First Day in Cluny

It feels as though we have been waiting for this day forever, and now its finally here! Our first official day beginning of an intensive, but enjoyable two week class.

We prepared for the long day this morning with a typical french breakfast: consisting of bread, jam, and coffee. It’s not as satisfying as a nice omelette, but that is simply not as the French way. After breakfast, we attended our first class in Cluny at the hostel we are staying at and discussed many biological and enzymatic processes. It was kind of hard to concentrate with the excitement of being in a new country full of history, but we eventually made it through! The class was relieved when we walked to the market and bought food for the next few days. The language barrier was evident when we went to the store and tried to navigate the isles. We all bought different kinds of cheeses and experimented. I bought three kinds of cheeses: Livarot, Macone, and Petit Camembert. We made small sandwiches and will eat the rest of the food tomorrow for lunch at the picnic. We sat and ate lunch together and we all got to know each other a little bit better.

We then took an unofficial tour around the Cluny, which began with a view from the Cheese Tower. I took some  pictures of the view which was very pretty. The city of Cluny has such a rich history, and seeing it in person changes your perspective! Dr. Reinart, a Rutgers professor
showed us around the Medieval part of town, and then we went to the museum of the abbey. A design of the abbey was constructed using an online model and it was quite breath t
aking. Seeing its remains was even more impressive. It was interesting to compare the types of art between the time periods of construction. It was really interesting to see how the town has developed over the years with
such a rich history. Some of the remaining abbey is still used today!
Once we completed the tour, we went to a wine tasting at a local shop and tasted four types of wines: Chablis, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gammay. I really enjoyed the Chablis and the Gammay, which are both on the dryer side. Inspired by the wine, we went out to a local restaurant and ordered pasta. I had pasta with pesto paired with a white wine; in french, this is les pates au pesto au Macon vin Blanc with a shot of espresso for dessert. I went with Jess, Emily, and Isaac and we all seemed to enjoy ourselves. Tomorrow, we are going to a goat farm and a winery!