Today was my second to last day as an assistant here at the lycee. I can safely say that the connections that I made to my students this year are not as strong as the connections I felt to my students when I was doing my student teaching in Broomfield. Very nice kids, of course, and I don't think it was a communication issue... I am certain that it was the fact that I saw kids one hour a week if I saw them frequently and one hour every six weeks on the other end of the scale.
I received some very nice gifts from students in a few classes. A bouncy ball (balle rebondissante), some candy, a Star Wars magnet of C3PO and as a gag gift, a razor. Then I was given a t-shirt with signatures and "WE (heart) YOU" on it. I cannot wait to wear that to a baseball game in the States!
Then, in my volunteer conversation class, I was given a very nice gift by two brothers. I accused them of stealing from their parents, but they insisted that they did not. I was given three beautiful bottles of wine. This may not mean much to many of you, but I received a 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aine - St. Peray (white Cote du Rhone), a 1999 Meursault (red Burgundy), and a 1996 St. Emilion (red Bordeaux). When I opened the box I was rendered speechless. If purchased in the States today this could cost about... umm... 300 bucks, easy. I am sure that the parents of these boys purchased the wine from the wineries the years they came out at any number of wine expos that go on in France any weekend of the year. That would have only cost em about 45 euros at the time, shoot in francs at the time, so maybe less. But the gesture is still incredibly nice! I will try and give the rest of my classes guilt trips an hopes of other nice vintage years!
All in all I beleive that the last 7 months were good. Friday starts the second chapter in our stay here. We're looking forward to the change!
In other things...
Marseille is a great city! We went there over the weekend with Patrick and Marielle (Math and English teachers) and their 3 yo boy Enslin. He's kind of a butthead, but he is three. Lots of repetition, but it was fun to hang out with a kid. It makes me want to play with my nephew, Zain, more than ever! Then I will hand him over to his mom and dad and look at a new nephew sleeping!
Marie, the German assistant, left for home last Thursday. This was kind of a owner as she is the one person whom I feel I really got to know while over here. It just means that my German will have to improve so that we can go visit her in Jena... and drink lots of beer!
I am looking for a job picking fruit. So far I have not had any luck, but I know that there are a lot of jobs and I just need to continue in my hunt. Apparently cherries are cheaper to grow in harvest in Turkey because they can exploit workers even easier! Not as good for me, but the apricots and blueberries will arrive soon.
The weather in Valence has been beautiful and it hasn't been raining too much. This city is a lot nicer in the spring than it is in the winter. I would have invited bombers to level it if I had received the offer in February. Now I am liking it more and more. Markets are lively again, and flower beds are full. That's nice.
So there you have it! Let's turn the page!
- Patrick
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
French retirement
So Wednesdays in France are a little different "hump day" in France than in the States. All elementary schools are closed and high school students spend their Wednesday afternoons in art and film classes or club sports. Thus, Wednesdays for Patrick and I take on a feeling of a Saturday, since he doesn't work.
Yesterday we slept in, ate a late breakfast, went to feed the ducks, and buy food for dinner. On our way to feed the ducks, there are lots of little ducklings around our area that play in the canals that cut through Valence, we found a boules club. Boules is like bocce ball from Italy, as far as I know, and is usually played by old men. They seem to be very intense games of great skill. These men seem to know just how to throw the heavy metal ball to score a point or block an opponent's balls from getting a point.
One of the men playing boules noticed we were feeding the ducks and decided to tell us a very interesting story about his friend who fell off his bike into the canal. He swallowed some of the canal water and had to go to the hospital. It turns out that his friend died because the water was full of poison and rat pee. Well after such an interesting story and I developed a slight fear of dying from accidental canal water consumption, we decided to watch this group of people play boules. We sat for a while on a bench under a newly leafed tree watching a group of about 7 men and 1 woman, all over the age of 60, play. We were easily the youngest people there except for a few children playing near the boules game area. We were joined on the bench by an elderly couple who came to watch too. I guess this is what you do when you are retired in France, you play or watch boules during the nice April afternoon.
Perhaps Patrick and I will try to play this summer with the elderly people of Valence. Here's to spending a brief moment as a French retiree. All it needed was a glass of Ricard and we would have been set!
Only in France would feeding ducks lead to a random conversation about death and a game of boules.
Here's to France!
Molly
Yesterday we slept in, ate a late breakfast, went to feed the ducks, and buy food for dinner. On our way to feed the ducks, there are lots of little ducklings around our area that play in the canals that cut through Valence, we found a boules club. Boules is like bocce ball from Italy, as far as I know, and is usually played by old men. They seem to be very intense games of great skill. These men seem to know just how to throw the heavy metal ball to score a point or block an opponent's balls from getting a point.
One of the men playing boules noticed we were feeding the ducks and decided to tell us a very interesting story about his friend who fell off his bike into the canal. He swallowed some of the canal water and had to go to the hospital. It turns out that his friend died because the water was full of poison and rat pee. Well after such an interesting story and I developed a slight fear of dying from accidental canal water consumption, we decided to watch this group of people play boules. We sat for a while on a bench under a newly leafed tree watching a group of about 7 men and 1 woman, all over the age of 60, play. We were easily the youngest people there except for a few children playing near the boules game area. We were joined on the bench by an elderly couple who came to watch too. I guess this is what you do when you are retired in France, you play or watch boules during the nice April afternoon.
Perhaps Patrick and I will try to play this summer with the elderly people of Valence. Here's to spending a brief moment as a French retiree. All it needed was a glass of Ricard and we would have been set!
Only in France would feeding ducks lead to a random conversation about death and a game of boules.
Here's to France!
Molly
Thursday, April 2, 2009
April already?
I am always surprised at the rate in which time passes. It seems like just yesterday Patrick and I just arrived and now it is April, crazy. Spring has arrived in Valence, which not only makes Valence more enjoyable with beautiful flowers beginning to bloom and trees budding pretty little flowers but also improves my general mood. Here are a few updates from the pass few weeks.
Paris: Round 2
I have to say the more time I spend in Paris the more I enjoy the city. Don't get me wrong I loved Paris when we went in December, but Paris is not like the rest of France. It lacks some of the best qualities of French life because it is a city that runs like all big cities do - non-stop, tourists after three days begin to ruin the cities charm even for me - another tourist, and anything that resembles "real" French culture has a price - an expensive one. However, all that aside there is a magic to Paris, just like all big cities, it gets under your skin and moves you like a marionette to the play that Paris wants to tell you.
This trip was a little different this time since we had our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin come to visit. The role of being simply a tourist morphed into that of a tour guide. Patrick had to work part of the week so I was left alone to show them the city. It was so nice to see them and to share with them France. I loved getting to watch each of them see the city and the country. Rosie's eyes were wrapped up in everything around her so much so that Patrick and I had to make sure we didn't loose her. Devon became keen on French, you could say, as we would walk around the city I would teach her the little French that I know and got to watch her practice her French with real French people. As for Kevin it took him a little bit to see the city as his mind was on other, more important things, than merely a trip to France. You see Kevin planned to propose to Devon while on the trip and the day was set for Saturday. However, after the proposal and the celebration of their engagement Kevin got to enjoy the city too. It was great to watch the newly engaged couple have little romantic moments all throughout Paris.
Life Update
I returned on Friday morning to a beautiful day in Valence. The sun was shinning and flowers were in full bloom. This Friday I finally received word from UCLA about my application status; I didn't get in. Oh well, no graduate school for me next year. I have a plan B which involves taking some classes, writing a lot, and working so that I can reapply again. It might take some time to get where I want to go but I will get there.
That is about it for now. Patrick and I are preparing for the summer with looking for fruit harvests to work on, getting excited for Brook coming, and trying to figure out how to afford that last little bit of travel. My goal is to see the west coast of France before we leave, which is feasible. So get ready for summer stories about Rose wine, late nights, picnics, French camping, and fruit harvests.
A bientot,
Molly
Paris: Round 2
I have to say the more time I spend in Paris the more I enjoy the city. Don't get me wrong I loved Paris when we went in December, but Paris is not like the rest of France. It lacks some of the best qualities of French life because it is a city that runs like all big cities do - non-stop, tourists after three days begin to ruin the cities charm even for me - another tourist, and anything that resembles "real" French culture has a price - an expensive one. However, all that aside there is a magic to Paris, just like all big cities, it gets under your skin and moves you like a marionette to the play that Paris wants to tell you.
This trip was a little different this time since we had our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin come to visit. The role of being simply a tourist morphed into that of a tour guide. Patrick had to work part of the week so I was left alone to show them the city. It was so nice to see them and to share with them France. I loved getting to watch each of them see the city and the country. Rosie's eyes were wrapped up in everything around her so much so that Patrick and I had to make sure we didn't loose her. Devon became keen on French, you could say, as we would walk around the city I would teach her the little French that I know and got to watch her practice her French with real French people. As for Kevin it took him a little bit to see the city as his mind was on other, more important things, than merely a trip to France. You see Kevin planned to propose to Devon while on the trip and the day was set for Saturday. However, after the proposal and the celebration of their engagement Kevin got to enjoy the city too. It was great to watch the newly engaged couple have little romantic moments all throughout Paris.
Life Update
I returned on Friday morning to a beautiful day in Valence. The sun was shinning and flowers were in full bloom. This Friday I finally received word from UCLA about my application status; I didn't get in. Oh well, no graduate school for me next year. I have a plan B which involves taking some classes, writing a lot, and working so that I can reapply again. It might take some time to get where I want to go but I will get there.
That is about it for now. Patrick and I are preparing for the summer with looking for fruit harvests to work on, getting excited for Brook coming, and trying to figure out how to afford that last little bit of travel. My goal is to see the west coast of France before we leave, which is feasible. So get ready for summer stories about Rose wine, late nights, picnics, French camping, and fruit harvests.
A bientot,
Molly
Thursday, March 19, 2009
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em
Sigh.
Today there is a grève générale in France. This is the second general strike in France since Molly and I arrived in France and the 8th strike that We have witnessed in any number of ways since arriving (this includes a strike we read about where life drawing models protested nude in Paris in the dead of winter... idiots).
Normally this strike business is kind of laughable. It seems to be the only tool that the French populous has to tell the government that they are unhappy about an issue. When you discuss other tool, e.g. boycotts or letter writing campaigns, they look at you as though you have enormous eyes, green skin and antennae. The strike in France is an institution. In Paris, and some other cities, the place in front of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is called the Place de la Grève. This is just an example of the way the strike penetrates the lives of the French.
Also, I need to explain that a French strike has very little in common with its' American counterpart. That is unless a specific factory strikes. That is the only time you see a picket line in France. The general strike is more of a come-if-you-want-to kind of situation. It is not uncommon for people who cannot afford to strike to work for the day. Trade unions are not unique to specific trades necessarily, but instead are tied to, leftist mostly, political parties.
I mention the strike today not because of how effective it is in getting anyone in the government's attention (it doesn't really), but by how inconvenient the French make the day simply because they can! Follow me as I take you on four different journeys to the train station.
Molly and I have some friends coming to visit us in Paris for a week. In general, the best, easiest and usually the cheapest way to travel in France is with the trains run by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français) which is run by the French State. We bought our tickets online in advance to get the best prices and Molly and I walked to the train station to print the tickets out. This was on Tuesday morning. Upon returning home I swung by our mailbox at the school to discover that there was a flyer advertising the strike. We immediately walked back to the train station to ask someone about how this would affect Molly's traveling (as she left this morning ahead of me). On our second trip we were told that the postings of what trains would be running would be posted the following day.
Wednesday Molly and I woke up and headed down to the train station with our fingers crossed that Molly's train would not be effected. Sure enough, Molly train was cancelled and that flash of worry filled her eyes! We went to the ticket window and asked about what trains would be running Thursday morning and whether we could exchange Molly's ticket. There was a train running! The trouble is that it left from another train station nearby and Molly would have to take a bus there. We double checked that all the buses would, in fact, be running. We were assured that, yes, all of the buses would be running. Can you guess where I'm going here?
Well, relieved, Molly and I went home and began packing her bags for her trip, and then may bags for the train on Friday. Everything was fine and we emailed our friends before they went to the airport to explain that Molly would be running behind schedule . It was hard to sleep last night for all the excitement of seeing people from back home as well as getting away from Valence for a little while and see some art, beggars, tourists and monuments... and a store or restaurant that stays open later than 7:30!
6:00: Molly woke up.
6:05: I woke up.
6:20: Molly and I left for the train station (#4)
Molly and I wanted to get her to the train station early in case there should be any funny business with this here strike. Every thing seemed in order and we waited at the "gate" for her bus to arrive. 7:00 bus to the train station, 7:36 TGV to Paris. Things were gonna be fine.
6:50: The bus had not yet arrived.
6:55: The bus had not yet arrived.
7:00: The bus had not yet arrived.
7:05: Molly's eyes went from quiet anxiety and wishful thinking to that look she gives me when, well when that bus you were promised would take you to the train station so that you could meet your friends in Paris and get to the rented apartment on time so that you have a place to stay, where you already put 200 euros down, and no one has cell phones like in the States because cell phones are an over-priced joke over here and there's the fear that even though you planned everything so carefully it may all go down the expensive tubes, well when that bus doesn't arrive... that's the look she gave me.
We waited another moment, debated running to the house of someone we know who has a car and would not be going to work that day to ask them for a ride. There was, of course, no one working at the train station to ask questions. Finally we flagged a passing taxi and put Molly in the back. Hopefully she would make it to the train station in time and hopefully that train would in fact be running today.
That train was scheduled to leave the station at 7:36 this morning. I haven't heard that it was cancelled, so I am expecting that Molly has made it to Paris. I am expecting that Molly has met with our friends and is now taking photos of Parisians in the Place de la Grève where she is showing our friends that real slice of France that so many tourists miss!
So I was scheduled to have a class today. One teacher would not be taking part in the strike and I was expected to take my half of her class. Well you know, if France is going to cause me this kind of stress at such an early hour of the morning with broken promises and assurances, I don't think I have to put up with it. I have made a sign that I plan to parade around the streets of Valence today. It says, "The French State Lies!" SNCF is, after all, run by the state.
I feel lied to! And damnit, I'm taking to the streets!
- Patrick
p.s. Yeah, I didn't make a sign.
Today there is a grève générale in France. This is the second general strike in France since Molly and I arrived in France and the 8th strike that We have witnessed in any number of ways since arriving (this includes a strike we read about where life drawing models protested nude in Paris in the dead of winter... idiots).
Normally this strike business is kind of laughable. It seems to be the only tool that the French populous has to tell the government that they are unhappy about an issue. When you discuss other tool, e.g. boycotts or letter writing campaigns, they look at you as though you have enormous eyes, green skin and antennae. The strike in France is an institution. In Paris, and some other cities, the place in front of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is called the Place de la Grève. This is just an example of the way the strike penetrates the lives of the French.
Also, I need to explain that a French strike has very little in common with its' American counterpart. That is unless a specific factory strikes. That is the only time you see a picket line in France. The general strike is more of a come-if-you-want-to kind of situation. It is not uncommon for people who cannot afford to strike to work for the day. Trade unions are not unique to specific trades necessarily, but instead are tied to, leftist mostly, political parties.
I mention the strike today not because of how effective it is in getting anyone in the government's attention (it doesn't really), but by how inconvenient the French make the day simply because they can! Follow me as I take you on four different journeys to the train station.
Molly and I have some friends coming to visit us in Paris for a week. In general, the best, easiest and usually the cheapest way to travel in France is with the trains run by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français) which is run by the French State. We bought our tickets online in advance to get the best prices and Molly and I walked to the train station to print the tickets out. This was on Tuesday morning. Upon returning home I swung by our mailbox at the school to discover that there was a flyer advertising the strike. We immediately walked back to the train station to ask someone about how this would affect Molly's traveling (as she left this morning ahead of me). On our second trip we were told that the postings of what trains would be running would be posted the following day.
Wednesday Molly and I woke up and headed down to the train station with our fingers crossed that Molly's train would not be effected. Sure enough, Molly train was cancelled and that flash of worry filled her eyes! We went to the ticket window and asked about what trains would be running Thursday morning and whether we could exchange Molly's ticket. There was a train running! The trouble is that it left from another train station nearby and Molly would have to take a bus there. We double checked that all the buses would, in fact, be running. We were assured that, yes, all of the buses would be running. Can you guess where I'm going here?
Well, relieved, Molly and I went home and began packing her bags for her trip, and then may bags for the train on Friday. Everything was fine and we emailed our friends before they went to the airport to explain that Molly would be running behind schedule . It was hard to sleep last night for all the excitement of seeing people from back home as well as getting away from Valence for a little while and see some art, beggars, tourists and monuments... and a store or restaurant that stays open later than 7:30!
6:00: Molly woke up.
6:05: I woke up.
6:20: Molly and I left for the train station (#4)
Molly and I wanted to get her to the train station early in case there should be any funny business with this here strike. Every thing seemed in order and we waited at the "gate" for her bus to arrive. 7:00 bus to the train station, 7:36 TGV to Paris. Things were gonna be fine.
6:50: The bus had not yet arrived.
6:55: The bus had not yet arrived.
7:00: The bus had not yet arrived.
7:05: Molly's eyes went from quiet anxiety and wishful thinking to that look she gives me when, well when that bus you were promised would take you to the train station so that you could meet your friends in Paris and get to the rented apartment on time so that you have a place to stay, where you already put 200 euros down, and no one has cell phones like in the States because cell phones are an over-priced joke over here and there's the fear that even though you planned everything so carefully it may all go down the expensive tubes, well when that bus doesn't arrive... that's the look she gave me.
We waited another moment, debated running to the house of someone we know who has a car and would not be going to work that day to ask them for a ride. There was, of course, no one working at the train station to ask questions. Finally we flagged a passing taxi and put Molly in the back. Hopefully she would make it to the train station in time and hopefully that train would in fact be running today.
That train was scheduled to leave the station at 7:36 this morning. I haven't heard that it was cancelled, so I am expecting that Molly has made it to Paris. I am expecting that Molly has met with our friends and is now taking photos of Parisians in the Place de la Grève where she is showing our friends that real slice of France that so many tourists miss!
So I was scheduled to have a class today. One teacher would not be taking part in the strike and I was expected to take my half of her class. Well you know, if France is going to cause me this kind of stress at such an early hour of the morning with broken promises and assurances, I don't think I have to put up with it. I have made a sign that I plan to parade around the streets of Valence today. It says, "The French State Lies!" SNCF is, after all, run by the state.
I feel lied to! And damnit, I'm taking to the streets!
- Patrick
p.s. Yeah, I didn't make a sign.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
French Engineering
So those of you don't know but Patrick and I live at the school where Patrick teaches. It is like living in the dorms your freshmen year of college only we have a kitchen. Granted, we have to walk outside and through another door to get to our kitchen BUT it is super cheap.
So the other day some work men from Orange, which is like a Comcast, came to our residence to work on phone lines or internet lines or something, who knows what they were working on, but they are still working on it. Now I don't know that much about engineering but I am pretty sure their rigging for this new line is not safe. Let's Take a look at the photos, shall we?
This is a photo of the line running in front of the other building where the other assistants live at the school. Let's continue to follow it.
I realize it is hard to see since it is an electric line hung from the building and is hanging in the middle of the air, but what is it attached to?
It is a tree! Yes that is right folks they hung a line from a building to a tree. I don't know if this is legal, but I am pretty sure it is not safe. Maybe I am just seeing things; maybe it is something else?
Nope it is a tree alright. Well wait to be precise, they have a tiny little black plastic thing attached to the line, which is then attached to a metal hook, which is then attached to the tree. Is it is not in the tree, persay, but it is attached to something in the tree. Well, where does it go from there?
Why, I don't know? Let's get a closer look.
Why it is the transister box that holds all of the cable lines for the area! Now I wonder what would happen if the tree, or the box, or the fense that the line runs through, or the bushes that the line also runs through were to be hit by lighting?
Please let me know if I made a mistake in assuming that this "rig" is unsafe, okay?
Thank you for taking a moment to view French Engineering.
Molly
So the other day some work men from Orange, which is like a Comcast, came to our residence to work on phone lines or internet lines or something, who knows what they were working on, but they are still working on it. Now I don't know that much about engineering but I am pretty sure their rigging for this new line is not safe. Let's Take a look at the photos, shall we?
This is a photo of the line running in front of the other building where the other assistants live at the school. Let's continue to follow it.
I realize it is hard to see since it is an electric line hung from the building and is hanging in the middle of the air, but what is it attached to?
It is a tree! Yes that is right folks they hung a line from a building to a tree. I don't know if this is legal, but I am pretty sure it is not safe. Maybe I am just seeing things; maybe it is something else?
Nope it is a tree alright. Well wait to be precise, they have a tiny little black plastic thing attached to the line, which is then attached to a metal hook, which is then attached to the tree. Is it is not in the tree, persay, but it is attached to something in the tree. Well, where does it go from there?
Why, I don't know? Let's get a closer look.
Why it is the transister box that holds all of the cable lines for the area! Now I wonder what would happen if the tree, or the box, or the fense that the line runs through, or the bushes that the line also runs through were to be hit by lighting?
Please let me know if I made a mistake in assuming that this "rig" is unsafe, okay?
Thank you for taking a moment to view French Engineering.
Molly
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Vacation Part 2 plus March
All in all the second part of vacation was wonderful. I have to say I understand why so many people go to the South of France because it is beautiful and warm. I think Nice is not only really nice but an excellent city. Here are the highlights of the trip:
1. The weather. It was so nice to just sit on the beach and let the sun hit your face as you watched little waves roll up onto the rocky beach. I took so many photos of the whole coast.
2. Going to Italy. Patrick and I left France and walked to Italy. It total we walked, maybe 11 miles to get the the city of Ventimigilia, which is 6 miles or so from the border. The other five miles came from walking from Menton to the border. This does not include the 2 mile walk to the bus station that morning in Nice or the 2 to 3 mile walk back into town from the wrong Menton train station. However, it was so strange to truly see how different Italy is to France on every level; including how cheap everything is in Italy, at least in Ventimigilia. As for the hike there it was all along the road, which followed the beautiful coast, but it was long. My feet were killing me by the end of the day.
3. Carnival was amazing. There is no way really to describe the energy and excitement of Carnival; it is just something that your should do in life. I look forward to planning a trip to see Carnival in Brazil. So if you want to go, start saving your money now.
4. I got to see Fireworks in Menton, France! We had gone down to the South of France to go to the Fete des Citrons, the Lemon Festival, which takes place in Menton. While the town is full of dying Brits, the fete was neat to see. Although the timing of the parade was a little off, I could let it pass because of the fireworks. As well as the tiny French lady, with the biggest glasses to eye ratio I have seen in a while, who stood behind us the whole time make little noises and singing along to the Elvis music, which accompanied the fireworks. 'Oh lala!' she would ring out.
5. How cheap it is to travel along the French Rivera. For a euro, you can take the bus all along the coast; however, get the bus at the station and sit in the back so you have a seat. It is a long bus ride if you have to stand the whole way. Did I mention we had to stand the whole way on the bus to Menton, the same day we walked 11 miles and stood for an hour to watch the parade.
As for March, we went to Romans for another Carnival. Yeah, they celebrate Carnival here after Ash Wednesday, because everyone needs a break a week into Lent! It was a cool experience to see a small town really throw quite the party. It was no Nice Carnival, but it was far more political. So well done to Romans!
In 16 days our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin are coming to visit us in Paris, which I am super excited for and cannot wait! I might go into shock once I see them but it will be fun to get to explore more of the city with them.
Interesting observations:
1. It seems that all young French children are pawned off on their grandparents, who all seem to live in the South.
2. Old British people go to the South of France to die; therefore, they take away from the area's charm.
3. Monoco is worth maybe two hours during the day and an hour at night. Other than that amount of time, it is a boring place, full of bad art and high rise buildings erected in the '70s.
4. March weather has been warmer but now that I have said something I am sure it will return to its usual awful rain.
That is all for now.
Molly
1. The weather. It was so nice to just sit on the beach and let the sun hit your face as you watched little waves roll up onto the rocky beach. I took so many photos of the whole coast.
2. Going to Italy. Patrick and I left France and walked to Italy. It total we walked, maybe 11 miles to get the the city of Ventimigilia, which is 6 miles or so from the border. The other five miles came from walking from Menton to the border. This does not include the 2 mile walk to the bus station that morning in Nice or the 2 to 3 mile walk back into town from the wrong Menton train station. However, it was so strange to truly see how different Italy is to France on every level; including how cheap everything is in Italy, at least in Ventimigilia. As for the hike there it was all along the road, which followed the beautiful coast, but it was long. My feet were killing me by the end of the day.
3. Carnival was amazing. There is no way really to describe the energy and excitement of Carnival; it is just something that your should do in life. I look forward to planning a trip to see Carnival in Brazil. So if you want to go, start saving your money now.
4. I got to see Fireworks in Menton, France! We had gone down to the South of France to go to the Fete des Citrons, the Lemon Festival, which takes place in Menton. While the town is full of dying Brits, the fete was neat to see. Although the timing of the parade was a little off, I could let it pass because of the fireworks. As well as the tiny French lady, with the biggest glasses to eye ratio I have seen in a while, who stood behind us the whole time make little noises and singing along to the Elvis music, which accompanied the fireworks. 'Oh lala!' she would ring out.
5. How cheap it is to travel along the French Rivera. For a euro, you can take the bus all along the coast; however, get the bus at the station and sit in the back so you have a seat. It is a long bus ride if you have to stand the whole way. Did I mention we had to stand the whole way on the bus to Menton, the same day we walked 11 miles and stood for an hour to watch the parade.
As for March, we went to Romans for another Carnival. Yeah, they celebrate Carnival here after Ash Wednesday, because everyone needs a break a week into Lent! It was a cool experience to see a small town really throw quite the party. It was no Nice Carnival, but it was far more political. So well done to Romans!
In 16 days our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin are coming to visit us in Paris, which I am super excited for and cannot wait! I might go into shock once I see them but it will be fun to get to explore more of the city with them.
Interesting observations:
1. It seems that all young French children are pawned off on their grandparents, who all seem to live in the South.
2. Old British people go to the South of France to die; therefore, they take away from the area's charm.
3. Monoco is worth maybe two hours during the day and an hour at night. Other than that amount of time, it is a boring place, full of bad art and high rise buildings erected in the '70s.
4. March weather has been warmer but now that I have said something I am sure it will return to its usual awful rain.
That is all for now.
Molly
Saturday, February 14, 2009
First part of February
Since we are half way through February I thought I would catch you all up on the first part of vacation. Out of the four weeks of the month of February we have two weeks of vacation. I love France! I guess I will give the highlights and low points of our trip up North.
Highlights:
1. Dijon, France is great. I look forward to visiting that city again for the wonderful mix of architecture and people. I wish we could have walked more of the city so, back to Dijon we will go this spring. Although we did not eat mustard, or drink Creme de Cassis (a local liqueur), or visit vineyards. Most of the vineyards head south from town so we will see those this spring. Patrick and I have already figured out the backpacking trip from Dijon to Beaune through the burgundy wine region. Also the people we stayed with were wonderful. They taught us a great party trick involving your fingers moving to create a "sausage bridge". It is hard to explain so ask us to show you when we get back.
2. Couch-surfing was a great way to meet people in each of the towns we visited. For the most part it was a wonderful experience and I felt we got to meet a lot of great people. I look forward to meeting other wonderful people in our second part of our trip to Nice.
3. Traveling with Grace and Kelsey, two of our great friends here, is always a pleasure. Although we all had our moments of "I want to kill you!" they have truly become our little French family here, regardless of the fact that we are all American, and I am grateful to have met such great friends here.
4. Tasting real champagne in the champagne region. I can check that one off my list of things to do before I die. Why does champagne have to be so expensive? Maybe it is a good thing that is so expensive or I would drink it all the time. Not that it is a bad thing but probably not the best for my health.
5. Walking around all of the cities and seeing them unfold before my eyes. Strasbourg is so German from the food to the lay out of the city just feels very German. Strasbourg also has the most beautiful church; I think the most beautiful I have ever seen. Dijon is a mixture of French and German influence as well as the church but everything just fit so well together. Reims (pronounced rinse but hold your nose while you say it) was very Roman and had a lot of new buildings. I say Roman since it is built on a grid. A lot of new buildings due to the war and updating the city. Reims is under construction so I wouldn't go to visit again until after 2012, but worth the trip for the history alone.
6. The long train rides around the area allowed me to see the country side and the smaller towns of the region. I also had time to read since there was nothing else you could really do on the train.
7. The last pull-out bed that Patrick and I slept on was the most comfortable bed we have slept on in France.
Low points
1. The first group of people we stayed with in Strasbourg put a sour taste in my mouth as well as the city. They were...um...how do I put this...strange. Yeah, I will go with strange. I will never be able to look at pink elephants quite the same way since they had a collection of them in their living room. Did I mention that they were two grown men? No, yeah they were two grown men with a stuffed animal pink elephant collection. The second group of folks we stayed with saved us, to say the least, and were wonderful people.
2. It was cold, really cold. I can only hope that the warmth of Southern France will thaw the chill left over from the cold wind of the North.
3. I was really tired from having to go from one house to the next. This is the down side of couch-surfing. Every time you move to a new place it is a new set of getting-to-know-you conversations. Now add speaking in French and I get tired just thinking about it. So, the lesson has been learned that maybe weekend trips or long stays are the best for couch-surfing.
4. I heard from University of California Santa Barbara and I didn't get in so that sucked. The downside I am now worried about the rest of the schools I applied to but only in those silent moments of doubt which occur either late at night or afternoon. The upside we all went dancing and had a lot of fun. Yeah both Patrick and Kelsey (two people who claim not to like dancing or say they can't dance)danced which was so much fun, so it was more of a highlight after all.
So that is a quick summary of the first part of our trip. More to come later.
Peace,
Molly
Highlights:
1. Dijon, France is great. I look forward to visiting that city again for the wonderful mix of architecture and people. I wish we could have walked more of the city so, back to Dijon we will go this spring. Although we did not eat mustard, or drink Creme de Cassis (a local liqueur), or visit vineyards. Most of the vineyards head south from town so we will see those this spring. Patrick and I have already figured out the backpacking trip from Dijon to Beaune through the burgundy wine region. Also the people we stayed with were wonderful. They taught us a great party trick involving your fingers moving to create a "sausage bridge". It is hard to explain so ask us to show you when we get back.
2. Couch-surfing was a great way to meet people in each of the towns we visited. For the most part it was a wonderful experience and I felt we got to meet a lot of great people. I look forward to meeting other wonderful people in our second part of our trip to Nice.
3. Traveling with Grace and Kelsey, two of our great friends here, is always a pleasure. Although we all had our moments of "I want to kill you!" they have truly become our little French family here, regardless of the fact that we are all American, and I am grateful to have met such great friends here.
4. Tasting real champagne in the champagne region. I can check that one off my list of things to do before I die. Why does champagne have to be so expensive? Maybe it is a good thing that is so expensive or I would drink it all the time. Not that it is a bad thing but probably not the best for my health.
5. Walking around all of the cities and seeing them unfold before my eyes. Strasbourg is so German from the food to the lay out of the city just feels very German. Strasbourg also has the most beautiful church; I think the most beautiful I have ever seen. Dijon is a mixture of French and German influence as well as the church but everything just fit so well together. Reims (pronounced rinse but hold your nose while you say it) was very Roman and had a lot of new buildings. I say Roman since it is built on a grid. A lot of new buildings due to the war and updating the city. Reims is under construction so I wouldn't go to visit again until after 2012, but worth the trip for the history alone.
6. The long train rides around the area allowed me to see the country side and the smaller towns of the region. I also had time to read since there was nothing else you could really do on the train.
7. The last pull-out bed that Patrick and I slept on was the most comfortable bed we have slept on in France.
Low points
1. The first group of people we stayed with in Strasbourg put a sour taste in my mouth as well as the city. They were...um...how do I put this...strange. Yeah, I will go with strange. I will never be able to look at pink elephants quite the same way since they had a collection of them in their living room. Did I mention that they were two grown men? No, yeah they were two grown men with a stuffed animal pink elephant collection. The second group of folks we stayed with saved us, to say the least, and were wonderful people.
2. It was cold, really cold. I can only hope that the warmth of Southern France will thaw the chill left over from the cold wind of the North.
3. I was really tired from having to go from one house to the next. This is the down side of couch-surfing. Every time you move to a new place it is a new set of getting-to-know-you conversations. Now add speaking in French and I get tired just thinking about it. So, the lesson has been learned that maybe weekend trips or long stays are the best for couch-surfing.
4. I heard from University of California Santa Barbara and I didn't get in so that sucked. The downside I am now worried about the rest of the schools I applied to but only in those silent moments of doubt which occur either late at night or afternoon. The upside we all went dancing and had a lot of fun. Yeah both Patrick and Kelsey (two people who claim not to like dancing or say they can't dance)danced which was so much fun, so it was more of a highlight after all.
So that is a quick summary of the first part of our trip. More to come later.
Peace,
Molly
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