Une….Deux….Trois

Yes. 3.
Three months (trios mois) and I’m feeling good. I thought november was going to be a tough month, with the excitement of being away wearing off and all. But in fact, it has turned out to be the exact opposite. I have come leaps and bounds in my French and I have made deeper friendships.

Yesterday another exchange friend who lives in Elbeuf came into Rouen for the afternoon. We went into the Museum of the Gros Horlage (Big Clock), and it was rather amazing. Of course it was the one day I didn’t have my camera with me. It goes up an impossibly long flight of stairs with little interesting rooms going off it. At the very top you come to a door that leads outside, to a breathtaking view of Rouen. We were above all the other buildings, looking down on the rooftops of the town, the giant cathedral looking incredibly majestic in the fog, and about 100 other church steeples dotting the city and the surrounding hills. I understand why it used to be called the city of 100 bells. To make everything even more beautiful, the Christmas lights were up, lighting up all the little streets below, and there was a slight misty rain that made everything sparkle. It was magical.

I am headed to Paris this weekend, just for the day. And next weekend is a Rotary meeting for all the exchangers in our district, and it is right here in Rouen. The weekend after that I am off to Italy for 2 weeks for Christmas. Life is good.

(I will remember my camera for Paris, I promise)