Update on Life

I apologize for dropping of the face of the Earth- but I am happy to report that it was out of a busy and exciting few weeks! I will try to summarize the last two weeks as best as I can.


Last Saturday Uncle Todd and I went to Chartres (as I previously mentioned). That evening I went out for couscous (a new obsession) at a small restaurant in Port d'Orleans with Mary and Christine. We had a great time, and because we split a plate of couscous, a cheese plate, and a side order of french fries we only ended up paying 4 euros each! However, our frugal-ness was ruined when we decided to go to Le Rouge Pomme (the red apple in English) for crepes. Needless to say we needed to get cider to go with the crepes so I ended up paying 4 euros for dinner and 15 euros on desert.

Last Sunday API took us to see the ballet La Dame aux Camélias at the Paris Opera House. It was an amazing performance but I have never been so uncomfortable in my entire life. The seats were excessively small - so much so that your knees literally dug into the person in front of you. It was also a million degrees warm- but regardless I want to go back very badly.

On Monday I explored the Cite Universitaire (where I live) and the surrounding area. I found a very pretty park and a used book store that sold books for 20 centimes (about 40 cents).

On Tuesday I had my "Day of the Dead" with Ellen, Mary, Annie, and Christine. We went to the Catacombs of Paris and later Pere Lachaise cemetery (where Jim Morrison, Edith Pilaf, Chopin, Oscar Wilde, etc are buried). The catacombs were fun and we all felt like we were in an Indiana Jones movie- so many bones! Many of the bones were arranged in different patterns for example a heart and skull and crossbones - can you say freaky?! The cemetery is beautiful and I saw several cats which was a plus. Many monuments in the cemetery are dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust- they were both beautiful and horrible at the same time. It was a sobering experience to see.

Last weekend API took us to the Provence region of France for the weekend. Provence is a region in the Southern part of France and because of this the temperatures were much nicer there than they have been in Paris. There are also many palm trees which is pretty funny. Most of the architecture was influenced by Italy and as such the buildings look much different from those in Paris. They tend to have a yellowish tint instead of white amongst other things.

On Friday all 72 of us met at the train station at 6:50 AM to catch the TGV to Aix-en-Provence. The train ride is about 3 hours long. When we arrived in Aix (where we would spend the first 2 days) the weather was gorgeous and we were allowed to wander around the city. Later in the afternoon we had a guided walking tour of the city and that night some of us went to a Mexican restaurant and to a bowling ally, after which we proceeded to go back to the hotel and watch some of the Olympics.

On Saturday we got up early and Anne Marie took some of us on a tour of the Grande Marches (Large Markets) in Aix. The markets were HUGE - each part of the town was a different section- a flower market, a fruit and vegetable market, a seafood market, clothing, jewelry, you name it. Later in the afternoon we went to the town of Cassis - right on the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunatly, most of our time there it rained. But we were still able to take a lot of good pictures and have a good time. I also managed to fall down a steep hill, scrape my knee, rip my black jeans, and re-injure my ankle. The ankle part concerned me a lot, but I iced it and tried to keep off it it and it is doing much better now- even though it is bruised and still hurts a little.

On Sunday we left the hotel early in the morning and went to the sea port Marseilles. Again the weather wasn't great but we made the best of it. Our tour guide never showed up so Melissa and Pascal led us around the city with the help of a guide book and we saw the sights. There was a huge Church- that almost seemed inspired artistically by Muslim art- and a hospital that was used to treat the poor during the black plague. After the walking tour we got back on the bus and went to the Notre Dame de la Gare Cathedral which sits on top of a huge mountain overlooking the city. The church was gorgeous and we took a lot of great pictures overlooking the city below. After, we all had lunch at a restaurant on the sea. We had a fixed meal that consisted of a green salad with different meats and cheeses, a fish or lamb dish (I had the fish), and a cake with real fruit baked in for dessert. It was very good - but I still do not understand why the French do not debone their fish. It is hard to have good manners when you are constantly needing to pick tiny fish bones from out of your mouth. We were given some free time after lunch to explore the beach and it was truly wonderful. It was hard to believe I was at the Mediterranean and not the Atlantic! Around 5 we headed to the train station and went home. We arrived back in Paris around 10 PM and some of us went to McDonald's (called Macdo here) because we had all spent our money in Provence and you can not beat a one euro hamburger.

Tonight I am very excited because my best friend from childhood is coming from Italy to visit with her friend. I'm not sure exactly what we are going to do but I am sure that we will have a good time regardless.

Now I must go clean the room before everyone shows up!

Will post pictures later,

Love,

Sarah