Versailles!

This week has gone so fast again, leading to the famous CICE voyage to Versailles! Us ELAs in Lille use this site so much to travel from Lille (4 Cantons) to different cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and more! It's proven amazing for the price and this time it was a trip to Versailles! The Chateau of Versailles has been on my to do list for so long! I've often been told it's something you have to see in France, French student or not. It doesn't disappoint! Arriving at 10:30 AM left Nia, Jess, Lucie and I enough time to jump into the queue before it became so big it double backed onto itself!

The entrance is in the building on the left, but the queue moved fairly quickly. It gave us enough time to also see if we needed tickets. Again, being part of the EU was a blessing, as under 25s in the EU get in for free. If you do not meet this category you pay around 18 euros a ticket. It's fairly pricey, but the gardens are free. As you can see we got extremely lucky with the weather, a key to the day completely!

The size of Versailles reminded me of the grandness of the Vatican in Rome, with it's amazing gold structures and immense size! In the sun it was becoming almost blinding to see! Getting into Versailles took around an hour, which wasn't at all bad in the sunshine of the March springtime! We decided to take the tour of the Chateau first, due to the large masses of people and the gardens second.

The castle was fantastic, with free audio guides that took you through the history of each room you entered, with brilliant facts. I would fully recommend picking one up! They're FREE! Entering the first room we found the King Louis XIV's amazing chapel and his lounge room! Our guide told us over 143 people were painted on the ceiling - very impressive.

This was the chapel ceiling, which was extremely overwhelming! This was the first room and I could have stood for hours just staring at its beauty!

To the right, is the image of the lounge, with the famous supper scene as well as the ceiling with over 143 figures painted on it. An incredible must see!!!!










Our tour continued, with a variety of magnificent rooms, all of which couldn't compare to the wonders of the hall of mirrors. I think it's everyone's favourite room in Versailles, and I can understand why. A huge hall with mirrors on either side, giant chandeliers and gold - just about everywhere. What isn't there to love?

 

I would really struggle to find a more show-stopping room!

I think it really does give the Vatican a run for it's money and is definitely 'the must see' for me in Versailles.

It would be impossible to put all of my photos of Versailles into this blog post, so I would recommend checking out my facebook for all of my photography. I think, however, it would be a shame not to show you all of the best bits, so I have put the following photos together!

After our tour around the castle, we decided to get lunch. Versailles is a huge tourist trap for food! We entered the "snack" bar, to find that a baguette, small 50cl bottle of water and a cake was 10.30 euros! However, when considering the price of items in Paris, this didn't seem too unreasonable - not compared to Café de Flore anyway! The chicken salad baguette wasn't half bad though! We decided to eat behind the palace, in the gardens on the palace steps! How lovely in the sunshine! There are also other food stalls around this area - all, however, are the same brand as this snack restaurant...pricey. This is the only problem with Versailles - there are a few little restaurants around the gardens, but I would recommend either budgeting in food, or taking your own little picnic to save on the money!

The gardens are stunning. If you are over 24 years old you can also rent a golf buggy for 35 euros to ride round the gardens! There is also a little train/bus that will take you around to key areas. Thanks to the beauty of the 'roi du soleil' of the day, we decided to look at the gardens and the other Estates by foot. I couldn't get over how hot it was! The gardens themselves are very open, and an umbrella would definitely be a necessary during the rainy periods (thank god we were lucky). 

 This was the view from behind the castle. As you can see there is a long lake stretching downwards. On this lake, you can rent for 17 euros a boat to "paddle" or row, enjoying the beautiful views and the weather!









The castle garden grounds were enormous. Far too big to do all in one day. It would be fantastic to jump on a RER from Paris on a hot day to simply appreciate their beauty. Spring is becoming the perfect season to do this, with the trees and flowers finally having signs of blooming. I'm jealous of anyone who gets to go and see the blossom here! The picture on the right is taken from a little maze like alley way of the gardens, it's fantastic.
 Whilst trying to find Marie Antoinette's cottage, we found some beautiful scenes in the sun. I was particularly impressed by this little mill, across a lake and bridge.

 Poor Jess Porter, the Marie Antoinette Cottage was under renovation and thus, we couldn't see it! Sorry Jess but thank you for a great adventure to find it!!!!

Another key scene on our adventure was the Love Temple! It was gorgeous and apparently a very huge kissing spot for tourists! Pretty cute if you're in love!

So those were my favourite rooms and spots around Versailles. It is an extremely massive place and I would love to go back again to explore more - preferably on a sunny day! Every French student needs to see this place on their year abroad...Louis XIV would say so himself! 

I don't want to forget this week that I also went BOWLING and to the cinema! The bowling wasn't my key strength but I really enjoyed it anyway! I went with my tutee and she even did my nails! I thought I'd add a few snaps as I really enjoyed it!

As you can see, it was also International Women's Day. I have never been so moved as entering my little primary school Wednesday morning and to have kisses off so many of my class wishing me "bonne fête"...very emotional!

So what's occuring next week? Next week I have a "stage" with Lucie, Julia and of course Caroline! The best bit about this is I get to spend more time with Caroline and her family! Yipee! As for now, it's time to get an early night before the big 6AM Monday get up!

I would like to add a huge thank you to the girls for this weekend day out, but especially to Nia who not only put up with me chatting away all weekend, but also gave me a bed, food and a truly a home this weekend at Lille. You're a star and you'll never know how much that meant to me! I'm extremely lucky to know you, and all my year abroad pals, thank you for everything!!! #Travelbuddies.

JR xxxxxxx

Top 10 Tips for Language Assistants

This is a blog post for anyone thinking of applying to become a language assistant in France. I've written up my top tips that should help anyone becoming/applying to do my assistantship, even if you aren't thinking about Lille as your département. 

TIP NUMBER 1- Have all of your documents prepared before you leave for France.

Make sure all Erasmus papers are printed off (if applicable), all of your insurance is paid for and printed off, you have copies (front AND back) of your passport and ID, you have copies of your birth certificate and you have passport photos taken. Copies of bank documents from your English account can be useful too. Take everything with you!

TIP NUMBER 2- Get passport photos printed. I had 10 and I've nearly used all of these. They come in handy for all types of things - train passes, health card, pass education nationale, my file at school, the list could go on. This is one of the best things you can prepare before you come in my eyes!

TIP NUMBER 3- Set up a bank account, go for your medical check up, do the route to your schools all before school starts - you want to be paid on time and not have to waste weekends doing these jobs! With the bank account - choose somewhere where the card can work online - a lot of my friends and I went cheap - which means no using the debit card for online transactions! This only becomes annoying for travelling - but yet not the end of the world!

TIP NUMBER 4- When applying for the assistantship, think about your location of accommodation. My priority, for example, was living with a French family in Douai. This meant that commuting to work and not living in the city centre didn't matter as much to me. FAIRE ATTENTION, if you don't work live closely with good transport lines to work, this could be difficult. 

This year, I haven't been able to do many soirées mid-week in Lille, due to work commitments. This doesn't make me immensely sad, my priority is my home here and feeling safe. I also have a choice of spending time with French or English people. MAIS I make an effort to see my friends in Lille as much as I can. It's about balance. But consider this when making your choices. 

I would advise considering where you want to live in relation to work and in relation to other assistants. I often spend more than my set amount of hours at work, as it is impossible to nip back home due to the trains being irregular. You may find this tiring. I enjoy it, I'm constantly around French people and I've made some incredible friends. Yet, my other friends in Lille have a lot more free time than me, living closer to their work. 

TIP NUMBER 5- What age do you really want to teach? I didn't really care about this, but I put collège and was happy with receiving two. I also work for a primary school - that is really a joy, as English is one big game! My friends get to do a lot more technical things with their students in the lycées but this doesn't seem any more/less exciting. See what suits you!

TIP NUMBER 6 - Really consider travelling. With a wage, you can go anywhere in France - even Europe! Lille has some brilliant coach trips - taking us to Paris, Versailles, Amsterdam, Belgium the list goes on, for very cheap prices. It's connections are brilliant. It's a lot to consider when picking a département.

TIP NUMBER 7- Are you a home bird? I really am (but I think I'm getting over it a lot!) so the North is very easy access to the UK - even the Ouibus will get you to London cheaply if the Eurostar is too expensive. I can be in London in an hour and thirty mins on the Eurostar! The South is a little more complicated but flying can also be quick!

TIP NUMBER 8- Say "yes" to all opportunities, to travelling, to meals with colleagues, to meals with assistants, to sleepovers, to nights out, to days out. Do it all and do it with passion!

TIP NUMBER 9- IF YOU DON'T TRY TO SPEAK FRENCH HOW WILL YOU EVER GET BETTER??????????

TIP NUMBER 10- Make an effort with the French and the language and you'll never be unhappy! I've made a large effort in awkward staff rooms, eating in the school restaurant with others, meeting other French families (the list goes on) to always talk, to always be interested in other people's days and to always be polite. I'm very out-going so this helps, but I would fully recommend asking people how their day is going and what they're up to on the weekends etc - I've been invited to many meals and occasions through this. Maybe it was luck, maybe it's my personality, but I think trying will always allow you to succeed.

French, Passion & Culture!

It's none stop rain au Nord at the moment - just like being back at home! I have finished my first week back to school after the holidays and it happily feels like I never left. I've had a lovely time this week finishing off The Very Hungry Caterpillar, looking into film genres and telling year 7's about my daily routine! A week's work wouldn't be complete without the amazing school food I've had too, it's been a good one!

This weekend was one I've been looking forward to since before the holidays, a lovely catch up with Julia and a very lush tea house - what could be better?

Chez Méert is one of the best pâtisseries or the best in Lille. Along with its lovely fancy shop front, its tearoom is a must do in Lille. Although, it's almost sure to have a queue! Thankfully for me and Julia, they seated us quickly as a table of two and we spent a lovely 3 hours in deep discussion about life, literature, holidays and of course - which teas and cakes to have.

The menu in this place was a booklet - of excitement of course - and it took me too long to decide what to have. Classic Jess - always a chocolat chaud - but for the first time since I've been in France - macarons. This is probably like swearing, the fact that I haven't already eaten real French macarons, but they were definitely better than those awful ones we have in Cosmos in England! 

To say I was amazed at Méert would be an understatement. Inside with its glass conservatory, beautiful flowers, chandeliers, lamps and wonderful chairs, we really had a café in style. I would say this was one of the loveliest places to have long chats, start my novel or even to watch the world go by!

It's a place I'd love to return to and that I would recommend to ANYONE in Lille. Treat yourself! The day ended in the best way possible - Pizza! It finally stopped raining so Julia suggested a lovely walk to Becca and Lauren's (one day Becca will actually be there when I am!). After a lovely invite Lauren, Luke, Julia and I settled for a feast from Dominos and caught up on the latest news in each other's lives. Loz and Luke, thank you for having us!

This weekend has taught me I love nothing more than to find someone with the exact same passion. Whether that is in the subject I do, the morals and happiness I have, the craziness and wildness I can embody (only on occasions!), the films and music I like - the list can go on. I once found the following quote: 

You'll have more than one soulmate in life, there are different ones for different things.

There are musical taste soulmates

Friend soulmates 

Let's-get-coffee-every-day-together soulmates

Artist soulmates 

etc etc etc

The romantic soulmate is only one aspect of this notion.

The more I've learnt and the more I've grown I've seen who these different people are. These are sometimes the people you need for creativity, you need for motivation, you need to get you through the week. Not everyone will share the same passion as you, the same morals as you, the same sense of humour as you, the same "I want to leave the night club damn early" as you, so these soulmates are definitely people to treasure. They can be family members, professure référantes, friends you've known forever, friends you've known for five seconds, lecturers, teachers, shop keepers, bosses, co-workers, neighbours and more.

It's not every day, for example, I find someone that doesn't want to walk out the room when I talk about France, when I talk about French, when I talk about the future, the past, la recherche du temps perdu...if you let me get that far. What's special about your different soulmates are that they'll understand that part of you, that no-one else will. The desire to travel, the desire to read, the desire to be as crazy as can be, the desire to do an impression of all your favourite disney characters... the list goes on. We have special friends for special moments.  I'm lucky I got to go for un café and get pizza with some of mine this weekend.

I refused to let the rain stop me this weekend and that included today. We have a musée des beaux arts in Douai so I thought - why not check it out! Every first Sunday of the month, all museums in France are free - so il faut que je profite!

The musée was beautiful, I was sad not all the salles were open but I still got to see a variation of different works:

 
  
The one above is Louis XIV arriving in Douai...pretty cool. I enjoyed my little piece of culture for the day, even if it wasn't the biggest museum in the world! I'm really glad I went and after June it'll be fully open again - a good recommendation for those seeking art!

So what's next? This week is BUSY! We have the excitement of the cinema, Versailles and of course Caroline's son's birthday!! It's all go go go! And yes....it is still raining.

JR

xxxxxxx

A little catch up on my Vie Française

Hello after a busy February month!

It's very unlike me not to blog once a week...let alone leaving this for a month! The difficulty when having a blog, is sticking to it like glue - we all know how long a diary lasts for normally! Despite this, I'm back in France after February half term at home!

Yes, the week after my famous 'literary paris trip' with Vanessa, I headed home for February. I booked the tickets home in advance after Christmas, to spend more than two weeks at home in 9 months!
I had an extremely fantastic time, spending the first week with my family and the second a mix of family and friends!

 






I also got taken to see Deaf Havana and for cocktails! You can say I had a very lucky half term!

Coming back to France was never going to be easy for me. I hate saying goodbye to my family. I really think it would be better to throw me on the train and let me cry it out than the suspense of waiting for trains! I don't think saying goodbye will ever get easy. At Nottingham it became one of the worst things for me, saying goodbye after a weekend at home, or a weekend visit from family, saying goodbye to certain a certain Australian and all my American pals, it never went well. Even now, almost three years on, I can't say goodbye! I get really angry at myself, telling myself I love my life in France, why should this be so difficult, but it hurts in my heart and that's all there is to it. My nan tells me I cannot change who I am, so this is me, Jessica who cries when saying goodbye. On the plus side, at least it shows I care!

Coming back to France has began really well thanks to daylight saving - god bless you mother nature.

 
At 7AM there is now light on the way to work! I've never felt so happy! The photos above are taken on the way into Vitry, how pretty! After two weeks and maybe a little more, I've also gone back to exercising and walking lots again! It really does make me feel better.
I've loved getting back into the swing of things with routine, work and of course friends!  The French family have informed me my accent hasn't changed lots since going to England for two weeks, so hopefully there's some progression there that's stuck!

Pancake day came a little late but it happened for us in Douai, in a little crêperie in town. Vanessa and I braved the rough weather to have an after lunch "snack", or a greedy one..including lovely cider!
What more could you ask for!

This week is also about home comforts! I forgot mine after a hectic and chaotic last Friday at home..so now I have a very expensive French equivalent! Nearly 3 pounds for a box of 25 tea bags...not fun but comfort pays!

This week is also the beginning of more grammar, more reading and delving more into lovely literature ideas. I've began to realise how much I love writing and have applied to write for some free online French magazines, as well as keeping more articles for my own platform! I've realised my written French isn't half as good as my speaking and now I'm aiming to improve this - Proust can help right?

It's all about the culture. This weekend I'm having a lovely catch up with my friend Julia, before a chaotic week staying at many French houses, before stopping at Nia's for an adventure to Paris! It's all go go go from here on in, let's hope I've got enough time to do it all. 

Only two months left in the French job..eeeeee! Stay tuned!

JR 

xxx