**Disclaimer**: This trip to Grenoble did not happen directly after the Belgium trip, I just wanted to write about it while it was still relatively fresh in my mind, and while I'm in the right mood. Coz I'm moody af.
Yeah, so my Friday classes had been cancelled for that week and I finished early on the Thursday, so I was like, gotta seize this opp!
Did a little research and chose Grenoble coz I felt like I was missing the mountains and stuff a little bit. The north is very flat. Like, really flat.
So off I went, from my morning class at school and on a train to Paris.
 |
| Cool old church in Paris |
I had a couple of hours' stop-over in Paris before my train to Grenoble, so I went on a search for a wee bite to eat.
 |
| Hank Pizza - vegan pizza joint! - got this pizza and a choc hazelnut slice |
 |
| Couldn't resist this other vegan place I walked past - got these raw choc truffles (which were AMAZING) and a cacao smoothie |
Fuelled with all this goodness, I was ready for my journey to Grenoble.
 |
| Beautiful Parisian day |
 |
| Cool copper metro station at Arts et Métiers |
 |
| Before all the business men boarded the train |
It's crazy coz like, Valenciennes to Paris is 210km and that trip on the train takes about 2 hours, but Paris to Grenoble is like 575km and that train took 3 hours.
Them TGVs are amazing.
Arrived in Grenoble and made my way to the couch surfing apartment where I was met by my lovely new friend, Aude.
On my way there I saw these cool mini car things that you could rent:
 |
| View from Aude's apartment |
I had all of Friday to myself coz Aude and her flat mate Olivier both work, so I just went a-wandering around Grenoble.
 |
| Unknown building with mountains behind it |
 |
| The Isère River |
 |
| and me |
 |
| That hill is La Bastille - an old war fort that I would later climb up to.. |
 |
| My face when I realised that the téléphérique (cable car) was closed and I would have to walk up.. |
 |
| So I went and got a cappuccino from La Table Ronde - second oldest cafe in France 😮 |
Crossed the river to start the climb...
 |
| A cool turret I saw on the way up.. or I dunno, is this even a turret? |
 |
| Yeah so happy with the climb so far yeah |
 |
| Me 5 minutes later (with choco on my face from the cappuccino) |
 |
| Artistic snap through a hole in the wall |
 |
| Snowy ascent |
 |
| Mid-walk views |
 |
| Fun cloud formation |
 |
| Madeleine and the mountains |
 |
| Thank god for self timer |
 |
| Also thanks to self timer for fab snaps like this too |
Made it back down and took my wobbly, shaky legs to a cute vegan cafe for a shnack:
 |
| Selection of raw desserts w a choc banana smoothie and a tea :P |
 |
| sunLIT mountain |
Olivier (Aude's flat mate) had a few friends over for a bit of salsa dancing and he made us all this really good coconut veggie curry:
Then on Saturday, Olivier drove us up into the mountains for a bit of snow-shoe hiking! It's called randonnée raquette in French - they're like tennis rackets you attach to your shoes..
 |
| Drivin' up |
 |
| Snowy start |
 |
| Me and Aude |
 |
| Looks like a scene from Twilight.. where you at Edward? |
 |
| Climbin' |
 |
| These are the snow shoes! |
 |
| Fellow mountaineers |
 |
| Aude and I battling our way up |
 |
| Me looking spazzy and Aude looking très cool |
 |
| Mountain VIEWS |
 |
| Cross at the top of the hike |
 |
| Kati (Olivier's gf), Aude and me - we peaked |
 |
| Me and my sammie in the mountains |
 |
| Stoked |
 |
Sustained an injury during the hike.
Took a hit.
Made it through.
This is a tale of survival. |
 |
| Pots-hike hot choccy -made with melted chocolate too mmmmm |
Bomb ass lasagne Aude and I made:
She had a friend round for dinner too so it was a mini lasagne party.
On Sunday, Aude and I ate brekkie while watching Trollz - top movie btw, had wonderful messages about the power of positivity and singing. The we biked around town:
Went to a market:
 |
| This guy was reppin' NZ |
 |
| Got unlimited samples of these flat breads while waiting for our wraps. Then the guys asked for our numbers so I realised all the free bread wasn't without an ulterior motive |
 |
| Ate some cheesy spinach pastries too! |
 |
| Went to find a seat but got the death stare from these guys so figured we couldn't steal theirs |
Biking around:
We rode past a group of people singing the Indiana Jones theme song so I joined in as we rode past and they were loving it, it was like a 3 second roadside rager
Views from the Musée de Grenoble:
Had to finish the day with an ice cream waffle basket from Haagen Dazs:
 |
| SO GOOD |
Then yeah, I said my farewells to Aude and I was on my way back home!
I'll end with a few bonus pics which are probably unnecessary but I couldn't delete them:
Yeah, I really enjoyed my little escape to Grenoble, I felt v happy being surrounded by the mountains.
Good use of my long weekend!
And I really liked traveling alone - I am my ideal travel companion, of course.
So yeah, à bientôt!
Madeleine 😊
