Feeling like home and really good pizza...from a cafeteria!

So you know when you are out and about in the city that you live in, just minding your business when you run into someone you know, you chat for a few minutes, and then go on your merry way? Well it happened to me yesterday (Monday)!  I was walking out of the University cafeteria with Lizzie when I ran into a friend I met at church!  We did the whole French kisses-on-the-cheek thing, for a few minutes we talked about classes and the food, and then left.  It was a tiny thing, but so fun to run into someone in FRANCE that I knew not from my program. 

Now about this pizza: the restaurant universitaire, or RU, serves extremely cheap meals, 2,40 euros, each to students everyday, but they dole out much more than you expect.  Lizzie and I thought we would try the pizza line because we had the time.  But you don't just get a slice of pizza--you get a whole, fairly large-sized plate sized pizza that is fresh! And that is not even the end of it: you also get your choice of three of the following: baguette roll, salad, fruit, or dessert.  I don't know how they do it, but it was amazing!  It is probably a good thing the university is decent tram ride away, and my class there is only once a week.

For my lunches on the other 4 school days, IES Nantes has a kitchen with cabinets, two fridges, two microwaves, and a toaster over in it for students to keep food and cook lunches.  So I've mostly had some vegetable soup, a kiwi, some Camembert on toast and yogurt for my lunches!  That is pretty simple to make and cheap too!

Good luck finding deals at wal-mart, publix, and food lion (my personal favorite)! Much love to y'all at Wofford!

Comments

[Dennis Wiseman]

Julia,

I'm glad that you're eating, not wasting away to nothing. I find RU food pretty good, varied, and incredibly inexpensive. I wonder if the novelty wears off after a year of it.

When I taught in France in 76 & 77, my school had a partnership with U. of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business -- very rich and prestigious. While the Wharton students were there, our food was super. The day Wharton left, we got brain. Pass the ketchup.

I like your 'belonging' comment -- through the church, you've gotten out into the 'real' world of France and it gives you a different and more complete sense of really being in a place.

We're on the verge of spring, I'm on the bike, just got back from 9 inches of snow in Boston, and my poor, ailing older dog -- NuNu -- is recovering from a bone spur in her shoulder. Pain meds do wonders for dogs too.

Take care, study some, have fun. Hugs to you and to Lizzie.

DWiseman

[Aunt Georgann]

Way to go Julia! You sound like you are really soaking it all up. It's so nice to read about your experiences. Keep the updates coming...

Aunt Georgann