Poor Gino had to attend a seminar today, and when I woke up a little later than him, he was getting ready to head to the University. Thijs was still fast asleep, snoring on the couch. I prepared breakfast and relaxed in the early hours, waiting for Thijs to wake.
Today would be a leisure day.
Another study-friend of ours, Chantal, has been living in Grenoble for a year now and Thijs and I were going to meet her for lunch today. Before then, we planned on hitting Grenoble for food. It took Thijs another solid 2 hours to wake up, but when he did, we got ready quickly and we headed out. It was overcast, grey and rainy; we were happy we’d gone hiking yesterday for sure. We got croissants again and nibbled on them while walking to a cafe.
We killed time enjoying coffee and chatting away. Before we knew it it was time to meet Chantal. It had been almost 3 years since I’d seen her last, but she hadn’t changed one bit. It was so much fun to catch up, and the three of us thoroughly enjoyed hearing different sides to some of the same adventures we had during our shared field-work trips in the South of Spain. I thought it pretty amazing how you can live different lives in different countries for several years, but the instant you’re re-united, know that you get along as greatly as ever.
Gino joined us later, the poor guy soaked from cycling through the rain. I had been thinking about a nice activity for the afternoon, but since the weather was not cooperating, doing anything outside was generally out of the question. I googled the possibilities to go bouldering, and found a climbing gym not far from Gino’s house. I pitched the idea to the guys, and they were game. Looked like we would keep the sporty vibe going this weekend!
Quickly we picked up some different clothes and got into the rock-climbing gym sometime around five. It was a nice little area, but with a ton of people making use of the popular indoor activity, it was quite busy. Techno-music was blasting through the speakers and we hesitantly tested the waters a bit, looking around for problems that would match our (novice) level. After trying out several boulders, we started to feel more at ease, appreciating the music more and successfully climbing more different routes. Thijs couldn’t help but show-boating when he found his inner alpha. The kid cracks me up. 
When our muscles grew too sore to support us on the walls, the skin on our hands rubbed raw from the rough holds and our feet in pain from wearing the tight-fitting climbing shoes, we decided to pack up and leave for a well deserved shower. It was a great little intermezzo, and throwing another physical activity in the mix left us fulfilled.
We got ready for dinner and walked back into the city centre. We sat down in a crowded restaurant where Gino and I shared the local cuisine dish “Raclette”, the pinnacle of cheese-galore. We ate so much we burst, and wondered how local people did not all suffer from obesity. But then remembered the mountains at their doorstep, and figured they were probably skiing, hiking, climbing, or paragliding year-round…
We moved over to a communist pub where we stayed until we were the last ones in the joint. As the hour grew later, our stories grew bolder and I would not be surprised if I’ve bruised a few ribs from laughing so hard.
It had been another great day and I’m excited to come visit Grenoble again soon. Tomorrow Thijs and I will be leaving the Capital of the Alps. Nevertheless I’m really quite amped too since:
We’re going to Paris!
In the early morning we’ll hop on the high-speed train, to explore one of my favourite cities in Europe. Thijs already mentioned a great little restaurant we should eat at, and I’m excited to wander around and just enjoy the sights. Let’s keep this train going!
Tell us where you’re from
What you want to become
And we’ll say if you’re OK
Where did you go to school?
Right answer and you’re cool
Yeah, you’re the kid the whole day
You get a sticker in your face
Information ’bout the case
So you know your potential
Don’t think you can extend
Don’t think you can extend, just comprehend
But I don’t wanna hear it
No, it’s more than I accept
No Cigar – Millencolin
