The Beginning of the End

With another school week completed in Apt and just one left week left in the classroom until the end of my contract, it has become more apparent to me how fast this experience has gone by! It seems like just yesterday I was anxiously taking my first steps into a French classroom. Because I have a teaching school that rotates every other week, I have already had quite a few 'goodbye' classes this week. To see the students’ reactions to me leaving, always sad and wishing I could stay until the end of their school year, makes me realize that I have made quite a difference by being here. It is both encouraging and heartbreaking to hear them say "sniff sniff" with a frown - knowing that they will miss me and that I will probably never see them again. For my "goodbye lesson", I have been having students tell me what they are planning on doing in the future and then they can ask me the same, along with any other questions they may have for me before I leave. This has led to some hilarious requests, my favorite being "What do you think of French men?" I have had quite a few students ask about how I got the job as assistant, saying that I have made them want to consider doing this for year (going to a foreign country to teach French). I cannot explain the pride this makes me feel, knowing that I did make some type of an impact on them. Some have even come up after class and asked for my e-mail to stay in contact. I feel like I really made a rapport with several of the students here, making it hard to leave. I have to say that when one of the students left my classroom on Monday and said "goodbye forever", it really hit me that I won't ever see them again or be here again. It is just extremely weird to think about - I will miss this place!

With Easter vacation coming up (vacances de Pâques), in one of my classes, we talked about what everyone is doing for the holiday. Of course, some didn't know the meaning of Easter at first, leaving some bewildered looks. To try to be clearer, I asked "What do you think Easter means?". One female student who knew the answer excitedly yelled out "chocolate!" I mean, let's be honest - she IS right! Monday I received a surprise Easter package from my parents filled with just that: chocolate (and other assorted goodies too). With so much support from home during this entire experience that I have been here in France, it has really made me realize how blessed I am to have such amazing parents. As this was my first true experience living away from home* in my life, venturing to live and work in a foreign country, knowing no one coming in, I cannot thank them enough for the many times I called them, wrote messages on Facebook, skyped them, etc saying how much I missed home. They were and are always nothing but supportive and passionate about my goals and dreams, not letting me give up and making me see that everything will not always be bright and cheery - those are the moments where we truly find ourselves.

How the French do Easter chocolate

Merci Maman et Papa!

The weather continues to be blue skies every day, with the sun getting stronger each day. Jeans and jackets are being swapped with skirts and sandals; Spring is really starting to arrive around here! Not only are flowers starting to bloom, but the buds on the trees are starting to turn into leaves too. Today, as I was walking around the school grounds in a light cardigan and sundress, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply the smell of Provence. I instantly opened my eyes to realize I had been caught in a memory; the smell had brought me back to my summer studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, with my long sunny walks to and from school. It is funny how this weather is bringing back so many memories of this beautiful region. I can't help but remember myself arriving in September, sweating and panting while falling down the ramp at Avignon TGV with my too-heavy baggage, not used to the Provencal climate or laid-back nature of the culture. Wednesday afternoon, though I had some work to do, Amy and I went to the park to relax, read and soak up the sun. I think that I might be getting a little habitué to this way of life, at long last.

Monsieur Potter and sunlight.

This week also brought the visit from the primary assistant from last year, Cece! Though I had never spoken to her until she arrived, she was so lovely to have around, extremely friendly and we all spent hours telling stories of our experiences in Apt and beyond. On Monday, we all went to dinner at a new place in town called l'Auberge Espagnole. Again, because Apt is so small, new places don't happen very often - I was pleased to see it quite busy on a Monday night! We enjoyed a leisurely dinner of tapas and sangria, coupled by great conversation and a friendly waiter. We welcomed her to a simple dinner at the apartment on Tuesday and after a quick two days, we said our goodbyes. Doing the assistantship brings people together but having been placed in Apt automatically made the three of us instant friends. It is hard to explain to other people, even assistants, what it is like to live and be in assistant in this small village. We all had a universal understanding and bond between us from the beginning. I am so glad that she had the opportunity to come and visit - it was so great to meet her!

She even brought us some American spoils - my favorite girl scout cookies! Thanks Cece!

 This morning, I officially paid my last rent bills and gave the office my lettre de résiliation, my letter explaining when I would be leaving the apartment and when to schedule a contrôle de chambre (room inspection). This required me to go and see my least favorite French person here: the gestionnaire (secretary) of the school. Every time that I have had to talk to her, it has resulted in her rolling her eyes and getting frustrated that I did not understand or could not say something. Needless to say, I always brace myself for a conversation with her. When I saw her and presented her with the letter, explaining we needed to schedule a time for the inspection, she looked at me, wide-eyed and the biggest smile on her face, and said “Mais tu parles bien le français!”** I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy or smile that big. As we continued our conversation she kept repeating her compliment and while making a photocopy, even remarked to another office worker how well I speak now. As I was leaving, she reiterated this by saying, “Tu as fait bien du progrès pendant ton année ici ! C’est bien !“  I can safely say that her kind words meant and still mean a lot to me, as I spent the year avoiding her judgmental glares. With her compliment, it really allowed me to finally say to myself “Yes, you have gotten better. A lot better.” That feeling is wonderful – I am proud of myself and what this experience has given me even beyond French language learning: a stronger sense of self.

With one more weekend and week until my job as an assistant is done, I have to say that I am a bit melancholic and triste. After so much time spent here, it is hard not to be! As always, I will continue to enjoy the last few dregs of this experience, like savoring the last sip of a glass of magnificent rosé. Chin chin!

*Yeah, I know most people have this moment when they are 18 and go off to college. For me, it was at 23 when I moved to a foreign country. Cheers to attending college in my hometown!

**Translation: But you speak French very well!

***Translation: You made good progress during your year here! That’s great!

Ouuuiii Pariiiis

Our trip to Paris began VERY early on a Sunday morning. And when I say early, I mean 4:30am early. We dragged ourselves out of bed, into the tight rental car one last time and drove to the Avignon TGV station. Though the mistral tried to knock us and our bags down as we walked into the station, we sat down and waited for the train to arrive. Once we boarded the TGV, we all went out like a light and three hours later we awoke to a beautiful, sunny Parisian day.

We decided to take the metro to the apartments we rented in the 3ème arrondisement, the neighborhood of le Marais, as it was only two stops on one metro. However, we didn’t think about early Sunday morning metro traffic and found the 5 of us trying to push into an already filled metro with all of our bags. Needless to say, not a good beginning to the day. After a little bit of walking and orientation, we found Dan and Brenna’s apartment. They were staying in a private room with a lovely French woman who lived right next to the metro stop. She was more than accommodating, spoke wonderful English and even proceeded to have a nice French conversation with me about my business living in France as I left the apartment. Finding my parents and I’s apartment was a completely different story. Though the host said it was “a 7 minute walk”, a half an hour later, drenched in sweat from carrying our bags, we arrived at the gate of the complex. After buzzing at our hosts apartment twice and receiving no response, I panicked and quickly found the number to call him. Just as I pressed dial, the door opened and a man said “I am Kevin” with a smile. He was clearly expecting a reaction, but as I was expecting a man named Alexandre, you can sense why I hesitated. We soon learned that Kevin was Alexandre’s housekeeper and he helped us with our bags and showed us the apartment. Once we got cleaned up, we walked back to Rue de Rivoli to pick up Dan and Brenna from their apartment but were greeted instead by 40,000 people running past us, complete with people cheering and bands playing for encouragement on the sidewalks. We had just ran into the Paris Semi-Marathon. 

Some where more prepared than others. Spotted: someone wearing a polo shirt and khakis STRUGGLIN'

After letting the runners subside, we went for a quick lunch at a hole-in-the-wall Jewish restaurant nearby. Having falafel was only fitting, as I had tried it for the first time in Paris on my last visit. After a nice lunch, we headed by metro to the Opèra Garnier where, after a little bit of time getting oriented, we got on a bus tour to explore the sights of Paris. As Dan and Brenna had only one day in Paris, we decided that this was the best option so Dan (who had never been to Paris before) could see as much as possible in one day. The tour began under sunny, blue skies and sitting on the top of the double decker bus seemed like a perfect way to be spending the day in Paris. Although near the end of the tour, the clouds came out and it got a bit breezy, I saw many things that I had seen before but with a new perspective from the audioguide of information.

Cheesin' in front of the Opera Garnier

Lovers in front of the Eiffel Tower

For our last dinner together, we stopped by a little restaurant on the walk back to my parent’s and my apartment called le Sévigné. I was not sure about this place at first, as it looked quite chic and as most places in Paris are overpriced for cold, unpersonable service, I am always hesitant to go to sit down places. This place totally changed my opinion, the owner being instantaneously personable the second we came in. Even though we were dinner quite early for a French standard*, he made a table up for us amongst the many people in the restaurant who there pour prendre une verre**. Though he greeted us in English, when he noticed I was speaking in French, he asked how I knew to speak, which led to the discussion of my living here, Provence and aioli, amongst other things. My family and I enjoyed one last wonderful meal together at this restaurant, filled with wine, duck, steak, baguette and dessert. As it was Brenna’s birthday that day and Dan’s birthday the very next day, we went back to our apartment and toasted in celebration with a white wine I had sneakily bought from Chez Sylla the day before. Soon after, we had to say goodbye to Dan and Brenna, as they were leaving early in the morning for their flight. It is always difficult to say goodbye to loved ones, especially when you don’t know when you will see them again, but it was so great to have them here that I will take the tear-filled adieu anyday.

Monday, my parents and I took an excursion outside Paris, to the region of Normandy on the northwest coast of France to visit the D-Day beaches. We had to catch a 2 hour train in the morning, getting us into Bayeux around noon with our half day tour of the beaches starting at 1. We thankfully had some time in there to grab lunch before the tour started, which I was not worried about as there is always some type of food at the train stations. However, our train had a half hour delay, getting us into Bayeux with only 15 minutes before the tour started. When we hurried into the train station to get some food, we were only greeted with vending machines filled with pop, chips and candy bars. As there were no restaurants in quick walking distance, we downed two twix bars each and set off to explore what Normandy had to offer.

The tour first started at the Pointe du Hoc, the highest point between Utah beach and Omaha beach where it was explained how the United States Rangers scaled the cliffs to assault the German forces embedded there on D-Day. It was amazing to imagine the courage of the men, seeing how far up that cliff was.

Next, we headed onto Omaha Beach, where our tour guide Elisa explained the strategy of the US Armed forces during D-Day and what problems occurred with this strategy, leading to unbelievable amount of casualties. It was such a calm stretch of land when we visited, making it even more difficult to believe the events that unfolded there on June 6, 1944. While we were taking in the scene, it began to rain a bit but we decided to tough it out. Only when it began to pour someone in our tour group suggested to go back to the van. As we hurried back, it began to hail little pellets on us…guess that was a good call!

The calm before the (hail) storm

The tour took us next to American soil in France: the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. The sun began to come out again as we heard about the making of this sobering place. From the garden of the missing (where the names of 1500 fallen soldiers whose bodies have not been found are listed), to the bronze statue “The Spirit of the American Youth Rising from the Waves”, to the over 9,000 marble crosses lined in perfect symmetry, this monument’s beauty is harrowing and really makes you step back and realize what people have done to protect our country. They also added a new visitor’s center which acts as a free museum about the soldiers and D-Day in general. Unfortunately, we just barely saw the center and had to leave – we could have spent a lot more time there. We got back outside to watch them take the American flag down and play taps, as they do every day at 4:30pm to honor the fallen. It was a moment that I won’t forget anytime soon.

The stones in the ground at the memorial were taken directly from Omaha Beach.

Harrowing and sobering.

To finish the tour, we headed to another area where German bunkers still exist, but these where different as they still had the canons in them. You could see how they canons had been hit from the attacks and it made the stories that much more real. Also, our tour guide Elisa is from the Bayeux area, living in Colleville sur Mer. When we asked if she knew anyone involved in D-Day, she said her Grandmother had been living near Omaha beach! She recounted us the stories about her grandmother living at that time. One that stood out to me was how she got married the year after D-Day and her dress was made of old parachutes, as that was the only white fabric they had readily available to make dresses in the area. Little details like that is what taking tours like this is all about – we were all very grateful for her insight and personal experience.

Once we were back to the train station, we decided to exchange our tickets back to Paris for ones that were two hours earlier, being too exhausted to stay any longer. So once again, we were left to have a vending machine dinner which consisted of chips and coke. But after hearing the stories of what the American soldiers sacrificed for us, this didn’t seem like a big deal. Once back in Paris, we grabbed some sandwiches quick and crashed the second we got back to the apartment.

Tuesday morning began early once again with a train ride out to Versailles. Although I have visited Louis XIV’s humble abode a few times, my mom wanted to go with a tour guide so we were off to meet this guide for a half day tour. After a quick stop to grab breakfast and lunch from Starbucks***, we met the guide, Sophie, and the other members of our tour group. While getting to know each other, the tour guide found out about my job here in France and that I had visited Versailles before and know a bit about French history. Although it was nice to have her information throughout the visit to point things out, I was surprised to find out that much of what she said was things that I already knew! Maybe studying so hard in FREN 3000 in college did get me somewhere! Anyway, it was a lovely tour for people that don’t know much about French history and the making of Versailles, I would recommend it!

The Little Chapel

The Hall of Mirrors

After we were done wandering around the inside of the palace, we took our sack lunch out to the gardens and soaked up the sun on a park bench. Although the gardens during the winter are nothing to behold when you compare to their beauty during the summer, it was wonderful relaxing outside by the beautiful pruned shrubbery.

Since we were so tired from waking early two days in a row, especially those days filled with tours, we headed back to the apartment early to make dinner ourselves and have a relaxed night. I relish in these times on vacation, spending time with loved ones in a place that feels like home.

Bon Appetit!

Wednesday, I tried to jam-pack as much Paris as I could in one day. First, we started at the Louvre. We went in with a list of things that Mom wanted to see, including the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Rebellious Slave, etc. We saw nearly everything on that list, except Winged Victory which sadly was being renovated while we were there. As I have visited the Louvre many times, I am always not only floored by the amount of art it holds in its walls, but by how the architecture of the buildings is an art in itself. Room after room, particularly concerning the ceilings, I find myself floored by the beauty. After seeing the necessary works, we stepped outside to enjoy some sun in the courtyard and take some pictures with the glass pyramid.

"Don't that ceiling ever want to make you cry?" (ten points to whoever can name that movie)

After a long search, we found Madonna on the Rocks. She was pretty excited.

Next, as Dad is a Hard Rock Café lover, we made our way over to the Paris restaurant and enjoyed us some great burgers for lunch. There is nothing like a big burger from the Hard Rock! After, we headed to the Notre Dame cathedral. Each time I visit this place, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of calm. Sitting in the pews and reflecting on things with the immense beauty of the cathedral surrounding me, I was surely feeling (and continue to feel) blessed. Plus, that rose window though. It gets me every time.

Crying. So beautiful!

To end the day, it was only necessary to take my parents up the Eiffel Tower. Knowing that we would have to stand in line for an hour, I got us there so I thought we would have enough time to go up, see the sunset at the top, come down, and see the first time the lights turn on. As we waited though, I began to doubt myself, as the sun was setting faster and faster. In the end, it was absolutely perfect. The sun setting on the city, casting yellow light on the white washed buildings, with a periwinkle, lilac and pink sky in the background, I cannot put into words what it meant to share that sunset with my parents.  I don’t think I have ever seen Paris so beautiful, especially from the top of the Eiffel Tower, and it is only fitting that I got to share that with the people I love most.

I could have posted 100 more photos that I took of the sunset and the amazing view of the city that night. But this one is my favorite, so beautiful!

HAPPY!

 

We got back down from the tower just in time to see my favorite thing in Paris: the twinkling lights that happen every hour after dark. I always get a little melancholic when I see it and this was no exception. After the lights ceased their twinkling, we headed back to the Marais, but not after first grabbing some take-away Chinese food. At first, I was a little hesitant. But let me tell you, that was some GREAT Chinese food. I would definitely go back! We settled into sleep before our last day in Paris. Well sort of. At 3am we were awoken by a young French woman who was screaming in the hallway and sounded to be knocking on our door. After listening closer, I figured out she was knocking on our neighbors door, yelling to let her in. Obviously intoxicated, obviously upset from being left on the side of the road, she had found her way into the building, where her manfriend obviously didn’t want her. The yelling and fighting continued for about an hour, and though it was scary at times, it mostly just struck me that I didn’t know what to do (call the police, security, etc). In the end the screaming stopped and we got back to sleep.

With that commotion, morning came early, even though we did allow ourselves to sleep in a bit. We spent our late morning touring through the impressionist art at the Musée d’Orsay. Always my favorite museum in France, I loved seeing these works of art again. What made it more enjoyable was showing my mother one of my favorite paintings, one of the Houses of Parliament paintings by Claude Monet, and having her give me a wide eyed look and say “That is so funny… when you were a little girl you used to LOVE this stuff at museums… that is so weird!” I guess my 4 year old self knew that I was a fan of impressionism!

After some lunch and some souvie shopping, we headed to the Champs Elysées to see the Arc de Triomphe up close and personal. Unfortunately, it is under renovation right now, so part of its façade is covered, but we still had to get the obligatory photo.

Then I took my parents on a small walk down the Champs Elysées, a necessary thing to do on any trip to Paris. Plus, I had something to check off my Bucket List at the end of the road – eat macaroons from  LADURÉE! After many trips to Paris, I finally made it to the Marie Antoinette inspired tea salon and boutique. Although crowded with tourists inside, we waited in line and took in the decadently decorated queue line. Once it was our turn, I picked out 8 different flavored macaroons for me and my parents to sample and, with a little mix-up of macaroons on the side, I left the boutique clutching one of those mint green bags in my hand, excited for the sugar overload that was going to occur later.

So much sweety goodness!

Obligatory.

Even earlier than the last time we got dinner at this restaurant, our last meal in Paris at le Sévigné started at 4:30pm. We had to return as we had gotten such great service the last time, and such great food! I took advantage of such a great place to face my fears and try what I have wanted to try for years: escargots! I got it with a side of fries, just in case I didn’t like them and needed something to eat. I needn’t have gotten the fries, the escargots were absolutely DELICIOUS! The chef had prepared them stuffed with pesto (a nod from the owner who knows I live in Provence and love pesto, I am sure…) and they tasted just like any other seafood, like a brother of mussels. I thoroughly enjoyed this last meal with my parents, toasting the end of a wonderful two week vacation. After the meal, we headed back to the apartment and had dessert, the LADURÉE macaroons of course!

one word: YUM

From left to right: Chocolate with coconut, praline, salted caramel, raspberry, marie antoinette (which we found out was mint), chocolate, vanilla, and lemon. SO SWEET AND SO GOOD!

The rest of the night ensued in packing and packing and weighing luggage. As our taxi for the airport arrived at 6am the next morning, we made sure all our bags were ready. After a short ride to the airport, my parents checked into their flight, we enjoyed one last breakfast at Paul, waited with me at the train station, hugged and waved me goodbye as I left for my train back to Provence. Because it was so nice being with them for such a long period of time, I forgot how hard it was going to be to say goodbye. With tears flowing at the station and my eyes red and puffy as I boarded the train, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the first time I took a train from that station to Avignon. So afraid of the unknown, nearly in tears out of sheer stress and jetlag. Now, there is no fear – instead, I am nearly in tears out of my heart being in two places at once: Michigan and France. I feel like all this year that is all I have been doing – constantly saying goodbye. I relish in the day that I will be able to constantly say hello, only ending with a small see you later. Until then, I have a 6 week teaching term, followed by 4 weeks of whirlwind European travel. I know it will fly by in the flash of an eye, but I must say that the prize at the end will make it all worth it: being reunited with my family and friends.

*It was 6pm, mind you. The normal eating time is around 9pm.

**Translation: To have a drink. This is quintessential in French culture, from about 4-7 is the time where people get together at a café to have a drink: coffee, beer, wine, etc.

***This is important to note: I had a blueberry muffin, which I have been craving for MONTHS. It’s the simple American pleasures in life.

Ma famille en Provence

The day my family arrived in France began very early with a 6:58 shuttle train ride to the TGV station. They just put this shuttle train in Avignon, calling it le Virgule, and although it was very fast (getting us from Avignon Centre downtown to the TGV station in 6 minutes), I think they should not have gotten rid of the shuttle bus they had before, as this doesn’t run nearly as often. Alas, all went well and I arrived on time to Charles de Gaulle airport to pick up my extremely tired parents, Dan and Brenna. After taking the bus to Gare de Lyon, we had a quick lunch (and nap in their case) and made our way on the train back to Avignon. We were all supposed to sit together but as the woman next to me said that she gets motion sickness sitting next to the window, I agreed to sit there and speak across her to my family. She joined in our conversation, understanding nearly all English while speaking French to me. In fact, when asking about what I am doing here in France, she exclaimed that she knew where Apt was and had friends who lived near my new French home. This would soon become a pattern for the rest of the two week vacation.

After a nice train ride enjoying the views of the countryside*, we arrived at the Avignon TGV station and picked up the rental car. And so began the critiques of Dad’s driving in a foreign country, which continued all week, ranging from funny to mean. Really guys, he did an AMAZING job navigating roads in a place he had never been before, especially in such a ridiculously small car with the winding, narrow mountain roads (which in many cases had no guard rails). Though for navigation, I really do think the in car GPS ended up being a lifesaver – my road map I had bought of the South of France would barely have been able to lift a finger in helping us. That night, we got pizza from Pizz’Avenue and relaxed at the hotel. I had been dying to try Pizz’Avenue for a while as everyone raves about it. My review? Incredibly disappointing, undercooked and flavorless. Let’s just say the meals got better as their week in Provence progressed.

Sunday, I woke everyone up and we went to get pastries from my favorite boulangerie here in town, Caractères. This again would become a pattern: what I didn’t realize about vacances de fevrier in Provence is that nearly EVERYONE takes this as an annual vacation. Including businesses. Throughout the week, as we would walk up to a shop, café, or restaurant that I had been so excited to show my family, most times my eyes were met with a gated door and a handwritten sign saying “congés annuels”. Like normal, I never know what to expect around here! I felt bad that my family couldn’t see some of the things I had planned to show them, but they were completely understanding the entire time. And plus, they got to experience my way of life here in France: expect the unexpected!

After breakfast, we headed to the Sunday market in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. I had been told by many that this market is the best in Provence and, as I have been to many a market, I was excited to see what this new place had to offer. I can officially say that this market is definitely the best: with its enormous size and variety of vendors set in this quaint little village, it was wonderful just to wander around and buy some souvenirs on the beautiful sunny day. 

The Sorgue River that runs through the city

Then we were off to Avignon, where I showed my family the quintessential tourist sights of the Palais des Papes, the Pont d’Avignon and the view from the Rocher des Doms. Although they were extremely tired, this being their first true day combating jet lag, they definitely were in high spirits to see the details of this walled city. Even so, we called it an early day and drove back to Apt, and as no restaurants are open in town on Sunday, we might have partaken in a McDonald’s meal slightly outside of town. You gotta do what you gotta do…. plus they have wifi!

Cheesing in front of the Pope's Palace

With the bridge in the background - on y danse, on y danse!

Monday morning, we were greeted with another blue skied day. We took our pastries and ate them in the Jardin du Monde in town. Then, as Brenna’s leg had been hurt from a soccer accident and the pain was getting worse, we stopped by the emergency room here in Apt and I got to practice my French medical terms. Although these are pretty non-existent, I helped out as much as I could, as none of the nurses and staff spoke English, besides the doctor that saw Brenna. After getting more meds and information about where to get bequilles**, we were off to our first stop of the day: Roussilion. As my Mom has her degree in geology, I was extremely excited to show her this place and knew that it would easily be her favorite. They were just floored by the dramatic colors of the ochres, especially with the extreme contrast against the blue sky, and it led to a wonderful afternoon exploring this natural wonder.

This week's new pastry: pain au chocolat et noisettes. Basically, a chocolate and hazelnut pastry. Pure HEAVEN.

Just chilling underneath the palm trees in Apt.

The red rock in Roussillon

Miss Geology with the ocres in Roussillon!

Working up a hunger, we stopped by a terrace café for lunch and soaked up the sun while we munched on crêpes, croque-monsieurs and ice cream. Then, it was off to the scenic overlook onto the town of Gordes. Although I have visited both Rousillion and Gordes in the past, it was so much more enjoyable being able to share these little villages with my family. As we drove up to the viewpoint, I knew what to expect, but hearing their “ooh”s and “aah”s made me see the beauty of the light shining on the white walls of the posh buildings in a completely different way.

Early evening light on Gordes

On our last stop of the day, making it just before sundown, we arrived in the middle of an uninhabited valley where the 12^th century Abbaye de Senanque sits. The isolated, yet still active, abbey was proceeded by lines and lines of lavender. Though not in bloom right now, you could still imagine the beauty of the place in the summer. Not to mention that it still had a lingering, fragrant scent of lavender, which added to the sense of calm one has when visiting this place.

The next day I dubbed to be Roman day, as we spent the day exploring many Roman ruins in cities scattered around this region. In the morning, we drove to Vaison-la-Romaine which has two sites of ruins nestled within the town center. It was amazing to see how the rest of the city has been built around these ancient ruins, and great to see how well they have been preserved. Plus, another wonderful morning market to wander around in was a nice way to start the day.

Queen of the ruins.

Then, we were off to Orange, which boasts a well preserved Arc de Triomphe as well as an ancient Roman theatre. Though it became windy and cold during this part of the day, we climbed the many steps in the theatre and tried to imagine the performances that took place at the venue in ancient times. Today, it still hosts the Choralies festival during the summer, a world renowned opera festival!

Arc de Triomphe in Orange

Who doesn't love a good photobomb?!

Theatre Antique

For the last stop in this tour of Roman Provence, we left the Vaucluse region and traveled into the Gard, visiting the magnificent Pont du Gard, a massive Roman aqueduct that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Though I have wanted to see this site ever since I studied abroad here, I was not expecting how big it was truly going to be. Staring up at its large beams, I couldn’t help but wonder how the Romans could have built something so large and lasting with the limited amount of technology at that time. It was definitely the highlight of “Roman day” in Provence.

No picture can quite capture its massiveness.

That night, we ate at one of my favorite restaurants in town, Chez mon cousin Alphonse. Again, because many of my favorites were closed during this week, Chez became a place that we frequented. My family nor I did I mind, with the dessert menu that nearly competes in size to the regular one, we enjoyed nice meals of tartiflette, wood stove pizza, fondue, duck, and other favorites, washed down with wine for the ladies and beer for the men.

Dad's poison (left) and mine (right). Papa Bear and Little Bear. :)

Wednesday, we woke up and were greeted with rain. A lot of rain. As I had seen this in the forecast, we made it a simple day of driving through some of the littler villages around Apt, including Bonnieux, Lacoste, and the famous Ménerbes where Peter Mayle lived and wrote about in his book a Year in Provence. Because it was rainy and there was a lot of fog, we didn’t get out and take any pictures but more or less took in the view and feel of the cities from the car. Then we were off to Lourmarin to visit the Château de Lourmarin. We stopped in town to get a small lunch beforehand and ended up having a nice leisurely lunch, full of conversation with our waiter Benjamin who had just returned to France after living in San Francisco for several years.*** Again, always expect the unexpected here in France!

We made it back to Apt early that night and decided to catch a movie at the cinema, something I tend to do normally on a Wednesday night. They had August in Osage County playing in English, so we enjoyed a quick flick and then a nice French dinner at a crêperie called le Chant de l’Heure. As my family all adores cheese and sweets, they loved trying the savory and sweets crepes in this homey lofted restaurant.

Thursday brought an early morning but a promise of beautiful weather, as we were heading to the coast town of Cassis. Anyone who has asked me the question “What is your favorite place in France?” will know that this has been and still is my answer. I fell in love with this small coastal beach town during an excursion that I went on when I studied abroad, and my love for the clear blue waters splashing up onto the beach surrounded by Cap Canaille and the calanques has only continued to grow. Although we spent a short morning here, going on a boat tour of the calanques and relaxing by the Mediterranean Sea, I am so excited that I get to return here for my last weekend of the assistantship. I was so happy to be able to show this little gem to my family, who seemed just as enthralled by its beauty.

Pure happiness.

I said that Tuesday was dubbed “Roman day” – going with this theme, Dan decided to dub this day “Becca day” as we went to all my favorite places. The afternoon was spent in Aix-en-Provence. Although my mom had visited here before, it was wonderful to show the rest of my family where I studied for six weeks, my walk to school, my favorite gelato and crepe place and of course, all the fountains. After exploring the city, I took them out to the Barrage de Bimont where they could see the Montagne Sainte-Victoire that I hiked just the weekend before. 

Family in front of la Rotonde!

Alumni representin'

Dan and Brenna with Cezanne's muse in the background

We awoke Friday finally feeling the effects of a non-stop tour throughout Southern France. That, along with the rainy weather, scrapped the plans for the day and we decided to hang around town, resting and writing postcards while spending some quality time together. That night, we were invited to go to my coordinating teacher Cathy’s house for dinner. As I have been there a few times, I felt at home instantly, though I was worried about how my family might fit in. I needn’t have worried; Cathy, Marc and their children made my family feel so welcomed, offering us pissaladière, pot-au-feu, bread, cheese, and homemade ice cream for dessert, all washed down with a lovely Alsace white wine, a round red wine made in nearby Ventoux, and even a light organic red wine. They talked and talked to us for hours and loved hearing about life in America. After finally saying our goodbyes and many thanks at midnight, we drove back to the hotel with our bellies full and our spirits high.

Saturday morning marked the beginning of our last day together in Provence and it could not have begun better. A sunny blue sky greeted us as we made our way through the Saturday market here in Apt. I was happy to show my family the little windy alleys of Apt, and help them buy some souvenirs from this place as they got to experience one last market. For lunch, I introduced another French tradition to them: a wine and cheese tasting at Chez Sylla. With each of us getting something slightly different (the men got sausage platters while the women got salads and cheeses), we got to try each other’s food and wine choices, leading to good discussions with our waiter about how the wine was made and how each one is different. My family loved this meal, boasting that it was maybe their favorite, which showed as they bought their favorite wines and confitures from the store room.

In the afternoon, we headed off to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, a small village which holds la source, or the source of the Sorgue river. As it is winter, everyone says that it is the best time to visit this sit, as the water is incredibly high and rushing throughout the village. As the beautiful weather continued, it was clear that we were not the only ones that had the idea to visit the source, which was shown by the overflowing parking lots throughout the city. We followed the mass of people going towards the source, all the while taking in the sights and the sounds of the gushing water of the river next to us. When we reached the beginning, we noticed that there was a large rock face that people were climbing to get a better view. Although I was not really equipped for climbing, Dan, Dad and I climbed up to get a better view and a few pictures. It was certainly worth almost slipping down the side of the hill, as the pool of blue water below was a beauty to see.

Dad looking like a kid in a candy store after climbing the rocky trail for a better view!

La Source

Our last night in Apt, we decided to have a small dinner, as we would be up at 4:30 to leave for Avignon.**** So what fine dining establishment did we visit, you may ask? Since I had told my family so much about it, we had to make a stop at Pizz’Burger. One of my students took our order, gave us a meal for free and even offered us coffee after. I talked to my favorite French woman, who I finally found out refers to me as la fille avec l’ordinateur, or the girl with the computer. Wifi junkie, much? But anyway, we spoke in French about my family and we translated the conversation back and forth, always so welcoming even if they barely know any English. I am glad that I did take my family there – though it is not exactly French cuisine, it has that laid-back, welcoming Provencal attitude that I want my family to remember. 

With speedy and a little stressful packing for the rest of the night, our week together in Provence came to a close. I can’t even begin to explain how wonderful it was showing my family around where I live, work and studied. I hope they understand why I like it so much in this region in France, that it is all about slowing down and enjoying what is around you: the beautiful sights, delicious food and wonderful family. I think that they felt welcomed and at home, in my home away from home. It was truly a week that I will never forget.

*Read: Me enjoying the countryside, everyone else napping. Jet lag is rough, folks!

**Translation: crutches. I had to google translate that one on my phone while in the hospital – yes technology!

***I know, right? What a small world! Brenna, Dan and him chatted like old pals about the Bay area.

****In hindsight, the 7am TGV ride might not have been a great idea. But hey, it was cheaper and we got into Paris earlier!