Uzes and Pont du Gard

Yesterday was my favorite excursion yet. It was a beautiful sunny day, probably in the mid 70s, not a cloud in the sky. 

First the group visited a town called Uzes. There was a big Saturday market there. The markets are a lot of fun here. They are so different than back home. After Uzes we sailed under the Pont du Gard, an ancient roman aqueduct. It was so much fun. We canoed under it! It was so pretty. And of course I took about 50 million photos. 

I don't really have much else to write. I'm still loving life in France. I am sad that I only have a few more weeks. Hopefully I'll get some more photos up soon. I just realized this week that you guys don't know what MY town looks like. You've never seen the monuments in Avignon. I went around and took some photos the other night so hopefully I'll post them on photobucket soon. 

Have a good week! Next week is Normandy for me!!!

My Random Weekend

This weekend was yet another 3-day weekend. I decided to stay here however, because my French buds offered to take me to the beach, and it was free, so I was up for it.

Let's start with Thursday night...

Rachel and I decided to run to the convenient store before dinner. We were tired and did not feel like putting on a real outfit. I went outside in a workout t-shirt, basket ball shorts, flipflops and a pony tail. We jokingly talked about how we were look like freaks. People actually stopped to look and laugh at us in our American outfits. It was hilarious.

Later that night our French buds took us to a "soiree" (party) at this high end club.

 Oh my God, it looked like a club from a movie. I felt like I was in a movie. It was fun. We just chatted and drank free alcohol. I like going out with my French buds because I learn a lot. They are cool.

On Friday we were going to go to Aix-en-Provence but did not feel like spending 30 euro to get there and back. We opted for Orange. It is known for its super old Roman theatre built in 1 AD. It was cool and I liked the garden there. However there was not much to do there. Though I did find some good postcards.

Friday night we went to Apt, where a few of our French friends live. It is so far away. By car it is about an hour. I don't know how they make the drive so much. Plus there are so many round-abouts and curving streets. They drive like lunatics. If I die in a car crash here, at least I'll die instantly. (But don't worry Mommy, I won't die) So we stayed in Apt for the night because 

the beach was kinda far away. 

Our French friends never like to tell us anything about where we are going and what we are doing. It gets kind of annoying. Friday night I found myself at a dinner party for our friend

 Thomas. He is super nice and he family was so welcoming. They just kept giving me food (I had already eaten a full meal) and cheese (which was so good) and wine and pies and alcohol. Oh, it was amazing. I have been gaining so much weight! The French kids always make fun of me because I never stop eating here. I like 

to think of it as taking full advantage of the culture. I have all summer to work it off. So basically I left this dinner party trashed. Thomas's dad danced on the table without his shirt, letting his huge belly hang out, then he mooned everyone. Boy do the French know how to have a good time.

Next morning we woke up and went to the beach...but not before walking through the

 Saturday morning market in Apt. It is supposedly the best outdoor market in Provence. It was nice but we didn't really stop to buy anything. See, the problem here is with the cars and driving us all around. The cars are smaller so we're always having to drive everywhere twice and I never know what is happening. That is basically my life here: confusion. 

So we headed to the beach called La Caitot.

 It is by Marseilles on the Mediterranean. 

Boy was it beautiful. The car right there was nauseating, but it was worth it. Lots of topless sun bathers lined the beaches. It was a little cold, but that didn't stop me from swimming in the water. I kinda wish I hadn't gained so much weight, but Oh Well! You only live once and you only study in Europe once.

After the beach we watched a handball game. Oh, I forgot to tell you. Me and Rachel are friends with the majority of the Apt Handball team. They are all so good looking. I'm talking 6-pack abs. They took us to the beach because they had a match in La Caitot that evening. It was interesting and I did not mind watching the hot boys run around one bit. I especially liked the end when they won and took off their shirts. I am telling you, they are GOOD LOOKING. It was something fun and interesting to do. I don't know why these boys like to hang out with us, but I'm not complaining. They're fun to be around and I can practice my French and experience how the French live more than the other students here. I feel bad for the students who don't know any French people.

After that we took a different route home. Thomas, the super nice boy with a super nice family and a super hot body, took us through Marseilles. It was gorgeous. I wanted to stop and get out and take pictures. The group will be going there in a few weeks for an over night stay. I am very excited.

We ended our trip at McDonald's, however I have not been hungry today. And now here I sit. Planning more of my Normandy trip. Next weekend I will be canoeing under le Pont du Guarde. Then the weekend after that is a 4-day weekend where I will be visiting Normandy. We will see the Bayeux tapestry, the D-Day beaches, and Mont St. Michel. I am super excited! I can't believe I have been here for almost 7 weeks. I do not want to leave! The longer I stay here, the more attached I become. France is so beautiful and so laid back. I could definitely get used to this. If only I could understand and speak more...

Oh and my oral exam went well. Christophe said that I am improving and that I speak well and participate enough in class.

Have a good week in the USA!

Lyon and Insomnia

This past weekend I visited Lyon with my roomie, Rachel, and Marie and Elisse. It was so much fun and it was a good break from Avignon!

Weleft on Friday afternoon because we did not have school as a result of the French Labor Day. Everything is seriously closed on this day except for restaurants and trains, but it was OK because we spent our time traveling. 

After freaking out and thinking that we did not have a room at the youth hostel because the lady was spelling Marie's name incorrectly, we saw our sweet duplex! It was so cute! I'm pretty sure I have stayed in crappier hotels. That night we walked around the city. It 

was so pretty. Lyon is the third largest city in France, but it manages to keep its charm and character. I loved walking along the Rhone here, and it was pretty close to our h

ostel.

The next day we woke up early to see all we could. We got these things called a city pass for only 15 euro to see all the sites of the city, a boat tour, and free metro/buses/trams. We visited churches (of course!), a miniature museum that was super cool, a silk museum that wasn't cool, and took a boat tour. The miniature museum had a bunch of doll houses. I think my mom would have really liked it. The museum featured the miniature replicas that are made for movies. I saw how the Overlook Hotel from the movie "The Shining" was made and also the replica of the Titanic breaking in half. 

We visited some shops along the streets including this colorful one that had these crazy toasters, graters, spoons, picture frames and nic-naks. I was going to buy Noel this cool grater for maybe her new apartment or wherever she might live someday because it looked like something she might like. But it was kinda expensive. However, I learned today that this store is also in Avignon and therefore I might still get it. I guess you had to be there 

and see how cute this store was.

After that I thought it would be a good idea to see the silk museum because Lyon is famous for its silk. Boy was I wrong! After walking 30 minutes up a huge hill, we were disappointed. It wasn't even a museum! We walked in and pretty much walked out. However, I guess I didn't have enough fun the first time, because I returned after I forgot my sweater there.

We ate some lunch on a statue in a park and then headed to the river for the boat tour. We missed the tour that we wanted to go on and signed up for the next one. In the meantime we visited the Resistance museum which was pretty sad and depressing. 

By the time the boat tour of the Rhone and the Seone (they rhyme!) came around, I was pooped. I think I fell asleep on the to

ur actually. But hey, I got to sit! That night we took naps and then headed out for a night on the town.

We started our evening in Old Lyon, it was one of my favorite sections of the city. We left the first restaurant because I'm pretty sure they knew we were Americans and therefore, felt no rush to serve us. It's OK, I did not want to eat a calf's head anyway! We decided to eat at a Mexican restaurant and boy, was it tasty! French Mexican is excellent. And for dessert, I ate the best chocolate pie ever. After one bite, I could have stopped it was so rich. After dinner we chilled along the Rhone and then headed to a bar for a few drinks. We called it an early night so that we could wake up early and ride bikes along the river.

HOWEVER, that did not happen. Because the bike renting machine did not like our credit cards=( I was very sad and it kinda ruined the plans of the day. We

 bought another transportation pass for the day and headed to the main attraction of the city, Notre-Dame de Fornievre (or something like that). You take this strange metro up this huge hill, they were called fourniculars I think. It was like a roller coaster, but very slow. The site from the hill was amazing. And of course the church was beautiful, but I've seen a bunch here. They sort of all look the same now. They were having mass, too. I couldn't imagine being able to go to some of these beautiful churches for mass. If we had churches like that in the US, I think more people would go to church.

After that we headed to the park, which we wanted to do on bikes, but no, we took the metro. It was a shame too because by the time we found the place, we only have 10 minutes to see it. It is called le parc de la tete d'or (the gold head park). It is huge and it had tons of bikers and runners. It would have been amazing to see on bike. Oh well. Perhaps someday I could return to Lyon and ride my bike along the river to the park.

From there we checked out of the hostel and headed home. Since then I have continued to battle with my lack of sleep. I have started to tremble and shake now because I do not sleep. I will go to bed at midnight and wake up at 12:30. It is horrible. When I DO sleep, I am terribly confused and dream that I am lost somewhere in Europe. When I wake up I have no idea where I am. I bought some new sleeping pills today, and I pray that they work. I can only take them for 10 days though. I wish I had some Tylenol PM and could take it when I need it. Oh well, once again. If worse comes to worse, I will visit the doctor. It is only 22 euro to visit the doctor here. How crazy is that?!?!?

Have a great week! I'm gonna be sittin' pretty here in Avignon in the 80 degree sun and Saturday I will be chillin' along side the Mediterranean. Try not to be too jealous. Though I DO have an oral exam on Wednesday! Yikes!

Au revoir! Bious!

Fondue-ing

Noel is going to be so jealous! I went to a real French fondue restaurant Tuesday night! It was so much fun!

The name of the restaurant is La Maison de Fondues. It was a cute little restaurant. A group of 9 of us went out for some nice food and a good time. It was the night before Nina's 20th birthday. 

The plates at the restaurant were super huge so Lance and I decided to share ours (even though I'm pretty sure it's rude to do that in France. I can't eat that much!) I was in a real "need meat" mood since I hardly ever eat it here, so Lance and I decided to get the Piemontaise. I think that

 was the name. It was deliciously seasoned beef with potatoes (another food I never eat here!) When the plate came it looked delicious (but uncooked), so we got to fondue-ing. Our table all got oil fondue plates. It was something different to do, cooking your own food. You had to be careful though that you cooked it all the way. They gave us lots of different sauces to dip the food in, too. There was so much flavor!

Afterwards, Lance and I decided to go all out and get dessert, too. We got this chocolate with peach alcohol. It was so delicious. Once we finished dipping all our fruit it, I decided to just finish the bowl of chocolate with a spoon. What can I say? I'm a chocolate lover. The price wasn't terrible when we shared. My whole meal was 15 euro.

I don't know if I told you but I'm getting super grades in my one class that actually gives me grades. I have a 90% average! This weekend were headed out to Lyon so I probably won't write about that trip until Sunday or Monday...

Gorde and Roussillon

Yesterday the group went on a great excursion to the Bories, Gorde, and Roussillon.

The Bories is an old village that was used a very long time ago (300 AD I think). All the homes are made of stone, without mortar. It's amazing that they still stand. The streets were crazy getting there, I thought we were going to fall of the steep cliff. 

Next we went to a town nearby, Gorde. It was so beautiful! The pictures I have don't even look like photos, they look like paintings it was so pretty. We ate lunch and I picked up some sleeping pills in this town. I don't understand how these people walk up and down the steep hills with cobblestone all the time!

Afterwards, we went to my favorite part of the trip, Roussillon. This is the site of the world's largest Ocre deposit. We learned how the ocre dyes were sifted out and processed a long time ago. It took a lot of work and a lot of time. Ocre is used for paints and dyes. It comes in white, orange, red and yellow. It was absolutely amazing to see the canyons of it. I was sad though because my camera battery died when we were there. I could have sat and looked at the scenery for hours. I wish my dad had been there, he would have loved it.

Then we went and got some delicious ice cream. I tested the flavor violette. It was interesting. They also had lavendar. The ice cream here is amazing. I had framboise, raspberry, and melon. The raspberry tasted like pure, fresh raspberries and it was so red! Delicious!

Other than that, this week was pretty chill. I saw Fast and Furious 4. It was not very good. I don't recommend it. But the movie theaters here are cool. They have candy shops. And the seats are so comfy! And the screens are huge! On Friday I saw "Coco avant Chanel," "Coco before Chanel." It is pretty big here right now. It has the French actress who played in "Amelie." I highly recommend that you see it when it comes out in the States. She did a phenominal job.

I think I just ate tuna fish =b

Let's talk food!

When I first came to France, I loved everything I ate. Don't get me wrong, food here is amazing and my host mom cooks like a chef (I think she should open a restaurant). Last week she had an American food party. She made the best hamburger I have ever eaten (better than the Applebees cowboy burger!)

Don't get me wrong, I have eaten some strange things that I think if I KNEW what I was eating, I probably would not eat it. I eat squash here a lot. I had some spinach soup. That was probably the most difficult to eat with a smile. Though, tonight's tuna fish was a bit rough and so was the goat cheese grilled cheese.

However, this week, Isabelle's ex husband is in town and I have not seen her in a few days. Jean Bernard cooks like a college students. Not so great. I am starting to miss American foods. Such as mac and cheese, grilled cheese, mashed potatos (any potato in general; one does not notice how much potato Americans eat until you leave the states), Ranch dressing, granola bars and MILK! 

In southern France, Provence, they eat lots of vegetables and today John Bernard told me that's why people live so long here. In northern France, all they eat is meat. So that explains all the strange old people I have seen and the multitudes of vegetables my intestines have been struggling to digest.

There are many foods I will miss when I go home. Pain au chocolat (Flaky croissant with chocolate) is my favorite and I eat one almost every day fresh from la patisserie (bakery). I also love croissants and wine and taboli! Oh boy do I love tabooli (don't know how to spell it, but it's like couscous). I kind of like eating healthy. We have full garbage bags comprised of souley yogurt containers. 

Welp, that's the food. I can't believe students at home are starting mid terms! I have been here a month as of yesterday. Time is flying!

Bronzer. And bug bites.

Oh the leisurely life of the French. The weather here has been beautiful. Lately, I just keep thinking about how lucky I am to be here and how crazy it will be to go home. I think it will be more of a culture shock going home than it was coming here!

So life, what have I been doing? Well I have these nasty mosquito bites on me. The bites are different here though; I got blisters from them. The worst is I have one on my face! Otherwise I've just been hanging this week. Today we cooked a meal at this indoor market nearby. It tasted pretty good. Then I layed outside the Palais de Papes on a hill in the sun and "bronzer" or tan. This afternoon I did some shopping with Rachel and bought the cutest shirt and necklace!!

Basically I'm living the life!

Except for the fact that I am not sleeping at all anymore. I wish I could have some Tylenol PM. And some mac and cheese. I thought I bought a box of mac and cheese the other day. Turns out it was just noodles! Psych! So mommy, if you'd like to ship me some I would love you. You could send some Tylenol PM, too! Just kidding! I can't wait for another sunny day tomorrow. 

Have fun in O-H-I-O!