I am nice and settled in my little dorm at the University of Dijon and have been enjoying the company of the VEN3 students, Caroline, Pascal, and Jim Lapsley.
This is my room: I have a great window view of lots of trees and am quite close to the bus stop which I frequent to go into town.
To get an idea of who these people are that I've mentioned, let me give you a little background information...
Caroline also just graduated from UC Davis in V&E and is doing a harvest internship at a winery in Burgundy. She will be living with a family in Beaune for the duration of it, but for the last few days she has been visiting us in Dijon.
Professor Lapsley is a Professor from UC Davis Viticulture and Enology and is the instructor of the VEN 3 course (Into to Winemaking).
Above is Professor Lapsley in the CA Republic biking shirt he got from REI
(This is just a taste of my 14 Juillet adventure)
Now, Pascal is a man of many trades. He is the UCD V&E correspondent and trip advisor as well as a Professor at the University of Dijon.
This is Pascal teaching us all how to remove a cork with a knife. Pas mal!
The students of which I speak are all interested in wine and the french culture, but originate from all over California and even New York. Like all groups they come from all walks of life, and it has been fun getting to know them and share what winemaking experiences I have with them.
Pascal and Jim have been nice enough to let Caroline and I join the VEN3 group to their various destinations and amazing meals. To put things into perspective, I will begin with Tuesday night, the night before 14 Juillet, the French national holiday which is the equivalent to the US's 4th of July...
With little to do but settle into my new home, Pascal invited me to join the rest of the group to a restaurant in the Centre Ville of Dijon. Here in this plaza restaurants line the borders with outdoor seating, and in the middle two lines of water fountains shoot high into the air. At one of these restaurants, we join the rest of the city in indulging in life's greatest pleasures, food.
As the wine passes around the table, our eyes, mouths and stomachs feast on the delicious three course meal. Oh la la... the parmesan, tomato risotto is so luscious and savory... the chicken and ratatouille so tender, and the raspberry tiramisu, to die for.
The French really do know how to eat!
After this glorious meal, we all went to an outdoor dance (or rave-like dance) put on my the city's fire station. It was crazy fun and we all danced till our feet ached and our heart's content.
With a big day ahead of us the next day, we walked home around 1AM to get some rest before our bike ride through the Burgundy vineyards.
With expectations of a glorious day passing through the vineyards on bike and enjoying a picnic lunch with everyone... no one could have guessed what 14 Juillet had in store for us.
I think I have seen a lot, but 14 Juillet 2010 in Burgundy goes down in history for me. Stay tuned for my posting!
Cheers!
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