The 2010 ISU graduating class returned to Strasbourg this week from all over the globe, where they were doing their 3 month internships. Internships took place in the US, all over Europe, Nigeria, Japan and Australia. So it looks like Dave will have no end of options of where he could go next summer! The returning students were presenting on their internship experiences this week as well as organizing orientation activities for all the incoming students. So this week Dave and I have been at the ISU campus listening to some presentations and participating in activities of interest!
On Tuesday night we went out for drinks with the ISU group and met a lot of the 2010 graduates - it was great to be able to talk to them to hear about their experiences at ISU and for Dave to get some advice. I think talking to them has put him at ease in some ways and made him even more excited in other ways! It has been a great resource to him to get all of their insights - and he is very glad he has been here this week to meet them.
The place we went to for drinks was called "La Lantern" and was a little bar in centreville. Now most of Strasbourg has businesses in the main floor of the buildings with apartments on the floors above. We were gathered at some tables outside the bar along the street and it was about 11pm. Our group, along with some others who were outside, were not the quietest - so at one point one of the occupants of an apartment above dumped a bucket of water out their window over our heads! I guess this is a common occurrence to indicate to the patrons of the bar that they are being too loud! I think everyone got the hint - for about 5 minutes and then the noise level crept back up. Needless to say, I am glad we are not living over a bar!
On Wednesday we went on a bike tour of Strasbourg with some of the graduating class members. They were able to show us some of the landmarks in Strasbourg and introduce us the biking experience in this city! We went to Petite France (the very picturesque area of the city), the Council of Europe buildings and the European Court of Human Rights, downtown and to Orangerie Park.
Strasbourg is an ideal place for the cyclist - it seems everyone here rides their bike all over the place. You see everything from business men and women riding their bikes to and from work in their professional clothes, young women in flowing skirts riding around and seniors riding to and from the market, with their baskets loaded with baguettes and fresh produce! There are bike paths all over the city and where there are none you ride on the street or on pedestrian walkways. I have to say it was a little intense for me the first time I rode here following the group, we weaved in and out of traffic, pedestrians and other objects along the road! At one point I ran into a pole! Thankfully it was a small pole and I was not going very fast!
After getting used to weaving in and out of “obstacles” I found I was really enjoying biking around Strasbourg and am now thinking about purchasing a bike or renting one long term. For our tour we rented the bikes for the day – however you can also rent them for months at a time and even a year for a fairly reasonable price. So if I cannot find one to buy for a good price I will just rent one for a few months in the fall and the spring – as I do not intend on biking in the winter with snow on the ground! Strasbourg is a great city for walking, but having a bike would be nice if I wanted to get somewhere quickly and did not want to buy a tram ticket....I could even bike down to ISU in the evenings to have dinner with Dave and back again. It is great exercise and so easy to do here given the prevalence of cyclists.
Our tour guides also pointed our where we need to go if we want to walk or bike over to Germany - again their advice was extremely useful as they told us everything is cheaper in Germany - groceries, clothes, toiletries, ice cream! So again, I would love to bike over to do a lot of our shopping there. With a bike it would probably not take me more than 20 minutes or so to get to the German shops.
After our bike ride we decided to spend the evening roaming around centreville. There is always something going on there for tourists and locals to see, so we went and got ice cream (tiramisu ice cream for me and after eight for Dave) and walked around. We came across a bank playing in one of the squares - the band was made up 90% of older men. They were so cute, and Dave humoured me and we stopped and watched them for awhile. I really enjoyed the whole evening!
On Thursday we spent the day doing some shopping. Ever since we moved into our apartment and got our own kitchen I have been really wanting to make a Thai green curry chicken dish that I had started to perfect at home in Winnipeg. At all the grocery stores we went to here I found most of the ingredients I needed but I could not find the essential one: green curry paste! So after a couple of weeks of looking around standard markets and grocery stores I went online and found a Thai market between our apartment and ISU! So on Thursday Dave and I set out in search of this Thai market! We took the tram to the nearest stop, then walked in the heat (+30 here yesterday) into the depths of an industrial area and found the market! I was so happy - they had the green curry paste and all the other ingredients I needed at lower prices than the other stores I had seen them at! So I loaded up on my Thai ingredients and left very happy. I will probably cook my dish on Sunday (as the next few days we have dinner plans already)!
In the evening we were meeting up with the ISU group again to go to the "Living Room" - a local club in Strasbourg that apparently is the only place with a decent dance floor. So when Dave and I got home from our days activities we did not have time to make dinner before we went to meet the group. So we decided to take the opportunity to eat at the little Italian deli, Il Girasole, that is in the main floor of our building. Yes, our apartment is above an Italian deli/small restaurant! Everyday I get wafts of mozzarella, basil, olive oil and other heavenly scents hitting my nostrils and making me hungry! It smells divine - so Dave and I decided to finally try it out! We each got paninis - which were amazing! Hot with wonderful smoked Italian ham and melted cheese with basil leaves! This place is going to be a weakness for me all year. And I made the most wonderful and dangerous discovery while in there - they make their own tiramisu! So I have tiramisu available to me 14 hours a day! If I come home a lot heavier than I left - it will be because of this tiramisu! I did not try any last night, but tomorrow for my birthday I will be treating myself to some authentic, delicious looking tiramisu!
Once we ate and were extremely satisfied (!) we made our way to the hotel where the ISU grads were staying to meet up before going to the club. We had a wonderful time visiting with some grads we had not met yet and after a couple of hours headed out to the club. Now ISU hosted what is called the Summer Space Program (SSP) this summer – so people from all over the world were in Strasbourg for the summer doing an intensive summer school program at the campus. So the SSP students hosted this evening at the Living Room. It was reserved just for our group. When we got there the small little place was PACKED with people – the SSP students, the 2010 ISU grads and a few of us new ISU people. I have never been on a dance floor quite so crowded before! Dave and I stayed for a couple of hours and (tried to) dance - but after awhile we were hot, sweaty and wanted to go home to bed! We left the club and made it home just before it started pouring rain! It was definitely an experience!
Today (Friday) we are not doing anything terribly exciting. The SSP reception is tonight at ISU which we may attend - it is free and it is catered! I am going to head to IKEA to get some things for the apartment and Dave is going to relax for a few hours.
Tomorrow we have a BBQ and garage sale at ISU (the graduating students sell off their stuff to new ISU students) and in the evening the grads are hosting a "cultural night" where they present foods and info from the country where they did their internship. So it should be a fun day! And it is my birthday - so I am excited as always!
Sunday we are planning on going into Germany to swim in the mineral spas there - but so far Dave and I are the only ones signed up! So we have to try and get a larger group together so we can all go hang out in Germany for the afternoon!
And then on Monday Dave goes to register and will start classes next week. And then I have to figure out what I am going to do here for the year!
It has been a busy, but good week! We have met a few students that will be attending ISU with Dave this year, although it seems that the majority of the new students are not yet in Strasbourg and are arriving this weekend. So we have only met around 10 of Dave's new classmates and look forward to meeting more in the next few days. We are both excited about what is to come, but also a little nervous for Dave to start school. For him it will be a lot of work and long hours, for me it will be a lot of time alone until I have my own schedule and routine established here in Strasbourg....I am looking into some possibilities for me to fill my days with work and volunteer activities and will update the blog when I have details!
I miss everyone from home and am often homesick - but I am trying to take advantage of this year and all the exciting opportunities it is giving Dave and I. It is quite an adventure for us to start out our marriage with - but I am learning so much, coming to appreciate Dave in new ways, and trusting God to show us what to do with this time and what to do next!
Love Heather & Dave
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