Uh, je ne comprends pas?

Our weekend trip to France went a bit awry. Instead of Grenoble, we accidentally arrived in Rodez, which was not at all close to where we wanted to be. But that was okay. We hitchhiked to Séverac le Chateau, which was kind of in the middle of nowhere, and by the time we got there, and due to the lack of outward bound traffic (and therefore no more hitchhiking) we ended up having to stay the night there. We initially couldn't find a place to stay. But while searching, Andrew and Juliette walked into a hotel at about 11pm and found a key to a room just sitting on a desk by the door. It was pretty sketchy, but we were desperate and considered just taking the key and the corresponding room for the night for free. There was no reception to talk to of course at this hour, and the lobby and halls were completely dark.

Instead, we walked along a back road and found a hotel and bought a room for the night. Not nearly as cool as sneaking into a hotel room at night, but it was more legal.

The next morning when we left, a random donkey came up from a hill beneath to greet us.

We all harass the poor donkey with our cameras.

Our hotel, the donkey on the left, and Séverac le Chateau, which this town is named after, back in the distance.Nice was nice.

With a few hours to kill before taking us to Montpellier where we could catch the main railway, we went uphill and eventually to the castle. There was a splendid view.

Lost, France.

Atop Séverac le Chateau. Click and drag to rotate 360 degrees.

Another location from atop Séverac le Chateau. Click and drag to rotate 360 degrees.

St. Martin Vésubie in the French Alps. Click and drag to rotate 360 degrees.

Hooray for Day Trips

Views of Dover Priory from the top of Dover Castle.

Those of us without Monday classes traveled down to southeast England to Dover, to see both the Castle there and the White Cliffs. Both were spectacular and I would have liked to stay longer. We arrived by train which took about and hour and a half and went to the hill that the castle is situated at first. Some of the first activity here was by the Romans who built two lighthouses and a series of underground tunnels. These tunnels were kept up, and during WWII were expanded for use by the British Army serving as a strategic position as they are on the coastline facing the Straight of Dover and France. It's also quite a lovely sight.