Day 53, 25 February 2013

After a short week of school, we headed to Nice last Thursday.  When we arrived, it was pouring and thundering, but not to worry, we woke up on Saturday to a beautiful blue sky.

We spent Friday visiting Eze Village, where we climbed to the top of the village and walked through the gardens overlooking the coast.  We also had an opportunity to visit a perfume manufacturer and learn how perfume is made.  Later in the day (perhaps one of the highlights of the weekend), we visited Monaco.  What a beautiful place! See the pictures of the ocean with the mountains in the background.  After a picnic lunch, we headed to Villa Kerylos, a replica of an ancient Greek villa.  Then, we headed back to our hotel and rested for a bit before going to a magnificent dinner along the Promenade des Anglais.  A Niçoise salad and salmon with a butter sauce (think the scene in Julie and Julia where Julia Child describes her love of butter) was the perfect way to end the day.

On Saturday, we walked along the Promenade des Anglais before heading to Vieux Nice, the old part of Nice filled with the market, small shops, and restaurants with traditional Niçoise cuisine.  After another delicious lunch, I took the bus to the Monastère de Cimiez and wandered around the gardens surrounding the monastery.  I was the only person there, and I enjoyed a little bit of quiet reflection time.  On Saturday evening, we met up for dinner and Carnaval festivities.  Carnaval is the traditional celebration before Lent (in this case right at the beginning of Lent).  The celebrations in Nice date as far back as the 1200s, and this year was yet another success.  The floats in the parade were spectacular, and the people were dressed up in various costumes including but not limited to a family of Dalmatians, the Easter bunny, pirates, and various princesses.  Also, people like to throw confetti and silly string.  We were sitting next to a little boy who decided that we were not sufficiently covered in confetti, so he brought out the silly string!

All in all, it was another fabulous weekend.  Here are the pictures.

 The view from Eze Village.

 Monaco.

 Au bord de la mer.

 The beach in Nice.

 Carnaval before the silly string...

...and after!

Day 45, 17 February 2013

What a wonderful week!

After a week full of delicious dinners (including a spectacular dinner with my host family and my program director), Valentine's Day flowers (thank you; you know who you are!), and lively conversation at school, I wasn't sure that the week could get better.  Then I got to Paris on Friday evening and met my mother and the mother of a dear friend, who for all intents and purposes is my second mother. We had a relaxing, fun weekend together, catching up about all of the goings on and picking up right where we left off.

On Saturday morning, we had the chance to go to the Paris flea market.  What an adventure! For someone who loves thinking about the stories behind antiques, china, beautiful old jewelry, and vintage clothes, I had a blast wandering through the market and looking at everything.  We took a break for a delicious lunch, and then mom and I came back into Paris proper.  We wandered through Le Bon Marché (a beautiful department store in Paris) and then back up the Boulevard St. Germain.  We decided to go into St. Germain des Près, one of the oldest churches in Paris, and as we were entering, the organist started practicing.  What perfect timing! After sitting for a while and listening to the music, we walked back through Paris to get to dinner, a duck restaurant.  Perhaps I mention how delicious the food is, but it really is true.  I love how everyone here cares how certain flavors work together and what the perfect spice is for a certain dish.  But, I digress.

This morning, we got up late and took a leisurely walk down the Rue Cler.  Before lunch, mom and I walked to the Eiffel Tower and took pictures (see below).  After lunch, we had to say goodbye because we both had trains to catch, but it was a wonderful weekend!

Here we are on the Rue Cler in front of the flowers in the market.

 One of my wonderful second mothers!

In front of the Eiffel Tower.

Day 38, 10 February 2013

What a week! On Tuesday evening, we went to a ballet, Swan Lake (Le Lac des Cygnes in French), and it was beautiful.  On Friday evening, we went to the circus.  It was not your traditional circus and resembled Cirque de Soleil.

Yesterday, we went to Mont St. Michel with a group from our school.  When we got up it was snowing, but the weather cleared up a little, and we had a fabulous day exploring the village and the abbey.  On the way home, we stopped in St. Malo, a small fishing town in Brittany.  When we got home last night, we were all tired, but the day was definitely worth it!  Here are some pictures from yesterday:

 Le Mont St. Michel.

 View from Mont St. Michel

Here I am! It was a little cold...

Day 32, 4 February 2013

How is it already February? I can't believe that I have been here for a month already!

This weekend, we had our first group visit to Paris.  We arrived Friday evening and ate at a Lebanese restaurant in the Latin Quarter.  The food was amazing (I don't remember ever having tried Lebanese food before, but I would highly recommend it).

On Saturday, we got up and wandered to Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle, one of my favorite places in Paris.  The windows are spectacular!  Before lunch, we walked to Shakespeare and Company, the English bookstore that has become quite the destination for English-speaking visitors.  We ate lunch around Notre Dame before heading to the Opera Garnier to see a ballet.  The ballet was a modern Japanese ballet.  I had never seen anything like it, but I enjoyed it, especially the group dances.  Also, the opera house is absolutely beautiful.  Note the pictures below.  On Saturday evening, we walked back to the Latin Quarter to eat in a restaurant that is in the building where Hemingway lived.  It was another delicious meal...

On Sunday, we woke up and walked through the Luxembourg Gardens.  We then took the metro to Montmartre and saw Sacre Coeur and wandered around.  On Sunday afternoon, I took the metro back to St. Sulpice and visited the church.  On my way back to the hotel, I walked along the Boulevard St. Germain to see the Pantheon, where many important French figures including Voltaire, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Victor Hugo are buried.  It was a fabulous weekend! Here are the pictures.

 At the Opera Garnier.

 The beautiful windows of Sainte Chapelle.

 Here we are in front of Notre Dame.

 One of my favorite French authors.

 The view from Montmartre.

La Tour Eiffel.