For some reason, French universities have half-term holidays, much like schools in the UK. This is definitely not something to complain about, except that itâs probably why lectures here started all the way back in early September and why we only get Easter Monday off (rather than a whole 4 weeks in Southampton). Anyway, the holidays came at just the right time following 6 weeks of lectures, an introduction week and the French course. In some ways, it felt like my feet had barely touched the ground!
My lovely boyfriend Matt arrived right at the beginning of the holidays so we could do the maximum number of touristy things.
Saturday was a fun and busy day- Ania had found out about a few things that were on. So Ania, Matt, Magda and I set off to Le Criollo chocolate factory where we embarked on a free tour and a spot of chocolate tasting.
Matt and I decided to test some of the more unusual flavours, such as curry, balsamic vinegar, and mushroom.
Then we headed back into the city centre where to celebrate Halloween in Lush, we got our faces painted, made face masks and ate some tasty snacks. Thanks go to LaFee Gribouille for the amazing face painting!
That weekend was also the âBraderie de lâAutomneâ or Autumn Sales- the city centre was turned into a market with some great bargains. To get in the spirit, we ate some more churros đ
On Sundays, museums in Besançon are free which is pretty good. So, we went round the âMusĂ©e de Tempsâ and âLa Maison Natale de Victor Hugoâ. In the time museum, we discovered that Besançon used to produce 90% of watches and clocks in France and we also saw what used to be the worldâs most complicated watch. It did lots of weird things as well as the standard telling of time.
The Victor Hugo museum was a bit tenuous as it is only speculated that he was born there. However, this little museum showcased his life and put it in a modern-day context. Having walked all the way into town, round the museums, then round the cathedral and then up to the citadelle to see the views, we had a relaxed evening testing out the facemasks.
Having a âCarte Avantages Jeunesâ, I get lots of discounts and special offers in the region- again pretty good! We made the most of this, by taking a boat trip along the river, round the city and even UNDER the Citadelle. It was really enjoyable despite the skipper repeatedly pooping his horn to keep us all on our toes.
The really big must-see here in Besançon is the Citadelle so we couldnât miss that. Despite having already been there with Danielle, there was still lots of things that I hadnât yet seen. After a fair climb up the hill, we admired the gorgeous views, checked out the noctarium, zoo, insectarium and aquarium. We both made some animal friends đ
Other touristy activities included a visit to the âHorloge Astronomiqueâ, a patchwork exhibition, seeing a giant spoon and a walk where we saw le âTour Montmartâ- a 16thCentury tower which was part of the old fortifications of the city and later incorporated into Vaubanâs defences when Louis XIV decided that the town should be a key part of the defense system in Eastern France.
The Horloge Astronomique is a giant clock with 30,000 parts and a whopping 70 dials which tell you pretty much everything you could ever want to know, such as the tides in Mont St-Michel.
It sounds like the half-term break was actually more educational than my standard week, but there was still plenty of time to eat pizza, relax, play cards and drink really nice hot chocolate.
All in all a great week and a nice break from lectures đ
Anyone else who wants to come visit me and experience these delights that Besançon has to offer, feel free! (Oh and Matt took most of these pretty pictures- thanks!)