My Walk

I am not sure if it is even possible, but I am going to try to describe my daily routine that I am lucky enough to have. First of all, my classes don't start until 10:30 which is really nice. Things tend to get going a little later here, as in most people don't go to work until 9:30 or 10. Except for the bakers who start at the crack of dawn so everyone can pick up their fresh baguettes for the day. My walk to town begins on a peaceful street, passing a few small churches and a neighborhood boulangerie. Then I turn the corner and am immediately facing the wonderful chaos of a morning in provence. The first thing I smell are the rotisserie chickens that are just being put out. Then I walk through a stretch of cafes and smell strong french coffee, croissants, and cigarattes (unfortunately). Next comes the bakeries and chocolate shops. Then I cross the most beautiful and famous street in Aix, the Cours Mirabeau. Now I am truly in the heart of the city. There are people everywhere, ranging from little children to college students to sweet older women walking with their friends into the market. And the dogs I get to see every day...this is arguably my favorite part! And so many are French Bulldogs...I always know it will be a good day when I see a cute frenchie walking by me! Beyond the Cours Mirabeau are the flower markets and farmers' markets. This is probably my favorite site of Aix...a large open square full of local flower vendors and farmers selling everything from fish to cheese to fruits and vegetables. After the markets I am just about to my school, which is located in the historic district and overlooks the famous Aix Cathedral. I love this routine and it is only becoming more enjoyable as the weather has finally turned. It takes most people about 20 minutes in total which isn't bad. In "Cally strides," however, it only takes me about 12-13 ;)

Spring has arrived!

The weather has finally made a change for the better and I once again was reminded why I chose to study in the south of France. For about ten days now we have had nothing but shocking blue skies and 65-70 degree weather. The entire city seems to have quadrupled in population now that everyone is out and about and eating outside at all of the cafes, sitting on the fountains eating lunch, etc. The parks are also a fun place to go now that it is warm enough to enjoy a picnic or just to go for a nice walk.

Yesterday I had quite an adventure. I went with a friend of mine down to Nice for Carnival. It is one of the three international Carnivals (the others are in Rio and Venice). It was the most beautiful day and I even got a little suntan--in February! The festivities didn't start until the afternoon, so before that it's fun to walk around Nice and get a great lunch, look at all the fancy little dogs, get some gelato and go lay on the beach! The actual Carnival is somewhat similar to Mardi Gras, but European and a lot stranger. However, my friend and I didn't want to chance it so we went home before it got too wild. I did have a tranny throw glitter down my shirt though. And the big thing during the parade is silly string...it's not even worth peeling it off your hair or body when you get sprayed because literally the second someone sees you clean yourself off they'll come up behind you and spray you again. Anyways, that was a really fun day AND I saw six French Bulldogs (they're my favorite).  Here are some pictures of the floats! I think you have to be European to understand them though...

More than a month later...

I have now been in Europe for over a month... I can't believe it! Time is flying by. I have been trying to figure out how to upload pictures here on the blog for anyone who doesn't use Facebook, so here is an attempt hopefully it works! This is a group picture of my homestay, and of course the dog Siska. Starting on the far left is Grace (my friend and roommate), myself, Diya (from Cornell), Christian the host, Madeline (from Indiana University), and Ann Marie the host mother. It is a bit unusual for a host to have four students--usually it is only one or two. We are fortunate enough to have a very nice set-up though, in a home with enough bedrooms that we all get our own! The picture is taken in the family room where we have dinner every night. While we follow all of the french traditions, it is still a very casual environment so we do not have to worry too much about what we are wearing or what we say, etc--it is super low key. We also eat at 7:30 every night which I am so grateful for, as most families do not eat until 8:30 or 9 which is just too late for my stomach to handle. Siska is the funny, fat little Yorkie mixture in the other picture. He is Christian's pride and joy. Every night, like clockwork Siska starts making these funny noises as soon as cheese is served (but just before dessert) to indicate that it's time for his nightly walk. On the very cold nights (which has been just about every night lately), Christian puts Siska's designer doggie jacket on and they do a little fashion show for us before they go walking, it is so funny.

Classes are still going well and the work is starting to pile up. Classes are all very long which I am still getting used to, but I power through them with the help of delicious cafe au lait. I have been under the weather the past few days unfortunately, but I was able to make it out this weekend for an excursion to Cassis, la Ciotat, and les calanques. Of course it was not the ideal weather to make this excursion but the islands were still beautiful and we had a great guide. There are pictures of these sites on Facebook! Now I am focusing on getting rid of this annoying cold I have so I can start getting ready for my mamasita's upcoming visit to France! À tout à l'heure!

Beginning of Classes in Aix and a Weekend Getaway to Nice and Monaco

Bonjour!

I am officially settled in now and classes are underway. Just like at BC I am in 5 classes (but half are in French). Classes are very long here, so my days typically last from 9:30-5. I am so, so happy with my host family still. We have the most amazing meals every night and I learn so much at the dinner table about the language and the culture I just love it. The weather has been the biggest downer about the semester so far. It's colder than both Chicago and Boston, and it has already snowed multiple times (it hasn't snowed here in about 5 years, just my luck). I have made lots of new friends from all over and they are all so fun and so sweet, I'm very lucky!

This weekend we took a trip to the coast and went to Nice and Monaco (see Facebook for pictures). Nice was beautiful even though it was unseasonably cold, and we had a great hike up this cliff to a waterfall and an amazing view over the Mediterranean and the French Alps in the background. After our hike we stumbled upon a really neat wine museum that happened to have the oldest wine cellar ("cave") in France. We did a rose and champagne tasting and learned so much about french wines. Then we moved on to a perfume factory which was heaven for me. We saw the labs where the oils and alcohols are made and combined and how they make the different scents and soaps etc. I  bought a perfume called "étoile" which means star (because I am one!) Next we went to the hotel, had dinner, and then the highlight of the trip---we went to the famous, beautiful Monte Carlo casino! It was quite a spectacle...Bentleys, Ferraris, groups of mafia-looking men betting 1 million Euro per hand, the whole shebang. We even met the founder of Topshop London (great clothing company) and the Fiat family (the cars). Today (Sunday) we went to Monaco, which is one of the wealthiest places per capita in the world. The yachts were spectacular. We walked all around and went to the grand palace where the royal family lives. We even got to see the princess by accident--she was walking her dog (accompanied by a team of security). It was a fabulous weekend but quite expensive so I'm happy to be back and get some free meals from my host family! Tomorrow is my roommate Grace's 21st birthday so I am also looking forward to that! That's all for now xoxo

J-Term, part II and Aix

Greetings from Morocco! I have now been here for three days. We flew from Marseille (France) to Marrakech and spent several days there at a swanky hotel. Most of our stay in Marrakech involved the medina markets, mosques, and fresh squeezed orange juice from street vendors. The markets were absolute madness. Cars, taxis and mopeds were zooming around even though there weren't even roads and will hit you if you don't move out of the way. Little ankle biter kids will come up and beg from you and steal from you if you're not careful. There were snake charmers and monkeys everywhere and their owners will throw the snakes or monkeys on your head without you asking them to and then make you pay them for it. Then there are an infinite amount of vendors selling all sorts of Moroccan things and you have to bargain with them to get a decent price. Every few hours (beginning at 5am) there is a call to prayer that is blasted on speakers around the city and you hear the imam yelling and chanting and singing at the top of his lungs. It is such an experience. After Marrakech we spend the day in Casablanca before heading to Rabat. These cities are much more metropolitan than Marrakech and in my opinion, much safer.

After Rabat we took our bus to Tangiers at the very northern tip of Morocco and the most amazing and fresh seafood I've ever tasted. We then took a ferry and crossed the Strait of Gibraltar at sunset which was so cool. From the ferry you could see Africa behind you and Spain in front of you. The ferry landed in Algeciras, Spain, where we spent the night at a landmark hotel called the Reina Christina. The next day we spent in Gibraltar which has been one of the highlights of the trip so far. I had expected it to be a sort of industrial, port city but it was a tropical English-speaking haven with great restaurants and shopping and...monkeys! Next stop was Seville, another highlight of the trip. That city blew me away with how clean and beautiful it is, and how organized and safe the public transportation is. Orange trees line every street and the city is full of courtyards and gardens and parks. We had lots of authentic tapas every night and some sangria of course. We also went to see a flamenco show which was great.

Next stop was Granada. We stayed on the big hill overlooking the entire city, and our hotel was right next to the famous Alhambra (see facebook for pictures). We went to another flamenco show in Granada, but this one was extra special because it was in an actual gypsy cave. There is a part of the city in the mountains where gypsies still live and one of the families has this incredible business going were they've turned half of their house into a flamenco show and the acoustics in the cave are perfect for it. The group went out to a famous disco in Granada, and one of my friends is studying abroad there so she met up with us at the disco which was really neat.

After Granada we had a pretty long drive to Madrid, the last stop of the trip. Madrid is also an amazing city. We spent four days there and each day was very busy. Highlights include the Real Madrid soccer game (which they won, thankfully for our safety), and the Prado art museum. We also took a day trip to Toledo which is beautiful. We had a big quiz on our last night but we were able to go out and enjoy our last night together as a group afterwards. The people in my group were all so special and so much fun, I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Now that J-Term is over, I am back in Aix at my homestay and I am getting all settled now. I live with my friend from J-Term, Grace, and two other girls. We all have our own bedrooms which is so nice, and the host "parents" live upstairs in a separate part of the house. They have a precious little dog named Cisca too! The meals they serve us have all been delicious so far, and extremely healthy which is great--all of the vegetables and lettuce we eat comes from their garden. I feel very lucky! Orientation and classes begin next week, so in the meantime I am preparing for classes and making my new room feel more like home!

The Beginning of my January Term

Bonjour! I finally have a few minutes to sit down and write about my first week on J-Term. There are ten students and two (soon to be three) professors on the trip, and we have already formed a very close bond. We started the trip by staying in Paris for five days which was lovely even though the weather was not ideal. Each day was packed with lectures, discussions, meetings with government officials, politicians, etc. Besides having free time to explore the city and do "touristy" things, we also had some very unique opportunities such as going to the American Embassy and meeting with the ambassador, meeting with a representative from Green Peace France, etc. Next stop of the traveling seminar was Aix en Provence, which is also where I am spending the spring semester beginning at the end of January. We took the fast train, the TGV, from Paris to the south of France. It went so fast it makes your ears pop. We arrived in Aix on the most beautiful day, which was a welcome relief after nonstop wind/rain/overcast skies in Paris. Then, luckily for me, I was able to meet my host family for my home stay a few weeks early and even drop off some of my heavier clothes before continuing on to Morocco and Spain. We have spent two wonderful days in Aix, my new home. It is honestly one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It is much, much bigger than I anticipated, but in a good way! It has absolutely everything you would find in London or New York or Chicago. And the great majority of Aixois (residents of Aix) do not speak any English, which is the perfect way to quickly become fluent. Today we visited Marseille, which is unbelievably pretty with its incredible view over the ocean. More on Aix and my new host family later, as I will be here for a long time. J-Term continues tomorrow, and we are moving on to Morocco. We are spending a few days in Marrakech, followed by Casablanca and Rabat. We are then going to cross the Strait of Gibraltar (...on a boat), and cross into southern Spain for the final week. I'm ready to do some serious negotiating with the sneaky Arab merchants in the Marrakech markets over the next few days...I'll try to bring back some fun souvenirs! Now I have to attempt to do some of the never ending reading for my lecture tomorrow, but I will start posting more regularly now that I've adapted to my new European surroundings. À bientôt!