Okay, I lied.

Last time, I said I wouldn't post another report until after the Paris/Netherlands trip, which starts next Monday. Well, I've had a few days to explore Saintes, and frankly, I am falling in love with this beautiful, charming town. Saintes was originally founded as a Roman settlement in I believe the 4th century B.C. During the Middle Ages, it took on a distinct medieval character that still exists today, and the small town charm has continued through the present time. Saintes is, quite simply, rich and alive with a tremendous sense of history. It's evident in the two iconic cathedrals of the city, St. Pierre and St. Eutrope. It's evident in the city's arch de triumphe, the Arch of Germanicus (which was rebuilt from the original stones after it was torn down in the late 19th century, during the French Revolution, when they tore down anything old). It's evident in the Roman amphitheater west of where I live. It's evident in the random ruins I might come across along the banks of the Charente River. It's evident from the tight, cozy houses packed tightly along narrow, winding roads paved in cobblestone and old gravel.

There's a different culture here too. People walk. A lot. Cars make do with the narrow spaces. There are lots of dogs, and what's better, they're quite well behaved. There aren't as many ammenities as in the U.S., but people make do. In some ways, we're rather spoiled. Here, they have an ingenious (well, sort of; it'd be ingenious to us, but it's rather logical) system at supermarkets where you put a coin into a cart to take it out, then get the 1 euro piece back when you return the carts. You buy plastic bags, then reuse them when you go to the supermarket next time. You work to live, not the other way around, so it's no hassle that all the shops close at lunchtime, after 7:00 PM, and on Sundays. That American culture where everything is there to serve the consumer? Not here. Here, you work a little more. You give and take.

Rather than blabber on, here are more pics:

There's a history museum in Saintes that's been getting limited funding for the past six years, but they did open specially for us to allow us to learn the history of the town. Here's the garden courtyard in the back, which is simply lovely.

From the top of the garden area, you can glimpse various rooftops in the town. The rooftop texture in Saintes is like something out of a storybook.

A nice, huge [chestnut?] tree I saw and liked.

Another view shows a fountain in the foreground.

This is a view from our project site. The site is a hospital complex that will move in the near future. It is situated on a nice plateau that yields some breathtaking views of the town. The tall building is St. Pierre.

Here's another view. St. Eutrope can be seen here. It's pretty cool that you can see the two town icons from the same spot.

A closer view fo St. Eutrope.

Some more neighborhood ambiance shots. I love the winding streets. They encourage exploration and have a sense of mystery. What's behind the corner?

Another shot. Frankly, I could take a million of these and still not adequately document 1% of the city. Honestly.

The Arch of Germanicus, built in 20 A.D. There used to be a Roman bridge that crossed the river, but it was torn down in the 19th century to allow maritime traffic.

Here are two pictures of the pretty Charente River.

Here's me by the Charente again! Isn't it lovely?

A closer look at the triumphal arch.

This is an example of how prominent the town churches are. St. Pierre rises up above the buildings even on the other side of the river. It has a very dominant presense on the town.

Saintes isn't all medieval architecture. There are several commercial corridors, such as Cours Reverseaux, shown here.

I liked this shot. It shows the terrain around our site, which rises dramatically on the east side.

A courtyard in the municipal library... there are lots of little courtyard gardens in Saintes, although most of them are private residential ones.

There's also a pretty big supermarket called E LeClerc (don't say the first 'E') that's basically like a Super Walmart, but with more emphasis on groceries. It has pretty much anything I'd need, though, so that's pretty awesome.

Also, cooking for 16 people is really hard. Two other friends and I did that tonight. It took us 1:45, and that's turned out to be the best time anyone's done this week.

This semester promises to be a very intense one, with lots of work crammed into little time. I'll do my best to send more of these, since I think it's kind of nice to visit places vicariously. I'm definitely having a blast, however, and I definitely love France. Until next time....

Salut!