Thanksgiving from afar

Today is one of those days in France where I just can't help but wish I was at home. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, and since they don't celebrate it here in France at all, I have been missing home, family and friends especially today.

As there is no Thanksgiving and therefore no Thanksgiving break in France, today was just a normal Thursday filled with 6 classes to teach. What made today better was the fact that all my lessons where exactly the same: to explain and talk about Thanksgiving all day. I do have to say at time it was hard to talk about the holiday that I was sorely missing, but to see the students so interested in something so culturally different than what they are used to in France put me in a better mood. They were so curious, asking many questions and offering up knowledge they knew about Thanksgiving - though I did have to explain several times the difference between using the words Indians and Native Americans.

Besides a few exceptions, I am feeling more at ease with my students, and they are all starting to show that they like me. Today I got asked by a different student again if I was going to the music festival on Saturday and another asked if I would buy a lotto ticket from him for a school trip (completely done in English, mind you! So proud!). Although there are always the ones that cause I bit of trouble, the other kids who are motivated and interested really make up for it - they are becoming a joy to teach.

Today, I also went into finally fill out my paperwork about me being absent for one class Tuesday. After doing some reimbursement paperwork with the secretary, I explained that I needed to fill out my documentation for being absent. Confused, she told me I needed to see the woman I talked to yesterday, the same woman who had told me to wait for this secretary the day before. Typical France misunderstanding/disorganization!

Also in the office, one of the other secretaries showed me an awesome new teaching resource that has great educational English videos that I can use while in the classrooms. He had even set me up with a log in and password before I asked! I am always so humbled by the kindness and helpfulness of the other teachers and secretaries here in Apt. They truly go out of their way to make me feel welcome, with many of them yelling "Happy Thanksgiving!" after me as I walked by today. One even stopped to tell me about the amount of turkeys that were sold in America this year. If I have to be away from home working on this holiday this year, I am glad there are such great people that I work with that make the day enjoyable.

After I was done working, I enjoyed some down time at the apartment. I even went to the cantine for dinner, something that I have not done in a long while but when I saw that they had dinde* on the menu for tonight, I decided it was a sign that I should not cook and get out of the apartment. I even got to have a lovely conversation with two of the student monitors who I had seen many time around the school but had not talked to much. We had a lovely conversation about travels, life in France, life in America and it was completely in French! They even commented that I speak well, the woman even said that I speak the best out of all the assistants they had met in the past! I guess I am getting better, and these compliments only help my confidence in using the language to grow. Once I returned, I called friends and my parents at home to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving. Though I was so thankful to talk to them on the phone on this wonderful holiday, saying goodbye was hard. The only thing that was getting me through was the realization that I will be coming home in THREE WEEKS for Christmas! Feeling that a little Christmas spirit was needed, I am finishing off the night with doing something I would totally do on Thanksgiving at home: listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies! Specifically, I am just about to start Miracle on 34th Street in French with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. Let the Christmas season begin!

Christmas spirit at the charcuterie!

**Note to everyone reading at home: Happy Thanksgiving!! I am thankful for for all of you, who are reading this and supporting me in my teaching and travels. I can not be more grateful to have friends and family like you all!**

*Translation: TURKEY!

On améliore... peu à peu

The past two days since my return from Spain, I have been quite busy. Not only that, but I feel as if I have made some great strides in making this little place more like home.

Immediately when I returned yesterday, I taught two afternoon classes. In fact, I was a little late to the first class, but it didnt matter: when I walked in the teacher looked surprised to see me. She totally forgot I was coming. Maybe it was going to be fine that I had missed a class that morning? I soon found out it wasn't: my next teacher told me that I have to go and fill out official paperwork regarding my absence. I must have made my customary "oh crap" face because he quickly said, "oh no, you're not in trouble - it is just all administrative and they need to have documentation. The most that will happen is that you will get docked pay." I'll believe it when I see it.*

After classes yesterday, I had a rendez-vous with man named Alain who wants someone to come in and give modern English lessons for him and his colleagues at his business. We had set a time for him to come pick me up, and I knew he drove a white car, but after searching for half an hour he finally pulls up. I got in and we began to introduce ourselves a bit in French. When I explained that I am American and am from Michigan, his response was "Tu es americaine?! Mais tu parles bien!"** This is about the third or fourth time I have gotten this back-handed compliment this week - happy that they think I speak well, sad for their expectations of Americans' knowledge and capability of speaking French.

He drove me to his business, which is located in Gargas, the nearest small village to Apt. He is a very nice man and spoke whatever English he could to describe to me his work, but really most of our conversations hinged on the French. He is actually not bad at speaking English, his accent can be a little confusing at times but he would really like to improve his capabilities with the language so he can communicate better with clients. The company is one in the medical field, making products for orthopedic doctors and chiropractors. I was shown the office and met my future students, two engineers and a receptionist, who happens to be the owner's wife. AND he has an adorable dog that will be at the office whenever I come! We discussed my terms and came to an agreement: I will work with 2 at a time for 2 hours a week, Monday afternoons from 3-5pm. I will take the bus there and walk to the business, but they offered to give me a ride back into Apt when I am done! The only part of the conversation where I did not know what to say was when we discussed my price, and that wasn't because I didn't know how to say it in French - it was because I didn't know what I should charge. They left it up to me to come up with my fee.*** The atmosphere of the business is small and family-like, I think I really am going to enjoy teaching these adults! Alain drove me back into Apt and we continued to talk about our lives, him in English and me in French. He did admit to me that he thought I had improved since the first time we talked on the phone, he had been worried that I didn't know much French after that rusty conversation. At least he was honest! After talking a bit in the parking lot, we thanked each other and said "a lundi!" I can't wait to get started with this experience.

Today, I awoke to big, chunky snowflakes falling outside my window. Although I still don't have a proper winter coat after this weekend, I welcomed this change of season for the first time.**** As I walked to my classes all bundled up , I couldn't help my little kid instinct to try and catch the falling flakes with my tongue. Then I heard a loud bout of laughter - there is a class that evidently occurs on the bottom floor of my apartment building. Good to know.

Teaching at the high school has been getting better lately. I think that it helps that the students are starting to get to know me, and therefore will listen and respect me. Also, they have been loving hearing about Thanksgiving, as it is such a different holiday than anything they have here. One of my students yesterday even stayed after class to tell me about this music festival that him and few of the other students are playing at in Rousillion (another nearby village). Although all the other students couldn't help but say "oooo il essaye de sortir avec l'assistante!"*****, I did appreciate this effort to try and let me know something that they are involved with, and to let me know what young people do around this small town!

This afternoon has been full of errands: editing and uploading pictures, grocery shopping, laundry, lesson planning, etc. But I decided to take a break and decided to cross something off my bucket list for this year: see a movie in French sans subtitles. It really wasn't that hard to do - Catching Fire (or in French L'embrasement) came out in France today and as I was sad I missed the U.S. premiere, I had to go see it on the day it came out in France. This also marked another important step in my life both in and outside France: I went and saw a movie by myself. For years, I have had a fear of going to movies by myself, but today I finally mustered up the courage to just do it. And I had a lot of fun too! It was a great movie, and although I didn't understand every word being said, I know the story so it was extremely easy to follow. It is good that I am getting to the point with my French that I feel like I don't have to try so hard to understand, on améliore... peu à peu..

These posters are EVERYWHERE here. Still quite popular over here!

After the movie, I came out in the dark to Apt. As Amy is gone in Germany for the weekend, this is the first time I had to walk back through town at night by myself. Although this made me slightly worried beforehand, walking out to see so many people walking around town, with the Christmas lights twinkling above head, I decided to take a leisurely walk back through town and enjoy a little bit of this Christmas spirit. It was the first time I have gotten a chance to walk through town in all its holiday glory, and I have to say that this quaint town sure has a flair for the lights. (though nothing can beat Dad's lights back home) With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I have been feeling extremely in the Christmas spirit lately, and although I have no feast planned for tomorrow night, this might be the little bit of holiday cheer to get me through being away from home on my favorite holiday.

Place de la Bouquerie

*I went to go and fill out this paperwork today but the secretary was not there - she doesn't work Wednesdays. Oh well!
**Translation: You are American?! But you speak so well!
***After discussing it with the other teachers here at the school about what I should do, I am pretty excited to have the opportunity to make some extra cash here!
****Plus, it might have helped that I checked my bank account and saw we got paid. New winter coat for me!
*****Translation: Ooooo he is trying to go out with the assistant!!

Vale, España (aka: Spain, don’t kick me when I’m down!)

I am excited to be writing this post from the comfort of my own room in Apt. Although I love to travel and explore new places, there is something about home that is inherently relaxing and after the weekend I have had, I cannot express how grateful I am to have a steady place to come back to here in Europe.

My journey began early Friday morning, with catching the 6am bus to the Avignon TGV station. From there, I took a 3 hour TGV to Paris. Although it was cold in Provence, on the way to Paris, we passed through the northern departements of France which were covered in snow, with more big chunks being blown around as we passed. Seeing the Southerners on this train was funny, as they were so excited to see this change of season and were all continually taking pictures on their smartphones the entire ride. 

This TGV arrived 30 minutes late into Gare de Lyon, making my 1.5 hour connection to Gare Montparnasse even shorter. I hastily bought a ticket to the metro, and having already mapped out my plan to get there, arrived in the station with 30 minutes to spare. The next TGV was a 6 hour journey that was supposed to end in Irun, a small town just across the border into Spain. However, when we reached the stop before Irun, an announcement was made: we would be stopped there for an undeterminable amount of time due to a blockage on the line. In my train car, you heard just about every language represented in their disgust at this news: “Putain!” “Shiza!” “Joder!” “Shit!”

As I only had a 30 minute connection with the original time this train was getting in, I knew there was little hope for me to arrive in Irun, let alone Burgos, that night. I talked with some young German students who were next to me in the same predicament – we were all trying to find a way to make that train. After trying to find the conductor to ask about this several times, I ran into someone saying that they were setting up something special for the people who were on my train going to Portugal. Then, in an instant, the conductor appeared and said “Tu vas à Portugal?” As I was definitely not going there, I was confused but just showed him my ticket. He motioned me and a group of us to follow him. At this point, I had no idea what was going on or where I was going, but blindly following seemed better than staying on the train. 

As we were all standing there, conversing about our options in a mix of French, English and Spanish, I slowly realized that we all had some type of understanding between us. There is something to be said about the universal language of the panicked and stranded travelers. Soon after, a group of taxis pulled up – the train station had called taxis to take us across the border to Irun. Squished in a car with 3 other Portuguese men, hoping and praying that I would make this train, I watched as there was one minute until the train left and we weren’t even at the station yet. One of the men in the car asked why I was so worried, and when I explained to him that I don’t speak Spanish, he said “pourquoi tu es en Espagne?!”* After explaining a little bit about why I am in Europe and that I was visiting a friend studying in Spain, he told me not to worry, because they don’t even speak Spanish there, they speak Basque. It was interesting to hear about the different dialects that exist in Spain and the different opinions and controversy about their usage. 

When we arrived at the station at the minute the train was supposed to leave, I was grateful that the taxi driver just told us to run from the car – the taxi was on the train station. Good thing, because that was a 90 euro ride! We made it just in time… except the train waited on the platform for another half hour to ensure the passengers from the other taxis would arrive as well. As we all reunited on the train, we shared our relief with one another and wished each other continued safe travels with fewer complications. Again, the sense of camaraderie was quite comforting, as I was making this journey on my own. 

I finally arrived in Burgos at 10:15pm, only a few minutes after I was supposed to arrive originally. I was greeted by Katie and Andrea at the station and they brought me back into town to my hostel. The owner of the hostel had gratefully stayed an hour and a half past check out time for me, and since I was one of the only guests, I got a two bed room with a private bathroom instead of the single room I paid for. Score! Even after my long day of travel, I wanted to see a bit of the city and grab some food. So they showed me some of the city center that night: Burgos cathedral all lit up, the Arc Santa Maria, etc. And we went to Moritos, which became increasingly clear was the best restaurant in town. As we waited for a table, we enjoyed my first Spanish sangria, and I must say they are AMAZING!** Then we had huge chicken sandwiches, which might not sound very Spanish, but for someone that has not had a lot of meat since I have been to Europe, the sandwich was absolutely delicious and just what I needed. I slept very well on my double bed to myself and a stomach full of goodness. 

Besties with Sangria!

Saturday, we woke up and were determined to see the sights. The weather, although, didn’t agree with us. It was pretty cold and continued to spit rain at us so although I got to see the cathedral during the day, we did not get to walk to the university where Katie studies and decided to duck into stores and do some shopping. Soon after, we went for an early lunch of vino y tapas at Pecadito’s, another popular restaurant in town. This was a very traditional Spanish meal where I tried many different small plates of Spanish dishes, including tortilla, croquetas, and the Burgos specialty morcilla. And of course, had to wash it down with a glass of rosé wine. 

The second most beautiful cathedral I've ever seen. (if you're wondering, Notre Dame is always boss)

Tapas!

After lunch, we went for another glass of sangria at Morito’s. I don’t know what it is but that blend of red wine, apples, oranges and lemons was just too delicious to resist.

Seriously, SO GOOD!

After, it was still too cold and rainy to walk around very much, so we went back to Katie’s host family’s house and watched Pitch Perfect in her room. I know this sounds like an odd thing to do in Spain, but as I had been missing this movie, and spending time with a best friend, it was so nice to just relax in a warm place that afternoon while quoting and singing one of our favorite movies together. Plus, I got to meet her host mom and brother, both of whom are very nice and were very welcoming to me. 

Later on, we got ready for a night out on the town. As Katie had warned me the week before, I knew that it was going to be a long night out, as Spaniards stay out until 7am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. And as I had one real night in Spain, I of course had to be prepared to live as the Spanish do! The night started with kebabs (which I had never had before and were tasty!), a sangria at Moritos and then calimuchos at Peregrino. Calimuchos is a drink that I have heard about from many of my friends that have studied in Spain: it is half red wine, half Coke. I thought this would be disgusting but surprisingly found it quite tasty! We spent the rest of the night meeting up with Katie’s other friends from the program and dancing the night away. Although the night ended on a sour note***, I was more than happy that Katie’s host brother said I could come back and stay at their house instead of going back to my hostel. I was thankful to be able to spend the night with my friend after such a weird end to my day, and I was happily asleep by 8am (like true Spaniards do).

Waking at noon, we set off in search of a store to buy me a new coat. We were sad to discover that Spain is like France: everything was closed. So instead, I borrowed one of Katie’s jackets and we set off to take pictures by the cathedral. After, we headed to Yaya’s house to bake a classic American apple crumble pie, as her host mom wanted to know how to make them. Though when we started making it, she said that she already knew how to make that kind of pie. Oh well, it was wonderful to meet another Spanish woman, and she spoke English very well! She said she felt so awful about my jacket that she would find me an old one that she wasn’t wearing anymore for me to have. I thought that this was just a nice sentiment but when she came through the door with a lined bomber jacket, I was nearly in tears. She mis-understood my reaction and said “Oh if you don’t like it, that is fine, you can buy another one when you get to France!” I of course thanked her profusely, for giving me something to wear in the cold winter conditions, and am still extremely grateful for this act of kindness. There are some great people in Spain!

Apple crumble deliciousness!

Some lovely ladies!

Then we went on a chilly evening walk and Katie, Andrea and Yaya showed me the university where they study at, Universidad de Burgos. After a bone chilling stroll, we ducked in to Morito’s one last time so I could try some patatas bravas, which were French fries with a type of red hot sauce and aioli topping. Yum! And finally, something every tourist must do in Burgos, we climbed to the top of the Castillo (which there is barely anything left of) and looked out over the city. It was a beautiful moment of tranquility after such a crazy weekend and we all sat there admiring the view.

Burgos at night

After, we said our goodbyes and Katie and I headed back to the hostel for quick nap. As all the 8am bus tickets to Madrid airport were sold out, it meant that I had to wake up at 3am to catch the 4am bus to the airport. After saying goodbye to Katie at the bus station, I settled in and slept until we reached the airport. I checked in and looked at the clock: it was 7am. My flight didn’t leave until 2:40pm. I spent the 7 hours of free time watching Project Free TV on my phone and reading. Finally, the plane boarded, took off and landed on time. I even slept on the plane!****

Once arriving in Marseille and transferring to the train station, I bought tickets to a train that said it was delayed 30 minutes. This was fine, as my bus back to Apt wouldn’t leave for another 1.5 hours after I arrived in Avignon. However, while sitting on the train, they came on the loud speaker and said that the train would be delayed an additional hour. Sure I was able to find a train that could get me there sooner, I waited another 30 minutes in line for them to tell me the next train was scheduled to get in later. As I walked back to my original train, they came over the loud speaker and said the train would now be delayed 3 hours. That wouldn’t do, so I went back to the line again to get the next available train. Which got into Avignon at 8:05. When did the last bus to Apt leave, you may ask? At 8:00pm.

So, as I was stuck in Avignon for the night, I texted my friend and fellow assistant Liz and she and her roommates Chase and Maria let me stay at their place. I cannot express how thankful I was that I had somewhere to stay for the night, and also got to catch up with some great people. I will be going back to their place this weekend to see a bit of Avignon, shop and make some pumpkin pie! But in any case, I checked the bus schedule when I was there and soon realized that there was no way I was going to be able to make my first class the next day. I emailed my teacher and coordinator and offered to do an extra hour at a different time, and as this situation has yet to be resolved, I still don’t know what is going to happen with it.

Tuesday morning, I took the bus back into Apt and walking back through town gave me this indescribably uplifting feeling. I never thought Apt would make me feel that way, as so many people call it a “dead city”. After such a long, eventful, complicated, and fun weekend, I could not be happier to be back in my French home, no matter how small and run-down it may be.

*Translation: Why are you in Spain?!

**So amazing that we returned two more times on Saturday for two more glasses. That’s right: 3 times within a 24 hour period. It’s just that good, guys!

***What is this sour note? WELL, my watch AND my winter jacket got stolen. To be fair, the watch might have just fallen off, but due to the below freezing temperatures outside, I was pretty upset about the jacket. And, oh yeah, a Spanish mob/mafia boss was trying to give me money for my coat. Only in Spain….

****For people who are aware of my flight anxiety, you know that this is a great triumph!

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Writing this while curled up in my blanket, with sweatshirt on and hot honey water in a mug by my side, I can officially say that it is getting COLD here in Provence. And when I say cold, I mean TROP FROID*. It doesn't help that our windows don't completely shut, letting the frigid draft in through the cracks which overcomes the heating we have tenfold.

The past few days here have been kind of miserable: the weather getting continually colder matched with drizzling rain which sometimes grew into torrential downpours. As I chose this region as my top region to assist in because I had heard that they have 300 days of sunshine a year, I was not happy when there was two days of horrible weather in a row. Maybe I am just getting spoiled living in this climate, as I know Michiganders reading this from home are merely scoffing at my description of this "awful" weather.

But the past two days have been miserable also because I have been feeling just that: miserable. I mentioned in my last post that I had a sore throat. After drinking copious amounts of tea Monday, I went to bed early so I could be well rested for my 5:30am wake-up. Waking up in the pitch black, I checked the time: it was 12:30am. And I was wide awake, with an incredibly sore throat along with a cough. So needless to say, I didn't sleep and got up at 5:30am to begin my day feeling the most awfully sick I have felt in a long while. I suffered through the second training day in Avignon almost falling asleep on myself, with a throat so sore I could barely speak. I did enjoy being able to catch up with the other secondary assistants, hearing about their experiences in and outside of the classroom. I just wish I had felt better during the day, and when I finally got home, I collapsed into bed and slept the whole night.

Instantly when I woke up Wednesday morning, I felt loads better. Amazing what a little sleep can do, right? I taught two classes in the morning, and though my voice felt strained, I was so happy that my students understood my plea at the beginning of class to listen and be quiet as I had no voice. That afternoon, I did some much needed laundry and lesson planning, as I wouldn't have any time this weekend to do any of it as I am traveling again. I also took a walk through town to go to Pizz'Burger and use some Wifi as well as see my favorite friendly French woman. When I came in though, she looked a little disappointed when I just asked for a drink. I explained I had already eaten and she nodded understandingly and asked for 1.50 euros. I thought it was 1 euro, so I was just wrestling up some change to give to her (digging to the very bottom dregs of my 2 and 5 centime coins)  when she waved her hand and said ce n'est pas grave. I now like her even more.

Today, I woke up with a sneeze and was a little colder than normal. Opening my blinds while I was looking at my phone, I could see something weird on the window out of the corner of my eye. Turning my head to get a full view, I sat straight up in my bed and audibly yelled "HELL NO!"** It was snowing! As I heard that snow happens maybe once or twice a year in Provence if it ever occurs, I was expecting it to be a little later in the winter season. Either way, after the initial shock, it kind of got me excited - it was like a little piece of home and got me in a much needed Christmas-y mood.

You would have yelled too.

 
And that is not the only thing that is looking like Christmas around here. As I was walking through town yesterday, all the store fronts are starting to add bright lights and festive decorations, some even complete with elaborate window murals of holiday scenes. It is all leading up to this Friday night, fête des lumières, when they unveil the massive christmas lights display that I have been seeing them set up for the past month. I really wish I was going to be here for this reveal, but I know that it will be on for the next month, and I can enjoy it every night of this Christmas season.

As this is a school that is in the middle of nowhere, snow meant not a lot of students coming to school, as many buses didn't run this morning. This allowed my normally hectic Thursday to be nice and calm, as there were less students to talk over. In general though, my Thursday classes are behaving a lot better lately, so it is enjoyable to teach them. Today, I taught my first Thanksgiving lesson and the students were SO interested, asking so many questions and making comments. I can't wait to continue to tell students about this holiday all next week, bringing a little piece of home to their culture here.

As I mentioned earlier, I won't be here for the Christmas lights celebration because I will be traveling. To where this time? I am going to Burgos, Spain to visit Katie (and Andrea and Yaya) and see this amazing city! I really wanted to visit Spain while I was here, especially with someone who speaks the language and really knows the area, and as Katie has spent the last 4 months studying in Burgos, she is going to show me the best of the city. I cannot be more lucky than to have seen one of my best friends here in Europe, not only once in France but twice, on back-to-back weekends. Plus, it is cool because we have in essence done a type of cultural exchange: I showed her Paris and the French culture, and she is going to show me Burgos and the Spanish culture. As I have never been to Spain before, I don't know exactly what to expect but I am so excited to visit a new country. So starting very early with a 5:30am wake up, vamos a España!***

 

*Translation: TOO COLD.
**I am not joking or exaggerating this at all - Amy even came out of her room on the other side of the apartment just to see what I was yelling about.
***Katie (or other Spanish speaking friends): did I totally butcher that? Hope not!

Paris holds the key to my heart

Sitting here with a cup of hot green tea mixed with honey on this gloomy, rainy day in the South of France, I can only reflect on what a great weekend I had in Paris. Besides getting sick (which the tea helps to show how scratchy my throat is this morning), this weekend reminded me how much I love Paris, I would say that it is my favorite big city that I have ever visited. 

Thursday went slowly yet rushed on by. I had six classes to teach, along with some last minute packing and calling a business for an opportunity to teach casual English to it’s employees.* After my final class, and literally running to get my bags from the apartment, I caught the last bus out of Apt and the TGV to Paris. Getting in at 10:30pm, I walked onto the platform and realized Katie and I hadn’t discussed where we would meet in the station. As Gare de Lyon is a massive station, I got a little worried when I saw all the other passengers finding their friends and family that were meeting them there. Then, as I walked further, I saw Katie and her friend Andrea and was relieved! That night, we stayed up chatting while they made spaghetti and garlic bread. It was such a nice reunion for Katie and I, quickly catching up on anything and everything going on in each of our lives. And even more wonderful was meeting her friends Andrea and Yaya, who are studying with her in Spain as well and go to WMU too – good to be around people from home for the first time in a long while! 

Friday morning, we woke up early to some French toast expertly made by Andrea.** After breakfast, we set out on the metro to have a nice walk along the Seine, including seeing sights like the Assemblée Nationale and the lock bridge.

Then we continued on to the Musée d’Orsay. I had read online that if you were a long stay resident in an EU country, you could get in for free. As I was not entirely sure about this, I asked when we got there and after a little bit of explication and coaxing, was able to get all four of us in for free. Score! Being the only that spoke French, this whole weekend did a lot for my confidence with speaking the language. Maybe it was because I was being relied on to communicate but I found it easy to speak and be understood.*** Anyway, as this is my favorite museum, I thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon there.

After that, we did some souvie shopping and got some traditional lunch from a boulangerie. The spain girls loved the quiches and croque-monsieurs, we even made a small stop in a cheese shop because they had to take a look at the classic French cheeses. After, we made our way over to the Eiffel tower for  pictures underneath, but decided to go up on Sunday morning before I left, as we wanted to get to the Louvre by 6.

Best friends at Eiffel Tower!

After the photo session, we made our way over to the Louvre. As I had never been there at night, I had never seen the beauty of its glass pyramid lit up. It truly was breathtaking, I am so glad that we decided to go when we did. Also a great thing about the time we went: it was free! When looking online that morning about Musée d’Orsay, I had also found that the Louvre is free on Fridays for 18-26 year olds from 6-9:45. So I got us into two museums for free, pretty good I’d say! We made it a quick trip, seeing the necessary Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, as we were tired from walking around in the cold all day. Back at the apartment, we enjoyed some vin rosé du Luberon (since they didn’t get to visit the South, had to have them experience something from Provence) with Spanish tortilla and mashed potatoes that Andrea made.

Saturday morning, I decided to make everyone a classic French recipe: crepes. Except there was one problem, there was no nonstick pan. So, they did not look pretty.. but they tasted great! Then we set off to tour Notre Dame. I am always awestruck by the sheer beauty of this cathedral, especially its massive rose window. After, we had some lunch and did some more shopping, which included a necessary purchase of warm headgear as they weather had gotten even brisker overnight.

After, we headed to Montmartre and looked in Sacre Coeur. I had only seen the outside of the church before, so the walk around inside was a first for me as well! Though I prefer Notre Dame’s architecture, Sacre Couer is beautiful in it’s own way. Plus, it has an incredible view over Paris and, while we were there, street musicians playing to earn their keep. Quite an artsy part of town.

Later in the afternoon, I took the ladies for pictures at l’Arc de Triomphe and a quick walk down the Champs Elysées. As it was getting colder by the minute, we headed over to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up at night, and watch it sparkle once it struck the hour. Although I think I still can feel myself shivering from that night, seeing la Tour Eiffel sparkle and shimmer is one of those things that I never tire of seeing.

That night, we all huddled for warmth at the apartment and enjoyed some chips and salsa, pizza and even some decadent French pastries. As they don’t have pastries like this in Spain, we couldn’t help but get a little carried away – when in Paris!

I mean, how can you resist?

Awaking on the last morning in Paris, we made a very quick trip to go up the Eiffel Tower. With how cold it was, I am not sure if we would have wanted to stay longer anyway. Although I had to run back to the apartment to grab my things and run from metro to metro to catch my train, it was completely worth it to see the city from the top of its best sight. Getting into Apt late, I realized I was getting sick and tucked in early, still dreaming of the sparkling Eiffel Tower I had seen only a day earlier.

Wonderful ladies at the top of the Eiffel Tower!

As for today, I awoke early and taught two classes with my incredibly sore throat, which kind of matches the dreary weather outside. These kinds of days are far and few between so to enjoy the most of it, I have decided to have a day cuddling in bed, catnapping while watching movies. Tomorrow, I have to go to Avignon for a second day of formation pédagogique, which means I have to get up at 5:30 am to catch the bus. Ick. Not entirely sure what to expect tomorrow, but knowing that I don’t have to prepare my classes means that I can take a lazy day today, and recuperate from this sickness.

*NOTE: this was actually written Monday, but due to wifi difficulties with uploading, is posted Wednesday. Post about this week will come soon!

*Not a done deal yet, and as typical in France, our meeting to discuss my terms isn’t until next Tuesday. Nothing ever gets done fast here.

** Although I had to explain to the ladies that it is not known as French toast here.

***Most of the time. But hey, can’t win them all!

Three Midnights in Paris

As today was Wednesday, it brought a short work day, which became even shorter due to one of my classes going to the film festival. After my one class this morning, which went brilliantly by the way, I ventured into town to get run some errands and even stopped to enjoy a warm drink at Bar l'Aptois. Today was a brisk day for the south of France, one could have even believed that winter was coming soon here, with the gusts of chilly wind freezing you to the bone. I guess le mistral might be here to stay.

This afternoon, Amy and I went into Avignon to finally get our new phone plan. Unfortunately, when we arrived they told us they only had one phone left. After talking it through, we decided that I would get my phone today, as Amy would be around this weekend to pick one up once it gets in. After getting this set up, we met up with another assistant Alison and had some nice warm drinks at a picturesque tartinerie. It was nice to catch up with another assistant, hearing about how her teaching is going as well as life in France. And, of course, nice to be inside enjoying a hot beverage on a cold day.

After a ride back to Apt that made me feel quite queasy (or maybe it was the bad escargot aux raisins that I ate...), I began setting my new phone up and called everyone from home! It was so nice to be able to just sit and have conversations with people from home on the phone, can't tell you how much joy it brought me to catch up with everyone. Thanks for talking to me Dad, Heather, Christa, Katelyn, and Marissa!* Another awesome thing this phone has brought me: 10Go of data. Also known as, fast internet, and a lot of it. I am feeling that the Wifi/internet problem at the apartment is soon to be solved.

With tomorrow fast approaching, I am both dreading and am extremely excited for it to come. As it is again my most busy day of the week with assisting, this stress is augmented by the fact that I have 20 minutes once my classes are over to run to apartment, drop off my teaching materials, grab my bag and get to the bus. I am leaving Apt for a weekend trip tomorrow!

And this is where I get excited. I am SO happy to share that this weekend I will be in Paris with one of my best friends from home, Katie, and two of her friends that she is studying in Spain with! I will be leaving tomorrow night and returning Sunday evening, just in time to teach early Monday morning. I have been to Paris twice before, but each time I go, I find something new and more beautiful about the city. I cannot wait to spend time with a great friend in an amazing city!

City of Lights

*If anyone wants to talk to me, I have to call you (otherwise, you will get some hefty fees). So let me know and I will give you a ring!