No trams on May Day

Wow, I can't believe two weeks have passed since my last update - the time has simply flown by! I'll try to briefly recap: the Monday following my return to Grenoble from Plan de la Tour, several friends and I held a fantastic BBQ in L'Ile d'Amour, a cool island in the middle of the nearby Isere river. Tuesday night, we kept up the year-long Tord Boyaux tradition. On Wednesday evening, we went to a modern interpretation of King Lear at the Maison de la Culture. At 2 hours and 40 minutes, sans intermission, it was an exercise in endurance as well as theatrical French comprehension!

I believe Thursday was a bit of a down day, in preparation for Friday's departure for the south of France. Johanna, Emilie, Ben and I went to Avignon and Nimes, two gorgeous historical cities. On Sunday evening, we hopped on another train and met Penelope, Rachel and Jenny in Montpellier - another vibrant, thriving city. We spent the next couple days on beaches, before racing back to Grenoble late Tuesday in order to pack our bags.

Last Wednesday Jenny, Penelope and I hopped on an early morning train to Geneva, stocked up on dozens of free energy drinks handed out as part of a new commercial promotion, took a shuttle train to the airport and then flew to Amsterdam, followed by... Stockholm! Sweden was amazing (and amazingly expensive; a fast-food "value meal" there hovers around $11 USD) and we met up with several other friends while we were there. Jenny, Penelope and I returned to Grenoble Monday evening, foolishly forgetting that no trams at all were circulating as a result of the May Day holiday. "Fete du travail" in French translates to "Celebration of work" -- or the absence thereof. Fortunately we were able to call Penelope's roommate to come pick us up and graciously transport us to campus. Last night was spent, after seeing V for Vendetta at the theater, at Tord Boyaux... of course.

I had one class yesterday and one today. I've finished my Theme and Version translation exams, as well as Grammar and Techniques of French Expression. Four remain: Professional French, Ireland: The Transformation of a Society, Mythology and Contemporary American History. The latter three are due to take place in two weeks, though I'm going to attempt to take them early.

My flight home is scheduled for May 18 and I remain torn about sticking to it, or extending my stay for a few more weeks in order to see Spain or Tunisia. It'd mean missing my 21st birthday at home and stretching ever-diminishing finances, but those seem like small sacrifices in exchange for further traveling and more time spent with the great friends I've made here.