La Nouvelle Aixoise... C'est moi!

Destination n° 12 : Budapest

2008-07-06T05:14:00.013+02:00

Üdvözöljük Magyarországon ! Destination review n° 12

The expensive roundtrip ticket I bought for Budapest was likely the best money I spent during this year. Not only was the city stunning – by day and by night – I was able to create some amazing memories with my dear friend Szilvi and some of her best guy friends. (I was quite impressed by the attractiveness of Hungarian males.) It seemed like I’d been friends with them all for years, but at the same time, I was playing the token tourist and asking them to translate Hungarian phrases! Touristy Budapest is divided by the Danube River into historic downtown Pest and oppositely the Castle Hill district in Buda. The city was stunning at night – the view over the entire downtown from the hilltop Citadel I will never forget. Basically, I’ve added to my favorite European cities.

Parliament – The third largest Parliament building in the world, beautifully situated alongside the Danube.
Andrássy út – The principal avenue in Pest, featuring many historical monuments and modern designer shops.
Heroes’ Square – A huge millennium monument and statues of Hungary’s greatest rulers, at the end of Andrássy út next to a lovely city park.
Szent István-bazilika - In honor of the first king of Hungary, Saint Stephen.
Margit-sziget – Margaret Island in the center of the Danube.
Terror Háza – The House of Terror museum dedicated to the Nazi and subsequent Communist occupation and persecution of the Hungarian people.
Citadel – The hilltop fortress providing the best panoramic view of the city both day and night.
Buda Castle – The former royal palace à la Versailles.
Széchenyi Chain Bridge – The first permanent bridge in Budapest, sporting lions which guard the city, and beautiful lights by night.

Of course, I sampled my share of traditional Hungarian cuisine. I had already tasted paprika chicken and homemade honey mustard chicken from Szilvi’s kitchen in Aix, and I added to that palate original Hungarian goulash and also goose liver, breaded and fried. It’s all delicious, and never fear, most downtown Budapest restaurants have placards written in English sitting on their sidewalks. If you’re daring, try a shot of pálinka – Hungary’s signature fruit brandy, offered in any number of flavors.

The best tangible souvenir I was able to take with me from Budapest was one final European haircut… and I went all-out. Szilvi booked appointments for the both of us at Hairclub in downtown and set me up with a hairdresser whose name means “Cheetah” in English and whose arms were covered with tattoos. I had only two requirements – no bangs and no shorter than my shoulders. Now I just need to learn how to “effortlessly” style it! For a mere 26 €, I received a head massage with my hair wash, and the haircut lasted over an hour. Plus the joint had their own full time DJ who did nothing but mix the music all day for the enjoyment of workers and customers!

Day trippin’ to Vienna and sleepover on Lake Balaton

Szilvi and her friends were nice enough to treat me to a day trip to Vienna, Austria, with an overnight stop on Lake Balaton. Only three hours away by car, Vienna is approximately the same size as Budapest, though arguably better known to Americans. It was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries and has a wealth of classical music as a result. You can find monuments to any number of composers, including Mozart and Haydn. We didn’t bother to go inside any museums or palaces, as the real entertainment was in the streets – we visited the city as it hosted the Spain-Russia semifinal of the Euro Cup 2008. The Spaniards were out in full force, sporting jerseys, flags, banners, and even one inflatable sheep. The “football hooligans” were being caught on camera by newsman and tourist alike. Our little excursion ended with a shopping break because my Hungarian friends swore Vienna had better shopping than Budapest!

After a few more hours in the car, we were back in Hungary, without so much as a glance from the border patrol. As a landlocked country, Lake Balaton is THE beach and boating destination for Hungarians. The area also hosts a huge annual music festival in the summer. We dug our feet into the lake bottom silt and chatted by the fireside until the wee hours of the morning. I loved being around the water again – if even without sunlight – and can’t wait to go back to experience the real summer lake effect! See more photos.

Destination n° 11 : Roman Holiday

2008-06-20T19:21:00.011+02:00

Benvenuti alla Città Eterna ! Destination review n° 11

When your favorite Italian cousin offers to show you around the birthplace of Western civilization, you’d have to be crazy to turn him down! I spent last week visiting Rome with Carlo – seeing all the major sites, some off the beaten path, and spending time with group of Roman students. I will report that there were less annoying vendors and tourist groups than we found in Firenze two months ago, albeit they were not absent. I quite enjoyed myself, and ironically I ate more American-style food and drank more carbonated beverages there than I had all year in Aix! The Italians are generally much more open to the American sphere of influence than are the French. Most Americans know what there is to see in Rome – the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, Trevi Fountain – so I won’t bother to elaborate on them. If you’re going to Rome I’m sure you won’t miss them. Rather, I’d like to enumerate some of the second tier tourist sites! I also loved the Roman forum.

1. Museo Missionario Etnologico – A much unexpected treasure amidst miles of anticipated artwork in the Vatican Museum. The exhibit takes an in-depth look at the evangelization of southern and eastern Asia and the religions native to those areas. India, China, Korea, Japan and Mongolia ; Shamanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, you name it. Many interesting artifacts with lengthy descriptions of the religions’ tenets and rituals adorning the walls.

2. Altare della Patria e Museo del Risorgimento – “Altar to the Fatherland” and national monument to Vittorio Emanuele II (the first king of a unified Italy) including the Italian tomb of the Unknown Soldier and museum of the mid 1800s unification movement. Lots of documents, paintings and weapons from the same era as the American Civil War. Particularly enjoyable to me, as I took an Italian class last semester on the Risorgimento, and an altogether beautiful monument.

3. Piazza Navona – Probably my favorite piazza in Rome. Long and rectangular, surrounded by beautiful facades, crowned by fountains on either end, one of which is Bernini’s famed Four Rivers.

Another unique thing about Rome is the insanely high density of Smart cars on city streets. I fell in love with the cuteness and space efficiency of Smart cars when I first visited Europe in 2002. (The point is to be able to park perpendicularly in a parallel parking space.) I took it upon myself one day to count the number of Smart cars I saw. Over the course of 12 hours, I counted 300 of them!

Travelin' Prayer

2008-06-16T19:29:00.004+02:00

When this Billy Joel song was introduced to me by my father, I didn't really take to it. However, I have grown to love it for its lyrics. I sent it to a dear friend before my departure from the United States, and with my return imminent, I feel it fitting to share it with you now.

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Hey Lord, take a look all around tonight
And find where my baby's gonna be.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
'Cause she is far across the sea.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that she's gonna be alright
And things are gonna be alright with me.

Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that all her dreams are sweet.
Said now, would ya guide her on the roads
And make them soft for her feet.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that she's gonna be alright
Until she's home and here with me.

Hey, Lord would ya look out for her tonight
If she is sleepin' under the sky.
Said now, make sure the ground she's sleepin' on
Is always warm and dry.
Ummm, don'tcha give her too much rain,
Try to keep her away from pain
Because my baby hates to cry.

Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
'Cause it gets rough along the way.
Said now, this song seems strange it's just because
I don't know how to pray.
Ummm, won'tcha give her peace of mind,
And if you ever find the time
Won'tcha tell her I miss her everyday.

Hey Lord, take a look all around tonight
And find where my baby is gonna be.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
'Cause she is far across the sea.
Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight
And make sure that she's gonna be alright
Until she's home and here with me.
With me.

Just another weekend ?

2008-05-26T15:58:00.009+02:00

Crappy spring rains, but still a fun-filled weekend in Aix. Weird to think that it’s Memorial Day back home.

My last class of the second semester concluding Thursday morning at 11 AM. Four exams to go in the next two weeks!

On Friday afternoon, Jenna, my Hungarian friend Szilvi, and I headed down to Marseille to see my final wish in that city : the legendary prison Château d’If. We took the ferry out to the island where it is located and its sister island Frioul. Originally constructed by François Ier in the 1500s to defend the port, it is most known for its prisoners who gained fame through the literary embellishments of Alexandre Dumas père – The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask. There’s not too much to see, but its aura is pretty exciting for a girl like me. Also in the 1500s, the island hosted the first rhinoceros seen in Europe in modern times, on its way to the Pope as a gift from king of Portugal!

On Saturday evening, a group of friends got dressed up to attend the annual ball at the ENSAM – Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers, one of eight national engineering institutes. Guys in suits, girls in cocktail and party frocks, easily over three-quarters of attendees clothed in black. The bash takes in between 5000 and 6000 high school and college students. I was lucky enough to secure a free ticket because my host father is in the top administration there. (The picture is me with my handsome Polynesian host brother.) The theme was La Nuit des 100 Jours (the night of a 100 days) and both courtyard and lecture hall were decked out in the ambiance of a different international destination : Ibiza, New York, London, etc. Fourteen in all, each playing a different style of music : disco, house, rock, cabaret, etc. We lingered for a good part of the evening at a large outside stage where the band was playing a lineup much resembling my iTunes playlists – from YMCA to Seven Nation Army. I loved partnering swing and salsa with one of my Moroccan friends, but stilettos and gravel are not a fun combination! I had my “killer” black heels on, and that’s just what they were to my feet that night; I walked home barefoot! It was a blast – think Grissom prom but more along the lines of mini Big Spring Jam. In any case, a three-year hiatus from any prom-type event is far too long!

Our dinner that night before the ball is worthy of note. Jenna and I went to a restaurant where one of my friends is now working and ended up savoring two solid hours of pure culinary delight! My entrée was cantaloupe with magret de canard (instead of the traditional Italian prosciutto) followed by a main course of melt-in-your-mouth red mullet fillets smothered in a vanilla sauce. Desert was delicious as well – molten chocolate cake. Je pense donc je suis gourmande...

Mordu de la plage

2008-05-19T22:42:00.006+02:00

“Mordu de la plage” : We have here the translation provided by my favorite language tool, wordreference.com, for the term “beach bum.” Literally, it means “bitten by the beach”… like I’ve caught a disease! Haha, maybe I have. I’ve always been a summer child, and I can think of few things more pleasurable than standing ankle-deep in sparkling azure water, with the warmth of the sun radiating through you and the Mediterranean breeze lightly whipping at your skin.

Some friends and I decided to hop aboard a day trip to St-Tropez one Saturday. The rich and famous love this French Riviera town, and the expensive yachts and cars were almost more fun to look at than the dazzling Mediterranean water! We spent some time at the beach afterwards and I’m really excited to be starting on my tan already! Plus, I’ve basically determined that as a general rule in France, all beaches are topless friendly. Differentiation is only made for nudist or non-nudist beaches ; your top half can fly free anytime. So, on this point, all I will say is that a wise person once said, when in Rome, do as the Romans!

However, we can’t always be high rollers. The beaches of Cassis and La Ciotat are around an hour and a half away by bus. With your student pass, it’s only 1 € each way on weekends and holidays! At Cassis, on a less than desirable weather day for an Alabama girl, two other girls and I opted for an hour-long boat tour of the Calanques. The Calanques are a series of rocky cliffs and fjords, the highest in continental Europe, I’m told. It was great to be out on the water, and the water itself was such a vibrant color of blue as no man can possibly recreate. And I found cute sunglasses there, too!

Potpourri

2008-05-09T21:05:00.006+02:00

When you go to a concert at a club in the States, you are ready to see a live artist, usually with a microphone, guitar, and drums. Well, as the Europe mainstream tends to veer towards techno and House music, many popular artists today in France are actually DJs. These industry kings are usually just DJs working in big-name night clubs in Paris who have gotten noticed for their mixing skills. Last month, Yves Larock paid a visit to Aix, and soon David Guetta will also be coming to mix at one of the hippest spots in town, Le Mistral. Hand in hand with this trend is another – one that I hope will never land on our American shores – called techtonik (tech-tone-eek). It’s a style of dance that feeds off electric and techno beats, brings back the “pop and lock,” and somehow coordinates with what I like to call the Euro mullet. Every now and then, you’ll find someone in a club who is very good at it, but mainly it’s inexperienced people flailing their arms around. It’s hilarious! Check out a typical techtonik video here!

And if you can’t get enough of unique French music, check out new First Lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy’s two cds. I actually enjoy the tunes from the first album, but there’s just something very, um, unique about a former model and president’s wife – whose nude photos sell for tens of thousands of dollars – singing folk rock songs!

Agir aujourd’hui pour mieux vivre demain – the current slogan printed on grocery bags for international supermarket giant Carrefour. Act today in order to live better tomorrow, it says. Here is an example of a trend I would love to see in full force in the United States! All of the major grocery stores in France – Carrefour, Casino, Monoprix and Euro Discount, among others – sell their own reusable plastic, canvas or nylon bags at check out counters. At Monoprix, a few stations are dedicated as environmentally friendly and are only for customers who have brought their own bags. At ED, even your standard throw-away plastic sack will now cost you a minimal fee. The durable totes are everywhere and really do have multiple uses! People use them to carry laundry to the laundromat, recycling to the city recyclery bins. You can also see many people (mostly women) rolling around slim, waist-height grocery carts, whether outside at the market or inside the store. These are sold at all kinds of cutesy shops where you can buy one in evergreen plaid, hot pink with flower appliqués, or black and white paisley. This one I saw at a shop in the Luberon: Je pratique la Bio logique, a play on the word “biology” to express the logic of practicing environmentally friendly policies. All in all, it impresses me on a daily basis to see the majority of Aix citizens doing something that is so healthy for our lifestyle and our world without even thinking twice about it.

With the coming of warmer weather and the blossoming of green things, the French seem to have multiplied overnight at the cafés. Ice cream stands are popping up on every corner ; terrace seating for cafés now covers entire plazas. I was utterly amazed on Tuesday afternoon to find myself still seated at a café after over four hours! Five friends and I ran into each other there and ended up sharing five bottles of vin rosé. The particular café we were at also serves complimentary tapas from 6 to 9 pm when you are drinking an apéritif. So we got our pick of goat cheese and ham rolls, pickled garlic, olives, chick peas and other delicacies served in cute, little white ceramic dishes. There was some odd sort of bean whose skin you remove once you put it in your mouth – naturally, this reminded me of unwrapping Starburst candy in your mouth to show you’re a good kisser. This time of year, the cafés begin to stay open later, until even 1 or 2 am. So lounge in sunglasses in the afternoon while sipping your café, and unwind in the evening with a pair of heels and a glass of wine. La dolce vita.

Destination n° 10 : Lourdes

2008-05-01T22:11:00.014+02:00

Bienvenue à Lourdes ! Destination review n° 10

This small town nestled in the Pyrénées was home to a young Bernadette Soubirous when she reportedly experienced visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. This year marks the 150^th Jubilee of the apparitions, and by now Lourdes receives millions of pilgrims annually from across the globe. Two large churches – Basilique de l’Immaculée-Conception de Lourdes and Basilique Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire – were erected directly above the site of the Grotte de Massabielle from which a spring of healing powers runs forth. A total of 67 miraculous cures have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. As a nerdy perk for me, the Madonna statue above the grotto is labeled in the local Gascon dialect that Bernadette spoke, and not in the formal French which has presented the stories for an international audience for over a century.

However, commercialization catches up fast. According to Wikipedia, Lourdes has over 300 hotels – more than any other city in France after Paris and Nice. It also has direct TGV from Paris, specifically to service pilgrims. It goes so far as to boast a wax museum of Bernadette and other figures. The streets leading towards the basilicas and grotto are littered with tourist stalls selling medals, rosaries, holy cards, statues and bottles for collecting the holy water. Get your own plastic gallon jug with “Lourdes” stamped on the side! Fill them up at rows of holy water pumps that remarkably resemble urinals! Needless to say, it definitely detracted from the spiritual nature of the place.

Other not-so-cheesy things to do in Lourdes include visiting the hill-perched Château fort de Lourdes or taking an excursion to some of the surrounding peaks to ski or ride the funicular. The train ride into town from Montpellier provides some spectacular views of the snow-capped mountains separating France from Spain.

Destination n° 9 : le Luberon

2008-04-28T19:59:00.012+02:00

Un passage au Luberon ! Destination review n° 9

One of the strongest images of Provence in the minds of the modern Anglo-American public is that of Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence. The setting and lifestyle he describes are that of the veritable heart of Provence known as the Luberon, a picturesque region one hour or so to the northeast of Aix, surrounded by middling mountains and covered in lavender fields and vineyards. Historically, this area was a Protestant haven in a Catholic country, and today it is experiencing a boom of artists, writers, and celebrities snatching up vacation homes.

1. Lourmarin – There is a castle. And the grave of Albert Camus. So this is a must-see for literary enthusiasts. Anyone who has read L’Etranger (The Stranger) can stop by to either worship or expectorate, as the case may be. According to popular legend, the gentleman who purchased the ruined fortress in the early 1900s was cursed by a gypsy whose camp he kicked out in order to renovate. He later was killed in a car crash at a young age, as was local resident Camus.

2. Roussillon – A pretty village perched on a hill which is famous for its ochre mineral resources and the ochre coloring of its buildings. Visit the Sentier des Ocres for your choice of walking trails through ochre extraction areas that I’d venture to say resemble the American West. Ochre is basically formed from sand and iron oxide, and the town sells ochre powder in a plethora of colors from which to make paint.

3. Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque – This Cistercian abbey is arguably one of the most photographed sites in Provence : a simple Romanesque monastery nestled behind rampant fields of lavender. The lavender blooms in late June, but the abbey itself accepts only arranged guided tours. The current monks produce and sell lavender essences, honey, and various good things to eat and drink. A great tip for Europe travelers – monasteries generally produce high quality alcohol and specialty edibles!

4. Gordes – Another pretty village on a hill. Nearby is the Village des Bories, a collection of stone houses made without cement or other aids. Basically it looks like an ancient druid community and not at all like a 18^th century Frenchman’s habitat. So if you're really dying to see a pile of rocks, go to Stonehenge instead.

The Luberon is more or less inaccessible without a car or private tour. I know that trains and buses run to nearby Apt, but the best way to experience this glorious heartland would be by renting a car. You'll probably chuckle when you see the vineyards - they look like they were made to be worked by midgets! In truth, the plants are around waist height in an attempt to protect them from the fierce Mistral wind. The Luberon is simply an ideal destination for a relaxing vacation or extended self-discovery!

inter - National Lampoon - ing

2008-04-24T18:00:00.004+02:00

Premise: You must change train stations in Lyon by taking a 35-min bus ride from Part Dieu to St-Exupéry in the 2 hours between your 3h20 arrival time and subsequent 5h20 departure. Easily choose between 3h40, 4h00 or 4h20 bus times. Also purchase and consume lunch.

After eating, we were ready to wait for the 4h20 bus. Unfortunately the ticket office was closed, probably for a smoke break, and a sign told us to by tickets aboard the bus. At 4h13 a bus pulls up; we throw our luggage underneath and get in line. Enter our Villain, evil bus driver who obviously woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Our Villain goes to close the luggage compartments, stating he can’t take anyone else as he’s running late. Hey, wait, you can’t leave with our luggage! And we have to get on this bus and we have to buy tickets from you because the office is closed. Sorry, you crétins, I don’t sell tickets, I’m leaving, get your luggage off, I’m late! The next bus will arrive in 5 minutes.

Huh? So our Villain was driving the 4h00 bus and was actually late? Then the 4h20 bus should be here any time now. Naturally it arrives at 4h35, giving me time to go back to the office where smoke break is over and I purchase tickets. We board, as if walking the gang plank. Friday rush hour traffic in the third-biggest city in France ensures that we arrive at our destination at 5h17… for the 5h20 train. It’s sitting in the station as we pull up. We are dropped off at the airport side and I sprint across to the train side. It’s 5h23 and the only daily train to Torino has just left.

Dear SNCF man behind the counter, is there any possible way to get to Torino tonight? We don’t really feel like finding a hotel and waiting 24 hours. Well, little lady, there is a train from nearby Chambéry to Torino leaving at 6h35. You could take a taxi. Enter our Hero, super-sonic speed taxi driver who agrees to take us to Chambéry but cannot guarantee that we will make it. Our Hero loads us into his two-week-old black BMW and we take off for what ideally is a 45 minute, 100 € ride. In between pushing speeds of 180 km/h and slowing for speed-trap radars, our Hero performs a super-sonic speed gas fill up on the side of the highway.

We arrived safely at around 6h15 and bid our Hero farewell. Like any Hero, he had to have a tragic flaw. Turned out his was a cab fare that prompted my dad to wish me Happy Birthday… We find the train to Torino and I stare at the number in disbelief. It’s the same supposedly “high speed” train that we missed in Lyon an hour earlier! We beat a TGV. I think that’s like defying gravity or something.

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Premise: Facing sinus problems and cold rain and lodged in a hotel which was probably last renovated, let alone cleaned decades ago, you decide to head home a day early from Lourdes to a nice warm bed in Aix-en-Provence.

After hauling the suitcases up the stairs at 9 pm, we find the majority of my apartment covered in painting drop cloth. The lights that had blown out the night prior to our departure had indeed been repaired, but someone had gotten a little “Spring Cleaning” happy or something. It reeked of paint, paints chips were on my clean dishes. All of my roommate’s furniture was piled on one half of her room, leaving the bed for my parents to sleep in inaccessible. I escort my parents to a hotel with an overnight bag, and pass the message on to my Landlady’s husband that I’d arrived to a state of chaos.

My Landlady wakes me by calling at 8h15 am the next morning. Apparently the repair people understood that I would be gone for une quinzaine (a fortnight) instead of returning le quinze (the fifteenth) and had only begun work the previous day. They’d wanted to take advantage of our absence to patch up the water damage spots on our kitchen and main bedroom ceilings. I was assured they’d be done by 5 or 6 that night.

Only when I asked the painter himself, he said it’s not possible to finish tonight because the paint won’t dry; it will have to be tomorrow. This presents a problem as my parents have already paid an extra unforeseen night in a hotel. In the States, the Landlady might have gone so far as to volunteer to pay for that night’s hotel. Enter the sticky world of professional and interpersonal relations that are not at all similar on both sides of the Pond. (The French are slowing picking up on the American trend of catering to the client, but as of yet, it's generally - if you don't like it, you can just go elsewhere.) I go to my program office to get the advice of my native French director and we call my Landlady, strategy in hand. Yes, madame Landlady, we have a little problem, you see, we didn’t ask for the paint job, it's quite aggravating and smelly, the lights are fixed and now the continuing painting is preventing my parents from enjoying their vacation. Yes, yes, what is it? You’re in the hospital because your father is dying?

Oh goodness. Curve ball. I’m sorry. Bad timing. Yes, calling off the painting would be fine. Thank you.

Once back at the apartment, the painter is already done, sweeping and rearranging furniture. Before leaving, he expresses his frustration that we had not prepared the apartment for painters to work in. Well we would have, had anyone bothered to tell us about it!

Destination n° 8 bis : Siena, San Gimignano e Pisa

2008-04-21T20:06:00.005+02:00

Esploriamo Toscana ! Destination review n° 8 bis

It would be hard to separate Florence entirely from the Tuscan hills, ambiance and legendary vineyards surrounding it. Thus, this entry is numbered “ 8 bis ” to mimic the French street numbering system, roughly “ 8 ½ ”. Buses and trains run regularly between these destinations and Florence. Try not to fall asleep immediately once aboard (like me) so as not to miss an unusual site – vast fields of bright yellow saffron amid the rolling hills!

Siena – St. Catherine’s hometown and the inspiration behind Crayola’s “Burnt Sienna” crayon. Geographically, you can easily visit Siena and San Gimignano in one day, but I would recommend dragging yourself out of bed early to maximize your time. A 10 € combination ticket gets you into the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, the Museo del Duomo, the Battistero, the Cripto, and a climb up the Facciatone for a view. I’ve heard many people voice preference for Siena’s Duomo over that of Florence. The entire cathedral floor is detailed in marble mosaics, well-maintained and very unique. My personal favorite was the painting on the inside of the dome – golden eight-point stars on a deep blue background. Don’t miss the Piazza del Campo, where the famed biannual Palio horserace is held.

San Gimignano – A quintessential walled town in the heart of Tuscany, most famous for the fourteen medieval towers still standing out of an original sixty or so. It is UNESCO Architectural Heritage material. The road into town is lined with tourist shops and gelaterie. Beware, as the prices are most expensive nearer the entrance and gradually decrease towards the center. The façade of the Collegiata cathedral pales in comparison to other Italian churches, but feel free to enter if you’re a Renaissance art guru. The fortress of Montestaffoli on the north side sports lovely gardens and a breathtaking view of both cityscape and landscape. There is also a wine museum, as the area produces the highly acclaimed Vernaccia di San Gimignano – the only white wine produced in predominately Chianti country.

Pisa – It has the Leaning Tower and reinforces why Italy is more famous for art and cuisine than for engineering. I have to agree with Livy and my mom’s Rick Steves guidebook and say that the Leaning Tower is THE main attraction and there isn’t much else in Pisa. Creative photography to capture yourself holding up / pushing over the monument are obligatory. La Torre Pendente is located in the Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) along with yet another Duomo and Battistero. 15 € will get you to the top of the Leaning Tower and a mere 2 € brings you inside the church. The baptistery is the largest in Europe and its façade combines Islamic influence from the Crusades and Italian Renaissance into a characteristic Pisan style. Take your pick of souvenir “leaning” shotglasses, mugs, and espresso cups!

P.S. I am abandoning listing which travel destinations are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Basically, Italy currently has more than any other country, so just assume wherever you go in Italy, you’re not far from one, if you’re not already standing in one.

Destination n° 8 : Firenze

2008-04-20T18:49:00.008+02:00

Benvenuti a Firenze ! Destination review n° 8

Florence wastes no time in showing you why it is one of the top tourist destinations on the Boot. The city bombards you with artistic wonders, fruits of the Medici Renaissance, and any minute not spent in churches and museums will likely be spent surrounded by vendors trying to finagle another tourist’s cash. But all in all, this was the place to be for several hundred years. Revolutions and triumphs in science, political theory, architecture, sculpture and painting dominate the scene. Brush shoulders with the likes of Dante, author of the Divine Comedy and often considered the literary father of the official Italian language, and Michelangelo’s masterpiece David.

1. Il Duomo – Or the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the Battistero di San Giovanni and the Campanile di Giotto. All three are built in the characteristic façade of green, pink, and white marble. The baptistery is noted for its three sets of ornate external doors, so just stop by and snap some photos. In my opinion, the number one thing you should do here – unless you battle claustrophobia or acrophobia – is climb the 463 stairs to the top of the Duomo. You’ll be on top of one of the most famous domes in the world, with breathtaking 360° views of the entire city and surrounding hills. And you’ll burn enough calories to treat yourself to gelato afterward!

2. Gli Uffizi – You can often get reservations a few weeks in advance for the major Florentine museums, and I would highly recommend doing so for the Uffizi. Spend the extra hours you’ll save actually inside the museum, viewing Botticelli masterpieces instead. His “Birth of Venus” and “Primavera” are there, as well as Da Vinci’s “The Annunciation.” I was also excited to see the most famous portrait of religious reformer Martin Luther. The collections are arranged chronologically by artistic movement and are crowned by a sizeable gift shop of official souvenirs.

3. Galleria dell’Accademia – Basically the largest hall was built specifically to house Michelangelo’s 17-foot-tall David. There are plenty of benches from which to contemplate the statue, and even if you’re not an art guru, you can’t help but be in awe of the seemingly flawless marble giant. Pictures are strictly forbidden, so turn off the flash and hide behind a column to take one. A camera can't hurt a statue unless you're throwing it! The museum is very manageable in size – in contrast to the Uffizi – and contains mostly sculptures.

4. Santa Croce – A pretty cool secondary church with the tombs of the most famous Florentines: Dante, Machiavelli, Rossini, Galileo and Michelangelo. If you’re one to tire quickly of the Italian church parade, the Duomo and Santa Croce are your minimum must-sees.

5. Pelle e seta – Leather and silk easily constitute over half of the souvenirs sold in Florence and litter the market stalls that you find around the Mercato Centrale and the Basilica di San Lorenzo. Silk ties and scarves, leather wallets and belts are the traditional “classier” souvenir options – and of course, meet my requirements of being useful and / or consumable. Make sure to double check that what you’re buying is actually made in Italy. I also learned you can test for real leather by putting a flame to the product, which would otherwise melt if it was synthetic. Or you can take your pick of countless items inspired by the city’s nude artwork…

Obviously, these are merely the highlights of this cultural gem known as Firenze. Don’t miss the Ponte Vecchio and stop in as many piazzas as possible. It’s a place I would have always wanted to go, but now that I’ve checked it off my list, I doubt I’ll be seeing it again! I think I’ve been spoiled by my small town in the south of France and its lack of obnoxious vendors.

Mes excuses...

2008-04-04T00:14:00.002+02:00

Salut, dear avid international fan base :
Later today, Friday, April 4, I will be leaving Aix with my parents on my way to Torino, Firenze e la Toscana, and Lourdes. In the days following my return to Aix, Tuesday, April 15, and my parents' subsequent departure, I will bombard you with blog postings and picture links detailing my fantastic voyage.
I have less than 100 days left of my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live and learn here in Europe... which, obviously, I hope to repeat as often and as soon as possible.
Bisous,
La Nouvelle Aixoise

Bon Appétit !

2008-03-31T15:36:00.007+02:00

I think a food edition is long overdue on my blog! Provençal cuisine basically combines the best aspects of Italian and French cuisines. But I have learned so much about cooking in general since arriving here that it would be a shame not to share some tips!

Of course, the French culinary basics : the best baguettes the world over; Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread; crêpes for which I’m buying a special pan; quiche, good any way; Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut spread; the standard crème brûlée; fresh market veggies; much more canard (duck) and much less porc; Nutella, a choc—oh wait, I’ve mentioned that, haven’t I? Okay on to more discoveries…

Mâche – Hands down, my favorite lettuce. According to Wikipedia, it’s called “corn salad” in English, but I’ve never heard of it in the States. Just put a little olive oil or white wine vinegar on it and a sprinkling of salt and that’s all it needs! In other salad news, raw yellow peppers are surprisingly good on salads, especially when combined with chopped yellow apples.

Boursin – A delightful, light cheese spread from Normandy. Great on crackers and such. A friend tipped me off to its wonderful capacity for topping pasta and rice dishes. Just put a hunk in the pan with whatever chicken-veggie combo you have going and it will melt into an herbed cream sauce.

Herbes de Provence – A mixture of dried rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, and thyme. Goes with basically everything. You can even try it on your scrambled eggs! I’m told you can buy it in bottles in the States if you search enough, but let me know in the next two weeks if you want any brought home for you!

Vin rosé – My favorite, and a Provençal specialty. But of course, white wine is the best for cooking, especially for sautéing onions.

Leeks – Wonderful in cream sauces. Also in wintry soups. For Leek and Potato Soup, sauté chopped leeks and onions in ¼ cup butter until they become mostly translucent. Add cut up potatoes and 6 cups chicken broth. Let simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Add seasoning of your choice (like herbes de Provence!) and 2 cups cream. Voilà!

Saffron – The most expensive spice in the world, but it only takes a tiny amount to flavor an entire dish! According to the Ducros (the European label of McCormick & Company) packaging, the three stigmata of 150,000 crocus flowers are harvested by hand and dried to obtain a single kilogram of this spice “gold.” Good sprinkled on a shrimp and leek cream sauce over pasta.

Tuna Salad – My creation for a picnic in the park. Canned tuna, canned corn, chopped leek and mayonnaise de Dijon. Nothing else needed! (I like short recipes.) I’m sure just regular mayo with some Dijon mustard would work, or scallions instead of leeks. Serve it on croissants, with lettuce if you like, socialite-luncheon style!

Garlic – Goes in everything! When in doubt, garlic. One friend even made a Provençal recipe of chicken with forty garlic cloves.

Salmon and Zucchini Pasta – One of my more successful culinary experiments. Get a shrink-wrapped package of smoked salmon from the supermarket. Lay out the filets on a plate, cover them with lemon juice and herbes de Provence. Cook chopped zucchini in a little olive oil on the stove top and add salmon when almost done. You can break apart the salmon with your cooking utensil; the herbes and flavor will transfer easily. Serve over pasta. So easy and so yummy!

Oh yes, and a few weeks ago at my host family’s for dinner, I had bone marrow. They included some in their pot roast. I got to scrape it out of the bone myself! I know it sounds rather primitive, but it was quite good. Usually eaten slightly salted. After such a long list of enticing foods, I just had to add something to gross you out! ;)

Work Hard, Play Hard

2008-03-16T15:29:00.005+01:00

Well the notes are in and tabulated. After multiple searches up and down Fac hallways looking at random billboards, I have discovered all of my grades for first semester. It’s France; nothing is reported online, nothing gets out in a timely manner. The grades themselves would be quite disappointing had we not been warned about the major differences in the French grading system. In short, I’m looking at the worst collection of grades I’ve had since, oh, I entered public school at the age of 5. (Take into account here that I’m an overachiever, or have been for most of my life.) Grades in France are out of a scale of 20; there is no converting between percentiles, letter grades, and GPA’s. You need a mere average of 10 among your classes and you pass go, collect $200. Americans, cue gasp. You need only get half of what you do correct to pass?! Well unfortunately, a 10 is rather difficult to come by. There’s a popular saying that basically sums up the French academic mentality:

20 est pour le bon Dieu, 19 est pour le professeur, et 18 est pour le meilleur élève !
(20 is for Almighty God, 19 is for the professor, and 18 is for the best student!)

Basically, the French system doesn’t acknowledge the possibility of “perfect work;” there is always room for improvement. I mean, when you think about it, the only means to make A+ and 100 in the States is usually a multiple choice test, which doesn’t exist in France. When writing papers, French teachers take a different approach to grading as well. In the States you get credit for things you do correctly; you made some great points and constructed your thoughts well, here’s an A-. In France you lose credit for things you do wrong; this paragraph is off topic, your handwriting is bad, minus three points right off the bat! Out of twenty possible, mind you. Not to mention, simple semester exams can last up to four hours. Pick your topic, grab your half-ream of scrap paper, and make sure you leave enough time to write your final copy out flawlessly on the answer sheets in fountain pen. Quite different from an AP English test where you write like two shorter essays in an hour and a half’s time, and if you’re like me, you don’t even bother with a rough draft! Oh yes, and did I mention that usually you only have one graded work for the entire course and it’s usually the final exam? Your entire grade rests on the final! Sometimes the profs will throw in a mid-term or a paper, but three of my four Fac classes gave only a final exam. So my lineup is *drumroll, please* 8 – 10 – 10 – 17. I’ll just make it extra clear on grad school applications that I was a study abroad “victim”… Haha.

Now turning to brighter things, like the park. I’d almost go as far as to say it’s a European invention. I’ve never seen people respond the way the French do to sunshine. If the sun is shining and the skies are blue, you better believe you won’t be able to find a single table free at any given café. The streets are filled, the terraces are filled, the parks are filled. A group of friends decided it was time to officially declare open the annual picnic-in-the-park season. On Friday afternoon, about 15 of us headed out to Parc Jourdan with blankets, wine and beer, cookies, cold cut and tuna salad sandwiches, and a volleyball. For the next three hours, we proceeded to soak up the glorious sun amidst clusters of other students – both French and foreign – doing the exact same thing. You can find people playing soccer, people reading, people practicing tai chi, people snuggling with their significant others, people juggling… It’s just so alive and amazing. When you see all these people reveling in good company and simple pleasures, it makes you feel that the French really know how to enjoy life. We played volleyball until the sun went down and just had a grand ol' time!

However, as our exchange program warned us, the park is not a good place to be after dark – all the crazies come out. Well the beautiful day brought some of the crazies out early on Friday. It’s a universal understanding and courtesy among smokers to always give a cigarette to a fellow smoker when asked. Exhibit A: An Arab guy, I’d say in his thirties, roaming around the park, who visited our little camp easily five times asking for a cigarette! After the first request it’s going overboard. But since he continued to see some of our friends smoking, he just kept coming back! At one point, it was only Americans left on the blankets, as the others were playing volleyball, and he walks up again so I was the one that got to shoo him away. Exhibit B: A young, buff French guy who kept walking up to every vulnerable looking group of girls to ask for cigarettes. You could just tell by his swagger and his shirtlessness that he was full of himself. It was quite entertaining to see how the various girls would react. People-watching is such a fun sport! Another French tradition I love.

And Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone! My hands and face bear battle scars of a green food coloring fight that took place this weekend. Cheers!

Destination n° 7 : Arles and environs

2008-03-10T22:30:00.005+01:00

Bienvenue au monde romain en Provence! Destination review n° 7

My third day-long excursion with the APA program took me to visit some highlights of ancient Roman occupation in Provence. Ruins of a colony in Glanum, near St. Rémy-de-Provence; theatres still used today in Arles; and the famous aqueduct Pont du Gard. Beyond identifying Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns, this area is also popular for fans of Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh (pronounced “vahⁿ gawg” by the French) who spent time in both Arles and St. Rémy. It was there that he painted arguably his most famous works – Starry Night and Sunflowers – and where he cut off his own ear during a mental breakdown.

1. Glanum – Excavated in 1921, this former Roman colony has become one of most important archaeological sites in France. (Thank you, Wikipedia!) The arc de triomphe and mausolée are relatively intact, and across the road are ruins of Roman forum, baths, and residences. If you adore ancient civilizations, by all means, make a stop. If not, don’t bother. I thought the local rugged mountains, known as the Alpilles, were much more intriguing.

2. Arles – A former Roman center and even a major port before Marseille’s rise to prominence, the city is best known for its array of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There’s not much left of the Roman theatre, and the arena next door has definitely been hyped up more than it probably deserves. I’ve only the beautiful Roman arena in Verona (Italy) to compare; I can’t imagine the underwhelming feeling for those who have already seen the Coliseum in Rome! If I had gone to Arles on my own, my visit would have concentrated instead on the amazing wealth of Provençal cultural traditions! The annual Féria d’Arles is held on Easter weekend and features highlights of bullfighting, a running of the bulls, and traditional fanfare music. During this time, the arena is outfitted with bleachers and other modern innovations to accommodate the thousands of natives and tourists coming to cheer on their favorite toreador and take in the excitement. The arlésiens have been among the foremost to preserve and promote their regional and linguistic heritage. The arlésien costume is worn for all kinds of cultural reenactments, and the region continues to produce world-renowned matadors. The father of the Provençal revival, Frédéric Mistral, was born nearby and founded the Museon Arlaten of Provençal culture with his 1904 Nobel Prize money.

3. le Pont du Gard – This bridge across the river Gardon is only a small portion of the original 31 mile long aqueduct built to bring water to the Roman city of Nîmes from its source in Uzès. Nearly 2000 years old and constructed entirely without the use of mortar, it still withstands the forces of nature, including recent massive flooding. Definitely remarkable, beautiful, and a great candidate for a summer sunbathing session!

Destination n° 6 : Normandie

2008-03-07T11:10:00.006+01:00

Bienvenue en Normandie ! Destination review n° 6

Taking advantage once again of family ties, this time I found myself in the north of France, between Île-de-France and Normandie. The Canons were gracious enough to take me from their home in Juziers out into the countryside and the whole way to the Channel coast, where they have a condo at Villers-sur-mer. [Side note: The Île-de-France is the official appellation of the départements that make up Paris and its suburbs. Inhabitants of the Petite Couronne – the inner ring of suburbs – tend call themselves actual parisiens, while those living farther out in the Grande Couronne – often still in more rural villages like Juziers – refer to themselves as francîliens.]

1. La Basilique Sainte-Thérèse de Lisieux – The second most visited pilgrimage site in France, following Lourdes, is a twentieth-century dedication in predominantly Romano-Byzantine style. Saint Theresa the Little Flower, as she is most commonly known in English, was a native Norman mystic who died of tuberculosis at the tender age of 24; she was later elevated to become a Doctor of the Church and secondary patroness of France – after Saint Joan of Arc.

2. Château de La Roche-Guyon – A typical Norman fort built in the twelfth century, the castle was greatly expanded during the eighteenth century when the owners were courtiers to Louis XIV. It controlled and collected revenue from a vital bridge crossing the Seine. The potager directly across the street was designed by the same guy who did the gardens at Versailles and has been recently restored. [Okay, technically this is in Île-de-France, but it’s on your way to Normandie and only 15 minutes from Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny!]

3. Honfleur – A small fishing village on the southern side of the mouth of the Seine, across from the industrial port Le Havre. It seemed to me a quintessential town living off of the sea; the vieux bassin is surrounded by colorful, maritime houses of olden days and provides continual inspiration to Impressionist artists. L’église Sainte-Catherine – the oldest entirely wooden church in France – dates from the late 15^th century when it was constructed by shipbuilders. Beware the innocent look of the façades and fishing boats… I’ve heard the tourists can become quite a plague in the summer months.

4. Norman specialties – Seafood in the coastal areas, of course. However, the real culinary fame of the region centers on cheeses and other dairy products. Camembert, Boursin, Neufchâtel, Pont-l’évêque… all call the Norman countryside home, and in accordance with European Union regulations, can only be produced under these names in very restricted locations. Along with Bretagne, Normandie leads the French production of hard apple cider. In the département of Calvados, various apple-based liquors and liqueurs are also produced for your sampling delight.

Naturally, the D-Day beaches and memorials are a must-see when visiting Normandie. I was unable to make it during this trip. However, the effects of World War II on the natives in this area and across the north of France deserve mentioning. To this day, the generations that remember living in harsh conditions under the Nazi regime are very friendly and appreciative to the American people and are often supporters of President Bush’s policies. This is not the hostile Socialist, anti-American impression the folks States-side tend to get of the French! My relatives were living on rations and in fear under the shadow of German camps along the Seine. They were holding school lessons in cafés and churches how and when they could. They were hosting newly-embarked American soldiers to share what little food they had and offer a good night’s sleep. This is quite a poignant pro-American experience that many French still hold dear. And the sentiment’s not unique to past events; my grandmother’s cousin wrote a letter of support to the American embassy in France after September 11. Basically, the next time you have the phrase “Freedom Fries” on the tip of your tongue, pause a moment to think about a bigger picture.

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

2008-02-26T19:19:00.012+01:00

Well during these past weeks I have taken every form of transportation imaginable – trains, planes, automobiles, subways, bicycles, buses, you name it! Except, as my mother pointed out, dog sled. And I guess I missed out on hovercraft, too. You get the point. One thing that cannot be denied is how much I prefer train stations to airports. There is no competition here! And no, it’s not because my dad collects model trains and not model airplanes. There is so much less stress at any given train station, it’s amazing. The main hall is always big and open, dotted with little cafés and shops, and filled with people. Basically, you need only arrive a half hour in advance, because you merely check the boards for your platform number and waltz right onto the train. What’s that you say? All the same things that could blow up an airplane could also blow up an airplane? They should throw a fit over 1.5 oz of hand lotion? While I’m sure that train authorities, workers and riders alike are concerned about this, thankfully they’ve chosen to be a bit more realistic about it. I love not having to wait two hours after checking in and passing through metal detectors. And I doubt you’ll see a line of men out the door and around the corner at the flower shop on Valentine’s Day in an airport! All in all, it’s a much more enjoyable experience. Try to take a high-speed train at least once if you ever visit Europe!

Apparently I’m not American. At least, I don’t come across as one. I have now been asked by two waiters and a bartender if I was Italian. Not, oh you’re foreign, where are you from? A straight out, are you Italian? Apparently I look Italian! I’ve always been proud of my Italian heritage, but this is a new phenomenon. I’m not too concerned that I don’t come across as French; I’m not willing to replace my entire wardrobe for that sake of it. Come to think of it, I’ve never been asked straight out it I was American. I’ve had a few tourist industry workers automatically switch to English, but I just keep plowing along in French. I guess it’s paid off, because I’m getting an increasing number of compliments on my French skills – even if they still can tell I’m foreign.

I think I’ve hit the jackpot here with second semester classes. With the strikes drastically rearranging the calendar, we had one lone week of class before our week of February vacation. Now to get back into the swing of things! I’m going to have only the minimum number of credit hours to still be considered a full-time student… and classes only on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! Woo! Here are the classes:

Langue, Culture et Société – a basic sociolinguistic class dealing with the interactions of language with culture and society

Morphologie et Syntaxe – a hardcore linguistics class

Civiltà Italiana del Medioevo e del Rinascimento – a study of Italian civilization during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance

Traduction: Thème, Version et Journalistique – a translation class focusing on descriptive literature and newspapers, English to French and French to English

In a month or so, I’m thinking Mondays will be beach days. Get a bus pass to go to Marseille and bathe in the Mediterranean sun. Quelle bonne idée!

Destination n° 5 : Maastricht and Brussels

2008-02-24T20:26:00.016+01:00

Welkom in Benelux / Bienvenue au Benelux ! Destination review n° 5

Preface: Benelux is a common sociopolitical conglomeration of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The linguistic realities in these countries are a crucial ingredient in how the people here identify themselves. In the Netherlands, the official language is Dutch. In Luxembourg, this status is shared by French, German, and Luxembourgish. In Belgium, a federalist state supports Dutch in the north and French in the south, with a minority of German speakers in the easternmost regions.

Maastricht – A fellow Hoosier studying in this Dutch university town was happy to put Jenna and me up for a long weekend and show us a glimpse of the Dutch life. You might have heard of Maastricht as the location for the signing of the 1992 treaty that set up the European Union as we know it today. Hands down, the best way to see the city and the surrounding Limburger countryside is to do it like the locals and bike. The challenge becomes not the gentle rolling hills but the cobblestones. Short people, beware – the Dutch are tall and their bikes are suited for them!

1. Vrijthof – A cobblestone square in the city center surrounded by trees and cafés, and on one side the Sint Janskerk (Saint John’s Church). This is THE place to be when Carnaval rolls around in February / March, and it hosts many other musical and cultural events throughout the year. Don’t worry, there is plenty of space to lock up your bike while you rest and grab a Dutch beer! If you look closely at the picture here, there is a canon ball still in the wall from June 1673 during a siege in the Franco-Dutch War, one of numerous conquests waged by Louis XIV in his later years.

2. Château Neercanne – This is obviously the French word for “castle” as opposed to the Dutch. The French border is only a stone’s throw from this spot, located in the Limburger countryside. Quite a beautiful bike’s ride to get there. There’s no museum or historical markers; rather the site is now dedicated to business meetings, galas, and wedding receptions. It’s built into the hillside, so feel free to wander up behind it. Stop in the small village afterwards for a café, and if you’re feeling adventurous, keep on peddling the whole way to Belgium.

Bruxelles / Brussel – Every single information booklet, menu and street sign in the European Union capital city is at least bilingual French / Dutch, sometimes adding English or German as well. It emanates the vibe of a European metropolis, full of Old World charm and bustling political and industrial quarters. You might not imagine it, but it is in fact very manageable to see the entire downtown area with just your own two feet! Buses and metro are there if you need them. An important tip we picked up on there that can be applied to any city – find a parking garage with a free elevator for a great panoramic view!

1. Manneken Pis – Travel experts will warn you not to make the trek to Brussels to see this approximately two-foot tall statue of a little boy peeing. I say to go for it! You will be tickled to death to see the famous sight and the little fountain it emits, not to mention the absorbent and often naughty souvenirs the city sells modeled after him. (My personal favorite was the Manneken Pis wine opener where the corkscrew replaces the otherwise stream of water… if you get my drift!) There is a nearby museum housing hundreds of outfits for the boy which have been donated by famous personalities and politicians over the years. No real story behind his existence, but take your pick from any of the local legends!

2. Musée de la Bande Dessinée – If you enjoy comic books, this is your stop! Brussels is renowned for its comic book industry and the weekly journals it has been publishing for over 70 years. The displays trace the evolution of comic art styles, relations with cultural and political trends, and popular comic book personalities. Anyone who has studied French will likely know Astérix – to whom not much space is dedicated – but the real trivia centers around an aisle on the Schtroumpfs. You know, the Smurfs! Yes, the little blue beings who had their own animated series in the United States are from Belgium. I bought a comic book. Definitely made it worth it!

3. Musée des Instruments de Musique – I’m going to guess that more people on average will be interested in music than in comic books. This was Jenna’s choice of museum (she’s a violinist) and it was amazing! Instruments of every age and size, from every corner of the world! Instruments played by famous musicians, instruments that we couldn’t even figure out how on Earth you’d go about playing them! The only downfall would be the lack of information. Brief descriptive blurbs and a headset that played the music of each type of instrument. You know I’m loathe to say it, but a tour guide might have been a big help on this one.

4. Sainte-Cathérine / Sint-Kathelijne – A rather unimpressive church. But it’s worth mentioning because of a characteristic quite in keeping with the European, and Benelux, flair. Go around the side of the church. Yes, those are urinals on the wall. Natives and tourists alike are discreetly invited to pee on the wall of the church. A stream of water washes away the traces. Go figure.

5. Belgian cuisine – Let’s talk about two can’t-miss Belgian dishes – moules-frites and gaufres de Bruxelles. The first is, simply, mussels and French fries. I’d venture to say that “French” fries are more a specialty of Belgians… but that’s beside the point. Mussels are a specialty of the very northern coastal regions of France and the Dutch-speaking coastal regions of Belgium. I ordered mine à l’Ostendaise, a preparation of celery and carrots in a cream and white wine sauce, with teeny tiny shrimp thrown in for good measure. Next, gaufres are waffles. Yep, Belgian waffles! They are light and fluffy and you can order anything sweet or fruity on them. Don’t forget to wash it all down with a delicious Belgian beer. Anything made by monks is usually a good bet!

Basically, I headed north with some great Btown friends for my February vacation. Downside – it’s February, you fool! Good luck with the weather. Upside – less tourists and more freedom to wander without waiting in lines and such. Eh, just brighten your photos and have a blast!

"Ohhh, we're half way there..."

2008-01-30T15:02:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, Tuesday, January 29 marked five months since I set foot on French soil. We’re half way there… Can you believe it?!

Last Saturday afternoon, I hooked myself up to my iPod (which I rarely do), put on my sunglasses, and set off. I wasn’t sure where I was going, just doing a little exploring. It was a gorgeous day, sunny with highs in the 60s – sorry to all you at home in freezing temperatures. I headed north of the périphérie towards the neighborhood of La Violette and Avenue Pasteur. I stumbled across several fountains, monuments, gardens, and places I knew existed but had never seen before. I meant to find the old Opus Dei (yes, from The Da Vinci Code) house but since I didn’t have a map and didn’t want to get incredibly lost, I decided to save it for later adventures. My wanderings brought me then to the Pavillon Vendôme, one of Aix’s tourist highlights. I’m told that the inside is really nothing spectacular, but the gardens and exterior of the building are simple and magnificent. Aix really is a most beautiful city, one that I’m proud to be part of for a small window in my life.

My dear friend Manuela left on Friday morning to go home to the States; she was studying for the fall semester only. We went out Thursday night to celebrate her last night and danced *almost* till dawn. She will be missed by everyone here! But really, that got me thinking… about how grateful I am that I had the opportunity to come to Aix for the entire year. My language skills have come a long way, although I could definitely be speaking French more often still. With only a semester here, I wouldn’t be in this apartment. I would be saying goodbye to friends I’d have only just met. I could have missed the January clearance sales altogether. I might not have lived through weeks of grève! (Darn...) I wouldn’t have another glorious semester to spend here, to feel the weather get warm and the earth come alive, to see the lavender bloom and to sip café in the afternoon. Right now, Aix-en-Provence seems more like home to me than either Huntsville or Bloomington have been in the past two years.

You could say we’ve been on a cooking rampage here among the Hoosier students. Dinner parties galore! I’ve whipped up some bagna calda with fresh green pepper and celery, Special K clusters, and even Jello shots. I’ve been checking this one oriental market that usually gets okra in once a week… hoping to give Aix a taste of Southern-fried okra! I’ve also sampled some amazing Moroccan dishes prepared by our friends from that country. This weekend, I think yet another friend is hosting and making Hungarian chicken! Brings a whole new meaning to “Eatin’ Good in the Neighborhood”.

And… it’s exam time! Finally our first semester classes will come to an end. One exam I took this afternoon. I have two more next week and then one last one the following week. Let me tell you, writing quickly because you’re almost out of time is not easy with a fountain pen. If you don’t have that sucker at the correct angle with the paper, you can end up with half-letters and half-words showing up all over! But at least the French have eraser pens. These are above and beyond erasable ball-point pens used in America; they neutralize the chemicals in the fountain ink and literally lift it off of the page! Then, with the other end, you can write over where you erased. Also, all the exams here have a top corner that you write your name on and then fold it over and lick it sealed. That way the teachers have no way of grading with bias. Of course, this would be more of a concern here because no university exams are actually completely objective, a.k.a. multiple choice, but are all short or long answer amounting to pages upon pages of handwritten explanations.

2008 - Deux Mille Huit

2008-01-13T12:46:00.000+01:00

Deux Mille Huit. Ordained as the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations. (I just thought that was amusing…) January 1 here in France ushered in a smoking ban in restaurants, bars, clubs, and casinos – a huge step for a nation that seems to light up whenever possible. January 1 at Indiana University also began a campus-wide smoking ban. I guess 2008 will also be the year of cleaner air!

If 2008 is anything like the second half of 2007, it promises to be a good year. When I think back about the year in review, all I can remember are things post-arrival in France. If we lived in 1908 instead of in 2008, think about how different life would be… I wouldn’t be in France, I wouldn’t know how to drive a car, I wouldn’t be able to talk to people half way around the world courtesy of the internet. Now I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions; however, there are two things that I wish for : to enjoy my time left here in France to the absolute fullest extent possible (for I will be loathe to leave it) and to successfully not have a mid-life crisis over graduate school applications and the like.

I spent my time ringing in the New Year at the apartment of friends here in Aix. We enjoyed a dinner of traditional Alpine fare called la raclette, consisting of using a griddle to melt cheese and warm meat and serving it over potatoes. Champagne and caviar really gave it that stereotypical French flair!

Mom left early Friday morning, January 4 to head for home, but was only successful in making it as far as Paris. Don’t you just love the airlines? She and others were prohibited from boarding the plane even though it was still sitting right outside the building. Both my parents are safe and sound at home now, and waiting for me to give the okay to buy the next round of trans-Atlantic plane tickets!

Classes recommenced this past week and, boy, was it disheartening! I hope that my kids will never be on the academic cycle of taking first semester exams after Christmas! Normally, you would be a little excited, have new notebooks and pens, and be wondering who you’ll meet and what the profs will be like… Oh wait, you’re still in the same stupid classes. So while you’re refreshed and ready to start anew, they throw you back into the same old routine. Well it should be over soon enough! I’ve already had the last session of one of my classes, and others are finishing early as well. Professors here usually schedule important personal events in January because it’s strictly exam time… unless you have five weeks of grève and everything gets whopperjawed.

P.S. Nationwide semi-annual clearance sales started Wednesday! It’s like the day after Thanksgiving… every day. Kind of stressful, but they have some great deals!

Pictures – remains of the medieval ramparts encircling Aix; amazing designer shoes in my favorite color.

Destination n° 4 : The Veneto

2008-01-08T20:20:00.000+01:00

Benvenuti in Veneto! Destination review n° 4

The Veneto – the region which is best known for tourist trap Venice – is something you don’t want to miss. Although, if you ask me, Italy in general is something you don’t want to miss! Courtesy of the Menegante family, my mother and I were taken to visit Padova, Verona and Vicenza. We only had half a day in each city, so I’ll just list some of the highlights. My main advice is going to be: WALK. Walk as much as you can; roam the streets (with or without a map) and you will see so much more. The piazzas that dot the Italian cityscapes are simply beautiful and should not be overlooked.

Padova – The Basilica di Sant'Antonio da Padova is an immense and ornate pilgrimage site for people around the world. Saint Anthony’s tomb and relics are housed here in the numerous, richly adorned side chapels. Free entry, but no photos allowed. Caffè Pedrocchi, one of the biggest cafés in the world, was the site of an anti-Austrian insurrection led by Padovan university students in 1848. The establishment had no doors from its conception in 1831 until the beginning of the First World War. No cost, except to pay for your coffee; it also hosts temporary exhibitions. However, local superstition dictates that no Padovan student should enter the basilica or the caffè, for fear that he will be cursed with bad luck and never graduate! Piazza dei Signori is also beautiful; make sure to check out the clock tower!

Verona – The whole city has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site (of which, Italy has the highest number of sites). That ought to tell you something! The Roman arena is remarkably in tact and still hosts a variety of lyric theatre and opera events under the stars in the summertime. A huge shooting-star work of modern art now falls from its walls. Verona is also famous in popular culture as the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. At the casa di Giulietta, you can see the heroine’s legendary balcony, and the walls covered thrice over in lovers’ graffiti. Unfortunately, the 4 euro entry fee to see the museum also stands in your way when wanting to have your picture taken on the romantic balcony. Piazza delle Erbe would be the piazza of choice to visit here.

Vicenza – Yet another location where the entire city has been named a World Heritage Site, including the outlying collection of Palladian villas. Perched upon a hill overlooking the city, the basilica of Monte Berico commemorates the site where the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to a local girl in the 15^th century. A string of 150 gilded archways will lead you up the hill, from where you can get a breathtaking view of the city. Villa Capra, also known as la Rotonda, is arguably the most famous of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio’s creations. When visiting the Piazza dei Signori (same name, different town), you can find another of his works – the Basilica Palladiana. It is claimed that the Palladian villas inspired the design of many of the American South’s antebellum plantations.

And because it was very difficult to select pictures for this blog, here is the entire album for your spare time!

My "first" Christmas

2008-01-08T12:43:00.003+01:00

Christmas 2007 has come and gone. Hosting your parents from across the ocean in a small apartment in a foreign country is not exactly my idea of “traditional”… but who said it can’t be memorable and fun? My first Christmas away from home! My first Christmas without a model train display and a decorated tree. My first Christmas ever eating dinner at a restaurant. My first Christmas attending mass in a language other than English. Talk about firsts; it’s pretty amazing.

On Christmas Eve, we hosted around my small kitchen table three of my fellow students who were away from their families. The Bellono family tortelloni soup, of course, plus some delicious French meats, cheeses, tapenade (olive spread), salad and fruit salad, several baguettes, and wine. And a seriously scorched but incredibly delicious pecan pie! (My mom brought the ingredients over and Rachel’s oven proceeded to do a number on it…) We jazzed up the kitchen a little bit with a festive table runner and some “Merry Christmas Y’all” napkins!

Midnight mass at the Cathedral was beautiful… and in French. The archbishop of Aix-en-Provence presided over a packed crowd of mostly Christmas-and-Easter Catholics singing traditional French carols and inhaling mass amounts of incense. In the morning, we unwrapped our presents underneath the hand-drawn Christmas tree on the dry-erase board. Christmas dinner was spent at la Bastide du Cours, a fancy Aixois restaurant, where we feasted on appetizer- entrée-dessert combinations with a bottle of white wine from Cassis. The cours Mirabeau was completely illuminated with Christmas lights and Christmas shops and carnival rides! Yes, the Aixois turned out in numbers so that their children could enjoy bumper cars on Christmas day. I guess that’s their version of Americans going to the movies on Christmas.

Bright and early Thursday morning, we parted to go our separate ways – Dad back to the States, Mom and I to Italy to visit relatives. Our flight was almost two hours late, so I looked like the classic wearied traveler passed out in the airport waiting. My Italian skills were definitely much improved and didn’t take quite as long to kick in; I think the initial shock in Torino had grounded the basics in me. Even Mom after a few short days was formulating noun and verb combinations! We had an incredible, albeit short, stay with the family, and even took a long walk through the village of my great- grandparents on Saturday morning. And they still speak in the Venetian dialect! An aspiring linguist’s dream come true! Our relatives are also chefs and in the restaurant business, thus the food was amazing! True hot chocolate with breakfast, homemade gnocchi with sautéed local mushrooms, fresh pizza with speck and radicchio… In the words of the t-shirt my grandparents gave me when I was little: Life’s too short not to be Italian!

Meilleurs Voeux

2007-12-18T01:06:00.001+01:00

I decided to start last week out right and be proactive. I attended an assemblée générale on Monday at noon with Philip and Rachel, and we lasted in the cold about two and a half hours. Why in the cold? Because access to the auditoriums that could have easily accommodated the several hundred students in attendance was blocked off by barricades. So they had us several hundred students sit down on the cobblestone courtyard outside the front doors and let the games begin! The assembly was completely student-run and thus completely unorganized. The first hour consisted of the student leaders establishing how exactly the meeting would be run, what length of time a person could talk, how many times a person could voice their opinion, etc. The speakers were often not talking directly into the microphone, which made it difficult to hear, or they got so impassioned that we foreign kids couldn’t understand them. We just knew when to cheer and raise our hands because the people in front of us were obviously against the blocage! Haha. Next, the movement was made to only allow students with their carte d’étudiant (student ID card) to participate to ensure that people not directly involved were not skewing the vote. The grèvistes (protesters) argued that the issue touched more than just the Faculté des Lettres students… and that students might not have their cards yet, because the bureaucracy is slow as molasses (which is definitely true). Well the show of hands whether or not to limit the vote to card-carrying students wasn’t distinctive enough. Everyone in attendance was split up into sections with counters for each section so that the vote could be enumerated. It was something like 500 for enforcing ID cards, 350 against. At this point, the debate could actually begin! Amazing, huh? Well it might have been even more so had we stayed. But hunger, heat, and stretching room were calling our names…

The university president decided to set up an online vote for students. The results: 4,258 students voted to remove the barricades and resume classes, while 832 students voted to maintain the barricades and continue the suspension of classes. Classes started yet again on Friday.

The APA program hosted a Secret Santa exchange on Friday afternoon which consisted of me receiving some Nestlé Noir dark chocolate truffles and serving myself some traditional French Yule log cake. My friends and I decided to do our own exchange to avoid buying for everyone, so on Saturday Paula and I hosted dinner at our place. I got Senza sangue, a contemporary Italian bestseller by Alessandro Baricco (I’m hoping I can get through it better than my books for Italian class…) and the BBQ Chef from Playmobil!

Saturday was an interminable day. I couldn’t get to sleep the night before, so the day began with four hours of rattrapage (make-up classes) running on five hours of sleep. Then lunch with my host brother – sushi for the first time in four months! Then shopping, homework, shower, dinner, and off to our friends’ “Naughty Christmas” party! There were definitely some appropriate costumes… "Dick in a Box" from SNL, anyone?

My parents will be arriving here in Aix on Thursday morning, and frantic preparations are taking place on either side of the Atlantic. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a post up next week, so… MEILLEURS VOEUX A TOUS!!! Because of the strict adherence to an état laïque (lay state), the French rarely wish each other Joyeux Noël (Merry Christmas) but rather an all-inclusive Meilleurs Vœux (best wishes) or Bonne Année (Happy New Year). I believe the greeting card market for New Year’s might actually be stronger than that for Christmas. But, for all my friends and loved ones back in the States, especially in Sweet Home Alabama… MERRY CHRISTMAS, Y’ALL!!!

A "legal" Christmas

2007-12-09T14:17:00.000+01:00

Apparently they’ve upgraded! Our legal residency cards are now laminated instead of the usual paper – let’s hear it for the 21^st century! We went to the sous-prefecture in Aix to pick them up on Friday. I now have a titre de séjour which says I can legally live in France until the end of August 2008… that’s something to consider! Note in the picture below that the lights in the windows of l'Hôtel de ville make the French flag.

Classes started as usual Monday morning, and it was difficult to sit still and awake through them again. We spent the first half hour of every class discussing the schedule and how to make up all the lost time and missed assignments. Don’t hold your breathe – it doesn’t last long. Wednesday evening, during a class that four of my Hoosiers attend, a group of protesting students broke into the amphitheatre and stopped class! The protesters wouldn’t even allow the professor to continue class after the students had voted overwhelmingly in favor of holding class. There had been another assemblée générale and the strike had again officially been voted into being. Rumor has it that the vote was rigged – protesting students that couldn’t secure the vote in Marseille came up to vote at our university branch. Classes were canceled until further order. My friends and I are going to tomorrow’s assemblée générale and see what we can do to change it!

As I’m listening to Christmas music at the moment, I feel like listing my favorite Christmas music:

O Holy Night – in general, especially Josh Groban’s rendition
Christmas Time is Here – Vince Guaraldi; there’s nothing like “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Christmas Eve Sarajevo – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Carol of the Bells – in general, especially the one from “Home Alone” because I like the scene in the movie
Joy to the World – Mariah Carey; it combines the classic Christmas carol and Three Dog Night’s pop song of the same name

I guess you could say those are my current favorites, although I tend to stick to my selections. I was so close to going to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert last year… but the dates didn’t line up in the end. Next time, I guess! And Hilaritas music! I love Hilaritas music. For those of you who know it, you know what I’m talking about – it’s so jazzy and fun! Probably one of the only things I like about the University of Alabama… ;)

Everyone celebrated my friend Sarah’s 21^st birthday this week. I guess I’m lucky I’ll be attaining my arbitrary twenty-one years at home – there’s not really anything to celebrate when outside of US. So I’ll be legal to buy and consume alcohol on this continent for a solid ten months, but then I’ll have to wait a few weeks after my American homecoming before I can legally drink again. Am I the only one who sees the irony in this? Anyway, the vin chaud à l’alsacienne (warm, spiced wine) from the booth on the cours Mirabeau is delicious!

P.S. I found a curling iron. Woohoo!

New beginnings

2007-12-02T15:14:00.000+01:00

That’s what this time is to be all about. November became almost a nonentity. A lack of routine, a lack of productivity. As much as I dislike being constantly busy, I’m not really me without a scheduling framework. If I didn’t have documented evidence, I wouldn’t believe that I was in Corsica exactly a month ago. All I can say now is welcome, December, and welcome, Christmas!

The Faculté des Lettres reopened for classes on Friday. Why did they decide to reopen on a Friday and not wait until Monday? The only explanation is that it’s France. Very few students and not even all the professors showed up, I’m told. We’re crossing our fingers that the protesters won’t feel compelled to reinstall their barricades this week… Just because the student body voted to end the strikes, it doesn’t mean that they not longer have the right to protest. Hopefully, the administration will soon establish whether or not we’ll be making up missed weeks in January… Vacation plans are heavily dependent upon this!

My roommate and I went to get our hair cut on Friday afternoon as well. So my coiffure is now lying nicely just below my shoulders. I had been planning on doing this for a while… When the Mistral blows, it completely destroys long hair. I just need to go buy hair products and a curling iron! Gotta take advantage of the new ‘do :)

Some friends and I headed to Marseille yesterday, to do some shopping and get a change of scenery. Sometimes it really doesn’t seem like a French city at all… more like a North African one! There is a substantial population of immigrants from the Maghreb (Arabic North Africa, former French colonial influence implied) in Marseille. We went to the downtown mall and saw all of their Christmas decorations, including a booth to… *drum roll, please*… get your picture taken with Santa! I wanted to take a picture of the whole setup – polar bears, fake snow, and Santa’s helpers – but there was an obnoxious sign with a red slash over a camera. He was an undeniably American Santa Claus, complete with a little round belly and a snow-white beard.

One of the patron saints of Aix-en-Provence is Saint Barbara, so the city celebrates her feast day on the fourth of December. There are small carnival rides set up around the Rotonde, such as bumper cars and a Bayern curve. I’ve also seen a lot of cotton candy! Local tradition includes planting le blé de la Sainte Barbe (wheat germ; sometimes lentils are used as well) in some moist cotton in three cups, which represent the Trinity. A healthy sprouting is a sign of abundance and prosperity for the coming year, and the produce is usually consumed at the traditional Provençal Christmas meal. Maybe I should get some...

Bon "Thanksgiving"

2007-11-27T15:32:00.000+01:00

Another interesting week. Sometimes I was sitting around, bored as a rock, completely unmotivated to do the homework before me. Other times I was seeing new places, having drinks on a parental tab, or viewing amazing movies. I advise everyone to watch “American Beauty” if you haven’t previously seen it; you can do this even if you’re not in Europe!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving, everyone! Since this is obviously not a French holiday, the French don't have their own word for it - you are wished a bon Thanksgiving with a French accent! You will all be relieved to know that I did indeed have a Thanksgiving dinner, even half way around the globe. Our program rented part of a restaurant called La Madeleine to feed us turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and apple pie. It has apparently taken the chefs a few years to get it right… they just couldn’t fathom putting bread crumbs in the turkey, and “pie” over here means fresh slices so pumpkin pie would be more like a flan. It was delicious anyway and a wonderful reason to get dressed up… although Mom has told me I shouldn’t wear my white necklace anymore in winter. Oops! Haha.

This week was also unofficial parent week here amongst the Hoosiers. Both Philip’s parents and Rachel’s parents were in town, so you know what that means… free food and drinks! They were very generous to us, and it gave us something to do. I was even invited to tag along with Philip and his parents to visit the seaside town of Cassis, about a 30-40 minute drive from Aix. (It’s a blessing to know how to drive stick…) It’s actually famous for white wines, but it’s too late in the year for that. It was a beautiful city, situated in the heart of the Calanques – the highest coastal cliffs in continental Europe, I’m told. The water was very rough that day so it looked very dramatic leaping against the rocks. We also stopped briefly in Marseille on the way there and walked by the fish market at the Vieux Port. All the vendors were there with their fresh catches… including one that had live octopi trying to crawl off of the table! They weren’t too big actually, just alive. It was pretty awesome!

The site Schuman – the Fac campus – has been reopened today for administrative purposes. It’s definitely a step in the right direction! You never know how badly you want school until you find yourself in a situation like this! And you realize that you need school to keep your French up to par… Anyway, this from the manifestation that took place a few short hours ago. The college students have recruited many high schools to their cause because it inevitably affects their future, too. Their front sign says Jeunesse en Lutte which means roughly "the youth are fighting back." Note the Parti communiste français (PCF) flags.

Week Two "Underground"

2007-11-19T00:26:00.000+01:00

So what I am supposed to talk about? The fact that I belong to one of approximately fifteen major universities in France that are on strike and shut down? Or the fact that it’s getting really cold outside which keeps me even more indoors? I barely even know what day it is! But we’re going to break this trend starting tomorrow, Monday.

Tuesday we had a meeting during which the program administrators decided to take it upon themselves to issue us homework. All the APA students are now supposed to be keeping an academic journal of our continuing study and to turn in five pages weekly. What they choose not to realize is that this is more work than the American college student actually does weekly in terms of independent research! Needless to say, we’re not thrilled. But in the end, if it helps us to get our credits back at home, then hopefully it’s worth it. That’s the goal.

Highlight of the week: SNOW. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it truly snowed in Aix-en-Provence (a rare occurrence) on the ides of November (an even rarer occurrence). Big, beautiful flakes that basically melted when they hit the ground. It was swirling all around for several hours with the aid of the Mistral. Naturally, I felt it was time to get out the awesome winter trench coat I bought a few months back. I felt so blissful taking my laundry to the laundromat in France in the snow in November! I also got a hot chocolate out – not as good as in Torino, but still much better than in the States!

Obviously, Halloween is over… And I’m saddened to see the Europeans following the American trend of stocking their shelves with Christmas “cheer” the day after! But I guess I’m fighting a losing battle on that subject. However, I am looking forward to buying a European chocolate Advent calendar! I’d been told that the cours Mirabeau transforms into a “winter wonderland” every year. The lights are already strung and lit at night – a carpet of white lights the entire length of the road between the trees. I think they’re adding some small artisan booths as well. « Noël est la fête par excellence des provençaux » : Christmas is a Provençal specialty… I’m anxious to see what’s in store starting in another week or so!

Ohio State beat Michigan! Indiana beat Purdue – this will lead to our first bowl game in years! Crossing our fingers for Auburn this coming weekend… If all three teams win, you can definitely attribute it to me leaving the country and not being there to see it!

La vie en grève

2007-11-11T13:50:00.000+01:00

Let’s examine my schedule of classes from the past three weeks:

lundi le 22 octobre – one class
mardi le 23 octobre – two classes
mercredi le 24 octobre – skip one class for Torino
jeudi le 25 octobre – skip two classes for Torino
vendredi le 26 octobre – skip one class for Torino

lundi le 29 octobre – one class
mardi le 30 octobre – strikes cancel two classes
mercredi le 31 octobre – strikes cancel only class
jeudi le 1er novembre – university holiday
vendredi le 2 novembre – university holiday

lundi le 5 novembre – only class previously scheduled as cancelled, but strikes anyway
mardi le 6 novembre – two classes
mercredi le 7 novembre – only class previously scheduled as cancelled
jeudi le 8 novembre – strikes cancel two classes
vendredi le 9 novembre – one class, held because the strikes do not involve the IEFEE

That comes to a grand total of SEVEN classes that I have attended in the past THREE WEEKS. While the average college student would celebrate, my fellow program participants and I only get frustrated that the strikes are interfering with going to class, may cause problems with credit transfers, and could generate extra homework. There are chairs and desks barricading all entrances, and the protesters are only letting researchers pass.

Tomorrow, no classes will be held at the Fac either. However, the student body (exchange students included) will be voting in a referendum on Tuesday whether or not to continue to strike. If they vote to continue the strike, the Fac will be closed permanently until the issue is somehow resolved through legislative compromise… We’re *hoping* that the student body will vote to not continue the strike because everyone remembers the two-month-long strike that happened across France two years ago and messed up degree progress.

Never fear, I have exciting news to balance this dreary talk of grève: the INTERNET has finally come to 6 rue des Chaudronniers, so I can always become a web potato in the event of no classes! Haha. We received our Darty Box modem on Thursday and proceeded to spend the next 24 hours troubleshooting and emitting expletives trying to set up the wireless network. Let’s just say that the instruction manuals were quite ambiguous and conflicting and that trying to fix it probably made it worse, until I just reset everything to factory default and started over the right way! So our modest French apartment is now Americanized with WiFi power!

Fashion update: For anyone who cares, I definitely found the perfect black belt I had been dreaming about for months! Only 5 €, too. I’m quite excited :)

Apparently, Native American Indians are also a tourist attraction here in France. There are a few that I see setting up shop every now and then around Aix to play their traditional music and sell recordings. I find it ironic and very funny! I don’t think I’ve ever really seen that in the states… And it really makes me wonder how they decided to come to France in the first place!

Destination n° 3 : Ajaccio, Corsica

2007-11-05T15:46:00.000+01:00

Benvinuta à Ajaccio! Destination review n° 3

Ajaccio [pronounced ah-JAHK-see-oh in French] is the capital of the territory of Corsica, but has only officially been French since 1768. Situated at the heart of the Golfe d’Ajaccio, it boasts a never-ending array of beaches and hiking trails by which to better view the beaches. The city’s number one claim to fame: Napoléon Bonaparte was born here. The town is riddled with references to this Premier Consul and Emperor of the French and remembers him fondly within the tourist industry.

1. La Maison Bonaparte – Small, quaint and completely redone since Napoléon’s day, it’s definitely worth the 5 € fee to see where one of France’s most famous leaders was born! The rooms tell of Napoléon’s family history, early schooling, inspiration from Corsican revolutionary leader Pasquale Paoli, and his last visit to the island.

2. Restaurant les Halles – Supposedly the oldest restaurant in Ajaccio, dating back to 1933. Rather upscale, but there are definitely more moderately priced dishes for the student. Corsican specialties include wild boar, charcuterie (a selection of fine hams), and nougat, especially flavored châtaigne (chestnut) or myrte (myrtle).

3. La Pointe de la Parata et les Îles Sanguinaires – Forming the northern tip of the Golfe d’Ajaccio is a tiny peninsula atop which sits a tower and from which you can see a small archipelago just off the coast. It’s a gorgeous spot and in order to get the full advantage, be prepared to battle with vertigo! Free to the public and you can choose the 3 hour trek from Ajaccio along the coast or take the bus. Guess which one we did.

4. The beach – Pick one. Even in November. The water's quite cold, but come on, you're swimming in the Mediterranean!

We took an overnight boat to and from Ajaccio out of Marseille, courtesy of the SNCM Ferryterrannée line. It’s great if you’re an early riser… be prepared to be dumped off at 7 am. But it will also reduce the number of nights you will pay for a hotel and give you full advantage of the days you are visiting.

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The only other thing worthy of note for this past week : The Université de Provence Faculté des Lettres was closed exceptionally on Tuesday, Wednesday, and today Monday, in addition to the Toussaint holiday on Thursday and Friday, due to student protests on the campus. Sarkozy apparently brought up his plans to increase annual tuition from 300 € to 1 000 € and to ultimately decentralize the universities. Right now, post-secondary education in France is almost completely state-run and thus easily accessible to everyone. However, the drop-out rate would blow an American’s mind, and technological and literary resources seem very limited. Proposing to triple the tuition cost in one fell swoop? Maybe not a brilliant idea. But bienvenue en France – let’s strike!

My first trip to Italy :)

2007-10-29T19:34:00.000+01:00

Or, how to spend an hour in the luggage rack of a high-speed train and experience a real “Eurotrip.”

Preface: Wednesday morning Paula and I made our reservations to go to Corsica for the Toussaint holiday this coming weekend. Boats and *hopefully* beaches, here we come!

I arrived in rainy Torino on Wednesday evening after an afternoon of smooth train travels. Torino isn’t normally rainy, but what can you do? I went to meet my family more than anything and the rain doesn’t change that. Anyway, the shining sun, blue skies, and snow-capped mountains on Saturday made up for it. To say my Italian was rusty is an understatement. Talk about two Romance languages running over each other! I could think only in French when I arrived and by the time I was on my way home in France, I kept telling people “si” instead of “oui”!

It was good to have a family again. You know that warm fuzzy feeling? The grandma who is always ready with homemade food, the younger cousin who looks up to you... I was lucky enough to spend part of a day in Romano Canavese, my family’s ancestral home north of Torino. Gathered more genealogy information and saw where my great-grandfather spent his childhood. The city of Romano even has its own history book and my copy should be arriving sometime this year!

So now personalized instructions on how to end up in a luggage rack… Step 1: Find out your “train” home is actually a bus, but due to a commonplace transportation strike, make sure the bus never arrives. Step 2: Look at other options, such as changing trains three times or missing another class the next day, but hope that you have extremely generous relatives to help you out. Step 3: Drive an hour and a half across the border into France to catch a train. Step 4: Go to exchange your tickets and have the lady at the desk tell you just to get on whatever trains you like and explain the situation if anyone asks. Step 5: Try to make your connection but discover that the second train is running 25 minutes late. Step 6: Worry yet again that you won’t get home. Step 7: Board the second train along with a couple dozen other “hobos” without tickets for this specific train and thus, without seats. Step 8: Find a place to stand but when you get tired of standing, covetously eye the luggage rack. Step 9: Sit down at the bottom of the luggage rack next to your luggage and out of sight of any train officials who might interrogate you, and don’t move until you reach your destination. Step 10: Arrive home, content with your status as “stow-away” and have a hearty laugh!

Destination n° 2 : Torino

2007-10-29T19:06:00.000+01:00

Benvenuti a Torino! Destination review n° 2

Thanks to our sponsor, the Vercelli family

In the US, we don’t hear much about Torino apart from publicity surrounding the XX Winter Olympic Games in 2006. It’s a shame really, because this is a beautiful city, full of modern innovations, remnants of a glorious monarchy, and hot chocolate the way it was meant to be made! Torino was once the capital of one of the most powerful and long-standing European dynasties, became the birthplace of the Italian unification movement – the Risorgimento – in the 1820s, and now is the regional capital of Piemonte.

1. Mole Antonelliana ed il Museo Nazionale del Cinema – The structure of the Mole is a symbol of Torino and houses a vast collection of cinema artifacts, including the robe worn by Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia. The city played a significant role in the development of Italian cinema during the 1950s and 60s, and museum offers temporary exhibitions dedicated to Italian directors and actors. Ride the Ascensore to the top for a 360° view overlooking the city and scanning the Alps.

2. Museo Egizio – Torino boasts the second largest Egyptian museum in the world after Cairo. If you enjoy ancient Egyptian history, it is a must-see! The most famous item is probably the Book of the Dead, and you can definitely find your fill of mummies and hieroglyphics.

3. La Reggia di Venaria Reale – One of the largest residences of the former ruling family of Sabauda, located just outside of Torino. The restoration of the main building was completed this year and it has recently been reopened to the public. Lots of history, so naturally I ate it up! Large gardens on the grounds; unfortunately it was raining. You can find lunch in the adjoining borough built by the rulers to beautify the view from their regal windows.

4. La Sindone [The Shroud of Turin] – Whether you believe that the Shroud really did wrap Jesus Christ’s body in the tomb after the Crucifixion or not, the controversy, history, and scientific research surrounding this famous cloth is quite fascinating. Head to the Duomo di San Giovanni Battista to see the case in which is it enclosed (the actual Shroud is not on display) and then to the Museo della Sindone several blocks away to discover its past and present.

5. Piemontese cuisine – You can’t expect me to select ONE typical dish from this spectacular palate! It’s Italian food. It’s amazing in restaurants and even better homemade. If you are a fan of European chocolate, definitely go for a cup of cioccolata and never look at Swiss Miss the same again.

I’m trying to pick something to interest everyone in these destination reviews, but naturally there are any number of ornate churches and old castles in and surrounding Torino. And of course, you can’t beat the experience of having a native show you around!

Our new arrival!

2007-10-21T19:34:00.000+02:00

Meet our newest arrival at 6 rue des Chaudronniers, born last Tuesday and christened Odette! Only 5 € but quite a bundle of joy! Haha I finally got around to buying a plant at the market this week. It only needs to be watered twice a week, which is perfect for a college student. Two new buds have popped open this weekend already! Paula and I chose “Odette” in honor of the leading lady in Marcel Proust’s novel Un amour de Swann we just finished reading for class.

If anyone who is reading this ever finds a bilingual dictionary of French cuisine at a reasonable price, I will pay you back!!! That would really be amazing to have. Paula, Chris, Rachel and I went out to eat at Le Beffroi, a supposedly traditional Provençal restaurant, on Friday night. I chose Tagliatelles au saumon et fondue des poireaux even though I had no idea what “poireaux” were! I guess that says something about my culinary spirit of adventure… But it was delicious! Pasta with salmon and a cream sauce of leeks [= poireaux] sprinkled with cumin. And all four of us splurged on crème brûlée for dessert :)

My mom has requested that I explain the pricing systems here since they are different from the States. Basically, tax is already included in all food prices. So what you see on the sticker is what you actually pay! It’s the same for clothing purchases, too. It’s nice not have to do extra calculations in your head. On the receipt, however, they break down the 19,90 € you paid for that shirt into 17,21 actual price and 2,69 of taxes included. Restaurant prices have tax AND tip included. Never leave tips in France! Unless the service was absolutely above-and-beyond, leaving a tip will definitely single you out as a tourist.

South Africa won the Rugby World Cup 2007 last night.

Anyone who knows me from high school will be either shocked or proud… I’m skipping four classes this week. That’s right, on purpose! I leave Aix on Wednesday for a long weekend with extended Bellono relatives who live in Torino, Italy. On Saturday, I will even get to visit the village where my great-grandfather was born! So my blog entry will be a little late next week… Buon viaggio!

Tudo bem?

2007-10-14T18:35:00.002+02:00

“Tudo bem?” It looks like I may be closer to quatrilingual when I return to the States next summer. How does English- French-Italian- Portuguese sound? My roommate is Portuguese-English-
French-Spanish and most phone conversations she has are in Portuguese. Apparently, if you are an immigrant who moves into a community where there are limited numbers of your ethnicity, you are automatically all friends. Thus, we are slowly becoming part of the tiny Brazilian community here in Aix. Thursday night we trucked down to L’Expresso Café where our friend João and his band play once a month. A couple hours of Brazilian music and samba makes for a great time! It’s a workout, as is any dancing, and Paula is going to help me learn some of the traditional dances. In Brazil, there are still a lot of specific regional dances that everyone is required to know. It kind of reminds me of Jane Austen movies… when a particular song comes on and everyone immediately falls into formation for that particular dance. It’s still very artistic and not so much the type of dancing found at college house parties today… All in all, it seems as though the French are quite preoccupied with Latino cultures; there are lots of samba, tango, and mambo classes here and concerts like this are popular throughout the south of France.

It’s really a blessing that France is the size of Texas. I ordered class books on Amazon.fr on Friday, and standard shipping was 1) free for any books – no minimum purchase required, and 2) approximately 1-3 days. But don't be fooled... this is one of the only services in France that actually is rapid! The bureaucracy makes sure that most things take several weeks, if you can even overcome the obscure stipulations in the first place.

England 14, France 9. The final score of the semifinal rugby game Saturday night. Quite disappointing! We staked out some tables at Le Balto tabac / loto / bar two hours before the game began; most other places were already full or reserved! England scored first, but then France was leading for the subsequent 65 minutes of the 80 minute game. England’s star player, Jonny Wilkinson (it’s funny said with a French accent), finally managed a field goal on his fifth attempt with 5 minutes left in the game. It was over for les Bleus. Apparently they put up a big projection screen in front of the Tour Eiffel and the news was showing many images of face-painted, costumed, crazed fans on the Champ de Mars. All that’s left is to hope that South Africa will cream Argentina tonight and take down England again in the final next Saturday!

Paula says hi!

Destination n° 1 : Nice

2007-10-07T17:27:00.001+02:00

Bienvenue à Nice! Destination review n° 1

Nice is the fifth biggest city in France and has the second largest airport, with direct flights to and from the US. Situated at the heart of the Côte d’Azur, it became popular as a winter get-away for the rich and famous during the 19th century. From the beaches, head inland approximately two hours to go skiing in the snow-capped Alps. The highlights of the city are not medieval churches and castles, but modern art museums and topless beaches.

1. Promenade des Anglais – The famed boardwalk along the Mediterranean, so called for the hoards of English that have flocked to Nice as their winter home for the past two centuries. We drove by in our bus and really wished we’d been able to stop! But do be prepared for a few middle-aged women on the beaches showing what God gave them.

2. Musée Chagall – A museum displaying the works of a 20th century modern artist. If modern art is your cup of tea, go; if not, skip it.

3. Musée Matisse – A large museum dedicated to the life and works of renowned Nice resident and modern artist Hénri Matisse. If modern art is your cup of tea, go; if not, go anyway – it’s still pretty cool and you can say you’ve been there! Gorgeous grounds full of lemon and olive trees, facing across the park the medieval Monastery Cimiez. Only 4 € entry, 2,50 € student, but no pictures allowed.

4. Salade niçoise – What you have to eat when you go to Nice! Salad topped with tomato, onion, cucumber, red pepper, radishes, boiled egg, tuna, anchovies, and a yummy dressing! If you really aren’t feeling up to what even non-seafood lovers like, you can always go for a Pan bagna, another regional specialty.

5. Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporaine – The city’s huge modern art museum located in the heart of Nice. If modern art is your cup of tea… go; if not, the 4 € / 2,50 € entry fee is still worth the open-air view at the top. This picture shows one of the most famous “pieces of art” of a contemporary Italian artist currently on display (yes, it’s a pile of clothing). On the bright side, they do have an Andy Warhol – “Diamond Dust Shoes.”

All in all, modern art is NOT my cup of tea, but it would probably be worth it to go back and stroll along the Promenade and through the Vieille Ville.

Radiographie pulmonaire

2007-10-07T17:19:00.000+02:00

Right now I’m sitting on my bed with my windows wide open. In the Tennessee Valley that’s almost impossible; it rarely happened when I lived in Bloomington either. I rather like the current general lack of pollen and mosquitos. It reminds me of my grandma’s house in New Washington in the summer, the one with the kind of front porch that will catch a breeze if there’s any to be had. It’s just kind of nice, you know?

Now who says the French government isn’t generous? I got a gift from them on Thursday when I went to Marseille. They gave me my very own radiographie pulmonaire. I never would have dreamt I’d have a chest x-ray of myself to hang in my home as a conversation piece, but it has come to pass! Pretty cool, huh? Never fear, I don’t have TB, although I can’t escape the fact that these are also my initials. ;) On top of that surprise, it seems that I have lost 5 pounds since arriving in France! Amazing. I bet I could make my fortune with a weight loss program like that… “Come to France and lose weight! Enjoy the world’s best cuisine and wine and walk miles to class by historic monuments every day!” Uphill both ways, mind you. Walking definitely makes a difference if you don’t normally have that in your routine. And it explains why my new jeans seem even bigger.

In other news, I bought my first jumbo tub of Nutella. Haha I’m afraid that won’t help…

So if Thursday’s big event was the medical visit to Marseille for my Carte de Séjour (residency card), Monday’s was going to meet with my adoptive family for the first time! The APA provides students the opportunity to have a host family one night a week: an hour and a half of English with the children, followed by a very French dinner. I am the fourth American student my family has hosted, and the fourth girl (I guess American boys have an aversion to France? Please don’t be one of them!). Anyway, both of the parents work in education administration for the State – l’État is the largest employer in France – and their only son is almost 16. They live in an incredibly chic yet slightly rustic home in the country, with a pool in the front yard. Dinner was simply delicious. France has specialized high school programs of study, and my host brother is in for literature / social science. Imagine reading a good 10 books in approximately 7 weeks. The ideal French scholar is incredibly well-read, and professors start putting on the pressure at a tender age!

I answered my first question in a class. Courtesy of Foreign Language Services, Inc. and my nerdy love of languages, I was able to supply that Tagalog is the official language in the Philippines! I probably felt more proud than I should have for such a short answer.

P.S. For anyone who’s interested, France’s rugby team beat out New Zealand in the quarter finals of the World Cup. Semifinals here we come!

Un peu de tout

2007-09-30T17:51:00.001+02:00

My first week of classes at a REAL FRENCH UNIVERSITY has come to a close. All I have to say is: this is going to be challenging! I’m currently taking 15 credit hours:
1. Langues du monde – a survey of world languages and their linguistic classification
2. Civiltà italiana del XIX° secolo – a study of Italian civilization in the 19th century, focusing on the Risorgimento and unification
3. Romanciers au XXe siècle – a survey of 20th century French novelists (LOTS of reading… Proust, etc.)
4. Les créoles français: histoire et langue – the history and languages of French creole languages (a “creole” is a language born from persistent contact between two languages, i.e. Haitian creole = French + an African slave language)
5. Expression écrite – a writing workshop…
Everything worked out this week, in spite of the chaos that prevailed Sunday and Monday nights. At the last minute, one of my classes was moved to a different day, so I spent hours rereading course options and trying to rework my schedule. Monday and Tuesday I went to five classes to get a feel for them, but quickly eliminated two. I would love to take Provençal, but after going to Italian and French classes, I knew I would be overloaded. Instead, I’m taking advantage of the renowned linguistics department here!

So all the Indiana kids have been having a blast eating at everybody’s apartments. We rotate places at random. Last weekend, I made bagna calda and it tasted delicious as always! Another girl made a chocolate cake and topped it with Nutella and raspberries. (If you live in the States, you should definitely go out and buy some Nutella. It's a chocolate hazelnut spread that may very well be a gift from God! Haha.) Last night was at Chris and Rachel's. Tonight, Paula and I are hosting. Seven people around our itty-bitty table, eating dinner and playing Uno! Pasta

and salad and attempting to boil an artichoke… Gathering supplies at the market this morning, my total for 6 beautiful peppers, an onion, and a bulb of garlic was 5,20 €. That’s pretty exciting!

In other news, the Mistral is getting impatient to wreak havoc on the south of France. That means shopping for more wintry tops… and succeeding in buying a chic, charcoal grey, part wool trench coat! I’m glad to finally have my own nice winter coat. I was trying to decide between two styles, and I asked the salesgirl to help me. Turns out she's an English major at the Fac! We might try to invite her out one night with all us "foreigners." I think this week I’m going to browse through the clothing market on the Cours Mirabeau. They have everything: shoes, jewelry, cashmere scarves, tablecloths…

So Paula's boyfriend in Brazil is a journalism major and he was a finalist in a songwriting contest that enabled him to play at a big concert. She really wanted to see the concert live Friday night at 1 am here, so a group of us decided to go with her to sit outside our program office on the street and steal their wireless! I roamed around by La Rotonde to get some night shots, too. Well, it seemed that the whole world was out and drunk that night, and a bunch of guys came up to our group and started asking the girls if the French made better love than Americans! How stereotypical. Unfortunately, the live feed never came through, but it was a cultural experience nevertheless!

*Crossing my fingers to have internet working at the apartment next week*

Sunflowers at the market. A Provence speciality!

Caramel

2007-09-20T17:17:00.000+02:00

Caramel is what women in the Middle East use as a depilatory. (You’ll never look at caramels the same way again, huh?) It is also the name of the Lebanese film that some girls and I went to see last night. There are no American-style theaters here in Aix, only a handful of four or six screen cinemas scattered throughout the city. Foreign films are more widely shown and viewed by the French than they are in America where Hollywood stardom dazzles us all. The movie was in Arabic with French subtitles but it was surprisingly good! It dealt with five women and their efforts to feel wanted and find happiness within the social norms that govern the former French colony.

As you know, I got an apartment. Here’s how it transpired: Last Wednesday, the four of us Indiana students still searching went to view five apartments. Now you would probably think the odds would be in our favor to find one out of the five. The first was lovely but too costly. Another was equally lovely, situated in an 18th century house, but as it had been the maid’s quarters, it was teeny tiny. The remaining three were just embarrassing! Holes in the wall, furniture missing, sitting water that was growing stuff in the sink, you name it. And we’re pretty sure one of the landlords was inebriated…

On Friday Paula and I came to look at an apartment I had inquired about over the phone. We liked it immediately, and signed papers Saturday morning! Before moving, we decided to take advantage of the Journées du Patrimoine and visit the one site I was pining to see: Cathédrale St. Sauveur. If you have looked at my album, you can clearly see how beautiful it is! It’s five minutes from the apartment by foot. Luckily we were able to catch the last bell tower tour before lunch. So there I was, standing on the stone roof tiles of a cathedral, looking out over all of Aix! FOR FREE. Isn’t life grand?

Back at the dorms, we tried to turn our keys in at the office to check out. However, the “Saturday” girl didn’t understand that APA had special arrangements and that we only had to turn in our keys to leave! She was being kind of rude, telling us we obviously couldn’t leave without paying and doing the room condition report. Don’t you love situations like that? Someone’s thinking you’re ignorant, but you know they’re wrong and can’t do anything about it? (Okay, I probably do that too sometimes... but not in a professional setting!) I didn’t feel like being charged for the extra nights, so I wrote a note using as much legal jargon as I could muster and left it at the front desk. And our cab was there to whisk us away!

Our apartment is a stone’s throw away from the District Court of Appeals. Walking home one day, we passed a hoard of reporters and cameramen waiting outside. On the news later, it explained that a local man was being charged for the murder of a girl 30 years ago because his original alibi had been revealed as false!

I guess I’ll add something that’s a little bit more for the guys, to balance out the depilatory comment… A whole group of us watched the England – South Africa rugby match at a terrace bar on Friday night. Basically this sport is a mesh of wrestling, soccer, and American football. No pads, few penalties, two 40-minute halves with no commercials! The clock only stopped running at halftime. The South Africans have an amazing team this year and shut out England 0-36. Of course the French didn’t mind, as England is still their “hereditary enemy.”

For those of you who are from Bloomington or have ever been there, do not take for granted the beauty of that campus! The Faculté des Lettres (liberal arts) where I will be taking classes looks like remnants of the Soviet regime. No joke. And OneStart is a blessing in a very good disguise, because the efficiency of posting schedules and selecting classes here is very close to zero. I love how I’ve left school for last. Yes, Mom and Dad, I’m here to go to school. But that’s so much less exciting than opening your first bottle of wine in your very own apartment in FRANCE! Anyway, our Cours intensif ends tomorrow with another test, and real class starts Monday.

This one’s pretty long; I’m just catching up! Yesterday was Mom’s birthday, so I want you all to wish her a happy belated birthday if you see or talk to her!

Journées du Patrimoine

2007-09-18T21:38:00.000+02:00

I'm going to have to apologize for falling behind after only three weeks here... I blame it all on the Journées du Patrimoine that took place this past Saturday and Sunday. I really enjoy the concept of it : all across France, civil museums, churches, and other cultural centers are opened to the public at reduced prices or for free! This would not be a bad thing to copy in the US, I think. Lots of concerts and speeches, too. There was so much activity here in Aix, and it was an excuse for me to be extra touristy taking pictures! ;)

On top of that, I have found an apartment. I say it again, I have found an apartment! After two weeks of tiring persistence, I moved into an apartment in downtown Aix with Paula, a Brazilian-American girl in my program. It's a great price and in great location, although it does lack an oven. But I'm looking forward to people visiting me!

My oral presentation today on the history of the Provençal language went over rather well, so I'm pleased. My French is coming along little by little... All I can really write to you tonight is that I have plenty of homework left to be done before our Cours intensif ends on Friday! So I leave you with this, a public link to my current Facebook photo album with more pictures.

Ciao from the south of France!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2308003&l=fcdf4&id=6832153

l'IEFEE (lee-er-eff-er-er)

2007-09-10T12:14:00.000+02:00

I’m finding that a 0,60 € Dixie-cupful of café from the NesCafé machines can be a good friend. You’re probably thinking she’s in France – what about gourmet French coffee? A gourmet coffee a day does not fit a student budget!

Week two here in Aix has largely been dedicated to our intensive courses at the Institut d’Etudes Françaises pour Etudiants Etrangers. (Even the acronym is a tongue twister.) Somehow I ended up in the hardest class! I am in Group 1 for the daily morning classes and Group A for the afternoon civilization classes. Professor Charbonnier (mornings) is a well-coiffed Frenchman in a suit, tie and ankle socks. While the other two classes have to do a 5 to 10 minute oral presentation, ours has to be 15 minutes accompanied by a bibliography. So I’m doing *surprise* the Provençal language!

In the news – the Rugby World Cup started Friday night. The pubs in Aix were packed with people watching the games on big screen TVs. Games are being held in various locations in France and Britain, with the finals just outside of Paris. They are holding a handful of games in Marseille… I really want to go! Tickets seem relatively inexpensive, at least for the cheapest seats, so I need to look again for dates and times. Argentina vs. Namibia? France vs. Georgia? (Haha, Georgia makes me think of SEC football!)

Unfortunately, my allergies have been atrocious these past several days. I don’t know if it’s something outdoors, moldy old buildings, or the down pillow. I finally got some honey at the market. I think the market will likely become a ritual; this is the second Sunday I’ve gone with friends. It’s just so nice to be roaming through an outdoor market!

Let me recount an average, hectic day here in Aix for us foreign students. Yes, hectic IS average. Friday morning some fellow Hoosiers and I set out slightly early in order to stop by the program office before class. We cut through the Parc Jourdan, only to find that the gates on the opposite side weren’t open! Well we didn’t feel like climbing the fence in broad daylight, so we retraced our steps and went around. On our way along the park perimeter, we saw several mothers lifting their children over the fence to take them to elementary school! And by the time we arrived where we should have exited, the gates were open. Then we got to the office, only to find that no one was there yet. Off to class we went from 09h to 12h. Back to the office at noon and grabbed lunch along the way. Class again from 14h to 16h. Then a good dozen of us had to sprint to LCL Le Crédit Lyonnais (the program-endorsed bank that is giving us a great student deal) to open our accounts in order to make it back to the Cité Universitaire dorms (at RIGHT) for a meeting by 17h!!! Okay, so maybe it was a slightly un-ordinary day… but not by much!

La première semaine

2007-09-03T15:18:00.000+02:00

So after nearly a week here in Aix, I have:

Walked at least 4 miles every day.
Sweated profusely in the midday sun.
Realized I should have brought flip flips, non-long pants, and a beach towel.
Ordered my first drink at a pub: Snake Bite.
Had a delicious banana and Nutella swirl gelato.
Bought juicy plums at the market.
Spoken less than a half hour of French, but heard countless hours.
Found a hairdryer and a messenger bag.
Acquired an Orange SIM card, only to have the internet not work... yet.
Been force-fed mountains of information.
Ordered my first café at a café: Noisette.
Lived without air conditioning for the first time in my life. Visited the second largest city in France – Marseille – and forgot my camera.
Used a toilet without a toilet seat.
Ingested ridiculous amounts of carbs in the form of bread.
Been told I am now officially an OM fan – Olympique de Marseille soccer team.
Talked about the movie Notting Hill in French class.

I’m posting this from an internet café called "Students in Aix," which provides internet access, excursions, and social activities for any foreign or French students in Aix. It’s been great so far, although "Students in Aix" is a little shady. Doug’s BlackBerry has been so handy, even if I did just find out that you can't configure it for European internet unless you buy a plan, aka NOT with prepaid cards...

Saturday was probably the best day so far, regardless of the fact that I didn’t have my camera for all the gorgeous sites and vibrant colors in Marseille. I will definitely be going back! I really would love to take the boat tour out to the Chateau d’If. Some of you readers might recognize this name as a prison in both The Count of Monte Cristo and The Man in the Iron Mask. All of the boats lining the Vieux Port were quite a sight to see! It was a beautiful, albeit hot, day and the sky was as blue as the water.

I’m actually looking into apartments with three other people from IU. The Cité Universitaire (dorms) is a good 15 minutes from the Centre Ville (downtown) and the buses stop running after 8 pm. It has also been revealed that NO visitors are allowed to stay here at the dorms either. Are you kidding me? What about Jenna, or Livy, or anyone else? I wouldn’t mind walking down here to class, if it meant proximity to night life, open air markets, and internet.

Aix-en-Provence is relatively touristy, but in a different way than Marseille. It’s for people who want to come, relax, and take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. There don’t seem to be too many specific sites. "Aix" is an adaptation of the Latin aquae and the French eau meaning water; the city has fountains on every corner. And dogs are everywhere, too! With their owners in restaurants, shops, and streets. The dogs are well-behaved and as laid-back as the people here.

On the way back from town today, we came upon a celebration of sorts in the Place des 4 Dauphins: dozens of locals dressed up in traditional Provençal costume, and some of them performing traditional dances on a small stage! We stopped for a while to watch and listen. It was fascinating. Reels, rounds, routines with tambourines. I really would like to take a course in the language while I’m here. The Occitan language, of which Provençal is the most commonly known dialect, was once uniquely spoken across the south of France and is simply a hybrid of French and Italian to the untrained ear. In spite of it being considered a "dying" language, and maybe even because of it, I am intrigued.

À la prochaine fois! T

Day 2

2007-08-29T18:39:00.000+02:00

Flying in over the coast was gorgeous. "Azur" is right - I've moved to the tropics! Yesterday was extremely warm here, and I've brought only long pants. Go me! The people here for the most part are wearing clothes that could pass as American, minus tears in jeans and a few other things, but definitely tank tops and bright colors everywhere. Rooms are tiny as expected, but they have sinks. No AC but there are large-slat shutters and windows that you can completely open. No "vin provençal"... any time now! We're hearing a lot of French, and being given instructions in French, but not speaking it too much yet. This is quite an annoying non QWERTY keyboard, so I'll type more on the laptop later and post it when I can. No pictures yet; I don't want to be too touristy. À bientôt!

I've joined the blogging world...

2007-08-10T23:39:00.000+02:00

I'm rather proud of myself... I've joined the blogging world! I'm doing this for all of my American friends and family to view photos and read anecdotes of my adventures in France this coming year. I am T-17 days until I board my plane to Europe... HOW INSANE !!!