Boire et manger- et nager!

To drink and eat- and swim!

I have much to update!

Some of my dear friends and I here have decided to start a Supper Club! {un club des diners!}  Each sunday we're going to have a themed dinner at one of our appartments and each person brings a different part of the meal. Our first one is tomorrow [sunday]. I'm pumped! 

We all went out and got a wonderful dinner Friday night. We have such beautiful and wonderfully breezy evenings. We get to pick any of the many restaurants and creperies and sit out on the busy little rues watching the french and their doggies walk by. 

new friends: me- elyse- lindsay [my roomate]- claire- chelsea- helen- savannah

One night we went to get champagne at a fun pub right around the corner. There were these fantastic green lights flashing all around that made for great photos! This is Elyse-

So here are all of the wonderful ladies that I live with here: Whitney, me, Fanny- who is a french gal studying at another university here; she makes sure we practice our french at home hehe- kate, and my roomy lindsay!

And today [saturday] the whole vanderbilt-in-france group got to go to Nice, which is about 2 hours away by bus. What a beautiful blue-skied day we had yet again, exploring the city and beaches. 

 This was an icecream shop [i promise, I don't really eat much icecream here, it just seems that way haha] that had TON of flavors. I had chocolate orange!

The beautiful beaches and clear blue wate. Goodness, how wonderful. 

The ladies on the town again! 

Classes have been going fabulously. I don't think I've updated my blog about my classes much! I met with the director of the conservatory last week to see if I could take any music classes... but he gave me even better news than that!! He told me that I could take organ lessons, choral conducting lessons. Then he explained how they don't have any orchestral conducting lessons and no orchestra in the city here, but that he was a conductor of an orchestra in Marseille, not too far away. He proceeded to tell me that he was going to offer me the unbelievable opportunity of letting me have an internship with him, working with his orchestra in Marseille [a city about 15 minutes away] every tuesday!!! I couldn't believe it. I think he'll even let me possibly conduct the orchestra, even if only in rehearsals... what a phenomenal opportunity-- to work with the director of an entire conservatory privately with an entire orchestra!!! I'm so excied. So all of that starts this tuesday. I'll keep you posted! 

French classes have begun- I'm taking Art History and French Conversation. Two really awesome, but tough classes. Don't worry- its not all icecream and beach trips- we really do have a lot of work to do! Trying to speak and think in French doesn't hurt my brain much any more, but it's frustrating because there are oh-so-many words I want to know in French!! Il viendra avec les heurs [they'll come with time.] 

Vous te manque, mais j'apprends beacoup chaque jour et j'ai un merveuilleux temps - I miss you all but I'm learning a lot every day and having a wonderful time.

-moi [dani]