I am assuming she went with him. I got dressed in something besides jeans and a T-shirt and did my make-up and everything. Naturally, the second I walked out it started to rain. Lelani took us to this place called "Family Village" that has a whole lot of shops, but since it is Sunday, everything is closed! Sadly. There is a cute café called Café Madeline that Lelani loves so we went to go there and it was closed! Obviously the French have a problem with Sundays and don’t want anyone to have anything to do! Maybe not, but it was frustrating! Eventually Lelani told us about this place called "Buffalo Grill" that she knows is open. We drove there, over Point neuf. I didn’t know this, but the history of Limoges has a poor side and a rich side, only connected with one bridge. This bridge is point neuf, and now there is a new bridge that connects the town and makes it all one city. Buffalo Grill was over there and it was like a little French-American restaurant! We had some hot chocolate, ordered a meal called "Mix Tapas" that has a couple onion rings, chicken wings, chicken kabobs, and some kind of egg-roll thing. It was very good! Not as good as BWW, naturally, but for France it was a close second! We also had coffee and talked about everything. Turns out, Lelani is 24 and is married to Jacque who plays Rugby professionally. I was wrong about playing for Limoges. They got married in June and she told us all about her struggles finding an apartment. She also told us about South Africa. We talked about race, crime, school, cars, everything! She has the cutest accent and although she says her English is bad, it is far from! She knows very little French, but is taking the class to learn it as well. She knows German, her African language, and English. Heather is from New Jersey and has a boyfriend, Matt, back home waiting on her! She is living with another American in an apartment that is actually an old nurses office for the school. We went there after we left Buffalo Grill and it was really spacious! I am saying that after being stuck in a room with window to wall step-span of seven. It was really cool how it was set up, but it was also scary because she and her roommate are the only people on that hall way, and there are TON of abandon old rooms up there. It was neat. We talked about a lot of places we all wanted to visit. There is one place called Rochechouart which is a city that a meteorite landed by and they built the city on. Also, a beautiful castle and village on a cliff called Rocamadour. I cannot WAIT to go there. We are thinking in the next couple weeks when the weather gets better we will go. Lelani and her husband go every Thursday somewhere, and I have decided to take one day I don't have class and go somewhere as well. I learned about this bus website that will tell me which busses to take to go where I want to go. We already have plans to go visit some of them, and even go to a rugby game! My very first one! I had a blast spending the day with them and hopefully there will be many more to come! I returned home and talked with my friend who gave me directions, Didiot, for a few minutes. I decided, since I finally had coins, I was going to do laundry. Turns out, you have to have a 2 euro piece, and a 50 centime euro piece. I am never going to get to do laundry. Oh well. I am going to make me some more spaghetti since I cannot refrigerate my sauce so I better eat it tonight. I need to shower and go to bed early since I have class tomorrow! I am excited, but I wish I knew what to expect. Apparently our level we tested into was posted on Friday (who knew, apparently not me!) so I am going in a bit early to check that out. I start at 10 and will go from there!
Lovelovelove,
Teryn
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