Post-France Reflection

It's been a little over two weeks now since I've gotten back from France and home no longer seems weird. Although I missed my bed (dearly) I think there are still a lot of things that I definitely won't have while in America. I loved waking up and being able to grab as many fresh chocolate croissants as I wanted or make a baguette with butter and strawberry jam. Another thing: the pharmacies! Everywhere you look there are those green blinking crosses signaling all the best things in life. The amount of exclusively european products that were sold without needing a prescription was always really convenient. You could get anything from all-natural antibiotics to at least 100 different "bio" products. There are so many things that I miss about France, but the experience that I had with the Abbey Road Program will be the most unforgettable. I really enjoyed the fact that the staff was organized and educated fully about all the in's and out's of Nice. Everyone who was looking after the group was exceptionally helpful with anything. The learning experience for the first part of each morning was made by the teachers. My teacher, Julia, always had a well-thought lesson plan and different activities for the day with our class. 

Another thing to miss about Nice… the beach! There were so many different opportunities to explore the beaches in Nice and in the surrounding cities. Our day trips to Antibes and Cannes were my two personal favorites. If I were to go anywhere again though it would probably be Italy. The day there was the most relaxing for me, I was able to just sit back and read all day by the ocean. The lunch that my friends and I had was classic Italian with al dente pasta and perfectly cooked sea foods. Besides the day trips, there were also a lot of daily activities that made each day seem different and new. The group took a lot of trips to a near by town called Freegate and where we usually picnicked on the beach there eating Perla's home cooked meals. 

Looking back on my four weeks spent in Nice, I realized that the environment in which we were living in was what made the trip so easy, and relaxing. Nice is a great place to experience French culture. The city has everything you could possibly think of when idealizing the perfect southern French town. There's a multitude of specialty shops and different French as well as middle eastern, Japanese, Italian, and even American restaurants. The city of Nice caters to everyone and the living experience is exceptional. Our rooms at the student residence were always cleaned every few days and we had a lot of freedom within the building. The laundry room was easy to use, and only costs about 4 euros for one load of wash and dry. I think because of my time spent in Nice with Abbey Road, I will definitely return to Nice and explore even more of it on my own terms. 

The last few days have been… wow. Between our day trip to Italy, our goodbye dinner, and now finally arriving in Paris for the extension… I am seriously not sure where to begin so i'll break everything down as best as possible!

Italia: the day started early to ensure maximum beach time. We arrived in a small town just on the boarder of France and Italy and were treated to a day at a private beach. The sand, and atmosphere, was very relaxing. Lunch was offered at the beach club, some friends and I ventured more towards town to test the local cuisine. We found a small restaurant just a few minutes walk from the beach and were immediately impressed. Even the bottled water tasted better. Seriously, I wish I could ship home European water. Ive heard on many occasions that the reason for the better quality bread is actually because of the water being used… something about the minerals…anyway, the lunch was amazing. I ordered a spagetti dish. It was absolutely, 100%, perfectly al dente. We returned to the beach for a full afternoon of laziness. Dinner was served around 7 pm. I probably should have ordered something different from pasta for lunch, we also had a pasta pesto dish that evening; however, this too was irresistible and delicious. We finally made it back on the bus and arrived at the residence at around 10 pm.

Goodbye: The group was given free time for most of the morning on the 29th and was able to pack and have brunch at 11 am. We convened at 6 to head to our chef, Pearla's, apartment for a special home cooked meal and performance time by the staff and some of own. The night consisted of good food, dancing, music, and some laughs. I really liked Pearla's dish tonight. It was something that I may consider having for my last meal or maybe on my wedding menu. It was a potato but there was really nicely seasoned beef cooked underneath it and burnt just at the perfect amount. The night ended with a giant group hang out at the residence. It was a very tiring day all in all. But especially because of the packing. The process of fitting everything back in my suitcases basically consisted of sweating, sweating, and cursing at my ridiculous amount of clothing that I once felt obliged to bring.

First Day in Paris: Sad goodbyes at the airport were followed by a rush to the gate! Paris was reached in no time, just an hour and a half flight. Immediately, I showered as soon as I got to my room at the Mercure Hotel which is seated right next to the Eiffel Tower! Tonight, the group headed over to the infamous Moulin Rouge for an impromptu tour of the even more infamous red light district. Next was a classic French dinner at a classic French restaurant which was about a 30 minute metro ride away. The dinner was actually some of the best food I've eaten so far on the trip. I think i'll definitely eat well here! I am very tired from today and the last few as well. A demain!

Busy Couple of Days

Yesterday and today have both been very productive and packed with group activities. Wednesday morning started out as usual with classes at 9 am and some elective time in the afternoon. At 6 pm the entire group headed to an amusement park, "Antibesland", located in Antibes (just a few train stops away). It was your typical, run-of-the-mill, small-town, somewhat seedy, attraction just minutes outside of Nice. However, despite the old-school vibe of the rides and park itself, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Obivously, we had to try out all of the rides and attractions, including a life-sized hamster ball that sits in water… it's actually more difficult then it looks. Antibesland ended at around 9:30 pm and the group had another opportunity to participate in some competitive night volley ball on the beach. Everyone else had the choice to go to the residence for some much needed sleep. Thursday was also very fun, there were many things happening with the entire group and we had full participation in parasailing today too! The morning was a normal class time, except for my class - we had the chance to visit a local chocolate factory that produces some of the most exotic chocolates, jams, and candies I've ever seen. They have everything from candied oranges to jam made from roses. The afternoon consisted of going straight from lunch time to the beach for parasailing, possibly one of my most favorite activities so far on the trip, followed by beach time. Finally, the day ended with a walk up several sets of stairs to reach the top of a chateau, and finally to a park that overlooks the city. There, we picnicked on the grass and had some delicious dinner made by our favorite chef, Pearla. Rest time or another exhilarating game of beach volley ball came after dinner. There was also a time for "Arts and crafts" where everyone had the chance to make team t-shirts for volley ball or draw an outline of themselves on one huge roll of paper… its actually going to be the main decoration for our group talent show on Sunday night :) 

Everyone is seriously fried from the sun today and really needs some sleep, including me! Bon nuit!  

A Typical Day

Today started with French class at 9 am until 12 pm followed by our usual two hour lunch break. Today, my class revisited the future tense and future simple tense with a focus on topics surrounding the environment. The group headed out for about an hour to explore the many ways in which our small portion of Nice utilizes the growing trend of green energy. Within a few blocks, there is already a few completely natural grocery stores and almost every food market will carry "bio" products. There is also a wide variety of transportation methods around Nice that support a low carbon footprint- for example, the tram or the many bike paths around the city. After class and lunch the entire group went over to St. Jean Ferrat for our third time cooking in a hotel kitchen together. Everyone usually pitches in making the appetizer, main course, and dessert. Our chef, Pearla, instructed us on making salmon with tomatoes, lemon, rice, and several provencal spices. The dessert was a delicious tiramisu and there was also home made lemonade. For night activities, there was a choice between "light painting", a form of photography instructed by the photo elective leader, Maxim, or beach volley ball. I didn't think that I had much to contribute to the volley ball game, but cheered everyone on anyway :) 

We are finally home now and have a very busy day tomorrow. À demain!  

The French Alps

Today was absolutely beautiful! We woke up early to get a head start on a 2.5 hour bus ride to the French Alps, arriving via public coach transit, the group walked a short distance and arrived at something resembling The Sound of Music. It's summer here, so the snow and ice wasn't a problem. Tourists and many French people simply come to the Alps to enjoy the summer weather and hiking, along with several other activities such as horseback riding, swimming, and rock climbing. Lunch was a picnic on the base of a sloping mountainside that overlooked the entire ski resort, which boasted all these activities plus tennis, a skate park, and a high ropes course even. We had the option to do the high ropes course and some zip lining, I saw the tennis courts and actually got a chance to play with my friend… he won 6-4 but I let it happen because I'm out of shape… 

Although we didn't have much time at the resort, the scenery is something that i will definitely remember. The mountains surround you so it almost feels like you are standing in the middle of a crater. The day ended with a long bus ride home and some sore walking back from the bus station to the residence. 

Matisse and More

Today we started early at 9 am with a short class and an outing to the world famous Matisse Museum just a few tram stops away! There was a no cameras allowed policy at this particular museum, so unfortunately I won't have any works to post. The entire group was there from around 12 to 3 with a picnic lunch on the museum grounds. There is a beautiful park area that is just outside the mansion for visitors (by the way, I am pretty positive that admission is free!) The contrasting works of Matisse and Chagall was something that I thought about regularly during the visit. I noticed that Matisse utilizes the diversity between warm and cool colors along with line and shape. Chagall predominately uses free shapes as well but draws less attention to the distinction between color as warm and cool often intermingle in his pieces. The most interesting concept that I noticed in the Matisse collection  however was his simplicity. In addition, all of Matisse's works include a progression of some sort; this is mostly found in his sculptural work. I realized that his sculptures show the many complicated, human emotions and their expressions. Within the progression of sculptures for a single person, there is the abstract or interpreted perception coupled with the literal first glance- which I believe is the "big picture" of their look. After the museum we had the option of returning to the residence or shopping at the Galleries Lafayette. A small group of friends and I headed to the shopping portion which is unbelievable during this time of year. The summer sales are really great as well as the brands… many not found in America! Shopping ended at around 6 pm. We finally made it back to the residence for a hamburger cooking workshop, split up in to multiple groups throughout the residence for an easier flow of things. I was so full from my late lunch that I couldn't even look at the burgers! The day ends now with a night in the residence, considering most the head staff leaders are enjoying a much needed night off. Bonsoir!!!  

An Update on French Class

Bonjour! So far, the program has been going very well. French class is something that I have yet to write about. So here it goes: every morning at either 9 am or 10 am (depending on the day) myself along with 7 other girls sit down with our instructor, Julia, and go over our activities from the night before, how we are feeling this morning, etc. Here's a list of some example class agendas: 

- grocery store terms 

- how to buy and ask for items at the grocery store 

- possessif pronouns 

- how to express likes and dislikes 

- conjugating reflexive verbs in the present tense 

- body parts (for the face) 

- practice dialogues for asking for directions 

- féminin vs. masculin adjectives 

- féminin vs. masculin verbs 

- horoscope and astrological terms (just for fun :) )

- buying clothing and learning international size charts 

- colors and their meanings in different countries 

- describing weather 

- beach safety in Nice 

- imperative form 

After our class (typically lasting around 3 hours total) we go on outings and practice what we learned that day. For example, if we are going over how to buy clothing, Julia may ask us to go to different stores and inquire about sizing, colors, etc. The other day, we were assigned to ask random strangers for directions to several churches in the area!