Learning French. First stop … Fontainebleau.
I moved to France on December 1st to spend 3 months working on my French. My time here has completely exceeded my expectations! My French is definitely improving, I’ve been able to do some climbing, plus have spent some quality time with friends here. I did have to switch my flight home to an earlier date, cutting a month off of my trip, as I learned I got the job I was hoping for in Cape Town, South Africa. Bummer about cutting my trip short, but excited for this upcoming opportunity in Africa.
I had planned on staying in Le Vaudoue, a small village near Fontainebleau, for the whole trip, but felt like it wasn’t an ideal place for a beginning French speaker. I stayed there for 3 weeks and then moved down to Lyon.
I was living in my friend’s weekend home in Le Vaudoue. I stayed there this past April, when him and his family still used it as their full time home. I didn’t realize the level of isolation until I lived there by myself. The best was one day when the post woman came. I think she said something about the house being hard to find. I quickly explained that I didn’t speak very much French and she looked at me oddly, most likely wondering, ”What the hell is this non-French speaking American girl doing at the end of this road?” Haha.
Looking towards the Le Vaudoue house from my neighbors house. Yep… the house is down that road, all by itself in the forest. 
Le Vaudoue “main street”. It consists of a bar, market, pharmacie and a temporarily closed hair dresser. I love the simplicity of this place.
Hiking through the Trois Pignon area with Guillaume and his family.
My mode of transportation. I really liked when I would stop by the market on the way home, carrying fresh baguettes and wine in my bouldering pad.
Guillaume climbing at Cancier Mercier.
David came to visit Fontainebleau. It was his very first time to be in Font… but it had recently snowed. He still was psyched to try at least one problem, trying his luck on this slippery problem at Roche Aux Sabot.
Since I am learning French, I will start writing some French in parenthesis. I wanted to start with this post, but it was going to take me forever. So… I will start to slowly integrate.
Hope you readers are also doing well.
Tags: climbing, Fontainebleau, France, French, travel