Early Monday morning we took a bus to Étretat in northern France. You may have seen Monet’s painting of the cliffs with the long oval-shaped hole near the sea, which would be at Étretat. Just for a fun reference.
We pulled into the little town at Étretat, and if my heart wasn’t already in love with Honfleur, I would have bought a house right then and there. The architecture in this little town was different, and very eclectic. It ranged from neo classic to Anglo-Norman, reflecting medieval, Russian, and Flemish inspirations. Coming from the United States, where for the most part, architecture is very similar for expanses of hundreds and hundreds of miles, it was incredible to see the swift change in architectural influence from town to town, and region to region. It was unpredictable, and I like that about France.
So after wading through the gorgeous, twisting streets, we made our way to the pebble-shored sea and saw them straight ahead: the cliffs that Monet painted in the late 1800s, the gaping hole in the middle allowing one end to soak in the water at high tide. A friend and I climbed to the top of the hill opposite the cliffs, and the view was amazing. We saw the sea to the left, the cliffs flirting with the edge of the water. We saw the little town sprawled out in the center of a shallow valley, and beyond that the green cliffs sloping tentatively upwards, gorgeous estates scattered about as lovely afterthoughts. It looked like something straight out of Anne of Green Gables. Or again, a Jane Austin novel. Either way, I felt so humbled to stand in front of something so beautiful, and never before have I had to tear my eyes away from a view to climb back down.
But our next destination was something I have been looking forward to for months. The Université Catholique de Lille in, you guessed it, Lille!! I can’t explain my excitement when I first laid eyes on what will be my home for the next 3 and a half or so weeks...
Stained glass windows. That’s the first thing that caught my eye when I saw the university. Gothic architecture and stained glass windows. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to study in such a gorgeous place! The streets around the university are not too narrow and not too wide, lined on both sides with tall trees and lots of beautiful buildings. A super nice team of interns showed us around our dormitories, and I love our rooms. We each have a single room, which is great because we always have the option of either being together or having a place to retreat and spend time alone. There is a kitchen on the first floor where we have a breakfast of toast and coffee in the morning, and it is quite literally less than a one minute walk to the university just across the street.
Stained glass windows. That’s the first thing that caught my eye when I saw the university. Gothic architecture and stained glass windows. Truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to study in such a gorgeous place! The streets around the university are not too narrow and not too wide, lined on both sides with tall trees and lots of beautiful buildings. A super nice team of interns showed us around our dormitories, and I love our rooms. We each have a single room, which is great because we always have the option of either being together or having a place to retreat and spend time alone. There is a kitchen on the first floor where we have a breakfast of toast and coffee in the morning, and it is quite literally less than a one minute walk to the university just across the street.
We had dinner with some engineering students from the US who are also studying in Lille, and then I went to the grocery store to stock up on the necessities – bread and cheese, among other things. I’ll find the gym tomorrow.
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