Monday began with a 9.00 am
microbiology/biochemistry class with Professor Max. There was a
screen and projector and slides and everything to make it feel more
like home.
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Breakfast. French baguettes would become our staple for the next two weeks. The hot chocolate was very nice, but technically I only found that out the next day. |
Our first full French-2 hour-lunch
experience was had in Brassier du Nord. Wei Jie and I split a set
meal that came with escargot and a fake steak made of chicken (at
least, that's what the direct translation of the menu could be). It
was bizarre, ordering in French, and then waiting in anticipation to
see what comes out of the kitchen for you. We spent a good deal of
time poking at our meat and debating whether it was pork, beef, or
chicken. It tasted fine so no harm done. Our dessert was crème
brûlée, which Wei Jie had never had before in his entire life. I
had some coffee which came in a little cup.
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The coffee that came in a little cup. The sugar here is served as a little adorable cuboid. |
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Chocolate mousse. Notice their joy. |
To more serious matters:
Cluny is built upon centuries of
history. It makes for dramatic commentary, and a slight pensive
feeling that the ground you're treading on was probably trod on by
ancient men and donkeys from as early as the 10th century.
On some houses you could trace their history in their ancient facade.
Perhaps not so ancient when you think of dinosaurs, but at least
ancient by human standards. Or ancient to me, seeing as some of the
facades have fixtures dating back to the Renaissance, a period that
seem to belong only in history books and museums and
historically-inaccurate period films. Perhaps I've never stayed or
been to a really old place with a really old history, or not seen
something really old that is still being in use.
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An old, old tower. It's now in a school |
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Another old, old tower. I wrote the name down somewhere, I tell you. |
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The old, old Abbey walls. (If I remember correctly) |
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It amuses me to see cars on a cobblestone street amongst old, old buildings. Then again, most of my life I've seen only asphalt and concrete. |
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Cobblestone roads |
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These, I believe, are Romanesque windows.
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Oh yes, we also went up the Cheese Tower, either named so because cheese guilds commissioned its construction as a lookout tower or people used to store cheese in it. Here are some pictures of the view.
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Cluny, as seen from the Cheese Tower |
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Being touristy. |
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A little model of the Cluny town and the Abbey. The French love their little models. They are anywhere historical. |
Also, it felt awesome having a professor of medieval history give you a tour around a historical town. I'm a geek like that. Thanks Professor Reinert.
After the little historic excursion we went to the local supermarket, the Intermarché, to ogle at their cheese counter, which was very impressive. You don't get cheese counters like that in the local supermarkets in Malaysia, except in the fancy ones that cater to foreigners and people with money to spare. What we have in Malaysia is a huge selection of flavored UHT milk, like grape milk. But that doesn't really compare.
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Cheese counter. All in French, of course. |
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More cheese |
I will end with more pictures of Cluny, and its old, old buildings.
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A map of what the Abbey would have had for its layout. |
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