la france

Let me commence this by stating that my formidable touch_typing skills have been affronted by arrogant french keyboards, and i, now having to LOOK where i, typing because many keys are in different places! So i apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes!
So im in an internet cafe right now, ive just met Madame Andre who ill be living with! She lives fairly close to the town centre, in a 4room apartment, shes very lively and keeps busy by singing in 2 choirs and being involved in sporting organisations.. and has been hosting foreign students for 4 yrs! although she speaks no other languages, im pretty happy and im sure shell be fun- she chats like a chatterbox anyway!
Let me start fro, the beginning. it will have to be in dot forms for now, apologies again:

Monday 25th
last dinner with family all together in italy: it didnt really feel like a goodbye as both my parents and i zill sooner or later go back for a fez days, but i wish i could have taken a bit more than films of it back to Oz with me.
after dinner i joined my friend and her friends in the piazza for a while. incredible how all young people smoke over there, from ages 13 or 14. I had to explain to a smoked up long haired hippy that I was madly in love with my own man, thankyou very much, that was fun.

Tuesday 26th
incredibly quick flight to lyon, france, compared to the 18 hrs to get to australia! walked around Chambéry with parents, found it lovely, theres an impressive castle right in the middle of it, with the oldest parts of the city around it. found out pizza is a BIG thing over here, i guess i will probably resort to it a few ti,es for lunch (i have to find my own lunch, not included with Mme Andre).

Wednesdqy 27th
first stop was the castle which houses IFALPES, the french school for foreigners im attending. it was goregous. not one of those stony cold and sqare castles for battle, but a warm pinky coloyured one, situated on top of a little hill, it used to house a royal family. i met some of the organisers and they informed me that on monday ill be taking written and oral tests to figure out at what level im at with the language. theres 75 students starting with me and we will get places in 5 classes, depending on our levels.
my parents and i then had breakfast zith crossaints and bignes, who cares, it was yummy. found out coffee and gelati cost a bit more here than in italy. i had a little dream of stoppin in a cafe every day to watch people go by with a coffee.. i think i will be drinking wine instead, cheaper :)
anyway we got some information on public bycicles (is that spelt wrong..), as ill be renting one for 5 weeks to get around town. fairly cheap.
we then walked around town like headless chickens trying to ensure my health insurance, which no one wanted to give me; it was all solved in 5 minutes when we asked the school about it!
In the afternoon we drove to Annecy, a city on a lovely lake which was soo relaxing. Have you ever seen swans dive for food, Like they throw their heads under water and leave their white pointy bum in the air. Its quite a show! We also watched parent ducks feed their youngs, how sweet.. the little things :)
We had dinner there, on a bench, with bread and some fish patès we bought from the supermarket.

Can you believe this keyboard is making my left pinkie finger hurt? The letter A, most frequent, is right in the upper left angle. not happy.

Thursday 28th
This town has so many patisseries, what else could we choose for breakfast??
We visited the castle of Vizille, not too far from here, lovely for its 100ha of lawn! There is a small river which meets the entrance, surrounded by tall trees, benches (its open to the public) and areas used for apicolture and development of species of flora and fauna. The castle was also most impressive, with one of those huge staircases on the outside.
We then visited Grenoble, close by,

Whops, im being called, i have to interrupt this, will probably post again on monday after my first experiences of the school?? pray for me!!
xo