Follow the Southampton’s adventure of Marguerite and Guilhem from the IEMN-IAE, Nantes, France.
Summary Episode:
Discover more about the tradition of the Guy Fawkes Night…
SOU-LANTA / Guys Fawkes Night
Monthly Archives: November 2016
ISLE OF SKYE
Last september with some other international students we decided to rent a car and go to spend a week end in the Isle of Skye. Visiting the Isle of Skye is considered as ” the thing to do in Scotland” according to many touristic guides.
Even if you have to cross all Scotland to go from Dundee to the Isle of Skye I totally recommend taking the trip because the landscapes are absolutely unique. However be careful because the weather is really bad usually over there, so be ready for some hail even in september.
See you next week !
When winter is coming
We all know that it gets cold in Finland in the winter. The temperateness varies considerably between the southern coastal regions and the extreme north.
Since October in Oulu, the cold had settled down. At this period I wore my gloves and my big scarf. But since the beginning of November the snow appeared and covered the streets and trees. It makes actullement very cold. Thus we go every morning to the university with -11 degrees. It is not easy everyday because there are snow on our saddles so our buttocks are wet. And something else, our hair and eyelashes freeze outside. But it’s very invigorative, especially when the sun is present and it reflects on the snow.
The most annoying point on this change, it’s the passage at the time of winter. Now, the night come between 15:30 and 16:00. Knowing that the sun gets up between 8:30 and 9:00, we see very few the sun. And that is going to go only by worsening till the middle of December (where it’s plans only 3 hours of sunshine per day).
But it’s not a reason to stay indoors, so just make the most of the fresh white season and enjoy it !!
Snow in the forests of Oulu
Very cold temperatures and sunset at 15:30
Bergen Challenge 2016
From the 12th to the 16th of October has taken place the Bergen Challenge, a student competition blending sport, animations, games and parties. The purpose of this event, which looks like the ‘Coupe de France des IAE” with more resources, is to gather several schools and university of Bergen and other cities and create 4 days of competition in a friendly atmosphere. I applied to the festival camp as a volunteer and I “worked” 2 nights and the day of the camp’s installation. I was a very funny experience and I’ve learned a lot about Norwegian culture and way of life.
The event started by a show and fireworks (that is the difference with french student events) with musical performance from a DJ.
NHHS foto – Matthieu Hupé
http://bergenchallenge.no/
Grieg hall – Bergen concert hall
Grieg Hall
Grieg Hall is a modern concert hall in downtown with 1 500 seats. It is located next to Festplassen and the lac in the center.
Grieg is the name of a famous pianist and composer, Edvard Grieg. He was born in Bergen in 1843. He is well-known to be one of the leading authors of the romantic period.
I went to this place twice and I really appreciate those moments. First it was at the end of September for a free concert for students. The name of the event was “Sagas – orchestral fantasy music”.
The meeting was at 6:45pm and the concert began at 7:30pm. Before the concert people are welcome to have a drink in the nice hall of the building.
During this concert we heard the philharmonic orchestra of Bergen and a choral, maybe 100 persons in total. They have played famous music from Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Games of Thrones and others from TV series. It was an intense moment and after each piece, a long clapping ovation. Personally, I’d prefer the main theme of Harry Potter.
Bergen’s philharmonic orchestra
The second concert occurred at the end of October and it was open for all. The average age was about 45-50 years old I think, very different from the previous time!
This time we listed the Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven, interpret by a famous conductor, Juanjo Mena. There were many musicians and behind, the Bergen Philharmonic Choir. I was fascinating by the voice of Victoria Nava, a singer.
Considering clapping, this time it was very different and strange for me. At the end of each pieces no one applaud! Just silence. Nevertheless, I saw that people were keep their claps for the end. During 5 -10minutes it was just clapping for musicians and singers. I don’t know if it is the normal way to applaud a classical piece in Norway. From my experience in France he was not the same. Or maybe it is because it’s was a unique symphony and they don’t want to interrupt. If you have any clue, feel free to post a comment below.
Have a nice Sunday 🙂
Inverness and the Loch Ness
Inverness is situated in the Scottish Highlands (north of Scotland) and it is along the River Ness. The city is one of the 6 biggest cities in Scotland and it is regarded as the capital of the Highlands.
Inverness is a very beautiful city, you really have to visit it.
To start you can see the Inverness castle which is dominating the city centre. The castle is wholly pink and you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city. Today the castle is a courthouse and is not open to the public.
Inverness Castle
In the city you can also visit the St Andrew’s Cathedral which is also pink and is richly decorated.
Near Inverness, there is the famous Loch Ness. The Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch with a surface area at 56 km². To enjoy the beauty of the loch, I advise you to do a boat trip on the loch. During the tour, someone tells you the history and the legends of the loch, and maybe you will be able to see the famous Loch Ness Monster if you are lucky! You can do a trip in the journey or the evening, and you can also choose to do a high speed trip. Trips begin at Fort Augustus situated at the other end of the loch.
Loch Ness
Then, you can also visit the Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition, both situated in Drumnadrochit along the Loch Ness.
Urquhart Castle was built in 1230 on a hill along the Loch. The last of the government troops garrisoned in the castle blew up the castle when they left in 1692. So, now you can visit the Urquhart’s ruins and see the life of the noble residents of the castle at medieval times. And, on the top of the hill you have a beautiful view on the loch. The entry costs £7.90 and the visit lasts around 1 hour.
The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition was opened over 30 years ago. The museum presents us the history of the Loch Ness from the ice age to the third millennium, so 500 million years of history, natural mystery and legend. The history of the loch is presented in 7 themed rooms via a hi-tech multi-media presentation with animations, lasers and special effects. You can discover the history of the Loch Ness Monster and learn about rumours, hoaxes and truths about it. You can learn about what has been discovered and what research has been done, and see some of the actual equipment used to explore the loch. The entry costs £7.95 and the visit lasts a little more than 1 hour.
I have presented you the main activities to do in Inverness, and I hope it can help you to organize your trip.
Have a good trip!
Working Conditions in Scotland
Hourly Rate :
The minimum hourly rate depends on the age of people.
The current rates for the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage are :
-25 and over : £7.20
-21 to 24: £6.70
-18 to 20: £5.30
-Under 18: £3.87
Working time regulations
Workers over 18 are usually entitled to 3 types of break :
♦ Rest breaks at work : Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day.
The break doesn’t have to be paid (it depends on their employment contract).
♦ Daily rest : Workers have the right to 11 hours rest between working days.
♦ Weekly rest : Workers have the right to either
-an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week
-an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight
⇒ There is no statutory right to cigarette breaks
They don’t need to work more than 48 hours in a week and they are entitled to 5.6 weeks paid leave per year. Their employer can choose to include public holidays in this total.
Special working conditions for young people
If you are 14 or 15, there are restrictions :
- You won’t be able to work in places like factories or in most pubs or betting shops
- In the summer holidays, you can work for up to 35 hours a week; or eight hours a day
- If you work for more than four hours in a day you must take a rest break of one hour
- You need to take two consecutive weeks of holiday a year, during the school holidays
- You can’t do a job which might be harmful to your health
Christmas
Large shops (over 280 square metres) in England, Wales and Scotland are not allowed to open on Christmas Day. This is regardless of which day of the week it falls on. This means that if you work in one of these shops, you must be given Christmas Day off. However, whether or not you will be paid will depend on your contract of employment.
⇒ We can see that most of the rights and working conditions are almost the same as in France. The largest difference is the hourly rate which depends on the age of people
⊗ Opening hours particularity in Scotland :
Big shops usually open at 9am and close around 5-6pm depending on the day. But small shops open around 8 am and close at 11pm. Workers in shops must be at work 30 minutes before the shop opens because they have to make sure all the stocks are fine, count the money and clean. They leave 30 minutes after the shops close because they have to clean and restock.
Oulanka Trip
My friend and I decided to go in Oulanka where we stayed for three days, we rented a charming cottage. Oulanka (Finnish: Oulangan kansallispuisto) is a national park, on the Arctic Circle. It is best known for its many popular hiking areas. It is one of the best famous parks in Finland. It is a playground for hikers, walkers who want to be at one with nature. By exploring this place, you will discover waterfalls, rapids and large forests. The park area is characterized by its grandiose and changing landscape. Fauna and flora is diversified: Scots pines, spruces, reindeers, fishes and birds are present. It is the perfect place to be.
Six things to do in Madrid
Last time i told you that you can’t be bored in Madrid and I advised you six things to see. But there are much more than only several places to visit. Today I want to share my experience and especially the things that you just CAN’T missed in Madrid.
- Go for a run in Retiro
![ParquedelRetiro_1432204684.3[1]](http://blogspedago.univ-nantes.fr/aaabroad/files/2016/11/ParquedelRetiro_1432204684.31.jpg)
Retiro Park
Retiro Park is the lungs of Madrid with 125 hectares and more than 15000 trees. It is situated in the center of the city. It offers cultural, leisure and sport activities to all people. For me it’s the perfect place to do a little sport like jogging or cycling while benefit from its beautiful gardens.
2. Go to the Bernabeu Stadium tour
The Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is the current home of Real Madrid. Even if you are not a fan of football you should visit the stadium, it is one of the world’s most famous and prestigious football venue. And if you are lucky enough to get a place for a football match it will be impressive!
![casa-botin[1]](http://blogspedago.univ-nantes.fr/aaabroad/files/2016/11/casa-botin1.jpg)
Casa Botín restaurant
Before coming to Spain, I didn’t know that Madrid was the place where the oldest operating restaurant in the world was. It was founded in 1725 by a French man Jean Botin. Generally people take pictures of the storefront but you may also go inside to eat the Spanish and Castilian cuisine traditional recipes.
4. Eat tapas in La Plaza Mayor
![Plaza-Mayor-Madrid[1]](http://blogspedago.univ-nantes.fr/aaabroad/files/2016/11/Plaza-Mayor-Madrid1.jpg)
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor it’s i think the most touristic place in Madrid but it is also the best site for eating tapas with friends and family. The calamari sandwiches and croquetas are my favourite ones!
![fotos-madrid-chocolateria-san-gines-001[1]](http://blogspedago.univ-nantes.fr/aaabroad/files/2016/11/fotos-madrid-chocolateria-san-gines-0011.jpg)
San Ginés chocolaterie
5. Eat chocolate con churros in San Ginés
San Ginés chocolaterie is the perfect place to go in Madrid to enjoy the local’s favourite breakfast: chocolate con churros. Open 24 hours every day, it’s definitely worth a visit even if it’s almost always full. If you are still hungry you can also stop at La Mallorquina patisserie, just a few blocks away, to get some napolitanas (a kind of pastry similar to the French pain au chocolat).
6. Go for shopping in El Rastro
Every Sunday it seems like the whole of Madrid is in one place. There are dozens of stalls set up selling second-hand clothes, vinyl records, jewellery and just about any object you can imagine. This is the most famous and oldest flea market in town.
Obviously these are for me the best things to do when coming visiting this city. But it’s a small overview of what offers the Capital of Spain…
See you !!
Hi everybody, today as promised I will tell you about the food at Keele University.
There is a refectory that is open all week except on weekends. You can have three daily meals. In the morning you can have a traditional English breakfast which consists of bacon, eggs, sausages, mushroom and cheese. It is very different than the breakfast in France. However, I find it very nice because it is not as sweet. There are also several bar on campus where you can buy pizza and other dishes prepared like this. Sometimes it is nice to eat a meal with a pint of beer in a lively bar with good company.
English breakfast in Keele
One of the English specialty is fish and chips. I got the opportunity to eat fish and chips at Liverpool in an authentic restaurant. It was really good. There are also several cafeterias where you can order coffee and muffin between courses. It’s nice to be able to sit down and work here among students who take the traditionnal English tea time. The refectory, cafeteria, and bars aren’t very expensive if you are a member of the University. I can pay with my University card which gives me a discount on the food. I’m really surprise to discover that English people take the dinner at 6 p.m., and sometimes at 5 p.m., too early for me…
Fish&chips in Liverpool
There is also a small grocery store on campus, but it is more expensive than the large grocery stores located in the city. I only use it for small errands. When I want to make a big purchase of a lot of groceries I order my food on the internet. Morrison’s delivers the groceries to my dorm within two days. There are roughly the same products in France with some differences. There are less choices of cheese to choose from and no fresh baguettes!
That’s what I miss the most about France!
See you next week and enjoy!
