Ville-la-Grand, France

This is where I have been spending the past week, Ville la Grand. I am here with my friend Melanie who I met last year when I was living in Victoria, B.C. She has been a wonderful hostess to me and makes my stay here very pleasant. She holds way more patience that I, and she teaches me how to use the differnet transit systems that are here. She brought me out to show me around, teaches me proper French vocabulary, and is alway happy to see me.




I'm staying with Melanie, in her apartment in a place called Ville la Grand. The name is very deceiving, and it is a rather small town. I guess I would equate it to Campbellton for those of you who know it. We're on the top floor of a small apartment building that could have easily been someone's house. It's a typcial apartment, rather large for a one bedroom. I suppose the only notable differences are that the main apartment door locks from the inside with a key so techincally she can lock me in. Also, there isn't a shower rather a very deep bathtub with a portable shower head, I'm not sure if this is standard France issue.





...perhaps the most exciting difference for me are the windows here. They swing open inward and they have shutters! I love it. Who needs blinds when you can just close your shutters...





There isn't too much that is going on in this sleepy town. The Church is, or seems like the biggest milestone. There are typical small store around, across the street is the Supermarché, some boulangeries, patiseries, a boucherie (butcher), a bank, post office, a flower shop (la vie en roses), and a few pizza places noteably one called Felix's. This is a very small hole in the wall in which this one man, Felix, makes pizza's and calazones each evening. He says he is his own boss and does not do delivery but it doesn't matter because people are lined up out of the door of his small shop, must be because he cooks out of a wood oven. He is crazy busy, I had to admire his work ethic.















Perhaps the biggest going on of this town is Le Marché on Sunday's. So much cheese... People gather in the street just in front of our place from in the mountains, farms, and may be even further to sell their goods. These goods include fresh cheese, fresh eggs, fresh rotiseree chicken, fruits & vegetables, and of course bread amongst other things. I was excited to go last Sunday, (or in French, Je me réjouis) to go to the market. Melanie had enouraged me to order things on my own... my nerves most times had gotten the best of me but the those guys working the Market stands were happy to entertain themselves on my behalf and teased me about my "Quebecois" french accent. They were very helpful and being the traveling Canadian girl I scored some free bread and vegetables, and a few new friends. The market was great, and this past Sunday I had received many compliments on just how much my french has improved, that makes me happy.



Ville la Grand is about 15-20 minutes away from the Swiss border on the public bus. I usually go into Geneva on a daily basis to see what I can find. It's tricky to get to Switzerland only because there are different transit systems on either side of the border so on the French side I need to give 1.20 Euro's to the driver for each ride, and then once I get to the border (which I just stroll across like I was crossing the street) I need to have 2 Swiss Francs to take the tram car. (The highlight of all of this is that I usually get to buy chocolate to make change for the tram)! Being around here, one usually needs to have both currencies on them at most times which gets annoying really.

On that note, I've tried to simplify my life and have taken up riding my bike to the border and then taking the swiss tram (the tram brings me right into the heart of the city). My bike ride is about 15 minutes away and good exercise. The French are must more accomodating to bike drivers than anywhere I've been cycling in Canada... must be the tour de France that has given them their patience. I am however, no Lance Armstrong... one of these fine days I will go the entire way into Geneva, that is, when it's not raining.