il fait froid!!

WOW...it's December already! The past month flew by so quickly! It's very exciting though. The past two days I have taken 5 exams...I have two more tomorrow and then I am FINISHED with school in Angers. Then, early early Friday morning I am taking the train to Amsterdam with Ann...wahoo!! It's very neat to have started and finished the semester with the same friend on different trips.

A little bit of catching up to do....two weekends ago I met Ann Kirk in Paris. She was taking the LSAT so I went to keep her company and celebrate afterwards. It was SUCH a wonderful time. Even though our time together was short (she wasn't finished taking the test until 8:30pm!), we had so much fun and had such wonderful, invigorating conversation. I felt completely refreshed after that weekend. The only negative aspect of my weekend in Paris is that all the museums were on strike! While Ann Kirk took the LSAT, I had planned on visiting Musee Cluny and Musee l'Orangerie. Instead, I just walked around the city. It took a lot of energy though because I had to carry my luggage around all day because the concierge at the hotel wouldn't let me check in.

My favorite part of the weekend was Sunday morning. Ann Kirk and I went to the morning service at the American Church of Paris. It was one of the best things I've done all semester! It was so comforting to have Christian fellowship. I even met a lady from Mississippi who went to Ole Miss and now TEACHES at les Sciences-Po...WOW!!

Last weekend I took the train to Marseille. Then on Sunday I drove my little car all the way back to Angers...an 8 and 1/2 hour drive! It was long and through snow but I had ample time for reflecting on my semester that is coming to an end and also for admiring the scenic drive...France really is a beautiful country. I also spent quality time with Philip Glass...listened to him almost the entire drive and it made me very, very happy.

Next Monday I will drive back to Marseille and spend Christmas there. The countdowns:

2 more days of school, 6 days until I go back to Marseille, 10 days until Christmas (!), 14 days until Heath arrives, 30 days until I see my wonderful family that I miss so so so much!

procrastinating

I'm writing a really big final paper right now, so I thought I might take this opportunity to procrastinate and write a post. It's about things I miss in Oxford.

1. Southern gentlemen who open doors for ladies. Had I not come to France knowing that southern boys are unique in that sense (and the best because of it), I would have been completely appalled by the men here. But it's not just France... real gentlemen are rare anywhere outside of the south, at least in my opinion.

2. CPC and RUF.

3. Forrest, Fritz, and Samson... my animals. I realize, now that I haven't been able to play with any of my pets in so long, that animals are just very comforting.

4. SWEET TEA.

5. Square Books and Bottletree.

6. Live music. I really don't think there is any such thing in France, unless you consider a DJ at a club "live music."

7. Southern accents.

Only 20 days until I am finished with school here... this is very exciting. I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with my family in Marseille. And then Heath comes :)

48 days until I come home.

A European Thanksgiving

This weekend I went to Trier, Germany to visit two of my best friends who are studying abroad, and it was such a wonderful, happy experience. We decided that since Europeans don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we would have our own psuedo-Thanksgiving meal (I say psuedo because finding the right ingredients...like turkey....was impossible).

Although we celebrated a week early, it was one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had. And, in retrospect, it was probably my most symbolic and meaningful Thanksgiving yet. Three friends scattered across Europe (me-Angers, Devon-Trier, Maggie-Hannover) traveled great distances in order to be together for an American holiday. Back home, Thanksgiving is a celebration of tradition, but it often evolves into a habit...consequently, not much thought is put into why we are having a feast with our family and friends. This year, however, we put so much effort into our Thanksgiving because we are thankful for our friendship, because we are thankful for each other, and because we have so much to be thankful for (as is made evident by our being in Europe).

Thinking about this made me really happy. I am very thankful to be in France right now and sooo thankful for all my friends and family here and back home who have kept me in their thoughts, because sometimes it has been very difficult being so far away from the life that is familiar to me.

I will admit, October was a tough month to get through. Very often, I was pessimistic about being in France and felt what I suppose is home-sickness. But, ever since November came around, I have had the highest spirits. Maybe it's because I know--I can feel--that the end is very near and will come before I know it. Now, when I walk around Angers, I just smile. Despite the inconveniences of not having a car, having to do laundry at a "laverie" and using a kitchen whose appliances don't really work, I will miss things like going to the boulangerie every day to get bread and croissants, taking the train every where I want to go, and living in a place where I can walk to the grocery store.

I know that these next few weeks will fly by. For starters, I have a 15-page paper that I haven't started on due in a week. So, this week will probably not last LONG enough. But that's my fault. Then after that, I will be taking finals, and until school is finished, my last three weekends living in Angers will be spent in Paris, Marseille (picking up a car which I will then drive to Angers), and Amsterdam. And then it's Christmas! I can't wait, and I think that it's this impatience that makes me appreciate Angers even more.

Vive la Fra...l'Algerie?

For the second half of last week, I returned to Fos with Oma and Opa. Saturday I got to see Pauline, which was so much fun! I thought being in the same country as one of my best friends would mean hanging out more, but so far I’ve only seen her twice! I went to Marseille to see her and the day ended up being much more eventful than expected.

I drove myself to Marseille and when I got there, the route the GPS wanted me to take was blocked due to construction. The detour was a nightmare. What should have taken me five minutes to drive through took an HOUR AND A HALF. Why? This article sums it up:

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLE520367

I got to Marseille right as a huge riot erupted. While I was driving, I had no idea what was going on, but I was very literally scared for my life. The roads were completely blocked because thousands of Algerian immigrants were running around waving the Algerian flag, waving flaming torches, throwing objects, screaming, and honking. As I tried to drive down the clogged streets, people would hit my car. And all this because of a soccer match? Geez.

Anyway, it ended up being kind of serious. Before the day was over, the riot had spread all over Marseille. Cars were flipped, smoke bombs and rocks thrown at police and store windows, and the grand finale was that night as I was leaving: boats in the Vieux Port (the famous one from the Count of Monte Cristo) were lit on fire…two of them sunk.

For me, it was a really weird experience; for France, a huge frustration. I know that this riot was sparked by a soccer match, but I think it was propelled by underlying bitterness of the immigrants and their descendents towards French government and society. I really believe that tension is building (there is a huge debate right now about what the “French Identity” is and who belongs) and that a replay of the 2005 riots is bound to happen before long.

la Lozère

on the roads in Lozere
le Cellier.

Last week I had a vacation from school grace à Armistice Day on November 11^th. The break was very much needed and I have come back to Angers completely refreshed and motivated to finish the 30 days I have left of school here. For le pont (what they call short holidays here in France), I went south. I really am a southern girl in every sense…born in southern France, raised in Mississippi…and it felt so good to be with my people again and in a place that is very familiar to me.

For the first half of the break, Oma, Opa, and I went to the house in le Cellier (“The Cellar” in English). The village is really, really tiny, but it is always such a pleasure to be there, and it is no surprise to me why it is the place where my family has vacationed now for the past 50 years. The region is la Lozère and is in le Masif Central, which is a mountain range (of dead volcanoes) in south-central France. It should be mentioned that this region is the most rural in all of France, having about 3 habitants per kilometer squared (Paris has 20,000 habitants per square km). My guess is that in le Cellier there might be about 20 families (all small farmers)…but no more.

Reasons why I love Lozère:

1. Very often, one is woken up in the morning by the sound of sheep being herded down the street from the barns to the meadows.

2. One must drive for thirty minutes to get to the closest grocery store and to find internet.

3. The landscape is breathtakingly beautiful and very isolated from the rest of France. It can only be reached by small winding roads along rocky cliffs.

4. Everyone is obsessed with mushroom hunting.

5. You buy your cheese, milk, eggs, and sausage from your neighbor.

The region has a sort of ancient mystique to it. All of the houses are old (Oma and Opa’s house is 400-ish years old). I have no doubt that the story of Beauty and the Beast (Belle et la Bête) is supposed to take place in Lozère. Being in such an old place is, ironically, incredibly rejuvenating. It must have to do with being so isolated in nature. Fun fact: Robert Louis Stevenson loved this region and wrote a lot about it. When in Lozère, it’s easy to understand how he must have been so inspired by all that was around.

1989.

A few posts ago I mentioned that I would be writing a post on 1989 and why it's the greatest year in modern history (and it's not because it's the year I was born).

Well, I did write a piece on it and I was planning on posting it on November 9 in honor of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The older I get, and the more delightfully-yet-oh-so-painfully-intellectually stimulated I am in my Croft classes, I believe more and more that November 9, 1989 is the most important date in modern history; simply put: the fall of the Berlin Wall granted all Europeans access to democracy, and the economic integration that followed suit is completely unprecedented and contradicts the tendency of mankind to pursue self-interests, as is reflected in centuries of warfare in Europe. 1989 marks the greatest discontinuity in the lives of Europeans: it is the triumph of democracy in Europe and made successful European economic integration a realistic goal. Furthermore, the failure of communism in eastern Europe after 1989 was felt all around the world, especially by smaller communist states which so heavily depended upon the support, militarily and economically, of the USSR.

So now it's November 15th and I never published that post, the reason being that I was in the most rural region in France with my grandparents and had zero access to internet for three days (more on that later...). Honestly, it was very refreshing...I'll be the first to admit that I am on facebook way too much. However, now that it is no longer November 9th, I don't really feel like posting the piece I wrote for the 20th anniversary. But--I am going to leave you with two excerpts from one of the best articles I've ever read. These are taken from The Economist (Nov. 7th-13th) "So much gained, so much to lose." I cannot agree more with everything that was said in this article.

"The destruction of the Iron Curtain on November 9th 1989 is still the most remarkable political event of most people's lifetimes: it set free millions of individuals and it brought to an end a global conflict that threatened nuclear annihilation. For liberals in the West, it still stands as a reminder both of what has been won since and what is still worth fighting for....

...Recognising the political shortcomings of globalisation should redouble Western liberals' determination to defend it: to close the gap in the right way (referring to the gap between economic progress and political progress since 1989). That involves a myriad of things, from promoting human rights to designing better jobs policies. But it also requires defending the enormous benefits that capitalism has brought to the world since 1989 more forcefully than the West's leaders have done thus far. And above all perhaps, taking nothing forgranted."

I hope those excerpts moved you as much as they did me. It is true: we should take nothing for granted.

Ps- Y'all are probably wondering what this has to do with my "adventures in Europe"...being in Europe for the 20th anniversary has been special. It's been on the news the entire month, and it is neat being with Europeans for something so monumental in their history. AND...I am going to Germany next weekend and cannot wait!! So, I guess I've been thinking about the Berlin Wall a lot because of all that.

bon appétit

Lately, I’ve become obsessed with food. I’ve been reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and haven’t been able to put it down. I also, and I think this is a result of watching the new movie about Julia Child and the fact that I am in France, have made it my ambition to expand my knowledge on cooking and the art of taste (my life goal: to be able to cook like my Dad, Mom, and Oma). Here is an excerpt from Omnivore’s Dilemma that I believe is so true:

(To give you some context, Pollan has been talking about Americans’ susceptibility to food trends and diets because there is no established food culture in America as in other countries. His thesis is that Americans have a sort of twisted relationship with food)

“We Americans are amazed to learn that some of the cultures that set their culinary course by the lights of habit and pleasure rather than nutritional science and marketing are actually healthier than we are—that is, suffer a lower incidence of diet-related health troubles.

The French paradox is the most famous such case, though as Paul Rozin points out, the French don’t regard the matter as paradoxical at all. We Americans resort to that term because the French experience—a population of wine-swilling cheese eaters with lower rates of heart disease and obesity—confounds our orthodoxy about food. That orthodoxy regards certain tasty foods as poisons (carbs now, fats then), failing to appreciate that how we eat, and even how we feel about eating, may in the end be just as important as what we eat. The French eat all sorts of supposedly unhealthy foods, but they do it according to a strict and stable set of rules: They eat small portions and don’t go back for seconds; they don’t snack; they seldom eat alone; and communal meals are long, leisurely affairs. In other words, the French culture of food successfully negotiates the omnivore’s dilemma, allowing the French to enjoy their meals without ruining their health.”

I’ve never heard a more accurate description of how French people eat. With my grandparents, it is pretty usual for Sunday lunch to start at noon and end at 4:30 or 5. I kept on thinking about that while I read that excerpt.

Three steps to the French "look"

1. Drop 15 pounds.

2. Wear lots of stripes (this will offset the 15 lbs. you just lost)

3. Skinny jeans (the reason you lost the 15 lbs).

Okay, but seriously. Here are some other tips:

4. Flats, Converse (low-tops), and Bensimon…basically the rule with shoes is that you can’t have anything with arch support.

5. Make-up: none.

6. Hair: au naturel. Lately I’ve seen a lot of bobbed hairstyles. It’s really cute with curly hair. I don’t know that I could ever pull it off, but a lot of girls here make it look fantastic.

What amazes me about French style is that even though they look like they just rolled out of bed (and, honestly, they probably did), they always manage to look amazingly chic…it’s a sort of “rugged-chic.” Maybe it’s the “yes, I’m better than you” attitude that often accessorizes their wardrobe that makes the French look so classy. I don’t know. I’m really trying to figure it out. They make it look so easy.

no "troubles" for me in northern ireland...

Mural in Belfast
Causeway Coast

Last week I rediscovered a truth I’ve known my entire life: Paris is the best city in the world. But, before I ramble on about how much I love that city (it is a thing I do really well…), let me ramble about my time in Ireland: It is true; the grass is greener on the other side of the channel and it is, without a doubt, due to the amount of rainfall it receives. Every single day was soaked in a sort of misty rain that I quickly learned is called wet rain. Wet rain…in comparison to what? Dry rain? I laughed when I first learned that this is how the Irish refer to that sort of rain, but they probably laughed at me when they saw me walking around with an umbrella. In Ireland, as I unpleasantly discovered, umbrellas are pointless because this “wet rain” often seems to be coming up from the ground. It sounds magical but I promise, it’s really just annoying.

Despite lacking appropriate attire for the weather, Ireland was wonderful. My first thought upon arriving in Dublin was “I wanna know where tha gooold at, give me tha gold, I want tha gold” (if you haven’t seen this video, please search “leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama” on YouTube immediately). After a few days in Dublin, I took a train to Coleraine in Northern Ireland to visit two friends who are studying abroad there. It was so good to spend a few days with friends. Together we visited Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and had fun going out in Portstewart at night. Irish people were a breath of fresh air after having been in France for almost two months, and maybe it is because I had been in France for two months that the Irish seemed SO incredibly nice. Those of you who have been to France probably know what I mean when I say that French people live in bubbles. Once you are in that bubble, they are the nicest people you’ve ever met, but until then, most French people seem distant and haughty (I should probably add here that not ALL French people are like this…I like to think that my grandparents are very welcoming to foreigners and my best friend Pauline is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, from the moment we met). While I’m thinking of it, I hope my blog doesn’t sound mean or offensive…? I want to be honest about my experiences and so much of that involves the strangers I pass on the streets and the impressions I get from them. I like to think of this blog as a sort of cultural commentary.

This is getting long so I will quickly summarize the rest of Ireland. I went to Belfast and had so much fun, even though I was alone. It is incredible seeing the scars left on the city from the “troubles” that happened throughout the 20^th century. I went on a tour of the neighborhoods where most of the fighting was. Honestly, the buildings looked a lot like those one might find in the Mississippi delta…falling apart. It was so fascinating though, especially seeing the murals everywhere commemorating people who died in the fighting. It is strange being in a place where people my age have known and lived through such violence. It is so recent. A few fun facts about Belfast: it is the birthplace of C.S. Lewis (I love him) AND the Titanic, and, lastly, when the city decided to create a hockey team, they almost named the team the Belfast Bombers. This was rejected, however, and today they are the Belfast Giants.

A friend forwarded me an email called “The American’s Guide to France” and, within it, I found many laughs. Earlier when I wrote about French people being distant, I was reminded of the email. Here is an excerpt; I hope it makes you laugh like I did:

France has a population of 57 million people. 52 million of these drink and smoke (the other 5 million are small children). All French people drive like lunatics, are dangerously over sexed, and have no concept of standing patiently in line. The French people are in general gloomy, temperamental, proud, arrogant, aloof, and undisciplined; those are their good points. Most French citizens are Roman Catholic, though you would hardly guess it from their behavior. Many people are communists.

Haha. That excerpt is from the part entitled “The People.” Here is an excerpt from “Economy”:

France has a large and diversified economy, second only to Germany’s in Europe, which is surprising because the French hardly work at all. If they are not spending four hours dawdling over lunch, they are on strike and blocking the roads with their trucks and tractors.

France’s principal exports, in order of importance to the economy, are wine, nuclear weapons, perfume, guided missiles, champagne, guns, grenade launchers, land mines, tanks, attack aircraft, miscellaneous armaments, and cheese.

But, my favorite is “Conclusion”:

At least it’s not Germany!!

Well, I think I’ve reached the limit on this blog. I will write about Paris very soon though, not because you want to read about it, but because I love talking about that city. Ooh la la, Paris j’adore!

le 21 septembre

1. I am starting to get the hang of laundry machines over here.

2. I am becoming way too obsessed with Longchamp, reading status updates on Facebook, and making collages.

3. I just finished reading an incredible book. In French the title is Elle s’appelait Sarah, but I believe in English it is Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Thank you Jessica Phillips for recommending it!

4. Classes are really difficult. Who knew that in the French language there are 6 different ways to speak in the past tense (and that each is really specific and has a definite right or wrong time to be used based on the nuance of the sentence)? Not to mention that real French people don’t use three of those ways but my teacher is still making us learn it. My GRAMMAR BOOK doesn’t even have one of the tenses we learned. Thankfully, this is the last week of the “intensif” program…real classes start on October 5^th and will be much more laid-back. Instead of grammar, I will be taking French literature, culture, and classes of that nature.

5. Next week I have a vacation. My itinerary: Ireland and Paris. YAY!

6. Better blog coming soon. There is so much I want to write about but haven’t had time lately. Coming soon: “The secret Paris of Coco Chanel”; “Why 1989 is the most important year in modern history (and it’s not because it’s the year I was born)”. Stay tuned.

7. For a class project, I had to interview French people about national pride. When I asked, “At what moment have you been most proud to be French,” four out of five responded: the moment France won the World Cup in 1998. It was definitely a great moment, I remember. Nonetheless, the frequency of this answer surprised me…a soccer match is really how they identify themselves as French? Another answer that surprised me: Opa telling me that he is not proud of the French Revolution. I said, “but Opa, you believe in democracy and liberty, right?” He said, “bien sûr, but one must remember that if it weren’t for the kings of France, there would be no France. The revolution was too bloody and violent.” He has a point. But it still surprised me. Considering that he is Napoleon Bonaparte’s #1 fan (if you’ve ever seen his Napoleon-ornamented office, you know what I mean), I figured that he would be a fan of the revolution, too. The only response that all the interviewees had in common was that they are proud to be French because it is the birthplace of le droit d’homme…the rights of man (thank you Montesquieu, Voltaire, etc…). This is home of the democratic promise, and it is interesting to see how the government and the people relate to that idea in an era of diminishing global prominence and an increasing immigrant population…a population of people who come to France to be part of that promise. It’s quite a controversy these days in the French media.

8. I used today’s blog as a means to procrastinate from writing a paper based on the research done in #7. I should probably start writing my paper now.

"Skinny Love"

Marion Cotillard Lady Dior Ad Campaign

French women are often stereotyped as being skinny or thin. Well, I know their secret(s). Discovering this secret was somewhat anticlimactic, though, because it is summed up in three boring words: the grocery store. Their trick to being thin has nothing to do with themselves but instead with the structure of French towns and where the grocery store is in relation to the city center.

It is important to first understand a major difference between American cities and French cities. In France, and elsewhere in Europe, there is a strong concept of a “centre-ville”…everything is at the center of the town. City life is very centripetal. For example, in old towns, streets are not built in blocks but, rather, all streets lead to the center. Looking at a map, the roads look like a spider’s web. Conversely, in America, city life is centrifugal…people flock to the suburbs for shopping, eating, and other commercial things.

Because of the centre-ville, it is almost impossible to drive to the grocery store, which is typically at the very center. If you live in the center, this is the grocery store you go to, and if you live in the center, you probably don’t have a car. Furthermore, even if you did have a car, the grocery store doesn’t have a parking lot.

Now that I have explained the centre-ville, I can tell you the secret(s).

Secret #1

French women walk to the grocery store and, consequently, carry their groceries all the way home.

Secret #2

Having to carry groceries all the way home, French women only buy what is necessary.

Secret #3

The French government passed a law banning all non-degradable plastic bags (http://www.endseurope.com/11124). Because of this, French women must buy a large, reusable bag from the grocery store. So, not only do they only buy what is necessary because they don’t want any extra weight to carry; they also only buy what is necessary because it all has to fit in their large, reusable bag. It’s not hard to make sure everything fits into your bag, however, because as you shop at the grocery store, you do not have the luxury of using enormous shopping carts (like the ones we have in the States). If you want a big cart, you have to pay for it (and I wouldn’t suggest doing this because it probably wouldn’t fit down the aisles anyway). So, shoppers are left with the option of carrying a shopping basket (which, because of the weight it accumulates on one’s arm, makes it very easy to only buy the minimum) or pushing a shopping cart designed for Polly Pocket (I’m not kidding).

One might think that this would result in French women’s making more trips to the grocery store in order to get the same amount of groceries as normal people. False. Going to the grocery store in France is like going to a Turkish bazaar, minus the bargaining. The hassle is just not worth multiple trips.

It all makes sense, right? I kind of like it this way. It makes me realize what grossly easy access to food we Americans have. Not that it’s bad to have easy access (I’m very grateful for it) and not that the French don’t have easy access…I mean, relatively, France is still one of the richest countries in the world. Nonetheless, it almost seems shocking to me now how many times I’ve filled my gargantuan shopping cart at Kroger or Wal-mart with pointless food, simply because I know that I can just roll it on out to my car, fill up the trunk, then take “trips” back and forth from my car to the door to my house which is maybe five feet away. Now, because of all of the effort I put into carrying my groceries all the way back to my house, I almost feel a little pride as I cook that which was so carefully chosen. There’s no harm in working for your food. It seems a little more natural that way. Plus, I feel healthier now because of all that effort.

Angers: pour tout de suite et pour longtemps

One might think that when living abroad, the most difficult adjustments to make in one's daily life, or vie quotidienne, would be those that result from cultural or linguistic differences. I, however, have found that my most baffling experiences yet have had to do with laundry. It has been the pursuit of a washer and dryer and, even more befuddling, actually figuring out how to use the machines, both here and in Rome, that makes me think, "my life in America is SO easy." It is not the fact that there is no air conditioning any where nor the fact that you have to pay to use public restrooms; even the reality that everything here is at least half the size of things in America (cars, rooms, people) is easy to accept. Consistently, it has been my experiences with washers and dryers that make me think to myself, I heart the U.S.A.

There are other aspects of daily life here that make me think the contrary, I heart la France:

Castles less than 500 metres from my house; the impression you get when walking down the street or sitting at a restaurant that there is no rush. Take your time. Something that I particularly like about Angers is the abundance of crêperies (if you sit down, the meal usually consists of 1) a galette, which is a crêpe with eggs and ham or vegetables; 2) a dessert crêpe...just with sugar is really yummy. Another favorite is chocolate and banana; 3) cidre, the cold, alcoholic, bubbly cider that one traditionally drinks while eating galettes, grâce à la Bretagne) and kebab stands that stay open all night.

The history in Angers is fascinating because it is the heart of French history. It is out of this region, Anjou (of which Angers is the capital), that the lines of French kings came. This is where France was born. Angers is also really different from the France I am used to, la Provence. The fashion here is so preppy. Everyone wears pastel Ralph Lauren and Lacoste polos; boys even wear them with beige sweaters wrapped around their shoulders. Furthermore, no one is without the ultimate prep accessory: the classic Ray-ban Wayfarer. And, bien sûr, all the girls carry Longchamp and boys carry man-purses. I love it. Thankfully, I also have my faithful wayfarers and Longchamp.

My classes here are great. For the month of September I am doing an intensive French program. This means that I am in French language and speaking classes for about 8 hours a day. It is indeed intense, but I love it. I love le français. And, so far, I love Angers.

I like lists...

My bedroom
My bedroom
My hosts' beautiful courtyard behind the house

1. I am in Angers! My address here (for those of you who wish to write me...I loooove mail!) is:

Mademoiselle Emilie Dayan

Chez M. et Mme. Bereau

45 Boulevard du Maréchal Foch

49100 Angers, France

2. My hosts are super classy. They are both musicians.

3. Monsieur Bereau is a wine connoisseur. Last night at dinner, we had four different bottles of wine (ones that he chose to specifically match each course), and with dessert we had cognac. As far as the food, which was delicious, we started with an aperitif of pistachios, tomatoes, and olives served with a local white wine. The first course was salad that consisted of fresh spinach, roquette, grapefruit, avocado, and a balsamic vinaigrette. This was served with a bottle of smoky tasting wine. Afterwards, the main entree was chicken with a curry sauce and an eggplant ratatouille-ish dish (but it only had eggplant) with a coriander sauce. We had a very delicious red wine with this entree. The cheese was then served and came also with its own wine. I drank the wine but didn't eat the cheese. For dessert, Madame Bereau made a lovely peach tart which we ate while drinking another type of red wine. Then, after dessert and before coffee, came the cognac. I learned a new use of a word at dinner. Here, they call designated drivers l'honoré, "the honored." I would like to start using this in the states. Who would say no to being asked to be "the honored?"

4. I think this is really cool: When my hosts retire, they want to buy an old, run-down chapel in Basque Country, renovate it, and spend all their time having concerts in the chapel.

5. There are two Sephoras, a Zara, and a FNAC all near my house.

6. There is a gothic cathedral outside my window.

7. My room is huge, and so is the house. This year they are renting rooms to four students (including me). Usually they keep three floors to themselves and put all the students on the fourth floor (because usually they only have three students), but they made an exception for me and put me on the third floor by myself. The room is very spacious with a marble fireplace, and I also have my own bathroom. On the fourth floor, there is a kitchen for all of the students to share; I am excited about this. I am hoping to do a lot of cooking this semester. The other student who has already moved in (his name is Alban, he is from Normandy) has suggested having theme nights throughout the semester (i.e. "French Night"- he has already decided that he is going to make raclette...a cheese fondue that you eat with bread. This is the kind of thing that we always eat when it's cold in Lozere or Vars (I have a feeling this is making my mother and father very jealous :). I need to decide what to cook for "American Night"...any suggestions?).

8. Angers is ranked as having the second highest quality of life in France. Cannes is #1.

9. It is definitely a college town. Walking around, I have only seen young people. There are about 150,000 habitants in Angers--20,000 of them are students. The house where I am living is right next to all the campuses and nightlife.

10. I felt very French this morning. I was starving when I woke up but didn't have any food to eat. So, I walked to the grocery store that is down the street, bought groceries, then went to the boulangerie next store and bought a fresh baguette and came home and ate a piece of baguette with boursin (my favorite). It was the first time I have ever walked to a grocery store (and it was a very little one indeed). Oma gave me a basket to do my shopping, because in France they don't have plastic bags to carry groceries...every one brings his or her own basket. Walking around town with a basket full of groceries in one arm and a baguette in the other gave me a very happy feeling...much more so than throwing all the groceries in a car and then driving home. It felt completely non-commercial, very French, and very, very precious. I think it is going to be a good semester.

La Fin d'Été

Opa, Oma, me, Leah, Jessica-Phillips, and Ann in Fos
Les Calanques de Cassis (France)
Manarola, Cinqueterre (Italy)

After Rome, Ann and I spent a few days on the Italian Riviera at Cinqueterre. This national park has five villages (hence the cinqueterre) that over look the Mediterranean. Our hostel here was cute but strict, which, in a way, was nice after having spent two rough nights in a room with the rowdy Belgians. By saying “the rowdy Belgians,” I do not in any way wish to stereotype or generalize all Belgians as rowdy. Belgium is in the top three on my list of favorite European countries.

I have two lists. The first is ranked by the quality of scenery; the second is ranked by the quality of the people (this may be somewhat controversial). The first list, appearance, is as follows:

1. France (because of the variety of landscape: ocean, sea, alps, Riviera, camargue, and everything in between)

2. Scotland

3. Italy

4. Poland

5. England

6. Belgium

7. Spain

8. Czech Republic

It was challenging to rank the top 7. The Czech Republic, however, unarguably remains in eighth place. With the exception of Prague.

The second list, the quality of people, well….here we go.

1. Scotland

2. Spain/France

4. Poland

5. Belgium

6. Italy

7. Czech Republic

8. England

And, of course, there are always exceptions. Each of those countries is without a doubt amazing and should be experienced.

Back to Italy. The hostel in Cinqueterre seemed to be built for people like me…people who like having rules and who like to follow them. The “shower coins” were a little ridiculous, though. Every afternoon, we had to go to the front counter to get our daily shower coin, which granted us five minutes of shower use. The shower had a little slot to put the coin in, which would turn on the water, then, after five minutes, the water would shut off automatically. I forgive the hostel for this shower rationing, however, because they highly promote sustainable tourism and protecting the environment, which I guess makes since because it is in a national park.

The scenery in Cinqueterre is stunning.

After two days here, Ann and I finally returned to France after 9 days of traveling through Italy. Our good friends Jessica-Phillips and Leah Tucker (who caught up with us in Rome) caught up with us again in France. We’ve spent the past few days relaxing at Oma and Opa’s house, eating at Le Pili Pili, and visiting Provence. Yesterday we drove to Cassis and did a boat tour of the Calanques and then went swimming. To get into the water, we had to jump off high rocks…it was a thrill!

Tonight is my last night at my grandparents’ for a while. It is weird to think that my summer vacation is over. This has been my longest summer vacation ever. This weekend we journey to Toulouse to visit my cousins and on Monday I will be in Angers!

Bisous.

"Peter wuz here"

Inside Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

So, the day of our arrival, Ann and I made our way to the Vatican. Not really knowing where to go, we decided the best idea would be to follow the crowd. This led us to Saint Peter's Square (which seems to me to be more of a circle...) and to a line of 4,000 people patiently awaiting entry into probably the most famous church in the world, Saint Peter's Basilica. Thankfully, the line moved pretty quickly. While waiting, there was absolutely no shade from the sun.

I now have a beautiful, striped tan line on my feet.

The basilica, on the inside, is awe-inspiring. The entire church is built from marble, and statues of saints and popes line the walls. Visiting this church was an amazing experience. It is so hard to believe that Peter was here, in Rome. I kept thinking "wow, Peter was here..." In any place less sacred, it wouldn't have surprised me to see something along the line of "Peter wuz her" inscribed on the walls, but the Basilica is just too perfect and beautiful. It is really moving to see hundreds of people from all backgrounds praying in this church. I had chills the entire time we were there.

Afterwards we whirled through the Vatican museum in order to see the famed Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was a genius. The ceiling looks as though it is in 3-D. It looks as if the angels in heaven can reach down and touch you. Also, it was really exciting to see, in the center of the ceiling, the famous image of God and Adam reaching to each other. That is one of my favorite images.

That night we took our friendly Rick Steves' tourguide book of Rome and did a night walk from Campo de Fiori to the Spanish Steps. All roads must lead to Rome because while eating at Campo de Fiori, we ran into some friends and their parents. From Campo de Fiori we walked to Piazza Navona. This is one of my favorite places we have visited here in Rome. Upon entering the Piazza, all eyes are instantly drawn to the center where there is a Bernini fountain depicting the four known continents during his time. In this Piazza, there are street musicians everywhere that create a lovely atmosphere.

From there, we went down an alley, turned a corner, and BAM! The Pantheon! I never would have guessed that the Pantheon is right in the center of Rome. And...it is in such good condition! Here, we bought gelato (I got limone...my favorite) and we sat on a fountain and admired this Roman structure. We went back to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona again last night because we loved it so much our first night here.

After this, we continued to Trevi Fountain (also by Bernini) where we tossed coins and then made our way to the Spanish Steps.

Yesterday we did "Ancient Rome." This included the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill, all of which are amazing and it is just mind boggling imagining how the Romans built all of it. It did surprise me (and kind of upset me) that inside the Colosseum people had carved their names on the wall. Peter wuz not there. The rest of the day we just walked around.

Today we are taking it easy. This morning we did laundry...we must have looked like hobos walking around town. We didn't have any bags to put our laundry in, so we walked about a mile from the hostel to the laundromat carrying our dirty laundry in our arms. It was cute.

Rome has been wonderful, but we are anxious to head to Cinque Terre. The hostel we are at right now is a little sketch. Last night we were awoken by rowdy Belgians coming into our room at 2 a.m. Then, I don't know what was happening, but around 2:30, people were definitely screaming expletives at each other in the hallway.

Oh how we miss Academy Hostel in Florence.

Two of our friends are coming to Rome this afternoon, so we will be hanging out with them. Then, tomorrow morning, we go to Cinque Terre!

Ciao Ciao!

Firenze, Italia

Duomo in Florence, Italy

After a looooong day of traveling yesterday, Ann and I finally arrived in Florence! It was beautiful arriving at night; the air was cool, every where we looked there were happy people strolling with bright varieties of gelato, and the piazza surrounding the famous duomo and baptistry was calm with pigeons and lovers sitting on its steps. Luckily, our hostel (which is amazing) is only steps away from the duomo. So, we dropped off our bags and then went for a night stroll around the city.

Today we've done so much, I don't even know where to begin. Basically, in one day, we've walked around the entire city and seen so many structures and statues that I've read about in books or learned about in class.

I also learned that I am claustrophobic; this discovery was made while hiking the 463 steps to the top of the duomo in a spiral staircase about the width of my body. It took about thirty grueling minutes to arrive at the top, my knees wobbling and my heart pounding. It's okay though because we had entertainment...someone around the bend in the staircase sang "stairway to heaven" as we ascended the steps to what might as well be heaven. It was a spectacular view.

I don't want to hog this public computer in our hostel, so I will quickly review the rest of the day. We visited Santa Croce (where Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti, and others are buried), Ponte Vecchio (built in the 11th century...the only bridge in Florence not destroyed in WWII), Piazza San Lorenzo, which hosts a huge leather market and a cathedral, the train station (to reserve our tickets to Siena (tomorrow's day trip) and Rome (on Thursday), and walked, walked, walked, walked, walked.

Tonight we will be eating at a restaurant that has been highly recommended by many of our friends. It is called Coquinarius, and its specialties are pear ravioli and a steak with blueberry sauce. It sounds interesting and unique, and I've been told its the best meal I will ever have.

We've done so much, but what remains the most impressionable sight in Florence is the duomo. It is the biggest structure I have ever seen. Ever. And knowing that it was built in the 15th century blows my mind. For those of you who have been to Paris, the duomo here is, if I had to estimate, three times the size of Notre Dame. It's incredible.

I miss every one so much but I am definitely a very lucky girl to be able to go on this trip to Italy. It is really amazing. I hope to hear from all of you soon. Ciao!

Beef Crispy Onion Burger!

Chateau d'If, Marseille, France
View from Chateau d'If

Belcodène, France

Calanques de Cassis, France

It’s funny how ad campaigns sometimes get lost in translation. Everywhere….EVERYWHERE…I have seen billboards advertising the “Beef Crispy Onion Burger!” at Quick (a European fast-food chain). How………..not appealing. The greasy picture doesn’t help either. The ad is successful, though. As much as the media tries to make us think otherwise, when French people see English they see cool. They’ve even added the word “cool” (as in the American slang version) to their dictionaries. This reminds me of a story my business teacher told me. When KFC entered the Chinese market, they brought along their “finger-lickin’ good” campaign. It was only after their chicken strips weren’t selling that some smart person realized that the campaign had been lost in translation…in all the Chinese commercials and ads, what in English was “finger-lickin’ good” could only be translated as “so good you’ll eat your fingers off” in Chinese. Yummy!
On another note, I thought the weather here in France would be cooler than what I’m used to in Mississippi; however, temperatures have been just as high. There is less humidity, but my hair is curlier here…I have yet to figure that one out.
Friday afternoon I went to Marseille to pick up my friend Ann. She will be studying in Paris this fall, so we decided to do some traveling beforehand. We are using Oma and Opa’s house as a starting point. Side note: Friday was also the 50th anniversary of the day Oma and Opa met :)
Saturday was very busy. We started at Aix (en-Provence) where we had lunch with Oma and Opa and then went to an exposition of Picasso and Cezanne at musée Granet. The purpose of the exposition was to show the relationship between the work of Picasso and Cezanne. Picasso, a great admirer and collector of Cezanne’s work, found inspiration in Provence and lived in southern France for many years. My favorites were Cezanne’s paintings of L’Estaque (because Oma and Opa live next to it…it’s crazy seeing familiar terrain in famous paintings!) and Picasso’s “Jacquelyn and the Children.” Later that night, Ann and I went to Pauline’s (my roommate from freshman year) country house at Belcodene for a dinner party, but before doing so we headed to Les Calanques de Cassis. We hiked the calanque for about an hour-and-a-half; it is quite possibly the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.
The sightseeing hasn’t ended. Today, Ann and I drove to Marseille, got on a boat to ile d’If, and visited the infamous Chateau d’If. The prison, although it is known for its famous captives, is mostly dedicated to the novel that brought the island its fame: the Count of Monte Cristo. The boat that took us to the island was even named “the Edmond Dantes.”
Tomorrow the real adventure begins: Ann and I will board the train for Nice at Gare St. Charles (Marseille) and make our way to Firenze, Italia! We will spend three days in Florence, three in Rome, and three in Cinque Terre. Ah…la dolce vita!

An Autumn in France (and other European adventures)

I figured that the best way to force myself to write about everything I do this fall would be to create a blog...knowing that friends and family will be looking here to see what I'm up to will give me reason to write! Other times that I've traveled I have told myself that I would write everything down in a journal. A lot of times (and regretfully...), that has not actually happened. So, here we go, my first attempt at blogging. I will try to make regular posts about my experiences of traveling and studying in Europe and France this fall. I already miss everybody so please keep in touch! I love emails (emilie.dayan@gmail.com), snail mail (I will give you my mailing address once I know what it is), and feel free to leave posts on this blog! Bisous.