Hi! My name is Lauren Noe and I am currently studying at EM Strasbourg Business School in Strasbourg, France.
Strasbourg is right on the border of France and Germany and is certainly a multicultural and bilingual city, as evidenced by the fact that it went back and forth under French and German control six times. In photos of Strasbourg, you will see Hansel-and-Gretel type houses, the Rhine River, cathedrals, and breweries.
Some of my favorite things to do in Strasbourg so far have been visiting the L’Atelier 116 Bakery, running along the Rhine River, exploring the Petit France neighborhood, and learning more about the history of the city.
Classes start this week and I am looking forward to getting into a routine! I am taking five different classes which are a mix of business classes and french culture classes. Most of my classes fall Monday – Thursday, giving me time to travel on the weekends.
Since I arrived in France about 2 weeks before classes start I have had a good amount of time to settle in and even take a few trips. One great thing about Strasbourg is that it is centrally located in Europe, meaning that, in addition to the Strasbourg airport, there is a myriad of airports you can fly out of (Basel, Baden Baden, Stuttgart, Frankfurt). So far I have visited Lyon and Nice. I am heading to Barcelona and Malaga this week.
The last thing I will say is that it is an interesting time to travel to France. While Americans are having many of the same discussions as the French about migration, healthcare, the economy, and social programs, it is not a surprise that the French communicate differently. Striking, for instance, is one of the most powerful tools of the employee versus his/her employer. Currently, French people are taking to the streets over President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed changes to the pension reform. In Nice, Lyon, and Strasbourg I have witnessed the strikes and I am excited to learn more about France’s civic discourse.
