Mont Saint Michel

Yesterday Joycie, Eric, Tito & I hopped in the car and went to check out Mont Saint Michel. We have heard from so many people that it's worth the trip and amazing. I've been wanting to go for weeks but put it off until Joycie came so we could all see it for the first time together. Driving there I kept catching glimpses of it in the distance, which made the build up even better and more exciting. 

We got there, parked in one of the designated grass lots and from there we had to figure it out. Parking is SO far with not too many signs of where to go next, we were in parking lot 11! There are options of horse drawn carriage, a trolley or walking. We had Tito so the carriage and trolley were out (they didn't allow dogs) so we took the 45 minute walk. Thankfully it was a beautiful sunny day! It also worked out that it was dead low, since you can't get to the island when it's high tide. The walk itself was great, so many people were coming and going and the view of the Mont was beautiful. 

The history behind it is really interesting & amazing for how old it is. We didn't know much about it before going which would have added to the "wow" factor, coming home we looked it up and were even more amazed. "The island has held strategic fortifications since ancient times and since the 8th century AD has been the seat of the monastary  from which it draws its name" (Wikipedia never lies) so that's pretty cool. 

The island itself was packed with tourists from all over the world, we didn't climb the 900+ stairs to the top of the abbey because.. 900 stairs... (Maybe next time!). Everything  was so narrow and crowded that we didn't attempt to go too far up the street. Instead we found the closest gelato shop, got some and climbed up a section of the walls to enjoy the views. 

Overall, it was such a great day! A lot more walking than anticipated (5.5 miles!) but worth every step to see such a pretty and historic place. I had two of my most favorite people and my Tito, it couldn't have been any better of a day! 

Another amazing place to check out of you're ever in northern France! 

Tito + New Tricks

I want to start this off with how much I love Tito. I'm totally that crazy & obsessed dog mom who thinks every single thing (for the most part) he does is adorable, no shame here.  I have an unhealthy amount of pictures of him on my phone & he has his own Instagram.. So yeah. In all fairness, my mom started the Instagram and he has so many followers from all over the world so I had to keep it going. Lol? He's cute and has about 1,000 more followers than me. Whatever. (@ adventures_of_tito) follow him~ 

So, Tito in France.. He did amazing on the plane, the train and the craziness of actually getting to Vitré. He has adjusted to apartment & city living pretty well (just hates when the downstairs neighbors come and go) and for the most part has been his cute self. He was allergic to the food I switched him to here, so that was a bit of a bummer. The allergy didn't show up for almost a month and even then, we had no idea it was the food because he seemed to really love it. Luckily the pharmacy down the road hooked us up with homeopathic medicine, Joycie sent over some of his old food from home and he's back to normal. 

One thing about Tito, he has a bit of a Napoleon complex. After a bad experience as a tiny puppy with a big dog he feels the need to act bigger than he is. Being 8 pounds he seems to feel like he has a lot to make up for. But, since coming to France he has gotten out of control. He tried to beat up a 3 pound chihuahua a few weeks ago.. Talk about embarrassing. He always seems excited to meet other dogs but ALWAYS ends up being the bully. I've mastered apologizing in French and avoiding other dogs at all cost. 

Over the past few days he has been getting super possessive over his treats & things he knows he shouldn't have. SO after some research, it seems as though he feels like he is the leader of our pack. LOL. After more research and reading, we have revamped our rules; we are going to teach him to follow directions better (not just when he wants to) and are going to kick him out of his leader position. This all needs to be done, like yesterday. 

He's SO cute, but he's becoming a little stubborn monster who thinks he runs the show. Consistency is key which will be the hardest part but I'm so ready to take him down, in the most loving way. Sorry for the extra long & crazy dog mom post! If anyone has any tips, tricks, advice, ANYTHING that could be helpful please let me know! 

Hope no one else is living with a tiny terror like we are! He's lucky he's so cute~ 

Week + Weekend Ramblings

The past week has been pretty uneventful, in the best way possible. Eric's basketball schedule has helped us fall into some sort of a routine. He has a super set schedule and I make mine up as I go, which I love. I'm currently bench sitting & people watching and it's a pretty/overcast fall day, it doesn't get much better! 

I have re-found a love for the gym which I'm super happy about! It's my second week back into it and I notice a huge difference. I actually look forward to going everyday, and if you know me.. that sounds absolutely crazy. But I truly love it and Eric comes a few days a week to help! 

Turns out, Tito was allergic to the food we switched him to here. Which you would never know because he really loved it. But it ended up giving him an allergic reaction which turned into a skin infection. Yuck. So, after medicine and medicated cream he seems to be feeling better! We are finally able to head back to the park so he can run around and get his craziness (mostly) out. 

Eric had a home game last night and even though they didn't win, it was a fun game to watch. He did great! Something I had never seen before was a woman referee, I was so surprised to see her & interested to see how it would go. In my opinion, and I'm sure almost everyone there last night would agree, she was awful. I'm all for equality, in every sense and maybe it was this particular woman who was an awful ref.. But (again, in my opinion) if you aren't qualified to play the game, you shouldn't be calling it. Anyway, after the game there was a cocktail party which was fun! 

(Not my pictures-  from where I was I didn't get any good ones!) 

For the rest of the weekend we relaxed, wandered around town & ate delicious food. My cousin got married, I was bummed I couldn't make the wedding but I got to FaceTime in and see everyone! Congrats Laurel & Ed!! Counting down the days (four!) until we have our first visitor, Joycie! 

XO~

Month-aversary

Today makes one whole month since Tito and I came to France. Eric may think I'm crazy for making it a point to celebrate today, but any excuse is a good excuse to get a bottle of wine, baguette and pastry! The month flew by, but at the same time it feels like we have been here for a lot longer. We have settled in perfectly and couldn't be any happier! Vitré is such a great little city and our apartment really feels like home. I'm proud to say, I haven't been homesick.. I just miss people I left at home (and my bed, I really miss that). This blog has also been great, I've had so much fun reflecting on different aspects of life in France and it's been so cool to see where it's been reaching. Besides home, it's made its way around the world, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Tanzania (?!), and a few islands. Seriously, that's super cool. I truly appreciate every single person who takes the time to read, so thanks guys!

Today turned out to be the best kind of Tuesday on top of it being our month-aversary for a few reasons~ 

The sun came out

The past few days have been a bit dreary with rain on and off but today the sun came back! Even though it was only a few minutes + Tito and I still got rained on, we saw the sun! 

I can drive! 

I hadn't driven since I've gotten here. We have a great Volkswagen Golf but I've been so intimidated by the streets & French drivers so I have stayed in the passenger seat. Over the weekend I had to run home from the arena to grab something for Eric before his game, and driving was terrifying. I couldn't even get the car to start.. But anyway, today I  finally felt comfortable driving and actually considered aimlessly driving for a minute. Even though I didn't, it's the thought that counts. Right? 

JOYCIE IS COMING! 

This made my day. My best friend, angel of a mom is booking her flight to come visit! She will be here in a few weeks! And if the weeks fly by like this past week did, she's going to be here like tomorrow! I'm seriously so freaking excited. I miss her so much and can't wait to squeeze her! I've spent all day planning all of the fun things we are going to do. Hurry up and get here Joycie!! 

I hope everyone's Tuesday is as happy and full of deliciousness as mine is~