Lausanne!!

Ecublens, where I actually live, is cute, somewhat charming, a standard European banlieu dans le paysage. Un boulangerie, un hôtel de ville, une église (on a hill, of course), etc. My housing complex is extremely drab, very prison-like with a spectrum of colors only black to white. The view is decent: a glance of the mountains over the building tops.

Lausanne, however, is incredible, beautiful, AMAZING. I should have seen it sooner; until Monday night, I had only had a glance of the city, from the gare to the metro when I arrived. Last week was rainy and cold, which might serve as an excuse for not getting out into Lausanne, but I did feel like an idiot when I finally did go downtown and walk around. Starting at 8:30PM, I...

1. walked the mile from the main metro station down to Lake Geneva (en français, Lac Léman) to see the Jura mountains --> BEAUTIFUL

2. back up to the downtown pedestrian area, looking at the old architecture --> BEAUTIFUL

3. then up further to the medieval cathedral, Notre Dame de Lausanne --> INCREDIBLE


And, as far as I'm concerned, this was only a preview. Lausanne, which dates back to the Gauls and Romans, was built on a plateau. The city is multi-layered, almost 3D; it spirals into itself. Planar maps would be impossible to read, as buildings are built almost on top of each other. The city doesn't look old at all. The architecture, yes, is reminiscent of the 18th or 19th century, but the buildings are by no means crumbling or showing any signs of age. When passing shops, it seems like the 20th/21st century had been built into the existing city, making for an interesting fusion of past and present.

For a city the size of Bryan-College Station, it is wonderfully developed and completely different. For only $40/month, I can get to wherever I want quickly. Absolutely no need for a car.

I'm just now getting started in lab; still dependent on Jacqui, my mentor/supervisor, to show my protocols and how the lab (Laboratory for Mechanobiology and Morphogenesis, LMBM).

I guess my next blogs will be shorter, more interesting version of how ma vie lausannoise develops!