Mixed emotions

As happy as I am that this is my last week in Dijon, I am having such mixed emotions about it. It's crazy that this adventure is coming to an end. It seems like just yesterday I was getting on a plane to come here and now my semester of a lifetime is over... Well in 2 and a half weeks I guess. 

I have 5 days left in Dijon and I'm scrambling to see the last minute sites I never got a chance to go to. I spent some time at Lac Kir yesterday and the parc was absolutely beautiful! Other than that I've been pretty bored and have watched 3 movies in 2 days which is probably more than I watch in an entire year. 

I've decided to go out to lunch almost everyday this week as it's my last time to be able to eat traditional Bourgogne food. I realized I have only spent my days at Dr.Wine, which yes, I went yesterday to get my very last Charcuterie Board. 

I finished my gift shopping yesterday and I can't wait to see everyone when I come home....in 17 dayss!!!! Today is being spent at espresso T getting cappuccinos and editing all my assignments for the semester. Then it's off to lunch and packing since my parents arrive in Paris in 3 days!!! So excited to see then! I've got 1 exam left for the semester and it's off to Germany for the spring beer fest!  

Love Europe!! 

Make a picture

20 cheese tasting, cider, beer, and wine 

Pierre gerbais in champagne 

Turning the bottles 

French Cooking

The past 48 hours have been huge for my stomach...I finally endulged in traditional food from Burgundy. The girls and I went out for dinner on Tuesday night at Dr.Wine to celebrate one of our last nights in Dijon together. Here I tried Snails for the first time! After a brief freak out session, I ate it and it was delicious. The garlic butter parsley sauce was to die for. Last night, we had the privlidge of cooking with a french chef. We made ouefs en meurette, poached eggs in a red wine sauce (DELICIOUS), Poulet Gaston Gerard, chicken with a comte cheese sauce, and had gingerbread for dessert. We were served a sparkling wine with cassis liquor, which is a black current liquor famous of Burgundy and also a lot of red wine. The meal was seriously one of the best I have had. When we walked in the kitchen to cook, I think it was the first moment I experienced culture shock. Sanitation laws are extremely different than the United States and they butchered full chickens in front us and continued to play with their necks and feet. The skin still had feathers too so that was interesting to pluck out...

All said and done, it was a really cool experience and I am so grateful for that opportunity.
Also in class yesterday, we did a tasting, not one I enjoyed though. It consisted of 6 types of foie gras and liver and sardines. The liver literally tasted what I imagine wet cat food to taste like. But hey, I guess you can't leave france without trying it once.

Today though, in my last class of the semester we tasting 20 varieties of cheese with special bread from the region, beer, wine, and cider. We went out with a bang!
Now its off to Champagne tomorrow for our last field trip of the year!

A huge thank you to all my professors for making this semester an experience I will never forget. I never would have had the opportunity to travel to so many places in France and try as many local food and wine products as I did. I'm so lucky to have had this experience and I wouldn't take any of it back for the world.

My hell week has arrived. I haven't had any assignments all semester but of course now that I have 4 days of class left for the semester everything is piled on! Mostly because the school lacks organization and communication. But here's to a week full of 10 page papers, exams, business projects, and marketing plans.. Hope I survive. 

As the semester comes to an end I am missing home a lot. I can't wait to see my family, boyfriend, and friends. Less than a month on the countdown til I am home sweet home! 

Denmark

Copenhagen was beautiful despite the cold rainy weather. We went down to the canal and to the Copenhagen factory, and also got fish pedicures then we just explored the city. Have a layover in Frankfurt then it's back to Dijon for the longest week of my life. At least it's my last week of classes! 

Spain

Last weekend was one of my favorite trips I have taken while abroad....Spain! We spent two days in Madrid and two days in Barcelona and I swear I was in Paradise. I can honestly say that I took part in the craziest adventure, skydiving! It was the biggest thrill of my life and an incredible experience. I was definitely a lot less scared than I thought and the feeling of jumping out of the plane is indescribable. Barcelona felt like a vacation, we sat on the beach and drank lots of sangria and ate lots of fruit! We also road bikes down the boulevard and walked on the jetty.. the perfect getaway.

Yesterday I left for Copenhagen and it wouldn't be a day in Paris if you didn't run down the streets. This time, to get chipotle before it closed because we were pulling an all nighter in the airport to catch an early flight. Now im off to get a fish pedicure and relax for the weekend before the worst week of classes of my life! On a brighter note, my parents come in about 15 days and im home in less than a month! YAY!

Jura

Whoever said school was fun... Was right. We got back late last night from Germany and left early this morning on a class field trip to the wine region Jura. Here we went to a cheese factory and got to try their famous Comte and Morbier cheese. 

Comte being cut 

After the tasting we went and did a very nice wine tasting and a brandy tasting where we tried over 9 different types. After the tasting we were prepared a beautiful meal. We had fresh pain (bread) alongside the most delicious sauasge I have ever tasted, potatoes, and a garlic cheese for topping. For dessert, more Comte cheese, a tarte, chocolate and coffee. Oh and we had 4 different wines with the meal too. 

We also took a nice stroll through the vineyards and obviously hopped a couple barbed wire and electric fences because it wouldn't be a field trip without it. 

The hospitality was wonderful and I couldn't have asked for a better day. I love this French life a little too much I think :) 

The estate 

Beautiful cellar 

Ready for tastings 

Nothing will ever compare 

The view from the top of this hill was beautiful 

The coolest mailbox I've ever seen. One day this will be mine.