France | Pain au Chocolat? Boulangeries in Bordeaux!

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

It’s a rainy Sunday in Bordeaux, so my friends Adam, Tracie, and Amy and I decided we would spend the morning in a cozy café in the city center.  Little did we realize, brunch is a huge thing in Bordeaux.  Originally trying to eat at the British restaurant The Breakfast Club, which was raved about by other students, we met an hour and a half waiting time to be seated.  So, we walked around in the pouring rain looking for somewhere else where we might be able to eat.  After trying four other cafés and meeting the same fate, we realized we got up a little too late for Bordeaux brunch, as most restaurants don’t take reservations.  

We ended up at Le Parlement, a tea house at la Place du Parlement, right in the center of town.  We each ordered the “petit dejuener gourmand,” which consisted of viennoiseries, baguettes, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, and cake.  It was just delicious, and it inspired me to do a little post about some of my favorite boulangeries in the city!  

 

First of all, there is a very important bit of local slang you must know when you go to a boulangerie in Bordeaux! While in the rest of France, a chocolate croissant is called a “pain au chocolat,” be sure to refer to these little delicacies as “chocolatines” in Bordeaux. People will give you funny looks if you don’t, guaranteed 😉  They will probably follow up with asking if you if you’d like “une poche” for your chocolatines, which is the bordelaise version of “un sac” (or a bag).  Get these words right, and they will know you’re a local!  

One of my favorite boulangeries here is “Le Boulanger de L’Hôtel de Ville” (76 Rue des Trois-Conils, 33000 Bordeaux).  Also great is “La Boulangerie” in the quarter of Saint Michel (51 Rue des Faures, 33000 Bordeaux), and Anaïs from the California office will tell you to check out the boulangerie right across the street from the tram line A station at Hôtel de Ville. 

If you are in the area of Université Bordeaux Montaigne, the closest, and tastiest boulangerie in my opinion is Bernils (92 Avenue du Dr Albert Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac), which specializes in Basque treats!  They also have really great quiches and sandwiches for lunch, which you can combine with a pastry and a drink for about 6 euros.  The only downside is that this boulangerie does not have any seating, but there are nice grassy areas to sit right across the street on sunny days! Another quite good boulangerie close to the university is at the tram B stop at Forum (285 Cours de la Libération, 33400 Talence).  Here there are a lot of tables, so it is a great study spot (and the wifi usually works)! 

Hope you’ll enjoy these recommendations if you find yourself in Bordeaux!  The boulangerie is truly an integral part of French culture, and it is a strange day if I do not find myself in one!  You’ll quickly learn, especially if you are staying in a host family, that bread with confiture and butter is something French people can’t live without for breakfast!  Even if you’re not at one every morning for breakfast, most boulangeries, such as the ones I mentioned, offer very inexpensive lunch formulas, which is great for students!  Bonne dégustation ! 

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

France | Exploring the Outdoors in Bordeaux

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

Now that I’m finally really settled into school and life in Bordeaux, I thought I would share some of my favorite things to do around the city!   

Bordeaux is such a walkable city, so taking a stroll has been a favorite afternoon activity of mine.  Over the weekends I have been taking runs on the quays framing the Garonne.  My favorite “loop” so to speak is running from Pont Pierre, the picturesque bridge built in 1819 to connect the left and right banks of Bordeaux, to Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas, and back around.  Pont Jacques Chaban Delmas is the modern draw bridge that was constructed to allow large ships into the port of Bordeaux. A great Sunday activity is watching the bridge open to allow for the exodus of the enormous cruise ships of tourists that had come into Bordeaux for the weekend.  From this bridge you can also see the Musée du Vin with its stunning architecture, designed to look like wine swirling in a wineglass! 

The best part of this run is along the right bank of the Garonne, which is the much less visited side of the river because it is largely host to modern construction and thus lacks the charm of the left bank.  That said, the right bank offers incredible views of the beautiful buildings of the left bank.  Seeing the Place de la Bourse through the trees while running is simply stunning.  Some weekends there are even sailboat races in the river, making for a great spectacle for a little break from running! 

If running isn’t really your cup of tea, perhaps biking is!  Bordeaux has an incredible bike rental system, called VCub.  With bike parking stations all over the city, all you need is a credit card to rent a bike for 24 hours….and it only costs € 1.60! I have to say biking the same route I described above is wonderful, but biking is also a great way to explore the city itself.  Bordeaux is a city without too much traffic, and most of the streets in the center are closed to cars.  In the busier areas there are always designated bike lanes, so I haven’t had a problem feeling unsafe while biking around here.   

On afternoons free from school, my friends and I have been renting bikes and exploring the city.  We often end up in the Jardin Public after, for some relaxation in the sunshine.  Even though it is nearing the end of October, we still have been having some days with temperature in the 80s! 

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While the Jardin Public is my favorite park in the city, also worth visiting is the beautiful botanical garden, the Parc du Château Piexotto, and the Parc Bordelais.  The Parc du Château Piexotto is only 4 stops away from Université Bordeaux Montaigne, and it is a really lovely place to stop for lunch.  I like to stop at a boulangerie near the park and have a quick snack there during breaks between classes.  The Parc Bordelais is definitely a place you should check out if you feel you need a little touch of nature.  Full of old, enormous trees, this park surrounds a pond full of beautiful birds.  The park is also the home to many animals, from rabbits, to goats, to chickens.    

I’ll have to dedicate the next post to some fun things to do indoors around the city…I have so many cafés to recommend!  À bientôt ! 

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

France | Family Time

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

The past two weekends have been incredible because I’ve got to spend them with family!  Since I do not have any classes on Fridays, I had a three-day weekend to travel to Munich for a “family” reunion on September 15!  My parents, my brother, and my extended family all traveled from California for the special weekend together.  I say “family” reunion because German and American friends also came along, it was incredible!  We spent Friday and Saturday exploring the city, and on Sunday we travelled to a small village about an hour and a half from the city for the formal reunion.  I studied in Paris during the summer before my UCEAP program started in Bordeaux, so it was so nice to be with loved ones after three months apart.   

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This was my first major trip from Bordeaux, so I had the opportunity to better learn how to use the airport here!  The bus line 1 takes riders to the airport, and the ride was free with my Bordeaux public transit card (or the TBM card as they’d call it here).  Volotea is the only airline that flies directly from Bordeaux to Munich, but their flights only run once on Fridays and once on Mondays.  Unfortunately, the timing didn’t’ work out for me, so I had to fly with Air France and stopover in Paris…which is where I had my first major travel problem.  It was only after leaving Bordeaux that I realized I was traveling to the Paris Orly Airport, and that my connecting flight from Paris to Munich would be leaving from Charles de Gaulle…which is a completely different airport.  Oops!  Luckily I figured out how to take the one-hour bus ride between the airports pretty easily after the panic subsided.  I even made my second flight (which was delayed to my advantage)!  

I went back to Bordeaux that Sunday evening, but luckily for me, Munich wouldn’t be the last place I’d see my parents!  They came to Bordeaux on September 21 for another three-day weekend together!  

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We spent one day in the beautiful village of Saint-Emilion, about a one-hour trip outside of Bordeaux by train.  Even better, the train tickets were only €7.50 each way!  This is a trip you must make during your stay in Bordeaux.  The charming medieval village is surrounded by beautiful vineyards, and is the home of the original macarons in France, brought over by nuns.  

Our other two days were well-spent in Bordeaux.  I shopped for some much-needed winter clothes on the famous Rue Saint-Catherine with my mom, and I got to take her to my favorite crêperie in the city.  We also took advantage of the VCub city bike rental system offered here in Bordeaux.  For €1.50 for 24 hours, you can rent a bike and park it at the various stations which can be easily found all over the city.  We rode to the beautiful Jardin Public, and then along the paths next to the Garonne until we reached la Cité du Vin, Bordeaux’s museum on the history of wine.   

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 Needless to say, it was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to my parents at the train station last Sunday, but I am beyond thankful that they had the opportunity to come to Bordeaux.  It was so much fun to show them around my new home!  

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

France | Université Bordeaux Montaigne

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

University classes have begun, and I must admit that the registration process is fairly stressful.  As I mentioned before, all of the students in the UCEAP program have access to all of the University of Bordeaux campuses.  I have decided to try to fulfill a couple of GE and French Minor requirements while abroad, so I will be staying at the humanities-centered campus, Université Bordeaux Montaigne.   

 All foreign students have two weeks to try out different courses before officially registering in them.  In the French system, there are Cours Magistraux (lecture courses), which are often accompanied by a Travaux Dirigié (discussion section).  Some courses have only CM’s, and others only TD’s, but I have found a combination of the two to be the most common.  Most CM courses are 2 hours long, and usually there is not a break halfway through.  Make sure you drink your coffee before coming to class because it is not allowed to have any food or drinks other than water in the lecture halls.  Coming from UCLA, it is a little surprising to not see anyone eat or drink in the classrooms, but, like the extra long lecture times, this is just another little adjustment all of us California students are going through!  

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to try out every course you think you might be interested in within the two-week test period.  I have found some professors to be significantly easier to understand than others.  Do not expect to have a detailed PowerPoint presentation containing images and explanations to accompany your lectures.  Most professors have about 3-5 slides containing key words that they show for each two-hour lecture.  It is quite common that they will sit at a desk in front of the lecture hall and simply speak for the duration of the lecture.  It is a little different than back home where professors tend to be a bit more animated, but this is just a reality of French universities. 

Since I am in the French-track, I am required to take a methodology class, which so far has been a great survival guide to French university!  We learn everything from where we can use our student ID card to pay on campus, to how to properly write essays according to the French standards.   

Students in the English-track program do not have any mandatory classes, but the California Study Center has created a course on French Gastronomy which they have the option to take.  Any remaining spots are offered to students in the French track.  Even though the course is instructed in English, I have been really wanting to learn more about French gastronomy and its regional importance here in Bordeaux, so I felt so lucky to get a spot!  

Students in either the English track or the French track have the option to take courses at the DEFLE, the French department for foreigners.  I have decided to take a class on French press there, but they have other offerings in French tourism, literature, grammar, phonetics, and general culture.   

 In addition to these three courses, I have decided to take a course on medieval art in the art history department.  Today I tried out a course on modern French history, and tomorrow I am trying out another course on Earth systems in the geography department.  In total, we must take a minimum of what equates to 22.5 quarter units.  For most students this is about five or six classes.  With the four courses I have chosen so far, I have 21.5 units, so I am still shopping around for one more class to add.  Wish me luck!  

Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

France | ILP + Excursions

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BY NATASHA SZOMBATHY

For the two weeks leading up to the start of university classes on September 11, our group of UC students had classes for the Intensive Language Program (ILP).  For the first week of classes, we had six hours of class per day, but we only had two hours per day in the second week.  We took the courses at the DEFLE, the department for French for foreigners at the Université Bordeaux Montaigne.  Each UC student was placed in a course according to their results on the placement exam we took in the first week.   

Each class focused on different material, depending on the needs of the students.  I was placed in the advanced class, and we did a light review of grammar (mostly only on the passé simple), but focused much more on written and oral comprehension, as well as written expression.  I know some of the other classes focused more on grammar than we did, but all of the professors were really great at tailoring the subject matter to what the students felt like they needed to learn.  Michel and Christoph, my professors, were so happy to teach us everything from social rules in the tram to how to set the table in France, and even local slang!   

After our first week of the ILP, the entire group of UC students took a trip to le Bassin d’Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe!  We started our visit at le Musée de l’Huître (the Oyster Museum), where we learned all about the unique oyster farming industry in le Bassin d’Arcachon.  It is one of the few places in the world in which oysters can be successfully farmed, as the location offers the precise environmental parameters needed for oyster babies.

As new experts on the oyster industry, we headed over to a restaurant to taste the local delicacies!  For many of us it was our first time tasting oysters, but Joelle made sure to teach us all how to properly eat them!  I can already say that that knowledge has come in handy, as the Bordelaise eat oysters all the time!  Following up the oysters was a feast of roasted ham, salads, fruits, and cheeses.   

Next we were off to the Dune du Pilat.  What better way to work off all that food than to trek up an enormous mountain of sand?  We all thought it would be better to run straight up rather than taking the nice staircase that had been installed for visitors to take up the dune…needless to say we were very breathless by the time we reached the top! We followed up our visit with some relaxing and swimming at the beach!  I highly recommend a weekend at Arcachon if you’re looking for a little relaxing getaway during your semester in Bordeaux!  

The following Wednesday we took a trip after our morning ILP classes to the historic home of the famous French author François-Mauriac, which is surrounded by beautiful vineyards. Following our tour of the residence, we walked through a vineyard with the maker of Sautern wine.  Learning the economic and social importance of the wine industry of Bordeaux from a small-family winemaker himself was immensely interesting, and brought all of us closer to understanding one of the most key aspect of Bordelaise life.  We even got to learn, by tasting grapes off the vine, how a winemaker decides which grapes of his vineyard are ready for harvesting, and how the “terroir” of Bordeaux creates grapes with the unique flavors that define its wine.  

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Natasha Szombathy studied abroad in Bordeaux, France in 2017: http://eap.ucop.edu/OurPrograms/france/Pages/univ_of_bordeaux_coursework_french.aspx

Rome | Another Couple of Running Routes in Rome

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By Andrea Zachrich

So, as you can tell by the maps below, I definitely attempted to run while I was in Rome for the summer (attempted being the key word in that sentence. I started the month working out 5-6 times a week and ended it 2-3 times a week. You win some and you lose some). I think I have mentioned this in every post so far, but Rome is hot during the summer. Like walk outside and feel like you’re melting like the Wicked Witch of the West HOT.

Additionally, the free time we had during the day away from class was smack in the middle of the day. We usually went from 8:30 until lunchtime, and then took a break from class until 4 or 5 pm when we met back up again. As such, I was working out during the hottest part of the day in one of the hottest cities in Europe (I know some of you are going to say “Just go in the morning” to which I respond “no, just no.” But if you like mornings, then by all means go for it). As such, much of my route planning was focused on finding routes that alleviated some of the pain of the heat, which meant trying to run in parks and by water instead of on concrete of cobble stone that really absorbs the heat and throws it back at you. Here’s a couple of ideas for runs in places near Trastevere that aren’t ludicrously hot.

Run #1

As mentioned before, running near a body of water usually means that the air is cooler. Luckily, Rome has a large river, the Tiber, running right smack dab in the middle of it. I tried to plan this run so that I just ran alongside it as much as possible. The run looks kind of haphazard because I sort of made it up as I went along.

Pros of this run:

  1. Running near the water makes it much cooler, especially in the evening
  2. The Tiber can be really pretty in certain places
  3. There is a running path in places along the river

Cons of this run:

  1. There can be a lot of people at certain parts along the river such as one section near the heart of Trastevere where there’s a bunch of shops and restaurants
  2. No water fountains (nasoni) along the river itself, you’d have to pop back up to ground level if you got thirsty.
  3. It’s not the most scenic route – you’re just running next to the river the whole time.

Even with all the cons, I would still recommend the run. It’s easy enough to walk up a set of stairs if you’re dying for water, and if you time it right (i.e. don’t go at dinner time or during a World Cup game oops) then people won’t be a problem. There is a separate path for walkers/runners along the shop area that’s usually pretty free unless it’s a busy time for whatever reason.

Run #2

Again, I tried to find a run where at least a part of it would be off the streets for the sake of keeping cool. The closest park to our apartment, according to google maps, is called Villa Doria Pamphii. It’s the giant green thing you see on the map. I headed off one day to go and check it out on a run, and I was pleasantly surprised.

Some quick background on the park because I was curious after I ran through it:

This park is the largest landscaped public park in Rome (who knew?) It was owned by the Pamphii family until their family line died out in the 17th century and was then passed down to Prince Doria (hence, the double name of the park). The Pamphii’s were very wealthy, and one was even a pope! (Innocent X). The park was purchased by the city of Rome in the 1960’s, and the villa on the property was turned into a museum housing much of the work that was in the collection of these wealthy families (I didn’t end up running by this).

Pros of this run:

  1. The park is beautiful – there’s lots of water and trees and grass and pretty buildings interspaced among the nature and it’s just generally a really nice park.
  2. There’s nasoni all over the park. Being able to do a quick stop (or four) for water during a run in the summer makes the run much easier.
  3. Some of the paths in the park aren’t paved – I guess some people wouldn’t like this, but I trail run a lot at home and I prefer the dirt paths.

Cons of this run:

  1. It’s a mob to get back to Trastevere. On my way home, I encountered the largest outdoor staircase in terms of height I have ever seen (and, mind you, I hunt out large staircases to do workouts on). Even though I love stair workouts, I don’t tend to love them towards the end of a 5 mile run.
  2. You have to run through city streets to get there – not a deal breaker, but the park isn’t THAT close.

Again, I would recommend this run. I really enjoyed the park a lot, and it’s a really convenient place to run due to all the nasoni. Yes, it is rough to get home, but I just told myself I got an extra scoop of gelato that night as a reward for running up that massive staircase. About half the run is inside the park, and the other half isn’t too bad because you’re running through not particularly busy side streets most of the way to get there. If you like running through nice parks, and you’re staying in Trastevere, you should consider giving Villa Doria Pamphii a visit.

Overall, I think running in Rome is actually a really cool thing to do. It gives you a much better sense of the layout of the city, and you’re running through and by history every time you step out the door. During any given mile, you could run past a 2000 year old structure (like the Coliseum), a 17th century villa (like Villa Doria Pamphii park), next to a river that helped build an empire (like the Tiber), or across a bridge adorned with statues designed by the famous Baroque sculture Bernini (like the Pont Sant Angelo). It’s not always comfortable, given the heat and the cobblestones, but I was often so distracted by the fact that I just passed something incredible that it was easy to lessen the discomfort. If you’re a runner, and you have a chance to run while you’re in Rome, do it! I will always have fond memories of my runs in Rome.

Italy | Alla Fratte

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By Andrea Zachrich

What is it?

Alla Fratte is a delicious Italian restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome. It has incredibly fair prices for the food they serve, has a nice atmosphere, and great service (a rarity in Italy!) We found it by chance one day when we searched something along the lines of “good, cheap restaurants in Trastevere” and this place popped up.

Where is it?

It’s in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome fairly close to the main church (Santa Maria in Trastevere). If you want to learn more about Trastevere, peep at my post here! I included a screenshot of a google map below so you know exactly where it is.

Here’s the exterior. I swooped this photo off their website, by the way.

It’s the big red dot in the center!

What should you order?

Everything. I did not have one thing there that disappointed in the four times we went, and neither did any of my friends. I especially liked the appetizers – they have great bruschetta and prosciutto and cheeses (check out the picture below). You also can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas. I really enjoyed the gnocchi as well! If you go as a group, they also do group specials. We went as a group of six one time, and started with a pizza as an appetizer, then some pasta, and then a cooked meat platter (it was amazing!) I wish I had pictures of that meal. The group meal was a little more expensive, but the individual items are super reasonable – especially for Rome. I put a couple of photos of the menu below to give you a little bit of idea about prices.

Why should you go there?

As talked about earlier, it’s got amazing food. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere. The outside of the building is covered with ivy, and the inside walls are covered with murals of famous Roman landmarks such as the Spanish steps. It’s got an old school vibe with table cloths on the tables and a tiled floor.

The interior! (I also swooped this off their website).

The service is also very good. They spoke English quite well. We also had a very funny moment with a server there involving one of the friends in my group. The first time we went there for lunch, my friend (for whatever reason) decides to try and speak in Spanish to the server, but he does so in the most gringo accent I’ve ever heard. The server started laughing, and actually starts to mimic my friend’s American accent in Spanish, and had the whole table cracking up. I can definitely appreciate a place that has a good sense of humor (especially when dealing with us silly Americans).

For some reason, this is the only picture I have of the food we ate there. We usually ate it with so much gusto that I would forget to grab a photo until it was mostly eaten.

Prosciutto e mozzarella we split as a table!

The only bummer about this place is that it’s not air conditioned, but don’t hold it against the place. If you go for dinner, and not for lunch, the temperature inside is not too warm because it’s quite a large restaurant.

So, if you have a decent sized group, or are just looking for some good Italian food while you’re in Trastevere, this is a great option! I hope you enjoy!