Savoie-Faire

Nantes (Vacances d'hiver Pt. II)

2009-03-03T21:33:00.007+01:00

Ready to face the brutal jet lag that a one-hour time difference will give you, I arrived in Nantes from Dublin on a Wednesday. Getting from the airport to town was much cheaper than in Chambéry as...

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Ireland (Vacances d'hiver Pt. I)

2009-02-28T17:40:00.003+01:00

After a little over a month before my last two-week vacation it was clearly time for another, and France obliged with a Vacances d'hiver that maybe fell a little earlier this year in my académie to...

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France strikes back: The Grève Nationale in pictures

2009-01-30T12:00:00.001+01:00

Above: The view from midway up the Chambéry Galleries de Lafayette yesterday. Say what you will about that Sarkozy fellow, people listen to the man. Consider today, when this country's major unions...

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Skiing the Alps' best resorts on the cheap: Le Club Alpin Français

2009-01-26T10:20:00.007+01:00

Above: Déjeuner sur la neige during my most recent time on the slopes. (Manet references in travel blogs are wicked sweet.) January was a bit of an exercise in frugality, saving up for adventures...

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Voitures: Crashin' and Burnin'

2009-01-15T13:31:00.006+01:00

At around 2AM this morning, three cars next to my building caught fire. I heard the explosions and assumed there was some sort of construction going on, but when I opened up the blinds to investigate...

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My long, sordid Air India story: Travels between the US and France

2009-01-05T19:26:00.007+01:00

Flying to Europe to the United States costs tons of money, but a couple of airlines provided service from the New York area to Paris for far cheaper than other flights to the region. One flew out of...

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Val d'Isère/Tignes: In which Sam becomes an international skier (sponsors take note)

2008-12-03T16:07:00.003+01:00

Saturday evening I got a text saying "I know it's short notice, but do you fancy going skiing tomorrow? It would have to involve a 5:37 AM train but would be fun!" Tempting. But the skis I bought at...

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Thanksgiving Chez Moi

2008-12-01T12:01:00.005+01:00

I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner last week, marking the first time I had guests at my apartment (it's a bit out of the way). I now know that when people ring the intercom downstairs it will register on...

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November 20, 2008: The Frenchest day so far

2008-11-23T16:39:00.004+01:00

Last Thursday featured a national teachers' strike, but I was dismayed when the two teachers whose classes I taught that day had told me it wouldn't affect my schedule. I therefore woke up as normal ...

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Chambéry-le-Haut: A banlieue of my own

2008-11-17T12:22:00.007+01:00

So after having written about a few of the other places I've visited I realized I'd neglected to give much information about my own surroundings, even though they are comparably much less exciting....

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Essaouira Part II (segues into Marrakech Part III: Epilogue)

2008-11-11T18:46:00.005+01:00

After getting situated and chatting with the Canucks awhile, along with an Australian who like Dave was a veteran of the Bacchanal from the week before, four of us ventured out into the pummeling...

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Essaouira Part I: In which Sam becomes an international surfer (are you listening, sponsors?)

2008-11-11T18:34:00.004+01:00

No pictures were taken on this day, so you'll have to make do with my thousand words instead: With all the rainfall, there ended up being doubt as to whether I'd be able to reach Essaouira at all....

(Full entry at samchambery.blogspot.com)

Marrakech Part II: It's good price.

2008-11-11T17:58:00.007+01:00

Saturday morning I woke up to the sound of rain. In Morocco. Not good. Since the hostel was in a riad, it had an interior open courtyard where ordinarily there would be no shielding from the...

(Full entry at samchambery.blogspot.com)

Marrakech Part I: A Labyrinth (sans Bowie)

2008-11-11T17:28:00.005+01:00

I landed in Marrakech at nightfall and opted to take a bus from the airport into town. It dropped me off at Jemma el-Fna, a hodgepodge of food vendors in a large square at the entrance to the souks,...

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Quantum de Soulagement

2008-11-07T23:42:00.003+01:00

Saw the new Bond movie last night with Flick, Beth, and 2 of their flatmates. Apparently it isn't out in the States yet? I guess because of its British roots it comes out earlier round these parts. 9...

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Allons enfants de la patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivé: Marseille

2008-11-05T21:09:00.003+01:00

Before I delve into the first part of my vacation trip, it is worth mentioning the air of happy relief amongst the teachers at the Lycée today following the American election. The students, for the...

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That's why I come up here: Vélo/Randonnée on Sunday

2008-10-25T18:35:00.001+02:00

The first few weeks here were frustrating in that my level of personal mobility was far lower than what I required: things are spread out here, and the public transportation system is a network of...

(Full entry at samchambery.blogspot.com)

The First Month

2008-10-24T00:31:00.000+02:00

Seeing as I've already been in Chambéry quite a while before setting up this thing (the alternate title of which would be something like "Cham in Sambéry," which even for me is a bit too lame, not...

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